"Mr. Zhuang, it's like this: the government has decided to issue three more gaming licenses, bringing the total number of licenses in Macau to six. While this will create competition, it will also cause chaos in Macau's gaming industry..."
Uncle Ming explained to Zhuang Rui that the Macao government had been planning to increase the number of Macao gaming licenses since 2006, and this news caused a stir in the world of gambling.
As China grows stronger and its economy continues to improve, many foreigners have realized the strong spending power of Chinese people. Even in foreign gambling cities such as Las Vegas, it is not uncommon to see high-rolling Chinese tourists.
If this is the case abroad, it goes without saying that it is even more so in Macau, which is just a stone's throw away. Although profits have declined in recent years, Wynn and Galaxy, which entered the market later, have made a fortune and have already recouped their investments in just over five years.
As a result, the Macau gaming license has become a goldmine in the eyes of many gambling tycoons. Since the news broke, at least thirty large conglomerates have expressed interest in entering the Macau gaming industry.
However, the issuance of gaming licenses is not good for Mr. Ho, and it is also bad for the other two companies that have already established themselves in Macau, Wynn and Galaxy. The entry of more companies means that a large portion of the profits will be taken away, which is obvious.
Although the three companies have been fierce competitors in recent years, they have now joined forces in a very tacit manner.
It's worth noting that the owners of these three companies are all influential figures in the global gambling industry, yet they have jointly stated that they do not welcome any of these companies into Macau.
This news caused a huge uproar. Although the gambling companies that wanted to enter Macau were not as powerful as these three, they had the numbers to fight back. In the end, they even united to resist the three giants of Macau.
Nearly a year has passed since the news broke, and multiple casinos have been disrupted, causing chaos and huge losses in the global gambling industry.
Finally, more than twenty of today's gambling industry giants sat down and came up with a solution: the gambling industry should be resolved through gambling. All companies that intend to enter the Macau gambling industry would be invited to a Texas Hold'em tournament, with each company sending a skilled player to compete for the three extra gambling licenses. Only those who win at the gambling table could bid for those three licenses.
"Old man, doesn't your company already have a gambling license? Will the government issue another gambling license to you?"
Hearing this, Zhuang Rui understood what the old gambling king meant, but he still had doubts. These three companies in Macau were essentially going against the Macau government's decision. Even if they won at the gambling table, they might not be able to get a gambling license.
"You little rascal, I really don't know how you run your business..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, the gambling king nearly choked again. After a pause, he continued irritably, "My current company is called SJM Holdings. Why not just register another company called SJM? As long as it's in accordance with the rules, who would dare not issue me a gambling license?"
The old man's words were imposing and menacing. He was dissatisfied with many of the actions of the Macau government. If he weren't so old, he would definitely have fought for the Chief Executive position and brought Macau's development onto its own track.
"That's true. All the other companies have withdrawn, so the only place left for you to get the gambling license..."
After Zhuang Rui figured this out, he couldn't help but shake his head. He guessed that the old man had been forced to agree to the condition. After all, there are winners and losers in gambling, and no one dares to pat their chest and say that they are invincible.
"So? Now you dare to take my ship back, right?"
The old gambling king looked at Zhuang Rui with hopeful eyes. Although he had trained many gambling experts under his command, such as Uncle Ming and others, when he counted his subordinates, the gambling king had no confidence at all.
Zhuang Rui's visit to Macau reminded the gambling king of a strange gambling game he had witnessed a few years ago, which aroused his great curiosity about Zhuang Rui. That's why he generously opened the money counting room for Zhuang Rui to use as a gambling hall.
Zhuang Rui's performance did not disappoint the gambling king. Although there was evidence of manipulation in the last round, Zhuang Rui's calm and composed demeanor at the gambling table made the gambling king very optimistic about him.
"Grandpa, I still can't take this boat back. I don't know how to play Texas Hold'em at all..."
Zhuang Rui only learned how to play All-in a couple of years ago through last-minute cramming. As for Texas Hold'em, although he knew how to play, he had never actually played it. In addition, he didn't want to get involved in this matter because he didn't want to play it, so he simply used not knowing how to play as an excuse.
The old gambling king scoffed at Zhuang Rui's words, waving his hand and saying, "It's alright if you don't know how to play, Ah Ming can teach you. Young man, in the end, gambling isn't about the cards anymore, it's about people's hearts. If you have a firm will, you will surely be the final winner..."
"That's right, Mr. Zhuang. Even if I got that flush today, I could only win a maximum of 200 million, unlike you who could go all in and win all of their chips..."
Uncle Ming is considered one of the top gambling experts in Macau, but he is truly convinced of Zhuang Rui's skill.
Chapter 925 Forcing a Duck onto a Shelf
There are many things in this world that are hard to explain. Some people are not born to gamble, but once they enter a casino, they always win and it is difficult for them to lose.
Uncle Ming once met a man who had been dragged to Macau to play. The man seemed to want to lose all of his 500 chips. He bet all his chips on "big" in the first round of dice games and unexpectedly won. He then bet all his winnings on "big".
