As for the castle's golden walls, Zhuang Rui certainly didn't overlook them either. Compared to some stone murals, these golden wallpapers were much easier to remove.
Due to its age, much of the plaster has peeled off. After cutting it open with a sharp blade, it can be rolled up into a ball.
Although Zhuang Rui took many protective measures, damage was inevitable in such a plunder of civilization, and Zhuang Rui was heartbroken but helpless.
If news of the Golden City were to leak out, the damage would likely be even more severe. Zhuang Rui has done everything he can to preserve these items in their original state, in order to recreate them in the future.
A week later, Zhuang Rui's "Xuanrui" quietly sailed away from the Gulf of Guinea. Apart from those who participated in the excavation of the site, no one knew how much wealth was on board the "Xuanrui".
Even the bearded captain was kept in the dark. Apart from the dozens of gorillas, everything that was later transported to the cruise ship by helicopter was handled and taken over by Chinese sailors and was guarded by special personnel.
The cruise ship did not return directly to China, but instead sailed to Zhuang Rui's "Xuanrui Island". Otherwise, if he had brought these dozens of gorillas back to China, Zhuang Rui's crime of smuggling wild animals would have been confirmed.
After the "Xuanrui" arrived at Zhuang Rui's "Xuanrui Island", Zhuang Rui released dozens of gorillas back onto the island. For these gorillas who were struggling to survive, "Xuanrui Island", with no natural enemies and plenty of rainwater and food, was nothing short of a paradise.
King Kong, who grew up on an island, became extremely excited after arriving at Xuanrui Island, and the entire primeval forest on the back island became its territory.
During the few days of rest on the island, Zhuang Rui barely saw this guy, guessing that he had taken his enormous harem—which was quite large for a human—to the forest to indulge in debauchery.
"Boss, when are we going to start salvaging ocean treasures? You're not kidding me, are you?"
After leaving Xuanrui Island, Zhuang Rui issued the order to return home, which finally made the bearded captain restless, and he went directly to Zhuang Rui.
Claude didn't care about what Zhuang Rui was doing in Central Africa; all he wanted was to sail the "Xuan Rui" across the seas and salvage all the shipwreck treasures in the ocean.
"How could that be? My dear Claude, I always keep my word, but... shouldn't this ship's cargo be sent back home first?"
Zhuang Rui was helpless against Claude's deep-rooted sailor complex. He never expected that the pie he had casually promised Claude would be so firmly remembered and would be mentioned to him from time to time.
If it weren't for this golden city, Zhuang Rui might have actually stayed at sea with Claude for a while, salvaging a few shipwrecks along the way. The gold alone from those shipwrecks would have made Zhuang Rui a fortune.
However, with so many precious artworks from the City of Gold on board, and the humid climate at sea being very unfavorable for the preservation of cultural relics, Zhuang Rui had no choice but to abandon several shipwreck treasures along the way.
After giving Claude a specific timeframe for salvaging the shipwreck, Zhuang Rui reluctantly allowed the old man to sail the ship back home. However, in the bearded captain's mind, Zhuang Rui had successfully cultivated the image of a master conman. ...
"Zhuang Rui, where did you get this thing? That old bastard Mohammed is ready to fight me to the death..."
At the Peking University Research Institute, Professor Meng, wearing gloves, was examining the few sheets of gold paper with a very serious expression. He had been busy with this matter ever since Zhuang Rui brought him back to Beijing from Inner Mongolia overnight yesterday.
"Teacher, I found this at an ancient site deep in a forest in Africa. What does the writing on it say? Is it related to Solomon of the Davidic dynasty?"
Zhuang Rui looked at Professor Meng with hopeful eyes. Although he had gained a considerable reputation in the international scientific community through the salvage of the Song Dynasty shipwreck and the excavation of Genghis Khan's Mausoleum in Inner Mongolia, his network of connections was far inferior to Professor Meng's.
After receiving these sheets of gold paper, Professor Meng immediately made rubbings of them, scanned them with a computer, and sent them directly to an old friend of his who specializes in the study of ancient Jewish civilization.
