Even if you've never seen a pig run, you've surely eaten pork, right? Upon seeing this name, even the slow-witted monkey would understand.
Zhuang Rui then realized why the monkey had fallen, and couldn't help but laugh and scold, "Look at you, so pathetic! It's him. After the seal is carved, I'll have you take a picture with him holding the seal, enlarge it, and hang it in the shop. You'll be a celebrity from now on..."
"Oh, that's great, Brother Zhuang, you just wait..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, the monkey's eyes lit up with excitement. Being able to take a photo with the world's richest man was no joke; the celebrity effect was incredible. The monkey could almost picture himself as a master seal engraver, with countless people begging him for his seals.
Chapter 1240 First Exhibition
As it turned out, William and Bill Gates were very satisfied with the gift Zhuang Rui gave them. Even after leaving Xuanruizhai, they were still fondling the seals carved from chicken-blood stone in their hands.
Of course, the monkey was even more satisfied. As soon as Zhuang Rui and his group stepped out of the store, he rushed out after them. He was going to find a photocopy shop to develop the photos.
The photos of him with Bill Gates and Prince William became something the monkey would boast about later. Whenever a customer came into the store, he would brag about it, making Nobita so jealous that he almost photoshopped the photos.
And sure enough, the celebrity effect worked wonders. Monkey's reputation soared, and more than a decade later, he became a renowned seal engraver in Beijing. Of course, that's a story for another time. ...
After a day of strolling around Beijing, Zhuang Rui, unusually dressed in a suit and tie, took Bill and William to the Dingguang Museum early the next morning. The first exhibition of the "Imperial Seal of the State" would begin at 10:00 a.m. that day.
When Zhuang Rui arrived at the museum at nine o'clock, the entire area around the museum was surrounded by crowds. Various tour groups were queuing up in an orderly manner, waiting for the first appearance of the "Imperial Seal of the State" in a thousand years.
It took Zhuang Rui a lot of effort to drive the car into the museum's parking lot. Luckily, the curtains were drawn inside the car; otherwise, if the reporters had seen it, he wouldn't have been able to get in today.
After getting out of the car, recalling the sea of people he had seen through the curtains, William couldn't help but say, "Zhuang, the Chinese are all artists..."
"What do you mean by that?"
Zhuang Rui was taken aback. Some people praised Chinese people for their diligence, while others praised them for their intelligence, but Zhuang Rui had never heard William make this comment before.
William gave Zhuang Rui a strange look and said, "Aren't all these people outside here to appreciate China's greatest works of art? Appreciating art, like listening to a symphony, can cultivate one's character..."
In William's view, only those with an artistic eye can interpret the value of these artworks, and the fact that so many people outside are waiting with various banners shows that China is a country with a strong artistic atmosphere.
“Um… William, what you said is very good, I agree with your point of view…”
Upon hearing William's explanation, Zhuang Rui's lips twitched unnaturally, and he almost couldn't help but run to the bathroom to burst into laughter.
Zhuang Rui has a fairly good understanding of Chinese people. Their biggest characteristic is that they love to watch a spectacle. Whether it's a fight between urban management officers and street vendors, or someone with a nosebleed in the middle of the road looking up to stop the bleeding, it will definitely attract a crowd of onlookers.
Of course, it cannot be ruled out that some Chinese people, driven by patriotic sentiments, come to admire the "Imperial Seal of the State," a symbol of the majesty of ancient Chinese emperors, and learn about ancient imperial culture.
But to call this kind of behavior appreciation is pure nonsense. If everyone had this level of artistic appreciation, those counterfeiters and art dealers in China would have been out of business long ago.
After arranging for Bill and William to rest in the office, Zhuang Rui also got busy. After all, he was the actual legal representative and owner of Dingguang Museum. It would be a bit too much for him to just sit back and do nothing on a day like today.
Today, in addition to tourists, almost all antique enthusiasts and related professionals from Beijing came to the Dingguang Museum. Among them were some of Zhuang Rui's old friends and elders, such as Grandpa Gu and Fatty Jin, who all had to be received by him.
"Grandpa, didn't you see it a few days ago? So many people in this hot weather isn't good for your health..."
Zhuang Rui welcomed Old Master Gu inside. Perhaps because he had completely retired, Old Master Gu's health had been poor for over a year. Zhuang Rui had treated him several times, but there had been no improvement.
