We're building a super chaebol in Hong Kong

Time quickly arrived at July 29th.

If anyone paid attention, they would notice that dozens of famous Chinese tycoons had recently arrived at hotels in the center of Paris.

The purpose of these people is self-evident; they are all here for the bronze horse-head statue.

Buying this bronze statue will definitely increase their influence, which is beyond doubt.

This is the first 'Twelve Zodiac Animal Head Statues' to be revealed, and the popularity of 'Twelve Zodiacs' in the Chinese community has been extremely high in the past two months.

So high that almost everyone knows about the Twelve Zodiac Animal Head Statues.

And what everyone is most concerned about is where these bronze animal heads are now?

Therefore, if they can auction off the first bronze statue, it is not only a symbol of wealth for them, but also a way to use it to increase their influence.

If they can increase their influence and their visibility, they are willing to spend even tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars.

For these big shots who can be called tycoons in the business world, with a net worth of at least several billion, money is just a number in their eyes.

At this time, reputation becomes particularly important.

Moreover, a good reputation can also provide great help to their careers, and the money spent will eventually be earned back in other ways, and even more!

It can increase their reputation and help their careers, which is simply a win-win situation, so who wouldn't want to do it?

This is also why so many people like to do charity.

Some people do charity not because they are really so loving; in fact, many people have a purpose.

Although they will lose a fortune, they can win the future.

None of those who can make a lot of money are not shrewd, and shrewd people naturally know how to calculate carefully and pave the way for their future.

At this moment, the famous Ritz Hotel in Paris has gathered more than a dozen top Chinese tycoons, including several from Hong Kong, as well as some from Taiwan, Singapore, and even Malaysia.

The Ritz Hotel is located in the first arrondissement of central Paris, next to the north side of the famous Place Vendôme.

The hotel's exterior is extremely understated, resembling a typical European Baroque palace-style building, only five stories high, and the facade design is also extremely simple, about three or four meters wide, with no exaggerated and eye-catching signs in front of the door.

First-time visitors who do not notice the subtle "Ritz" lettering on the window awnings may not realize that this is the famous Ritz Hotel even when standing in front of it.

It is this humility of appearance and the ultimate luxury of the interior that makes the Ritz Hotel deeply loved and respected by the upper class.

The Ritz Hotel was founded in 1898 by César Ritz, known as the "Father of Luxury Hotels in the World," and has a history of more than a hundred years.

Despite its unassuming appearance, it is renowned worldwide for its exceptional service, unparalleled luxury facilities, exquisite cuisine, and high prices.

From the very beginning, César Ritz was determined to build the hotel into a palatial hotel "with all the refinement and sophistication that a prince would expect of his palace," and this vision has remained consistent.

In 1979, when Egyptian tycoon Mohamed Al-Fayed took over the Ritz Hotel, the hotel's pursuit of distinguished quality remained unwavering.

Today, the word "Ritz" has long been synonymous with luxury.

"Mr. He, I didn't expect you to come too."

"Mr. Li, what a coincidence. I presume your purpose is the same as mine?"

"Yes, I also saw Mr. Zhou in the buffet restaurant. It seems that the competition this time will be quite fierce!"

"Why don't we find other wealthy Chinese to jointly bid? Otherwise, with so many people bidding, the final price will definitely be ridiculously high, which would benefit others."

"I have also considered this issue, but with so many people jointly bidding, who would be willing to give up? Anyway, I will not give up."

"After the auction, we can conduct an internal auction, so that we don't benefit others."

"That's true, but it will also cause a lot of conflicts, so it's better to make our own decisions at the auction."

"Indeed."

… …

In the past few days, basically every day in a certain corridor, such interesting conversations would take place.

These people are the Chinese billionaire tycoons who have checked into the Ritz Hotel.

The top Chinese tycoons themselves are a circle, and everyone actually knows each other.

Their purpose in coming here is to bid for the "Bronze Horse-Head Statue."

But no one knows that this "Bronze Horse-Head Statue" is just a fake.

That gang of counterfeiters is indeed very powerful. With extensive publicity, they have attracted so many wealthy people, and these wealthy people are very determined to bid for this fake.

With Su Cheng's current popularity, as long as he issues an announcement, this matter will definitely spread to the world at the fastest speed, and Paris will also know about it as soon as possible.

Time, in the blink of an eye, came to the morning of July 30.

"Uncle Zhang, please help me invite Hong Kong and international mainstream media. At 8:00 tonight, at the central stage of the Tseung Kwan O headquarters base, I have something to announce." At ten o'clock in the morning, Su Cheng made a call to Zhang Qizheng.

"Boss, what do you want to announce?" Zhang Qizheng was a little curious.

"You will know when tonight comes," Su Cheng said with a smile, without revealing the reason.

Besides the Su family, only bodyguards, Brother Wu, and a few others know that Su Cheng owns the Twelve Zodiac Animal Head Statues.

And Zhang Qizheng is not aware of this matter.

Even if he knows that his boss Su Cheng has collected the Twelve Zodiac Animal Head Statues, he would not think that Su Cheng would own the real horse-head statue.

At most, he would only think that Su Cheng might own other bronze statues, and the one at the auction should also be real, otherwise it would not be able to be auctioned at such a large auction house.

After all, this time, what is being auctioned is a bronze horse-head statue.

"Okay, boss, I understand. I'll go and do it right away!" Zhang Qizheng replied directly.

There is a 6-hour time difference between Hong Kong and Paris.

In other words, when it is 8:00 p.m. in Hong Kong, it is only 2:00 p.m. in Paris.

