NOVPUBThe race situation suddenly reversed; Happy-go-lucky, as if bewitched, suddenly slowed down, and Rose Flash dashed past like lightning, unexpectedly taking the championship.
This really had nothing to do with Suming.
The racehorses were several hundred meters away from the box and separated by a thick layer of soundproof glass, making control somewhat difficult. Especially since the racing horses, filled with fighting spirit and in a state of adrenaline hormone surge, had a certain resistance to spiritual power.
Besides, this was just a game. If one had to cheat even in this, it would take away the fun of horse racing. So from the beginning, he never even thought about using spiritual power to cheat, not even getting close to the horses before placing his bets.
There was only one reason: Miss Nangong was lucky.
That being said, she followed Suming in betting all night long, gambling more than a dozen times without hitting it even once. Finally, like a blind cat running into a dead mouse, she got it right once. Statistically speaking, it was within the realms of understanding. It was just that the manner of winning was too mysterious.
There’s an old saying that gambling reflects character, which isn’t entirely accurate, but a person’s reaction to winning or losing money can indeed reflect, to some extent, their personality traits and their worth.
Despite the baffling loss, Long Wu merely paused for a moment, puzzled by Happy-go-lucky’s abnormal performance, and then quickly turned around to smile helplessly at Miss Nangong and Suming, saying, "It seems I really had no fate with Happy-go-lucky, Miss Nangong. From now on, you are his owner. I hope you can share some of your good luck with him."
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Having said that, he called someone who looked like a bodyguard and handed over a card, instructing, "Go withdraw seven hundred thousand in cash for this miss."
Otherwise, why would Suming be willing to take Miss Nangong out with him? Not only was she beautiful, but she also had a knack for handling situations. Just a moment ago, she was all worried about losing money like a little woman, but after winning, she didn’t show off eagerly. Instead, she took the card gracefully and placed it back on the table, pushing it towards Long Wu with two fingers.
"Uncle, I was just joking with you. If you won’t take my money, how could I have the cheek to accept yours?" Miss Nangong said with a smiling face, "I’m already happy that you are willing to give Happy-go-lucky to me!"
Long Wu was noticeably taken aback, probably not expecting this seemingly decorative woman to have such a generous side.
Seven hundred thousand might not seem like a lot, but it was certainly not a trivial sum. Even some second and third-tier female stars in Xiangjiang would find it a significant amount, willing to flatter, laugh along, and even sleep with someone for it.
The local entertainment industry in Xiangjiang has been in a slump for the past two years, and not even the top three Miss Hong Kong contestants could command seven hundred thousand.
Moreover, this was money that had been fair and square won, which she could have claimed with pride. Yet, Miss Nangong didn’t even think twice before giving it back.
Long Wu didn’t even glance at the card on the table, smiled at Jacky first, then gave Suming a thumbs up, praising, "Su Sheng, you have good taste and good fortune. Your girlfriend has quite the presence!"
"You flatter me," Suming replied politely, but inwardly he felt very satisfied. With a backward gesture, he gave a thumbs up to Miss Nangong behind his back.
She really boosted brother’s ego, really made Mainlanders proud!
"Jacky, you’re not familiar with Suming yet, but once you get to know him, you’ll see that the girls he takes an interest in are all first-rate," Jacky joked.
Nice words, but why did he have to say "all"? Does it mean I’ve had my eye on a lot of girls?
Miss Nangong gave Suming a half-smiling look, then asked Long Wu, "But Uncle, I’ve never raised a horse before, and I don’t have a place to keep one."
"Wow, your boyfriend runs a zoo, and you’re worried about keeping a horse?" Jacky said.
Long Wu, however, nodded seriously, "Racing horses, if kept in a zoo for people to stare at and take pictures, and for kids to ride for fun, would be a waste. They’d become useless. Su Sheng, if you have nowhere to keep it, you might as well leave it at the Jockey Club after changing the ownership. Pay a fee, and it can be done."
Maintaining a group of racehorses in good condition involves much more than just feeding them well. It requires scientific training, communication with the jockeys, proper nutritional balance, and a whole range of professional care methods, including things as seemingly minor as regular bathing and hoof care, which are actually quite complex.
If one treated them like typical zoo animals, showcasing them in cages for onlookers and allowing children to playfully ride them, it would be like raising a tiger as if it were a pig—it wouldn’t just look like a pig, it’d turn into one.
The zoo had a back mountain with adequate space to ensure Happy-go-lucky’s vigor. However, Suming did not have the professional expertise required, so he discussed with Miss Nangong, "I’ll first take it back to the zoo and let it get familiar with the environment in the back mountain. You, as the owner, can also get closer to it. After it has settled in, we can send it back to the Jockey Club. How about that?"
"Sure, I’ll listen to you!" Miss Nangong nodded emphatically.
