The next morning, William and Bill returned to Macau to handle some matters, while Zhuang Rui finalized the details of William's visit with the relevant British departments. That afternoon, the group returned to Beijing aboard the Xuanrui.
During this time, an interesting incident occurred: the appearance of King Kong terrified both world-famous figures. Bill was alright, he just hid behind Zhuang Rui, while young William was so frightened by King Kong's enthusiastic embrace that he almost jumped ship to escape.
However, when King Kong put on a pitiful expression, and even the two little children, Fangfang and Yuanyuan, dared to climb on it, William and Bill's fear dissipated, and they truly believed Zhuang Rui's words. He genuinely considered these creatures as partners; otherwise, the grumpy gorilla would never have interacted with humans in such a way. ...
Back in Beijing, Zhuang Ruixian contacted Professor Meng and postponed his trip to Inner Mongolia to oversee the archaeological work, because the Dingguang Museum was scheduled to hold the first exhibition of the Imperial Seal of the State the day after tomorrow.
William and Bill Gates, on the other hand, quietly moved into Zhuang Rui's manor. Although Zhui Feng was a little reluctant, under Zhuang Rui's coercion and enticement, the two of them also had their fun, riding horses and playing around the manor for a whole day.
The next morning, a Mercedes armored car and Zhuang Rui's Hummer drove out of the manor one after the other. Zhuang Rui and his entourage were in the cars. Today, he was going to give his guests a tour of his museum.
As for the car, it was Zhuang Rui who asked Ouyang Jun to come up with a solution. These two guests were of very high status, and Zhuang Rui wanted to ensure their absolute safety.
After the two cars drove into the museum's parking lot, Zhuang Rui led Prince William and Bill Gates toward the office area. However, Zhuang Rui did not expect that this short distance would cause quite a commotion.
"My God, the person following...the...the one behind the boss, is...is Bill Gates?"
"Hmm...it seems so. That young man with freckles looks familiar too. He looks like...he looks like Prince William of England, doesn't he?"
"That's right, it's...it's those two. My God, how did the boss manage to get them here?"
The people who work at the Dingguang Museum are all highly educated elites, the so-called urban white-collar workers. Of course, they are no strangers to people like Bill Gates and Prince William who are frequently in the newspapers and on television, and they can recognize Bill and William at a glance.
The appearance of the world's richest man and the British prince made the museum staff feel as if they were in a dream, because these two people were so far removed from their lives, and their sudden appearance made them feel extremely unreal.
"Oh no, how could I forget to ask for an autograph?"
By the time the staff member returned to his senses, Zhuang Rui and the others had already walked quite a distance.
"Yes, I should take a picture with them..."
This guy was filled with regret; being able to take a photo with the world's richest man would have been something he could brag about for the rest of his life.
"William is so handsome, even his freckles are so sexy..."
The words of a female clerk who was infatuated with William drew a group of disdainful looks. After all, among the group of men in the museum, apart from their clothes not being as valuable as William's, which one of them wasn't more handsome than him?
"Pah, I think our boss is the handsome one. Look at him, chatting and laughing with those two, isn't he?"
Unfortunately, Zhuang Rui didn't hear what the girl said, otherwise he would definitely have given him a raise.
"Yes, yes, I never expected the boss could get these two people. They're amazing..."
One of the employees' words drew everyone's attention back to Zhuang Rui.
"Who's the boss? Who's the boss? The guy in casual clothes walking in front?"
Most of them didn't know much about this legendary boss, Zhuang Rui, because he appeared so infrequently that many new employees didn't even know that the person walking in front was the owner of the museum.
If Zhuang Rui had known this situation, he could probably only shake his head and smile wryly. As the owner of the museum, his fame was less than that of two complete strangers.
"Ahem, gentlemen, I'm so sorry, I didn't inform the staff that you two would be coming today..."
Although he knew that William and Bill Gates did not understand Mandarin, Zhuang Rui still apologized to the two men on behalf of his employee, as pointing and whispering about them was extremely impolite.
William and Bill both laughed and said they didn't mind; they had seen this kind of scene far too many times.
It is no exaggeration to say that if they appeared in the public eye, the sensation would be no less than that caused by King Kong.
Chapter 1237 Communication
"Brother Huangfu, I knew you'd be in your office. Boss, I've come to treat you..."
Zhuang Rui, accompanied by William and Bill Gates, barged into the office of Huangfu Yun, the executive deputy curator, amidst the stares of the staff.
"You still remember you're the boss? I've been working myself to the bone these past few days, and you haven't shown up at all. Now that everything's almost done, you suddenly appear? No way, I need a vacation, I need to go to Hawaii, I need a belated honeymoon..."
Huangfu Yun, who was engrossed in typing on her computer behind her desk, jumped up immediately upon hearing Zhuang Rui's voice and grabbed him with a resentful expression.
Despite his complaints, Huangfuyun has been living a very comfortable life these past few years. After returning to China, he not only achieved success in his career but also found a wife from Hong Kong, and now he even has a son.
