After seeing off Boss Han and his group, Zhuang Rui invited Qin Haoran to another room, leaving Lao Si and Wei Ge out so that the father-in-law and son-in-law could talk.
"What are you doing, kid? Why sell such good material to them? If we need funds, even a billion or so, we could manage..."
Qin Haoran clearly didn't understand Zhuang Rui's actions. In his view, Zhuang Rui was handing a knife to his competitors, who might turn around and stab him in the back.
"Hehe, Dad, look at these materials. I heard that colorless, high-ice-type jadeite has been very popular these past two years, so I kept them all. What I gave them just now were all mass-market items..."
Zhuang Rui pulled back the cloth covering the fabric on the table in the room, and more than ten pieces of pre-cut fabric were immediately presented in front of Qin Haoran.
"Hmm, not bad. This batch of material is a grade higher than what you just sold. But Xiao Rui, we don't need to sell all of it. These days, nobody complains about having too little material..."
After examining the jadeite, Qin Haoran was still a little puzzled. He didn't know that Zhuang Rui was going to gamble with someone.
"Dad, you can take these materials, but... I really need some working capital from you. I don't need more than a billion, five hundred million will do..."
A cold glint flashed in Zhuang Rui's eyes. When he spoke with Uncle De on the phone yesterday, Uncle De specifically instructed him that people in the Thousand Gates were fond of cheating, and that Zhuang Rui should raise more funds so that he wouldn't be caught off guard if the other party increased the stakes.
Zhuang Rui was afraid that the other party wouldn't play too big a game; the bigger the game, the happier he would be. Since the other party was so disregarding the rules of the martial arts world, he was not a member of the martial arts world anyway. Even if he wiped them out, he believed no one would blame him.
The reason Zhuang Rui sold the raw jade to Boss Han and others was to spread the word that he was short of money. Given the current shortage of finished jadeite, he believed that this news would soon reach the ears of those who were interested.
"Alright, I'll take these materials. But let's keep things clear between father-in-law and son-in-law. I'll give you 700 million. These materials are worth that price. But Xiao Rui, what do you need such a large sum of money for?"
Qin Haoran didn't know what Zhuang Rui wanted the money for, but he knew that Zhuang Rui seemed to have never suffered a loss in business since his debut.
Not only Qin Haoran, but anyone who knew Zhuang Rui unconsciously developed confidence in him. That's why Qin Haoran asked Zhuang Rui for the reason after deciding to give him the money.
Zhuang Rui didn't hide anything from his father-in-law and told him the whole story of what had happened to his classmate.
"You...you're going to gamble with others again?"
Qin Haoran looked at his son-in-law with a strange gaze. He clearly remembered the scene when Zhuang Rui beat the foreign gambling king to a pulp on the gambling ship.
Qin Haoran wondered if there were lucky stars in the sky. If there were, then his son-in-law must be a reincarnation of a lucky star; he had never seen anyone with such good luck.
"Dad, it's not that I want to gamble, it's that they're going too far and forcing me to gamble..."
Zhuang Rui gave a helpless bitter smile. He really didn't want to be in the limelight, but if he didn't take the bet now, not only would he lose hundreds of millions, but he would also lose face for Uncle De and Uncle Ba.
Uncle Ba and Uncle De acted as intermediaries to mediate, but the other party didn't give them any face at all. If Zhuang Rui could teach them a lesson at the gambling table, Uncle Ba and Uncle De would be very happy.
Qin Haoran pondered for a moment, then looked at Zhuang Rui and asked, "Is that so... Are you confident you can win the bet?"
Zhuang Rui laughed upon hearing this, and said confidently, "I've always had good luck, and I have a very keen sense of smell. As long as the opponent doesn't cheat by changing their cards, I shouldn't lose..."
For Zhuang Rui to lose, there's probably only one possibility: he'll have a run of bad luck and his cards will never be as good as his opponent's. If that's the case, then Zhuang Rui will accept it.
"You don't need to worry about that. As long as it's gambling in Macau, having the old man put in a good word with the gambling king will absolutely guarantee that the other party won't cheat..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Qin Haoran immediately gave his assurance, stating that the Qin family was a prominent clan in Hong Kong and he believed the Macau gambling tycoon would give them some face. ...
Five days later, Zhuang Rui, along with Yang Wei, Lao Si, and Peng Fei, landed at Hong Kong Airport in his private jet. Zhuang Rui planned to take a boat from Hong Kong to Macau, as his father-in-law had already made arrangements.
The plane he ordered had eight more seats than the one that had previously broken up over the Indian Ocean, making it much more comfortable to travel in.
The crew members were the same old people, but there was an additional airport security expert. Zhuang Rui had poached this expert from the civil aviation industry with a high salary. This expert had to accompany him every time he went out, because that incident had taught Zhuang Rui a great lesson.
"Youngest brother, you've got some serious style, always traveling by private jet. I'm getting a taste of that too..."
