"Brother Zhuang, you're truly a master of disguise. We've been through thick and thin together, yet you haven't revealed a single word. Tomorrow, I'm treating, so you'll have to drink a few extra cups as punishment..."
Bai Meng'an and Zhuang Rui had experienced that terrifying night on the Tibetan grasslands together. Although Bai Meng'an was so drunk that she couldn't tell which way was which, their relationship was indeed closer than that of these young masters.
"Brother Bai, what are you saying? Your achievements are not due to your family, are they? They only provided us with a platform. Whether you can achieve anything still depends on your own efforts..."
Zhuang Rui's words were somewhat insincere. When he went to Tibet, he did know the name Ouyang Gang, but he never dreamed that he would be his grandson. Even if he wanted to show off back then, he didn't have the confidence to do so.
However, Zhuang Rui's words were met with nods of approval from the people around him. They all came from wealthy families and had been the focus of attention since birth. If they did well, they relied on the protection of their families; if they did poorly, they would be accused of being spoiled brats and incompetent.
So these wealthy young people, although they receive more than others, also experience far greater pressure than ordinary people. They can't even control their own marriages. Zhuang Rui's unintentional words struck a chord with them, and their gazes towards him softened instantly, as if they were officially accepting him into their small group.
“Mr. Zhuang, Mr. Ouyang Jun and I are old friends. If I don’t entertain you when you come to Hong Kong, Mr. Ouyang will criticize me. How about this, let’s go for a trip on the high seas tomorrow, everyone can go together, what do you think?”
Zheng Hua also extended an invitation to Zhuang Rui. Their family's annual turnover in mainland jewelry stores now far exceeds their sales share in Hong Kong, so he is much more eager than Bai Meng'an to make connections with powerful figures in the mainland.
"tomorrow……"
Zhuang Rui hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Qin Xuanbing before replying, "Mr. Zheng, I doubt it will work tomorrow. I haven't visited Xuanbing's house since I came to Hong Kong, which is a bit inappropriate. Brother Bai, Mr. Zheng, how about this: on the day I leave Hong Kong, I'll invite all my friends for a get-together. What do you all think?"
Zhuang Rui's words were half true and half false. He was indeed going to visit the Qin family tomorrow, but his mind was more on Qin Xuanbing. Compared to going out to sea for fishing and leisure, Zhuang Rui was clearly more interested in doing some physical and mental exercise with Qin Xuanbing.
"Alright, it's a deal then. I'll treat you to a meal, Mr. Zhuang, you must come!"
Zheng Hua didn't press Zhuang Rui. He then exchanged business cards with Zhuang Rui. When he saw the title on Zhuang Rui's business card, he was surprised and said, "I didn't expect Mr. Zhuang to be a director of the Jade Association. I will definitely trouble you when I go to Beijing in the future."
"If Mr. Zheng comes to Beijing, just give me a call."
Zhuang Rui was thinking to himself whether he should ask the Jade King of Xinjiang, Old Man Adila, to sell some jade materials in Hong Kong. He was actually a bit short of money right now, and even if he managed to get this piece of purple jade, it wouldn't be something he could exchange for money in a short time.
However, having previously promised Prince Yu that he would not interfere in any matters concerning the jade mine, Zhuang Rui thought about it and decided to abandon the idea.
In fact, Zhuang Rui did not know that most of the sourcing channels for Hetian jade ornaments in Hong Kong came from the Jade King. That old man was far more shrewd than Zhuang Rui had imagined. His current hoarding behavior had already caused a shortage of nephrite raw materials in mainland China and Hong Kong, and the price had already increased several times.
The old man wanted to take this opportunity to reshuffle the national nephrite raw material market, eliminating small-scale raw material merchants so that he could monopolize the Hetian jade market. Unlike the United States, China doesn't have people suing you for monopoly; the Jade King doesn't buy into that.
"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, we are now proceeding with the auction of the final item of the day, provided by Commander Huang. Please take a look..."
While Zhuang Rui, Zheng Hua, and others were chatting, the charity auction was coming to an end. The final item was provided by Commander Huang. Two soldiers in military uniforms carried a tray with a diameter of more than half a meter into the hall. The item on the tray was covered with red silk, but judging from its appearance, it should be quite large.
Wow, it's so beautiful.