Who knew that this person would win every time he bet, and in the end, he got eleven big bets in a row, while the other person bet eleven times in a row and won more than 500,000 with 500 chips. The strange thing is that just when this person stopped betting, the twelfth bet was a small bet.
With Uncle Ming's keen eye, he could naturally see that the man knew nothing about gambling and relied entirely on luck. This was very similar to Zhuang Rui's behavior. In casinos, only those who don't care about winning or losing are the ultimate winners.
Although Uncle Ming is a skilled gambler, he is unable to let go of his worries. Watching millions or even billions of chips slip through his fingers, he cannot maintain a calm mindset, which is the main reason why he cannot replace SJM in the competition.
"Uncle Ming, I don't deserve such praise..."
Upon hearing Uncle Ming's words, Zhuang Rui waved his hands repeatedly. The higher a person is propped up, the more painful the fall will be. Zhuang Rui didn't want these two old men, whose combined age was a full 150 years, to be praised to death.
The old gambling king wiped his mouth with a snow-white towel, looked at Zhuang Rui, and said with a mocking expression, "Facts speak louder than words. Young people should be energetic and dare to challenge the unknown. So, kid, you really don't want this ship of mine?"
The old gambling king had thoroughly investigated Zhuang Rui's experiences over the past few years. After much deliberation, he still felt that Zhuang Rui was the most suitable candidate for this gambling game that would determine the gambling licenses within the industry.
As the gambling king himself just said, gambling is actually about people's hearts. When you don't care about money, your mind will naturally become more open, and when it comes to making choices, you are far superior to those who are preoccupied with the gains and losses of a single game.
For example, if a billionaire bets against someone with assets of 100,000, the billionaire will not feel any psychological burden or fluctuation when betting 100,000. For the billionaire, it is just a very small game.
Conversely, the person with only 100,000 in assets will definitely hesitate and look back. If they win, their net worth will increase many times over, but if they lose, they may end up homeless. Even the most determined person will experience psychological fluctuations in such a situation, leading to poor judgment.
Zhuang Rui's situation is just like that. The gambling king once had someone assess Zhuang Rui's fixed assets, which were found to be as high as 5 billion RMB. For Zhuang Rui, a bet of 500 million RMB was nothing more than a numbers game.
Just like the luxury ferry that the gambling king wanted to give to Zhuang Rui, although the amount of more than 3 billion is something that most people in the world cannot quantify, it is nothing in the eyes of the gambling king whose net worth is hundreds of billions.
"Sir, as you know, my business is related to antiques and art, which has absolutely nothing to do with gambling. I'm sorry, I cannot agree to your request..."
In all his life, Zhuang Rui had never even dreamed that one day someone would force a luxury ferry worth billions of dollars onto him, as if he had no choice but to accept it.
The bolder the man, the greater the harvest. Zhuang Rui knew he wasn't very bold and didn't want to get involved in this trouble. He hadn't even enjoyed two years of a comfortable life with his wife and kids.
"Don't be so quick to refuse. This matter won't be resolved until the end of the year. This old man has never asked anyone for anything in his life, but I never thought that I would be asking you, young man, for help when I'm almost in my grave..."
The old gambling king sighed and shook his head, looking like a hero in his twilight years. Zhuang Rui was also moved and almost agreed.
The old gambling king paused for a moment, then continued, "Here's what we'll do: go back and think it over. If you're willing to help this old man out, find someone to give you a message. If not, then forget it..."
"Grandpa, I'm so sorry about this. It's just that I'm terrible at gambling..."
When Zhuang Rui said this, it almost made the two old men in front of him lose their minds. He had gambled twice and won against two world gambling kings. Now he was saying that he didn't know how to gamble. Wasn't that just being pretentious?
"Forget it, forget it, let's not talk about this anymore..."
The old gambling king waved his hand. After talking with Zhuang Rui for so long, he was also feeling very tired. He lifted his almost numb foot and gently stepped on the deck, saying, "I've basically kept all the promises I've made in my life. I said I'd give you this ship today, and I can't break my word... Ah Ming, when do you think this little guy has time? Go with him to complete the formalities. Oh, and don't forget to remove any irrelevant people from the ship..."
"Sir, this won't do. I can't accept a gift without having done anything for it. I dare not take your boat; I can't afford to maintain it..."
When Zhuang Rui heard the old man circling back to the ship again, he quickly refused. What a joke! You can't eat someone's food without being obliged. If you really accept this luxury ferry, you probably won't be able to avoid gambling even if you want to.
"Don't worry, I'm an old man who's almost in my grave. What would I need this ship for? I'm just giving it to you for fun. It has nothing to do with the gambling... The crew members who stayed on this ship are all old crew members who have been with me for over twenty years. It's like giving them a way to make a living. You won over a billion this time. Can't you afford to support a few people?"
