As he spoke, Stanley Ho got up and walked toward the gambling table.
At this moment, Zhuang Rui was surrounded by people, including Ouyang Jun and his wife, Qin Haoran and his wife, and even Old Master Qin came over from the audience to talk to Zhuang Rui.
In the eyes of Hong Kong's tycoons, gambling is not considered a bad habit. For example, Li Ka-shing often invites his old friends to play golf, where the stakes for a single hole can be in the tens of millions.
Moreover, Zhuang Rui wasn't gambling for money, so they weren't worried about their son-in-law developing a gambling addiction. The Qin family's standard of conduct was very simple: "the winner takes all." If Zhuang Rui lost today, he certainly wouldn't enjoy the adoration from everyone. Of course, they might come up to comfort him.
"Young man, not bad. If you have some time these next few days, you can come to Macau for a visit..."
He Hong walked over to the gambling table and first comforted Stevenson. Then he walked up to Zhuang Rui, smiled, and extended his hand. Given his age and status, he naturally didn't need to call him Mr. Zhuang; calling him "young man" was already a great honor for Zhuang Rui.
Zhuang Rui dared not be the slightest bit negligent towards this powerful figure in Macau. He immediately greeted him respectfully with both hands and said, "Mr. He, you are too kind. However, I will be returning to the mainland this year. I will definitely visit you in Macau next time I have the opportunity."
"Zhuang Rui, why are you in such a hurry to go back? I was thinking of going to Macau for a few days. It's rare for the gambling king to invite someone. If you were a guest invited by the gambling king, the treatment you would receive in Macau would definitely be higher than that of the former governor of Macau."
After Stanley Ho left, Ouyang Jun said with some dissatisfaction that although he knew Stanley Ho's descendants, their influence in Macau was worlds apart from that of Stanley Ho himself.
Zhuang Rui pointed to several antiques beside him and said, "Fourth Brother, to tell you the truth, these few treasures are worth almost a hundred million. I wouldn't feel at ease leaving them anywhere else. It's the right thing to do to bring them back to Beijing as soon as possible. Also, do you think the Gambling King really welcomes me? Didn't you see the tone of his voice just now? He wished I would never set foot in Macau again."
"You silly child, don't talk about your elders behind their backs..."
Old Master Qin laughed at Zhuang Rui's words, but with Zhuang Rui's luck, he really was someone that no casino would welcome.
"Alright then, let's go back together. Shipping these things by air is quite troublesome, so I'll try to get a military transport plane for them..."
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Ouyang Jun lost interest in staying there. If he couldn't go to Macau, Hong Kong was just a tiny place with nothing interesting to do.
"Uncle Qin, Aunt Fang, Grandpa Qin, why don't you come to Beijing for a few days? It would be a good opportunity for you to meet my mother and my grandfather..."
In front of Ouyang Jun, Zhuang Rui extended an invitation to the Qin family. Although Qin Haoran and his wife had already decided to go, he thought that extending the invitation himself would make them look better. This showed that he was no longer the naive young man he was a year ago; his interpersonal skills had matured considerably.
"I'm old, and I'm no longer able to use my strength. I don't feel like moving around in this weather. I'll visit Mr. Ouyang again next spring. This time, Haoran and the others can go."
Grandpa Qin waved his hand. Going to Beijing this month was really too much of a hassle for him. Although he was still relatively young compared to Ouyang Gang, he was already in his late seventies or early eighties. He could let his children go to meet his in-laws. He would only go to Beijing himself when it was time for his engagement or wedding.
"Xiao Zhuang, we'll have to wait two more days before we can go. You and Xiao Bing go first."
Qin Haoran is currently in charge of Qin's Jewelry. If he were to leave, he would have to make many arrangements first; he can't just walk away like that.
"Okay, then I'll wait for Uncle and Aunt in Beijing."
Zhuang Rui nodded, realizing that it wouldn't be appropriate for his two elders to come with him on the transport plane.
