As Liu Minghui was speaking, the thick fishing rod in front of him suddenly moved. Brother Hui quickly leaned out to look into the sea and saw a shark's fin slicing across the surface of the water like a knife.
"Quickly, hurry up and pull back the cable! Damn it, I'm going to kill you, and I'll fry you, boil you, and cook you all over the place..."
Hui's eyes were bloodshot, his bloodthirsty urge fully unleashed. Perhaps in his mind, he already saw the unfortunate Jarvis and the shark as Zhuang Rui, the one who had driven him to this desperate situation. ...
Achoo! Who's thinking of me?
Coincidentally, Zhuang Rui is also currently at sea.
However, the ship Zhuang Rui was on was hundreds or thousands of times larger than Hui Ge's luxury yacht. The distance between the ship's side and the sea surface was as high as seven or eight stories. If someone jumped directly into the sea from the ship, they would probably be shaken to death by the seawater.
After having a simple lunch with Wei Ge and the others, Zhuang Rui returned to his booked room to rest. He slept for three or four hours, and as it gradually got dark, Mr. He sent someone to pick him up and take him to the dock.
"Uncle Ming, what can I do for Mr. He?"
Zhuang Rui had just boarded the ship via the elevator when the person who came to pick him up was none other than the old dealer from the morning's betting match with Jervis. Hearing others call him Uncle Ming, Zhuang Rui started calling him that too.
Seeing the respect and awe shown to Uncle Ming by the people around him, Zhuang Rui understood that the old croupier's identity was probably not just that of a croupier; at the very least, he was one of Mr. He's confidants.
"Mr. Zhuang, just call me Lao He, I don't dare to use your title..."
Uncle Ming had changed his clothes and looked like a butler, but everyone treated him with utmost respect, both in the car and on the ship.
“Uncle Ming, you are old enough to deserve this. By the way, Mr. He…”
"Mr. Zhuang, I don't know what Mr. He wants to see you about. You'll understand when we meet again..."
Uncle Ming interrupted Zhuang Rui with a smile. Actually, he was also a little puzzled. He hadn't been to the gambling table for at least four or five years. He wondered why Mr. He valued this young man so much and had him personally preside over the gambling game.
Having been rebuffed by Uncle Ming, Zhuang Rui didn't press the matter further. Instead, he strolled along, admiring the seascape. They had boarded the ship at the stern and were now heading towards the bow along the deck. The ship was a couple hundred meters long, and it would take them quite a while to walk there.
"Peng Fei, if we had a ship like that, wouldn't it be so much fun to go out to sea..."
Standing on the ship, high above the sea, Zhuang Rui could clearly see the beautiful sunset in the distance. The fiery red sun was not dazzling at all as it set, but it painted the surrounding sea and clouds like fiery clouds, which was exceptionally beautiful.
Only a large ship like this can offer such a beautiful view. If it were Brother Hui's yacht, you could only see a few rays of the setting sun sinking into the sea.
"Brother Zhuang, didn't you just win some money? Why don't you use it to build a ship like this? We can go visit Pirate Island anytime. With a ship like this, we won't be afraid of any storms at sea..."
During the days that Peng Fei spent searching for Zhuang Rui at sea in his luxury yacht, he suffered enough from the rough seas.
Don't be fooled by the yacht's ocean-going capabilities; when a wave crashes in, being inside feels like riding a roller coaster, and people with weak hearts can't handle the thrill.
Peng Fei, on the other hand, enjoyed himself for more than a month. When he got ashore, he was so tired that he could barely walk. So when he saw this big ship, Peng Fei encouraged Zhuang Rui to buy one as well.
"Buying one of these isn't out of the question..."
Upon hearing Peng Fei's words, Zhuang Rui stopped and began to think seriously. He didn't want to sail such a ship back to Pirate Island, but rather he wanted to have such a large ship to conduct marine archaeology, which would be an extremely pleasant thing.
