Chapter 87
With the Hong Kong racing season about to begin, Ye Tianhui has been extremely busy these past two days. On the one hand, she has to deal with horse training, competition strategies, and various preparations for the opening day, all of which require a lot of effort. On the other hand, she also has to deal with the screening of security guards and servants for the house that the old man mentioned.
Everyone obviously knew that although Ye Wenyong, Ye Tianhui and Ye Wenjing were the ones who were screening and sorting things out together, it was actually an opportunity for Ye Tianhui to place her own confidants.
Ye Tianhui was not polite and quickly promoted everyone. She first hired those people that Gu Shizhang handed over to her, then hired Arong's husband, and selected two reliable servants.
Things like winning people's hearts and placing spies were naturally easy for her to do, and she could do it in no time.
As for the four bodyguards that Gu Shizhang gave her, two stayed at the Ye family, and two accompanied her when she traveled. She didn't need anyone to protect her when she went out, but naturally she had to have some dignity when coming and going.
When one reaches this stage in life, one still has to maintain some appearance.
These adjustments are almost complete and the season has officially begun.
In fact, a few days before the opening day, major TV stations have been competing to report on the event, horse racing news has attracted much attention, and the sales of horse racing magazines have increased significantly. According to inside information obtained by Ye Tianhui, the amount of bets for this horse racing season has also skyrocketed.
According to the race schedule, there are three international Grade 1 races on the opening day. These three international Grade 1 races naturally attracted much attention. The hosts of the TV station’s horse racing channel were discussing them crazily, and the ratings soared.
Every potential racehorse has been thoroughly studied by horse fans, and major horse racing hosts have begun to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each horse. Various secret tips are popular on the market, and horse fans are eager to make a fortune.
Just the day before the opening day, Ye Tianhui held a brief meeting to discuss tomorrow's arrangements.
Obviously Chen Zongwan was a little nervous, after all, this was his first time participating in such a grand event.
He has also seen the current popularity in newspapers and magazines. He is a little-known jockey, and due to the name change and transfer, Long Guang is now also unknown.
In this case, he and the light almost disappear from the audience's eyes as if they don't exist.
Ye Tianhui said, "That's good too. We can pull off an upset. You can win or not. I've researched it. As long as you're in the top five, there's a prize. As long as you get the prize, we win."
Chen Zongwan nodded: "I understand."
Ye Tianhui looked at Lin Jianquan again. Lin Jianquan will play against Black Rose on the second day of the competition.
Lin Jianquan felt Ye Tianhui's gaze, his eyelashes raised, and he whispered, "I'm fine."
Ye Tianhui nodded slightly and said with a smile: "Okay, I have seen that there is no opponent for you in this qualifying round, so my requirement for you is that you must get first place. If you get second place, you lose."
Lin Jianquan: "I understand."
Ye Tianhui nodded: "Rest early, I hope we can win the first battle."
After returning home, Ye Tianhui called Gu Shizhang and the call was picked up quickly.
Ye Tianhui: "What time is it there? Why are you just standing by the phone?"
Gu Shizhang sighed softly, "I was thinking that after you finish your meeting at the racecourse, you might call me when you get home, so I've been waiting."
He laughed and said, "Otherwise, you've been so busy lately, how could you have time to talk to me?"
Ye Tianhui listened and snorted: "What about you? You still have the nerve to say that to me? Go to England to play by yourself."
Suddenly remembering something, he added, "Daddy said before that if he went to a meeting, he would take me with him, but now you're all gone!"
Gu Shizhang laughed when he heard this. "It's the start of the season, so naturally the competitions are very intense. How can you have the energy to go out and have fun? I'll go back in a few days and bring you a gift, okay?"
Ye Tianhui listened to his voice, which was really gentle and had a coaxing tone.
At that moment, I was naturally happy and asked, "What gift?"
Gu Shizhang's voice was gentle: "What do you want?"
Ye Tianhui thought for a moment and said, "I don't have anything special in mind, so let's just have something tacky and expensive!"
Gu Shizhang laughed out loud: "Okay, then I'll buy you some luxury goods, jewelry, or bags or something, they should all be nice. You'll probably be in public a lot this season, so buy some new items so you can use them when you go back."
