"Xiao Zhuang, I haven't thanked you for what happened last time. We were almost out of jadeite raw materials a while ago, and we were so grateful for your piece."
As Qin Haoran drove, he chatted with Zhuang Rui. He knew his daughter would talk to Zhuang Rui about the company, and he wasn't afraid to expose his shortcomings. The scarcity of jadeite raw materials was a problem faced by every jewelry company.
"Uncle Qin, you're too kind..."
Zhuang Rui responded politely, but didn't say much. He basically answered Qin Haoran's questions one by one.
"By the way, Xiao Zhuang, I heard from Bing'er that you're going back to Beijing in a few days. I remember you lived in Pengcheng, right?"
Seeing that her husband and Zhuang Rui were only talking about trivial things, Fang Yi became a little anxious. The last time they met in Guangdong, it was too short. She only managed to get a rough idea of Zhuang Rui's home address and family relationships, but she knew nothing else. She also couldn't get any useful information from her daughter.
When it comes to marrying off a daughter, it's not just about the other person's character; their economic foundation and social connections are also very important. Fang Yi knew that Zhuang Rui had made some money gambling on jade, probably tens of millions, but that wasn't a lot for their family. So, she took this opportunity to learn more about Zhuang Rui.
Zhuang Rui secretly glanced at Fang Yi's face in the rearview mirror and said, "I will be pursuing my master's degree in Beijing next year, and my work is also based in Beijing. I won't be going back to Pengcheng very often in the future; I will be staying in Beijing for at least the next few years."
"Oh? It's good that young people know how to be ambitious. I wonder what kind of work you do in Beijing?"
When Fang Yi heard that Zhuang Rui was just an undergraduate, she felt that her daughter was not a good match for him. After all, Qin Xuanbing was a graduate student from Cambridge. However, considering her daughter's attitude and stubborn temper, Fang Yi still patiently asked her.
The lights were off in the carriage, and even looking in the rearview mirror, Zhuang Rui couldn't see Fang Yi's face clearly. Hearing her calm tone, he felt much calmer and replied, "I have a nominal position as a director at the National Jade Association. I occasionally go there to attend some meetings."
Zhuang Rui's words were actually an attempt to embellish his own reputation. It was true that he was a director of the Jade Association and knew the address of the Jade Association, but to say that he had ever held a meeting there was pure nonsense. Zhuang Rui still didn't even know which way the door of the Jade Association opened.
"Jade Association?"
Fang Yi and Qin Haoran were both surprised to hear this. As they worked in the jewelry industry, they were quite familiar with the Jade Association. Whenever there were any changes in the jade industry on the mainland, the Jade Association would first issue an investigation report and then assist the government in making adjustments. It could be considered a semi-official department with real power.
Hong Kong also has similar associations, but they are all jointly organized by various jewelry companies. Their influence is limited to their own circle, and some of the policies they introduce are subject to supervision by relevant departments to see if they harm the interests of consumers. Their influence is far less than that of the jade associations in mainland China.
Even so, within the Qin family, only Qin Haoran's father served as a director in that industry association, and even Qin Haoran himself was just an ordinary member of the association. Neither of them expected that Zhuang Rui, at such a young age, would be able to hold a position in such a semi-official organization in mainland China.
"Xiao Zhuang is doing well. Keep up the good work. By the way, I've heard that housing in Beijing is quite expensive these days. Xiao Zhuang, are you buying a house there or renting?"
Fang Yi's words made Qin Haoran frown. The question was too direct. However, Zhuang Rui didn't seem to mind. If someone is going to entrust their daughter to you, they can't be completely ignorant of you, right? Such parents would be too irresponsible.
"I bought a courtyard house in Beijing, and it's just been renovated. If your aunt and uncle have time, they can come and stay with me for a few days. The environment is very nice..."
Zhuang Rui was quite confident about his courtyard house. He was lucky to have bought it. If he had tried to buy it now, it would definitely be sold out. He hadn't seen Ouyang Jun running around trying to find a suitable courtyard house.
A courtyard like Zhuang Rui's is no longer something you can buy just because you have money. You can buy hundreds of acres of land in the countryside and build a palace without anyone interfering, but in Beijing, there are restrictions on the size and height of buildings. Land around the Forbidden City is extremely valuable. There was once a wealthy man in China who wanted to exchange his Xiangshan property, worth tens of millions, for a courtyard house that was only worth a few million at the time. That's the reason why.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Qin Haoran turned on the car's interior light and glanced at his wife in the rearview mirror. Both of them were surprised. They had been to Beijing and visited courtyard houses before, knowing that they were protected cultural relics. They never expected that this young man could actually buy one; he must have put a lot of thought into it.
"Okay, Haoran, let's go sometime. But Xiaozhuang, how big is your courtyard house? Will there be a place for us to stay?"
