Zhuang Rui hit Huangfu Yun's sunglasses with a lychee. He knew that the guy's eyes were probably about to pop out of their sockets by now.
"Ahem... Am I that kind of person?"
Huangfu Yun took off his sunglasses and wiped them, saying, "In the past two months, the foundation has spent a total of 32 million yuan to build 20 Hope Primary Schools in Gansu, Guizhou and other places, and has also sponsored 60 out-of-school children from impoverished families... Your classmate was in charge of all of this, and he handled it very well. Our Fangyuan Foundation has also gained a certain reputation in China..."
The Fangyuan Fund that Huangfuyun mentioned was created by Zhuang Rui in the names of his children. Huangfuyun had always been in charge of its supervision, but after the incident involving the fourth son, Zhuang Rui handed over the business to Bi Yuntao.
Bi Yuntao, after leaving the family, did not disappoint Zhuang Rui's trust. Within a few months, he had the foundation running smoothly and accomplished a great deal of practical work, essentially putting it on track. ...
"Dad... Daddy... hug me..."
Zhuang Rui, who was chatting with Huangfu Yun, saw his son, Fangfang, stumble and fall onto the deck. He was both annoyed and amused, and quickly went over to pick him up.
"My dear son, who did you learn that from?"
Zhuang Rui hugged his son and gave him a big kiss on his apple-red cheek, making the little guy giggle.
"King Kong!"
When the topic turned to King Kong, Xiao Fangfang's speech became fluent, and she even made a face, clearly imitating the big guy.
"That brat has corrupted my son..."
Zhuang Rui was very dissatisfied with his son's performance, but he couldn't bear to blame him, so he blamed all the mistakes on Jin Gang. Jin Gang, who was playing with Yuan Yuan in the distance, was completely unaware that he had become a bad element in Zhuang Rui's eyes.
At the beginning of the year, Zhuang Rui invited a well-known domestic biological expert to conduct a physical examination on Jingang. According to the expert's test, Jingang was no more than six years old, truly a little guy.
More than two months have passed since Zhuang Rui acquired the luxury ferry. July is the hottest season in Guangdong, but living on the boat with his family is quite a unique experience.
After Zhuang Rui agreed to the old gambling king's bet, he returned to Beijing. As for the transfer and handover of the ship, Zhuang Rui entrusted it all to Huangfu Yun and his wife. One of them was Zhuang Rui's financial manager, and the other was Zhuang Rui's legal advisor. It was up to Huangfu Yun to handle it.
However, since the school was already on holiday and Professor Meng and others were still busy with Liu Xiu's tomb in Mangshan, Henan Province, Zhuang Rui seemed to have nothing to do after returning to Beijing.
In the tomb of the founding emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, groundbreaking discoveries have been made from time to time. Professor Meng originally wanted Zhuang Rui to continue participating in the excavation work of the tomb, but after considering it, Zhuang Rui decided not to go.
It wasn't that Zhuang Rui was afraid of hardship; it was mainly because after learning that the owner of the large tomb was Liu Xiu, it had lost its appeal to him. What was mysterious and unpredictable in the eyes of Professor Meng and others was obvious to Zhuang Rui, and there was not a single challenge in it.
Zhuang Rui had high hopes for the newly acquired luxury ferry. After arriving in Beijing, he immediately began making arrangements, hiring experienced salvage and shipping experts to modify the hull.
Since many shipwrecks are located in deep-sea areas with depths reaching thousands of meters, ordinary salvage equipment is simply unable to retrieve them from the seabed. Therefore, Zhuang Rui adopted the experts' advice and installed a thousand-ton floating crane and a 700-ton drilling platform on the luxury ferry.
These two modifications alone cost Zhuang Rui nearly 200 million yuan. In addition, Zhuang Rui spent more than 100 million yuan to purchase an electronic survey vessel that is more than 30 meters long.
The survey ship is equipped with the world's most advanced electronic equipment, capable of scanning deep-sea areas. It is extremely powerful and has many military-grade components. If it weren't for Ouyang Lei's connections, Zhuang Rui wouldn't have been able to obtain this ship.
After being idle at home for more than two months, Zhuang Rui received a call from Macau saying that the renovations were almost complete. Feeling bored, Zhuang Rui immediately took his whole family to Macau.
Qin Xuanbing grew up on Hong Kong Island and was not particularly interested in the sea and ships. However, Huangfu Yun and Yunman, a couple who came to vacation with her, were full of praise for the luxury ferry.
Society today is nothing like it was in the 1920s and 30s, when you had to take a ferry to go abroad. People who travel around the world by ship now are definitely from the wealthy and leisurely class.
Although Huangfu Yun and Yun Man had both lived abroad for many years, they had never been on such a large ship before, and they were still very excited after a few days.
Fangfang and Yuanyuan had never seen the ocean before. Every morning around four or five o'clock, they would clamor to watch the sunrise. The ocean is vast and boundless, and Zhuang Rui sincerely hoped that his two children would one day have a heart as broad and generous as the sea. ...
"Honey, didn't you say that boys should be raised frugally and girls should be raised lavishly? Why are you spoiling our son so much..."
