"Alright, I'm in a good mood today. You can ask Xiao Wei about this later..."
After starting the car, Ouyang Jun hung up the phone. The "Xiao Wei" he mentioned was named Wei Ming, who was now the general manager of his real estate company and a professional manager hired by Ouyang Jun.
Zhuang Rui, who was nominally the general manager's assistant, actually had Wei Ming's phone number. He immediately called him and repeated what he had just said to Ouyang Jun.
Wei Ming is thirty-eight years old this year, a little younger than Ouyang Jun, but he is already a well-known real estate professional manager in Beijing. He has handled the development of many large-scale projects and has a wide network of contacts. Wei Ming also knows the relationship between Zhuang Rui and Ouyang Jun, so he dares not neglect the tasks assigned by Zhuang Rui.
Although Wei Ming didn't know what conditions were required for a private museum, this was no problem for him. After making some inquiries, he sent a fax to Zhuang Rui, which contained the Ministry of Culture's "Museum Management Regulations." "So this matter is actually under my uncle's jurisdiction?"
Zhuang Rui couldn't help but laugh when he saw the name at the beginning of the fax. "I'm following the rules, so I'm sure no one will be so blind as to try and stop me."
Chapter 644 Private Museum (Part 2)
Zhuang Rui was genuinely unaware that this matter was actually under the approval of the Ministry of Culture. Even if Ouyang Zhenwu refused to help, wasn't there still Ouyang Jun? When Zhuang Rui drank with Ouyang Jun, he often heard the guy boast about how he used the old man's name to do personal business.
On the other hand, Zhuang Rui felt that this was all for the purpose of promoting national culture and welcoming the return of national treasures, so it was only natural for the government to make some exceptions.
Hey, don't be so skeptical. If you're so capable, why don't you get your hands on a batch of artifacts like that from a foreign museum? Without Zhuang Rui's Picasso sketches, you probably wouldn't even be able to get into the curator's office.
Seeing Zhuang Rui's actions after returning, Qin Xuanbing realized it wasn't a joke. She walked over to Zhuang Rui and asked, "Zhuang Rui, are you really going to open a private museum?"
"Of course, all the information is ready. Hey, White Lion, bring it here..."
Zhuang Rui had just raised the fax in his hand when Bai Shi misunderstood. He bent down, snatched the fax from Zhuang Rui's hand, and threw it into the trash can by the door. Qin Xuanbing and Peng Fei, who were standing next to him, burst into laughter. Bai Shi's cleverness was wasted.
"Waaaaah..."
White Lion growled at Zhuang Rui twice, feeling wronged. "I'm doing this for free and I still get scolded. I'm not going out with you next time."
"Alright, go find your brother Peng Fei to play..."
Zhuang Rui, quite unethically, sent the white lion to Peng Fei's side and picked up the fax paper he had just retrieved to read.
Wei Ming faxed over two documents: one was the Ministry of Culture's "Museum Management Measures" which contained specific regulations on the establishment of museums, and the other was the "Beijing Municipal Museum Regulations" which contained specific regulations.
Both are equally applicable, because if Zhuang Rui cannot find a house in Beijing, it is possible that he will build the museum in Pengcheng or the surrounding areas of Beijing.
After seeing these regulations, Zhuang Rui realized that Huangfu Yun's words were true. Applying to establish a private museum is actually not very complicated. The Ministry of Culture's "Museum Management Measures" state that as long as the following requirements are met, private individuals can apply for and be approved to establish a museum.
First, it must have a fixed location, with dedicated exhibition halls (rooms), storage facilities, and cultural relic protection technology sites. The area of the exhibition halls (rooms) must be commensurate with the scale of the exhibition, and the exhibition environment must be suitable for public access. Whether it meets the requirements must be verified and approved by specialized personnel from the Museum Department of the Ministry of Culture.
Secondly, having the necessary funding to establish the museum and the funds to ensure its operation is also very important. Otherwise, if the approval is successful and you open for business, but then you have to close down after only two months due to business failure or cash flow problems, wouldn't that be a waste of money and effort?
Third, it is necessary to have a certain number of systematic collections that are consistent with the museum's mission, as well as the necessary research materials. When a museum opens, you have to show things to visitors, right?
