Chapter 722
Returning Home After Receiving the Crown
Xu Bo'an's mind wandered again, but Qin Shao had no time for such thoughts.
Watching the white horse he had brought gallop away, Qin Shao felt a sudden emptiness in his heart, followed by an instant burst of rage.
"You good-for-nothing! You can't even keep an eye on a horse! What a waste of the high salary I've paid you! Go get him back right now!" Young Master Qin berated his attendant viciously.
Before Qin Shao could finish his tirade, the attendant had already given chase in the direction the white horse had fled. He was even more anxious than Qin Shao, after all, this involved his high-paying job! The only remedy to motivate working beasts of burden is a good salary!
After cursing angrily, Qin Shao also chased after them with his entourage.
This horse is extremely valuable; we can't afford to make even the slightest mistake!
Otherwise, they would have suffered huge losses, as this was a white horse that their entire guild had jointly invested in and bought!
The organizers of the Golden Horse Grand Prix also arranged for many people to pursue the matter, but such actions are generally humanitarian aid. Don't expect them to put in a lot of effort or thought. After all, it's not their own business. They'll do what they can, but if there are any difficulties, they'll just go through the motions. After all, these are privately organized gatherings, and many of the staff are outsourced. Do you really expect them to generate millions in profits for you while earning a daily wage of a couple hundred dollars?
The white horse was already fast, and the pursuers had set off late, so Qin Shao and his white horse didn't return until more than an hour later when the Golden Horse Grand Prix ended.
Because the pure white horse, which was most likely to compete with Xu Bo'an's Akhal-Teke, was unable to participate in the race due to an accident, the winner of this year's Golden Horse Award undoubtedly went to Xu Bo'an's Akhal-Teke.
Moreover, with such a top-tier horse, the other participating horses were somewhat inferior, so there were no more amazing moments.
Xu Bo'an's Akhal-Teke horse, Rouge, unremarkably won first place and the Golden Horse Award.
After the competition, Xu Bo'an declined Zhang Wenzhong's driver's offer to stay and left Herui City with Zhang Kai, heading back to Jiangcheng by car.
Just kidding, I'd rather go home and keep such a valuable Akhal-Teke horse in captivity as soon as possible!
Therefore, Xu Bo'an thought it best to go back as soon as possible to avoid being targeted by petty people. Although Xu Bo'an was not afraid of being tripped up by petty people, it was better to avoid trouble and be cautious.
Moreover, he was not traveling alone this time, and he also had to consider the convenience of opening his mouth, so Xu Bo'an did not plan to stay here for long.
Zhang Kai didn't know much about Xu Bo'an before. He only knew that even a rich second-generation like Qu Feifan respected Xu Bo'an, so Xu Bo'an must have some extraordinary qualities. Therefore, when Xu Bo'an asked to come to the horse exhibition with Zhang Kai, Zhang Kai agreed without hesitation.
Today, after this match, Zhang Kai finally witnessed Xu Bo'an's true strength; Xu Bo'an's abilities were truly eye-opening for him.
This incident alone not only made Xu Bo'an famous among the wealthy horse lovers, but Zhang Kai also benefited greatly from following Xu Bo'an. Not only did his racecourse become well-known among many industry insiders, but he also expanded into many new businesses.
At this moment, Zhang Kai felt incredibly fortunate that he had made the right choice to bring Xu Bo'an to the horse exhibition in Herui City, Weizhou Province.
His current admiration for Xu Bo'an is completely different from before; he looks at Xu Bo'an with the same infatuation as if he were looking at a god of wealth.
Xu Bo'an felt Zhang Kai's intense gaze directed at him, and turned to Zhang Kai, half-jokingly saying, "Mr. Zhang, it seems a little inappropriate for me to be staring at me like that!"
Upon hearing Xu Bo'an's words, Zhang Kai looked at him and said with an embarrassed smile, "Mr. Xu, the reason I look at you this way is because you have given me such a great shock today! Please don't take offense!"
Xu Bo'an chuckled and joked, "You're exaggerating a bit! Besides, my horses will still need your help, Boss Zhang, to take care of them in the future. How could I possibly blame you!"
Hearing Xu Bo'an's words, Zhang Kai was extremely excited.