Ye Tianhui: "Well, let's buy these."
Then he said, "Look at you, you finally know how to give your girlfriend more gifts!"
Gu Shizhang smiled and said, "Okay, it's my fault. I admit my mistake. I have to prepare all kinds of gifts. Next time I go back, I must bring a few bags with me."
Ye Tianhui smiled and said, "That's about right."
Gu Shizhang said, "But I think I am also excusable."
Ye Tianhui: "Hmm?"
Gu Shizhang: "After all, this is my first time in love, and I'm still trying to figure out what to do."
Ye Tianhui: “…”
She chuckled, but was thinking of her previous life.
He really doesn't seem to have much experience.
He smiled and said, "Then you should learn from me."
********
The next day was the opening day. Early in the morning, makeup artists came in to take care of the Ye family members.
After Ye Tianhui was dressed up, she followed Old Man Ye to Happy Valley Racecourse.
With bodyguard cars leading the way, they set off in a grand procession. Along the way, they saw banners waving and large signs with the words "Hong Kong Horse Racing Season" on them, and the streets and alleys were filled with a strong atmosphere.
There were also horse racing fans wearing red clothes on the road, they were rushing to Happy Valley.
Naturally, traffic was severely congested that day, and the police were dispatched to help maintain order.
As you get closer to Happy Valley, the scene becomes even more lively. The racecourse has set up a gong array to symbolize good luck, and invites horse racing fans to enter the venue wearing red clothes in the hope of a "good start". There are also pop musicians performing music on the scene, reportedly to promote the new season.
Inside the venue, a giant hand-painted mural was set up to showcase Hong Kong horse racing and equestrian sports, and a large number of spectators came to visit.
The entrance was heavily congested and crowded, so the Ye family's motorcade entered from another place and then entered the racecourse under the escort of bodyguards.
Old Master Ye led the Ye family members and went straight to the inner field. At this time, the inner field was naturally decorated with all kinds of red decorations that symbolized good luck and good meanings, as well as a big money tree, and large and small bronze gongs used for the opening ceremony.
After entering, Mr. Ye brought several descendants of the Ye family to visit various people. At this time, the backstage was naturally full of bigwigs, all of whom were the richest families in Hong Kong, as well as various powerful people, including the Chief Executive of Hong Kong.
Old Master Ye brought Ye Tianhui and introduced her to everyone. Everyone was naturally surprised to see that Ye Tianhui had outstanding looks and extraordinary temperament, and they praised her highly.
Everyone knew about her experience of how the Hell King defeated the Zhou family's Palace music, and they all asked about it, saying that there was much more to come.
Naturally, someone asked about today's competition and whether Ye Tianhui's Hell King would participate.
Ye Tianhui naturally explained with a smile that he was not qualified to be the King of Hell, and everyone expressed their pity.
There were also many familiar faces in the backstage. The Meng family had arrived, and Old Master Ye introduced Meng Baohui, the head of the Meng family. Meng Baohui was Meng Yinian's father, a middle-aged man with considerable dignity.
Meng Baohui's eyes fell on Ye Tianhui. He looked her over for several times before saying with a smile, "I've heard that Miss Ye is as capable as any man. Seeing her today, I can see that her reputation is well-deserved."
Ye Tianhui greeted with a smile.
She naturally understood that both the Meng and Ye families wanted to gain something on the racecourse this time and wanted to be in the spotlight. The changes in the situation on the racecourse would determine the future status of the horse racing industry, thus subtly affecting the location selection of the reclamation project.
Meng Yinian naturally came as well. He smiled and greeted Ye Tianhui. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, he asked curiously, "Shi Zhang went to England? He's too much. He didn't even accompany you?"
Ye Tianhui pretended not to hear.
At this time, other families also came over, including the Ning family, and Ning's daughter-in-law Zhou Wanlan was naturally among them.
Zhou Wanlan was dressed up in jewels today, looking elegant and beautiful. When she saw Ye Tianhui, she came over with a smile and greeted her, and then introduced her husband to Ye Tianhui.