No sooner had the document been sent than the Israeli scholar named Mohammed called urgently. Zhuang Rui could hear the urgency in his voice even from several meters away.
“That’s right, you guessed exactly. Muhammad just compared the Dead Sea Scrolls with many Jewish legal codes and documents, proving that these texts are indeed from the time of Solomon. However, there wasn’t enough time, and he hasn’t been able to translate their meaning yet…”
Professor Meng looked at his last disciple with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. This kid really knew how to cause trouble. He ran away after digging half of Genghis Khan's tomb, and now he's turned around and found an even more terrifying Solomon's Treasure.
Professor Meng wondered if, if Zhuang Rui were allowed to continue like this, would all the unsolved mysteries in the world be solved by this "lucky" guy?
Upon hearing Professor Meng's words, Zhuang Rui laughed smugly: "Hehe, teacher, just you wait and see! This time, I'm going to make sure our country also has a world-class museum that can rival the British Museum..."
"Aren't you kidding me? My whole neighborhood is being demolished, and the residents are being forced to move out. Where am I going to get all that compensation money? You're going to pay for it? Dude, are you out of your mind? This is right on the edge of the Third Ring Road! Do you know how much Beijing's housing prices have gone up? You can't afford it without at least 3 billion yuan. Forget it, don't even think about it. Damn it, I must have been out of my mind to let you build a museum here..."
In recent years, Ouyang Sige, who has been getting married and having children and has been taking care of himself, finally couldn't help but roar at Zhuang Rui. This guy is too ridiculous. He actually proposed to demolish and rebuild the entire first real estate project he developed, saying that he wanted to build a golden castle like the ancient Israelite castle.
Zhuang Rui wants to move Jerusalem to Beijing, and Ouyang Sige has no objection, but only if they don't cause him trouble. This isn't a municipal project; how can he ask residents who have lived here for several years to relocate?
Chapter 1276 Reconstruction
"Ahem, Fourth Brother, I have no choice. The Golden City I'm building is the Temple of Solomon in ancient Israel. If it's completed, its influence will shake the entire world..."
Seeing Ouyang Jun's strong reaction, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but smile wryly, but he still patiently explained it to Ouyang Jun.
However, looking back, Zhuang Rui also felt that what he had done was a bit unethical, and anyone else would probably have turned against him.
Originally, Zhuang Rui had only borrowed a small portion of Ouyang Jun's land to build the Dingguang Museum, but over the years, it has become the dominant force, turning a perfectly good residential community into a mess.
Now, more than half of that residential area has been converted into his Dingguang Museum, turning a high-end community into a tourist area, which is a major headache for Ouyang Jun.
"Alright, stop talking nonsense. Even if you cause a sensation in the galaxy, it's none of my business. I can't do this. Do you really think Fourth Brother can ride horses in the Forbidden City?"
Before Zhuang Rui could finish speaking, Ouyang Jun waved his hand to interrupt him. His community had only been built three or four years ago and was not within the city's public land use plan. Everyone else had bought property rights, so what right did he have to ask people to move out?
Moreover, the public is now very aware of their rights. Most of the residents in this community are white-collar workers or elites with considerable social status. Ouyang Jun himself didn't think he could just ask them to move out for no reason.
Zhuang Rui was somewhat annoyed upon hearing this. Three days earlier, the Israeli scholar named Israel had arrived in Beijing, accompanied by a large academic team.
This team, comprised of some of the world's top experts in Jewish culture, deciphered the secrets of the gold paper in just two days.
As Zhuang Rui had predicted, the golden city was indeed built by King Solomon, but its original purpose and intended use were somewhat different from what Zhuang Rui had imagined.
According to the inscription on the gold paper, King Solomon obtained the crystal skull in his early years, and legend has it that he drew mysterious power from it.
Guided by a mysterious power, King Solomon began to distinguish himself, and his many achievements were inseparable from this crystal skull.
