Huangfu Yun's words are not wrong. He is now a well-known figure in the legal profession. Companies usually have to make an appointment in advance to hire him to handle cases, and he is also quite expensive.
The legal counsel hired by multinational corporations is indeed ridiculously expensive, and they can indeed help companies avoid many risks. However, Zhuang Rui, who is not even a sole proprietor, has to think twice before spending so much money to hire Huangfu Yun.
"Five million..." Zhuang Rui hesitated, pondering for a moment. But when he looked up, he saw Qin Yingbing nod slightly, indicating that he should agree.
"Five million it is, but I have one more request..." Zhuang Rui finally nodded in agreement, which surprised Huangfu Yun. He had actually intended to refuse by offering this price, but he did not expect Zhuang Rui to agree.
As mentioned earlier, some large companies charge extremely high fees for lawyers, but that is usually a collaboration with law firms. Huangfu Yun is somewhat famous abroad, but returning to China does not necessarily mean he can enjoy the treatment of a top-tier lawyer.
What are the requirements?
Huangfu Yun asked in a deep voice, his expression becoming serious.
If Zhuang Rui is truly willing to pay this amount, Huangpu Yun is also willing to return to China to develop his career, given the rapid economic development and relatively more opportunities in China today.
Zhuang Rui smiled and said, "It's very simple. Besides helping me with some business matters, Brother Huangfu, you will also serve as the executive deputy curator of my museum, overseeing its daily operations and liaising with foreign museums to frequently organize exchange exhibitions..."
The main reason Zhuang Rui hastily set up the museum this time was to exchange collections with the Jimei Museum. In fact, he was not mentally prepared to manage the museum, so after he had his eye on Huangfu Yun, he simply decided to use Huangfu Yun's talents and leave the whole thing to him.
"You want me to be the executive deputy director of the museum?"
Huangfu Yun's expression was a bit strange after hearing Zhuang Rui's words; it was hard to tell whether he was happy or disappointed.
“Yes, I probably won’t have much time to manage the museum in the next two years, so I’ll need to trouble you…” Zhuang Rui nodded. He was going to be a graduate student under Professor Meng, so his main focus would probably be on his studies. He probably wouldn’t have much time to attend to either the museum or the business in Myanmar and Xinjiang. This was the main reason why he was willing to spend a lot of money to hire Huangfu Yun.
"I'll accept Cheng's offer. I'll go back to America tomorrow, sell the house, and by the way, brother, you'll have to leave the setup of that museum's sword and knife exhibition hall to me..."
Huangfu Yun hadn't originally planned to return to China, but upon hearing Zhuang Rui's request, he immediately made a decision and appeared very excited.
"Not only the swordplay and ping-pong, but everything else is also entrusted to you. The capable should do more, after all..."
Zhuang Rui smiled like a little fox. Huangfu Yun had spent many years abroad and had visited almost every famous museum. Entrusting his private museum to him was definitely the best choice.
Of course, Zhuang Rui still deserves the position of curator, even if it's just an impractical, nominal one.
Chapter 660 Hiring (Part 2)
After reaching an agreement with Zhuang Rui, Huangfu Yun became incredibly excited, as if he had been injected with adrenaline. Upon hearing that Zhuang Rui had already begun preparing for the museum's renovation and other matters, he couldn't wait a moment longer and immediately asked the hotel to book a plane ticket so he could fly back to New York overnight.
Having accepted Zhuang Rui's invitation, Huangfu Yunma Tu got into character.
According to Huangfu Yun, the museum's decoration must be distinctive. He also needs to help Zhuang Rui handle the Guimet Museum matter and rush to London to help him secure the greatest benefit in negotiations with Ezkena. Therefore, he has some time in the next day or two to return to New York to deal with some matters.
"Yingbing, what did you mean by giving me that wink just now?"
After seeing Huangfu Yun off, who was about to head to the airport, Zhuang Rui returned to his room and looked at Qin Yingbing, asking her questions. Qin Yingbing had never interfered in his affairs before, but her attitude today made Zhuang Rui a little suspicious.
"Look..."
Qin Yingbing moved the laptop screen she had been playing with in front of her to Zhuang Rui's side.
"Huangfu Yun's profile? Zhuang Rui discovered that this was a profile posted on an American headhunting company's website, which praised Huangfu Yun highly, calling him a rising star in the American legal community who had single-handedly handled the court defense of several well-known American companies and won the cases."
According to the headhunting firm, Huangfuyun already has a relatively stable client base and the reputation and ability to start a law firm. According to their assessment, Huangfuyun can earn no less than $1 million annually from various lawsuits in the next few years.
Upon seeing this introduction, Zhuang Rui realized why Qin Yingbing had made him agree to Huangfu Yun's salary demands. It turned out that he had gotten a good deal by signing him. You should know that in 2005, 1 million US dollars was equivalent to seven or eight million RMB.
However, things have two sides. I certainly don't have any lawsuits to fight, so I'm asking Huangfu Yun for help. I'm more interested in using his business acumen to help me with some exchange and cooperation matters with foreign museums.