This was the first time Ye Tianhui met Zhou Wanlan’s husband. He was a slightly pale man, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a somewhat sickly look.
This surprised Ye Tianhui a little.
She didn't like Zhou Wanlan very much, perhaps because the horses of the two families would eventually have to compete with each other, or perhaps because Gu Shizhang's behavior when he went to look after Zhou Wanlan's horses that day made her feel a little unhappy.
However, we have to admit that Zhou Wanlan is beautiful and outstanding, and such a woman should be matched with a husband who is on par with her.
But Zhou Wanlan's husband gives people the impression of being shorter.
This is not about the body shape, but about the temperament. It feels like when this man is with Zhou Wanlan, he will be overshadowed by Zhou Wanlan's brilliance and is destined to be dull.
Ye Tianhui couldn't help but feel a little sorry, but she didn't show it on her face and still greeted him with a smile.
At this time, the opening ceremony officially began. First, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong and the Chairman of the Jockey Club personally started the lion eye-dotting ceremony and struck the giant gong. With the deafening sound of the gong, the horse fans, spectators and contestants present cheered. There was a roar at the scene, gongs and drums sounded, the lion dance performance began, and a music group sang. The racecourse was very lively.
Everyone dispersed and started socializing, asking each other about the market and chatting. Ye Tianhui was also surrounded by a group of people. Some ladies talked to her with a smile, and naturally some people also wanted to ask about the horse racing situation on her side.
Someone also pulled her to beat the small gong together. There were many small gongs placed here, and everyone could beat them for good luck.
At this time, the conference began the draw ceremony, which would determine the order of the three international first-level competitions today. Ye Wenyong went to draw lots on behalf of the Ye family, and the results came out soon. Ye Tianhui's Longguang was ranked in the first international first-level competition.
The first race is naturally the focus of everyone's attention. Even the Chief Executive of Hong Kong and the Chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club will be watching the game. All the horse racing fans present are eagerly looking forward to this first inter-class race.
Ye Wenyong took a quick glance, and then his eyes fell on one of the horses.
That is the Meng family's horse, and its Chinese name in Hong Kong is Jade Mountain and River.
This Emerald River comes from the UK. Since its debut, it has won three Grade 1 championships and once broke the record for the first place winner of Hong Kong racehorses. In the three years since its debut, it has won a total of HK$7.34 million in first place prize money and has also competed in the international Grade 1 Arlington Million Stakes.
Such a horse is naturally a veteran who has been through many battles.
Ye Wenyong's brows were tightly furrowed.
Of course he knew how important the international Grade 1 race on the opening day was. This was prestige, this was an advantage, this was the face of the old man in those upper-class circles, and of course it was also the cornerstone of the Ye family's prestige in the horse racing world.
This has nothing to do with the prize money; it is a competition under the watchful eyes of Hong Kong celebrities.
Ye Tianhui looked at the list of participants and said, "Not bad."
fine?
As soon as she said this, Ye Wenyong, Ye Lizhen and others all looked over, and the other jockeys also looked up.
You are quite confident?
Ye Tianhui: "Isn't this just catching up? Now that we've caught up, even if we're not as skilled as the other party, we have no choice but to bite the bullet and fight. What else can we do? We can't just run away without a fight, right?"
Ye Wenyong took a deep breath and nodded: "Yes, we must bite the bullet and go for it. At least we can get into the top five."
The top five will receive bonuses, so it won’t be too embarrassing.
As he was speaking, Mr. Ye's assistant came over and asked everyone to go over to the VIP viewing seats.
Everyone looked at each other and realized that the game was about to begin.
Seeing this, Ye Tianhui took the list and said, "I'll go over and give my people a few words, and then I'll go to the VIP viewing area right away. You guys go first."
Ye Wenyong: "Forget it, you'll attract a lot of attention if you go over there by yourself later, I'll wait here with you."
Although they did not like each other, the Ye family's reputation was at stake now. If they lost, it would be embarrassing for Old Master Ye, and everyone would be in trouble.
In other words, we are all in the same boat.
Ye Tianhui: "Okay."