"Come on, come on! You've been collecting jade your whole life, how can you not take a good look at the He Shi Bi? Alright, you're busy today, go out and greet the guests..."
Old Gu seemed to be in good spirits today. After entering the lounge, he greeted a group of old friends. However, his last sentence almost made Zhuang Rui stumble. How could anyone talk like that... entertain guests? This is a museum, not the Eight Great Hutongs of Beijing.
However, the description was indeed accurate. Zhuang Rui left for less than two minutes and then led a group of people back, with Ouyang Zhenwu leading the way.
"Uncle, your presence today is an honor to our humble shop. By the way, could you please keep this Imperial Seal of the State in our shop for a few more months?"
Zhuang Rui lowered his voice and joked with Ouyang Zhenwu. In fact, Zhuang Rui thought it would be better to put this object in the Dingguang Museum. If it were put in the Palace Museum, it might be stolen again one day.
"You brat, the excavation of Genghis Khan's tomb was a great achievement for the entire archaeological team, and now you've gotten all the benefits. And you're acting all innocent after getting the advantages? A few more months is impossible, but a couple less is possible..."
Ouyang Zhenwu glared at Zhuang Rui with annoyance. He was under a lot of pressure when he handed over the Imperial Seal of the State to a private museum for its first exhibition. If he hadn't been the direct supervisor of several national museums, including the Palace Museum, those people probably would have complained to the central government.
"Fine, just pretend I didn't say anything..."
Zhuang Rui quickly put on a pitiful look, but inwardly he was thinking, "This thing originally belonged to me. If it weren't for my high standards, I would have already become a tomb raider..."
In fact, Zhuang Rui's thinking was not wrong. As long as he was not greedy, it was not impossible for him to enter Genghis Khan's Mausoleum through the underground river and take only this one item. Of course, his entry would also cause great damage to the mausoleum.
Ouyang Zhenwu, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped and said, "By the way, Zhuang Rui, you have two guests here, right? Find a quiet place later and introduce them to Minister Jia and Minister Wu. They'll come over after your inaugural exhibition ceremony..."
The Minister Jia and Minister Wu mentioned by Ouyang Zhenwu are the two vice ministers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce, respectively. As for the guests mentioned by Ouyang Zhenwu, they are of course Bill and Prince William.
Although the two came to China in a private capacity, the authorities still needed to meet with them. Since it was an informal meeting, it was arranged at Zhuang Rui's museum.
"Hehe, no problem, but... is there a reward? Cough, never mind..."
Zhuang Rui, who had originally wanted to take advantage of the situation, obediently shut his mouth under Ouyang Zhenwu's gaze.
It was quickly past ten o'clock. After Ouyang Zhenwu gave an official speech, he, along with some veteran experts in the industry and two mysterious distinguished guests, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the first exhibition of the Imperial Seal of the State.
As expected, the appearance of Prince William and Bill Gates brought the ceremony to a climax, and all the flashes were focused on the two of them.
Some European and American journalists, in particular, expressed surprise at the appearance of the two men. These foreign journalists, who originally covered politics and finance, became interested in the Dingguang Museum as a result, and the name of the Dingguang Museum appeared many times in their articles sent back to China.
Tourists and experts who initially felt that the Dingguang Museum was too small began to reassess it. They discovered that although the Dingguang Museum was not large in scale and its heritage was not as rich as some large state-owned museums, the quantity and quality of its exquisite artifacts were comparable to those of state-owned museums.
Furthermore, the presence of Bill Gates and Prince William demonstrates that the Dingguang Museum possesses extensive connections worldwide. Coupled with the background of the legendary young owner, the Dingguang Museum's development prospects are limitless.
At the inaugural exhibition ceremony, Huangfuyun also announced that Dingguang Museum will launch a series of exchanges and collaborations with the British Museum, aiming to develop Dingguang Museum into a world-class comprehensive museum.
This is the first time the Dingguang Museum has made such a statement to the outside world. It can be said that from today onwards, the Dingguang Museum will enter the world's museum industry's field of vision and has taken a solid step forward.
Just as Zhuang Rui had predicted, the first exhibition of the Imperial Seal of the State was a huge success. The following day, Chinese and foreign media extensively reported on the event, completely overshadowing his previous moment of fame.
