Chapter 148: City of Dreams
The next day, early morning.
Lu Li sat at the dining table, watching with interest at the other side.
At this moment, Liu Kexin was having breakfast.
Her face was slightly flushed, her head lowered, not daring to look at Lu Li at all.
Honestly, Lu Li didn't expect Liu Kexin to take the initiative to kiss him last night.
Although after a brief kiss, possibly due to shyness, she fled from his room.
Nonetheless, Lu Li could tell from Kexin's initiative to kiss him that there was a significant breakthrough in their relationship.
Sure, she hasn't expressed willingness to be his girlfriend, nor has he asked.
On the surface, it seems the relationship hasn't progressed much.
In reality, Lu Li understood that the breakthrough was significant.
At least, he had shifted from a somewhat passive position to having some control.
He believed that just a few more intimate moments with Kexin would completely breach her weak psychological defenses.
It might just be a matter of two or three days.
Unfortunately, he was going to Macau today.
To truly confirm a romantic relationship with Kexin, he would have to wait until he returned from Macau.
Liu Kexin, whether out of embarrassment from last night's kiss or discomfort from being stared at, said softly, "Stop looking at me."
Lu Li blinked and said, "I'm going to Macau for a couple of days, so I won't see you for dozens of hours, making the most of it now."
Liu Kexin paused, lifted her head and asked, "You just came back, and now you're leaving again?"
Lu Li teased her, "If you don't want me to leave, I can skip going to Macau."
"Who's missing you…" Liu Kexin's words trailed off.
Footsteps sounded from the kitchen.
She glanced at Aunt Huang coming out of the kitchen and pretended to be serious, "Well, enjoy your time in Macau, we can discuss things when you return."
Aunt Huang put down the side dishes for breakfast and returned to the kitchen to continue her work.
Lu Li rested his chin on his hand, watching her, "While I'm away these two days, give it some thought. When I return, give me an answer."
Liu Kexin pretended not to hear, just continued drinking her porridge.
Lu Li didn't mind whether she answered or not, but his mind was occupied with thoughts of whether he could win more money in Macau this time.
His investment in engine development was temporarily being handled by Peng Erping.
Things like company registration were trivial, and having someone to help with them was good, Lu Li thought.
Registering the company was one thing.
But after registering, recruiting R&D personnel, management, and getting funds quickly in place is another.
Recruiting R&D personnel and management isn't something he needs to worry about.
Lu Li knew that Peng Erping and the Aerospace team viewed the project seriously and would help gather the personnel.
The only issue was the giant gap of two billion in funding.
All of his assets combined didn't even total one billion RMB.
There's still a nineteen billion gap!
Besides, he can't invest everything into development; he needs to keep some for daily expenses.
Lu Li felt that he needed to raise one to two billion in one or two months at least.
"Macau Casino should allow winnings of one to two billion without issue, anything more depends on how the casino reacts."
Lu Li had previously researched and learned of a Zhejiang couple who won 1.6 billion with 60,000 RMB at Macau Casino.
The event seemed to occur in 2017.
A couple walked into the Golden Sands Casino and took away 1.6 billion.
Many thought it was media exaggeration or a small ad deliberately spread by the casino.
Until the financial report of Golden Sands Holding was released early this year, people realized the event was true.
Back then, Golden Sands Holding's total revenue for the fourth quarter of 2016 increased by over 20% from the previous year.
Yet, net earnings fell by 7.8%.
The company had helplessly acknowledged being affected by "a lady winning every day".
While Golden Sands Holding might lie for stock reasons,
Then the competitor, namely a certain Hua, had no need to lie.
Hua openly confirmed the truth of the matter.
Thus Lu Li could conclude, that the tolerance level for Macau Casino should at least be one or two billion.
"Even one or two billion is not enough. How can I win more in Macau, then meet the goal in Ugly Country, Atlantic City, or Las Vegas by raising enough money?"
This time, Lu Li aimed to bring back four to five billion from Macau.
"We'll see when we reach Macau, there should be a way."
He temporarily knew nothing of the Macau Casino situation, so he couldn't figure out how to reach his goals yet.
But Lu Li was sure of one thing.
The scale of Macau Casino was undoubtedly bigger than in Myanmar.
It wouldn't happen that you'd be blacklisted for winning tens of millions.
As he was pondering this, Liu Kexin finished her breakfast.
She wiped her mouth with a paper towel, as she stood up, she said caringly, "Take care of yourself outside, I'm off to work now."
With that, she took her handbag and left.
Lu Li felt warm inside upon hearing this, knowing Liu Kexin was soft-hearted despite her tough front.
Of course, he also understood that his previous assumptions were correct.
Since Liu Kexin took the initiative to kiss him last night, she had undergone a significant change internally.
With a bit more effort, defining the relationship wouldn't be difficult.
Alright.
Once back from Macau, I will confirm the relationship with her.
Lu Li privately resolved.
...
By noon.
Qin Liang sent someone to drive him to Shanghai.
Lu Li first met Qin Yuyong at the other's home.
Qin Liang seemed to keep his mouth tight, not revealing Lu Li's true identity to Qin Yuyong thus far.
Therefore, Qin Yuyong chatted with Lu Li for a while as if he was a junior, not demonstrating much enthusiasm.
Around 1:30 PM.
The three of them sat in the Rolls Royce, heading towards Hongqiao.
Upon arriving at the airport, Lu Li realized they weren't the only ones going to Macau.
Some of Qin Yuyong's partners were also heading there.
And there were three or four other men.