"Then, starting from tomorrow, Miss Nangong, you will be a horse owner. Every year, the Jockey Club holds over a dozen international events. If you’re interested, you can come with Happy-go-lucky to compete," Long Wu said.
"Can I win money?" Miss Nangong asked with a playful smile.
"Of course, you can, the prize money from horse racing allows the owner to take 70-80 percent. You may end up winning more money than Mr. Su! It looks like I need to buy another horse. There’s the Turf King competition this December. If you guys compete then, we could all race together."
After listening to Long Wu and Jacky’s explanation, Suming learned that the Xiangjiang Jockey Club hosts numerous international competitions each year, the most famous of which is the ’World Stage, Turf King’ series at the end of each year. This series comprises four international Grade One races held consecutively during the same period: the Longines Xiangjiang Cup, the Longines Xiangjiang Trophy, the Longines Xiangjiang Vase, and the Longines Xiangjiang Sprint Trophy. These races attract the world’s top horse-racing talent.
The four races have a total prize money of nearly one hundred million. That’s why Long Wu had said earlier that Miss Nangong might win even more money than Suming did today. Of course, this is purely theoretical unless Miss Nangong’s horse, Quick Joy, could sweep all the awards.
Speaking of the Horse Club, Suming remembered a rather important matter and asked, "Since you have a horse in the Horse Club, does that make you a member now?"
"I don’t want to be a member. Just the sound of it feels so corrupt. If anyone should be, it’s you," Miss Nangong said.
Long Wu and Jacky looked at each other and shook their heads in disappointment, with Long Wu seriously stating, "She’s a horse owner, not a member."
Jacky laughed exaggeratedly, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is to become a member of the Horse Club? You’re nowhere near qualified."
"Oh? How difficult is it?" Suming asked.
To become a member of the Horse Club, besides being able to enjoy the services of the club at any time, there aren’t any other privileges or visible benefits. It seems like you still have to pay over two hundred thousand in membership fees each year—an absolutely bad deal for someone like Suming who spends most of his time on the mainland.
But the invisible benefits are immeasurable.
Being a member of the Horse Club signifies not just wealth but also recognition of one’s social status and capabilities. People in Xiangjiang often say: to have a house on the mid-levels, a yacht moored in Victoria Harbour, a Rolls-Royce in the garage, and, moreover, to be a member of the Xiangjiang Jockey Club—that’s the true symbol of status.
In Xiangjiang, ’Horse Club member’ is synonymous with the most influential group of people.
After a brief introduction by Long Wu and Jacky, Suming understood that the yearly membership fee of the Xiangjiang Jockey Club was just over two hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars—a reasonable sum among the many upscale clubs of Xiangjiang.
But money alone is not enough to join, as the vetting process is extremely strict.
First comes the recommendation.
There are currently over two hundred core members of the club, also known as selection members. To join the club, one must be nominated by a selection member and seconded by another selection member, and then supported by three other ordinary members. Only then is it possible to be accepted.
Long Wu is a selection member and Jacky an ordinary member. Each selection member has only one nomination quota per year. Although Long Wu’s quota for the year is available, where would he find another selection member to second it?
Even if one gets through the recommendation, the applicant’s background and financial status must be investigated, with any blemish considered a disqualification.
Even if one successfully passes the recommendation and investigation, membership isn’t guaranteed right away.
The Xiangjiang Jockey Club opens up only 25 new membership slots each month, so in most cases, members have to queue and wait.
Once a member, one must adhere to a multitude of behavioral and character constraints, such as being polite to other members, even the waitstaff, and not making a lot of noise. There are strict dress codes for several formal occasions, absolutely forbidding attire like blue jeans, T-shirts, tracksuits, vests, shorts, sneakers, and slippers.
More importantly, in theory, the Horse Club’s recruitment of members doesn’t prioritize economic status or social standing as the primary factors; they mainly recruit ’individuals who have made significant contributions to Xiangjiang’.
As a tourist from the mainland like Suming, who is neither a resident of Xiangjiang nor even has residency rights, it’s practically impossible to become a member of the Xiangjiang Jockey Club.
Besides, Suming had won tens of millions from the club in less than a few days. If we talk about ’contribution’, it would probably be a ’negative value’, definitely falling into the category of a robber.
"They set the bar so high, who are they kidding?" As Suming listened to them, he nodded continuously, but deep down he was somewhat unconvinced.
The idea of character evaluation is a joke. If Long Wu, a mob boss, could become a core member, why can’t I, a proud party member and an outstanding labor model of Yangchuan City, qualify? n𝚘vp𝚞𝚋.com
They were really given more face than they deserved!
It seemed necessary for Suming to come to Xiangjiang every now and then to gamble on horses or something, to win more money from the club!
To let these accursed capitalists, who had grown wealthy by siphoning off the sweat and blood of the working people, taste the might of a good socialist party member’s iron fist! It was a must!
