Once wealth accumulates to a certain level, it's really just a numbers game. Take Bill Gates, for example. What's the difference between having $100 billion and $1 billion? It's enough for him to live on for a lifetime.
“Uh, Mr. Zhuang, that’s not what I meant. I really like this horse…”
William blushed as Zhuang Rui spoke. Given his upbringing, it was indeed inappropriate for him to say what he had just said. The British royal family was generally perceived as very gentlemanly, but his behavior just now was rather ungentlemanly.
“Your Highness William, I understand your feelings, but Chasing Wind is truly not for sale. It is my partner, a partner like a friend. Would you be willing to sell your friend?”
Before William could finish speaking, Zhuang Rui interrupted him. In his opinion, if he didn't make his position clear, the other two might also make an offer. Zhuang Rui didn't have time to waste with them.
"Alright, Zhuang, I apologize for my rudeness, and I also look forward to your horse winning the next race..."
Zhuang Rui's words earned William's respect, and for the first time, William used honorifics when speaking to Zhuang Rui.
The Brunei, Bhutanese, and Arab crown princes, who were also interested in purchasing Zhui Feng, kept their mouths shut upon seeing this scene, because Zhui Feng's current performance was only worth a maximum of one hundred million US dollars.
At their level of status, like Bill Gates, they wouldn't make reckless offers just because they have a lot of money. Besides, it would be very embarrassing if Zhuang Rui rejected them.
Moreover, they also had another thought in mind: they wanted to see how Chase Wind would perform in the next match. If he could still show strength surpassing Gunma, then it wouldn't be too late to make another offer.
"Thank you, Your Highness William..."
Having resolved this major problem, Zhuang Rui felt a sense of relief. However, upon hearing William's last words, he became tense again. He had allowed Timur and Chasing Wind to run wild in the final match.
Breaking the world record and winning first place at the speed of the wind is a sure thing, like pinching a snail with nine fingers. But if that happens, these people will probably bother me again, right?
"Should we slow down Chasing Wind?"
The thought popped into Zhuang Rui's mind: "To hell with it, so what if I come in first? So what if I break the world record? I'll just refuse to sell it, okay? At worst, I'll just return to the Xuanrui after the race."
Faced with a group of super-rich people who didn't even know how much money they had, Zhuang Rui felt a little unsure of himself. Although he was certain he wouldn't sell Zhui Feng, resisting the temptation was not a pleasant experience.
Seeing that the matter was over, Bill Gates said, "Alright, if you all have nothing else to do, you can stay here and watch the game. It'll be more lively with more people..."
They had to accept the invitation from the world's richest man, and besides, watching the race together would create a better atmosphere. Everyone nodded in agreement and found a comfortable spot to look out over the racecourse.
This was the fourth match, and the last one of the morning. Aside from Zhuang Rui's unexpected and stunning performance, which caused a major upset, the other matches proceeded smoothly and without incident. ...
"What? They're changing the odds? I bet this morning it was 1 to 20, how come it's 1 to 3 now?"
"Yes, do the odds I placed this morning still count? Your Jockey Club can't just keep changing its policies like this!"
"One to three is one to three, I'm betting HKD 100 on Chase the Wind to win, hurry up and place your bet..."
"I bet 1000 on Chasing the Wind to win. I haven't seen such a thrilling competition in years..."
While Zhuang Rui and others were watching the race from their private box, all the betting areas at the racecourse were surrounded by horse racing fans. The reason was that the odds of Zhui Feng winning the championship, which were originally 1 to 20, had now become 1 to 3. Considering that there were 12 horses in the race, these odds made him a strong favorite to win.
The Jockey Club's odds change greatly displeased horse racing fans, especially after they learned that someone had placed a HK$50 million bet on a winning bet that morning. Those fans who liked to bet on underdogs were all excited, but when they arrived at the betting point, they found that the odds had already changed.
"Everyone, calm down. You're all seasoned horse racing fans, you should know that the Jockey Club can adjust horse racing odds at any time. We haven't violated any rules. Of course, the betting slips from this morning are still valid..."
Staff at various betting points were explaining to horse racing fans that this was the first time they had encountered such a commotion caused by changing the odds. However, they had also never seen a horse win first place after crossing the fence late.
Let alone these staff members, even the owners of the three major gaming companies in Macau are feeling the pain in their hearts right now.
They have just tallied the betting results for the second round. The combined betting on the racecourse and the off-field betting shows that the three companies will have to pay out a staggering 12 billion, while the total amount of bets they received was less than 3 billion. This time, the bookmaker has lost everything.
This was also the largest payout from an off-the-books bet in Macau's history. When the executives of these three companies saw that the horse would run another race, they immediately used their connections to lower the odds from the Jockey Club.
This is unavoidable, because the odds for betting on the sidelines must be higher than the odds for the race itself. Otherwise, people would just bet on the horse race directly, and who would bother betting on the sidelines?
The reason why the fourth wife could still sit in the private box and chat with Zhuang Rui and others was because she listened to the gambling king's words and did not participate in the off-site betting by the other companies. Although the racecourse would also lose 1.7 to 1.8 billion, it was still within the fourth wife's affordability.
