Zhuang Rui picked up another object and examined it, saying, "This is interesting..."
This is a whistle about the size of a little finger, round and hollow, with a flat cut at one end, which should be the air vent. There is a very thin snap at each end of the whistle, and there are some patterns engraved on the surface of the whistle, which are very exquisite.
What's even more remarkable is that the whistle is made of gold. Putting everything else aside, the gold itself could fetch tens of thousands of dollars.
This shows the extravagance and boredom of those spoiled young masters back then. The trinkets worn by their pets were all made of gold, which was consistent with the origins of the Prince's Mansion.
"Don't move, hey, I said stand still, okay, get on my shoulder..."
Zhuang Rui raised his right arm. The little golden eagle didn't feel as comfortable standing on his shoulder, so it flapped its wings back and forth to balance itself. Zhuang Rui scolded the little guy a few times, then laughed at himself. How could he blame the little golden eagle for his unsteady arm?
However, raising his left arm for a long time is not an easy task. Zhuang Rui felt a little sore and numb after less than five minutes, and had no choice but to let Jin Yu fly back to his shoulder.
After attaching the golden whistle to Little Golden Feather's paw, the little guy seemed a bit unaccustomed to it and retracted its paw slightly. However, at Zhuang Rui's stop, it didn't use its sharp beak to peck at it, but instead lowered its head to examine it curiously.
There was another item that looked rather ridiculous: a crown woven from gold and silver threads. Although the workmanship was exquisite, it was really useless. If the little golden eagle were to fly with this thing, who knows who would benefit from it?
Zhuang Rui didn't know that this was a prize made by those idle young masters back then to compare the merits of falcons; it had no practical value.
"Alright, go play by yourself, go find the white lion..."
Zhuang Rui shook his arm, and the little golden eagle spread its wings. Zhuang Rui felt his arm suddenly sink, and the little guy soared into the sky. As the little golden eagle flew up, there was a sharp whistle, which was produced as it cut through the air.
The little creature in the sky seemed startled by the sound. It was obvious that the golden feather paused in mid-air, lowered its head to observe its own body, as if trying to figure out why the thing was making a sound.
The scene just now filled Li Dali and his son with envy, especially Li Jun, whose eyes were glued to the little golden feather in the sky, his affection for it evident.
Zhuang Rui was unaware that after leaving him, Li Jun actually spent a lot of money to buy an eagle. However, after being scratched on the face and almost disfigured, Li Jun eventually gave up his dream of training an eagle.
However, Li Jun was always puzzled as to why Zhuang Rui's eagle was so obedient, while the one he bought was wild and difficult to train. Of course, these are all stories for later.
"Mr. Li, I'll take this. Name your price."
After Zhuang Rui took off the shoulder and arm guards, he looked at Li Dali. Although Li Dali said he was going to give them away, these items could be considered antiques and were worth about 30,000 to 50,000 yuan. Zhuang Rui didn't want to owe him a favor.
These days, it's easy to repay debts but hard to repay favors. Many officials who are relatively honest have incurred favors for various reasons and eventually had to use their power to repay them, eventually becoming corrupted and assimilated.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Li Dali feigned anger and said, "President Zhuang, you're underestimating me, Old Li. If you're going to talk about money for such a small thing, aren't you just slapping me in the face? Don't mention it again, or I'll take all this back..."
"Alright, let's not talk about money then. Mr. Li, please accept this. You can come here to hang out whenever you have some free time..."
Zhuang Rui nodded, not mentioning the money again. Instead, he took out one of the two envelopes that the security guard had given him when he brought Li Jun over on the electric scooter and handed it to Li Dali.
This envelope contains a membership card for this establishment. While we were eating earlier, Zhuang Rui gave Li Dali's business card to the club manager and asked him to process it.
After accepting Li Dali's set of eagle-training protective gear, Zhuang Rui also gave him a card, so in the end, Li Dali got the better deal.
It's important to know that although this card only allows access to Building 3, people without connections might spend 500,000 yuan and still not be able to buy this privilege. It's much more expensive than a regular golf club membership card.
"Thank you, thank you, Mr. Zhuang..."
Upon seeing the card in the envelope, Li Dali's eyes lit up. This card meant he could access a completely different circle, which would greatly benefit his career.
Zhuang Rui stood up and said, "Alright, I'll need to trouble Mr. Li to contact that friend surnamed 'Xu' and see if we can meet with him as soon as possible..."
Zhuang Rui has an immature idea in mind right now, but he can only make a decision after meeting that person, because if this gets out, the impact will be too bad. If Zhuang Rui goes abroad again then, he will probably be hated by everyone.
"Don't worry, Mr. Zhuang, I'll definitely get this done for you. You'll be very happy..."
Li Dali uttered a few words in Beijing dialect, then bid farewell to Zhuang Rui. He already owned a house in Beijing, so there was no need to rush to Hebei. Besides, having just received the card, Mr. Li wanted to see it for himself before returning home. ...
