Zhuang Rui stretched with a smile, earning him a glare from Huangfu Yun and Yun Man, a couple who had never seen a boss who actually complained about having too much money.
However, Zhuang Rui was not able to relax in the following days. The opening of the shipwreck museum was another grand event for the Chinese archaeological community, and experts from the national scientific research community once again gathered in Beijing.
Although the meeting was chaired by Professor Meng, Zhuang Rui, as Professor Meng's disciple and the owner of the sunken ship, was also extremely busy.
However, Zhuang Rui did not waste this opportunity. He contacted many television media outlets and publicized the significance of the shipwreck salvage. As a result, Dingguang Museum once again became famous.
The most direct result of this was that the museum's daily revenue skyrocketed, and the number of tourists surged from 20,000 to around 40,000, far exceeding the museum's capacity. Director Huangfu was all smiles all day long.
"Ah, this kind of life is so comfortable..."
A week after the shipwreck museum opened, Zhuang Rui finally finished his work and had some free time to spend with his wife and children at home. Sitting under the awning watching Fang Fang and Yuan Yuan playing with the white lion and King Kong, Zhuang Rui felt incredibly warm inside.
Now his suburban manor has become a wildlife park. The white lion's offspring have all grown quite large and are considered the manor's tyrants. The golden eagle is undoubtedly the manor's second tyrant, often taking anyone it doesn't like for a spin in the sky.
King Kong blended in with the people in the manor. This intelligent creature often made people forget that it was a wild beast.
Chapter 1007 What's going on?
September in Beijing wasn't so hot anymore. Lying under a parasol by the swimming pool, Zhuang Rui chatted with Qin Xuanbing, feeling a special sense of peace.
Zhuang Rui's two-year-old children are much taller than other children their age, and at first glance they look like three or four-year-olds. This is the effect of Zhuang Rui often using his spiritual energy to help them regulate their bodies.
The two little ones were already splashing around in the pool. With King Kong protecting them, and Ouyang Wan standing on the shore with a worried look on her face, there was no concern that the little ones were in danger.
"Honey, you won't run off again this time, will you?"
Qin Xuanbing peeled a grape and held it to Zhuang Rui's lips. Ever since the incident when she and Zhuang Rui were attacked by pirates, Qin Xuanbing had realized that Zhuang Rui's trips were not as safe as she had imagined. Therefore, she had been a little worried about Zhuang Rui's trip to Myanmar.
"What? You want me to retire already?"
After Zhuang Rui finished eating the grapes from his mouth, he casually kissed Qin Xuanbing's small hand. Although they were an old married couple, the shy Qin Xuanbing still glared at Zhuang Rui with embarrassment and annoyance.
"I'm not going out; I'll stay home with my wife and kids..."
Zhuang Rui's words were somewhat insincere. He secretly glanced at Qin Xuanbing and continued, "Uh... even if we go out, we'll take you all with us!"
The family business has been taken care of, so Zhuang Rui doesn't need to worry about it at all. Zhuang Rui does have a plan to go out to sea. There are several shipwrecks with abundant spiritual energy near the China Sea.
It's important to know that winter temperatures are too cold for sea operations, so the best time to salvage a shipwreck is from early spring to August or September. After that, you'll have to wait until next year.
This means that Zhuang Rui's luxury salvage ship basically needs to rest for nearly half a year. If Zhuang Rui doesn't make good use of it, it would be a waste of the tens of millions of yuan spent on the salvage ship every year.
"I knew you couldn't stay still..."
Qin Xuanbing gave Zhuang Rui a reproachful look, but then peeled another grape and handed it to him. She knew that at Zhuang Rui's age, it was the time to focus on his career, so she didn't really blame him.
"Okay, honey, I promise I won't go anywhere for the next few days, alright?"
Zhuang Rui shamelessly put his arm around Qin Xuanbing's waist, prompting Qin Xuanbing to whisper, "Mom and the child are here, can't you be a little more discreet..."
"Uh, so... tonight, damn, whose call was that?"
As Zhuang Rui was chatting with his wife, the phone on the round table next to them rang.
"Huh? Brother Lei..."
Zhuang Rui picked up the phone and was somewhat surprised. His older brother was usually so busy that it was rare for him to have time to call him. He answered immediately, "Brother Lei, what's up? You rarely call your little brother..."
"Xiao Rui, I need to discuss something with you. Are you free now?"
Ouyang Lei spoke with a strong voice. The chief's health had been poor lately, so as his deputy, he had more work to do. However, for Ouyang Lei, who was in his forties, work was a catalyst that kept him full of enthusiasm every day.
"Did you need something?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned for a moment upon hearing this. Could it be that Ouyang Lei found out about the things he said about Ouyang Lei in Myanmar? If Ouyang Lei knew that he said he was "no good" in that area, he would definitely be in big trouble.
"Yes, I need to talk to you about something. It's not convenient for you to come to the Central Military Commission..."