The fourth race of the morning quickly came to a close amidst cheers as horse number six emerged victorious. There was a one-hour lunch break, and the horse racing would resume at 1 p.m.
Zhuang Rui had lunch with Bill Gates and others, but after the meal, he immediately retreated back to the Qin family's private room.
Zhuang Rui felt relatively relaxed when he was alone with Bill Gates, but when William and others joined in, he felt the pressure increase significantly. Especially when facing Jordan and the celebrity governor, just having to crane his neck to look at them made Zhuang Rui very uncomfortable.
Throughout the afternoon's races, Zhuang Rui watched with a relaxed attitude and truly experienced the charm of horse racing. The feeling of galloping at high speed on the track reminded him of chasing wild horses on the vast grasslands.
Today's twelfth race, and also the last and most important one, is scheduled for 7 p.m., which is usually dinner time. However, at the Macau Racecourse, this is a moment that everyone is eagerly anticipating.
Zhuang Rui arrived at the stables at exactly six o'clock. Although he felt no pressure, Zhuang Rui still wanted Zhui Feng to come in first place. After all, he couldn't let down Guo Daheng and the others' trust.
“Young man, I admit… I misjudged him. Apart from lacking a bit of stamina, your horse has more explosive power than many European Thoroughbreds…”
What a coincidence! The stable where Zhui Feng was staying was right next to Dr. Shu Wen's. As the horse owner, Dr. Shu Wen was also in the stable with his jockey and trainer.
"Hehe, we'll know how good his stamina is after this match, Dr. Shu. I've always believed, and still do, that Chasing Wind will win any competition..."
Zhuang Rui smiled noncommittally. He believed that after today's final one-mile speed race, Chasing Wind's reputation would resound throughout the world of horse racing.
Chapter 1229 Ignites the Entire Scene (Part 1)
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Shu Wen's expression changed, and he said, "Young man, don't go too far with your words. This competition brings together eleven of the world's best racehorses, each of which has won numerous races..."
There were a total of twelve horses participating in the final race, but Dr. Shu Wen only mentioned eleven of them, clearly not believing that Zhuang Rui's Chasing Wind could be listed as a world-class horse. This was also a rebuttal to Zhuang Rui's earlier boastful remarks.
For some reason, although Dr. Shu Wen really wanted to mend his relationship with Zhuang Rui, he couldn't help but want to say something to put the young man down every time he saw Zhuang Rui's confident demeanor.
Dr. Shu Wen had also analyzed this problem before, and the result left him speechless. It turned out that he was actually a little jealous of Zhuang Rui, jealous that he was so young and could build such a large business from scratch.
It's worth noting that when Dr. Shu was Zhuang Rui's age, he was still a lawyer. He only started to make a name for himself in the business world after taking over his father-in-law's business. It's not that Dr. Shu was intolerant of people; it's just that Zhuang Rui was such an outstanding young man.
Zhuang Rui's father-in-law also came from a wealthy family, but conversely, the Qin family had to rely on Zhuang Rui's influence, making the difference in their status immediately apparent.
"Hehe, Dr. Shu, records are meant to be broken, and champions are meant to be surpassed. From today onwards, Chasing Wind will become a legend in the horse racing world." The race is about to start, and Zhuang Rui no longer wants to hide Chasing Wind's strength. After this race, the glory of Thoroughbreds dominating sprint racing will become history.
"Alright, alright, then I'll really be watching closely, old man..."
Shu Wen was amused and annoyed by Zhuang Rui's arrogant words. Those Hong Kong youths were all juniors, and they all acted mature in front of him. He had never seen a young man as sharp and ambitious as Zhuang Rui before. ...
"Go for it, Wind Chaser! Run as fast as you can! Damn it, let's make those who doubted you drop their jaws in astonishment..."
After entering the stable, Zhuang Rui used his spiritual energy to groom Zhui Feng's body. Zhui Feng hummed comfortably, its big head bobbing as if in response to Zhuang Rui's words.
Zhuang Rui turned to Timur and said with a smile, "Brother Timur, do you know how much money Chasing Wind won in the last match?"
"How much?"
Timur shook his head. He vaguely remembered hearing Zhuang Rui on the phone saying something about betting 50 million, but he really didn't know the specifics.
Zhuang Rui casually remarked, "I bet 50 million Hong Kong dollars on Zhui Feng, and Zhui Feng winning first place helped me win nearly a billion..."
"Ten...ten billion Hong Kong dollars? That...that's how much?"
Zhuang Rui's words startled Timur. In the minds of these grassland men, wealth was measured in cattle, sheep, and horses.
Timur and Batel were considered relatively wealthy people on the grasslands, but they only had one horse farm with a hundred or so horses. If they sold them all, they would only be worth a few hundred thousand. He simply couldn't imagine what a nine-figure fortune meant.
“Hehe, Timur’s father, I plan to donate all of this money to a charitable foundation to help out-of-school children in Inner Mongolia, but I can’t give you any…”
Seeing Timur's surprised expression, Zhuang Rui laughed.