Fang Yi was becoming increasingly interested in this future son-in-law from the mainland, but the questions she was being asked made her uncomfortable, and she wished she could tell Zhuang Rui everything in one breath.
"Not counting the basement, just the garage, garden, and living area, it's about 3,800 square meters, less than 4,000 square meters..."
Zhuang Rui answered very seriously. Even if someone is checking your household registration, that's their right, isn't it? Besides, I've entrusted my daughter to you, so it's only right that you ask more detailed questions.
"What?"
"Honey, drive carefully..."
Sitting in the car, Zhuang Rui felt a sudden jolt and almost hit his head on the window. Although the car stabilized afterward, Qin Haoran, sitting in the driver's seat, was looking at Zhuang Rui out of the corner of his eye with a look of astonishment.
Qin Haoran smiled wryly and said to Zhuang Rui, "Xiao Zhuang, are you sure that the courtyard house is nearly four thousand square meters?"
He was genuinely frightened by Zhuang Rui's words. If they hadn't already entered the Taiping Mountain road where there were fewer cars, there probably would have been an accident.
"Not quite four thousand, even including the basement, it's still a little short. What's wrong, Uncle Qin?"
Zhuang Rui was puzzled. Logically speaking, Qin Xuanbing's family was wealthy and powerful, so why would they be so surprised to hear about a courtyard of three or four thousand square meters?
In fact, Zhuang Rui didn't understand Hong Kong's housing prices. Hong Kong, a tiny place, is home to people from all over the world, with a total population of nearly ten million. It has already filled up this place, which is not even as big as Shenzhen.
It's important to know that in Hong Kong, a house of 300 or 400 square meters can be considered a luxury home. The super mansion that the chairman of PCCW spent eight years and 200 million HKD to build was only 20,000 square feet, which is about 2,000 square meters. It is far from comparable to Zhuang Rui's courtyard house.
The luxury villa in Mid-Levels where Qin Haoran's car is located is considered one of the richest places in Hong Kong. A single villa there costs over 100 million, but in terms of size, they are generally only one or two thousand square meters.
Although there is a difference in housing prices between mainland China and Hong Kong, Qin Haoran and his wife both know that courtyard houses in Beijing are located in prime locations. If, as Zhuang Rui said, they really bought a house of nearly 4,000 square meters, it would definitely be considered a big investment.
In Hong Kong, residence is the ultimate symbol of status, and wealthy people mostly live in luxury homes in the Mid-Levels.
Putting everything else aside, Qin Haoran and his wife also live on this hillside. Their villa was bought by the old man for more than 50 million Hong Kong dollars, but its current market value has reached more than 300 million. However, it is only 2,000 square meters in size, which is not as large as Zhuang Rui's courtyard house.
Actually, if Zhuang Rui were to sell his courtyard house now, it could fetch at least 150 million yuan. However, if he waits a few more years, it could potentially sell for 300 to 500 million yuan.
"Ahem, it's nothing, Xiao Zhuang. Your yard must have cost a lot of money, right?"
Even Qin Haoran has become a bit gossipy now. He really can't figure this young man out. He thinks he's young and impetuous and pursues enjoyment, but after these two encounters, he doesn't seem like that kind of person.
"It cost more than 60 million to buy it, and then it was demolished and rebuilt. All the miscellaneous things added up to a total of more than 90 million RMB."
Zhuang Rui's words left Fang Yi, who was sitting in the back, speechless. In terms of character, this young man was really good, not at all frivolous. In terms of work, his position as a director put him in the upper echelons of Hong Kong society. In terms of wealth, he lived in a house worth over 90 million, which was no less than any of the super-rich in Hong Kong. If there was anything lacking, it might be that his background was a bit poor, but the fact that he was able to build such a large fortune from scratch also demonstrated Zhuang Rui's ability.
Qin Haoran and his wife didn't share Lei Lei's thoughts. After all, they didn't know how much Zhuang Rui was worth. If Zhuang Rui had over a billion yuan, it wouldn't be unacceptable for him to spend money on a large house.
"By the way, Aunt Fang, I came in a hurry this time and didn't prepare anything. I brought a few small gifts for you. Would you like them?"
Seeing that the interrogation was coming to an end, Zhuang Rui quickly took out three jewelry boxes of different sizes from his handbag by the light inside the car and handed them to Fang Yi.
"You silly child, you've come all this way, why did you bring a gift..."
If Fang Yi's evaluation of Zhuang Rui before he got on the bus was only 60 points, barely passing, now she could give him 90 points. Seeing how polite Zhuang Rui was, she quickly added another 5 points to his score in her mind.
"Hey, this is red jade? The quality is pretty good. Haoran, turn on the headlights."
Fang Yi opened the jewelry box and glanced at it, then paused for a moment before looking at it against the car headlights. Although she worked in finance within her family, she was no stranger to jewelry appraisal.