Thanks to his efforts, the Dingguang Museum has changed almost every year, transforming from an unknown private museum into a well-known exhibition hall with a certain international reputation. Huangfuyun is very satisfied with his achievements.
Especially after the news of the first exhibition of the "Imperial Seal of the State" spread recently, when the relevant leaders of those state-owned museums met Huangfu Yun, they no longer had the arrogant attitude they used to have. Instead, they would half-jokingly and half-seriously ask Director Huangfu to leave them a job.
"What kind of honeymoon are you going to do? Your son's already born! Hey, I said, we have guests..."
Seeing Huangfu Yun's resentful expression, Zhuang Rui felt a little awkward and offered a reminder.
After venting his frustrations, Huangfu Yun finally noticed several people standing behind Zhuang Rui. He quickly coughed a few times, "Ahem, Zhuang Rui, why didn't you say so earlier? And they're foreigners, aren't they? They're already in the room. Why are they wearing sunglasses?"
Huangfu Yun muttered a complaint to Zhuang Rui. He was somewhat surprised, looking at the two men wearing sunglasses at the door, who seemed more like bodyguards. Huangfu Yun often saw this type of person when he worked in the United States.
"Hehe, Brother Huangfu, you're the one who's being unfair..."
Zhuang Rui retorted, "When I go out, it's always for serious business. I've never forgotten about our museum. That's why... I've invited two guests for you..."
As Zhuang Rui spoke, the two bodyguards moved aside, revealing Prince William and Bill Gates who were following behind.
"What...what...what's going on?"
The appearance of Bill Gates caused Huangfu Yun's mind to go blank for a moment. Although he had met and visited many important figures when he was a lawyer in the United States.
But those were all for work-related reasons, and he was the one who visited others most of the time. Huangfu Yun never dreamed that the world's richest man would one day appear at his office door.
Huangfu Yun rubbed his eyes hard, extremely surprised and almost unable to believe his eyes. He grabbed Zhuang Rui and asked, "Zhuang Rui, you...you're not just messing with me, doing some kind of impersonation show, are you?"
After saying this, Huangfu Yun couldn't help but glance at the two of them again.
Prince William is one thing, but Huangfu Yun, who studied and worked in the United States for many years, is very familiar with Bill Gates. If this is really an impersonation, it's incredibly accurate, capturing both the form and the spirit!
"Come on, look at you, so pathetic. You call yourself a top American lawyer? Alright, let the guests come in and have a seat..."
Zhuang Rui nearly fainted upon hearing this. Huangfu Yun's head was really too peculiar. Why was he so bored that he had to play an imitation game with him? He pushed aside Huangfu Yun, who was blocking the door, and let Bill and William in.
However, seeing Huangfu Yun's surprised expression, Zhuang Rui felt quite satisfied. "See? When I make a move, I'm so scared you'll lose your bearings."
It wasn't until Bill Gates and William entered the room that Huangfu Yun, who was standing at the door, suddenly snapped out of his daze and hurriedly told his secretary to pour water for the guests.
This lawyer's mental fortitude is truly exceptional. After the initial shock, Huangfu Yun began chatting and laughing with the two distinguished guests. His experience of living in the West made it easy for him to find common ground with Bill and William.
After giving Bill and William a general overview of the Dingguang Museum's history, Huangfu Yun pulled Zhuang Rui aside and muttered a complaint in a low voice, "How did you even manage to find these two? You could have told me beforehand so I could have made the arrangements..."
Because the Imperial Seal of the State holds great significance in Chinese history, but foreigners are not particularly interested in it, Huangfu Yun invited only domestic journalists to the first exhibition of the Imperial Seal of the State, fearing that foreign journalists would not be interested.
However, once these two big names arrive, the situation changes completely. The mere presence of these two figures is enough to draw reporters in like sharks smelling blood.
After further hype, Huangfuyun was even confident that he could amplify the influence of this event to an unlimited extent on a global scale, which was a favorable opportunity to shape the image of Dingguang Museum.
"Sigh, my buddy got all excited, and they started begging and pleading to come to this event. I couldn't stop them..."
Zhuang Rui puffed out his chest in a pretentious manner, only to receive a middle finger from Huangfu Yun. "Boss, since you're here, why don't you show them around? I need to contact some foreign media; I don't have time to entertain them..."
"Damn, the world's richest man is here, and they don't even know how to curry favor with him..."
Watching Huangfu Yun dash off to another office to make a phone call, Zhuang Rui really admired him. Even when he first met Bill, he wasn't this calm. Of course, Huangfu Yun's earlier loss of composure could be understood as astonishment.
As the host, Zhuang Rui felt obligated to show hospitality, so he asked Yang Jian, the museum's security director, to arrange for several security personnel to take Bill Gates on a tour of the museum.
Zhuang Rui hadn't been to the museum in a long time. He noticed that the entire venue was more than four times larger than when it was first built. The collection included not only the antiques he had collected and exchanged, but also many more that Huangfu Yun had acquired from various auctions over the years.
