Chapter 366: Ruthless Man
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
On the second day, Dai Li flew to Capital City for his UK visa. This time, the visa application was extremely easy, with all green lights along the process. British visa officers saw Duke Gaer's invitation letter, didn't say anything, and directly sealed a "pass".
Among British governmental organizations, hereditary aristocracy enjoyed some special rights. After receiving his visa, Dai Li booked a flight to the UK. Fifteen hours later, he arrived at Edinburgh.
Duke Gaer's injury was not severe, in fact, beyond some abrasions, he had merely wrenched his waist. If he had been a young man, after receiving simple massage and having some good rest, he would be fine. But Duke Gaer was an old man in his sixties. As the saying goes, "When getting old, do not match strength with others". A minor wrench on his waist made Duke Gaer completely bedridden.
However, Duke Gaer didn't trust the other therapists, he only believed in Dai Li. He'd rather lie in bed bearing the waist pain than to receive treatments from other therapists. He had been waiting until Dai Li came.
When aging, people get stubborn. It's like domestic elders, who are fooled into buying health products, no matter what the others said, they were willing to spend hundreds of thousands yuan buying something useless.
In the medieval castle, Duke Gaer was lying in bed, receiving Dai Li's massage.
"My horsemanship is excellent. When I was young, I participated in domestic Olympics selection for British equestrian athletes. But who could predict that I would fall off the horse! Ten years ago, making such a performance on a horse was no big deal to me..." Duke Gaer recalled the old times.
"Your Excellency, you just said it was ten years ago. Please remember, you are in your sixties now, and are no longer a young man. How could you perform difficult technical moves as excellent as before?" Dai Li paused, then said: "Besides, you have sat in a wheelchair for a decade, and during this period of time, your body, like muscles and bones, must have degraded. Therefore, you should pay more attention when exercising. My suggestion is for you to only exercise under professional guidance."
"Just because I have been restrained in the wheelchair for ten years, I couldn't wait to go out for a horse ride. I have already wasted ten years, I don't want to miss any more time." Duke Gaer shook his head.
At this time, Thompson, the housekeeper, walked into the room. He slightly bowed to Duke Gaer, then said: "Your Excellency, guests from Hong Kong have arrived, they are waiting in the lounge."
"Huh, I forgot this." Duke Gaer thought for seconds, then said: "I don't want to meet them. Tell them that I don't feel good, and send them away. I'd like Coach Li to massage me for a longer time."
"Yes, Your Excellency." Thompson bowed again, then left the room.
Duke Gaer turned his head to glimpse at Dai Li, then said: "Coach Li, would you like to have afternoon tea with me? My chef has prepared the most authentic Scottish desserts, and black tea from your country!"
"My pleasure!" Dai Li nodded with a smile.
...
Four Chinese men were sitting in the lounge. If Dai Li was here, he would be surprised, for he knew three of them. On the left sofa, sat a man around sixty with a serious look. Next to him was a middle-aged man in his forties. The two were Dingtian Xiao and his assistant Zhicheng Huang.
On the side sofa, there was also a sixty-year-old man, who wore a pair of wire-rimmed glasses, his hair combed sleek. Next to him was a man right above thirty years old. The thirty-year-old was Liang Chai, Hong Kong Chai's family's third generation. The sixty-year-old man next to him was his father, Zhengnan Chai, who was the eldest son of Hong Kong Shipping Magnate Chai.
Shipping Magnate Chai was more that ninety years old. He had retired tens of years ago, and passed on Chai's business to his son, Zhengnan Chai. In other words, Zhennan Chai was actually the man in charge of Chai's business.
The four sat in the lounge, having tea and chatting. But if there were any outsiders here, they would have felt that both sides looked harmonious, but actually deceived each other.
"Duke Gaer had been paralysed in a horse accident, after ten years, and he has finally recovered recently," Zhennan Chai said. "So it's a good timing for us to be here in order to congratulate him on his recovery."
"What I care about more is, whether Duke Gaer is willing to support us on Canadian natural gas or not." Dingtian Xiao squinted his eyes a little bit, then continued: "In my memory, British people are arrogant. This Duke Gaer may ask for an exorbitant repayment."