"It's a high-grade icy red jadeite, just cut recently. I had a master carver polish it, thinking my aunt might like it, so I brought it along..."
Zhuang Rui had to do a good job of working with his future mother-in-law. If he weren't sitting in the front, he would have loved to put the jewelry on for her and then shower her with compliments. But even now, Fang Yi's satisfaction with Zhuang Rui was skyrocketing. If he added another five points, she would be 100% satisfied.
As Qin Haoran drove, he secretly gave Zhuang Rui a thumbs-up. He felt relieved that he could make his menopausal wife so happy. He hadn't paid much attention to his daughter since she was a child, and he didn't want his wife to fall out with her because of their daughter's friends.
However, Qin Haoran did not expect that this young man would actually win over his wife with just a few words and a gift... Well, that thought is a bit wicked. It's not about winning her over, it's about settling her down... No, that's not right either. Okay, he made his wife happy. But Qin Haoran still felt a little uneasy. He just couldn't find the right words to describe this.
But no matter what, the thought of his daughter finding a good home made Qin Haoran feel happy. In a good mood, he became more talkative and pointed out the window, saying, "Xiao Zhuang, this is Victoria Peak, the best place to enjoy the beautiful night view of Hong Kong. I'll have Bing'er take you here sometime. The scenery here is very beautiful at night."
"Thank you, Uncle Qin..."
Zhuang Rui breathed a sigh of relief. Fang Yi's questioning had put a lot of pressure on him, like when he was a child and his mother caught him stealing New Year's cake. He had taken someone else's daughter's virginity, so he naturally felt guilty.
"We're here. Sir He's house is just ahead. If you have any questions, Xiao Zhuang, just ask Bing'er later."
Qin Haoran and Zhuang Rui were talking when they arrived at the host's house. Fang Yi, on the other hand, kept looking at the jewelry and didn't say anything.
Qin Haoran drove his car to the villa in front, parked it, and got out. There were already more than ten cars parked in this open space.
After getting off the bus, Qin Haoran casually said to Zhuang Rui, "This is Garden Terrace, a property left by Sir Robert Ho Tung. Many older Hong Kong residents live here."
Zhuang Rui was naturally unaware that the so-called older generation were all super-rich people who lived earlier than Li Ka-shing, but most of the younger generation now lived in places like No. 1 May Road or Repulse Bay Road.
As soon as Zhuang Rui and Qin Haoran got out of the car, Qin Xuanbing and Leilei also parked their car and got out. However, Qin Xuanbing had a hint of anxiety on her face. She was afraid that her parents might say something inappropriate that would anger Zhuang Rui. But seeing the three of them standing there chatting and laughing, Qin Xuanbing felt relieved.
"Let's go, it's almost time..."
Qin Haoran called out to Zhuang Rui and walked towards the villa first. At the entrance of the villa stood a British man who looked to be only in his forties but had gray hair. After checking the invitations in Qin Haoran and Qin Xuanbing's hands, he beckoned to a waiter, who politely bowed and invited them in.
Qin Xuanbing noticed that Zhuang Rui had been staring at the foreigner several times, and whispered to him, "That's a British butler, they're all professionally trained."
The villa's yard wasn't very big. Behind a small garden was the main house of the villa. Next to this three-story villa, there was also a two-story building, which, according to Qin Xuanbing, was for the servants to live in.
The villa's living room is very large, easily a couple hundred square meters. It has been arranged with sofas and other furniture moved to the sides, leaving a large space in the middle for a long dining table, on which are some snacks and wine glasses filled with red wine.
Chapter 370 Charity Auction (3)
The living room of this mansion was larger than Zhuang Rui had expected, comparable to some medium-sized banquet halls. The decoration was magnificent, but the style of gilding and silvering was somewhat reminiscent of the decorative style of some wealthy families before the liberation, appearing a little outdated.
There were about twenty or thirty people inside. Zhuang Rui glanced around and saw that they were divided into three groups, each talking in a corner of the hall. The largest group was a dozen or so young people at the entrance, who were about the same age as Zhuang Rui. The other group consisted of seven or eight middle-aged people sitting in the middle, talking loudly about something.
However, the place that immediately drew Zhuang Rui's attention upon entering was the most crowded area, where three elderly people, probably in their seventies or eighties, with gray hair, were sitting at the far end of the hall. Behind each of them stood a waiter, and the elderly people were drinking tea, not wine.
There were also seven or eight waiters in uniform, each carrying a tray with a wine glass in one hand as they moved around the hall. Next to the tables was a record player playing the popular 1920s and 30s song "Night Fragrance" that was all the rage in Shanghai. If it weren't for the clothes on the tables, Zhuang Rui would have thought he had traveled back in time to before the liberation.