After the tray was placed on the table, the auctioneer lifted the red silk cloth, revealing an airplane made entirely of cannonballs and bullet casings. The entire airplane was about one meter long, with wings made of machine gun bullets, and the nose of the airplane was a grenade launcher. Of course, all the bullets had been fired, and the ground fire had been destroyed.
The entire fighter jet was coated in silver, with beautiful lines and a shimmering silver sheen under the lights, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
"100,000, I'll pay 100,000 for this fighter jet."
"Two hundred thousand, that's really beautiful."
"I'll offer 300,000!"
"Qin Sheng, don't argue about this. Just give it to me. I'll offer 500,000."
After a moment of shock, everyone started bidding. Unlike the items auctioned before, almost no one was willing to budge, and the price of this model fighter jet kept rising. In the end, it was only when Mr. Guo offered nine million Hong Kong dollars that he was able to acquire it.
Chapter 377 Visiting the Qin Family
"Zhuang Rui, hurry up! Don't touch it, I can't take it anymore, oh..."
In the ultra-luxurious bathroom of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, a low moan suddenly rang out, accompanied by splashing water, like a symphony, which lasted for more than half an hour before stopping.
"Mommy is waiting for us to have lunch, we really won't have enough time if we don't leave now..."
After their lovemaking had just ended, Qin Xuanbing, her face flushed, looked at Zhuang Rui with seductive eyes, almost arousing him again. However, thinking about their upcoming visit to the Qin family, Zhuang Rui suppressed his desires, quickly washed himself, and carried the completely naked beauty out of the bathroom.
After yesterday's charity auction, Qin Haoran and his wife tacitly allowed Zhuang Rui to get into Qin Xuanbing's car. However, they had previously instructed the two to visit the Qin family's grandfather the next day. Unfortunately, the two were gluttonous and stayed up late into the night after returning to the hotel, so it was already almost noon. Zhuang Rui didn't forget to do some morning exercise.
While Qin Xuanbing was getting dressed, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but touch her inappropriately, creating a scene of eroticism in the room.
"Zhuang Rui, I forgot to ask you yesterday, why did you buy this rough stone? Judging from its appearance, it doesn't seem like there's any jade inside, right?"
After the two finished getting ready, Qin Xuanbing noticed that Zhuang Rui was still carrying the bag containing the jadeite rough and couldn't help but ask him about it. Qin Xuanbing had wanted to ask him about it yesterday, but Zhuang Rui had silenced her as soon as they entered the hotel room, and she only got the chance now.
"It's hard to say. Look at the cut surface of this material; there are black, misty crystals. Maybe there's a mutated jadeite inside. Anyway, it's only a few tens of thousands of yuan. Buy it and cut it open to see..."
Zhuang Rui casually offered an explanation: almost every piece of green jadeite rough will have fog. This excuse is utterly worthless, but it's also irrefutable. As the saying goes, even a god can't judge a piece of jade. Without breaking it down, no one knows what's inside.
After hearing Zhuang Rui's explanation, Qin Xuanbing didn't pay much attention. This piece of jade was simply too small. Even if it yielded a top-grade jadeite like Imperial Green, it would only be worth around ten million at most. That was disproportionate to the thirty million Hong Kong dollars that Mr. Zheng had spent on gambling on jade.
After leaving the hotel and getting into Qin Xuanbing's Ferrari, Zhuang Rui asked, "By the way, do you have any stone-cutting tools at home? I don't want to carry that thing back to the mainland..."
"Of course, my grandfather still finds some raw stones to cut in his spare time. I'll help you cut stones after dinner."
Qin Xuanbing smiled radiantly. Couples in love are always inseparable, and they couldn't bear to be apart for even a moment. When Qin Xuanbing went to the restroom, Zhuang Rui almost wanted to follow her. Of course, Zhuang Rui had some ulterior motives.
Qin Haoran and his wife lived with the old man in the old house, which was also on Taiping Mountain. Qin Xuanbing drove around Taiping Mountain Road so that Zhuang Rui could also enjoy the scenery of Taiping Mountain during the day.
Looking down from the mountain road, half of Hong Kong is spread out before you, with Victoria Harbour winding like a silver ribbon. Numerous towering skyscrapers stand densely packed throughout the city, a stark contrast to the tree-lined Victoria Peak before you, as if they belong to two different worlds.
Qin Xuanbing's villa wasn't very big. After parking the car, Qin Xuanbing led Zhuang Rui through a small garden to a villa with a distinctly European style.
