Zhuang Rui thought for a moment and realized that he had about 180 million yuan in funds at his disposal. Of this, 80 million yuan was the result of a bet between Hong Kong and the shipping magnate's family. Originally, it was 110 million yuan, but his grandfather squeezed 30 million yuan out of him. Zhuang Rui just considered it money spent to make the old man happy and didn't care. After all, he had already given away the jade carving ornament worth over 100 million yuan, so why would he care about 30 million yuan?
In addition, there was another 90 million, which was the dividend from the Xinjiang jade mine. It was originally said to be around 150 million, but as the mining of the jade mine progressed, a batch of equipment needed to be purchased, and there were many other expenses. After communicating with the Jade King and Zhuang Rui, the two of them each invested another 60 million. Therefore, Zhuang Rui only received 90 million in dividends this time.
The remaining ten million was transferred by Zhuang Rui from Pengcheng. The 4S Audi dealership has now started to make a profit. After selling more than fifty cars transferred from the manufacturer and paying off the previous payments, there is still nearly fifteen million yuan in the account. Zhuang Rui withdrew ten million from it because he was afraid that he would not have enough money when he arrived in Myanmar and would not be able to afford the good materials he saw. So he thought he should bring as much money as possible with him.
Yesterday, Zhuang Rui asked Ouyang Jun to have someone exchange all the money into US dollars. Now, the checkbook in his bag can issue more than 20 million US dollars, and it is also valid in Myanmar.
It sounds complicated, but it's actually quite simple. Zhuang Rui just needs to find a reputable foreign company, deposit his money into that company's account, and then the foreign company will convert it into US dollars at the market exchange rate and issue Zhuang Rui a limited-amount Swiss bank checkbook.
Of course, not just anyone can do this. Without Ouyang Jun's influence, no one else would go to such lengths.
Zhuang Rui originally intended to open an account directly at a Swiss bank, but after inquiring, he discovered it wasn't as simple as he thought. UBS and Credit Suisse in Switzerland didn't offer personal banking services in China, and even within Switzerland, without a residence permit and address, it was impossible to open an account. As for the $1 million required to open the account, it wasn't a significant amount for Zhuang Rui. Of course, it wasn't entirely impossible; there were intermediaries in the industry, international intermediaries at that, who specialized in handling these matters and could get it done for a relatively small fee. It was just that time was too tight, and he didn't have enough time this time.
"Brother, how much money did you bring with you this time?"
Fatty Ma can only hope that Zhuang Rui is short of money, as that would increase their chances of getting involved.
"More than 20 million..."
"Oh, that's quite a lot, quite a lot..."
Fatty Ma was overjoyed. Twenty million was a lot of money for ordinary people, but it was far from enough to make waves at the Myanmar jade auction. It probably wouldn't even make a ripple.
"Uh, Brother Ma, it's US dollars..."
Zhuang Rui added weakly.
"Cough...cough cough...you...you brat, stop panting when you speak!"
Fatty Ma was drinking tea when Zhuang Rui's words nearly choked him. Over twenty million US dollars, that's almost 200 million RMB! Even Fatty Ma himself wouldn't have such a large sum on this trip. The Song army was the same; they only prepared about ten million US dollars, which is just over one hundred million RMB.
"Hey, brothers, the Myanmar jade auction is huge. My little bit of money isn't enough to handle it. I'll have to rely on you two later. Let's take it one step at a time. Why think so much?"
Zhuang Rui's words made the two men's expressions improve. Zhuang Rui was right. The scale of the Myanmar jade auction was many times larger than that of the Pingzhou jade auction. If the Pingzhou jade auction had tens of thousands of pieces of jade, then the raw jade at the Myanmar jade auction would probably be in the hundreds of thousands or millions.
Jewelry merchants from all over the world will be gathering in Yangon. The three of us combined only have about fifty million US dollars, which is really not enough.
Thinking of this, the two of them chuckled to themselves. They realized their mindset was a bit off; it seemed they had placed all their bets on Zhuang Rui. But this wasn't entirely their fault; Zhuang Rui had created too many miracles in the jade gambling world. His several jade-cutting exploits were now considered legends, circulating in the jade gambling community and attracting those dreaming of overnight riches to join the jade gambling army. ...
"Isn't this weather a bit too hot?"
As soon as Zhuang Rui got off the plane in Yangon, he felt depressed. Although he was prepared and was only wearing a travel shirt and jeans, he started sweating after walking only a few steps. Looking at the sun high in the sky, the temperature was at least 30 degrees Celsius.
