The Principality of Monaco is a small country, second only to Vatican City. It is a city-state in Europe, roughly the size of two Forbidden Cities. It's the kind of country you need a magnifying glass to find on a map.
Monaco was originally unknown in the world. It was only after Grace Kelly, the winner of the 27th Academy Award for Best Actress, married His Highness Prince Rainier III, the head of state, in 1956 that this tiny country truly began to be known to the world.
Monaco, located in southern France, is surrounded by France on its north, west, and east sides, except for its southern coastline along the Mediterranean Sea. It is a rare "country within a country" and is incredibly wealthy. For many South American drug lords, the ultimate dream is simply to accumulate enough money to retire there.
This is a country where everyone is a millionaire. There are only two classes in society: those who own jet planes and those who ride buses. One is the local Monaco upper class, and the other is the people who serve this upper class. Nearly 40,000 people come by bus from France and Italy every day to serve the wealthy.
Their gold is as plentiful as sea sand.
However, even the so-called upper class has different classes. For example, although the US president and the Ethiopian president are both heads of state and hold power in their respective countries, their international status is completely different. The former's words, even if they are just muttering to himself, are listened to by the whole world, while the latter's words, even if he shouts himself hoarse, may not be heard outside Africa.
These are different classes within the same plane.
Those in power also have a pyramid, each brick of varying weight and size. And within this pyramid of power, the most important, the most apex, the most eye-catching is undoubtedly the top layer—perhaps it deserves another name: rare.
The Rare Club is at the very top of this pyramid of power.
This is Monaco's tallest building, with a total of 60 floors. The 59 floors from the bottom up are all dedicated to the very top floor, but the important figures they serve don't use this floor; their path leads to the sky.
They traveled by helicopter.
Here you'll see many famous figures, such as those darlings of the media who frequently grace the covers of various magazines. However, here they are merely beautiful vases, yet many still vie to be these vases, considering it an honor to receive an invitation from the Rare Club. The last time Duanmu Ci visited, the singer quietly performing in the corner turned out to be the latest Grammy Award winner from the United States.
However, here he is merely a live "sound effect" player.
Therefore, sometimes the truly renowned people are not the most powerful figures; on the contrary, some unsung heroes are the real power holders. Even Bill Gates, the world's richest man, merely holds a permanent seat here.
The Rare Club was originally established to provide a platform for social interaction among court nobles. The addition of financial elites came later, which led to a pervasive emphasis on family history within the club. It revered established families with long histories rather than newly rich individuals who rose to prominence with the tides of the times.
Here are some long-established bankers whose management style is family-run, they don't cooperate with outsiders, and they refuse to go public or disclose their assets. Therefore, no one knows exactly how much wealth they possess. However, one thing everyone knows is that at least half of the billionaires on the Forbes Global Billionaires List don't even qualify for that position.
This includes Bill Gates, who is only the world's richest man in name only; the real richest man is not actually known to the public.
Aslan once joked, "If someone attacks this building tonight, tomorrow will either be the end of the world or the beginning of a new era of world happiness." While his words may be somewhat exaggerated, they do illustrate a certain truth.
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After a long flight through the clouds, Duanmu Ci disembarked at Côte d'Ivoire's Côte d'Azur airport in France. His detour through France wasn't because he wanted to take a detour, but because Monaco doesn't have an airport. That small principality is a microstate; a large international airport there would probably be roughly the same size as its land area, and they don't have that much land.
Duanmu Ci originally planned to rest in Nice for one night and then take a helicopter directly to Monaco the next morning. However, he changed his mind at the last minute because he suddenly realized that the weather in Nice was not good and it might rain. Such weather was obviously not suitable for helicopter flights, so he decided to go by car directly and expected to arrive when the moon was high in the sky.
Actually, if Duanmu Ci had informed the Rare Club of his itinerary, the club would have sent someone to pick him up from the airport, regardless of wind, rain, or even an earthquake. However, Duanmu Ci concealed his travel plans for some reason, so he had to find a taxi himself.
Approximately 400 francs...
Monte Carlo's restaurants are mostly located on the waterfront, offering stunning views of the azure sea, and are incredibly luxurious—the epitome of luxury. Matching this is the exquisite cuisine; since the 19th century, it has been a destination attracting gourmets. Monaco's chefs are all masters, possessing a profound understanding of how to infuse passion into their dishes. The flavors even change with the seasons, allowing diners to truly feel at one with the ambiance while constantly experiencing something new and exciting.
However, Duanmu Ci had no interest in such refined pursuits; he simply wanted to find a place to sleep as soon as possible. He owned properties all over the world, but not in Monaco, because he felt the environment there was unpleasant. This wasn't referring to the cultural or natural environment, but rather, he genuinely didn't want to be neighbors with certain people.
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