"Hello, Uncle Qin and Aunt Fang!"
Upon seeing Qin Haoran and Fang Yi standing in front of the small building, Zhuang Rui, knowing they were his future mother-in-law and father-in-law, quickly went to greet them respectfully.
"Don't be shy, Xiao Zhuang, come in. Bing'er's grandfather is waiting inside..."
Fang Yi looked at her future son-in-law and was very satisfied with him. Even Zhuang Rui's ordinary-looking face became outstanding in her mother-in-law's eyes.
"Zhuang Rui, this is my grandfather, this is my second uncle and aunt, that is my youngest uncle and aunt, this is my cousin, this is my younger brother, and um, that is my cousin..."
Upon entering the room, the villa's hall was already packed with people. Qin Xuanbing pulled Zhuang Rui along, introducing him to each person. Zhuang Rui was nodding along like a madman, barely getting a good look at anyone's face before being pulled aside to be introduced to the next. It seemed the Qin family valued Zhuang Rui's arrival highly, as almost all of their members in Hong Kong were gathered at the villa.
Qin Xuanbing's behavior surprised everyone in the family. As you know, Qin Xuanbing has always been very aloof at home. She would just greet the elders and she couldn't really talk to her cousins. Apart from being a little closer to the old man, she basically ignored everyone else.
"Okay, okay, Xiao Zhuang, I've spoiled Xuanbing since she was little, so you'll have to be more accommodating to her in the future."
Grandpa Qin was a very refined old man, around seventy years old, with gray hair neatly combed back. He wore reading glasses and looked at Zhuang Rui with a smile.
"Grandpa, how am I spoiled?"
Qin Xuanbing leaned against the old man, persisting in her nagging. Her girlish demeanor left everyone in the room somewhat stunned. They had never seen Qin Xuanbing like this before, and their curiosity about Zhuang Rui grew. This young man was no ordinary person; he had melted the iceberg in their family.
"Hehe, let's eat first, Xiao Zhuang, come on, don't be shy."
It was lunchtime, and the old man stood up and went to the dining room first, where two housekeepers were busy preparing. The food and drinks were already on the table.
Although some of Qin Xuanbing's family members don't speak Mandarin very well, Zhuang Rui still felt a sense of warmth and family. Apart from Qin Xuanbing being a bit unsociable, the Qin Haoran brothers had a very good relationship.
This is also the key to whether a large family can grow strong and big. There are many families in Hong Kong that once dominated the island, but they gradually declined because of internal problems.
Almost everyone in the Qin family works in their own family business and is usually quite busy, so it's rare for them to get together. When they eat, they talk about company matters. Qin Haoran and the others now regard Zhuang Rui as the Qin family's son-in-law, so they don't avoid talking to Zhuang Rui.
“Dad, the raw materials from Xinjiang have been in short supply these past few months. Our stores are almost out of stock of Hetian jade ornaments. You have a good relationship with the Jade King of Xinjiang, so why don’t you give him a call and ask about the situation?”
Qin Haoran has been having a headache lately. The jade market is a different story; in just a few months, the price of raw materials has increased nearly tenfold. However, the nephrite market is also experiencing a shortage of supply, which is making it difficult for him to keep up. After all, nephrite jewelry is the mainstay of the market.
After listening to his son's report on the company's recent work, the old man pondered for a moment and asked, "So, it seems that you can't buy Hetian jade raw materials now even if you have the money?"
Out of politeness, they spoke in Mandarin. When Zhuang Rui heard Qin Haoran mention the shortage of raw materials and then heard the name of Prince Yu, he immediately lowered his head to eat his rice, as this matter was related to him.
"Yes. According to my friends in Xinjiang, the Jade King has recently opened another jade mine, so there shouldn't be a shortage of jade raw materials. Judging from this trend, the Jade King is probably preparing to stockpile and increase the price of nephrite raw materials."
The jade mine that Zhuang Rui and Jade King were jointly mining could not be kept secret. It had already spread throughout Xinjiang, so everyone in the industry knew Jade King's purpose. However, the old man himself occupied 80% of the Xinjiang Hetian jade raw material market. If he wanted to do this, others could only watch helplessly, without any way to stop him.
After a moment's thought, Old Master Qin understood the reasoning behind it. He shook his head and said, "Adila is doing this to raise the price of the entire Hetian jade market. Personal relationships are one thing, business is another. He might not even give me face."