"Brother Zhuang, you're really something! You even beat Stevenson. By the way, what are you going to do with these chips? Are you going to transfer them to a domestic account, or get a Swiss bank draft for you?"
Zheng Hua had been waiting for a long time while he watched Zhuang Rui talking to the Qin family. The gambling ship could help exchange Hong Kong dollars and other currencies into RMB according to the customer's request and deposit them into the account designated by Zhuang Rui.
"Put all the money into this account."
Zhuang Rui casually wrote down his bank account number and gave it to Zheng Hua. He also had a Swiss bank draft worth five million euros on him. Zhuang Rui was considering whether he should open an account in a Swiss bank, since he wouldn't be able to use RMB like he did in Hong Kong when he went abroad.
Zhuang Rui and his group had lunch on the gambling ship at noon. In the afternoon, Zheng Hua arranged for the ship's helicopter to take them directly back to Guangzhou. Ouyang Jun had already arranged for a plane. After getting off the helicopter, they boarded a transport plane waiting at the military airport.
The experience of sitting in this transport plane is really incomparable to that of a commercial airliner. Although the military had placed a few sofas inside the transport plane, Zhuang Rui and the others were still quite disoriented after arriving in Beijing. The pilot, who was trained in fighter jets, almost performed a few aerobatic maneuvers out of habit.
Chapter 402 Expensive Airfare
After getting off the plane, even Ouyang Jun lost the will to speak. Each of them helped Zhuang Rui carry a box containing antiques, and they got into the car that was already waiting at the military airport on the outskirts of Beijing, and hurriedly drove towards Beijing.
"Hey, who hung those big lanterns in my house?"
The car first took Ouyang Jun home, and then turned to Zhuang Rui's courtyard house. However, the alley was too narrow, so the car stopped at the entrance of the alley and dropped off Zhuang Rui and Qin Xuanbing.
Above the original gate, two large red lanterns now hang high, each containing a large light bulb, illuminating the front of the mansion with a bright red glow.
"Zhuang...Zhuang Rui, is this the courtyard house you bought, your current home?"
Even though Qin Xuanbing came from a wealthy family, and her family was considered very rich in Hong Kong, she was still shocked when she saw this magnificent mansion, especially the two menacing stone lions in front of the gate, which were exceptionally fierce.
The antique-style design on the gate, and the lanterns hanging high above it, everything seemed so familiar. If Qin Xuanbing hadn't been with Zhuang Rui, she would have thought she'd stumbled upon the set of some period drama.
"Hehe, this is our home. What do you think, Xuanbing? Isn't the house I bought nice?"
Zhuang Rui smiled smugly. The reason he didn't let the car go through the side gate earlier was to let Qin Xuanbing see the main gate of the house. You know, no one who comes here for the first time is not shocked. Even though his maternal grandfather's cousins are in high positions and have great power, when it comes to residences, everyone envies Zhuang Rui's house.
Working within the system offers many conveniences, but it also makes one much more cautious with money. The Ouyang brothers, with Ouyang Jun's support, all have a considerable amount of money. Although this money comes from legitimate sources, none of them dare to buy a villa.
This is the reality of our country. The common people don't care about such things; they'll just label you a corrupt official first. In fact, given the power of the Ouyang family, there was no need for them to do those things.
"Great, I'm really looking forward to seeing this courtyard house..."
Qin Xuanbing was thrilled to see the grand mansion, and the fatigue from her hours-long flight vanished. Especially after hearing Zhuang Rui say, "This is our family," she would have loved to hug and kiss him if she weren't carrying his antiques.
"Come on, let's go inside. Fourth Brother said that Grandpa and Grandma have been here for the past few days, so it's a good opportunity for you to meet them."
Ouyang Jun refused to come to this house with him, partly because he wanted to avoid the old man. Zhuang Rui talked to Qin Xuanbing as he walked to the door, carefully placed the paper box containing the porcelain on the steps in front of the door, and rang the doorbell.