Ouyang Lei hesitated for a moment on the other end of the phone, then said, "How about this, aren't you a researcher at the Peking University Archaeological Institute? Let's meet there in an hour and a half..."
"Hey, Brother Lei, you even know about such a small thing?"
Zhuang Rui spoke with a hint of pride. You see, researchers at the Peking University Archaeological Institute enjoy professorial benefits. Even Zhuang Rui's senior, Dr. Ren, is only an associate researcher.
Because Zhuang Rui used the discovery of the Dingguang Sword to prove that the Ten Famous Swords of Ancient China did indeed exist, and later salvaged a Song Dynasty shipwreck, which played a prominent role in the research of Chinese Tang and Song history, Peking University made an exception and promoted him, a guy who had just graduated with a master's degree, to the level of researcher.
A 29-year-old researcher is probably the first of its kind at Peking University, or even in the whole country. Zhuang Rui still cares a lot about this title, after all, that guy Jin Pangzi is almost fifty years old and is only an associate researcher at the Palace Museum.
However, this matter was only recently approved, and Zhuang Rui only received the news yesterday. He didn't expect Ouyang Lei to find out so quickly.
"Okay...Brother Lei, what's up? Tell me first? Hello...hello?"
Ouyang Lei, being in a high position, exuded an unconscious authority when he spoke, which made Zhuang Rui subconsciously agree. Before he could ask anything else, Ouyang Lei had already hung up the phone.
For Ouyang Lei to call personally, it must be something important, but he didn't explain what it was about, which made Zhuang Rui feel uneasy, like he was being scratched by a cat.
Zhuang Rui hung up the phone, looked at Qin Xuanbing apologetically, and said, "Xuanbing, I'm sorry, Brother Lei called and said he needs to talk to me, so I have to go out now..."
"Alright, go ahead, but don't forget what you said, you have to take us three with you next time you go out..."
Qin Xuanbing has lived in Beijing for more than two years and now speaks fluent Beijing dialect.
"Don't worry, I definitely will!"
Zhuang Rui jumped up and suddenly kissed Qin Xuanbing on the cheek. By the time Qin Xuanbing screamed in surprise, he had already disappeared. ...
Since Peng Fei's wife, Zhang Qian, was due to give birth in the next couple of days, and Li Zhen was far away in Myanmar, Zhuang Rui drove himself to Peking University. When he arrived at the Institute of Archaeology, he found two soldiers with pistols slung over their waists standing at the entrance.
Zhuang Rui knew that Ouyang Lei's current military rank was high enough to qualify him for this level of guard, so he didn't pay much attention to it at the moment. After verifying his identity, he walked into the research institute.
"Brother Lei, you could have just talked on the phone, why did you have to come here?"
In the lobby outside the research institute, Ouyang Lei was examining the specimens displayed on the walls with a curious expression.
Ouyang Lei pointed at the skulls, seemingly unrelated to the question, and said, "Xiao Rui, is this what you usually study?"
"Ahem, Brother Lei, those things are specimens dug out of tombs. The research institute has a project to reconstruct the faces of these ancient humans, so they were borrowed temporarily..."
After Zhuang Rui finished answering, he looked at Ouyang Lei with a puzzled expression and asked, "Fourth Brother, you didn't ask me to popularize scientific research knowledge, did you? Why are you asking these questions?"
Zhuang Rui was really puzzled. Given his relationship with Ouyang Lei, they could discuss anything at home. He wondered what Ouyang Lei meant by inviting him to the archaeological institute today.
"These things... are quite interesting. By the way, Xiao Rui, you salvaged a Song Dynasty shipwreck a while ago, right? I heard it was salvaged from a depth of over a thousand meters, and even foreign media reported on it?"
Ouyang Lei's leaps in thought left Zhuang Rui completely bewildered. What was all this about? How did it all end up back on the shipwreck? Did the government want him to hand over the cargo from that shipwreck?
Thinking of this, Zhuang Rui said, "Brother Lei, I spent a lot of money to salvage that ship. If the country could spend that much money, it could salvage it too. It's nothing special..."
Zhuang Rui's meaning was clear: he paid for the salvage himself, and the country should pay for it themselves; they shouldn't try to take advantage of him.
"Hey kid, what are you thinking about? You think I came here just for that wrecked ship?"
Ouyang Lei, being the person he was, naturally understood the implication in Zhuang Rui's words. He pointed at Zhuang Rui, both amused and exasperated, and said, "Don't worry, your assets, though they may seem substantial, aren't actually that much. The country won't take advantage of you..."
"You said you weren't taking advantage of me, but when I borrowed a helicopter to transport some gold, you took half of it..."
Zhuang Rui muttered something under his breath, but not loudly, because it was something he had done voluntarily at the time.