Ye Wenyong accompanied Ye Tianhui out of the backstage, passed the horse racing backstage waiting area, and found Sun Jiajing and others. Jessise was holding the horse blanket and frantically working. Suddenly, she saw Ye Tianhui coming over and hurriedly said, "The race is about to start, the race is about to start!"
Ye Tianhui nodded and handed the list of the first level one competition she had just received to Sun Jiajing: "Take a look at it first."
In fact, before this, they had already thoroughly studied all the horses in this international Grade 1 race, including the strengths and weaknesses of each horse, personality traits, and what strategies should be adopted on the field.
This naturally takes a lot of effort, but it allows us to be prepared for any eventuality.
Now seeing the list, Sun Jiajing glanced at it and immediately noticed the Emerald Mountains and Rivers.
A knot suddenly formed between his eyebrows.
It was a tricky horse and he had little confidence.
Emerald Mountain and River is a horse that has experienced hundreds of battles and has made great achievements. It is obvious that the Meng family came prepared. They used Emerald Mountain and River in the first game on the opening day. They wanted to give everyone a warning in the international competition and directly establish the prestige of the Meng family.
As for their side, Chen Zongwan is a novice and has no experience in international competitions, and everyone is unsure about Long Guang's performance.
At this moment, the atmosphere was a little stagnant.
Ye Tianhui naturally felt that everyone did not have the confidence to defeat Emerald Mountain and River.
She looked at Chen Zongwan: "Zongwan, how do you feel?"
Chen Zongwan pursed his lips in silence, then said, "I feel fine."
His voice was hoarse, but soft.
Everyone present looked over.
Obviously, compared to yesterday's nervousness and anxiety, he was surprisingly calm today.
Just like boiling water that has been cooled down into ice, he looked very calm, so calm that there was not a single ripple.
He said, "I think I can do it. I've made so many preparations, just waiting for this moment. I once defeated Palace Music by controlling the Hell King, so today I can still use the Gathering Light to defeat opponents, whether I know them or not."
He clenched his fist lightly and said to Ye Tianhui, "I think I can win."
Ye Tianhui smiled and said, "I will watch from the VIP seat and see you triumph. I have already bet heavily on Long Guang. Today, whether I can make a fortune depends on you."
After she said this, the atmosphere at the scene relaxed.
Jessise beside him also said hurriedly: "I bet too. I bet 500 Hong Kong dollars for Longguang!"
Five hundred Hong Kong dollars, that's one-fifth of Jessise's salary, it's a huge amount of money.
Chen Zongwan smiled for the first time: "Okay, I will win and let you all make money."
Lao Zhou patted Chen Zongwan on the shoulder and said, "Dude, it all depends on you!"
Lin Jianquan, who was standing next to him, also spoke up at this time, "I think you will win, too."
Ye Tianhui looked over. He hadn't spoken a word just now and had no sense of existence at all.
Since he was discovered last time for secretly reducing his food intake and losing weight, he has lost the qualification to participate in the opening day international Grade 1 race.
If it weren't for this incident, he might have been the one competing in the Grade 1 race today.
He remained silent after that.
Chen Zongwan was obviously a little surprised when he heard this.
He looked at Lin Jianquan slowly.
The two young jockeys looked at each other.
Lin Jianquan said, "I'll be waiting for you at the finish line, waiting to pick you and Long Guang up."
Chen Zongwan's lips moved, and then he finally said, "Thank you, Jianquan."
**********
Ye Tianhui and Ye Wenyong went back to the VIP seats together.
As they stepped onto the marble steps, Ye Wenyong suddenly asked, "How confident are you?"
Hearing this, Ye Tianhui glanced at Ye Wenyong sideways, then asked, "How confident do you expect me to be?"
Ye Wenyong smiled bitterly: "Do you want to hear the truth?"
Ye Tianhui: "What's there to hide? Just say it."
Ye Wenyong said, "From our perspectives, I certainly hope you lose, and I hope you lose miserably. But if you lose this time, our Ye family will have already lost the initiative. The land in Shatin has practically staked our lives on it. If we choose another location for this reclamation project, our Ye family will begin to fall apart, and no one will have a good ending."