Let alone antique museums, even folk museums need to display some items. Otherwise, people pay for tickets, and you're just defrauding consumers. Be careful, someone might call 315 (China's consumer rights hotline) and report you; they'll definitely win.
Fourth, it is necessary to have professional and technical personnel and management staff who are consistent with the museum's mission. This requirement is for the proper management of private museums. Otherwise, if you turn a perfectly good museum into a hotel, wouldn't that damage its image?
The fifth rule is the code of conduct that all public places must follow, which is that they must have safety and fire protection facilities that meet national regulations. This point needs no further explanation.
The sixth point is a legal issue, which is also particularly important: museums can independently bear civil liability. If any problems arise with the collections, the relevant departments will hold you accountable.
Additionally, it should be noted that non-state-owned museums are generally not allowed to use words such as "China," "Chinese," or "National" in their names (abbreviated as "China"). However, there are exceptions. If you feel that your collection is profound and can represent traditional Chinese culture, and that the word "China" is not sufficient to represent your museum, you can submit an application, which will be reviewed and approved by the Office of the Central Institutional Organization Commission in conjunction with the State Council's cultural heritage administration department.
However, under normal circumstances, it is very difficult for private museums to be approved. For example, the museum that Mr. Pian'erbai opened around 2000 is called: Beijing Muming Tang Ancient Porcelain Specimen Museum.
The museum that Mr. Ma Weidu, the first person in China to open a private museum, officially opened on January 18, 1997, was not named with the character "国" (Guo, meaning country/state). Instead, it was called Guanfu Classical Art Museum. Although the museum's location has changed many times since then and several branches have been opened in Xiamen and Hangzhou, the name has always remained the same.
Don't these two want to give their pavilion a name that starts with "China"? Absolutely not. Having "China" in the name would be so prestigious! The problem is, it simply won't get approved.
Zhuang Rui continued reading. The outlines of the Ministry of Culture and Beijing were roughly similar, but Beijing's were much more detailed in terms of specific rules and required supporting documents.
The Beijing Municipal Museum Regulations set forth clear requirements for museum directors: they must have a bachelor's degree or above and at least two years of experience in museum management.
"Damn it, besides state-owned museums, who among private museums has experience?"
Upon seeing this, Zhuang Rui frowned slightly and cursed in annoyance.
If this museum can be established, Zhuang Rui will definitely be the museum director without question. However, his more than two years of experience in museum management is holding him back. Does he have to hire someone else specifically to be the director?
Qin Xuanbing, who had been sitting next to Zhuang Rui and studying the regulations with him, gently nudged him and said, "Zhuang Rui, what's the rush? Keep reading..."
"Hmm? Or someone with expertise in a related field could also serve as a museum director, that's more like it..."
With this in mind, things become much easier. Zhuang Rui has earned the title of "King of Jadeite in the North" in the jade industry, and he also works for the National Jade Association. He should be considered to have expertise in this field, right? "Where should we choose the address?"
After solving this problem, Zhuang Rui was still scratching his head. Without a doubt, if he wanted his future museum to attract more tourists, the first choice of location should be Beijing, where the flow of people was unmatched by any other city in China.
However, land prices in Beijing are high. Even if Zhuang Rui had 30 to 50 million yuan more, it probably wouldn't be enough to buy land to build a museum, unless he drove it outside the Seventh Ring Road. But even then, probably not many people would visit it.
Zhuang Rui's idea to open a museum was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. He had been thinking about it for a long time. Rather than letting those national treasures rot in the basement, he thought it would be better to bring them out so that the Chinese people could truly experience the profound and extensive ancient culture of China.
So since he was going to do it anyway, Zhuang Rui didn't plan to rent a house to renovate. He wanted to go all the way and buy the land directly to build, so that security and prevention measures could be strengthened from the beginning.
It's just a short-term matter. Asking Zhuang Rui to acquire a piece of land is really beyond his capabilities. He wants both a good location and a cheap price. Although he has a keen eye for antiques, when it comes to land speculation and buying houses, Zhuang Rui is just as clueless as the old ladies selling vegetables at the market.
However, the first thing you need to do when applying for a private museum permit is submit proof of the right to use the premises. Without this, how can you display your antiques on the street? So the premises become the most important thing.
"Oh? Right, how could I forget about that..."
Zhuang Rui suddenly slapped his thigh, his mind turning to Ouyang Jun again.