The auction time at the Drouot Auction House in Paris was 8 PM Paris time, as reported in the newspapers.

Therefore, announcing this six hours in advance was enough to doom the Drouot Auction House's auction to failure.

Tonight, Su Cheng would move the real Horse-Head Bronze Statue to the central stage of the Tseung Kwan O headquarters base and personally use this genuine article to prove that the one in Paris was a fake!

Zhang Qizheng acted quickly, and with his extensive network and efficient execution, he soon invited the mainstream media from Hong Kong and internationally.

The news spread like wildfire, and people from all walks of life speculated about what major event Su Cheng would announce, shrouding the entire public opinion field in a mysterious atmosphere.

Su Cheng was a world-renowned richest man, and his press conferences were always about important matters. Just for that, they had to attend, even if they weren't invited, they would find a way to participate.

Previously, Su Cheng had held many press conferences, and each time, it was a major event with a significant impact on the business world.

Some only had a certain influence in Hong Kong, but some things could affect the entire world!

For example, the previous Oracle Computer press conference was destined to affect the entire world!

At the Tseung Kwan O headquarters base, the staff were as busy as high-speed gears.

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The central stage was carefully arranged, and security measures were raised to the highest level.

Everyone understood that tonight's announcement would have great historical significance, and there must be no mistakes.

Su Cheng, in his office, quietly looked at the information about the Horse-Head Bronze Statue in his hand.

This bronze statue was not only a cultural relic, but also a symbol of the history and culture of the Chinese nation.

Tonight, he would show the real national treasure to the world and expose the conspiracy of those counterfeiters.

As time passed, after 7 PM, media reporters successively arrived at the Tseung Kwan O headquarters base.

The Tseung Kwan O headquarters was heavily guarded, fully protected by Tianhe Bodyguard Company. Only those who were invited could enter. Reporters who were not invited could only wait for notification outside.

Nowadays, more and more people live in the Tseung Kwan O area. It can even be said that, according to population density, it has become one of the areas with the highest population density in Hong Kong.

Although it can't compare with Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok, Central, Causeway Bay, etc., it is second only to these places.

Moreover, those who can work and live here are all elite employees under Su Cheng's banner, or the families of employees.

It can be said that the proportion of business elites here is even more impressive than in Central.

The security personnel led these reporters to the central stage of the Tseung Kwan O headquarters base.

After these people arrived here, they couldn't walk around randomly, because there were security guards guarding the surroundings.

The headquarters base houses the headquarters of many enterprises such as Su's Group, Hutchison Whampoa Group, Oriental Press Group, and Jia Yi Film and Television Group. There are many important business secrets, so it is certainly impossible to let these media people run around.

Many of these media people are known as paparazzi, and secretly taking pictures is a frequent occurrence.

Sitting in their seats, they observed the layout of the scene with strong curiosity and professional sensitivity, trying to find some clues from various details.

The atmosphere at the scene was tense and full of anticipation, and everyone was waiting for 8 PM to arrive.

Finally, the bell rang at 8 PM on time.

The central stage of the Tseung Kwan O headquarters base was instantly illuminated by dazzling lights.

Under the gaze of everyone, Su Cheng steadily walked onto the stage.

The audience suddenly quieted down, and all eyes focused on him.

Su Cheng cleared his throat and slowly said, "Media friends, today I am standing here not to announce any important decision, but to reveal a major truth to the world."

He paused, his eyes swept across the expectant faces of the audience, and then continued: "Everyone knows that the Drouot Auction House in Paris is about to auction a so-called 'Horse-Head Bronze Statue'.

But I want to tell you that the bronze statue is just a fake, and today I will show you the real Horse-Head Bronze Statue."

As Su Cheng's words fell, the staff carefully carried the real Horse-Head Bronze Statue onto the stage.

The exquisite craftsmanship and unique historical charm instantly shocked the audience.

Media reporters raised their cameras one after another, and the flashes flickered like stars.

Surrounding the bronze statue, Su Cheng began to introduce its historical background, artistic value, and how he had gone through hardships to collect it in detail.

His words were full of passion and appeal, allowing everyone present to deeply feel the historical significance and national emotion carried by this bronze statue.

In fact, when filming "Chinese Zodiac", although Su Cheng specially provided photos of each of the twelve zodiac animal head bronze statues, he asked the crew to make slight changes when creating the props of the animal head bronze statues.

At that time, Su Cheng had considered this issue. If this movie was filmed, would someone make fakes?

Sure enough, he guessed it right.

Who would have thought that someone would actually use the props in the movie to create a more realistic antique!

Moreover, in order to make the fakes more realistic, they were able to deceive antique experts into believing that the product was genuine, which was indeed a good skill!

In another world, the Horse-Head Bronze Statue was finally bought back by Mr. He in 2007, and he donated it to the Bureau of Cultural Relics. In the end, this national treasure returned to the Old Summer Palace.

Now, Su Cheng, with more than thirty years ahead of time, got this treasure in advance, so there was no need for Mr. He to do anything.

The real Horse-Head Bronze Statue is exquisitely crafted and lifelike. Its posture, including its eyes, open mouth, and slightly drooping ears, is natural and realistic.

The depiction of the hair is also vividly portrayed, delicate and moving.

The natural layering and smooth lines of the mane are even more unique, which is rare on other animal heads.

The movie props, when they were originally imitated, each had a bunch of mane missing on the left and right sides.

If you haven't seen the real Horse-Head Bronze Statue, it's naturally difficult to recognize it.

Su Cheng also mentioned these characteristics on the stage. (End of this chapter)