Regardless of whether Huang Luoyun could generate profits far exceeding five million annually for him, the matter was already settled. Zhuang Rui took Qin Yingbing's DV camera, connected it to the computer with a data cable, and then casually dialed Wei Ge's number.
"Hey, Mr. Zhuang, you still remember your brother? I thought you were hiding away in a harem..."
After returning to Zhonghai from Changhua, Wei Ge was busy with his wedding preparations. He didn't plan to live with his parents and had been renovating the house during this time. His contact with Zhuang Rui wasn't as frequent as before. "Don't bother me, I'm in Paris. International calls are expensive!"
Zhuang Rui smiled and joked with Yang Wei.
"Tch. My buddy's getting married and going on vacation to Hawaii, so stop showing off to me. What's up... It's a bit noisy over there with Wei Ge. Zhuang Rui guesses he's still at the new house right now."
"Do you have internet access there right now? I'll send you a video to your email. Please edit it, blurring out any parts of me in the video, and then upload it online. Remember, it doesn't matter if you upload it to domestic websites, but you absolutely must upload it to overseas websites, preferably some professional auction sites..."
Zhuang Rui's words made Qin Yingbing, who was standing next to him, look at him with disdain. It turned out that the man she had found was not a gentleman at all. She had saved hundreds of thousands of euros and gotten a good deal, but now he wanted to expose that auction house. It was a bit like he was trying to kill her.
However, Zhuang Rui's words made Wei Ge on the other side of Da Xiang nervous. He ran outside, his voice lowered, and asked, "You didn't go abroad to be 007, did you? What kind of video are you making? The French president's Lewinsky scandal? Holy crap, we could sell that for a fortune! Lots of media outlets would want it..."
"Get out of here. When will I take some explicit photos of you and your wife? I'll say, Wei Ge, you're a married man, how can your brain be so filthy?"
Zhuang Rui cursed on the phone, clearly annoyed. It's true he has a vivid imagination, but did he really get his hands on the video of the French president's Lewinsky scandal? Did he really think every president was like Clinton?
"Alright, let's go to an internet cafe and get a few more botnets. Don't use domestic clients..."
Zhuang Rui was too lazy to waste any more words with Wei Ge. He had often heard that foreign phone calls were being tapped, and he was also afraid that he might be tapped himself. After giving Yang Wei a few instructions, he hung up the phone.
When it comes to Wei Ge's computer skills, Zhuang Rui has absolute faith in him. Back in college, Yang Wei often hung out on some hacker forums and even participated in some Sino-US hacker war. Zhuang Rui didn't have much money back then and didn't play with computers much either, so he was far inferior to Yang Wei in this area.
After successfully completing this task, Zhuang Rui canceled his hotel reservations and, along with Qin Yingbing, Peng Fei, and Bai Shi, drove to Paris Airport. He had already arranged for He Shuang to contact them yesterday, and they were flying to London that evening. After waiting for about an hour on his private jet, they received notification that the plane was ready to take off. The plane pierced the sky like a sharp sword, officially concluding their trip to Paris. However, the impact Zhuang Rui had created would spread throughout the world in the coming days.
The plane landed at London Airport after a flight of just over an hour, only a few hundred kilometers as the crow flies from London to Paris.
Although the distance was very short, after getting off the plane, Zhuang Rui could clearly feel that the temperature in Rendun was a few degrees lower than in Paris, and the air quality seemed to be worse.
Before arriving in London, Qin Yingbing informed the staff of Qin's Jewelry in London that because Qin Yingbing had been designing jewelry for the British Royal Family last year, she was considered a jewelry designer for the British Royal Family. Therefore, Qin's Jewelry received preferential treatment in the UK and could drive directly into the airport.
As expected, the appearance of the white lion once again terrified the driver who came to pick up Qin Xuanbing and the others, causing him to tremble with fear. In the end, Qin Xuanbing drove them to the hotel.
London has more old buildings than Paris, and as the car drove along the old, damp streets, Zhuang Rui's mind was filled with the descriptions of London from the book.
London is the capital, largest city, and largest city of the United Kingdom. It is also one of the largest metropolitan areas in Europe and one of the world's four world-class cities, alongside New York, Paris, and Tokyo.
From 1801 to the early 20th century, London, the capital of the British Empire, a global empire, became the world's largest city due to its outstanding achievements in politics, economics, culture, science and technology.
Furthermore, London is a highly diverse metropolis with residents from all over the world, representing a wide range of ethnicities, religions, and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken within the city. At the same time, London is a world-renowned tourist destination, boasting numerous famous landmarks and museums.
However, after World War II, Britain's influence on the world order was far less than during the reign of Queen Victoria. During Victoria's reign from 1837 to 1901, Britain was undoubtedly the most powerful country in the world, without exception.
However, as the capital of an old empire, Jingdun has a profound cultural heritage. The ancient Tower Bridge on the banks of the River Thames, the Palace of Westminster, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and St. Paul's Cathedral, a representative of Baroque architecture, all demonstrate the city's rich historical and cultural heritage.