After getting off the plane, Wei Ge excitedly looked around, feeling extremely superior to those who boarded and disembarked in tow trucks.
Chapter 907 Mobilizing a Large Force
"Dad, what brings you here? You could have just sent someone to pick me up..."
As soon as Zhuang Rui got off the plane, he saw Qin Haoran standing next to several cars and quickly went to greet him.
"Get in the car, I'll go to Macau with you..."
Qin Haoran nodded to the people behind Zhuang Rui, indicating that Zhuang Rui should get into the car he was in, while Peng Fei and the others got into the car behind. After leaving the airport, the cars headed directly towards the dock.
A Mercedes led the way, followed by Zhuang Rui's extended Cadillac, and the last car was also quite valuable. As the convoy drove out of the airport, it immediately attracted the attention of many people.
"Dad, why are you making such a fuss?"
Sitting in the car, Zhuang Rui looked at Qin Haoran with a puzzled expression. He had originally planned to go and gamble, and then quietly return to Beijing. Now, Qin Haoran's actions had probably been noticed by many people.
"I didn't want to either..."
Qin Haoran gave a wry smile and said, "I don't know who leaked the news, but there's supposed to be a betting match like this. Xiao Rui, you have no idea how famous you are in Hong Kong and Macau. For this betting match, at least ten Justices of the Peace and five knights will be watching..."
Ever since Zhuang Rui won against that foreign gambling king on the gambling ship, the wealthy people of Hong Kong and Macau have become increasingly interested in him and have been inquiring about his background. With their connections and backgrounds, they easily found out what they wanted to know.
Although Zhuang Rui has a background as a descendant of a revolutionary, his wealth was built from scratch, which made these self-made tycoons look at him with new eyes. After learning about this gambling game, they all expressed their interest.
Many people have already rushed to Macau and are waiting for Zhuang Rui in the casino. Zhuang Rui is the son-in-law of the Qin family, so Qin Haoran also has to put on a show, after all, the Qin family is a prominent family in Hong Kong.
"This...this requires our consent too..."
Zhuang Rui was stunned upon hearing this. This was far too respectful of Zhuang Rui's personal wishes. This was just a private matter between two people. If this were done, wouldn't the whole world know about it?
"Sigh, I didn't expect this either. When I mentioned this to Sir He, the old man patted his chest and guaranteed that no one would cheat, but he made one request: that the betting be conducted publicly..."
Qin Haoran looked helpless. Sir Ho from Macau, although not very good at gambling, had forced the former gambling saint Ye Han to leave Macau, making him a true legend in the world of gambling.
Moreover, Sir He is of a very high seniority and is nearly ninety years old. Whether in terms of personal feelings or social status, he far surpasses Qin Haoran. Since he made this request, Qin Haoran simply had no confidence to object.
"It's just borrowing his casino, right? We can find another casino. Macau doesn't belong to him alone..."
Zhuang Rui knew that since Sir Ho established Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau (STDM) in 1961, he had practically ruled the Macao Special Administrative Region.
However, after SJM Holdings was established in 2002, the gambling rights were opened up, and many gambling giants from Monte Carlo and Las Vegas also entered Macau. Now Macau has entered a Warring States period, and the heyday of one company dominating the market is no more.
"It's not as simple as you say. Even with your classmate's situation, there are probably connections to the European and American gambling industry behind it. I wouldn't feel comfortable letting it happen in any other casino..."
Qin Haoran shook his head and said something that shocked Zhuang Rui, who immediately asked, "Fourth brother, are other casinos involved in this matter?"
"Sir He had someone investigate, and it seems there's something wrong with the dealers at the casino they frequent. As for whether the casino itself is involved, that's hard to say..."
The gambling king, who had married seven or eight concubines, was deeply impressed by Zhuang Rui. After learning about this matter, he had someone investigate. He discovered that Zhuang Rui had been operating in Macau for decades and his connections and influence were far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.
Putting aside everything else, almost all the veteran croupiers in Macau came from his casinos in the early days, and even some of the newcomers later on had some unclear relationships with his casinos. So, if the gambling king wanted to investigate something in Macau, it would be an easy thing for him.
"Damn, I'll go back to that casino after I've finished gambling..."
Upon hearing Qin Haoran's words, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but swear in front of his father-in-law. Just as Uncle De had said, the person who plotted against Lao Si had someone inside the casino, which made Zhuang Rui even angrier.
"What? You want to cause trouble?"
Qin Haoran laughed upon hearing this. His son-in-law had a very powerful background. As long as he followed the rules, no one in China would dare to harm him, not even foreign forces.
"Let's talk about it later, this isn't going to be resolved so easily..."
Zhuang Rui wouldn't mind winning hundreds of millions at that casino. After all, you're running a business, and it's perfectly normal for me to gamble there. If you're so capable, then close down. That guy can't do anything about it.
"A bunch of traitors..."
This news made Zhuang Rui even more annoyed with those so-called masters of cheating. Cheating is a skill, and Zhuang Rui wasn't discriminating against these people.