"Damn it, who's got their eye on me again?"
Ouyang Jun, who was driving home with his wife thousands of miles away, sneezed unexpectedly, and then his phone rang.
"Fourth Brother, are you done with your work? I need your help with something small..."
Zhuang Rui was afraid that Ouyang Jun would hang up, so he got straight to the point and said that he had something to do. Beijingers care about face, and even if they weren't relatives, Ouyang Jun probably wouldn't have the nerve to hang up. Zhuang Rui had a good grasp of Ouyang Si Shao's intentions.
"What's up? Tell me, Achoo, were you just talking about me?"
Ouyang Jun rolled down the car window a little, afraid that he might catch a cold and infect his wife, who was pregnant with their son.
"Fourth Brother, is the sales office for our housing development finished yet? I saw it last time and the interior design was quite nice."
Zhuang Rui's words left Ouyang Jun somewhat bewildered. His younger brother had always avoided real estate projects like the plague, so why was he suddenly asking about the project?
Despite his doubts, Ouyang Jun replied, "It's finished, and it's already on sale. Brother, let me tell you, our development is absolutely a hit. I guarantee that there isn't a single house within the Third Ring Road in Beijing that's better than ours. Plus, there's a villa area there, which is even more..."
"Stop, stop, Fourth Brother, I know we made a fortune on that house. You've done a lot of work for us. When it comes to the shares, please give me a bigger share, just give me a smaller one. I can't accept something for nothing..."
When Zhuang Rui heard Ouyang Jun boasting on the phone, he quickly interrupted him. This brother of his had been under the strict control of the big star Xu recently and generally didn't have time to go out and fool around. He didn't even have many people to talk to. If he were caught by Xu, Ouyang Jun could talk about even the smallest thing for two hours straight.
"Hey kid, what's up? When did you become so humble?"
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Ouyang Jun immediately became alert. There are always people who complain about not having enough money, but no one who complains about having too much. He wondered what Zhuang Rui was up to by saying such a thing.
Chapter 645 Private Museum (Part 2)
"Hehe, Fourth Brother, I have something to ask you. Could you leave me a few rooms in the house we built?"
Zhuang Rui's words struck Ouyang Jun as odd. He slowly pulled the car over to the side of the road and parked, saying, "Those houses won't be available for sale until almost the end of the year. What's the rush? Besides, you're the second-largest shareholder. Whether it's a few rooms or thirty or fifty units, you can choose whatever you like..."
Ouyang Jun felt that Zhuang Rui was acting a bit strange today. He had just asked about the application process for a museum, and now he was asking about the house. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head, and he said, "Hey kid, you're not thinking of using this house to build a museum, are you? Let me tell you, don't even think about it. The blueprints are all designed, and they won't change them because of you..."
"Fourth Brother, how could that be? Even if I were confused, I couldn't possibly build a museum on a ten-story building..."
Seeing that Ouyang Jun had seen through his little scheme, Zhuang Rui simply said, "Fourth Brother, I don't want the residential property, but there's such a large empty space in our sales center. Give it to me. It's on the outskirts of the community. I can build a museum there, and it'll even attract more people to our community..."
Zhuang Rui had been taken to the construction site by Ouyang Jun. The sales center occupied a large area, with three floors and a building area of nearly 20,000 square meters. It was decorated in a magnificent style and a model of the actual building was made, which looked very high-end.
Zhuang Rui was quite puzzled at the time. Why build a sales center so nicely? He could understand hiring some pretty girls to sell properties and attract customers, but building such a large and beautifully decorated sales center that would never be used in the future made Zhuang Rui quite critical.
However, this is also good. The structure and area of the sales office are more than enough to be converted into a private museum. Although it cannot compare to the 200,000 square meters of the National Museum, 20,000 square meters is already quite large for a private museum. It can probably be considered the largest private museum in China.
Although Zhuang Rui's collection is relatively small now, all the items he has are exquisite, and he can gradually add more in the future. Zhuang Rui plans to turn it into a top-notch private museum in China, and he also intends to apply for a national-level designation. He either doesn't do it at all, or he does it to the best of his ability. "Where is there any space next to the sales center? It will all be green belts and a swimming pool will be built there. Where is there room to build a museum?"