Who are you looking for?
The door opened faster than Zhuang Rui expected. Almost as soon as he heard the doorbell, the side door of the main gate opened from the inside, and a person in military uniform with the rank of lieutenant appeared inside.
"We're looking for..."
Zhuang Rui subconsciously said half of what he meant before realizing his mistake, and said with a wry smile, "I'm not looking for anyone. This is my home. Could you please let me in first?"
Zhuang Rui picked up the cardboard box from the ground and was about to go inside. He had almost been fooled by the officer; he was on his way home.
The lieutenant reached out to stop Zhuang Rui, took a photo out of his pocket, glanced at Zhuang Rui, and asked, "Wait a minute, your name is Zhuang Rui, right?"
"Yes, you've increased security because my grandfather lives here, right?"
Zhuang Rui thought about it for a moment and then understood. His grandfather used to enjoy the treatment of a high-ranking official. Even after retiring, his travels would still attract a lot of attention, and security guards would be an indispensable part of his life.
"Yes, the leader is currently staying here. All personnel must be checked before entering or leaving. Mr. Zhuang, I'm really sorry, but the items in your hands need to be checked by me before you can bring them in."
This lieutenant is the head of security for the old man's stay here. Since this is a private residence, they did a lot of work before coming. Because Zhuang Rui was not there when he moved in, they each had a photo of Zhuang Rui to prevent any misrepresentation from happening.
In fact, every time these retired leaders went out, they caused a lot of trouble for the security bureau, which was specifically responsible for security. But things were fine here. The surrounding residents were not very diverse, and the house was big enough to accommodate the guards and medical staff.
"I can check, but I'll just open it for you to see..."
When Zhuang Rui saw the man reach out to take the items from his hands, he quickly took a step back. What a joke! If he accidentally broke these porcelain pieces, he would have nowhere to cry.
After Zhuang Rui placed the cardboard box on the ground and opened it, the lieutenant inspected it very carefully, pinching each of the scraps of paper and sponge used as stuffing with his fingers.
"Let's skip this one. These are all ancient paintings, and it's not convenient to open them here..."
When Zhuang Rui saw the lieutenant's eyes looking down at his armpits, he couldn't help but smile wryly. These paintings had to be opened with great care when laid out on a table, but there was no way to open them here.
"Alright, please come in. The central courtyard is where the leaders rest. You can stay in the front or back courtyard."
The lieutenant did not insist on inspecting the paintings. He stepped back, clearing the doorway, and then used the walkie-talkie on his collar to inform the guards inside of Zhuang Rui's arrival.
Zhuang Rui, somewhat annoyed, carried his things and led Qin Xuanbing through the gate. He had invited the old man to stay, hoping to make the place more lively and populate the house. He hadn't expected the old man to usurp his place, leaving him unable to choose where he would stay. Fortunately, the backyard was the bedroom Zhuang Rui had chosen anyway; if the old man had stayed there, Zhuang Rui would have been even more frustrated.
"Zhuang Rui, you won't do this every time you come, will you?"
Qin Xuanbing followed behind Zhuang Rui and asked in a low voice, "This place is nice, but if it feels more like a military camp than a home, then it's not very interesting."
"No, Grandpa will leave after staying for a while..."
Zhuang Rui was a little unsure of himself when he said this. If the old man liked this place and wanted to stay for a long time, he couldn't just kick him out, could he? His mother wouldn't agree to that.
As they passed through the hanging flower gate in the front yard, a guard hidden in the darkness snapped his hand and saluted Zhuang Rui. Zhuang Rui and Qin Xuanbing were so startled that they almost threw the porcelain they were holding at him as if it were a weapon. Even after entering the middle courtyard, their hearts were still pounding. It was truly terrifying.
When Gu Yun was decorating Zhuang Rui's house, he installed many streetlights in some inconspicuous places, so that the courtyard garden became brightly lit.
