"Alright, this world belongs to us young people. Zhuang, please have a seat..."
Bill Gates gestured for Zhuang Rui and the others to sit down, and then asked for Qin Haoran and Chen Xiaojun's names, making everyone feel valued.
After greeting Fourth Wife, Zhuang Rui turned to Bill Gates and asked, "Mr. Bill, what brings you here?"
There's no need to act like a petty bureaucrat from the mainland when talking to someone of this caliber. Besides, Zhuang Rui was genuinely curious as to why this person, with whom he had no connection whatsoever, would seek him out.
"Hehe, I like your personality, Zhuang. It's like this, I'm very interested in your horse. I'd like to know if you're willing to sell it?"
In a sense, Bill Gates' life is somewhat similar to that of today's homebodies. Since the 1980s, he has spent far more time on work than on leisure.
Bill Gates's form of entertainment is quite simple: horseback riding. His enviable estate is home to famous horses from all over the world, and horseback riding is Bill's way of relaxing in his spare time.
Bill Gates took a liking to Zhuang Rui's Chasing Wind at first sight today, not because Chasing Wind won first place in the race, but because he had never seen such a tall and beautiful horse before. That's why he hurriedly contacted Fourth Aunt through the horse race organizers and then got in touch with Zhuang Rui.
"transfer?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then smiled bitterly. It turned out that Old Master Qin had really hit the nail on the head. So the temptation the old man was talking about was the price offered by those rich people for Zhui Feng.
Of course, in the eyes of 99% of people in this world, Zhuang Rui is considered a rich man, but in front of Bill Gates, probably everyone would feel that their wallets are not bulging enough.
“Mr. Bill, thank you for your kindness, but… Wind Chaser is my partner, and I have no intention of transferring or selling it. I’m truly sorry…”
To be honest, it takes a lot of courage to refuse someone like that, but getting Zhuang Rui to sell Zhui Feng is even more impossible.
All of Zhuang Rui's companions can choose to leave him, but it must be voluntary. Zhuang Rui will not put a price on them, as that would be a desecration of the pure affection between humans and animals.
"Chasing the Wind, what a beautiful name. It really can chase the wind and race, but... Zhuang, don't you want to hear the price I'm willing to pay for this horse?"
Although Bill Gates wasn't so naive as to believe that money could guarantee the horse, he was still somewhat unwilling to give up and prepared to quote a figure that would surprise Zhuang Rui.
“Mr. Bill, no matter the price, I will not part with this horse. I think we shouldn’t even discuss the price. Your generosity might keep me up at night for the next month because I regret it so much…”
Zhuang Rui's humorous words made Bill Gates laugh out loud. He, who was originally only interested in horses, now had a bit of curiosity about Zhuang Rui.
Chapter 1227 Exorbitant Price (Part 2)
"Zhuang, may I invite you to watch the next match here?"
Although the business deal fell through, Bill Gates still extended an invitation to Zhuang Rui and his group. His luxurious private room, while not the largest, could still comfortably accommodate more than ten people.
“Of course, I’m honored, Mr. Bill. I was one of your biggest admirers when I was a child…”
Zhuang Rui smiled and agreed. He had a very good impression of the world's richest man. He didn't feel any arrogance from him, but rather the warmth of an old friend.
"Oh, Zhuang, you're so cruel..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Bill Gates looked heartbroken. "Your words have hurt me twice. First, you made me sound old. Second, you said you admired me when you were young, and now that you're grown up, does that mean I've lost another fan?"
Bill Gates' words drew laughter from everyone in the private room. No one had expected that the world's richest man would be so approachable and humorous.
"Please have a seat, I need to send an email..."
Bill Gates gave a signal, and his staff poured coffee for Zhuang Rui and the others. He then sat behind his laptop and sent out an email.
The second race was already in preparation. With the sound of the starting gun, ten horses galloped off. However, this race was uneventful, and no unexpected events occurred. The people in the VIP box watched with great relaxation.
"Zhuang, I'm curious, was your horse named... Chasing Wind, really captured from the wild?"
Bill Gates was browsing the web while talking to Zhuang Rui, his expression very casual. The two seemed like old friends, and this impolite behavior did not offend Zhuang Rui.
"Yes, I chased it for a whole day before I finally tamed it, and I almost got lost in the process..."
