Professor Meng had always been deeply troubled by the damage to cultural relics at the Palace Museum, and he believed that keeping these items in Zhuang Rui's hands would be far better than letting those corrupt officials manage them.
"Hehe, okay... Teacher, I understand. It's getting late, so I'll head back now..."
Upon hearing Professor Meng's words, Zhuang Rui immediately understood. It didn't matter if the items nominally belonged to the state; as long as he had the right to use them for several decades, wouldn't that be the same as owning them?
"You brat, you act like the stuff is definitely on the Awa Maru?"
Watching Zhuang Rui take his leave and leave the laboratory, Professor Meng chuckled and cursed behind him. In truth, he didn't have much hope of finding the Peking Man skull fossil.
Even if the item was on the Awa Maru, the massive explosion that occurred on the tanker had already wrecked the ship, and the cargo containers had long since been washed away by the sea.
Finding a few boxes in the vast ocean is like searching for a needle in a haystack—the hope is extremely slim.
For more than a week afterward, the deputy minister did not come to see Zhuang Rui, and Zhuang Rui was even more happy to have some free time. He spent his time at home with his wife and children and teased the many "bodyguards" in the manor. He was living a very comfortable life.
"Uncle, look, I can hold my little brother now..."
A shout interrupted Zhuang Rui's closed-eye contemplation. Zhuang Rui opened his eyes and couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time.
It turned out that her niece wanted to show off her older sister's strength and insisted on picking Fangfang up. However, the little one had eaten until her belly was round and looked like she was four or five years old, which gave the first-grader a big headache.
This isn't a hug; it's practically a drag. They're holding Fangfang's arms tightly, her feet barely off the ground, and dragging her towards Zhuang Rui with all their might. If Fangfang hadn't always been a quiet child, any other kid would have started crying and screaming by now.
Now that Ouyang Wan has grandchildren, she's afraid her daughter and son-in-law will say she doesn't love her granddaughter anymore, so she simply sent her daughter to study in Beijing. However, Fang Yuanyuan is in for a bad time; whenever she sees this young lady, she avoids her.
"Alright, sweetie, your little brother's already been taken. Go play eagle catches chicks with your younger siblings..."
Zhuang Rui waved to his niece and rescued his son. Watching the children frolicking and playing on the grass, with two Tibetan mastiffs joining in the fun, a feeling of warmth grew in Zhuang Rui's heart.
Nowadays, children in the city live in high-rise buildings, and many of them don't even know their neighbors across the street. It's like they're locked in a steel cage. That's why Zhuang Rui often chooses to live outside the city, so that his children can have more contact with nature.
In the past few days, Zhuang Rui even took several children to dig for wild vegetables, and also cultivated a vegetable garden behind the manor, teaching the children to identify seeds and instructing them that labor is the most glorious thing.
Ouyang Wan was at her wits' end with her son. How could a little kid still wearing open-crotch pants know what it means to be the most honorable person?
When Ouyang Jun arrived at the manor, he was heartbroken to see the clubhouse that Zhuang Rui had ruined beyond recognition. A perfectly good golf course had been turned into a vegetable garden by Zhuang Rui.
"Xiao Rui, see if you can bring your brother-in-law and his family to Beijing to stay with you? It would be more lively that way..."
Ouyang Wan came to her son's side and looked at the children playing in the distance with loving eyes. She was very content with her life. Besides taking care of her children and grandchildren, she also went to her elderly parents to fulfill her filial duties. She lived a very fulfilling life.
Zhuang Rui shook his head and said, "Mom, I already told my brother-in-law, but his family is from Pengcheng, and they have a lot of business there, so he really can't leave..."
Last year, Zhuang Rui transferred the 4S car dealership and two auto repair shops to Zhao Guodong's name. He even gave Zhao Guodong the remaining shares of the mastiff farm. Apart from the jade processing plant, Zhuang Rui has no other businesses in Pengcheng.
This forced Zhao Guodong, who only had a high school education and was a car mechanic, to start learning modern management. After more than two years of adjustment, he transformed into a well-known entrepreneur in Pengcheng.
However, precisely because of this, Zhao Guodong became extremely busy and it was impossible for him to settle down in Beijing.
"Enough money is enough, why bother earning so much? Oh, and Xiao Rui, you're not allowed to make money using your uncle's or grandfather's name..."
Ouyang Wan was quite at ease with Zhuang Rui, but she would occasionally give her son a nudge. She knew that although she was a married daughter, her family's every move in Beijing was still being watched by many people, so she was very careful about her words and actions.
"Mom, don't worry. Otherwise, how about I retire now and come dance with you sometime?"
Zhuang Rui's words made Ouyang Wan chuckle. How old is he? He's only a year away from thirty, and he's already talking about retiring.
"Well, it seems I can't retire now. I wonder what's going on?"
While chatting with his mother, Zhuang Rui's phone rang. He picked it up and saw that it was an unfamiliar Beijing landline number.