The Dingguang Museum is now developing very healthily, requiring almost no further investment from Zhuang Rui. It is completely self-sufficient and has sufficient funds to purchase necessary museum collections.
Just like the newly opened Chinese and foreign currency museum, apart from the gold coins Zhuang Rui obtained from the pirate island, all the other exhibits were acquired by Huangfu Yun. From ancient Roman silver coins to Egyptian gold coins, and then to the currencies of various dynasties in China, it has everything. Its collection scale has reached the world level.
However, after visiting two exhibition halls, Zhuang Rui realized that being a celebrity was incredibly tiring. Since the media had been reporting on him extensively, Zhuang Rui's popularity in China had definitely surpassed that of top-tier stars. As soon as he and Bill Gates appeared at the exhibition hall, he was the first one to be recognized.
Of course, due to people's admiration for successful people, Bill was surrounded by far more people than Zhuang Rui, while Prince William was surrounded by girls who dreamed of being Cinderella.
It wasn't until seven or eight burly security guards arrived that the tourists reluctantly bid farewell to their idols. However, during their visit to the museum, they were constantly being pointed at and talked about, making Zhuang Rui feel as if he were in a cage at a zoo.
Compared to his own situation where he was overwhelmed by just a few fans, Zhuang Rui was truly impressed by Bill and William. After all, those two had just been surrounded by dozens of tourists visiting the museum.
What impressed Zhuang Rui even more was that the two of them showed no signs of impatience from beginning to end, and their professional smiles were exemplary. In short, Zhuang Rui, who was just beginning to experience fame, was absolutely impressed by their performance.
Although he felt uncomfortable being stared at by tourists, he was able to comfortably lead his two guests on a tour of the museum. The Dingguang Museum, which is rich in Chinese characteristics and also incorporates European style, impressed Bill Gates and William.
When they visited the Pirate Island exhibit, William couldn't help but get excited. He grabbed Zhuang Rui and said, "Zhuang, this is absolutely amazing! Do you know that these pirates were wiped out by the British..."
It's important to understand that neither Britain as a nation nor its royal family has ever regained its former glory. Therefore, William was overwhelmed with excitement upon seeing the Pirate Museum, which bore traces of its past splendor.
"Zhuang, could the items in this pirate museum be exhibited in Britain? I believe the British public would be delighted to see them..."
After touring the entire pirate museum, William made a request to Zhuang Rui.
"To England?"
Zhuang Rui looked troubled upon hearing this. "Well... William, you have to understand, if the items in the Pirate Pavilion are transported to England for exhibition, then... this pavilion will be empty..."
To be honest, Zhuang Rui wasn't interested in William's suggestion. He would rather British tourists come to Beijing and visit the Dingguang Museum to see these medieval artworks than travel all the way to England.
"That's true..."
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, William fell silent. He couldn't just empty Zhuang Rui's museum just to let the British people see the items on the pirate island, could he?
"I've got an idea, Zhuang. If you agree, I can introduce you to the director of the British Museum. I think... your museum and the British Museum will definitely be able to have friendly exchanges..."
Just as they were about to leave the pirate house, William finally came up with an idea.
"The British Museum?"
Zhuang Rui's pupils contracted sharply upon hearing this. He hadn't expected William to make such a suggestion that he couldn't refuse.
Chapter 1238 Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies
Although Britain's history is far less ancient than that of ancient countries like China and Egypt, there is no doubt that Britain has been the undisputed hegemon of the world for centuries.
This nation, which rose to power through seafaring, took maritime hegemony to its extreme. They possessed colonies all over the world, and the flag of the British Empire was displayed all over the globe. They plundered countless treasures and riches from numerous countries, including China.
The British Museum was built against this backdrop. It is the world's oldest and largest comprehensive museum, as well as one of the world's largest and most famous museums.
Due to Britain's rampant looting, the British Museum has amassed a vast collection of artifacts and rare books from around the world, a collection so rich and diverse that it is unparalleled among museums worldwide.
According to data provided by the British side, the British Museum currently has more than 6 million items in its collection, far exceeding the number of items in the Palace Museum. Due to space limitations, a large number of items in the British Museum cannot be publicly exhibited.
The most eye-catching part of the British Museum is the Department of Oriental Art, in which the Chinese galleries occupy several halls, with exhibits ranging from bronzes from the Shang and Zhou dynasties to porcelain from the Tang and Song dynasties, and gold and jade artifacts from the Ming and Qing dynasties.
More than 20,000 rare treasures from China alone are among the items, the vast majority of which are priceless. The most valuable among them are the "Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies", Song Dynasty Luohan tricolor statues, Dunhuang manuscripts, and famous paintings from the Song and Ming Dynasties.
Although Zhuang Rui's Dingguang Museum focuses on high-quality items and has a collection of precious artifacts from other countries, it is still far inferior to the British Museum in terms of both scale and cultural heritage.