The old gambling king looked slightly sad, as if he were making his final arrangements. Zhuang Rui was speechless for a moment. Giving away billions of dollars made it seem like the other party owed Zhuang Rui a huge favor, which made it impossible for Zhuang Rui to refuse.
Moreover, Zhuang Rui really liked this ship. If he used this ferry as a salvage vessel, he was confident that he could salvage many sunken ships in areas with large waves.
It is important to understand that the size of the ship is often the most critical factor in salvaging sunken ships, because you can't expect a salvage ship that is only a dozen meters long and weighs a few dozen tons to salvage those sunken ships that are tens of meters long.
Once a drilling platform and a large floating crane are installed, this luxury ferry can immediately become one of the world's most advanced salvage vessels.
Of course, probably no one in the world except Zhuang Rui would even consider using such a luxury ferry as a salvage vessel.
"Mr. Zhuang, you can have your lawyer handle the formalities tomorrow. This ship isn't registered in Macau, but in Panama, which gives it many preferential treatments, and the transfer of ownership is also very convenient..."
Just as Zhuang Rui was having wild thoughts, he suddenly heard Uncle Ming's voice in his ear.
"Uncle Ming, I... I didn't say I wanted to accept this ship..."
Zhuang Rui was stunned for a moment upon hearing this. Although he was tempted, he did not agree. Why was Uncle Ming bringing up the transfer of ownership? Whether the ship was from Panama or Macau, what did it have to do with him?
"Where...where is the old man?"
Zhuang Rui then realized that the gambling king who had been sitting in front of him had been put into a wheelchair and pushed into the cabin by the woman. His tall and thin figure looked so desolate in the afterglow of the setting sun.
Uncle Ming, standing to the side, smiled faintly as he looked at Zhuang Rui and said, "Mr. He said that since you've accepted the boat, he'll have me handle the formalities for you tomorrow..."
"What? This...isn't this forcing a duck onto a shelf?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned when he heard this. He had never agreed to accept the ship from beginning to end. This old man was simply... unreasonable.
There are forced sales in this world, and Zhuang Rui encountered something unusual today: he was even forced to accept a free gift, which he couldn't refuse.
“Mr. Zhuang, Mr. He said that this boat has nothing to do with the gambling. You can rest assured and accept it. Knowing Mr. He as I do, he certainly won't go back on his word…”
Uncle Ming repeated the old gambling king's words in a serious tone, but the smile in his eyes grew wider and wider.
"Alright, alright, stop talking. Tell Mr. He I've accepted the boat. Send me the information about this gambling deal when you have time..."
Zhuang Rui waved his hand to interrupt Uncle Ming. This matter was not like what Uncle Ming said at all. He had received such a big favor, and he was not representing the old gambling king to participate in this gambling game. He was simply unworthy of it.
Although he felt a little depressed, Zhuang Rui was more excited that the ship was about to become his private property. He stomped his foot on the deck and waved to Peng Fei, who was standing on the ship's side.
When the bewildered Peng Fei approached, Zhuang Rui's first words were: "Peng Fei, this ship is ours now..."
"Wh...what?"
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Peng Fei's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and he exclaimed, "Brother, you didn't just gamble with that old guy and win this ship, did you?"
"This was given to Mr. Zhuang by Mr. He..."
Uncle Ming, who was standing nearby, frowned when he heard Peng Fei's disrespect towards Mr. He. Although Mr. He ran a gambling business, many people in Macau regarded him as a benevolent figure.
"A gift? Bro, what does he want you to do?"
Peng Fei wasn't stupid. There's no such thing as love or hate without a reason. The old man didn't have Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, so it was impossible for him to give away billions of dollars without a reason.
"Six months later, as a representative of SJM Holdings, I will participate in a gambling game..."
Zhuang Rui said with a wry smile.
"A bet? What if we lose?"
Peng Fei hadn't expected the old man to propose this condition.
"Losing is losing, Mr. He won't blame Mr. Zhuang..."
Perhaps Peng Fei's words offended Mr. He, because Uncle Ming doesn't like Peng Fei very much.
"That's good. Isn't it nice to have someone giving you money to gamble for fun?"
Peng Fei patted his chest, but what he said made Uncle Ming so angry he almost vomited.
Chapter 926 Luxury Salvage Ship (Part 1)
"Brother Huangfu, how is my fourth brother doing lately?"
Zhuang Rui, dressed in a flashy beach outfit, sat in the seat where the old shipping magnate had once sat, casually peeling a fresh lychee and popping it into his mouth. Huangfu Yun sat next to him, also dressed in very casual clothes.
"Your classmate is very capable; I feel very reassured entrusting the foundation to him..."
Wearing sunglasses, Huangfu Yun kept glancing at the swimming pool not far away. There, not only his wife, but also Qin Xuanbing and Peng Fei's wife Zhang Qian were. The beauties were all curvaceous, which was a feast for the eyes of Huangfu Yun, who was not a gentleman to begin with.
"Damn, what are you looking at? If you want to look, your wife can look at her tonight..."