"Mr. Zhuang, you're too kind. My son was rude last time, and I've been saying I wanted to apologize to you in person..."
Ms. Zhao adopted a humble attitude and spoke as if she were treating Zhuang Rui as an equal. She was just a businesswoman and did not have the clout to act like an elder in front of Zhuang Rui.
In ancient times, there was a ranking of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. Merchants were the lowest and least prestigious profession. For example, Fan Li, who assisted Goujian in destroying Wu, made great contributions, but because he later went into business, he was unable to be recorded in history alongside other famous figures.
Of course, in modern society, farming is considered the least promising career path, and whether a person can make money has almost become the sole measure of their ability.
However, at certain levels of society, officials still rank first, while businessmen, no matter how big their businesses are, still have to be humble and subservient in front of certain people.
"Ms. Zhao, you're too kind. Please come in..."
Aside from girls under ten years old like Nannan, Zhuang Rui really wasn't good at dealing with women. After a polite greeting, he stepped aside and invited the group to sit down inside.
When Zhuang Rui first started renovating the museum, he left a conference room that could accommodate more than 500 people for future academic exchanges. Fortunately, the museum's conference room was big enough, otherwise most of the people would probably have to stay outside in the sun with him today.
"This must be... Mr. Ouyang?"
As she approached the museum entrance, Ms. Zhao stopped in her tracks, for she recognized Ouyang Jun. In Beijing, among those who had built up a certain level of business, there were few who didn't know Ouyang Jun.
Moreover, Ms. Zhao works in the catering industry. Some time ago, she heard that Ouyang Jun wanted to sell the club and had been trying to find someone to make the connection and talk to him. Her purpose in coming here today was to see if she could meet Ouyang Jun. She didn't expect to run into him before she even entered the door.
"Fourth Brother, could you please attend to Ms. Zhao?"
When Zhuang Rui saw that someone else had come in, he quickly apologized and, without caring whether Ouyang Jun was willing or not, assigned him a task.
The people who arrived later were mostly from government departments, including leaders from the Beijing Museum and officials from the Industry and Commerce and Taxation Bureau. Apart from recognizing the former district office director who had been promoted to secretary, Zhuang Rui didn't recognize any of them.
These people were naturally left to Huangfu Yun to entertain. Although some of them were not high-ranking officials, they wielded considerable power. As the saying goes, a local official is more powerful than a distant one. These people had to be treated with care. Of course, none of the officials in the capital would dare to undermine Zhuang Rui.
As the opening date drew closer, more and more people came. People in the antique circle were fine; whether they knew each other or not, they could talk. But those from travel agencies and leaders at all levels all needed someone to accompany them. Not to mention Zhuang Rui, even Liu Chuan and Zhao Guodong, who came all the way from Pengcheng, were extremely busy.
Apart from Ouyang Jun, the Ouyang brothers, although not present, also sent flower baskets. The area within a hundred or two meters around the museum entrance was filled with various congratulatory flower baskets, causing passersby to stop and look.
"Brother Zhuang, the teacher is here! Come quickly and greet him..."
Just as Zhuang Rui was so busy he could barely breathe, Fatty Jin suddenly ran out from inside. He was wearing very little summer clothing, and the two fat bulges on his chest swayed up and down like a woman's... well, you know.
"Didn't the master say he would come in the afternoon?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, but he still followed Fatty Jin toward the parking lot. Before they even reached the parking lot, they saw the master sitting in a wheelchair being pushed over by his nephew.
"Sir, how could I trouble you to come on such a hot day..."
Zhuang Rui grabbed an umbrella and ran to the wheelchair, quickly shielding the master from the sun. Compared to the last time he saw the old man, his complexion was much better. It seemed that his spiritual energy was quite effective in helping the old man recover his physical functions.
"Young Zhuang, if you want to revitalize traditional culture, this old man doesn't have much to give you, so I can only come and support you..."
The old man was very humorous, but his eyes kept darting to the wall behind the flower basket. The wall was covered with exquisitely painted murals of various exhibition halls in the museum.
The old man looked around very carefully, and would occasionally look up and ask Zhuang Rui a few questions. He was in such good spirits that he didn't look like a man in his nineties at all.
The antique dealers, who were originally chatting in the conference room, couldn't sit still any longer when they heard that the master was coming, and they all rushed out of the door.
This also reveals everyone's status in the antique trade: Mr. Ma leads the way, followed by several of the master's students, then experts and professors from various museums, and finally, the more famous collectors.
People like Manager Zhang from Zhengzhou could only stand outside the circle and watch from afar.
When the master arrived, Zhuang Rui had to stay by his side, because the old man was really too old, and if anything happened, he could provide timely treatment.
As Zhuang Rui entered the conference room, he released a wisp of spiritual energy, which entered the master's body. He entered the air-conditioned room from the outside and felt a sudden chill, but this did not attract the master's attention.
"Secretary Wang? What does he want on the phone?"
Zhuang Rui was chatting with the elderly man, showing him museum brochures, when his phone suddenly lit up. He looked down at the display and was puzzled.
