"Oh, so you've got your eye on him too? Look, the guy over there looks a bit like Fourth Brother. If you don't mind, you can use him as Fourth Brother."
Yue Jing gave the little star's butt a hard twist, teasing Zhuang Rui.
"How could I dare? There's Sister Xu here, Brother Yue, you're so mean..."
The young starlet relentlessly hit his penis a few times, but then snuggled up to him.
“I hadn’t noticed before, but standing next to Ouyang Laosi today, you really do look alike. If it weren’t for the fact that this is your first time in Beijing, I would have really thought you two had some kind of relationship. By the way, he’s the one who set up this club…”
The second brother looked Zhuang Rui up and down again, but didn't notice that Zhuang Rui's brows had inadvertently furrowed.
"Surname Ouyang?"
Although this compound surname is not particularly rare, it is not very common either. Zhuang Rui's mother's surname is Ouyang. However, the two places are thousands of miles apart, so there should be no connection. Zhuang Rui only thought of his mother's surname, and his mind wandered for a moment before he forgot about it.
"Youngest, what are you thinking about again? Since you're here, have fun! I'll call you a..."
Seeing that Zhuang Rui was not talking, the second brother assumed that he was bored by himself, so he reached out and called a girl over to sit next to Zhuang Rui.
Zhuang Rui seemed to recognize the girl who sat down next to him from an advertisement, but he couldn't recall her name. She probably wasn't very famous. Zhuang Rui wasn't used to this kind of situation, so he made small talk with the girl.
The girl was a bit inexperienced; seeing Zhuang Rui's clothes, she seemed to be just going through the motions. The second brother noticed this and said, "Hey, I'm talking to you. Serve Boss Zhuang well, and maybe he'll be in a good mood and invest tens of millions in making a movie for you. Then you'll be famous!"
People who can get into Building 2 may not be as rich as those in Building 3, but what they say in casual conversation can be sold for money in Building 3. The rich people are scrambling to squeeze in here, just hoping to hear some useful information from these sons of officials.
Moreover, they usually wouldn't boast in such a setting, as it would be easy to be exposed, and they couldn't bear the embarrassment. The little star sitting next to Zhuang Rui's eyes lit up immediately after hearing the second brother's words.
These celebrities come into contact with a wide range of people and know that some people don't like to flaunt their wealth. They usually dress very simply. The people who come and go here are all of special status, and they don't need to use designer clothes to show off their status. So it's not uncommon for people dressed like Zhuang Rui. It's just that she had no idea that Zhuang Rui had just gotten off the train and was too lazy to go shopping for clothes.
Zhuang Rui naturally knew the reason behind the sudden enthusiasm of the minor celebrity, and he became somewhat perfunctory, saying, "Is my brain not out of its head? Why would I spend tens of millions to make a movie for you guys?"
Seeing that Zhuang Rui seemed a bit distracted, the second brother, after sitting there for a while longer, took the little star and told Zhuang Rui to leave. The person next to Zhuang Rui? Naturally, stayed there with a resentful look on their face. It was their own fault for not being proper in their attitude earlier and for not seizing the opportunity.
Upon arriving at the parking lot, Zhuang Rui was once again astonished. This female celebrity's car was even better than the one his second brother had borrowed. With three people and two cars, his second brother drove Zhuang Rui back to Beijing, arranged a hotel for him, and then took his leave with the young celebrity. He naturally wouldn't book a room there. After all, they were government officials; they needed to be mindful of their image, right? ...
"I should have known better than to come back today."
When Ouyang Jun hummed a little tune on his way home, it was already past one o'clock in the morning. When he passed the old man's study, Ouyang Jun slowed his pace because the light in the room was still on and the door was ajar.
"Come here, I have something to tell you..."
The voice coming from the study wasn't loud, but it was full of authority. Ouyang Jun sighed, turned around, pushed open the door, and went in.
"Dad, what's the matter that you have to say now? It's so late, it's not good for your health to stay up."
Standing in the study, Ouyang Jun was no longer the smug and self-satisfied Fourth Brother from the club; he was now as obedient and docile as a girl.
"Alright, stop pretending. You never do anything productive. Your grandfather's 90th birthday is in December, which is also his 70th wedding anniversary with your grandmother. Try to avoid going to those places during this time, so as not to cause any bad influence."
Ouyang Zhenwu rubbed his temples and looked away from the documents on the table. Of all the younger generation in the family, only his son was disappointing. He gave up the arranged career path and insisted on going into business and running clubs. If he were like his cousins, he could have been in charge of a region for a few years.
“Dad, you can’t say that. I’m making money through legitimate business. My brothers are so honest and upright because of my financial support, which allows them to have no worries.”
Apart from his grandfather, Ouyang Jun wasn't actually afraid of his father in this family. He had been obedient before only because he didn't want to upset his father, but now he was arguing with him.
"You...you think I don't know about all those celebrities you've been involved with?"
"Dad, they all volunteered. I didn't force anyone. It was just normal social interaction. I'm not afraid of anyone investigating..."