In the domestic museum rankings by relevant institutions, Dingguang Museum, which was originally ranked in the twentieths, jumped into the top ten and truly became a giant in China's museum industry.
The museum's growing reputation brought direct benefits. The jade museum, after its renovation, had tickets priced at 80 yuan each, and demand far exceeded supply, with long queues forming at the ticket booths every day.
Group ticket purchases by major travel agencies alone account for 190 percent of the daily ticket sales, causing complaints from old Beijing residents. This museum, located in Beijing, is now impossible to visit without joining a travel agency.
However, none of this concerns Zhuang Rui anymore. As a leader, one should delegate authority to employees appropriately. Of course, this is just an excuse Zhuang Rui makes for his irresponsibility.
The excavation of Genghis Khan's Mausoleum in Inner Mongolia has entered its mid-term stage. However, Zhuang Rui, who originally planned to return as soon as possible, encountered another problem, because Fatty Ma and Song Jun, who were far away in Africa, had both returned to China.
As one of the shareholders of the African mining company, Zhuang Rui naturally had to give the chairman and vice chairman a proper welcome upon their return to China. He not only personally picked them up at the airport but also took them directly to his manor.
The reason Zhuang Rui was so attentive was mainly because he felt guilty. He owned a significant number of shares in the company, but no matter how much Ma Pangzi urged him by phone and telegram, Zhuang Rui hadn't made a single trip there in the past few years.
Chapter 1241 The Situation in Africa
"Come on, Fangfang and Yuanyuan, this is Grandpa Song, and this is Grandpa Pang..."
Fatty Ma and the others had seen Zhuang Rui's children before, but they were still babies at the time. The two little ones weren't shy at all and surrounded him, calling him "Uncle Song" repeatedly. However, when they looked at Fatty Ma, they stopped talking. This "uncle" wasn't fat at all.
Fatty Ma reached out and picked up the two little ones, looking at Zhuang Rui with displeasure, and said, "Why are you calling me Fatty Grandpa? Call me Grandpa Ma. Zhuang Rui, am I still that fat?"
"Not fat, not fat, Brother Ma, I was just about to ask you that..."
There were too many people at the airport, so Zhuang Rui didn't dare to ask. Now that he had the chance, he smiled and asked, "Brother Ma, you went to Africa for aid this time, right? Did you see that the people in Africa were having a hard time, so you gave all the good food and drinks to your African brothers? How... how come you've gotten so thin?"
Even now, Zhuang Rui still finds it hard to believe that the person in front of him is the same person as the Fatty Ma from before. He simply cannot connect the person in front of him with the Fatty Ma from before.
Fatty Ma wasn't very tall, only about 1.7 meters, but his original weight of nearly 300 pounds had caused his neck, waist, and other organs to become integrated with his body, making him a spherical object.
However, Fatty Ma is now a completely different person. All his excess fat has disappeared, his chubby face has become thinner, and he looks much more energetic than before.
However, at the airport, even though Song Jun told Zhuang Rui that this was Fatty Ma, Zhuang Rui was stunned for a long time. If Fatty Ma hadn't recounted their first meeting in Tibet, Zhuang Rui really wouldn't have believed that the person standing in front of him was the same Fatty Ma from before.
Even if Zhuang Rui didn't believe it, Ma Pangzi almost missed his flight when he was transferring at an airport abroad. In the end, if Song Jun hadn't used his connections to get a certificate from the Chinese embassy abroad, this guy would probably have gone into exile overseas.
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Fatty Ma said with a frustrated look, "Don't ask me. If I knew why I lost weight, I would have opened a weight loss center long ago..."
Anyone who knew Fatty Ma before and hadn't seen him for over a year would say something similar to Zhuang Rui's first words to him, except Fatty Ma genuinely didn't know why.
After arriving in Africa, although the country had been plagued by war and the people were suffering for the past two years, as the main representative of the Chinese side, Fatty Ma did not suffer any grievances. He ate delicacies and played with African ladies, but for some reason, his fat body gradually went down.
At first, Fatty Ma was also quite frightened, fearing that he had contracted some terminal illness. He rushed to a famous hospital in the United States for a check-up, but found no symptoms. Even the world-class experts couldn't figure out what was wrong.