Ye Tianhui listened and understood. After all, they were standing on a boat. If the boat was flooded, no one would be in a good situation. At most, they could each grab a piece of wood and escape quickly.
She sighed: "Brother Wen Yong, I am satisfied that you can realize this. As for what Second Uncle thinks, I don't need to care about him.
Ye Wenyong: "Don't worry, I will try my best to dissuade Daddy. As for Wen Yin, you don't need to worry."
Ye Tianhui raised her eyebrows slightly when she heard this: "Why should I worry about what she will do? As long as you can control your father, why should I be afraid of her?"
Ye Wenyong laughed: "Indeed, she is no match for you. You did this without anyone noticing, and you dealt her a cold blow."
Ye Tianhui laughed: "Why call her Leng Daozi? Isn't that her relative? What? Do you want to drive your good sister's biological mother out of Hong Kong and prevent them from reuniting as a family for the rest of their lives?"
Ye Wenyong paused slightly.
Ye Tianhui: "Brother Wen Yong, please be more careful. Didn't you send someone to check on Feng Suqin before?"
Ye Wenyong took a deep breath and said, "Yes, I checked."
Ye Tianhui: "If Grandpa knew about this, what do you think he would think?"
When Ye Wenyong heard this, he immediately had a headache: "I was just helping out at the time. This matter has nothing to do with me now, and I will never interfere again."
He looked at Ye Tianhui and said solemnly: "You should trust me, I can still tell the difference between the important and the unimportant."
Ye Tianhui understood what he meant.
To put it bluntly, what is most important to Ye Wenyong is, of course, the Ye family's property and status. As for her, Ye Wenyin, she is just a former cousin, not even a blood cousin. What happens to her is none of her business.
But Ye Lizhen would not give up Ye Wenyin easily, and was still thinking of using Ye Wenyin to stir up some trouble.
He is also a person with unclear mind.
Ye Tianhui said lightly: "It doesn't matter, it's up to you. In fact, what happens to that person has nothing to do with me. She is her mother, not mine. I just want to watch the fun, right?"
Ye Wenyong looked at his cousin and knew that what she said was true.
She had no feelings for that woman. She was just stirring up trouble to watch the fun. She was eager for the mother and daughter to fight. As for who would win, she would just sit on the mountain and watch the fight.
He sighed, "I'm also wondering, you and Third Uncle have completely different personalities."
Originally, they had never taken the Third Uncle seriously. What would he get if he robbed the family property? But now, the Third Uncle suddenly had such a daughter who fell from the sky, instantly changing the pattern of the Ye family's children.
Ye Tianhui: "Let's go and watch today's game. If we win, I'll be happy and you'll be happy too. If we lose, then we'll just stand there looking humiliated and conspicuous!"
Ye Wenyong smiled bitterly and said nothing more. Then the two of them went to the VIP viewing room. Bodyguards and assistants came forward and respectfully led them to the front.
Today's VIP viewing hall has naturally been modified, with special indoor and outdoor areas. The indoor area has the most core VIP area, which is heavily guarded by bodyguards and has excellent visibility, making it difficult for ordinary people to approach.
And in this area, those sitting today are either Hong Kong political leaders or top wealthy families. Anyone who goes out is a big shot who can shake up Hong Kong's politics or economy.
At this time, Mr. Ye was sitting next to Mr. Gu. The two old men were talking and laughing. Sitting on an equal footing with them were Mr. Lu, the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong, and Mr. Feng, Chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Next to them were Meng Baohui, the head of the Meng family, and Mr. Ning, the helmsman of the Ning family, Zhou Wanlan's father-in-law.
Sitting below them were the younger generations of each family.
Obviously, the younger generations who can show up on such occasions are the new forces of the family, and they must be the future successors.
Ye Tianhui saw Gu Zhihan’s father Gu Shili, Zhou Wanlan and his wife, Meng Yinian and others. It can be said that all the main competitors are here.
When everyone met, they were naturally in a friendly mood, greeting each other and chatting and laughing.
Now that Ye Tianhui came over, Zhou Wanlan and Meng Yinian all looked over.