Wrapped in a large bath towel that accentuated her beautiful figure, Qin Xuanbing walked to Zhuang Rui's side. Looking at the playful father and son, a happy expression appeared on her face. With a son and a daughter, and such a capable husband, Qin Xuanbing felt content from the bottom of her heart.
When Zhuang Rui mentioned coming to Macau, Qin Xuanbing assumed he wanted to take her and her children on vacation and let her visit her grandfather, since her grandfather was getting old and Qin Xuanbing would go back to Hong Kong for a few days every year.
However, Qin Xuanbing never expected that as soon as she got off the plane at Macau Airport, Zhuang Rui would take her to the pier and give her a very big surprise.
On the hull of this luxury ferry, the three large characters "Xuanrui" could be seen from several miles away. Qin Xuanbing never expected that Zhuang Rui, who was not very romantic, would use such a way to express his feelings for her.
"My son is sensible, of course I should spoil him..."
Looking at his rosy-cheeked son, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but kiss his little face again, having long forgotten his own words about raising boys frugally and girls lavishly.
"Daddy, eat, eat..."
Little Fangfang broke free from Zhuang Rui's embrace, reached out her delicate white hand, took a lychee from the fruit plate beside her, and put it in Zhuang Rui's mouth.
"Haha, look... how sensible my son is..."
Zhuang Ruile picked up her son, peeled the lychee, removed the pit, and put it into the little guy's mouth. Although she didn't eat any herself, she felt even sweeter than if she had.
"Ho ho!"
Hearing Zhuang Rui's laughter, Jin Gang also ran over, with Xiao Yuanyuan, who looked like a porcelain doll, sitting on his shoulder. After putting Yuanyuan down in front of Zhuang Rui, Jin Gang did not forget to do his signature muscle-flexing move.
Having spent so long in the manor, King Kong was incredibly excited to be out at sea. Although there were several swimming pools on the ship, King Kong still sneaked down the elevator several times to swim in the ocean.
The ship, which is tens of meters high, could not stop this long-armed and strong creature at all. Fortunately, King Kong always went into the sea at night, otherwise it would have really scared the tourists.
"No more sneaking out to sea at night, okay? We'll be going out to sea in a few days, and you can come down to the yacht to play then..."
Zhuang Rui really had a headache with King Kong. As the guy got older, he became smarter and smarter, but he also became more and more mischievous, always coming up with new ways to play.
If Zhuang Rui hadn't been watching closely, this guy probably would have taken Fang Fang and Yuan Yuan to the sea. That's no joke, and Zhuang Rui was already starting to regret taking it out to sea.
"Awooo!"
King Kong understood Zhuang Rui's words and excitedly pounded his chest, causing the workers who were working in the distance to feel a chill. Although King Kong was easy to get along with after a few days, anyone would be afraid in the face of such a big guy.
"Zhuang, your child is so adorable..."
A middle-aged man with a large beard walked over from the deck construction site and waved to Zhuang Rui from afar. He couldn't help but be enthusiastic, because this was his new boss.
The bearded man is named Clyde Wilburn. Perhaps due to years of exposure to the sea winds, Clyde has a very rugged appearance. He is Scottish and is the captain of this luxury ferry.
In Clyde's words, his family had been adrift at sea since his great-great-grandfather's generation, and their family motto was: "We don't seek to live on a ship, but we must die in a bed on deck."
"Oh, young boss, could you please move this big guy a little further away from me?"
As soon as Clyde walked up to King Kong, King Kong gave him a warm hug. Even though Clyde was over 1.9 meters tall, King Kong hugged him so tightly that he almost couldn't breathe.
"Hehe, Captain Clyde, Kong is a great help. If the ship's anchoring system ever breaks down, you'll need Kong to help you pull the anchor up..."
Zhuang Rui chuckled and joked with Clyde. He really liked this bearded captain; he had the unique, forthright nature of a sailor.
"Boss, are you really going to convert this beautiful and luxurious passenger ship into a salvage vessel?"
To be honest, Clyde's income increased significantly after Zhuang Rui took over the ship, but he didn't understand Zhuang Rui's decision at all.
Chapter 927 Luxury Salvage Ship (Part 2)
Clyde had no complaints about Zhuang Rui giving the ship a new name, after all, it was the boss's right, and Zhuang Rui would have to pay an extra fee to the country where the name was registered for the ship.
However, Claude was very puzzled and dissatisfied that Zhuang Rui had transformed such a luxury ferry into a salvage ship. He wanted to be the captain of a luxury ferry, not the captain of a salvage ship.
Zhuang Rui only needs to lease such a luxury merchant ship to an ocean shipping company, and he won't have to worry about the rest. Given the current popularity of global tourism, he believes that those companies can maximize the benefits of this merchant ship.
But Captain Clyde never imagined that Zhuang Rui would install a drilling platform and that damned floating crane on the ship. The two long, arm-like frames of the floating crane completely ruined the ship's appearance.
"Does this Chinese man really think the ocean is full of treasures that he can just walk into anywhere and scoop them up?"