"Hello, is this Mr. Zhuang Rui?"
A man's voice came through the phone. After Zhuang Rui agreed, he continued, "I'm from the General Office of the Ministry of Transport. I'm just informing you that you need to come to the ministry for a meeting at 2 PM this afternoon..."
Although the person on the phone was very polite, Zhuang Rui felt uncomfortable. Uh... you think I'll just go because you tell me to? What business is it of yours?
What kind of meeting was it?
Zhuang Rui asked.
"You'll know when you get here this afternoon. We can't reveal the meeting's contents yet..."
The tone on the other end of the phone was a bit impatient. "Isn't he just some nouveau riche with a salvage boat? I see countless people like him every day. I feel that he's already giving Zhuang Rui a lot of face by calling him personally."
"Hey, you trying to act tough with me, huh?"
Upon hearing the other person's tone, Zhuang Rui immediately became annoyed and said, "I have something to do this afternoon, I might not be free, let's talk about it later..."
The salvage of the Awa Maru was of little consequence to Zhuang Rui. The Ministry of Transport had been silent for over a week, and then suddenly summoned him to a meeting. This made Zhuang Rui feel embarrassed. Who knew if they had already agreed on the details and would announce the cooperation directly? Was he supposed to argue in front of so many people? That would definitely leave people with the impression that he didn't know how to handle things.
Therefore, Zhuang Rui would absolutely not attend the meeting without first understanding its contents. Since it was a collaboration, it had to be fair, just, and transparent, and there was no need to play those unspoken rules within the system.
"Hey, hey...who is this person? So rude!"
The person on the other end of the phone was stunned for a long time after Zhuang Rui hung up on him. It seemed that apart from the relevant departments of the State Council, this was the first time he had ever met someone with such a temper.
"Xiao Rui, speak to people properly, how can you do this..."
When Ouyang Wan saw her son hang up the phone in a huff, she couldn't help but say something from the side.
"Mom, it's okay. Some people are just spoiled. They act like they're doing you a favor by asking for help. I won't give them that kind of face..."
Zhuang Rui was still not in a good mood. If you're so capable, then the Ministry of Transport should go and salvage it yourselves. Don't ask me to cooperate. We don't need those few cultural relics, nor do we need that little bit of money!
"The phone is ringing again. This time, talk to the person properly..."
When Ouyang Wan heard Zhuang Rui's phone ring again, she gave Zhuang Rui a few instructions and then stood up to go to her grandchildren's side.
Zhuang Rui glanced at the first few digits of the phone number, which were the same as the previous one, and pressed the answer button. He said irritably, "Hello? Didn't I say I'm busy this afternoon..."
"Hehe, Mr. Zhuang is a busy man, but you still need to come over this afternoon..."
Zhuang Rui was taken aback by the voice on the phone. It was Vice Minister Yu calling personally. The person standing next to Minister Yu's desk, covered in sweat, was the same person who had just called Zhuang Rui.
"Minister Yu? I really don't have time this afternoon. If there's anything you need, just let me know over the phone..."
Zhuang Rui did not evade taxes, nor did he commit murder or arson. Uh... this was not done domestically, and it has nothing to do with the Ministry of Transport. Therefore, even though the person on the other end of the phone was a vice-ministerial level official, Zhuang Rui did not speak to him in a friendly tone.
"Hehe, Xiao Zhuang, it's like this, at this afternoon's meeting, we'll discuss a specific cooperation plan together. You can bring up any requests you have then..."
Vice Minister Yu was dumbfounded by the attitude of the staff member he had just spoken to. Could it be that the person he had just spoken to was some kind of State Council leader? Someone who could make his boss speak so carefully?
"Is that so? Alright, Minister Yu, I'll be there on time this afternoon..."
Zhuang Rui hesitated for a while, but still agreed. It's true that if Zhuang Rui wanted to salvage those items in China, he couldn't get rid of the relevant departments.
Chapter 1013 Negotiation (Part 2)
"Will ordinary people be allowed to enter the house?"
After having lunch, Zhuang Rui drove to the Ministry of Transport. The sentry standing under the bright national emblem at the entrance checked Zhuang Rui several times before waving him through when a secretary-like person came to the door.
"Mr. Zhuang, hello, my surname is Su. I spoke to you on the phone this morning..."
The man was about thirty-two or thirty-three years old. After Zhuang Rui parked his car in the yard, he ran over and opened the car door for Zhuang Rui with practiced ease.
Seeing that Zhuang Rui was so young when he got out of the car, Director Su showed a hint of surprise on his face, but he quickly understood. Young people tend to be impulsive, which was to be expected.
Su Zhen is Vice Minister Yu's secretary. Her own rank is not low; she is a division chief. If she were to be transferred to a lower-level position, she might be promoted by half a rank and become a deputy director-general. Although she is usually humble in the ministry, she actually has high aspirations and doesn't think much of ordinary people.
