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Zhuang Longbao was staying in the presidential suite. After drinking to his heart's content, he simply washed up and went straight to bed, falling into a deep sleep. When he woke up, the hotel staff delivered his breakfast to the room. As he ate while overlooking the sea, he made a phone call to Ma Xiaowei, asking him to help retrieve his car.
This was a small matter for Ma Xiaowei, and he readily agreed.
Zhuang Longbao knew that Ma Xiaowei would have no trouble handling such a trivial matter. He did it deliberately, knowing that in order to establish a relationship with others, one needs to involve them in small tasks. The best way to do this was to ask someone to help with something within their abilities and then provide a generous reward. This way, the other party wouldn't feel burdened or wary, and over time, the bond would grow stronger.
Of course, Ma Xiaowei wasn't Zhuang Longbao's ultimate goal. Ma was merely a bridge, a connection to the group's chief engineer, Gao Ming, and Gao Ming's cousin, Gao Peng. These were the real targets of Zhuang Longbao's plans.
Both brothers from the Gao family were legends in the shipyard. Gao Peng had once been the workshop director and deputy factory director. Later, he left his job to venture into business and had become a billionaire.
Meanwhile, Ma Junhou was in the hotel's buffet restaurant, devouring his food. There were eight plates piled high with all kinds of dishes—boiled eggs, fried dough sticks, xiaolongbao (steamed buns), shredded chicken noodles, dumplings, bacon, fried eggs, raw ham, various pastries, milk, coffee, fruits, and yogurt. It was enough to last him the whole day, and if breakfast was this extravagant, lunch and dinner would surely be grand feasts.
After finishing his meal, Ma Junhou leisurely picked his teeth and patted his satisfied belly. Dressed in his shipyard work uniform, he got into the elevator. Just then, a hotel staff member in a suit and skirt entered and gave him a quick glance.
"Sir, there's a special staff elevator. Please be mindful next time," she said.
Since the hotel was also part of the group, their uniforms were quite similar. Ma Junhou played the part of a humble worker and replied, "I'll take this elevator. What can you do about it?"
The female manager looked at his uniform more closely and realized her mistake, so she politely asked where he was headed.
"The presidential suite," Ma Junhou replied, letting out a contented burp that smelled faintly of bacon.
"You're staying in the presidential suite?" The manager smiled professionally.
"My friend is staying there. I'm just going to say hello." Ma Junhou said, and immediately, the manager's smile grew even more radiant. "Oh, you're Mr. Zhuang's friend! Let me show you the way."
The manager led Ma Junhou to the presidential suite's balcony, personally moved a chair for him, and arranged for him to face Zhuang Longbao while having tea. She then stepped aside.
"Is this what gods live like?" Ma Junhou muttered, gazing down at the shipyard and the vast ocean. He had never seen his workplace and living space from this angle before. This perspective made him think of a phrase: "Ruling the world."
"How's the rest? Resting okay?" Zhuang Longbao casually spread some jam on his toast.
"I added an extra hour at my own expense," Ma Junhou said. "I've spent a month's salary, but it's worth it!"
Zhuang Longbao laughed. "It's fine to relax occasionally, but I couldn't stand it if it was every day."
Ma Junhou didn't believe him.
"Next time, I'll take you to Macau for a couple of days," Zhuang Longbao said. "Let you experience what decadence truly means."
With no plans for the morning, Ma Junhou managed to stretch things to noon and then helped himself to another round of the buffet before leaving. His day of indulgence was unforgettable. If he had to describe his experience from yesterday afternoon to today's noon in a poem, it would undoubtedly be: "One day, I saw all the flowers of Chang'an."
Later, Ma Xiaowei called to let him know the car issue was resolved. After paying the fine, it could be driven away. If he wanted to keep driving, he could remove the plate and put on a temporary one, but it would only be a temporary solution. If he wanted to register the car in Jiangwei, that would be a big project.
"Thanks, Xiaowei. I'll make arrangements for tonight and invite everyone over for a gathering." Zhuang Longbao said. "Same place as yesterday, everything as usual."
By evening, Ma Xiaowei did indeed bring a group of friends, most of them deputy-level officials from local power institutions. This was Ma's circle, and Zhuang Longbao had prepared a pile of gifts for them—an iPhone for each person, with the grand prize being a Rolex "Black Submariner," which was won by the traffic police captain. He looked as happy as a two-hundred-pound child.