Zhuang Rui had also suffered from the waves before and knew that the ocean was unpredictable. If he used ordinary salvage ships to salvage the shipwrecks at the coordinates he had noted, who knew what kind of risks they would encounter at sea.
But such large ships are different. As long as they don't crash into reefs and icebergs like the Titanic, they can practically sail across the five oceans. Even if the sea is rough, people living on the ship probably wouldn't feel much swaying.
Seeing Zhuang Rui stop and ponder, the old croupier didn't urge him, but smiled and said, "Mr. Zhuang, do you know how much this ship cost?"
"How much? It shouldn't be less than one billion Hong Kong dollars, right?"
Zhuang Rui raised an eyebrow. Judging from the old croupier's expression, it seemed he couldn't afford to build one. Zhuang Rui felt a little unconvinced.
Uncle Ming smiled and said, "This ship cost a total of HK$3.2 billion and took two and a half years to launch. Moreover, there are more than 600 employees on board, and the monthly expenses alone amount to nearly HK$10 million..."
"What?"
Zhuang Rui was genuinely surprised this time. He knew about the Neptune gambling ship he had visited before, which cost HK$6 billion to build. However, that ship was much larger than this one. Zhuang Rui never expected that the ship he was standing on would cost more than HK$3 billion to build.
Moreover, the cost of ten million Hong Kong dollars per month is not something Zhuang Rui can afford. Ten million a month is more than one hundred million a year! Unless Zhuang Rui does nothing but spend his days salvaging shipwrecks on the ship, he might be able to cover these expenses.
"Looks like I'm still poor, buddy..."
Zhuang Rui felt inferior to Mr. He's extravagance in using this multi-billion dollar ship as a private yacht, and immediately gave up the idea of using the whole ship as a salvage vessel, as it was simply beyond his reach.
Zhuang Rui was unaware that the ship was originally built by the gambling king to counter Ye Han's Princess gambling ship in Hong Kong. However, while the gambling saint was no match for the gambling king on land, Mr. He was indeed defeated by Ye Han at sea.
After incurring enormous costs and failing to recoup their investment, the gambling tycoon eventually ended his maritime gambling ship business, selling several ships. However, he kept the largest one, as his net worth of hundreds of billions was more than enough to maintain it.
At the bow of the large ship, Mr. He, dressed in very light clothing, sat under a parasol, with a round table beside him filled with various fruits, and two women serving him on either side.
About twenty meters away from the gambling king, four men in black suits subtly surrounded the bow of the boat. When Zhuang Rui and his group arrived, they were checked by the men before being allowed to pass.
Zhuang Rui truly admired Mr. He. At over ninety years old, he could still have women on both sides. Even the notorious playboy Picasso would be ashamed of himself if he were alive today.
Uncle Ming stopped five or six meters away from Mr. He and said respectfully in a low voice, "Mr. He, Mr. Zhuang has arrived..."
Chapter 922 A Pie Falling from the Sky
Uncle Ming, who was so imposing in front of others, now stood with his hands hanging down in front of the gambling king, his eyes fixed on the gambling king's feet, not daring to meet the gaze of the old, frail man.
Even the old dealer controlled his voice very well, keeping it low but just loud enough for the old gambling king to hear.
"Okay, go ahead, young man, come and sit down..."
The old gambling king was in good spirits today. He waved to the old dealer and gestured for Zhuang Rui to sit down next to him.
Seeing that Mr. He had sent the two women away, Zhuang Rui knew that Mr. He had something to say to him. He turned to Peng Fei and said, "Peng Fei, why don't you go take a walk over there..."
"Come e on, have some fruit..."
With a trembling right hand, Old He pushed a plate of clean grapes in front of Zhuang Rui, and continued, "When I was little, I loved eating these, and I could afford them. But later I couldn't afford them anymore. For several years, I couldn't afford grapes. Now, for me, being able to afford grapes is a very happy thing..."
Zhuang Rui was no stranger to the old man in front of him, who could be described as a living legend.
