No matter how exquisite the craftsmanship, if there's a problem with the character design, it's always a flaw, or even a failure. A yellow-faced Guan Yu is like Sun Wukong wielding a rake, giving people a very uncomfortable feeling.
Having lived to such an old age, how could the old man not see through Zhuang Rui and Hu Rong's thoughts? He immediately smiled and asked, "What's wrong? Does Guan Gong look a little off?"
"Hehe, actually Guan Yu might not necessarily have a red face. Who has a face that looks like a red date? It's a fictional story, probably just a fictional story. Old man, this figure is sculpted very well..."
Hu Rong chuckled. As a junior, he was embarrassed to directly comment on Old Master Gu's work, but his words were somewhat insincere, which Zhuang Rui, who was standing to the side, could tell.
Upon hearing this, the old man burst into laughter, pointing at Hu Rong and saying, "You little Hu, you think you can fool this old man? Guan Yu has been known as the Martial Saint since ancient times, on par with Confucius. This red face is also his symbol. I won't do something like calling a deer a horse..."
"Senior Uncle, then... why is that?"
Zhuang Rui also didn't understand Gu Tianfeng's actions. The image of Guan Yu was already deeply ingrained in people's minds. If he rashly took out this jade figure, he would definitely be criticized and laughed at.
Gu Tianfeng did not answer Zhuang Rui's question, but looked at Hu Rong and said, "Little Zhuang, you don't understand carving. Little Hu, let me ask you, what aspects should we pay attention to when designing objects?"
"Of course, we need to determine the shape first, based on the texture of the material..."
Hu Rong answered casually.
"That's right, but you should have studied the principles of optics and aesthetics, right? The brightness, fire, shimmer, and other factors of a gemstone can sometimes create different effects..."
The old man stopped playing riddles with the two and picked up the jade statue of Guan Yu, placing it on the red jade horse, Red Hare.
Gu Tianfeng's carving was originally a series of interlocking ornaments, so the harmony of the pieces is naturally beyond question. At first glance, it looks as if it were carved from a single piece of jade of a different texture.
After putting the two together, the old man squinted, looked up at the sun, then turned the Guan Gong statue of Red Hare around so that Guan Yu's face was visible in the sunlight. He smiled and said to the two people beside him, "Take another look..."
Actually, even without Grandpa Gu saying it, Zhuang Rui and Hu Rong had already seen it. Guan Yu's face, which was originally as yellow as chicken fat, suddenly turned red in the sunlight, just like the "face like a red date" described in the book.
What surprised the two most was that, in addition to the change in color of the face, the statue of Guan Yu also displayed various colors on its body, as if a layer of polychrome sculpture had been applied to the yellow jade.
"This...this, I understand..."
Hu Rong suddenly slapped his thigh, realizing the key point. After a moment's thought, Zhuang Rui also understood: although the jade was a solid color, it would often refract different colors under different lighting conditions.
Just like the black pearl Zhuang Rui obtained at sea, although it was completely black with a metallic luster, it could produce several colors such as azure and deep purple when placed under light.
Chapter 1031 Red Hare and Guan Yu's Statue (Part 2)
Although the principle is easy to understand, it is not easy to grasp it so skillfully. Looking at the whole country and even the whole world, it is estimated that no one can surpass Mr. Gu's skill.
Hu Rong struggled for a long time, but couldn't find any words to praise Gu Tianfeng. This kind of miraculous jade carving technique was something Hu Rong had never even heard of before, let alone imagined.
Looking at these two masterpieces, Gu Tianfeng felt a pang of reluctance. He shook his head and went back into the house. A few minutes later, he took out a sandalwood box and said, "Xiao Zhuang, next time you have any good materials, don't bother sending them to this old man. These two... are truly my final works..."
Gu Tianfeng knew that even if there were better jade materials in the future, he would find it difficult to carve a work that surpassed this Red Hare Guan Gong figurine. This time, he was truly preparing to retire from the business.
Zhuang Rui chuckled upon hearing this. What master craftsmen covet most is undoubtedly the finest materials. However, Zhuang Rui was unaware of the old man's thoughts. Even if such materials existed, Gu Tianfeng would not intervene.