Ma Xiaowei sighed in frustration, having longed to reward himself with a "Black Submariner."
The second part of the evening was at a nightclub where they sang karaoke. Zhuang Longbao and Ma Xiaowei sat together chatting. Zhuang noticed the Longines Master watch on Ma's wrist and insisted on swapping it with his own Rainbow Daytona, an incredibly rare and high-end model, which Ma Xiaowei hesitantly agreed to.
The Rainbow Daytona was a new model launched by Rolex last year, with a gold or platinum case and a tachymeter bezel encrusted with thirty-six differently colored gemstones, forming a stunning rainbow gradient. It was worth far more than the "Black Submariner" Ma had just won.
Zhuang Longbao casually mentioned that he would wear the Rainbow Daytona for two days, but Ma knew that once it was on Zhuang's wrist, he would likely never get it back. It was essentially a bribe, and Ma felt uneasy. He had never received such an expensive gift and was worried about what kind of request might follow—a big contract or something else—making things awkward.
But Zhuang Longbao had no such intentions. His only request was to have a meal with Gao Peng.
"I'll try to arrange it," Ma Xiaowei said. "Mr. Gao is quite busy, so he might not have time."
Gao Peng held a higher status than Ma Xiaowei, and the two were not in the same circle. They had little interaction, but they both knew of each other, and arranging a dinner wasn't impossible.
Ma Xiaowei tried contacting Gao Peng through a middleman, asking if he had time for a meal. The response came back: Gao Peng was busy and didn't have time.
Gao Peng was involved in various businesses, and recently, he had been heavily investing in the fishing industry, which had hit a bottleneck, leaving him frustrated and unable to focus on socializing.
Feeling guilty for not being able to fulfill the request, Ma Xiaowei quickly found out that Gao Peng had a drinking session tonight at the same hotel where Zhuang Longbao was staying. Since he couldn't get a formal invitation, he decided to arrange a chance encounter instead.
That evening, Ma Xiaowei reserved a room next to Gao Peng's private room. When someone from the neighboring room stepped out to take a call, Ma casually walked past, pretending to be on his way to the restroom, and struck up a friendly conversation. He then naturally invited Zhuang Longbao over to join them.
Inviting someone to join a table when you're not that familiar can be considered impolite, but fortunately, the table was filled with familiar faces, and many had already heard of Zhuang Longbao, the wealthy Hong Kong businessman known for giving away iPhones.
Gao Peng was a businessman with an imperial demeanor, often proud and somewhat distant, especially when in a bad mood. When Zhuang Longbao handed him his business card, he didn't even glance at it. When asked about his business, Zhuang merely responded with, "A small business."
Ma Xiaowei chimed in, "I heard Mr. Gao has been working on a fleet recently."
This was a sensitive topic. Gao Peng had been struggling with paperwork for the fishing fleet, and it was a sore point for him.
To his surprise, Zhuang Longbao casually said, "I happen to know someone who handles this kind of thing—Director Yu, you know him, right?"
Gao Peng's eyes lit up. The director from Beijing had significant influence, and for someone like Gao Peng, a billionaire, to get a chance to dine with him was incredibly difficult. The fact that Zhuang Longbao knew him was a valuable connection.
"Oh, you're close with Director Yu?" Gao Peng asked casually.
"We're like brothers," Zhuang Longbao replied. "I'll call him right now."
Gao Peng didn't believe it. It was common to see people pulling strings at the dinner table to impress others. Saying "we're brothers" was often just a way to store someone's phone number—when you called, they wouldn't even pick up, and if they did, they wouldn't know who you were.
He was eager to see Zhuang Longbao make a fool of himself. However, what happened next made his jaw drop.
Zhuang Longbao actually made a phone call in front of everyone, and it was on speakerphone. The person on the other end was indeed Director Yu, and their conversation sounded so familiar and warm, as though they were childhood friends.
After some casual chat, Zhuang Longbao asked, "Where are you, Director Yu?"
"I'm on a business trip in Jijiang, having a drink," Director Yu replied.
"That's a coincidence. We're nearby. Come over, I'm having a drink with Gao Peng. I miss you," Zhuang Longbao said.
Director Yu didn't seem upset at all. Instead, he said, "I won't be there until late at night. Can you wait?"
Zhuang Longbao answered, "Of course, I'll wait. We'll meet no matter what."
Then, they heard Director Yu calling for someone to arrange the next train to Jiangwei.