Seeing his father's face growing increasingly grim, Ouyang Jun quickly changed the subject, saying, "I met an interesting person at the club today. He looks remarkably like me, and some people even joked that he's my brother."
“What’s so strange about looking alike? What’s that person’s surname? Don’t interrupt me, kid. Don’t cause any trouble lately. The Fourth Plenary Session is in a few months. Your uncle is very likely to get promoted. If something happens to you, I won’t be able to protect you in front of the old man.”
Ouyang Zhenwu's wife died early, and he had neglected to discipline his son. He felt somewhat guilty towards him, so he usually turned a blind eye as long as his son didn't go too far.
"Hehe, I know. I've always been law-abiding. I'm going to sleep now. By the way, the guy who looks like me is surnamed Zhuang, and he looks a few years younger than me."
Ouyang Jun gave his father a perfunctory reply and slipped towards the door.
"Oh, your surname is Zhuang. Go to sleep..."
Ouyang Zhenwu turned his attention back to the documents, but suddenly a thought flashed through his mind, and he abruptly raised his head and shouted, "You come back here! What did you say that person's surname is?"
Ouyang Jun had never seen his usually gentle and refined father in this state before, and was immediately startled. He honestly replied, "His surname is Zhuang, it should be Guangtu Zhuang, I didn't ask how it was written."
"Where is that person from?"
Ouyang Zhenwu continued to ask.
"I don't know, but judging from his accent, he doesn't seem to be from Beijing. He's a friend of Yue Jia Xiao Liu, and it looks like he just arrived in Beijing."
"Could it be such a coincidence?"
Ouyang Zhenwu's heart was filled with turbulent waves. Everyone outside knew that there were four brothers, but the older generation knew that they also had a younger sister. However, for some reason, that stubborn sister had cut off all ties with the family.
"Dad, is something wrong? Do you know that person?"
When Ouyang Jun saw that his father's face looked rather unpleasant, he asked cautiously, while wondering to himself if it was really because his father had some romantic entanglements outside.
"I don't know him..."
Ouyang Zhenwu shook his head, but then said, "Perhaps we know each other, Xiaojun. Here's what you do: you arrange to meet this person, wait a bit..."
Ouyang Zhenwu glanced at his schedule and then said, "The day after tomorrow, bring him to see me at noon. Remember to be polite to him."
Confused by his father's attitude, Ouyang Jun agreed and returned to his room. However, he couldn't fall asleep. He dialed Yue Jing's number, but Yue Jing, engrossed in his lovemaking, had naturally turned off his phone. ...
The next day, after Zhuang Rui got up, he called his second brother and found out that he had already gone to work, so he didn't bother him. He went to the shopping mall next to the hotel, bought some gifts, and took a taxi to the address given by Lao Gu.
Chapter 263 Board of Directors
"Young man, is this your first time in Beijing?"
After buying some gifts, Zhuang Rui hailed a taxi, gave the driver the address, and the middle-aged driver, who was in his forties, chatted with Zhuang Rui in a Beijing accent.
"Yes, we've come to visit our elders."
"Most people wouldn't know this address. It's been almost completely demolished, but the remaining courtyard houses are worth a lot of money."
The middle-aged driver said with envy, "In the early years, housing was very tight in Beijing. Five or six families would be crammed into a courtyard house, with an average living space of only a few square meters per person. Later, when the Asian Games Village was built, Beijingers all wanted to live in apartment buildings. When the government said that the demolition compensation would be apartment buildings, everyone was overjoyed."
However, these hutong courtyard houses are becoming increasingly rare due to demolition, which has led to increased attention to them. In recent years, as they have been preserved as cultural heritage, their prices have skyrocketed. The price of a dozen apartment buildings may not even be as high as that of a single courtyard house.
Some savvy travel companies offer a unique hutong tour, entirely staffed by rickshaw pullers wearing yellow vests. The vests read "Beijing Hutong Tour" on the front and the company name and phone number on the back. The rickshaws and their hutong tours are highly distinctive local features, with a large convoy of rickshaws weaving through the streets and alleys of Beijing.
During the tour, at each alleyway, the rickshaw drivers would introduce what alley it was, who lived there, and which courtyard house was open to the public. This shows that courtyard houses have now become a tourist attraction in Beijing.
Old Master Gu lived outside Xuanwu Gate, not far from the hotel where Zhuang Rui was staying. Not long after, the driver stopped the car at the entrance of an alley, where it was impossible to drive any further.
After paying the fare and getting off the bus with his things, Zhuang Rui walked into the alley. On both sides of the narrow alley were high blue brick walls that looked somewhat dilapidated. At the entrance of the alley, there was a sign that read: "Not open to the public, no visits allowed."
Zhuang Rui arrived a bit early, before nine o'clock. People were constantly going in and out of the alley, and their gazes towards Zhuang Rui, who was carrying things, were somewhat strange. Fortunately, each house had a house number in front of it, so Zhuang Rui quickened his pace and, after passing three or four houses, finally found Old Master Gu's residence.
