"It's hard to say. Didn't you see that the horse was already exhausted? It definitely won't be able to recover later."
After a brief period of excitement, the fans turned their attention back to the fact that they had just heard that Chase Wind would be playing in the final race.
This divided horse racing fans into two camps: one side believed that Chase could still race, while the other side thought that the horse was no longer fit to run, and a debate ensued.
"Damn, that was close! I almost didn't get first place..."
Zhuang Rui, who had been at the starting line the whole time, finally breathed a sigh of relief after hearing the final result. Falling behind at the start had left him feeling quite uncertain.
Losing the 50 million himself wasn't a big deal, but he had already boasted to his father-in-law, and if he really lost, Zhuang Rui didn't know how to face his father-in-law.
So in just over a minute, Zhuang Rui's clothes were soaked with sweat; he hadn't been this nervous in years.
Just as Zhuang Rui breathed a sigh of relief, Mr. Chen, who had been standing next to him, said with a smile, "Mr. Zhuang, congratulations! You'll win at least eight million in prize money this time..."
The total prize money for this race is 12 million. According to the rules of the Jockey Club, the horse that comes in first place will receive 70% of the prize money, which is 8.4 million.
In just over a minute, this efficiency in making money is probably comparable to that of the world's richest man sitting in the VIP box at the racetrack.
"Mr. Chen, how much of the Chasing Wind Winning betting stock did you buy?"
Zhuang Rui was in high spirits after winning the match, especially since he hadn't been in control of the game. The thrill of the match was something he hadn't experienced in a long time.
"Hehe, thanks to Mr. Zhuang, I gambled 10,000, and according to the odds, I can win 200,000. I really have to thank Mr. Zhuang..."
Hearing Zhuang Rui's words, President Chen also laughed. Although his annual salary was over a million, even a small amount of money is still money, and no one would complain about having too much money.
Mr. Chen turned around and saw Zhui Feng lying on the ground panting on the monitor hanging on the wall. He couldn't help but say, "By the way, Mr. Zhuang, I think Zhui Feng might be quite exhausted. Aren't you going to check on him?"
"It's alright, I'll be fine after a rest. Mr. Chen, let's go over there..."
Zhuang Rui smiled upon hearing this. Of course, he knew that such a short distance could not possibly tire Zhui Feng out. If he wasn't mistaken, it was probably just a play put on by Timur and Zhui Feng.
"Old Yu, didn't you say that horse was no good at all?"
"Yeah, so what if the other jockey is heavier? He still won first place, didn't he?"
"Old Yu, you've been working at the horse farm for decades, have you made a mistake this time?"
As soon as Zhuang Rui and General Manager Chen left the starting area, a commotion erupted behind them. The horse owners, while looking at Zhuang Rui's retreating figure with envious eyes, also began questioning the staff member from before.
"I...how would I know? If you were facing a jockey who weighs over 200 pounds, would you think he could win?"
Old Yu said, feeling deeply aggrieved.
He had worked at the horse farm for over twenty years and this was the first time he had encountered something so bizarre. Not only was the jockey overweight, but the horse was also more than two seconds late in crossing the barrier, yet it still managed to win first place. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Lao Yu would have thought the person who said this was crazy.
"That's...that makes sense. If it were me, I wouldn't believe it either..."
"Everyone else has already won, and we didn't even offer to congratulate them. We broke the rules..."
"That young man isn't an ordinary person. Didn't you see that former manager from SJM Holdings accompanying him? Lao Yu, don't be so impulsive in the future, or you'll offend people..."
"Damn it, from now on it'll be like gorillas racing horses, I'll just pretend I don't see it..."
Old Yu's almost defiant words drew a burst of laughter from the audience.
"Even our British royal family doesn't have such magnificent horses..."
The British prince made a remark upon seeing the result of the match.
An Arab crown prince instructed his men, "Go and inquire about the horse's lineage, and also find out its owner..."
"Ask if this horse is for sale, money is no object..."
The world's richest man especially loves horses, so of course he wouldn't miss the chance to ride the wind.
Similar scenes were playing out in the various luxury boxes at the racecourse, especially among the foreign guests who loved horses and were eager to learn more about Chase the Wind.
Of course, their demands could not be met. Not only were the organizers unaware of this, but Zhuang Rui himself was also completely confused.
"Dr. Shu Wen, this young man is truly remarkable. He's started late but finished early; that's something no ordinary horse can do..."
Inside the luxurious private room, Guo Daheng was beaming with pride, as if Zhui Feng had already won the final round against Dr. Shu Wen.