Ouyang Jun was completely confused by what Zhuang Rui said. That area was already planned out, and Ouyang Jun didn't seem to remember having any open space.
"Fourth Brother, I didn't mean next to the sales center. I want that sales center itself," Zhuang Rui quickly corrected Ouyang Jun when he realized he had misunderstood him. Even if there was vacant land next to it, Zhuang Rui wouldn't want it. Where could he find something so convenient? The sales center could be easily modified and equipped with some security facilities and put into use immediately.
"What, you want that sales center?"
Ouyang Jun finally understood. His voice immediately rose eight octaves, and he slammed his right hand heavily on the steering wheel. Luckily, he had parked the car on the side of the road. If he had been driving on the road, he might have been driven to the brink of death by Zhuang Rui.
"Kid, don't even think about it. I have plans for that area, so don't even think about getting involved..."
Ouyang Jun had a plan for that sales center. He intended to transform it into a high-end clubhouse after the properties were sold out, to provide leisure facilities for the residents. Otherwise, would he have been so foolish as to leave more than 20,000 square meters of that prime real estate empty?
Ouyang Jun never expected that before he could even get things sorted out at his club, Zhuang Rui would already be targeting him. This kid couldn't help with anything, and now he's causing trouble. Ouyang Jun was furious.
“Speak properly, how can you talk to your brother like that…”
Sitting in the passenger seat, Xu Qing couldn't stand it anymore and pinched Ouyang Jun. Speaking of which, the jewelry that Zhuang Rui and Ouyang Wan gave them had already won over the big star.
"Women rarely deal with business matters..."
Just as Ouyang Jun was about to show off his power, he suddenly noticed the big star's protruding belly and immediately lowered his voice, saying, "Speak properly, I'll speak properly, okay?"
"That's more like it..."
Xu Qing smiled charmingly, and Ouyang Jun's hands immediately became restless. He had just touched the big star's stomach when his hand was slapped away.
"Fourth Brother, it's just a place to sell buildings, right? Once the buildings are sold out, the land will be empty. Why don't you let your younger brother use it? Or, I can give you some shares in exchange, is that alright?"
Putting aside the couple's flirting, Zhuang Rui, who was on the other end of the phone, had finally figured out the museum's address, and he wasn't going to let Ouyang Jun dismiss him with a few words.
"Brother, it's not that I don't want you to use it. We're brothers, why are we talking about money? It's just that I'm keeping that place for my own use. It's already planned out. Aren't you making things difficult for your older brother?"
Ouyang Jun, unusually patient, explained to Zhuang Rui, only doing so out of consideration for his wife.
"Fourth Brother, you already have a clubhouse, so let me use the house. I'm promoting national culture here, and if it becomes popular, your whole neighborhood will benefit..."
Zhuang Rui knew that this club was different from that club, but he deliberately confused the issue and said that the two were the same. Given the current level of development in Beijing, Zhuang Rui really couldn't find a suitable place for him to set up a museum if he didn't go to that other place.
"Hey kid, why are you so stubborn? How about I set aside a piece of land for you and build a museum for you..."
Ouyang Jun was a little annoyed. When had he ever spoken to anyone so politely? This whole thing was being made to look like he was begging Zhuang Rui.
"Fourth Brother, it's not that I'm being unreasonable, but I need this museum urgently. Let me tell you, it's like this..."
When Zhuang Rui heard that Ouyang Jun was really angry, he explained on the phone that he had exchanged cultural relics with the Guimet Museum, and especially emphasized that the items he wanted to exchange were all looted by the Eight-Nation Alliance more than a hundred years ago, and that his actions were truly bringing glory to the country.
Zhuang Rui knew that even though Ouyang Jun was almost forty, he truly inherited his grandfather's sense of national mission. If he explained the matter clearly, Ouyang Jun would definitely jump up and down.
Ouyang Jun grew up in Beijing. From elementary school to high school, the school would organize a trip to the Yuanmingyuan ruins every spring. When he was a child, Ouyang Jun often stomped his feet and cursed the Eight-Nation Alliance there.
Sure enough, after Zhuang Rui explained the reason, there was silence on the other end of the phone. After a short while, Ouyang Jun's voice rang out: "Damn it, those foreign devils are all the same. Brother, if you can bring back a lot of stuff, then I'll let you have the club..."