Watching Zhuang Rui put the two items into the sandalwood box he had prepared, Gu Tianfeng suddenly felt a pang of reluctance. It was as if his own child had been taken away by someone else. The old man shook his head, stood up, and went back into the house.
Zhuang Rui could understand the old man's feelings. A work that had been poured into it was naturally something he was reluctant to give away. Although the old man had spent his whole life carving objects for others, he probably still had some reservations.
After the old man went inside, Hu Rong suddenly grinned and moved the chair he was sitting on closer to Zhuang Rui, saying with a smile, "Hey, brother, we've known each other for four or five years, haven't we?"
Zhuang Rui was carefully placing the red jadeite Red Hare and the yellow jadeite Guan Gong statue into the sandalwood box. The old man had thought of everything; the box was fully lined with soft cushions and foam, so even if the box was dropped, the items inside would not be damaged.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Hu Rong gave a wry smile. He had only managed to maintain the family business and achieve some minor successes, thanks to his family's legacy. However, compared to Zhuang Rui, he was not even on the same level.
After Zhuang Rui placed the two statues of Guan Yu on Red Hare, he looked up at Hu Rong and said, "Brother Hu, could you arrange some charitable donations in the next couple of days? If that doesn't work, register a charitable foundation in Hong Kong, and then I'll get in touch with my uncle and find a few media outlets to create some buzz for you..."
In Zhuang Rui's mind, these jade ornaments were absolutely priceless. Apart from lacking the profound historical significance of the "Peking Man skull fossil," Zhuang Rui felt that in terms of value alone, they were not much inferior to the skull fossil.
Zhuang Rui had already planned to launch this red jadeite rabbit and yellow jadeite Guan Gong jadeite ornament at the same time as the "Peking Man skull fossil." One is the remains of an ancestor from the primitive era who used stone tools, and the other is a masterpiece of modern craftsmanship. Perhaps the two can be hyped up.
"Hmm? Brother Hu, is there anything else?"
"Um... bro, I... I wanted to ask if you could transfer these two ornaments to me?"
Hu Rong was truly captivated by these jadeite ornaments. Putting aside the fact that they were carved from top-quality jadeite, Gu Tianfeng's craftsmanship combined with their ingenious design made them absolutely unique treasures.
China has two sages whose brilliance shines through the ages: Confucius, the Sage of Literature, and Guan Yu, the Sage of War. Confucius is remembered for his words, while Guan Yu is remembered for his deeds. Guan Yu's spirit of loyalty and righteousness illuminates China, enriching its culture and reaching a wide audience.
According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 1,000 temples dedicated to Guan Yu in Taiwan alone, and more than 40,000 temples dedicated to Guan Yu in more than 30 countries and regions, including the United States, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Australia.
“Brother Hu, don’t even think about it. You know I’m not short of money, and besides, my museum needs these objects for the public to see more than yours. If you want to worship, go to my museum to worship in the future…”
These two jade ornaments held a place in Zhuang Rui's heart almost equal to the newly discovered "Peking Man skull fossil." How could he possibly give them to Hu Rong to display at home as a tribute?
"Brother..."
Hu Rong was somewhat unwilling.
Before Hu Rong could finish speaking, Zhuang Rui interrupted him, saying, "Brother Hu, there's no need to discuss this. Even Grandpa Gu wouldn't want his life's work to be displayed and worshipped in a shrine, would he? Such a treasure should be in a museum for people to admire and appreciate..."
Hu Rong remained silent for a moment before nodding. He knew his thinking was somewhat narrow-minded, but anyone who worshipped Guan Yu would probably want to own such a fine piece, just like him.
A month later, the Chinese "Peking Man skull fossil" that shocked the entire scientific community was officially exhibited at Zhuang Rui's Dingguang Museum. The thickened bulletproof glass and the bodyguards in black suits on both sides highlighted the preciousness of the items in the display case.
After this news was released, not only Chinese people flocked to visit, but foreign tourists also poured in. Even after several expansions, the Dingguang Museum could not meet the daily visitor flow of 60,000 to 70,000 people.