Although the gambling king was born into a prominent family in Hong Kong, his achievements and fame were not due to the protection of his ancestors. His father went bankrupt when he was young, and his family fell into decline. He experienced the harshness of life. In his youth, he fled to Macau to escape the war. At that time, he only had 10 Hong Kong dollars in his pocket. He was empty-handed and survived many dangers. He eventually won a fortune of millions.
In Hong Kong and Macau, everyone knows who the "King of Gambling" is when the name is mentioned. Mr. Ho controls assets worth as much as HK$500 billion, and his personal wealth has reached HK$70 billion.
One-third of the people in Macau benefit directly or indirectly from his company. Macau people call the gambling king the "uncrowned governor of Macau" and the "rice bowl master". He is the most powerful, most profitable, most famous and longest-reigning gambling king in the history of Macau gambling.
Such a legendary figure deserves Zhuang Rui's respect. Moreover, the old man himself is extremely patriotic. To Zhuang Rui's knowledge, just this year, the gambling king spent nearly HK$70 million to purchase a bronze horse head statue from the Yuanmingyuan and donated it to the country.
Seeing that the old man seemed to be immersed in memories of the past, Zhuang Rui did not speak, but listened quietly. For an old man who has lived for nearly a century, every word he said was his understanding of life.
"Hey, when people get old, they like to talk about random things. Little one, are you getting annoyed listening to this?"
As the old man spoke, he suddenly chuckled self-deprecatingly. He had always been a strong-willed man, and even now, in his nineties, he still controlled his vast financial empire. Although he had many children, he rarely had the opportunity to relax and talk to someone so openly.
"Hehe, sir, it's no trouble at all. My grandfather seems to be a few years older than you, and he also enjoys talking to me..."
Zhuang Rui has always held the elderly in the highest esteem, especially those who have witnessed a century of true history. In their minds, there are too many truths unknown to the world.
When Zhuang Rui chatted with his grandfather, he often heard about historical events that were completely different from what was rumored outside. Although he was not a history major, archaeology and history are closely related, and Zhuang Rui always listened with great interest.
Therefore, Zhuang Rui listened with great interest to the gambling king's recollections, especially the difficult years he endured after fleeing from Hong Kong to Macau during the war years, which deeply moved Zhuang Rui.
Behind every successful person in this world are many unknown difficulties. Others only see the glamorous side of successful people, but few people know what kind of hardships they have gone through!
"Your grandfather is someone I greatly admire. The old general served in the military and sacrificed a great deal for the country and its people. Young man, please give him my regards when you get back. It's been quite a few years since I last saw the old general..."
The gambling king and Zhuang Rui's maternal grandfather were from the same era, and there are very few people from that generation still alive. When talking about Zhuang Rui's maternal grandfather, the old man sighed deeply.
"Mr. He, you have done a lot for the country, and the country will never forget it..."
Zhuang Rui said with a smile that these elderly people, who are either high-ranking officials or business leaders, may look dignified, but they are actually very easy to get along with, much better than those petty bureaucrats who don't hold high positions but act important all day long.
I don't seek to be remembered by others, but only to have a clear conscience!
The old man smiled and shook his head, picked up a grape, and without peeling it, popped it into his mouth. After chewing a few times, he looked at Zhuang Rui and said, "Young man, do you know why I asked you to come here?"
To be honest, the gambling king has met countless people in his life and has seen many so-called geniuses, but he still can't see through this young man he has met a few times.
You might say Zhuang Rui is young and inexperienced? Yet, at just over twenty years old, he amassed a fortune of billions with his own hands, without relying on any family influence. This is a height that many people can only dream of reaching in their entire lives.
Zhuang Rui is supposed to be mature and steady, but sometimes he acts like a hot-blooded young man. Last time, he gambled with the shipping magnate just to win a few ancient paintings from China. This time, he spent hundreds of millions on a gamble just to vent his brother's anger.
There are people in this world who act whimsically, but the results are often surprising. The gambling king himself is such a person, and at this moment, he also categorizes Zhuang Rui as someone like himself.