Zhuang Rui's impression of England, including London, is mostly based on the English Premier League. In recent years, English football has developed extremely rapidly, surpassing the Italian league, which is known as the "Little World Cup," and has become the country with the most leagues among the top five leagues in Europe.
The hotel where Zhuang Rui and his crew stayed was arranged by Qin's Jewelry in London. It was an internationally renowned five-star hotel, and the venue for the International Jewelry Expo was also located in this hotel, which was very convenient.
Zhuang Rui had a very exciting day. Coupled with the flight he had just taken, he felt mentally and physically exhausted. After entering the hotel, he went to bed, but Zhuang Rui felt like he hadn't slept for long when his phone rang.
Who is it?
Qin Yingbing's voice rang out beside her.
"Fourth Brother, you go to sleep first, I'll go out and make the phone call..."
Zhuang Rui got out of bed, went to the living room, and pressed the call button.
"Hey, Wu'er, not bad! I didn't realize you were so tough. You're getting old, your uncle might give you a call later. As for your museum thing, no problem..."
Ouyang Jun spoke very quickly, and before Zhuang Rui could understand what was going on, the call was abruptly ended. Zhuang Rui glanced at the wall clock hanging in the living room and immediately felt a surge of anger. "Is it easy for me? It's already so late... why are you bothering me like this?"
"Damn, who is it now?"
Just as Zhuang Rui was about to go back to his room, his phone rang again. He was so angry that he wanted to turn it off immediately, but he was stunned when he saw the number on the screen because there was no caller ID.
Hello, who is this?
Being disturbed in the middle of the night, Zhuang Rui was naturally not in a good mood.
"Xiao Rui, I am your maternal uncle..."
Chapter 661 Jewelry Expo
"Uncle, why are you calling me now? Why aren't you resting so late?"
In Zhuang Rui's memory, apart from talking with his uncle on New Year's Eve, it had been several months since he had only seen his uncle on TV. He wondered why his uncle was calling him in the middle of the night.
"Late? It's only a little past 8 o'clock..."
There was a pause on the other end of the phone, followed by laughter: "I almost forgot, there's a time difference between Beijing and London. Sorry to disturb your rest..."
"It's nothing, it's nothing, Uncle. There are probably very few people who get to answer your call, it's my honor..."
Zhuang Rui also realized that there is a seven or eight-hour time difference between Beijing and London, and it was only nighttime in Beijing at the moment.
"You little rascal, heh, I saw those things. Not bad, some things just need to be insisted on. Alright, I won't disturb your rest anymore. Be careful abroad..."
Ouyang Zhenshan didn't say much on the phone. Like Ouyang Jun, he said a few words incoherently before hanging up, leaving Zhuang Rui holding the phone, wide awake.
"What... what's wrong with each of them?"
Zhuang Rui was a little confused. What exactly had his uncle seen? Given his status, why would he personally call to tell him?
"Could it be..."
Zhuang Rui suddenly remembered that Ouyang Zhenshan seemed to have said he watched something. Could it be the video that he had Wei Ge upload?
Thinking of this, Zhuang Rui was wide awake. He quickly took out Qin Xuanbing's laptop, connected it to the hotel's Wi-Fi, and started searching online.
"Auction scandal video..."
"International auction giants bow down to Chinese buyers..."
"The Chinese people cannot be humiliated; even the biggest international auction house tycoon bows his head and apologizes..."
These words were everywhere on domestic news websites, leaving Zhuang Rui dumbfounded. He hadn't expected Wei Ge to be so efficient, getting the matter done in just a few hours.
Upon opening some overseas auction websites, Zhuang Rui discovered that videos marked with "auction gate" were prominently featured at the top of the webpages, garnering extremely high click rates and numerous comments below.
"Thank goodness, thank goodness..."
Zhuang Rui opened a video and watched it; his head was completely covered by a mosaic.
Wei Ge demonstrated exceptional skill in editing this video. He not only added text descriptions below the domestic video but also altered the audio of the conversation between the two parties, omitting Zhuang Rui's name when mentioning it.
In this way, although those familiar with Zhuang Rui could see some clues, strangers would absolutely not be able to recognize Zhuang Rui from the video. This relieved Zhuang Rui, as he did not want to be watched like a panda in the future.
"Damn it, let's see you keep being arrogant, you fatso!"
Zhuang Rui, with a rather wicked sense of humor, browsed through all the videos on foreign auction websites before shutting down his computer and going back to his room to sleep. Whether Richard would discover these things today, or whether he would be furious, was none of his concern. ...
The next morning, Zhuang Rui had only slept for a few hours when Qin Xuanbing pulled him out of bed. The opening ceremony of the London International Jewelry Fair was today, and as the spokesperson for Qin's Jewelry and the gold medal winner of the previous fair, they had to attend the opening ceremony.
After tidying up, Zhuang Rui put on a black suit and a white bow tie, and together with Qin Xuanbing, who was wearing a cheongsam, left the room and went to the expo venue on the third floor of the hotel.
Established in 1956, the London International Jewellery Show attracts numerous buyers and suppliers from various countries in the jewelry, gift, and related industries. Over the years, the London International Jewellery Show has provided a large number of high-quality jewelry products to international buyers.