As Qin Haoran and his group of five entered, they immediately attracted the attention of everyone in the hall. All the talking paused for a moment, and the young people sitting at the door stood up and greeted Qin Haoran politely. However, their eyes were then fixed on Zhuang Rui, who was being held by Qin Xuanbing's arm. Regardless of gender, everyone had an incredulous look on their faces.
Qin Xuanbing was undoubtedly the most dazzling woman in the room today. She wore a black low-cut dress that showed off her stunning figure. Below her fair neck, she wore a black crystal cross with a downward arrow pointing directly at her prominent cleavage, which made her even more alluring. The women present couldn't help but feel ashamed when they saw Qin Xuanbing like this.
Unlike her usual aloof and arrogant self, Qin Xuanbing displayed a captivating and alluring side today. Her every gesture seemed to possess a magical power, drawing the attention of the young people, who lingered, reluctant to leave.
However, as soon as Qin Xuanbing and the others stepped into the middle of the hall, the young people's eyes finally shifted to Zhuang Rui, and they began whispering among themselves, probably inquiring about Zhuang Rui's background.
"Brother Qin, why are you late today? I know that you and your wife have always been very enthusiastic about charity..."
After Qin Haoran entered the hall, several middle-aged people who had been chatting in the middle stood up and greeted Qin Haoran and his wife.
"Xiao Zhuang, you young people get along well. Go sit over there and let's keep our old friends company."
Qin Haoran turned and greeted Zhuang Rui, then went forward to chat with the group in Cantonese. Suddenly noticing the elderly people inside, Qin Haoran quickly apologized and approached them, saying respectfully, "Hello, Elder Guo, Sir He, Elder Zheng, how are you all?"
"Oh, it's Xiao Qin. Thanks for coming to support this old man. You young people have plenty to talk about. We rarely see each other, so you don't need to come and join in the fun..."
None of the elderly people got up; they simply nodded. Apart from Sir He, who was the host, the other two elderly people didn't say a word. However, Qin Haoran didn't show any dissatisfaction on his face. He turned around and retreated back into the group of middle-aged people. Those who saw this scene also remained expressionless, as if the elderly people should treat Qin Haoran with this attitude.
"Xuanbing, who are those people? They seem so arrogant."
Seeing the scene of many people greeting Qin Haoran after he came in, Zhuang Rui felt that his future father-in-law must be doing quite well. However, he did not expect that the elderly people afterward would not give Qin Haoran any face at all. Although Zhuang Rui could not understand Cantonese, he could still tell from their attitude.
"Let's go talk over there..."
After Qin Haoran and his wife left, Qin Xuanbing, Lei Lei, and Zhuang Rui stood in the middle of the hall, being watched by more than a dozen pairs of eyes. Qin Xuanbing felt a little uncomfortable, so she took Zhuang Rui's arm and walked towards a secluded corner of the hall.
"These people are so annoying, Lei Lei. You'll have to fend them off for me later..."
After sitting down on the sofa in the corner, Qin Xuanbing noticed that those gazes were still following her, so she simply leaned against Zhuang Rui to block their view.
"Zhuang Rui is a sitting duck; this time it's not my turn to block him..."
Lei Lei chuckled. She had already anticipated this situation when she heard that Zhuang Rui was coming. Although not all of these people necessarily wanted to pursue Qin Xuanbing, several of them had been rejected by Qin Xuanbing. Now that they saw that the beauty had someone she loved, they certainly wouldn't be happy about it.
"Zhuang Rui, I'm so sorry, I didn't expect so many people to come today. If I had known, we wouldn't have come..."
"Why don't you come? Do you think your husband is someone you can't show your face in public?"
Zhuang Rui smiled faintly and said nonchalantly, "Xuanbing, why don't you tell me about those other ladies? Why are they acting so high and mighty?"
Zhuang Rui didn't take those guys around his age seriously at all. Trying to steal his woman? Don't be fooled by this high-society gathering; Zhuang Rui was ready to throw a punch and fight. Damn it, he might be an antique dealer, but he wasn't exactly a gentleman. If they pissed him off, he'd go for it. Those skinny guys were nothing to him.
Seeing Zhuang Rui's confident demeanor, Qin Xuanbing felt much more at ease. She wasn't afraid of those so-called young talents, but rather worried that Zhuang Rui might be wronged. She then said, "That thin old man, surnamed Guo, is the president of the Hong Kong Real Estate and Construction Business Association, and the president and honorary president for life of the Hong Kong Chinese General Chamber of Commerce. Before Hong Kong's return to China, he was a member of the Drafting Committee of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the deputy director of the Preparatory Committee, the deputy director of the Preparatory Committee, and the deputy director of the Election Committee. Oh, and he also served as a member of the Standing Committee of the 5th and 6th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the vice chairman of the 8th and 9th CPPCC National Committees, and a member of the Standing Committee of the 7th National People's Congress."
"It was him?"