At the horse trade fair, after Zhang Kai learned the true value of Xu Bo'an's Rouge Beast, he thought that Xu Bo'an might change his mind and not entrust such a valuable horse to his care.
After all, that thing is so valuable, it's normal for Xu Bo'an to find a more capable professional horse breeder to take care of it. Unexpectedly, Xu Bo'an did not change his mind, which is undoubtedly great news for Zhang Kai!
Having experience feeding Akhal-Teke horses worth over 100 million yuan is a great asset to his career and business.
Zhang Kai excitedly said, "Mr. Xu, your Rouge Beast is extremely noble. I'm sure many people would be eager to raise it. It's a blessing I've accumulated over several lifetimes that you've allowed me to take care of your Rouge Beast!"
You entrusted me, Zhang, with such an important task; that's a sign of your high regard for me. Now, you're like an older brother to me, and I'll never say no to you, no matter how you treat me. I hope you won't look down on me as your younger brother.”
The Rouge Beast that Chen Shishi gave to Xu Bo'an may not be unique in the bonsai world, but in the real world, it is a god-like existence among all horse lovers!
Owning a Rouge Beast would not only grant a person an extraordinary status among horse lovers, but also help them expand their network and acquire more resources.
Zhang Kai works in the horse racing business, and since Uncle Xu was willing to entrust such a prestigious horse to Zhang Kai, Zhang Kai naturally received many extra benefits.
So Zhang Kai was more than happy to oblige! In Zhang Kai's mind now, Xu Bo'an was definitely his god of wealth!
Isn't the meaning of striving for success precisely to earn respect from others? Who would complain about having too many underlings? Besides, Xu Bo'an has met Zhang Kai several times and thinks Zhang Kai is a decent person, someone he can work with.
Xu Bo'an replied to Zhang Kai, "Zhang Kai, you're overthinking it. Having more friends means having more options. I love making friends, and besides, how could I possibly refuse a big boss like you who's willing to be my subordinate?"
Hearing Xu Bo'an's words, Zhang Kai was overjoyed. A bright smile spread across his face as he looked at Xu Bo'an and said, "Since you're willing to acknowledge me as your little brother, then I'll start calling you Brother Xu from now on!" Xu Bo'an chuckled and casually replied, "You can call me whatever you want!"
While Zhang Kai was excited, he then realized the crux of the problem, and his expression changed from excitement to worry.
Although Xu Bo'an's crimson beast, which he entrusted to him, could bring him many benefits, if he were to carelessly fail to take good care of it, or if he were to have bad luck and the horse were to have an accident, given his wealth, ten horse farms wouldn't be enough to cover his losses, and his fate would be even more miserable.
So Zhang Kai became somewhat anxious and lost again, subconsciously leaning back in the car seat, looking preoccupied.
After Xu Bo'an finished speaking, he noticed that Zhang Kai, who had been chattering away just moments before, was now so quiet. Feeling a little uncomfortable, he subconsciously turned his head to look at Zhang Kai and found that Zhang Kai's face was full of worry.
Xu Bo'an thought Zhang Kai had encountered some difficulties, so he said to Zhang Kai, "Zhang Kai, you don't look too good. Is something wrong? Tell me, maybe I can help you solve it!"
Zhang Kai only came to his senses after hearing Xu Bo'an's words. Xu Bo'an had entrusted such a valuable horse to him, which meant that he trusted him enough. If he were to express his worries at this time, it would seem that he was being too pretentious.
Thinking of this, Zhang Kai stammered, "Brother Xu, thank you so much for your concern, I... I don't have any difficulties!"
Xu Bo'an chuckled softly and said, "Your inner thoughts are written all over your face. You can fool others, but you can't fool your brother Xu! It's alright, just tell me if you have any difficulties. Since you've already acknowledged me as your brother, I naturally have to take care of you."
Since Xu Bo'an had already put things this way, Zhang Kai naturally had no reason to refuse, so he stammered, "Brother Xu... since that's the case, then I'll be frank! Please don't blame me!"
Xu Bo'an pretended to be a little impatient and said, "Hey, stop dawdling like a woman. We're grown men, we can't do this. Just say it already!"
Seeing the impatient expression on Xu Bo'an's face, Zhang Kai quickly said, "Brother Xu, it is a great affirmation and a supreme honor for me to entrust such valuable horses to me in the horse industry. I am very excited!"