Ever since Palace Music suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Hell King, she always felt helpless and embarrassed when she saw Ye Tianhui.
She naturally wanted to let Ke Zhiming control the beauty of Longhua to defeat the King of Hell and avenge her previous shame, but she had no confidence and no fate.
In this international first-level competition, Hell King was not eligible to participate due to points issue.
As for the horse that Ye Tianhui was competing in now, she had checked it out. It was a horse code-named "No. 67". She only knew that the horse was from the UK, had participated in several competitions and won points, and had carried some weights, but there was no record of its specific experience.
She understood that this "No. 67" was the horse that Ye Tianhui had ridden before. She felt that the horse looked very familiar, but for a moment, she could not remember where this horse came from.
In fact, Long Guang had stopped competing in the UK for a year before he was injured. In addition, his body shape changed slightly after the injury, and he was covered with an eye mask and a horse towel. Therefore, no one thought that Light was the former famous horse Long Guang.
Of course, it was also because Nalong Guang was a foal registered in the UK. Who would have thought that it would suddenly appear in Hong Kong.
The only person who knows about this is Meng Yinian, but Meng Yinian obviously cannot reveal this secret.
As for Zhou Wanlan, she only knew that Gu Shizhang had bought Longguang, but she didn't know the specific circumstances.
When she saw Ye Tianhui, she greeted her with a smile, but remained motionless.
She knew that in the first game, the Meng family's horse was Feicuishanhe.
Of course, she also understood that it was fine for her own family. Losing was just a matter of face and status in the horse racing world. But for the Meng and Ye families, it was indeed a life-and-death struggle, a battle for the future development of two pieces of land, and even a battle for the development pattern of Hong Kong.
Now that she is not participating in the first race, she can just watch and see who will win the first championship of the season.
At this time, Meng Yinian asked Ye Tianhui: "Ms. Ye, one of your horses will also compete in this race, right?"
When he asked this question, everyone looked at Ye Tianhui.
Ye Tianhui smiled and said, "Yes."
Meng Yinian naturally saw that the horse was Long Guang, but he couldn't say anything, so he could only smile bitterly.
After hearing this, the other elders couldn't help but start chatting.
Meng Baohui was rather modest, and said with a smile, "This International Grade One race is packed with famous horses. I'm afraid our Emerald Mountain River team won't be able to compete. It's up to you guys."
When Old Master Ye heard this, he hurriedly said, "What are you talking about? You guys from Emerald Mountains and Rivers have fought overseas several times. How can we compare with you? We are just joining in the fun."
The others, who also had their own horses to participate in the race, couldn't help but have some doubts in their hearts and had their own little calculations. Some of them didn't happen to be participating in the race, so they just smiled and watched the fun.
For a moment, everyone had their own thoughts, which was quite interesting.
As they were talking, the race began. Everyone stopped talking and laughing and looked towards the gate. They saw twelve racehorses already standing there ready to go. Each horse was agile, powerful and energetic.
These are all precious horses of different breeds, veteran horses that have been through many battles, and winners of multiple rounds of selection. Now these BMW horses have gathered together and are about to compete in this racecourse for the first championship of this season.
The game was about to begin and everyone fell silent for a moment.
It was obvious that the atmosphere on the field had become heated, and the atmosphere in the VIP viewing area was also different.
It can be said that the few white-haired old men sitting in the VIP seats at this moment are the highest echelons of the Hong Kong government and the top wealthy families in Hong Kong. They control resources and power that are enough to influence the entire situation in Hong Kong.
The lively conversation here and the financial news would easily become a hot headline.
This can even be said to be a circle that determines the political and financial direction of Hong Kong, and everyone here is well-known.
And now everyone is starting to pay attention to this game.
Whoever's racehorse can compete in front of so many top bosses and become famous, it is not just about money and honor, but also represents its status in Hong Kong horse racing and a deeper level of voice.
When all the weight is placed on such a horse race, the twelve spirited horses and the twelve jockeys ready to go become the focus of everyone's attention.
Ye Tianhui's gaze slowly turned to the playing field.
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