Not to mention Zhuang Rui, even Song Jun and Fatty Ma, who were on the same plane as him, as well as the people from the Jade Association, were having a hard time. Just a few hours ago it was snowing heavily, and a few hours later it was sunny and bright. The difference was a bit too much. Fatty Ma was even more resentful than Zhuang Rui, which was understandable given his heavy weight.
"Brother Zhuang, a shower at the hotel will make you feel much better..."
Peng Fei finished the formalities and walked over with Zhuang Rui and his own suitcase. He looked relaxed and seemed very comfortable with the climate.
"Peng Fei, where's your knife? Did you bring it on the plane?"
Zhuang Rui was a little curious. He knew that the members of the Wolf Fang unit had a habit of always carrying a knife, but there was a security check when boarding the plane, and he didn't know whether Peng Fei had brought it or not.
"certainly……"
Peng Fei subtly flipped his wrist, satisfying Zhuang Rui's curiosity, but he refused to elaborate on how he put it on.
Zhuang Rui, Song Jun, Fatty Ma, and the bodyguards walked outside together. They hadn't felt anything while inside the airport, but as soon as they left, they were surrounded by a group of taxi drivers. Looking at those short people dressed in bright colors, Zhuang Rui realized that he was in a foreign country.
"Sir, would you like a ride?"
"Sir, my car is brand new, I just bought it..."
The taxi drivers were speaking Mandarin and were very familiar with picking up passengers. Some of them even tried to snatch the suitcase from Peng Fei's hand. Peng Fei, however, was completely unaware that he was being robbed. He exchanged a few words with the driver in Burmese and then pulled Zhuang Rui into the car.
This so-called newly purchased taxi was incredibly dilapidated. To make matters worse, it didn't even have air conditioning. Zhuang Rui was sweating profusely as he sat there. According to Peng Fei, using air conditioning in Myanmar was a very luxurious thing.
Song Jun had already arranged for a hotel in Yangon. This was during the Myanmar jade auction season; if they had booked a hotel later, well, they would have had to sleep on the street. Anyway, the weather wasn't cold, so they wouldn't have gotten sick.
From Yangon Airport into the city, it's about ten kilometers. Zhuang Rui saw Peng Fei take out ten US dollars and hand them to the driver. Just as the driver was about to give him change, Peng Fei waved his hand, said a few words in Burmese, and then the driver took out a card and handed it to Peng Fei before driving away.
"Boss, the fare is six dollars, and the four dollars is a tip. We can use his car for the next few days..."
Seeing Zhuang Rui's puzzled look, Peng Fei explained it to him. After listening, Zhuang Rui was speechless. He thought, "If you're going to look for a place, at least find one with air conditioning."
Chapter 435 The Great Golden Pagoda (Part 1)
As if sensing Zhuang Rui's thoughts, Peng Fei smiled and said, "Brother Zhuang, most of the taxis in Yangon are Japanese cars from the 1980s. Even if they have air conditioning, it's long broken. This hotel is quite upscale, so it should have cars. However, with so many people staying here, it might be difficult to get a ride when needed..."
The hotel Song Jun booked, called Sedona, is a five-star hotel. Buyers of raw jade from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and many other countries stay at this hotel, which is also Myanmar's state guesthouse.
Every year during the jade auction season, it's very difficult to find a room here. However, the prices are not cheap either, around $300 a night, which is much higher than a five-star hotel in China.
The hotel houses thousands of wool merchants from various countries. The hotel's own fleet of vehicles is simply not enough to accommodate them all. Although the hotel's transportation costs are relatively high, who would care about a few dollars when they come here?
"It's even hotter than Hainan! Hey bro, come on, what are you doing standing here..."
As Zhuang Rui and Peng Fei were talking, Song Jun and the others got out of the taxi. Fatty Ma was wiping his face vigorously with a towel. His white T-shirt was soaked with sweat and clung to his body, showing off his fat.
Upon entering the hotel lobby, a huge oil painting immediately caught Zhuang Rui's eye. It was a sky-blue oil painting depicting a girl in traditional Burmese clothing holding a white jar.
Behind the girl are Burmese jade merchants, haggling with out-of-town buyers of raw jade, selecting raw jade by lamplight, and celebrating with toasts after a deal is made. Their identities can be clearly distinguished from their clothing, and their facial expressions are depicted vividly.