"Brother Huangfu, this is yours. You can get into Building Two. Hmm, the people who frequent Building Two are mostly high-ranking officials in Beijing, or bosses of listed companies. If you don't like that kind of thing, go to Building Three, but the minor celebrities there aren't as good..."
Zhuang Rui grinned mischievously and tossed another envelope to Huangfu Yun. For ordinary people, the allure of female celebrities is still quite strong, and Huangfu Yun is especially known for his womanizing ways. Zhuang Rui was certain that this guy wouldn't be leaving today.
Zhuang Rui originally wanted to get Huangfu Yun a VIP card for Building No. 1, but the club manager told Zhuang Rui that he did not have that authority.
Afterwards, Ouyang Jun personally called Zhuang Rui to explain the situation. He said that to enter Building No. 1, one must have a background like Ouyang Jun's; otherwise, they would not be recognized or accepted by the people there.
Chapter 774 Teacher?
"White Lion, Xue'er, go back. Why are you following me?"
Zhuang Rui was a little annoyed. He stopped in his tracks, looking at the white lion and snow mastiff following closely behind him.
Today was his registration day. Although Zhuang Rui had already had a similar experience when he was in college, and the postgraduate admission process was quite relaxed with several days for registration, Zhuang Rui still got up very early, washed up, and prepared to go to school.
Zhuang Rui applied for a nationally recognized postgraduate program, which means full-time study, just like his previous university life. The first two years are for basic and professional courses, where he can usually complete most of his credits. The third year is used to complete his graduation thesis, internship, and job search.
Of course, Zhuang Rui's purpose in going to school was merely to study and experience life in the ivory tower again. Job hunting was irrelevant to him. If Zhuang Rui really graduated with an archaeology degree and went to work at an archaeological institute, Huangfu Yun and Zhao Hanxuan, who were working for him, would probably quit.
Actually, if Uncle De hadn't said that full-time study would help him build a solid theoretical foundation, Zhuang Rui would have preferred part-time postgraduate studies, so that he could also take care of some business matters.
Perhaps because he had been taking his precious pets out more these past few days, just as Zhuang Rui was about to leave, the white lion and the snow mastiff also came up to him, seemingly wanting to go out for some fresh air as well.
"Ouch!"
A cry of an eagle accompanied by a loud whistle rang out, and the little golden eagle flew over from the front yard. Fortunately, the little guy landed on the white lion's back and didn't ruin Zhuang Rui's clothes.
"Go back, everyone. Jin Yu, you're not going anywhere today. Stay home and behave yourself, or those people in the park will pluck all your feathers off sooner or later..."
Zhuang Rui patted his forehead and gave the little golden eagle a scare. The little guy never learned his lesson and took pleasure in stealing other people's birds. In the nest that Zhuang Rui built for it, you could often find a lot of colorful bird feathers.
"ah……"
The little golden eagle tilted its head, like a disobedient child, and made a soft chirping sound while using its claws to groom the white lion's fur. The white lion had thick skin and long fur, so it wasn't afraid of the little creature landing on it.
"Brother Zhuang, are you going out? Why didn't you call me?"
Just as Zhuang Rui was having a headache over these guys, Peng Fei ran over with a small basin. He had just been feeding Little Golden Feather when the little guy suddenly flew to the backyard, and Peng Fei knew that Zhuang Rui must have come out.
"Alright, stop it, all of you stop it... White Lion, take Xue'er back to your room. Golden Feather, you're not allowed to go anywhere today. Uh... Peng Fei, go back and keep your wife company. I'm going to school, not on an adventure in the Amazon rainforest. Is it really necessary?"
Zhuang Rui was getting angry. If he had to bring these guys to school, Peking University would probably turn into a zoo. He estimated that he would definitely become the student in Peking University's history who would be expelled on his first day of school.
Seeing that Zhuang Rui was angry, the white lion cleverly slipped back to its room. Little Golden Feather, trying to act cute, darted around with its eyes darting about, but still obediently followed Peng Fei back to the front yard.
"Why bother going to school? You'd be better off staying home with your wife..."
Peng Fei's low voice drifted out from behind Zhuang Rui, almost causing Zhuang Rui, who had just opened the garage door, to stumble. These days, people's hearts are corrupted, morality has deteriorated! This guy genuinely wants to learn something, yet even his family is criticizing him so much. ...
After entering the garage, Zhuang Rui thought for a moment and then drove the black Audi. This car was not flashy and did not attract attention like the Grand Cherokee. Although Zhuang Rui was now a person with some wealth, as far as Peking University was concerned, he was just one of the thousands of candidates every year.
"Wow, so many people!"
When Zhuang Rui drove to the gate of Peking University, he was stunned. Not to mention the buses coming from the train station and airport, even the cars with Beijing license plates blocked the gate of Peking University completely.
Parents, their foreheads covered in sweat, were helping their children carry their luggage into the campus, giving them words of advice with concern.
These are all test takers from Beijing. Their slightly immature faces carry an inexplicable sense of superiority. In their minds, everything their parents do is a matter of course.