Hearing Bill Gates mention the Wind Chaser immediately piqued Zhuang Rui's interest. He recalled how Zhuang Rui had exerted all his strength to capture the Wind Chaser, even exhausting his spiritual energy.
However, Zhuang Rui seemed to have forgotten that in the information he left for the Macau Jockey Club, he did not say that he had captured the Wind Chaser, but only that it came from the Great Grassland. He was completely unaware of how Bill Gates knew this.
Zhuang Rui was unaware that, as a driving force of the internet age, it would be incredibly easy for Bill Gates to access his information.
At this moment, the screen of the laptop in front of Bill Gates is displaying Zhuang Rui's detailed information. Although it doesn't include records from birth to work, the trajectory of Zhuang Rui's rise to wealth is clearly laid out in it.
"Zhuang, you should have been born in the American West at the beginning of the last century, you could definitely have become an outstanding cowboy..."
As Bill Gates reviewed Zhuang Rui's information, he chatted with the others, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes from time to time. Clearly, Zhuang Rui's experiences had surprised him.
Zhuang Rui's rise to prominence took only four or five years, but in those four or five years, he witnessed things that many people could never experience in their entire lives. Even Bill Gates was attracted by Zhuang Rui's experiences.
It's worth noting that although Bill Gates became the world's richest man at a very young age, his life was far less exciting than Zhuang Rui's. Zhuang Rui's almost modern-day Robinson Crusoe-like experiences alone made Bill Gates extremely envious.
In addition, since both he and Zhuang Rui were young prodigies, Bill Gates and Zhuang Rui got along very well as they talked, and he even promised Zhuang Rui that after the horse racing betting ended, he would go to his cruise ship to see the modern King Kong.
"Excuse me, I need to take this call..."
As the conversation in the private room was in full swing, the phone suddenly rang in the handbag of the fourth wife sitting next to her. After apologizing, the fourth wife answered the phone, but after listening to a few words, her phoenix eyes widened noticeably.
After seeing Fourth Madam hang up the phone, Zhuang Rui was still stunned. He thought she wanted to leave but was too embarrassed to say so, so he said, "What's wrong? Fourth Madam, if you have something to do, go ahead and do it. You don't need to stay with us..."
Startled by Zhuang Rui's words, Fourth Wife waved her hands repeatedly and said, "No...no, Zhuang Rui, it's...it's just that a few guests want to visit you, and that's why they've come to me..."
"Oh? You're also thinking of buying the Chaser, right?..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head and said, "Fourth Aunt, please go back for me. No matter how much money you offer, I won't sell Zhui Feng..."
Hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Fourth Aunt said somewhat embarrassedly, "But...but they know you're with Mr. Bill, and they've already come over..."
Before Fourth Aunt finished speaking, there was a knock on the door of the private room.
Who are they?
Zhuang Rui was also a little curious. Anyone who could so brazenly knock on the door of the world's richest man must either be a close friend of Bill Gates or someone he knew well.
When the door to the private room was opened, to Zhuang Rui's surprise, Bill, who had been sitting upright in the chair facing the door, actually stood up and went to greet him.
Zhuang Rui, who was sitting on a sofa, couldn't see directly out the door. He stood up and walked to the door, and what he saw there stunned him.
It turned out that there was not just one person standing outside the door, but five people standing side by side in front of the door. Around them were a group of bodyguards and horse farm staff, which practically blocked the passageway of the private room.
Seeing the five people outside the door, Zhuang Rui was momentarily stunned. Although he only recognized three of them, these three were among the most well-known people in the world.
“Your Highness William, it’s a pleasure to see you. Oh, Bhutan, I didn’t expect you to be here too. Your Highness Alwaleed, it’s great to see you again…”
Bill Gates is truly impressive; he knew all five of them. After greeting three of them, he stretched out his hands to the last two and said, "Michael, Arnold, what brings you two here? I've never heard of you liking horse racing?"
The two people behind him were none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger, the star governor of the United States, and Michael Jordan, known as the god of basketball. It was clear that Bill Gates had a very good relationship with them, as the way he greeted them was different from the previous ones.
“We were watching the game in a VIP box with William. He wanted to come, so we came along…”
Jordan shrugged helplessly, his signature bald head looking especially bright, a thick cigar between his fingers, exuding star quality.
"Come in, everyone please come in..."
In front of these people, Bill Gates dared not be presumptuous and warmly welcomed them into the private room.