Clyde looked at the young man in front of him with disdain. When he was young, he had also dreamed of things like finding pirate treasure and salvaging sunken ships.
But as Claude grew older, he realized that dreams are called dreams because they only appear in dreams, and you only realize how cruel reality is when you wake up.
Zhuang Rui looked at the bearded man on the ship and said with a smile, "Clyde, don't you want the Xuanrui to roam the seas and stay in the port like a flower bud? Have you forgotten the glory that sailors should have? Have you gone from a brave sailor to a cowardly captain?"
Clyde was a straightforward man, and his dissatisfaction could be seen on Clyde's face. For someone with this kind of personality, gentle persuasion was far less effective than harsh words.
So Zhuang Rui, with a smile on his face, said something that made the bearded captain furious. From the constant heaving of his chest, it was clear that Captain Clyde was extremely angry.
“Boss, this is an insult to me. Our family has produced six captains, all of whom died at sea. None of them disgraced the honor of a sailor…”
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Clyde's beard bristled. For a sailor, the job is to fight against the waves and contend with the storm.
If it weren't for some special reasons, Claude would have resigned from his position as captain long ago. Zhuang Rui's words clearly struck a nerve with what he had been avoiding.
Captain Clyde had already forgotten why he had come to see Zhuang Rui. He clenched his fists and glared fiercely at his new boss. He had made up his mind that if Zhuang Rui didn't give him an explanation, he would leave the ferry where he had worked for nearly twenty years.
"Oh? Did I say something wrong? Didn't you want to lead those sissies on the same repetitive routes every day? That kind of life doesn't seem like what a brave sailor should be doing..."
Seeing Clyde's expression, Zhuang Rui chuckled inwardly, but his face remained serious, adding insult to injury to Clyde's already wounded pride.
"Oh no, nobody would even dream of living like that..."
Before Zhuang Rui could finish speaking, Clyde let out a strange scream. To be honest, he wasn't interested in that kind of aristocratic captain. Back when the gambling ship was still in operation, Clyde was just the first mate of this ship.
At that time, the captain Clyde was with would hold a party every two days, entertaining the so-called VIPs with a fake smile. This was not the life Clyde wanted.
"Alright, if that's the case, why do you have such strong objections to modifying this ship?"
Zhuang Rui suddenly changed the subject, bringing the topic back to the issue of modifying the ship. For a moment, the previously excited bearded captain was stumped by Zhuang Rui's question.
Clyde looked somewhat dazed, muttering to himself, "Yeah... why would I object?"
Seeing Clyde's bewildered expression, Zhuang Rui quickly pressed his advantage, saying, "Clyde, don't you want to come with me, sail this ship, explore the unknown ocean... and dig for endless treasures?"
You know, an experienced captain is not easy to find, especially since Clyde has worked on this ship for nearly twenty years. I believe no one knows this luxury ferry better than him.
Although the ocean holds the endless treasures Zhuang Rui spoke of, it is also fraught with unknown dangers. Don't be fooled by the size of the ship; if not handled properly, it can still sink to the bottom of the sea. The Titanic is the best example of this.
A good captain will minimize the risk. Since it concerns life and death, Zhuang Rui naturally wanted to entrust the ship to an experienced person, which is why he was so eager to persuade Clyde.
"Explore the unknown ocean...discover endless treasures..."
Clyde muttered Zhuang Rui's words, his eyes gradually brightening. He clenched his fist again, which he had just loosened, and shouted, "Boss, you're absolutely right! That's the life I want..."
"Yes, that's right. Just think about it, if we retrieve a treasure that has been lying dormant at the bottom of the sea for thousands of years, it will shock the world. Isn't that much better than you being the captain of a tourist boat?"
Zhuang Rui patted Clyde on the shoulder. The poor big guy had been completely fooled by Zhuang Rui and was still echoing Zhuang Rui's words: "Yes, we're going to shock the world. My God, boss, how much are those treasures worth?"
"Hehe, I once obtained Klaus's treasure on an island, and it's now on display in my museum. It's probably worth over two billion..."
Zhuang Rui spoke casually, which made Clyde's eyes light up. He came from a family of sailors and had naturally heard of Klaus's name. He had dreamed of obtaining Klaus's treasure when he was young.
Clyde had heard about the discovery of the Klaus Treasure, but he never expected that it would be found by his own boss.
"Boss, I'll work for you. Even if it's that damned Bermuda, I, Clyde, won't bat an eye. I'll show you that I'm a real sailor!"
Zhuang Rui's persuasive tactics, appealing to both emotion and profit, finally won over the bearded captain. He was so respectful that he almost kissed Zhuang Rui's hand.
"Clyde, you won't regret your choice. I will give you an exciting new life..."
Zhuang Rui laughed heartily, pointed to the area under construction on the nail plate, and asked, "How much longer will it take them to finish the drilling platform?"
The floating crane equipment has been installed, but the drilling platform with a power of 700 tons is more troublesome. The past two months have mainly been spent on this task.
"Boss, I guarantee it will be finished within three days. You see, the work is already in its final stages..."