"Zhuang Rui, didn't you mention on the last phone call that you also had a jade mine in Xinjiang? Could you provide us with some raw materials first?"
Qin Xuanbing suddenly spoke up. She didn't usually pay much attention to the family business, but seeing her father and grandfather looking worried, she couldn't help but ask Zhuang Rui.
"Ahem, I did develop a jade mine with Uncle Tian, but let me make it clear beforehand that I would only take a share of the profits and wouldn't be involved in the specifics. Mining and sales were all handled by Uncle Tian."
Upon hearing Qin Xuanbing's words, Zhuang Rui nearly spat out the rice in his mouth. Seeing that there was no way to avoid it, he could only honestly explain the matter of the jade mine.
"Uncle Tian? Do you know Adila?"
Old Master Qin knew that Prince Yu's Han surname, and he looked at Zhuang Rui with some surprise. He did not expect that this little guy could actually be connected with that powerful figure in Xinjiang.
"Yes, I own 50 percent of that jade mine recently."
Zhuang Rui nodded, thinking that this was the first time Qin Xuanbing had asked him for a favor. After considering it for a moment, he said, "How about this, I'll discuss it with Uncle Tian and offer you a batch of Hetian jade raw materials first, and see if he agrees. Uncle Qin, what do you think of this?"
"Okay, okay, there's no problem with the price, let's go with what Prince Yu said."
Qin Haoran had no time to process the fact that Zhuang Rui owned a jade mine, and he readily agreed. If no raw materials were put into storage, many shops would probably run out of Hetian jade ornaments.
As Zhuang Rui went out to call Prince Yu, Qin Xuanbing's second uncle said, "Brother, Xiaobing has really struck gold this time. This young man has a bright future ahead of him."
"Hmm, this young man is very steady in his work. Haoran, didn't you say yesterday that you were going to the mainland? Why don't you go with Xiaobing and the others? You can also visit your in-laws."
Grandpa Qin was very satisfied with Zhuang Rui, his grandson-in-law.
Chapter 378 Purple Eyes (Part 1)
"Xiao Bing, do you know how large Zhuang Rui's jade mine is?"
While Zhuang Rui was out making a phone call, Fang Yi asked her daughter, "You know, for jewelry companies like ours, their lifeline is in the hands of raw material suppliers. Of course, their products are not just jade ornaments, but nephrite ornaments are very popular with consumers and are an indispensable product for any jewelry store."
If a long-term supply and demand relationship can be established with Zhuang Rui's jade mine, then Qin's Jewelry will not need to worry about nephrite raw materials for a long time to come.
“Mommy, I’ve been in England the whole time. How would I know the scale of Zhuang Rui’s jade mine? He’s here as a guest, not to discuss business…”
Qin Xuanbing was a little unhappy with her mother's question. If she hadn't seen her grandfather worrying about the nephrite raw materials, she wouldn't have asked Zhuang Rui for help. Qin Xuanbing also knew that Zhuang Rui must have had his difficulties for not speaking up earlier.
"Xiao Bing, that's not what I meant. I just wanted to know..."
"Yes, Xiaobing is right. Regardless of whether Xiaozhuang can help us, he is a guest today. When he comes in, let's not talk about this anymore."
After hearing his granddaughter's words, Grandpa Qin waved his hand to interrupt Fang Yi, who was about to ask further questions. He glanced at his eldest son and then said, "You two should prepare some gifts and go with Xiao Zhuang when she returns to Beijing. Your daughter seems to be in a hurry to get married."
"grandfather……"
Qin Xuanbing blushed with embarrassment at the old man's words, refused to eat, and ran out after dropping her chopsticks.
"Uncle Tian, here's the thing. Do you think it's possible to supply some goods to the Qin family in Hong Kong? You can set the price. They're almost out of jade jewelry in their shop. Whether it's possible or not is up to you. I'm just asking for your help personally."
After Zhuang Rui got through to Uncle Tian, he explained his relationship with Qin Xuanbing and then mentioned Qin's Jewelry in Hong Kong. He and Uncle Tian had made a prior agreement, so he felt a little embarrassed after saying this.
After a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, the old man's voice came through: "You little rascal, you're always causing trouble. Here's what we'll do: have someone come find me. You don't need to worry about the details; I'll handle it."