They all appeared to be in their fifties or sixties.
Although Lu Li didn't know these people, after Qin Liang's introduction, he learned that these few elderly men were all well-known entrepreneurs from across the country.
For example, Cheng Mu, whose net worth is more than thirty billion, runs a renowned pharmaceutical company domestically.
The other three were Xu Min, Hu Jun, and Xue Lan, all involved in the pharmaceutical business with net worths of three to four billion.
It's fair to say that these individuals represent half of the country's pharmaceutical industry.
Lu Li also found out that Qin Yuyong and the four were planning to establish a new drug development company in Macau together.
Initially, he didn't understand why these tycoons wanted to set up a company in Macau.
Only after listening to Qin Liang's explanation did he realize that Qin Yuyong, Cheng Mu, Xu Min, and others had their sights set on foreign exchange.
Of course, a more important reason was to return to the mainland for investment under the name of a Macau company to enjoy preferential policies.
Another significant reason is that a Macau company's operations are unrestricted, an advantage mainland companies do not have.
Lu Li had no idea there were so many intricacies involved in investing in a company.
Of course, he wasn't related to the pharmaceutical industry for the time being, so he didn't chat much with them.
However, Lu Li clearly understood one thing: his micro vision had upgraded, and if he ventured into the pharmaceutical industry, he might achieve surprising results.
Well, there's no rush for this matter.
First, solve the funding needed for investing in engine research and development.
...
It was around six o'clock in the evening.
The plane landed at Macau airport.
As Lu Li and the others arrived, two Bentleys came to pick them up.
Qin Yuyong, Cheng Mu, and others rode in the first car and left.
Lu Li and Qin Liang rode in the second car.
They were planning to find a restaurant for dinner.
In the car.
Qin Liang blinked and asked, "Master Lu, are you interested in spa treatments?"
Initially, Lu Li didn't catch on and thought the other was talking about some treatment plan, so he casually replied, "Not interested."
Qin Liang sounded quite disappointed, "Okay, I was thinking since spa treatments are legal in Macau, maybe we could have some fun together."
Lu Li then realized, "The spa treatments you're talking about, could it be…"
Qin Liang chuckled, "Yes, exactly the kind you're thinking of. Let me tell you, this industry in Macau is very developed. Besides the major 'restaurants' offering spa treatments, some 'restaurants' even have role-play scenarios, and once, beneath the tower at night, one might even stumble upon 'love'—this place is truly a hedonist's paradise."
Lu Li had never been to Macau before, and hearing these stories for the first time, he couldn't help but be amazed. No wonder so many people come to Macau to indulge; it is indeed a paradise for men.
Unfortunately, he has a slight mental cleanliness obsession.
Regarding spa treatments.
To be honest, it's not that he's not tempted.
He just finds it a bit unacceptable.
In the end, the two did not go for spa treatments.
After dining at a restaurant, they immediately headed to the City of Dreams.
Because Qin Liang, as a "VIP," readily had a room in the City of Dreams Hotel.
Therefore, Lu Li and Qin Liang didn't need to queue and wait for hotel rooms like others who came to play.
They had the driver send their luggage to the room.
The two went straight into the casino.
It's said that there are three independent casinos here.
Covering a total area of 420,000 square feet.
The venue features 450 gaming tables.
And more than 1,500 of the latest gaming machines.
As they walked in, a senior management staff member from the casino immediately approached.
He was a middle-aged man in his forties.
Several people followed behind him.
When this middle-aged man saw Qin Liang, he was all smiles, "Mr. Qin, welcome. Would you like to play in the main hall or go to the VIP room?"
As for Lu Li beside him, the middle-aged man instinctively ignored him.
He probably mistook Lu Li for an assistant.
Qin Liang didn't immediately respond to him but instead turned to Lu Li, "Mr. Lu, would you like to play in the VIP room?"
At these words, the people following the middle-aged man frowned slightly.
Entering the VIP room at Macau Entertainment City generally requires meeting several conditions.
Such as having sufficient funds to pay for high VIP service fees, possessing a VIP card, and the like.
In short, to enjoy VIP services, one needs to demonstrate considerable financial strength.
Everyone knew Qin Liang had money, but they had no idea if this "assistant" Lu Li had any, so naturally, they frowned.
However, Qin Liang was a major client, and if he insisted on bringing someone into the VIP room, the casino staff certainly couldn't object.
Lu Li shook his head and said, "I'm not familiar with this place yet. You go enjoy the VIP room for a while, and I'll join after I get the hang of it."
There was no way Qin Liang would miss the chance to curry favor with Lu Li because of the casino.
Without hesitation, he said, "If you don't go, then neither will I."
The several senior management staff of the casino were all quite disappointed upon hearing this.
They originally wanted Qin Liang to go to the VIP lounge for some high-stakes gambling to boost the company "performance."
But it was because the "assistant" was reluctant to go to the VIP room that Qin Liang didn't want to go either.
This left some senior casino managers feeling a bit troubled, wondering if they could somehow get Lu Li to propose going to the VIP lounge.
Lu Li didn't open telepathy and naturally had no idea what this group of people was thinking deep inside.
He looked at the sea of gamblers in the casino, secretly feeling a bit excited, thinking he would triumph and win a lot of money.
Lu Li mused, maybe win a small goal to see how the casino reacts first.
If the casino is okay with it, he'll continue playing.
If, like the Myanmar casino, they can't tolerate his winning too much, he'd have to regretfully stop.
He secretly pondered, hoping this casino wouldn't be so petty.
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