After achieving great success, King Solomon listened to God's instructions and sent people across the ocean to Africa. Deep in the primeval forest, he devoted the nation's resources to building this temple, which was said to allow people to communicate with God.
King Solomon himself never set foot in this place during his lifetime, but he placed the treasures he had amassed during his reign, as well as the wealth of the entire monarchy, in this temple as offerings to God.
According to the research of scholars such as Israel, this is also the main reason why the vast wealth disappeared without a trace when the Kingdom of Israel split after King Solomon's death.
Zhuang Rui didn't hide anything from these experts; he shared all his findings from the Central African forests with them, which left the expert team both shocked and overjoyed.
These scholars did not find anything wrong with Zhuang Rui's actions, because it was not obtained from their own land, and they had no obligation to stand up for Central African countries.
Moreover, if it weren't for professional archaeologists like Zhuang Rui who first discovered the Golden City, it would likely have caused even greater damage to the site if it had been some adventurers.
So after examining only a small portion of the treasures found at the site, the scholars decided to help Zhuang Rui realize his wish to rebuild Solomon's Temple and bring this great ancient civilization back to life.
Of course, at Zhuang Rui's request, all the research was conducted in a very low-key manner and was not announced to the international scientific community. Zhuang Rui wanted to wait until the reconstruction of Golden City before announcing this major scientific achievement to the world.
With the help of these experts familiar with the history of the ancient Kingdom of Israel, Zhuang Rui was now all set except for one crucial element: the final push. But unfortunately, he couldn't get that final push.
After inspecting several locations in Beijing, Zhuang Rui finally set his sights on the Dingguang Museum site on the edge of the Third Ring Road, because both its geographical location and surrounding environment made it the most suitable place to build the Golden City.
However, in this place where every inch of land is precious, there was simply no space available, so he had no choice but to turn his attention to Ouyang Jun.
"Fourth Brother, can't money solve this?"
Zhuang Rui frowned. The rebuilt Golden City should still belong to the Dingguang Museum. It wouldn't make sense to build it in the suburbs of Beijing.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Ouyang Jun said irritably, "Brother, this isn't about money. If you were living comfortably and were suddenly asked to move out of nowhere, would you be willing to do that?"
"I don't want to, but..."
"No buts, Zhuang Rui, I'll show you a way. If you can convince my grandfather, then this matter will be settled..."
Ouyang Jun waved his hand, interrupting Zhuang Rui.
"Is my uncle really going to be able to help with this relocation?"
Zhuang Rui asked hesitantly, "It's true that Ouyang Zhenwu holds a high position and wields great power, but he is in charge of the cultural department, which has absolutely nothing to do with urban construction."
"Damn, you're really stubborn, why are you fixated on my neighborhood?"
Ouyang Jun was so angry at Zhuang Rui that he jumped up from the sofa, pointed at Zhuang Rui and said, "Isn't the area east of your museum part of a municipal landscaping project? If you get that land, you could build a movie theater, let alone a temple..."
In modern urban planning, environmental protection and greening have become increasingly important. For example, to the east of Dingguang Museum is a green park covering four or five hectares.
When Ouyang Jun was working on a real estate project, he had his eye on that place before, but he failed to secure it. Now, he's so annoyed by Zhuang Rui that he came up with this idea for Zhuang Rui.
"Oh, how come I didn't think of that? Right, right, Fourth Brother, you're right. Restoring the ancient Israelite civilization site is a kind of cultural industry, and Uncle should help out..."
Upon hearing Ouyang Jun's words, Zhuang Rui's mind lit up. He had only thought about facilitating this matter himself and using money to buy a piece of land to build a historical site, but he had never thought that he could negotiate with the state to obtain some preferential policies.
This is also the main reason why Zhuang Rui couldn't succeed as a businessman. If it were someone else, they probably would have already turned to the government. With such a huge gimmick as the ancient Israelite civilization site, why would they worry about the government not providing policy support?
