Chapter 746: Connections Are Still a Little Short
Branson said with a smile, "I never thought the strange man living here was Mr. Cousteau. To be honest, I was afraid he was going to commit suicide. You said my island has nice scenery and there are fun things to do, but he basically doesn't leave the house for so long."
"Just call me Pascal." Pascal said this and then kept silent, making Branson a little embarrassed.
The three of them were currently lying on the beach, basking in the sun and drinking champagne, while the three women and the Branson family were water-skiing in the ocean. Xiao Peng was surprised to find Marlene's water-skiing skills quite impressive. From time to time, bursts of bell-like laughter could be heard from the other side.
Xiao Peng explained with a smile, "Xiao Pa is just like that. He can talk about anything with his friends, but he doesn't like to get along with others. He has a hard time making friends, but once he makes friends, he treats them wholeheartedly."
"So it's amazing that you can make friends with Pascal!" Branson said.
Xiao Peng smiled and said, "This is really my luck."
This wasn't a compliment. Although Xiao Peng's life had changed since he acquired his superpowers, it had to be said that his life had been smooth sailing since he met Pascal and Fabian. The three of them each performed their duties and worked together very well.
Pascal was eating fruit there. After hearing Xiao Peng's words, he looked up and said, "Same here!"
Branson changed the subject: "Two of the French Trident of Ocean Exploration have arrived. Where is Mr. Fabien Cousteau?"
Xiao Peng explained: "Fabian will be here soon. He is taking care of some things in the UK."
Branson rolled his eyes and said, "So you guys are the ones behind the British Channel 4 thing?"
"Oh?" Xiao Peng looked at Branson pretending to be confused.
Branson spread his hands and said, "I own a financial company. How could I not know about such a major short-selling operation on a TV station? I even lost a lot of money. After all, I'm also a shareholder of Channel 4. Your short-selling was so swift this time, it was a blitzkrieg, and it's considered a classic case of short-selling in the British financial world."
Xiao Peng spread his hands and said, "The three of us are financial idiots. We originally thought we'd just follow the rules and throw money at it. What happened later was just luck."
Branson laughed and said, "'Fate' is an excuse for the weak, 'luck' is a humble term for the strong. I don't know how many people say I'm 'lucky' to have made it this far. Am I God's illegitimate child? Did He give all the luck to me? Behind every 'luck' lies countless decisions and judgments."
Xiao Peng smiled and said, "Branson, we really can't bear your praise like this!"
Branson raised his glass to toast Xiao Peng and said, "Xiao, you have really good taste!"
After saying that, he smiled towards the seaside.
It must be said that Branson is a very communicative person. All men are vain. When you get along with a man, it is easy to get closer by praising the women around him. Xiao Peng is no exception. After hearing this, he smiled and waved his hands and said, "No, no."
His words were a standard Chinese courtesy, but Branson pointed to the sea and said, "Right here, right here!"
Xiao Peng's face darkened after hearing this: "I know you're here, I'm just being polite!"
Branson laughed after hearing this. "Xiao, I know what you mean. KS-LI and I are good friends, and I'm a British person who understands Chinese people quite well! The good thing about you Chinese people is that you work seriously, but the bad thing is that you work too seriously and have no sense of humor at all!"
After hearing this, Xiao Peng secretly complained in his heart, what a pretentious guy.
Who is KS-LI? It's obviously Hong Kong Island businessman Li Bancheng! For years, the wealthy Li has invested in British capital transfers, so it's no surprise that he's become close friends with wealthy British individuals.
But then again, it’s not surprising that Branson knows KS-LI. On the contrary, it would be strange if he didn’t know her: that’s the level of the person.
Branson wasn't being pretentious when he said this; it was just a normal thing for him. It's like someone seeing someone smoking a Huazi cigarette and thinking, "Why are they pretending to be so good by smoking such a good cigarette?" What's wrong with someone making $100,000 a month smoking a Huazi cigarette?
People at different levels consider things differently.
Just like Xiao Peng, although he is rich, he really has no connections. He is not a sociable person. Although he knows a few so-called aristocrats and high-ranking officials, the gap is far compared to Branson. Branson is almost known to everyone in the UK, and the connections he has accumulated over the years are incomparable to Xiao Peng.
"Branson, I can accept that others are serious, but you say I'm serious? Look at us now, we're just ordinary tourists who come out to relax." Xiao Peng waved his hand and said, "I'm notorious for not taking my work seriously."
But Branson shook his head. "Xiao, you can't fool me! The last time you three got together, it was just for fun. The Bank of France gained a large amount of gold. If I remember correctly, your reason last time was to shoot a documentary, right? Why are you here now when the filming hasn't been completed yet? Did you find something here?"
Xiao Peng was stunned and looked at Branson.
Branson handed Xiao Peng a cigarette and smiled, "It's impossible to keep such a large increase in gold reserves completely secret. Gold is a good thing, but the sudden appearance of a large amount of gold will inevitably cause fluctuations in its price. Every country values its gold reserves! Fluctuations in the gold price mean that the reserve capital will be affected, so they will all keep an eye on the vaults of other countries. And the French... you know, romantic people who don't understand the meaning of secrets."
After hearing this, Pascal looked up at Branson but didn't say anything.
Xiao Peng laughed when he saw this scene. It was really interesting to see the British and French people love and hate each other. Even though they understood more principles at this level and were more worldly-wise in dealing with people, these things were still imprinted in their souls.
"Branson, you've misunderstood." Xiao Peng shook his head. "It's impossible that the extra gold in the Bank of France was provided by me. I'm a famous person with a short-lived enthusiasm for things. This time, I'm really here for vacation. I didn't even take a boat this time; I came here by seaplane. Having a girlfriend is exhausting, and I have three. I look so happy, but only I know the pain behind it. They always complain that I'm not with them at sea, so now I can only take time out to have some fun."
Branson clearly didn't believe Xiao Peng's words: "Pascal has been here for such a long time, and it really doesn't look like he's on vacation."
Xiao Peng laughed and said, "That's because you don't understand Xiao Pa. He's a serious homebody. Do you think this strange state is his way of enjoying his vacation?"
"Really?" Branson's eyes were full of doubt.
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