Of course, the bodyguards were all stationed outside the door. There simply wasn't enough room for so many people inside. Apart from one waiter who stayed behind, even President Chen had to leave.
"Gentlemen, you've all come here for Zhuang, right? He's right here. Just say what you need to say..."
Bill Gates guessed their purpose and got straight to the point.
"Mr. Zhuang, this is William. Is that thoroughbred really yours?"
Among these people, William and Zhuang Rui were the only two of similar age, and all of them were among the richest or most powerful people on the planet. William didn't put on airs or use any of those so-called aristocratic etiquettes; he simply asked the question directly.
The origin and development of modern horse racing are directly related to Britain. The British royal family owns a large-scale racecourse and hosts several international races every year.
William has loved horse racing since he was a child, and his fondness for horses is well-known. When he saw such a magnificent horse in Macau, he immediately wanted to add it to his own racetrack.
“Your Highness William, yes, that’s mine…”
Zhuang Rui replied somewhat helplessly, "Although Timur did his best, immediately making Zhui Feng kneel down after crossing the finish line to show that he was exhausted, who knew that it would still attract so much attention."
“Great, Mr. Zhuang, I’d like to purchase your racehorse. Would you be willing to do so?”
Being a young man, he directly stated his purpose in front of so many people. Although it seemed a bit reckless, it was actually William's brilliance.
In terms of wealth, William certainly can't compare to the world's richest man, but if Zhuang Rui personally agrees to sell to him, even Bill Gates wouldn't stoop to competing with him.
“Your Highness William, I’m so sorry, this horse is my companion, and its participation in the race was purely by chance. I will not sell it…”
Zhuang Rui shook his head and repeated what he had just said to Bill Gates.
“Oh, Mr. Zhuang, I think… you could listen to my offer first…”
William's reaction was much more direct than Bill Gates': "I'm offering £100 million for this horse. Would you consider it, Mr. Zhuang?"
William's words caused everyone in the room except Bill Gates and the Arab crown prince to gasp in shock. Although everyone in the private room was a billionaire, this number still stunned them.
It's worth noting that before this, the world's most expensive racehorse was only worth 80 million US dollars. William's asking price far exceeded the value of the world's number one horse.
Even Bill Gates was somewhat moved. His previous estimate for the horse was only around 60 million US dollars, and he did not expect the British prince to ask for such a price.
In an instant, everyone in the private room turned their attention to Zhuang Rui, eager to know if he was satisfied with the offer.
Under everyone's gaze, Zhuang Rui slowly shook his head and said firmly, "I'm sorry, Your Highness William, this... is not about money. Zhui Feng is my partner and is not for sale."
Chapter 1228 Exorbitant Price (Part 2)
Zhuang Rui's words shocked everyone present. After all, Prince William had offered 100 million pounds for Zhui Feng after he had only run one race, which was an astronomical price.
"Mr. Zhuang, Sir Alex Ferguson's horse at Manchester United is only around thirty million US dollars. You can reconsider. If you're not satisfied with the price, you can make an offer..."
Upon seeing Zhuang Rui's firm refusal, Prince William's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. Born into one of the noblest royal families on the planet, he had been the center of attention since birth and had never been rejected so directly before.
Although he has received a good education, Prince William is still quite young and cannot hide his emotions like old foxes such as Bill Gates. Therefore, he once again "reminded" Zhuang Rui.
You know, the most expensive racehorses currently in service cost no more than seventy or eighty million US dollars. One hundred million pounds is more than double the price of that horse. Is Zhuang Rui still not satisfied?
As for the "partner" and "not for sale" that Zhuang Rui mentioned.
To these people at the very top of the world, such words are nothing more than pretexts.
In their minds, everything that exists on this planet can be bought and sold, including even living beings like "humans," with the only difference being the price.
Even someone like Bill Gates refrained from setting a price only out of respect for Zhuang Rui, but he had clearly put a price on Zhui Feng in his mind, and he certainly believed that the horse was worth buying and selling.
“Your Highness William, this… really, there’s no need to discuss it. One hundred million and one hundred dollars make little difference to me…”
Zhuang Rui's words stunned everyone in the private room. They realized that Zhuang Rui was not a country bumpkin who had never seen money before.
Actually, right after Prince William said that, Zhuang Rui was also a little annoyed. "So what if he's a prince? I wouldn't sell even if you offered me a billion pounds. A billion pounds? Okay, it's not that I look down on you, but I guess you don't have that much money."