"Canadian natural gas is a piece of fat meat, a lot of people want it. But current European economics is in a recession, and investors are cautious. I don't think there would be anyone who offers better cooperation terms than we do. Moreover, after gas is extracted, finding a market for it will be a big problem. Except in new markets, European and American countries can not use so much gas." Zhennan Chai tapped his finger.
"Right. Although it's a fat meat, it requires long-term investment." Dingtian Xiao subconsciously lifted his neck, seeming to count gains and losses.
The four waited for a long while, before finally seeing the housekeeper Thompson walk in. Thompson was wearing a pair of clean white gloves, and was holding two delicate paper boxes in his hands.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Thompson slightly bowed, then said: "His Excellency doesn't feel well today, so he can't come meet you. His Excellency wants me to deliver his apologies, and let you know that he really appreciates your coming from afar."
Thompson showed an apologetic look, but the atmosphere among the four guests suddenly deflated a bit.
"To apologize, His Excellency asks me to bring some snacks especially for you. Our dessert chef once worked for Her Majesty and is one of the best dessert chefs in the UK. These two boxes contains freshly made cookies, of authentic Scottish flavor, so please accept it." As he said this, Thompson handed the boxes to the four people.
...
Duke Gaer leaned on the chair, his back was supported by a cushion. He pointed at the tiered cake stand, saying: "Coach Li, my dessert chef once served Her Majesty, but she seemed to not like Scottish cookies very much."
"This tastes really good." Dai Li smiled. "To be honest, I don't know much about European desserts. I can't even tell the difference between British and French desserts. But what I do know is, this cookie is great."
"Glad you like it. I will have my housekeeper bring a box of cookies to you when you leave." Duke Gaer started to enter his chatterbox mode, as it was rare to have someone like his afternoon tea. This led Duke Gaer to begin to evaluate afternoon-tea cultures among European countries.
Dai Li listened helplessly. His eyes randomly glimpsed outside the window, just happening to see four people as they left the castle. Those two people, did I meet them somewhere before? They look familiar! Looks like Dingtian Xiao and his assistant Zhicheng Huang! Thinking about this, Dai Li shook his head in self-mockery, "This is the UK, how would I possibly meet them here? I must have 'Father-in Law phobia'!"
...
"Alright, we have waited for several hours, only to see a cookie box!" Zhicheng Huang sat in the car, holding the cookie box in this arms, complaining. "This Duke Gaer is really good at putting on airs. I mean, a box of cookies, and we are sent away!"
"Two boxes. Zhennan Chai is also rejected by a box of cookies, isn't he?" Dingtian Xiao remained calm, his eyes shining with self-examination. He continued: "I have some responsibility for today's situation. It seems that I overestimated Chai's relationship in the UK."
"President, after you said so, it's likely to be this way. Previously, the Chais boasted how much power they had, as if they could talk to any British nobility, and it seemed that even the queen had to give them face. But when they actually came here, they couldn't even see a duke." Zhicheng Huang continued in his scorn: "Perhaps even the Chais overestimated their status. As a matter of fact, in the past, the old shipping magnate was indeed influential. He was given the title of Justice of Peace, and was greeted by the queen individually for the investiture. People at his status, even the governor of Hong Kong have to show much respect to him."
Pausing here, Dingtian Xiao sighed: "It sounded like he had stepped into the UK's upper class, and became a part of British nobility. But now, it seems that those British never took him as being truly one of them. It makes sense, since Hong Kong used to be a British colony. You regard British as your lord, try hard to show your loyalty, but they don't even treat you as good as a dog!"
"President, what are we going to do? Duke Gaer is not willing to meet us, and we can't waste time waiting for him, can we? Is there any other plan? Or can we inquire about new relationships?" asked Zhicheng Huang.
"It's too late to find other relationships." Dingtian Xiao curled his lip and said. "Zhennan Chai must not be willing to give up. He will make another appointment tomorrow, so let's wait first."
...
"Your Excellency, the men from yesterday, Mr. Chai and Mr. Xiao, they have come back again. Right now they are waiting in the drawing room," Thompson spoke in a standard British housekeeper way, with a deep, rich voice.