Merchants from all over the world were now standing under the oil painting, taking photos together. On a whim, Zhuang Rui took out a digital camera from his bag and handed it to Peng Fei, asking him to take a picture of him as well.
"Hey, isn't this Boss Zhuang? Boss Zhuang, let's take a picture together..."
Zhuang Rui had just stood there when he heard a greeting. He turned around and saw that it was indeed an acquaintance. It was Mr. Han, the head of Han's Jewelry, whom he had met at the Pingzhou Jadeite Auction. He had even sold Mr. Han a piece of rough jadeite back then.
Fatty Han didn't stand on ceremony. He came over and put his arm around Zhuang Rui's shoulder, clamoring for his men to take a group photo.
"Boss Zhuang, I'm staying in room 128. If you're free tonight, I'd like to treat you to a drink. Oh, Boss Song and Boss Ma are here too, what a coincidence..."
Upon seeing Fatty Han approach Song Jun and his companion, Zhuang Rui wiped away a cold sweat. This Boss Han was being far too enthusiastic; he wasn't a woman who would grab someone's hand and refuse to let go.
No sooner had Boss Han left than a large group of people swarmed around him, greeting Zhuang Rui, asking for photos, shaking hands, and even getting autographs. Zhuang Rui was dumbfounded. He wasn't a celebrity, so what were these people doing?
However, there were quite a few familiar faces among this group of people, presumably people he had met in Pingzhou. Zhuang Rui couldn't keep a straight face and forced a smile as he dealt with them. After everyone had shaken hands and taken photos, Zhuang Rui was covered in sweat and quickly called Peng Fei to get into the elevator.
"Ouch, Zhuang... Ouch..."
As soon as Zhuang Rui entered the elevator, someone reached out and patted him on the shoulder. However, Peng Fei, who was right behind Zhuang Rui, grabbed the hand and, with a little force, the other person cried out in pain.
"Peng Fei is my friend..."
Zhuang Rui couldn't help but laugh when he saw this man. He and this guy really had a connection. He met this kid the first time he was involved in jade gambling, and he also met him when he was accumulating his initial capital for the second time. He never expected to see him again in a foreign country.
Seeing Yang Hao rubbing his hands, Zhuang Rui asked with a smile, "I don't know what was wrong with those people outside just now, they all kept pulling me, it was really strange. Don't mind it, my friend didn't mean it..."
"You don't know? Your name is super famous in the jade gambling circle now, called... something like 'Lucky Boy,' and other people just want to get a bit of your good fortune..."
Yang Hao smiled when he heard Zhuang Rui's words. Zhuang Rui was not well-known when he was gambling on stones in Nanjing. After all, winning a few million or even tens of millions of yuan was normal in the stone gambling circle. But he was a big star in Pingzhou. He extracted top-quality jadeite from two pieces of waste material in succession, which surprised many people.
Not to mention that record-breaking bid, which brought Zhuang Rui a fortune of over 100 million yuan. The story of Zhuang Rui's overnight wealth through jade gambling is now widely circulated in jade gambling circles both domestically and internationally.
People who enjoy gambling are often quite superstitious, especially those from Hong Kong. Before coming to Myanmar, they probably bathe, burn incense, and pray to Guan Yu (a deity associated with good fortune). They also firmly believe that by associating with lucky people, they will also absorb good luck.
"Damn, buddy, I'm a virgin..."
Zhuang Rui was somewhat speechless. "We're men now," he thought, "but we can't go around telling the whole world that." Looking at Yang Hao, Zhuang Rui asked, "Why are you the only one who came to Myanmar?"
"No, my elders are here too. I've been here all day. I just went downstairs for lunch. Hey Zhuang, your friend's grip is really strong..."
Yang Hao felt as if his right hand was being clamped by iron clamps. He had no doubt that the thin young man next to Zhuang Rui could break his arm.
"Hehe, it's because you don't exercise. Look at your physique, you're almost as big as Brother Ma. Okay, I'm here. I'm going to take a shower first. We'll talk on the phone later..."
When Zhuang Rui saw the elevator stop at his floor, he quickly gestured to Yang Hao to make a phone call, and then went out with Peng Fei.
"Brother Zhuang, I acted impulsively just now..."
After stepping out of the elevator, Peng Fei said to Zhuang Rui embarrassedly that he had only learned the skills of killing to survive, and was really not good at protecting people. In addition, his vision was not very clear when he entered the elevator, and when he saw someone suddenly reach out to Zhuang Rui, he subconsciously subdued Yang Hao.