Asking Zhuang Rui to guess the thoughts of this centenarian was less satisfying than letting him excavate the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum. Therefore, Zhuang Rui simply cut to the chase, saying, "Grandpa, please tell me what you need. As long as it's within my capabilities, I will do my best to handle it..."
Zhuang Rui also noticed something amiss; the old gambling king seemed to have something to ask him. Considering the old man's advanced age and his concern for this gambling game, Zhuang Rui didn't mind helping him out this time.
Of course, being within one's capabilities is the major premise. If the old man wanted to open a casino in Beijing, Zhuang Rui didn't have that ability.
"Hehe, you're pretty smart, kid..."
Upon hearing this, the old man gave Zhuang Rui a deep look, seemingly talking to himself: "Ah Ming has been with me since he was twelve. He was an orphan, so he took my surname, He. When he was eighteen, Ah Ming was the best dealer in the Macau casinos. Over the years, almost all the dealers in Macau can be considered his apprentices and grand-apprentices..."
The old man spoke quite a bit in one breath, and was slightly out of breath. After a pause, he continued, "But few people know that Amin's gambling skills are also extremely high. He can shuffle a deck of cards almost however he wants, whatever kind of hand he wants to get. Young man, this isn't a movie; everything I'm saying is true..."
"Grandpa, why are you telling me this?"
Zhuang Rui was puzzled. Why did the conversation suddenly turn to the old croupier? Even if he were the world's gambling king, let alone a master of gambling, it had nothing to do with him.
After Zhuang Rui interrupted him, the old man was not angry. He just smiled at Zhuang Rui, a slightly mischievous smile curving his lips.
"Does Uncle Ming know how to gamble, and what about me...?"
Just as Zhuang Rui was about to continue speaking, a thought suddenly struck him. He remembered the gambling game from earlier that day, and his eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the old gambling king.
"Grandpa... could it be... could it be that Uncle Ming shuffled the last hand of cards?"
Although Zhuang Rui had watched many gambling movies, he also knew that in real casinos, big hands like straight flushes and flushes were extremely rare. Some veteran gamblers might have gambled for half their lives and never even gotten such a hand.
After making the bet, Zhuang Rui simply attributed it to good luck and didn't think too much about the details. After all, he knew the hole cards, and even without a flush against a big hand like Fulhouse, Zhuang Rui was 100% confident of beating Jervis; it just meant it would take a little longer.
However, the old gambling king's words made Zhuang Rui realize that it wasn't because he was lucky, but because Uncle Ming shuffled the cards well.
However, this only made Zhuang Rui more confused. He had no relation to the old gambling king and had even indirectly offended him. Zhuang Rui really couldn't understand why the old man would help him so much.
“Amin shuffled the cards well, but you gambled even better. I have a feeling that even if Amin doesn’t help you, you’ll still be the one to win in the end…”
The old gambling king's slightly blue eyes were fixed on Zhuang Rui, as if trying to glean some clues from Zhuang Rui's eyes.
Zhuang Rui gave a wry smile and said, "Grandpa, you flatter me too much. But to be arrogant, I came here to win!"
"Oh? Why are you so confident?"
The old gambling king's eyes lit up. The person he knew with the best gambling skills was his old nemesis, Yip Hon. But even Yip Hon, the gambling saint of yesteryear, wouldn't dare to say he would definitely win before gambling. Otherwise, he wouldn't have lost millions in Las Vegas before gambling for three days and three nights to win back his losses with interest.
"I don't know why, but I'm just confident of winning. Maybe it's a sixth sense? I've always had a very keen sense of danger; it's what the ancients called being able to avoid misfortune and seek good fortune..."
Zhuang Rui knew that talking about how good his gambling skills were in front of the old man was pure nonsense, but the secret of his eyes was Zhuang Rui's biggest secret, which he had never even revealed to his mother, wife and children, so naturally he would never tell the old gambling king.
"Heh, a sixth sense?"
The old man chuckled noncommittally, pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up and said, "Young man, what do you think of my boat?"