But at the same time, I also have my worries. What if I accidentally feed them improperly, or if there's a natural disaster or man-made calamity and something happens to the horses? I wouldn't be able to compensate them even if I lost everything I own!
After hearing Zhang Kai's words, Xu Bo'an finally understood why Zhang Kai had looked so worried earlier; it turned out that this was the problem he was concerned about.
Then Xu Bo'an burst into laughter and said to Zhang Kai, "Zhang Kai, Zhang Kai, I thought you'd encountered some big problem. Turns out this is what you've been worried about. Let me tell you, you're overthinking it."
What you're talking about are all unforeseen and hypothetical situations, as well as unpredictable natural disasters and man-made calamities. Even I, who raise horses myself, couldn't prevent these problems if they occurred. You can rest assured. If such a thing really happens, it can only be said that the horse's lifespan has come to an end. How could I blame you?
Xu Bo'an was very fond of the precious and robust Rouge Beast that Chen Shishi had given him. He entrusted such an expensive horse to Zhang Kai. If Zhang Kai deliberately did not feed the horse properly and caused problems, Xu Bo'an would undoubtedly hold him accountable.
However, Xu Bo'an was absolutely certain that Zhang Kai would never do such a thing. Zhang Kai's business was the racetrack; he relied entirely on the racetrack to make money, and the racetrack was his lifeblood.
By entrusting this valuable horse to him, Zhang Kai would not only enhance the reputation of the racetrack, but also gain many additional benefits. It would be entirely advantageous for Zhang Kai. If he were to deliberately harm Xu Bo'an's Rouge Beast, it would be tantamount to ruining his future. Even a fool wouldn't do that, let alone the shrewd Zhang Kai.
Xu Bo'an was very confident that if he entrusted the horse to Zhang Kai for feeding, Zhang Kai would take even better care of it than he would himself, which is why Xu Bo'an dared to say this to Zhang Kai.
Upon hearing Xu Bo'an's words, Zhang Kai felt a huge weight lifted from his heart. He patted his chest and quickly declared, "Brother Xu, since you've said so, then rest assured to entrust the horse to me. I will cherish this horse more than my own life!"
Xu Bo'an nodded in satisfaction after hearing Zhang Kai's words.
The two chatted idly for a while, ate a quick bite on the way, and then the car entered the Jiangcheng Expressway entrance.
Zhang Kai said, "Brother Xu, you've had a hard time these past few days. I'll take you to the most luxurious hotel in Jiangcheng to relax and unwind!"
Because Xu Bo'an met Zhang Kai in Zhang Kai's hometown village when he came to Jiangcheng, and his big red pickup truck is still parked at the entrance of the village.
Xu Bo'an waved his hand and said, "No need, my car is still parked at the entrance of your village. Just drop me off at the village entrance and I'll stay there tonight!"
Zhang Kai was from this village and knew the current situation there. The entire village had been relocated, leaving no place to live. So he said, "Brother Xu, there's nowhere to stay in that village right now. I'll take you there in a bit, and we'll go with you and then come back."
Xu Bo'an said, "I recently rented that area of the back mountain in your village. My friend built a few houses there, and I'll stay there tonight."
Zhang Kai was unaware that Xu Bo'an had already leased the large area of hills behind their village. He was quite surprised to hear Xu Bo'an's words and said, "No, Brother Xu, there's nothing worth investing in about the hills behind your village. What are you doing there?"
After Zhang Kai finished speaking, he realized that what he said was somewhat inappropriate. After all, everyone has their own privacy, and Xu Bo'an must have his own reasons for being willing to take on the contract!
Zhang Kai hurriedly added, "Brother Xu, I grew up there. Not only is the place quite remote, but the entire village has been relocated in recent years, so it's practically a desolate wilderness! I was worried that your investment might fail, so I asked you that in my anxiety. Please don't take offense!"
Xu Bo'an said, "I know you asked because you care about me. Why would I blame you for such a small thing? I contracted that mountain because I plan to develop it. I haven't thought about what to do with it yet, but it will probably be related to tourism."
Zhang Kai's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing Xu Bo'an's words. This tycoon truly embodied the phrase "rich and willful." (End of Chapter)