"Hmph, Guo Sheng, don't be too happy yet..."
Dr. Shu Wen's face was not good. He had rarely suffered setbacks in recent years, but he did not expect to be defeated twice by Zhuang Rui's surgery. Although Zhui Feng had not yet run the last game, the result of this game still made him lose face.
"This horse has good explosive power, but it lacks stamina. Didn't you see it took it a while to recover on the ground? If this were in the last race, it definitely wouldn't be able to outrun my Thoroughbred..."
After the race ended, Shu Wen's eyes were glued to Zhui Feng on the screen. In his opinion, Zhui Feng winning first place in the 1000-meter race did not prove anything.
It's important to know that the final race is a mile and a half race, which is about 2,500 meters. This not only tests the horse's explosive power but also places high demands on its endurance.
Given how exhausted Chase was after the 1000-meter race, it was unlikely to be able to handle the final race. Therefore, even now, Dr. Shuwen did not believe his horse would lose.
"Haha, we'll know whether it works or not after the competition..."
Guo Daheng didn't take Shu Wen's attitude seriously; Zhui Feng's victory in this match already demonstrated sufficient potential.
After taking Zhuifeng for a physical examination, Zhuang Rui returned it to the stables and went back to the private room where the Qin family was staying.
"Dad, I didn't fail you. Zhui Feng won. It was quite a close call..."
Seeing his father-in-law being welcomed like a victorious general, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but say a few more words, "Dad, this kind of thing doesn't happen often. You almost lost. I think... if you bet on horses in the future, you should bet smaller stakes..."
To be honest, Zhuang Rui was really worried just now. If the two hundred million were his own, it wouldn't matter, he could just lose it. But since it was his father-in-law's money, the situation was different.
Old Master Qin, who was resting on the sofa with his eyes half-closed, suddenly opened his eyes after hearing Zhuang Rui's words and said, "Xiao Rui is right. From now on, no member of the Qin family may bet more than 10,000 yuan on each horse race. Did you all hear me?"
There are only a few dozen horse races in a season in Hong Kong. The old man set this rule so that even if the family members bet on every race, it would only amount to a few hundred thousand dollars, which is just a drop in the ocean for the Qin family.
Apart from Zhuang Rui's family, all the Qin family members present stood up. Regardless of what they were thinking, they all said in unison, "Dad, Grandpa, we heard it..."
Chapter 1226 An Exorbitant Price (Part 1)
"Xiao Rui, you've worked hard, come and take a rest..."
Grandpa Qin patted the sofa next to him, gesturing for Zhuang Rui to sit down. This was a privilege reserved for Zhuang Rui's family; the children of Qin Xuanbing's siblings didn't even have the right to enter this room.
However, no one resented the treatment Zhuang Rui received. It was an undeniable fact that Zhuang Rui's appearance had changed the Qin family's status in Hong Kong.
"Xiao Rui, you placed another 50 million bet before the competition started? With your wealth, there's no need for that, is there?"
The old man seemed to be chatting casually with Zhuang Rui, but he actually had a deeper meaning. His words were twofold: first, he was saying that Zhuang Rui was too popular, and second, since Zhuang Rui had bought his own horse, those who knew the inside story would inevitably think too much about it.
Zhuang Rui laughed upon hearing this and joked, "Grandpa, I understand. After this horse race, I'll go back to Beijing to cultivate my mind and spirit. As for the money I won, I've set up a charity foundation in Beijing, which will be able to help some people..."
"It's probably too late to cultivate your character now. Others will likely look down on you. But your horse is definitely being watched by many people. Just wait and see what temptations you'll face..."
The old man laughed heartily, but he didn't care much about the matter. With Zhuang Rui's background in China, even those princes and tycoons from various countries couldn't do anything about him.
As if suddenly remembering something, Old Master Qin turned to his eldest son and said, "By the way, Haoran, take out one billion Hong Kong dollars from the winnings and donate it to Zhuang Rui's charity foundation. Don't bother with any ceremony..."
There are several super-rich individuals in Hong Kong and Macau who enjoy doing charity. Over the years, they have donated billions of dollars to the mainland. Regardless of their charitable activities, they have received substantial returns in the mainland.
Old Master Qin's move was also intended to deepen his relationship with the Ouyang family.
Although the old man said not to hold any ceremony, the bigwigs on the mainland naturally knew what it meant. One billion Hong Kong dollars is not so insignificant today, but it expressed the Qin family's way of repaying certain forces on the mainland.