Chapter 706 Museum Opening (Part 2)
The caller was Wang Peng, Zhuang Rui's uncle's secretary. However, Zhuang Rui had never had any dealings with him before, so he was a little suspicious.
When Ouyang Zhenwu visited Zhuang Rui's courtyard house, he never had his secretary accompany him. Zhuang Rui and Wang Peng had only met at Ouyang Zhenwu's villa and exchanged business cards, but they had never spoken on the phone.
Although Wang Peng was Ouyang Zhenwu's secretary, he also held the position of deputy director in the General Office of the ministry, making him a true deputy director-level official. If he were to be transferred to a provincial or local level, he would be a high-ranking official in that region.
"Secretary Wang, hello, I'm Zhuang Rui..."
Some time ago, Zhuang Rui had heard Ouyang Jun mention that Wang Da, the chief secretary, personally helped with the paperwork for his museum. Even though it was Ouyang Zhenwu's influence, Zhuang Rui still had to accept the favor.
"Xiao Zhuang, get ready, the boss is about to go to the opening ceremony of your museum..."
Wang Da Mi's voice wasn't loud, so he must have been in the car. But what he said startled Zhuang Rui. He hadn't heard his uncle mention coming before.
"Secretary Wang, how much longer until you arrive?"
As Zhuang Rui spoke, he stood up. Even if it wasn't Minister Ouyang who had come, he was still his elder, so it was only right and proper for him to go out and greet him.
"I've already seen your property development, I'll be there soon..."
After Secretary Wang finished speaking, he hung up the phone and turned to Ouyang Zhenwu, who was sitting in the back seat of the car, saying, "Boss, Zhuang Rui has been notified..."
"Um……"
Ouyang Zhenwu nodded, looking at Wang Peng's puzzled expression, and said with a smile, "Little Wang, although Zhuang Rui is my nephew, that's not why I went there."
There are not many private museums in China at present. Compared with foreign countries, they are lacking in both government support and market regulation. Most museums have very limited collections.
However, Zhuang Rui's museum is different. He started from a very high level and explored a path that no one had ever taken before: exchanging artifacts with foreign museums. This not only enriches his own collection but also allows national treasures to return to China. This is a very meaningful thing and deserves our attention and support..."
"It's not that those who came before didn't want to walk that path, but rather that they didn't have Picasso's works..."
Upon hearing his boss's words, Wang Da Mi couldn't help but mutter to himself, "If Picasso's works were everywhere, would they be worth such a high price?"
Wang Peng often accompanied his boss to academic exchanges abroad. He knew the nature of those museums very well. If Zhuang Rui didn't have Picasso's works, who would bother with him?
Without Picasso's works, let alone exchanging collections, Zhuang Rui probably wouldn't even be able to get into the office of a foreign museum director. Therefore, Zhuang Rui's approach is not replicable at all.
"Boss, you're right. We can have the museum issue a notice promoting Zhuang Rui's approach..."
Wang Da Mi knew what Ouyang Zhenwu meant; he was afraid that Zhuang Rui wouldn't be able to control the old hands in the antique business, so he stepped in to support Zhuang Rui.
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Zhenwu shook his head and said, "There's no need for a formal notification, but we could organize cultural relics departments at all levels to visit and exchange ideas at Zhuang Rui's museum..."
Wang Peng guessed correctly. Although Ouyang Zhenwu was upright, he was not pedantic. The matter of the Zhuang Rui Museum was ordered by his superiors, which is why he openly supported his nephew, clearly showing that he was not afraid of being criticized.
"I understand, I will pass on your instructions..."
After hearing her boss's words, Secretary Wang nodded and lowered her head, thinking to herself, "The boss is truly going all out to support Zhuang Rui..."
Although the Ministry of Culture does not have vertical management over the cultural relics departments at all levels and cannot appoint or dismiss relevant cadres, the documents of the Ministry are still taken seriously by the provinces and cities, and they will definitely organize departments at all levels to come and visit and learn.
It is important to know that there are more than 1,600 counties (including autonomous counties, banners, autonomous banners, special zones and forest areas), more than 300 county-level cities, and more than 200 prefecture-level cities in the country.
Zhuang Rui's museum isn't state-owned, so people naturally have to pay tuition to learn from it. If three to five people from each of these cities come, it would be a considerable source of income for Zhuang Rui's museum.
"Secretary Wang, hello, Uncle, why didn't you give me any advance notice before you came?"
Without notifying anyone, Zhuang Rui quietly went to the parking lot. As soon as he arrived, he saw Ouyang Zhenwu getting out of the car and quickly went to greet him.
"What? You're not welcome? Then I'll leave..."
Ouyang Zhenwu's words left Secretary Wang and his driver, who had worked for him for many years, speechless. They had never seen their boss speak to anyone in such a joking tone before.
"No way, Uncle, it's so hard to get you to come and support me..."
Zhuang Rui chuckled and pulled Ouyang Zhenwu aside. Among his uncles, he was closest to his youngest uncle, and among his cousins, he had the best relationship with Ouyang Jun. Therefore, he was usually a bit disrespectful to his elders.