Just as Ouyang Lei was about to say something, he looked up and saw four more people walking in through the door, so he shut his mouth. Zhuang Rui, however, stood up and went to greet them, saying to the person in front, "Teacher Meng, isn't today your day off? Why are you here too?"
Zhuang Rui didn't recognize any of the people who came in with Professor Meng, but judging from their demeanor, they should all be leaders, at least they all had a leader's belly. On the other hand, Ouyang Lei, this real general, did not have a general's belly caused by being overweight.
Zhuang Rui was increasingly puzzled. It seemed that Ouyang Lei's reason for contacting him was related to archaeology, and that he hadn't chosen this place rashly.
"Dean Liu called me, saying there was something he needed to discuss..."
Before Professor Meng could finish speaking, the man who appeared to be a leader behind him stepped forward to greet Ouyang Lei. When they were about four or five meters apart, he extended his hands and said, "You must be Chief Ouyang? My surname is Liu, just call me Xiao Liu..."
Dean Liu's behavior disgusted Zhuang Rui. "Damn, he's in his fifties or sixties, yet he calls himself 'Little Liu' when he sees Ouyang Lei. Isn't that just pretending to be young?"
"Dean Liu, hello, please have a seat, everyone please have a seat..."
Although Ouyang Lei was dressed casually today, he exuded a very imposing aura. With just a few casual words, he placed himself in a dominant position.
After Ouyang Lei sat down, he said to one of the people next to Dean Liu, "Old Yu, your minister certainly has a big ego."
Upon hearing Ouyang Lei's words, Old Yu immediately stood up and said respectfully, "Chief Ouyang, if I had known it was you coming, the Minister would have arrived immediately. However... although this matter is not insignificant, it shouldn't warrant your involvement, should it?"
"This matter involves my younger brother, so it would be better if I explained it..."
Ouyang Lei waved his hand, gesturing for Lao Yu to sit down, then turned to Zhuang Rui and said, "Xiao Rui, Lao Yu is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Transport. You two should get to know each other..."
Chapter 1008 Awa Maru (Part 1)
"The Vice Minister of Transportation...?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned when he heard this. Although he could tell that these people were all leaders, he didn't think much of Lao Yu's initial performance. He never expected that Ouyang Lei's introduction would reveal that he was actually a deputy ministerial-level cadre.
It's important to understand that although there are many departments in China, the Ministry of Transport is definitely a powerful department. If a vice minister of the Ministry of Transport were placed in a local government, he would likely become a high-ranking official in charge of a region.
However, Zhuang Rui was puzzled. Although Ouyang Lei held a high rank in the military, a lieutenant general was only one rank higher than a deputy minister of a national department, and the two were not even in the same system. So why would Minister Yu be so flattering to Ouyang Lei?
"Minister Yu, hello..."
After the initial shock, Zhuang Rui quickly extended his hand. In terms of age and rank, the other person was several levels above him, so of course he had to be polite.
Although Zhuang Rui looked down on the other party, he had been in society for several years and wouldn't show it on his face. These days, a single glance can offend someone, especially for these seasoned officials who are masters of reading between the lines.
"You must be Xiao Zhuang? I didn't expect you to be so young. The President of the European Commission, you really are a scion of a military family..."
When shaking hands with Zhuang Rui, Vice Minister Yu only extended one hand, but the smile on his face was very warm and welcoming. While talking to Zhuang Rui, he did not forget to flatter Ouyang Lei.
"Xiao Zhuang, you really helped us a lot recently, giving our country's deep-sea salvage industry a good reputation. On behalf of the Ministry of Transport, I would like to express my gratitude to you!"
Although Vice Minister Yu's words had a bureaucratic tone, given his status and position, the fact that he could say such things to Zhuang Rui was definitely out of consideration for Ouyang Lei... or rather, the Euro family.
Vice Minister Yu's respect for Ouyang Lei is naturally related to the old man from Yuquanshan and the current core member of the Standing Committee, but that's not the whole story.
Anyone could see that, given Ouyang Lei's age, it was a certainty that he would become a member of the Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission in the future, and it was not impossible for him to become the first vice chairman of the Central Military Commission. If that happened, Ouyang Lei would be considered a national leader.
That is why Vice Minister Yu adopted such a humble posture in front of the Ouyang family representatives, who are so powerful in both the military and political circles. This is a very normal behavior.
"I don't deserve it, it's what I should do..."
For some reason, Zhuang Rui uttered a very clichéd phrase, and immediately felt awkward after saying it.
"Hmm, young people are neither arrogant nor impatient; no wonder you've achieved so much. By the way, the Song Dynasty shipwreck you salvaged last time has been an inspiration for some aspects of our country's deep-sea salvage. You can apply for reimbursement for some of the related expenses..."
Vice Minister Yu was blatantly trying to curry favor with Zhuang Rui. All that talk about enlightenment was nonsense. The main point was simply to get Zhuang Rui to agree to add the Ministry of Transport's name to the salvage operation.