"It's alright, haha, we're all old friends, it's fine. Take a shower and rest for a bit, the jade auction doesn't start until tomorrow, let's conserve our energy today..."
Zhuang Rui smiled to indicate that he didn't mind, casually picked up the room number and opened the door. All the rooms Song Jun had booked were one-bedroom suites with two living rooms. Each room had a shower room. Zhuang Rui and his companion each had their own room, while Song Jun and Fatty Ma, who each had two bodyguards, had to make do and share a room to sleep.
After taking a shower, Zhuang Rui changed into clean clothes, went to the living room, turned on the TV, and was surprised to find that there were satellite channels, including local stations from Kunming and other places. He watched with great interest. He had heard from Peng Fei that Myanmar was very chaotic, so he had no interest in going out to travel. In fact, compared with China, Myanmar's history was that of an uncivilized and barbaric country, not worth visiting.
Zhuang Rui was destined to be busy. He had just watched TV for a while when his phone rang. When he answered, it was his future mother-in-law and father-in-law who had arrived. Zhuang Rui dared not be negligent and quickly called out to Peng Fei, leading him to the restaurant.
"You silly child, why didn't you call as soon as you arrived? I was just telling your Uncle Qin that your plane should have landed by now..."
Qin Haoran arrived two days early. Qin's Jewelry attached great importance to this jade auction, as it was related to the company's raw material reserves for next year, making it a top priority. In addition to the couple, four well-known jade gambling masters also came.
Due to the Myanmar military's restrictions on the export of jadeite rough, it will be quite difficult to smuggle rough jadeite directly from Myanmar jadeite mines for at least the next two years. The soldiers here in Myanmar don't care about human rights; if they catch someone smuggling, they'll just shoot them, leaving you with no recourse.
Therefore, many large jewelry companies hope to make a profit at this jade auction in order to ensure the supply of jade raw materials.
"Hehe, I was just saying I'd call my aunt and uncle after I finished showering..."
Zhuang Rui acted like a good boy at this moment. After all, he had done *that* to someone else's woman, so he naturally had to be respectful to his elders.
"Yes, let your mother go to Hong Kong for a visit when she has time. Oh, and your sister and her family too, they should all come and have some fun. Once Xiaobing finishes this work, we won't let her manage the company's designs anymore, then you two can have more time together..."
Although Fang Yi looked like she was in her early thirties, she was actually going through menopause. She sat there and chatted on and on with Zhuang Rui. Qin Haoran took out an English newspaper and pretended to read it. It was rare for his wife not to bother him, so he figured his future son-in-law would suffer for him.
"Auntie, I need to take this call. Who's so inconsiderate as to call now?"
Zhuang Rui was getting drowsy listening to the phone, but he still had to nod occasionally to show his attention. Just as he was feeling miserable, his phone rang. He cursed the other person for being so tactless, but in his heart he wished he could pull the other person out of the phone and kiss them.
"Hey Yang Hao, I'm at the restaurant downstairs. What's up?"
Zhuang Rui was talking casually on the phone, but in his mind he kept thinking, "Dude, just say you have something to do so I can find an excuse to slip away."
"Let's go out for a walk. I've heard that the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is world-famous. It would be a shame to come all this way and not go see it. Do you have time?"
Zhuang Rui's phone had excellent speakerphone quality, and Fang Yi and Qin Haoran, who were sitting opposite him, could hear the voice coming from the phone.
"Well... maybe not today. I have something very important to do. How about we go tomorrow?"
Zhuang Rui's reply pleased Fang Yi greatly; chatting with her was far more important than going shopping.
"The jade auction starts tomorrow, there won't be any time to go shopping. If you're not going, I'll ask someone else to go..."
Yang Hao had just gone back and begged his elders for a long time to get leave, but among the people he knew, only Zhuang Rui was about his age. He couldn't very well drag an old man along to go shopping, could he?
"Zhuang Rui, go ahead. Myanmar has some really nice historical sites. Since you're here, make the most of it..."
Qin Haoran's voice sounded like heavenly music to Zhuang Rui's ears, but he still pretended to be reluctant and agreed to Yang Hao's request on the phone before bidding farewell to Fang Yi, being extremely polite.
"Peng Fei, is it alright for you to go out for a stroll in Yangon?"
After leaving the restaurant, Zhuang Rui remembered the safety issue, but even if a gunfight broke out outside, he was unwilling to go back and listen to his mother-in-law's nagging.