Ouyang Zhenwu chuckled and patted Zhuang Rui's head, saying, "Well, don't call me 'little uncle' later, or people will say I'm abusing my power..."
"Hehe, I understand, Minister Ouyang..."
"Hmm, your museum is very unique, and you've even made use of the exterior walls..."
Ouyang Zhenwu followed behind Zhuang Rui, looked at the museum's exterior, and nodded in praise.
"Hey, Uncle, that's all money! I'm using my own walls for advertising, and some departments are even coming to my door to charge me. What kind of logic is that..."
It would be better if this matter weren't mentioned, because Zhuang Rui gets furious just thinking about it. When he first put up the posters on the wall, the relevant departments immediately came to his door, saying that it was outdoor advertising and that they would charge some kind of urban space fee. This almost made Zhuang Rui lose his temper.
"Ahem, you rascal, this is specifically for the daily management of outdoor advertising facilities and the comprehensive improvement of the urban environment. Why are you the only one complaining?"
Ouyang Zhenwu glared at Zhuang Rui with displeasure. National policies and government regulations are not to be commented on casually. Ouyang Zhenwu was thinking about whether he should give Zhuang Rui a warning, otherwise, if he really used the privileges of his brothers, that would be something that would give others leverage against him.
"I was just saying, Uncle. We're law-abiding citizens, we don't do anything crooked..."
As they spoke, the three arrived at the conference room door. Zhuang Rui opened the door, letting Ouyang Zhenwu enter first. Then, he clapped his hands and said loudly, "Minister Ouyang, despite your busy schedule, have come to attend the opening ceremony of my museum. Everyone, please welcome him..."
Zhuang Rui's words immediately silenced the conference room. To be honest, the number of people in the room who knew about the relationship between Zhuang Rui and Ouyang Zhenwu could be counted on one hand.
Most of the people present were from the antique circle and were familiar with Ouyang Zhenwu. Some government officials from other units were even more aware of the power of the Ouyang family. It can be said that Ouyang Zhenwu's arrival made many people re-examine Zhuang Rui and his museum.
I doubt that even at the opening ceremony of the Capital Museum, the Ministry of Culture would only send a vice minister. Zhuang Rui, with just a private museum, managed to invite a minister, and the head of the department directly under the museum, no less. What kind of connections and background does that require?
The arrogant local department leader, who had been thinking about how to get some benefits from the museum in the future, suddenly started trembling when he saw Ouyang Zhenwu attending the opening ceremony. He thought that the reason others didn't bother with him before was because they were magnanimous and had connections with the Ouyang family. Killing him would be as easy as squashing a bug.
After a brief silence, applause suddenly erupted, but in everyone's minds, the applause was probably mostly for the seemingly mysterious young man.
"Sir, you've come too. Young Master Zhuang certainly has quite the influence..."
Ouyang Zhenwu spotted the master in the wheelchair and rushed over. In terms of status, he was the most distinguished person present, but in terms of age and seniority, he was a junior in front of the master.
"Young man, you have drive and ability, you should be supported," the master said with a smile. Although he didn't say much, his words were firm and showed how much Zhuang Rui meant to him.
Some experts who had come out of politeness after receiving the invitation were even more impressed with Zhuang Rui after hearing the old man's evaluation of him.
Everyone knows that masters are never afraid of the powerful and influential. Minister Ouyang's arrival only shows that this young man has a powerful background, but the old man's words have established Zhuang Rui's status in the antique industry and made his colleagues look at him with new eyes.
"Alright, it's about time. Shall we begin the ribbon-cutting ceremony?"
After Ouyang Zhenwu and the master chatted for a while, Zhuang Rui checked the time and it was almost time, so he asked the emcee to start making arrangements. The people in the conference room, led by the museum staff, gathered at the entrance of the museum.
As the professional band invited by Huangfuyun began to play music, several guides who were temporarily acting as hostesses led Ouyang Zhenwu and his entourage to the main entrance of the museum. The scissors, trays, red flowers, and other items used for the ribbon-cutting were all prepared.
The positions of the people were also very particular. The master and Minister Ouyang stood on the left and right sides in the middle. Mr. Ma stood next to the master, while Zhuang Rui, the host of the event, stood next to Ouyang Zhenwu.
"Friends and guests, it is a great pleasure for you all to attend the opening ceremony of my museum. Here, I would like to extend my sincere greetings to Minister Ouyang, who has taken time out of his busy schedule to attend the ceremony, and also..."
As required by the ceremony, Zhuang Rui, as the host, took the microphone and briefly introduced the ribbon-cutting guests who came to participate in the opening ceremony. Of course, even if he didn't introduce them, others would already be familiar with those on the stage.
Chapter 707 Collection (Part 1)
After Zhuang Rui said a few words, he handed the microphone to Minister Ouyang. No one wanted to stay outside for long on such a hot day. After Minister Ouyang said a few words of blessing and encouragement, the ribbon-cutting officially began.