It's worth noting that the Palace Museum only receives about 10,000 visitors a day. 60,000 to 70,000 visitors far exceeded the Dingguang Museum's capacity, so they had to queue according to their ticket numbers.
A month after the "Fossil Museum" opened, the publicity from television, newspapers and other media continued, and the "fossil craze" showed no signs of cooling down. This made Dingguang Museum very wealthy, with its monthly income exceeding its usual quarterly revenue.
Alongside the "Fossil Museum," visitors are also shown the red jadeite Red Hare and the yellow jadeite Guan Yu statue. These pieces, displayed alongside the original fruit platter and jadeite tree, have also received high praise from visitors.
Of course, what made Zhuang Rui happiest was that those ubiquitous reporters finally disappeared from his sight, allowing Zhuang Rui to live a normal life again.
It was already December, and due to the harsh winter weather, maritime operations were impossible, so Zhuang Rui was completely free.
The academic workload at Peking University is not heavy, and Zhuang Rui passed his doctoral dissertation defense ahead of schedule. Now, among his various titles, he has been given the title of Dr. Zhuang.
Hu Rong's matter was handled very smoothly. As Zhuang Rui had suggested, he registered a charitable foundation in Hong Kong and within two or three months, he funded more than 500 Hope Primary Schools in China, with a total expenditure of RMB 300 million.
Thanks to Zhuang Rui's deliberate promotion, Hu Rong also came into the public eye in China and was received by core leaders, receiving treatment that was almost indistinguishable from that of Hong Kong's super-rich.
Hu Rong is currently looking for suitable locations in China to lay the foundation for further investment. As for the gold mine, it is being managed by his second brother and Li Zhen.
All the gold that had been mined was melted down into gold bars and transported through secret channels to Zhuang Rui's scenic private island.
The development of the island has been completed, thanks to the Kachin chieftain. It was originally his backup plan, but unexpectedly, it ended up benefiting Zhuang Rui.
Chapter 1032 Debts Must Always Be Repaid
"Boss, should I thank you for taking a look around your businesses?"
Sitting on the sofa in Huangfuyun's office, Zhuang Rui, dressed in a traditional Chinese jacket, was leisurely brewing tea. During his free time, Zhuang Rui had developed a love for tea tasting and even spent a lot of money to order a tea set made by a contemporary master craftsman from Yixing.
However, Huangfu Yun didn't share Zhuang Rui's mindset. He had been incredibly busy these past few months, and as he put it, he didn't even have the energy to be intimate with his wife when he got home at night.
So when Director Huangfu saw Zhuang Rui's lazy attitude, he was immediately furious. Capitalists are hardworking too, how could there be such an irresponsible boss as Zhuang Rui?
"Brother Huangfu, you're a career-oriented person. If you were to live the kind of life I lead, I guarantee you wouldn't be able to stand it for more than three days..."
After Zhuang Rui skillfully brewed the tea, he placed a cup of tea in front of Huangfu Yun with two fingers and said, "Speaking of which, you're just being hypocritical. You've already calculated how much money you'll make by the end of the year, haven't you?"
The discovery of the "Peking Man skull" truly brought the Dingguang Museum into the national spotlight, and almost everyone who comes to Beijing chooses the Dingguang Museum as their destination.
Unlike before, when he was begging travel agencies to bring him people, now it's the travel agencies that are begging the museum for tickets. Huangfu Yun's phone is ringing with these kinds of things all day long, which is driving him crazy.
"Stop getting carried away, boss, I want to go on vacation, I want to go to Hawaii..."
Having lived abroad for a long time, Huangfu Yun was not used to Beijing's winters. Although there was heating and air conditioning, his ears and hands would freeze as if they had been bitten by dogs every winter.
Huangfu Yun's talk of taking a vacation was not a joke. January is approaching, which is a relatively slow season for tourism throughout the year. He wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to go out and have some fun. Otherwise, he estimated that he would be so busy after spring that he would have to time his bathroom breaks.