After more than two months of travel in Africa, Beijing has entered late autumn. However, in Zhuang Rui's courtyard house, the lotus flowers are in full bloom, and the whole courtyard is filled with a faint fragrance.
Under a large tree in the courtyard, there was a tea table. Zhuang Rui skillfully brewed the aged Pu'er tea that Ouyang Zhenwu liked to drink the most. In order to curry favor with his uncle, Zhuang Rui had spent a lot of money to find this good tea.
Ouyang Zhenwu took the tea Zhuang Rui offered, sniffed it, took a small sip, closed his eyes, and after a long while spoke, "You kid, you really know how to give me a hard time. One sentence and you want 30 mu of land, and it's even taken to the government work meeting..."
As a crucial city, Beijing attracts attention from all over the country and even the world with every move it makes. Urban planning, especially the approval of land use, must be based on the overall situation and cannot be decided by any one person.
Even Ouyang Zhenwu had to do a lot of work before submitting the matter. If it weren't for the fact that the relevant leaders in charge of the government in the capital were part of the same system as the Ouyang family, there probably wouldn't have been any room for discussion.
However, that's how things are in China. Once the relationship is established, everything else will fall into place naturally. After some expert evaluation, Zhuang Rui successfully obtained the land.
"Hehe, Uncle, I'm doing this for the development of cultural undertakings. Just think, how magnificent would it be to build a civilization site in China comparable to ancient Greece and Egypt? If you ask me, the country should even award me a prize for outstanding young people..."
With the location for the construction of the Golden City confirmed, Zhuang Rui was in high spirits and joked with Ouyang Zhenwu. He could foresee the surprises the Golden City would bring to the world in the near future.
"A promising young man? Are you sure you want that?"
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Ouyang Zhenwu laughed and said, "The person you caught in Central Africa provided very favorable conditions for the country's diplomatic affairs. Getting a place among the top ten outstanding youths in the country won't be difficult for you..."
After Zhuang Rui handed David over, the relevant national departments immediately contacted the United States. After DNA verification, David was indeed the mastermind behind the major robbery in the United States.
To save face, the United States made considerable concessions to China on some sensitive issues, and the indirect benefits it gained far outweighed the $200 million bounty it offered.
Zhuang Rui's ability to acquire the land near the Dingguang Museum was also related to this matter; the state has many ways to compensate individuals.
"Alright, Uncle, you know my personality, I'm naturally low-key..."
The unveiling of the Imperial Seal of the State brought Zhuang Rui a great deal of attention, and he still wears sunglasses when he goes out now. He doesn't want to become a public figure again, and even after the Golden City is built, Zhuang Rui will only live in seclusion behind the scenes.
"Yes, doing things steadily and practically is better than anything else..."
Ouyang Zhenwu nodded in agreement. He was very satisfied with his nephew; there weren't many young people these days who knew how to keep a low profile.
Chapter 1277 Progress
"Xiao Rui, you need to pay close attention to the work in Inner Mongolia. The old man has said that you will have a 15% stake in that business..."
After sitting in the courtyard for a while, Ouyang Zhenwu revealed his purpose. Given his status, he really didn't have time to chat with Zhuang Rui, especially with the leadership transition imminent and the possibility of further advancement.
However, this matter was personally entrusted by the old man, and it also concerned the future economic situation of the Ouyang family. Therefore, Ouyang Zhenwu took the opportunity of Zhuang Rui's application for land to have a personal talk with him.
"Uncle, there are too many people in the family, so I won't take the shares. I'll talk to Grandpa about it..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head. The construction of Genghis Khan's Mausoleum was already in the planning stages, and the funds used were basically borrowed from banks. Zhuang Rui did not contribute a single penny and did not want to get involved.
"Alright, you're not short of money, but Xiaojun is impulsive, so you'll still need to keep a close eye on him..."
Ouyang Zhenwu didn't force Zhuang Rui. He knew Zhuang Rui's wealth better than anyone else. Just that private museum alone was worth billions of dollars, not including the businesses Zhuang Rui had invested in in Myanmar.