Zhuang Rui shook his head. Back when he went to university, he was all alone, carrying his bedding roll to Zhonghai with a thermos in his hand. He was mocked by some unkind upperclassmen, and they almost got into a fight.
"Beep...beep beep..."
Looking at the familiar scene before him, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but recall his school days. However, he hadn't parked his car in the right spot, and the honking of horns behind him woke him up.
Zhuang Rui glanced at the school gate and gave up on the idea of driving his car into the school. There were many Mercedes-Benz and BMW cars blocked at the gate, which meant that without a school pass, outside vehicles were not allowed to enter.
Zhuang Rui drove nearly a kilometer before finding the parking lot, which left him speechless. If he had known it would be like this, he would have been better off taking a taxi.
After wandering around for more than ten minutes, Zhuang Rui slowly walked back to the gate of Peking University. Inside the campus gate, there were two long rows of tables. Zhuang Rui knew that those were upperclassmen helping freshmen register. In that case, Zhuang Rui would start doing this in his second year of university.
Kyoto University admits three to four thousand undergraduate students each year, as well as more than a thousand master's and doctoral students. The application period is only three days, so the first day of school is the busiest, with students consulting or completing the admission procedures at almost every table.
Zhuang Rui applied for archaeology, which is considered a relatively unpopular major. There was a long queue in front of the table. Graduates from Peking University, no matter how unpopular their major, can still find a good job. Of course, there's the exception of the classmate who wanted to be his own boss and sell pork.
At each registration point, the most popular were the young and beautiful female students. Whenever such a student came forward to complete the procedures, the male students, who were originally very impatient because of their busy schedules, would become unusually patient. Zhuang Rui, whose voice was gentle, got goosebumps.
Zhuang Rui wasn't in a hurry. Since he didn't need to apply for on-campus accommodation, he could wait as long as it was sooner or later. Holding his admission notice, Zhuang Rui found a shady spot near the archaeology department's registration point, lit a cigarette, and waited.
"Excuse me, teacher, how do I get to the School of Economics and Management?"
Before Zhuang Rui had even finished his cigarette, he heard a girl's voice.
Looking up, he saw four or five girls standing in front of him, all carrying simple luggage. They seemed to be from the same province or city. The one who spoke was a very fashionable girl, whose false eyelashes made Zhuang Rui a little dizzy.
"Teacher? Me?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned for a moment, then looked down at his plaid shirt and trousers, his gleaming leather shoes, and most importantly, the cigarette he was holding. If you asked him if he was a student, no one would believe it.
Although smoking is not prohibited in universities, prestigious universities like Peking University will always put some pressure on freshmen. No freshman would dare to smoke openly in the admissions office. In addition, Zhuang Rui is neither too old nor too young, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he is a teaching assistant.
"Fine, I'll take the teacher then..."
Zhuang Rui was slightly annoyed, but didn't explain. He raised his hand and called out to an older student standing about ten meters away, "Hey, you, yes, I'm talking to you, come here for a second..."
"Teacher, did you call me?"
To be honest, Zhuang Rui's demeanor even intimidated the senior students, but the senior students' speech was clearly not as shy as the freshmen's.
Zhuang Rui nodded in a seemingly serious manner and said, "Okay, take these new students to the School of Economics and Management's dormitory..."
"Okay, thank you, teacher..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, the senior student beamed with joy, practically offering Zhuang Rui a cigarette from his pocket. After glancing smugly at his classmates, he scurried off with several female students to the dormitory.
Zhuang Rui was both amused and exasperated. It turned out this guy was from the archaeology department. There weren't many girls who came to register, and he was just envious of the other registration points when Zhuang Rui arranged a good job for him.
There were so many students registering today that the better majors were extremely busy. Zhuang Rui stood under the tree for a while, and four or five groups of people came to ask for directions. Zhuang Rui had no idea where the dormitories of Peking University were, so he put on his teacher's airs and directed the students at the registration points next to him.
About half an hour later, Zhuang Rui saw that there was no one at the registration point for the archaeology major, so he went over and handed his admission notice to the person registering.
"You...you're not a teacher?"
Zhuang Rui had been standing there for a while, and the students all thought he was a teacher in charge of discipline. They had all behaved themselves and hadn't dared to whistle at the girls passing by. But now that they saw Zhuang Rui's admission notice, they were dumbfounded.
"I didn't say I was a teacher, so what?"
Zhuang Rui laughed when he heard this. There were quite a few people in the antique business who called him teacher, but none of them were his students.
"No...it's nothing..."
The student in charge of registration saw that Zhuang Rui was applying for graduate school and knew that this guy was a seasoned veteran, so he quickly completed the enrollment procedures.
"What was the teacher doing here just now?"
When the older student who had initially gone to see the female classmate off returned, he happened to see Zhuang Rui leaving.
"What kind of teacher is that? He's just a graduate student..."
Someone nearby said dismissively.
"Damn, that's a great idea! Didn't you see all those beautiful girls asking for directions? Tomorrow when I'm not busy, I'll stand there and pretend to be a teacher..."