"What will happen here if you leave? Comrade Huangfu, you're a shareholder of the Dingguang Museum, you have to take responsibility... Wait, let me see who's calling..."
Having spent several years in Beijing, Zhuang Rui had picked up the witty banter of Beijingers. Just as he was chatting with Huangfu Yun, his cell phone suddenly rang. He took it out and saw that it was an unknown number, so he casually turned it off.
During this period, Zhuang Rui never answered any calls from unknown numbers. However, on two occasions, female reporters called, and Qin Xuanbing answered the calls. During those days, she looked at Zhuang Rui with strange eyes.
But the phone seemed determined to ring no matter what, as soon as Zhuang Rui hung up, it rang again. Zhuang Rui patiently hung up again, but it rang again a few seconds later.
Zhuang Rui could no longer contain himself. He picked up the phone, pressed the answer button, and asked, "Who is this?"
"Young man, being too hot-tempered isn't good. Beijing is a dry place, be careful not to get overheated..."
An old voice came from the other end of the phone, sounding like someone in their seventies or eighties. However, the old man was even more talkative than Zhuang Rui, and he managed to choke Zhuang Rui with his first words.
Who are you?
Hearing that the other person's voice sounded rather old, Zhuang Rui dared not speak carelessly. In the antique and jade circles, many seniors were very particular about etiquette, and he would be laughed at if he said the wrong thing.
“Young man, you did such a big thing with the boat I gave you just a few months ago, how come you can’t even remember it now?”
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Rui immediately recognized the voice – it was Mr. He from Macau! Zhuang Rui quickly stood up, phone in hand, and said, "Mr. He, it's all thanks to your ship! Otherwise, those national treasures would never have seen the light of day. You deserve a lot of credit for this..."
"Alright, alright, stop with the nice things. I'm just asking you, shouldn't you do what you promised me?"
The old man interrupted Zhuang Rui.
"The thing I promised you? Oh, it's that gambling king competition, right? Mr. He, are you really sure you'd let me go? The stakes are five hundred million US dollars, aren't you afraid I'll lose everything?"
Zhuang Rui suddenly realized that the boat hadn't been given to him for free; the old man had forced it on him with a condition. Now, the creditor was coming to collect the debt.
"Ahem, if you lose, it's on me. But whatever you win, after deducting your initial investment, is all yours..."
Old He coughed a few times, but his words were very clear. These few words touched Zhuang Rui deeply.
It's important to understand that this gambling king competition held in Las Vegas is actually a gambling game in which more than ten major companies in the global gambling industry are vying for a Macau gambling license, and it has been planned for more than half a year.
Macau, the gambling capital of the East, has long been coveted by foreign gambling tycoons. After more than six months of negotiations, a total of twelve companies have joined the fray.
The gambling industry is different from other industries; some problems are solved through gambling. Therefore, each of these twelve gambling companies will put up $500 million in betting funds for a high-stakes gamble, and the three final winners will receive the three gambling licenses issued by Macau.
Twelve companies, each worth $500 million, would add up to $6 billion. For these gambling companies with assets exceeding $100 billion, this amount is insignificant.
However, for Zhuang Rui, this is no small sum. If he can win it all, even if he removes Mr. He's $500 million from SJM Holdings, he will still have $5.5 billion out of thin air, which is about 40 billion RMB.
Mr. He was a man of great ambition; he immediately offered the money to Zhuang Rui, making it clear that if Zhuang Rui won, all the money would be his.
"Alright, Mr. He, since you're so confident, I'll go. But let's make this clear first: I don't even know how to play Texas Hold'em, so please don't come looking for me if I lose money..."
After thinking for a moment, Zhuang Rui nodded in agreement. Even without the intangible gambling money, Zhuang Rui had no reason to refuse Old He, since he had made a promise first and had also gained a lot of benefits from the ship.
"If I gain it, I'm lucky; if I lose it, it's fate. One shouldn't be too attached to things. Young man, just do your best..."
After informing Zhuang Rui of the time and location of the gambling game, the old man hung up the phone. He would not be going to the game in person, and someone else would be there to meet Zhuang Rui in Las Vegas.