"Why come again? Did he make an appointment?" Duke Gaer was impatient.
"It looks like Mr. Chai and Mr. Xiao are assured that they will have Canadian natural gas. They are not willing to give this fat meat up," Thompson smiled and said. "Mr. Chai's father received Her Majesty's investiture, and he has a high status in Hong Kong."
"I'm not going to see anyone without an appointment! Recently, Her Majesty knighted hundreds of people, and if I met every one of them in person, I would be busy until death! Besides, this Mr. Chai is just the son of Knight Chai. Even if his father were here, I wouldn't see him if I didn't want to!" Duke Gaer shook his head indifferently. "As for Canadian gas, I don't lack money, and I have been lying in bed for ten years. I don't want to waste any time on earning more money. Let me enjoy my life. Send them away for me!"
"Yes, Your Excellency." Thompson nodded.
"Uh, has Coach Li arrived?" Duke Gaer asked.
Thompson checked the time on his watch: "An hour ago, our driver went to the hotel to pick Coach Li up. They are about to arrive."
"Then tell chef to prepare more afternoon tea," Duke Gaer said. "Yesterday I had a nice conversation with Coach Li."
Thompson laughed, nodding in reply. He knew well about his duke, and how yesterday afternoon, to say that Duke Gaer was chatting with Dai Li, he would rather say that Duke was giving a lecture, and spouting eloquent speeches!
...
"Mr. Chai, Mr. Xiao, I'm sorry. His Excellency has a full schedule today, and will be meeting an important guest soon. Please go back." Thompson gave them a sorry look, sending the four people to the gate himself.
It had been a long time since Dingtian Xiao was denied an entrance, anywhere. At least in the domestic market, no one dared to slam the door in his face. But this was the UK, not Dingtian Xiao's territory, so he had to take duke's cue before taking action. Duke Gaer's status was only subordinate to the royal family, and hence, was at the top among hereditary aristocracies. If he wanted to show his pride, nobody could stop him.
From his property stance, although Duke Gaer might not be as rich as Dingtian Xiao, he still had billions of pounds. Plus, these British nobility's property usually existed in the form of fixed assets, like land, houses, precious metals, artwork, etc. These things had steady appreciation.
On the contrary, entrepreneurs like Dingtian Xiao's properties mainly came from stocks they held in the company. If the company's share price increased, they might become billionaires within one night, but if the price fell, their property would experience several hundred times of shrinkage. Therefore, the two sides didn't need to look at the other's cue, and perhaps Duke Gaer, with less money, had more priority.
Dingtian Xiao could take temporary setbacks. Although he was refused and annoyed, he still looked calm, and it seemed that he was not affected by his failure at all. Thompson walked out to the castle with them, all the way to the parking lot in front. At the same time, a Rolls-Royce came from afar, it was the car the housekeeper had sent to pick up Dai Li.
Seeing this Rolls-Royce, Thompson immediately applied a professional smile.
"Is this the important guest the housekeeper mentioned? Duke Gaer will probably see that individual." Liang Chai whispered.
Zhennan Chai and Dingtian Xiao involuntarily looked at this Rolls-Royce. They were curious about who the important guest was. Finally, the Rolls-Royce parked. Thompson walked forward to open the door himself, greeting with enthusiasm: "Coach Li, finally you are here! His Excellency has been waiting for you!"
"Coach Li?" Zhizhong Huang couldn't help but repeat this appellation, while Dingtian Xiao furrowed his eyebrows. To these two people, "Coach Li" meant something different.
The next second, Dai Li got out of the car. This moment, Zhicheng Huang looked like an owl, dazed in the tree. While Dingtian Xiao, who never let facial expressions reveal his feelings before, didn't know whether to cry or laugh. Only Liang Chai couldn't control himself, as he shouted out surprisingly: "Dai Li! Why are you here?"
Liang Chai's shouting caught Dai Li's attention. The first person he saw was not Liang Chai, but Dingtian Xiao.
Why is Yunan's father here? Did he chase me all the way to the UK, only to separate us? My future father-in-law is too ruthless! Dai Li's mind was a mess.