It's important to understand that while kinship can certainly maintain a certain relationship, the Qin family also needs to make certain gestures at certain times. This allows the Ouyang family to openly support the Qin family on many policies, and the title of "patriotic businessman" is not given lightly.
"Yes, Dad, I'll take care of it in the next few days..."
Qin Haoran respectfully agreed and looked at Zhuang Rui, saying, "Xiao Rui, how's Zhui Feng doing? I saw it kneeling down from exhaustion after crossing the finish line. How about... we cancel the next race?"
Qin Haoran did not participate in the high-stakes gambling of several Hong Kong tycoons, and the previous betting game had already made him a fortune. Just thinking about such a large sum of money made even Qin Haoran, who had seen a lot of big things, feel his heart race.
Zhuang Rui smiled and shook his head, saying, "Dad, it's alright. Zhui Feng just needs a rest. Old Guo and the others all bet on me to win, so I can't let them down, can I?"
"You're still confident, kid? Or should I..."
Seeing Zhuang Rui's confident demeanor, Qin Haoran initially wanted to invest more money, but then he remembered the old man's words and immediately stopped himself. As the current patriarch of the Qin family, he dared not lead the way in breaking the rules that the old man had just established.
"Mr. Zhuang, Fourth Aunt said that a gentleman wants to visit you..."
Mr. Chen, who had been sitting on the sofa in the corner of the private room, got up and walked over to Zhuang Rui after receiving a phone call, interrupting their family's conversation.
"Who is it? Fourth Wife's friend?"
Zhuang Rui frowned and asked. His whole family was in the private room, which was a private space, and Zhuang Rui did not want to be disturbed.
"Yes, it's Mr. Bill Gates..."
When Mr. Chen uttered the name, his breathing became heavier, as if the name possessed some kind of magic. After Mr. Chen said it, the room became quiet.
Although the Qin family is considered a wealthy family in Hong Kong and Macau, compared with the world's super-rich with assets of hundreds of billions of US dollars, the Qin family can really be called poor.
"It was him?"
Zhuang Rui was taken aback upon hearing this, and a strange feeling unconsciously arose in his heart.
It's worth noting that this name has been synonymous with the world's richest man since the 1990s. Zhuang Rui had once read about his entrepreneurial history during his student days, and now he was about to have a face-to-face conversation with him. Zhuang Rui couldn't quite describe the feeling in his heart.
"Mr. Zhuang, will you see him or not?"
Mr. Chen seemed eager to give an answer and asked a follow-up question. His words caused everyone in the room to show strange expressions. The world's richest man wanted to see Zhuang Rui, but he still had to ask whether he would see him or not?
It should be noted that the founder of the Microsoft empire, no matter which country he went to, always spoke directly with its head of state, and any one of them was a hundred times more prominent than Zhuang Rui.
"Yes, yes, but tell Fourth Wife that I'm going to visit Mr. Bill..."
After a moment of hesitation, Zhuang Rui quickly agreed. Although he didn't know what this truly wealthy man wanted from him, Zhuang Rui was determined not to miss this opportunity. After all, for a long time, that man had been his idol and the goal he strived for.
Zhuang Rui's words greatly disappointed Qin Haoran and the others. Opportunities to get close to Bill Gates are rare, but what Zhuang Rui said made sense. It was indeed inappropriate for Fourth Wife and Mr. Bill to visit Zhuang Rui.
"Okay, I'll tell Fourth Wife right away..."
After receiving the reply, Mr. Chen immediately made a phone call, said a few words, and then hung up, saying, "They are in VIP room number one, Mr. Zhuang. Shall we go there now?"
Zhuang Rui had just noticed the change in his father-in-law's expression and knew that his father-in-law probably also wanted to meet the world's richest man, so he said, "Dad, let's go together..."
"Okay, I'd also like to meet this gentleman..."
Qin Haoran nodded with delight, feeling even more that he had good taste in choosing such an understanding son-in-law.
Led by General Manager Chen, Zhuang Rui and Qin Haoran arrived at VIP Room Number One.
As soon as Zhuang Rui entered, Bill Gates greeted him, saying in a slightly exaggerated tone, "Oh, Zhuang, you're so young! I originally thought those famous archaeologists were all old men older than me..."
It must be said that a person who succeeds must have something admirable about them. A seemingly simple sentence from Bill Gates greatly increased Zhuang Rui's goodwill towards him, and the initial sense of distance disappeared.
Zhuang Rui smiled and shook hands with Bill Gates, saying, "Mr. Bill, you are very young, much younger than I see on TV..."