China is simply too vast; no matter how much money Zhuang Rui has, he can't help everyone. He can only selectively help certain regions. He recognized a sworn brotherhood in Inner Mongolia, and of course, Zhuang Rui wouldn't be stingy with his money, since all that money was going to be spent anyway.
"No...no, I don't want to. Thank you, Zhuang Rui'an, for thinking of our great grasslands..."
Timur waved his hands repeatedly, as if afraid that Zhuang Rui would give him money.
"Timur's father, I can't give you that money, but you can't refuse the money that's rightfully yours..."
Seeing Timur's puzzled expression, Zhuang Rui explained, "Chasing Wind won that race and received a total prize of HK$8.4 million. According to the competition's custom, I'm supposed to take 70% of that money, and the remaining 30% goes to the jockey and trainer. We don't have a trainer, so this 30% is all Timur's reward to you..."
"Eight million four hundred thousand, thirty percent?"
Timur was a little confused by what Zhuang Rui said. He pondered the numbers for a while before finally sorting them out. He widened his eyes and said, "Then...then isn't that two million five hundred and twenty thousand?"
"No, no, Zhuang Ruian replied, I can't take this money. It's just riding the Chasing Wind for a lap, right? Anyone could beat that. If it were you, Zhuang Ruian, you'd definitely be faster than me..."
"Timur Anda, listen to me first. This money... you must take it. And after the next match, you might have more than ten million. We're brothers, my wealth is your wealth, isn't it? Don't refuse anymore..."
Zhuang Rui interrupted Timur, saying that the total prize money for the final match was fifty million, which accounted for more than half of the total prize money for the entire tournament. If Zhui Feng won first place, Zhuang Rui would receive thirty-five million, and if he shared thirty percent with Timur, that would still be over ten million.
"Is...is this appropriate?"
Timur's mind was a little numb at this point. Hundreds of millions of dollars in wealth were just numbers in Zhuang Rui's mouth, spoken of effortlessly, making Timur feel an extreme sense of unreality.
"Alright, Timur's father, we'll talk about this later. The race is about to start, so just ride your Wind Chaser as fast as you can..."
Seeing Timur's dazed state, Zhuang Rui dared not provoke him any further. If the guy got too agitated, he might fall during the match, which would be troublesome.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Timur earnestly replied, "Zhuang Rui, don't worry, I don't need the money, and I will definitely come in first..."
Timur wasn't exaggerating. The Mongolian people, who have lived on the steppe for generations, regardless of age or gender, have spent half their lives on horseback. They know horses as well as their own legs.
While Timur may not have been as skilled as the jockeys in modern horse racing, his sense of the horse was unmatched by any other jockey in the arena. Even when he was completely drunk, Timur could ride steadily without falling off his horse; it was an innate instinct.
With such an excellent horse as Chasing Wind, if Timur still can't come in first place, then he really won't have the face to see Zhuang Rui again.
Soon, staff from the horse farm led the participating horses to the starting line and weighed them according to their positions on the track. Timur and Chasing Wind, as temporary additions to the team for this race, were naturally placed on track number twelve.
"My God, am I seeing things? That person is wearing a racing outfit. Could he be a jockey?"
"I think so. There was a race just now, and I think he was the one who ran it..."
"Incredible! Amazing Chinese people! Can someone with this build even participate in horse racing?"
As Timur led Chase into the arena, he attracted the attention of many jockeys and horse owners. Although many of them had watched the morning's race, there was still a significant visual difference between seeing Timur through binoculars and seeing him in person.
Apart from Timur, almost all the jockeys participating in this race were foreigners. They were all famous jockeys with very high rankings in the world. When they saw a tall Chinese man among their peers, the foreigners couldn't help but be a little surprised, and kept looking him over and whispering among themselves.
However, this time the staff on site no longer dared to underestimate Chasewind and Timur. The old staff member who had worked at the horse farm for more than 20 years was transferred to another department because of his inappropriate remarks.
The remaining staff members were all people who had witnessed the miracle created by the wind. They spoke Cantonese enthusiastically to Timur, but their actions were misplaced, as Timur did not understand a single word.
When Timur was weighed for the last time, all the foreign jockeys gathered around. When they saw his weight of over 100 kilograms, they stared at him as if they had seen a ghost, forgetting even to make sarcastic remarks.
These foreign jockeys were somewhat confused. Were they participating in a horse race or an elephant race? How could there be a jockey who was stronger than a horse?
However, with the race drawing closer, they had no time to delve into the matter. Instead, they began to train their horses in various ways, striving to ensure that the horses could unleash their strongest stamina at the start of the race.
With three minutes to go before the race, the jockey and the horse had already entered the starting line, while a group of horse owners stood a little behind, waiting for the race to begin.
"Young man, are you nervous?"
Dr. Shu Wen stood next to Zhuang Rui.
"It's alright, whether I'm nervous or not, the result will be the same..."
Zhuang Rui smiled, looking completely calm and collected. No one in the world knew Zhui Feng's strength better than Zhuang Rui. Zhui Feng could win the match even with only half his strength.
"Is he really that confident?"