Knowing he wasn't sick, Fatty Ma was relieved. Over the past two years, his weight has gone from over 140 kilograms to 160 kilograms, a complete transformation.
"Is that so? Does that mean weight loss centers in China are organizing trips to Africa for obese people?"
Zhuang Rui listened to Fatty Ma's words in disbelief. This was a godsend for obese people! If simply living in Africa could have such an effect, then the world's obese people could probably boost the African economy.
Fatty Ma shook his head, put Yuanyuan down on the ground, and a smug look appeared on his face. "You wish! But apart from me, no one else is of any use..."
Among those who went to Africa to set up companies, there were people with similar weight to Fatty Ma, but their weight had been neither too high nor too low over the years, with Fatty Ma being the only exception.
"Well, it's true that you can't buy being thin in old age. It's a good thing that Fatty is able to lose weight, even though he's only in his forties..."
Scientists couldn't reach a conclusion, and Zhuang Rui didn't want to waste his brain cells on this, so he changed the subject and asked, "Brother Song, Brother Ma, how's our African mining company going? We're not going to lose everything, are we?"
It has been three years since the African mining company was established. At that time, Zhuang Rui had almost gone bankrupt to raise 20% of the investment. He originally thought it was a golden goose, but after several years, he has not seen a single penny of profit.
Although Zhuang Rui doesn't value money that much, this is billions of dollars, not just a few dollars. It represents all of Zhuang Rui's savings back then, enough to hire a foreign mercenary group to overthrow those small African countries.
Previously, when discussing these matters on the phone, Song Jun and Fatty Ma were always vague. Now that both of them have returned to China, Zhuang Rui wants to get to the bottom of it. Although they have a good relationship, even close brothers should keep clear accounts, right? He can't let the money his buddy scraped together to buy the house go down the drain, can he?
"You still remember this company?"
Fatty Ma rolled his eyes in dissatisfaction. Last year, when he was going to the United States for medical treatment, he wanted Zhuang Rui to take charge of the African company, but the guy made all sorts of excuses and eventually disappeared.
"Ahem, Brother Ma, I've been busy. We agreed that I would only own shares and not be involved in the management, so you can't blame me for that, can you?"
Zhuang Rui really didn't know that Fatty Ma had asked him to come last year because he needed to see a doctor. Now that he said that, he felt a little embarrassed.
"You kid, I'm really impressed. You just throw billions in and don't even ask questions. I, Old Ma, don't have that kind of guts..."
Fatty Ma shook his head and continued, "The political situation in Africa has been quite unstable these past few years. The country we signed the agreement with has already had two changes of government. It also involves several other countries, including Congo. These past few years have been all about coordinating relations..."
Thinking about his experiences and observations in Africa over the past few years, Fatty Ma shook his head repeatedly and explained the situation in Africa to Zhuang Rui, who was completely confused.
As the last continent in the world to achieve political independence, Africa is undoubtedly a huge prize in the eyes of various world powers.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Western countries promoted multi-party democracy in Africa and advocated private ownership in the economy, linking economic aid to whether or not economic restructuring was carried out according to Western standards.
At the same time, the dramatic changes in the international situation (such as the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dramatic changes in Eastern Europe) also brought a strong impact to Africa, which intensified some of the existing political, economic, tribal and religious conflicts in the region and caused political instability in some countries.
Liberia, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are embroiled in civil war, while Ethiopia and Eritrea have been engaged in a war that has lasted for more than two years over border issues.
Although the situation in Africa improved after 2000, peace and stability in Africa are still frequently disrupted due to historical reasons and various complex internal and external factors, and some local conflicts still exist.
In recent years, in particular, the land crisis in Zimbabwe, the renewed fighting on the border between Egypt and Ecuador, the protracted conflict in Congo, and the serious setbacks in the peace process in Sierra Leone have all had a certain impact on the regional situation.
Unfortunately, the turbulent countries and regions in Africa are located within the mining areas invested in by Zhuang Rui and others. Without a stable political situation, it is almost impossible to develop the economy there.
Just like the small African country where Ma is located, which changed governments twice in two years, both times with the backing of Western powers. It has evolved from local ethnic conflicts into a covert war between major powers. The reason for this is, of course, the country's rich strategic mineral resources.