Zhuang Rui pressed the doorbell. A little over a minute later, the heavy door opened, and a middle-aged woman in her forties poked her head out. She glanced at the things in Zhuang Rui's hand and said, "Who are you looking for?"
"Is this Zhuang Rui? Come in quickly..."
Before Zhuang Rui could reply, the old man's hearty and powerful voice rang out in the courtyard. The middle-aged woman opened half of the door and let Zhuang Rui in.
Upon entering the gate, Zhuang Rui's eyes lit up. This courtyard was completely different from the slightly gloomy alley outside. Sunlight filtered through the leaves of a large locust tree in the courtyard, scattering like gold onto the ground. There was also a flower bed in the courtyard, filled with lilacs and crabapple blossoms, and the fragrance of flowers wafted into Zhuang Rui's nostrils.
High up in the branches of the locust tree, there were three or four birdcages hanging, and several birds were chirping incessantly inside.
Zhuang Rui looked around at the rooms and found that it was a small courtyard house with two rooms each in the east and west wings and three rooms in the south wing, with brick walls all the way to the roof. The roof was tiled, and the courtyard had a brick-paved path connecting the doors of each room. Flower beds were interspersed on both sides of the path, and there were steps in front of each house. The two doors were painted black, with a pair of brass door knockers on the doors and couplets pasted on both sides.
Outside each room, there are potted plants such as pomegranate trees, daffodils, oleanders, golden osmanthus, silver osmanthus, and azaleas. In the sweltering summer, this small courtyard exudes a cool and refreshing atmosphere.
The old man was sitting in a recliner under a tree, holding a book in his hand. In front of him was an octagonal table with a tea set and some snacks. A gentle breeze blew through the dense foliage above his head, and dappled sunlight fell on him, making him look like a celestial being.
"Xiao Zhang, bring a chair for Xiao Zhuang."
Upon seeing that it was indeed Zhuang Rui, the old man stood up happily.
"No need, no need, I can do it myself..."
Zhuang Rui handed the gifts he was carrying to the middle-aged woman and moved a chair from next to the flowerbed to the old table.
"Uncle Gu, I'm sorry to disturb your peace again."
Zhuang Rui did not sit down, but instead gave the old man a slight bow.
"What are you saying? I live alone. I usually find it too quiet. Don't stand, sit down."
Old Master Gu put down his book and poured tea for Zhuang Rui.
"Who is that...?"
"Oh, Xiao Zhang is the nanny I hired. Her children are all grown up, and no one wants to stay in this courtyard house."
Actually, it's not as the old man said. His children are quite filial. It's just that the old man prefers peace and quiet and has sent his younger relatives out to live. But every weekend, his children still come back to get together.
"It's great here. I think it's much more comfortable than living in an apartment building."
Zhuang Rui was speaking from the heart. Because he lived deep in the alley, he couldn't hear any of the noise from the traffic outside. It was a quiet place with its own door and yard. Although it wasn't as big as his villa in Pengcheng, it had a unique charm.
"Alright, stop with the nice words and let me take a look at that jade."
Yesterday, I heard that Zhuang Rui had unearthed another piece of imperial green jade. Old Master Gu has been eagerly awaiting its discovery. Such top-quality jade is always extremely rare and hard to come by. He has been immersed in the jade industry for decades, and the number of times he has seen it can be counted on one hand.
Zhuang Rui took out a jewelry box from his handbag and handed it to Gu Lao. He had gotten the box from Wu Jia's shop.
Gu Lao opened the box, held the jade in his palm, picked up his reading glasses from the table, put them on, and examined it carefully. After five or six minutes, he put the jade back into the box.
"The color is pure and flawless, the water is as clear as a stream, without a single blemish. It truly is a glass-type imperial green jadeite, excellent. Really excellent, Xiao Zhuang, you've got some good luck..."
The old man sighed. When he was about to praise Zhuang Rui, he couldn't find the words. His nephew's luck was extraordinary. After thinking for a long time, the old man couldn't find any words to describe his good luck.
"Hehe, Senior Uncle, that's all thanks to your excellent teaching. My knowledge of jade identification all comes from you."
Zhuang Rui is now completely oblivious to everything else. Besides, after becoming familiar with the jade gambling circle, he knows that he's not the only one with this luck; every year at the Myanmar jade auction, there are always some lucky winners.
“If you can calm down, I can teach you the art of jade carving. You’ll have another skill to make a living. No… with your current wealth, you don’t need to rely on this to make a living.”
Gu Lao knew that Zhuang Rui had a high level of comprehension, and he was willing to teach him his jade-carving skills.
“Okay, Senior Uncle, I’m going to study at Peking University next year, and I’ll come and learn from you then.”
Zhuang Rui knew the importance of having many skills, so he immediately agreed.
"Tell me, what kind of object do you want to carve?"
Old Master Gu hasn't carved jade for anyone for a while, but now that he sees this top-quality jadeite, he's starting to get itchy to make some.
"Uncle-Master, do you think it's possible to cut out three pendants, and then keep the material for two pairs of earrings and one ring face?"