Gao Peng was stunned. Zhuang Longbao's influence was terrifying. Director Yu would drop everything at his call. He had someone fill his glass and raised it, saying, "Mr. Zhuang, let me toast to you first."
Zhuang Longbao also filled his glass, lowered it slightly, and clinked it with Gao Peng's before drinking it all down. He was good at pretending, but just the right amount—too much would make people uncomfortable. He knew how to keep a low profile while remaining mysterious, which was his persona.
Yin Bingsong, who was also at the table, was a sidekick who worked alongside the Gao brothers. However, he never saw himself as just a lackey. He believed that one day he would stand shoulder to shoulder with Gao Peng. He had everything else—timing, place, and people—but lacked the luck. He had taken on many projects, but never seemed able to save any money, spending it all on his brothers. It was the classic saying: "In the underworld, wealth is scattered, and people come together. When wealth gathers, people scatter."
Time passed quickly at the dinner table, and three hours later, no one left. Everyone silently waited for someone to arrive. Sure enough, Zhuang Longbao received a call from Director Yu, saying he would arrive in half an hour at Jiangwei High-Speed Rail Station.
The moment had arrived to show sincerity and strength. Gao Peng arranged a convoy of cars to meet Director Yu. At the high-speed rail station's elevated entrance at night, twelve luxury cars flashed their hazard lights. During the day, this was a quick drop-off area, but tonight, there was no room for subtlety.
To add to the display, Gao Peng called the station master to open the internal passage, allowing his Audi A8 to drive directly to the platform to pick up Director Yu, so that he wouldn't have to walk.
In his off-duty state, Director Yu was approachable. After watching a few rounds of cards, Ma Xiaowei immediately noticed the familiar scent of Maotai liquor. When they met, they embraced, and Gao Peng, smiling warmly, tried to remember who this man was. Zhuang Longbao quickly eased the awkwardness, saying, "Mr. Gao specially came to the station to pick you up."
"Oh, Mr. Gao!" Director Yu remembered, and everyone cheered. They got into the car, with Gao Peng sitting in the front passenger seat, chatting with Director Yu while Zhuang Longbao thoughtfully pulled out a thermos. "Director Yu, your favorite, Da Hong Pao."
This thoughtful gesture made Gao Peng feel embarrassed in comparison.
"Director Yu likes oolong tea, I see," Gao Peng said, trying to start a conversation. Director Yu began to talk about tea, and Gao Peng listened intently, grateful to hear from his superior rather than speaking endlessly himself.
The Audi A8 merged with the convoy, heading toward the city. Director Yu made a comment, "It's a bit too much to cause this fuss late at night, don't you think?" But judging from his expression, he seemed to be enjoying it.
In Beijing, a department head who wasn't well-connected would have to take the subway to work. Only in smaller places could one enjoy such high-level treatment.
Director Yu, in great physical shape, was adept at long hours of work. After a few rounds of drinking, Zhuang Longbao suggested they play a game, and Gao Peng understood—Director Yu loved to play cards.
Locals often enjoyed playing cards, mainly Mahjong or Dou Di Zhu (a popular Chinese card game), but Director Yu was a fan of Texas Hold'em. There weren't enough people in Gao Peng's circle who knew how to play, but he knew that one had to learn, so he played along, "Learning by doing."
Playing poker was always for stakes, and Gao Peng understood the signal. He had cash on hand, always ready for emergencies. He was mentally prepared to lose everything to Director Yu.
They played poker through the night, and by morning, Director Yu had cleaned up, winning an impressive amount. The next day, as he prepared to catch a train back to Jijiang, Gao Peng, bleary-eyed, saw him off at the train station, handing him a small suitcase full of cash. He thought it was understood between them, but Director Yu refused to take it.
"It was just a card game. Bringing cash is just gambling," Director Yu said firmly, not waiting for Gao Peng's response. He simply walked away and got on the train.
Was Director Yu a man of integrity? Gao Peng didn't believe it. It seemed they weren't yet familiar enough for that kind of gift exchange. Even bribery had to be done in a way that both sides could accept. Gao Peng still had a lot to learn about the art of subtle bribery.
Luckily, Zhuang Longbao was there to guide him. "Director Yu values his reputation. He won't take your cash. If you really want to do something, register a company in Hong Kong, transfer the funds there, and when he comes to visit, you can use it for entertaining him."
"That's a good idea," Gao Peng replied, understanding immediately.