There were quite a few people in the park. Ouyang Wan was helping an elderly person take a walk, with Xiao Nannan and Bai Shi following behind. However, as soon as Bai Shi saw Zhuang Rui, he immediately pounced on him. Zhuang Rui quickly put down what he was holding on the lawn and hugged Bai Shi affectionately.
"Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, I've brought Xuanbing to visit you."
After calming the white lion, Zhuang Rui took Qin Xuanbing's hand and walked towards the elderly people.
"Hmm, good, good lad, not bad, you didn't embarrass your grandfather. The little girl is good too..."
The old man carefully examined Qin Xuanbing and nodded. Ouyang Wan also looked at her with a smile. Although she didn't say anything, her smile eased Qin Xuanbing's nervousness considerably. Apart from Zhuang Rui, very few people could breathe heavily in front of the old man.
"This girl is so pretty! How old are you, child?"
Zhuang Rui's maternal grandmother looked at Qin Xuanbing with great affection. After letting go of her daughter's hand, she pulled Qin Xuanbing aside and asked her all sorts of questions.
"Mom, where are Lei and my cousin?"
Zhuang Rui remembered that there were still quite a few people here before he left.
“Everyone else had to work and left yesterday. Your brother-in-law and Xiaomin also went back to Pengcheng. Only Xiaolei left after dinner today. He said he wanted to see you and seemed to have something to tell you. Come on, help your grandfather. I'm going to say a few words to Xuanbing.”
Knowing that her mother wanted to hold her great-grandson, Ouyang Wan was afraid that if she spoke too bluntly, Qin Xuanbing, who was too shy to handle it, would be unable to cope. So she quickly handed her father over to Zhuang Rui and joined in the conversation between the old lady and Qin Xuanbing.
"I heard you beat a foreigner and also won back a lot of items that were looted from China back then, right?"
Since Zhuang Rui started using his spiritual energy to cleanse the old man's body from time to time, the old man's health has improved. His previously deteriorated functions have been revitalized. Now, he no longer needs Zhuang Rui's support and walks slowly with a cane.
"Yes, Grandpa, I was pretty lucky. I didn't embarrass you, did I?"
Zhuang Rui is probably the only person in this family, besides Xiao Nannan and her mother, who is not afraid of the old man.
"Going out to gamble, and you call that shameful? You even used a military plane! You two have some nerve. If you hadn't won, I would have broken your legs..."
The old man glared at Zhuang Rui with annoyance. He had already heard about Ouyang Jun using his connections to fly there on a military plane, which was why Ouyang Jun hadn't dared to come today.
"Hehe, Grandpa, I'm just trying to save national cultural relics."
Zhuang Rui chuckled. If he weren't worried about these precious artifacts getting damaged on the way, he would rather not have taken that military plane. He was still in shock.
Ouyang Gang nodded, tapped his cane on the ground, and said, "Well, you can keep the cultural relics you won for yourself, but you have to donate all 30 million you won anonymously, understand?"
"What?"
Zhuang Rui never expected that a trip on a military transport plane would not only leave him with a sore back, but the ticket was also ridiculously expensive—a full 30 million!
Chapter 403 Dowry (Part 1)
"What's wrong? You're not happy about it? You won more than just 30 million this time, didn't you?"
When the old man saw Zhuang Rui's appearance, his eyebrows shot up. In his opinion, having food, drink, and a house to live in was enough. If he hadn't owed the mother and son so much, he would have made Zhuang Rui take out the more than 80 million yuan as well.
"Of course I'm happy to, of course I'm happy to, Grandpa, it's rare for you to ask for money, I'll donate it, okay..."
Zhuang Rui won approximately 120 million yuan during his trip to Hong Kong, and the antiques he acquired were worth over 60 million yuan. Donating 30 million yuan didn't bother him much. For Zhuang Rui, although he wasn't as wealthy as the tycoons in Hong Kong, this amount of money was just a string of bank numbers now.