So when Director Su called Zhuang Rui in the morning, he used a commanding tone. However, Zhuang Rui's reply left him dumbfounded. He was scolded by Vice Minister Yu for no reason. Although Vice Minister Yu did not say it explicitly, Director Su could sense that Mr. Zhuang had a powerful background.
There's a joke that if a brick falls in Beijing and hits ten people, at least nine will be directors, and the remaining one will be a deputy director. So even though he didn't know who Zhuang Rui was, Director Su didn't dare to be negligent and was making up for the bad influence that the phone call that morning had had on Zhuang Rui with his actions.
"Hmm, I'm not late, am I?"
As the saying goes, one cannot hit a smiling face. Since the other party had provided such attentive service, Zhuang Rui couldn't bring himself to complain. He nodded to Su Zhen, got out of the car, and closed the door.
"Mr. Zhuang, this way please. Minister Yu and the others will be here shortly..."
Seeing Zhuang Rui's demeanor, Su Zhen became even more respectful. The staff members who followed along the way were all speculating about Zhuang Rui's identity. Someone who could be personally led by Secretary Su must be someone of great importance.
Led by Su Zhen, Zhuang Rui entered a conference room. Although the conference room was not very large, only about 60 or 70 square meters, it was decorated very luxuriously, and even the chairs were specially made according to human comfort.
"Teacher, you're here too?"
When Zhuang Rui entered the room, he saw Professor Meng and several other experts from the scientific research field who were already seated and examining their documents.
"Come, sit next to me. This is the cooperation agreement they've drafted. You can take a look at it first..."
Professor Meng beckoned Zhuang Rui to sit down next to him and then handed him a document.
"Okay, teacher..."
Zhuang Rui was also very curious about what kind of plan the Ministry of Transport, as the leading party, would come up with, so he took the materials handed over by Professor Meng and began to examine them.
"Um?"
As he looked at it, Zhuang Rui frowned.
The agreement shows that a total of five units participated in the salvage of the Awa Maru: the Ministry of Transport, the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Archaeology of Kyoto University, the East China Sea Fleet of the Navy, and the Dingguang Museum.
The Ministry of Transport was responsible for providing technical guidance, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Peking University Institute of Archaeology were responsible for the protective rescue of the salvaged artifacts, and the East China Sea Fleet of the Navy was responsible for perimeter security and sealing off the salvage area.
As for Zhuang Rui's Dingguang Museum, it was responsible for the specific salvage mission. These were the obligations that each unit had to fulfill, and Zhuang Rui had no objections. Although he did not need the so-called technical guidance from the Ministry of Transport, the other party still had to have a name to participate, right?
However, Zhuang Rui found the provisions regarding the rights and interests of each unit quite troublesome. The first clause of the agreement stated: "All salvaged property belongs to the state."
Well... Zhuang Rui had no objection to this, and he didn't intend to turn the salvaged antiques into his own.
However, in the subsequent division of rights, all the antiques and cultural relics salvaged with scientific research value are uniformly identified and verified by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Peking University Institute of Archaeology, and then handed over to the state for collection.
As for Zhuang Rui's Dingguang Museum, it wasn't mentioned at all in the rights and interests section. It was only mentioned at the end that after the salvage was successful, it would be announced to the public in the name of the Ministry of Transportation and the Dingguang Museum.
This is utterly bullying! I paid for the boat and didn't get a single thing salvaged. All they did was give me a name as consolation. Do they think I'm an idiot?
Zhuang Rui didn't care much about fame. He was already famous enough for many things: discovering the pirate island, the creation of the Dingguang Sword, and salvaging the Song Dynasty shipwreck. These were enough to make the museum famous. Just being credited for the salvage was not of any interest to Zhuang Rui.
What museums lack now is not fame, but truly influential antiques and artifacts. If the Peking Man skull fossil were actually salvaged, it would shock the world. Zhuang Rui's goal is to have that artifact in his museum.
In other words, it's because the reputation is too small. If the Ministry of Transportation changed the salvage operation to be an exclusive activity of the Dingguang Museum, Zhuang Rui might have considered it. Of course, the Ministry of Transportation, which is eager to create hype and gain political achievements, would absolutely not agree.
"Everyone's here. Let me introduce you. These two are Minister Jiang and Minister Zhao from the Ministry, and they are also members of the salvage team. Please have a seat..."
Just as Zhuang Rui was looking down at the agreement, Vice Minister Yu and two other people walked in. Zhuang Rui was already in a bad mood, so he didn't stand up at all.
Although the minister himself did not appear, all three vice ministers were present, demonstrating the importance the Ministry of Transportation attaches to the salvage of the Awa Maru shipwreck.
"Xiao Zhuang, have you read the agreement? Why don't you say a few words? You're a crucial factor in this salvage operation..."
As soon as Vice Minister Yu sat down, he looked at Zhuang Rui. He was a little uneasy about the agreement, so he wanted to see Zhuang Rui's attitude immediately.
"Um?"