However, using cheating techniques to wipe out people without leaving any room for mercy, and also having connections with foreign casinos, would absolutely be considered a crime punishable by everyone in ancient times, or even before liberation.
"By the way, Brother Ma arrived in Macau yesterday. He'll be waiting for you there..."
Qin Haoran was referring to Uncle De, who was also concerned about Zhuang Rui's matter and, as the mediator, it was essential for him to be present.
"Sigh, I told Uncle De not to come, but he just can't let it go..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head, guessing that Uncle De would probably be very surprised to see him gambling in person.
After arriving at the pier, Zhuang Rui and the others did not take the hourly ferry from Hong Kong to Macau. The Qin family naturally had their own yacht, and in Hong Kong, sometimes these things were still needed to save face.
It's very convenient to travel from Hong Kong to Macau. There are ferries running every day from morning till night, one every hour, and it only takes 50 minutes to reach the Macau ferry terminal. Many Hong Kong people go to Macau after get off work on Friday and stay until Sunday night before reluctantly returning to Hong Kong.
Therefore, it's no exaggeration to say that Hong Kong gamblers support Macau's gambling industry. Although many high rollers aren't from Hong Kong, without the support of these ordinary Hong Kong residents, Macau casinos' business would decline by at least 50%.
Standing at the bow of the yacht, watching the white waves broken by the hull, and feeling the warm sea breeze, Zhuang Rui's expression was very relaxed, without a trace of the tension that came with the impending battle.
On the contrary, Wei Ge and Lao Si were restless, pacing back and forth on the deck, because the two of them did not see the "expert" that Zhuang Rui had mentioned.
After hesitating for a while, Wei Ge couldn't hold back any longer. He walked to the bow of the boat, handed Zhuang Ruigen a cigarette, and asked, "Youngest brother, where...where are the people you invited?"
"Hire someone? Whom do you want to hire?"
Zhuang Rui had long forgotten about this matter. He originally planned to do it himself. Could Zhuang Rui really trust someone else to gamble with five or six hundred million?
"Didn't you say you were going to hire someone to gamble for you?"
When Wei Ge heard Zhuang Rui's words, he was dumbfounded. It turned out that this kid had just been fooling him and Lao Si.
"I'll gamble myself, Wei Ge, don't worry, I have a special ability, I always lose when I gamble..."
Zhuang Rui burst into laughter, attracting the people who were chatting in the cabin to come over. The Qin family had brought quite a few people this time, including Qin Haoran's second and third brothers, as well as many of Qin Xuanbing's cousins, who were all on the yacht.
"I really suspect you have some kind of special ability, otherwise how could you have beaten the gambling king last time?"
Qin Haoran couldn't quite figure out his son-in-law, so he stepped forward and jokingly said something.
"What special abilities? What gambling king?"
The fourth brother and Wei Ge were confused. They had known Zhuang Rui for almost ten years. Apart from playing "Run Fast" in the school dormitory, they had never seen Zhuang Rui gamble. Moreover, even when they played "Run Fast", Zhuang Rui lost more than he won.
Upon hearing his father-in-law's words, Zhuang Rui quickly coughed twice and said, "Just kidding, nothing of the sort. I'm just lucky. Fourth Brother, have you forgotten? Before, when you touched girls behind their backs, people always knew it was you..."
Upon hearing this, the fourth brother immediately became anxious and said, "Nonsense, you're all talk and no action. Sometimes you're the one who touches me, but you just look honest..."
"Cough cough..."
Wei Ge, who was standing nearby, quickly stepped on Lao Si's foot. How could he bring up such things when Zhuang Rui's father-in-law was right in front of him?
Qin Haoran didn't pay attention to what they were talking about. He pulled Zhuang Rui aside and started introducing him to the Macau buildings that were already visible. Of course, he talked most about the casinos in Macau.
About forty minutes later, Zhuang Rui and the others disembarked at the Macau pier. Their travel permits and other documents had already been processed, and Qin Haoran had arranged for a car to wait at the pier. The group went directly to the casino.
Zhuang Rui stood at the entrance of the Lisboa Casino, looking up at its large sign. Although he had never been to Macau, he was already very familiar with the casino's reputation.
Macau has 11 casinos with 353 gaming tables, and the Lisboa Casino is the largest of these 11 casinos in terms of scale, number of gaming tables, and number of employees. To date, no other casino has been able to shake the Lisboa Casino's leading position in Macau.
"Zhuang Rui, don't go through the front gate, it's bad luck..."
Seeing Zhuang Rui about to enter the casino, Qin Haoran grabbed him from behind. "Are you kidding me? In Hong Kong and Macau, everyone knows the two main entrances to the Lisboa Casino are like a tiger's den and a lion's mouth!" "Dad, you're really superstitious..."
Zhuang Rui smiled. He had heard some rumors about the Lisboa Casino, but he was dismissive of them. He believed that gambling in the long run inevitably leads to losses, and that luck had little to do with anything.