Reborn in Russia as a Big Shot

Chapter 97 Has a Past Criminal Record

The development of Russia's modern gambling industry can be roughly divided into three stages.

In 1928, the Soviet Union banned gambling entirely, allowing only lotteries and horse racing to operate.

This "anti-gambling period" lasted for nearly seventy years.

In 1989, facing ever-worsening financial pressure, the Soviet Union finally chose to deregulate gambling.

The legalization of gambling led to its rapid development and widespread expansion over the next decade or so.

It reached its peak in 2006, with the number of gaming tables exceeding 5000, slot machines reaching 40, and annual revenue exceeding five billion US dollars.

These are all legally registered and licensed gambling companies.

There are even more unlicensed ones. Just pick any billiards hall on the street, and nine out of ten of them will have slot machines. It's impossible to count them all.

The next key point is the end of 06.

The Kremlin signed Federal Law No. 244-FZ, which only allows gambling in designated areas, and bans gambling in other areas.

The law officially took effect on July 1, 2009.

The casinos that still exist in Russia are operating legally, but this is just a last-ditch effort before the deadline; once that time is up, they will have to close down.

The Xiang family was initially quite interested in opening a casino in Russia, but after learning more about it, they became more inclined to go to Macau.

There are four legal gambling zones as defined by Russian Federal Law No. 244-FZ.

Kaliningrad Oblast is an exclave.

The remaining three, Altai Krai, Primorsky Krai, and Krasnodar Krai, are, as their names suggest, impoverished and desolate regions.

The failure of the casino partnership also indirectly affected Zhang Baizhi's termination of his contract with China Star.

When Yong Ge learned that Li Xiang was attending the Asian Ocean Film Festival in Japan, he brought Zhang Baizhi with him.

Currently, the biggest trend in Hong Kong is Cheung Pak-chi.

Less than two weeks after she and Nicholas Tse officially announced their breakup, she was photographed by paparazzi vomiting during her pregnancy, and all the Hong Kong media were speculating about who the father of the child was.

Is it a case of the father leaving the son, or has a green light appeared?

In a hotel suite, Li Xiang and Zhang Baizhi ordered a meal and ate at the same table.

"How's it going with your contract termination with China Star?" Li Xiang asked proactively.

Zhang Baizhi pouted and said, "I signed an agreement with them not to get married within five years. They said I broke the agreement because I got pregnant. Isn't that bullying me? The agreement doesn't say that unmarried women can't have children."

"Do you need me to help you coordinate something?"

Zhang Baizhi's face lit up with joy. "Can you help me get my money back?"

"How much do I owe you in total?" Li Xiang's expression froze.

"HKD 1580 million." Zhang Baizhi looked up at Li Xiang and said pitifully, "They just want to use my pregnancy as leverage to avoid paying this money."

Li Xiang frowned and said, "Can you stop lying? How much is it exactly?"

Zhang Baizhi stuck out his tongue and explained, "The 1580 million was calculated by my lawyer, who told me to sue them for that much. I calculated it myself to be about four million."

"Okay, leave it to me." Li Xiang suddenly made a request: "After you give birth, have all your tattoos removed."

.

Why?

"I don't want to see it."

Zhang Baizhi realized that Li Xiang was jealous, and said smugly, "Didn't you only want the child and not me? Why are you so concerned?"

Li Xiang retorted with a stern face, "Can't I interfere?"

"Washing it off might leave a scar." Zhang Baizhi carefully observed Li Xiang's expression and discussed, "I'll have a tattoo artist redesign it and change the design."

"You'd better figure it out yourself. You have a criminal record, so be careful." Li Xiang continued eating.

"How do I have a criminal record?" Zhang Baizhi protested. "If anyone has a criminal record, it's you. I thought I was pregnant with the first child, but it turns out to be the third."

"If you have no criminal record, how did you get this baby?"

"You were the one who handled it, does that count?"

Li Xiang rolled his eyes at Zhang Baizhi and muttered, "Before, I was the one thinking about others; now, others are thinking about me. The feelings are completely different."

Zhang Baizhi burst out laughing upon hearing this and quickly changed the subject, saying, "My mom wants to meet you. If you feel it's inconvenient, we can talk about it later."

Seeing that Li Xiang did not directly refuse, Zhang Baizhi quickly added, "I'll tell her first that I promise she won't ask any questions she shouldn't ask."

Li Xiang thought for a moment and said, "Let's wait until after you give birth. Give me some time to prepare. I can't go empty-handed."

Zhang Baizhi asked expectantly, "My dad told me you promised to give me and the child some child support. How much are you planning to give?"

"Will you give birth or not?" Li Xiang jokingly asked back.

"If I give birth, that child will be mine alone. Don't blame me for not letting you see him." Zhang Baizhi looked at Li Xiang with a grin. "I went to see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, and he said I'm having a boy."

"After this baby is born, we'll have another one, so we can have both a son and a daughter. We can have as many as we want, as long as you can afford to raise them."

Zhang Baizhi's ultimate dream in life is to have children and become a mother.

After filming of "Mad Detective" was completed, Johnnie To took over the film production team from Milkyway Image for HK$2600 million.

China Star is a core shareholder of Galaxy Pictures.

Having lost Johnnie To as its trump card, China Star's film production capabilities are nearing collapse, making a commercial transformation imperative.

However, Xiang Sheng's eldest son, Xiang Zuo, still has a strong attachment to the film and television industry.

She officially entered the entertainment industry in 04.

He first participated in film shooting in 05, playing the godson of Master Qin in the action movie "Fearless" starring Jet Li.

He collaborated with Jet Li again this year, playing a bandit in "The Warlords".

"The Warlords" is currently showing in theaters, and Xiang Zuo invited many friends to support it. The movie is indeed well-made, achieving both box office and critical success. However, it's not easy to find him in the movie.

"Where are you?" Yong asked Xiang Zuo privately.

"Three more minutes, I'll be out soon." Xiang Zuo timed it with his phone, his face appearing on camera with precision down to the second.

"Among Hong Kong movie actors, besides Stephen Chow, how many others rose to fame as extras?" Brother Yong tilted his head, lowering his voice as they chatted. "Do you think you can be the next Stephen Chow?"

"The overall economic climate is bad, the industry as a whole is in a slump, it's good enough to get a bit part," Xiang Zuo shared with Yong Ge with a beaming smile. "My dad said he'll be making a new film next year and give me a significant role."

Brother Yong patiently explained, "You're working in the wrong direction."

"Huh?" She turned her head to the left to look at Brother Yong.

Yong said, "Look at how your dad made it in the first place. If you want to make big money, you have to invest in film and television. Occasionally playing a minor role is just for fun. You've got it all backwards."

"Times have changed, I missed the good times," Xiang Zuo said with envy. "Sister Zhi, on the other hand, caught the last train. She had such a high starting point, but she just quit acting to have a baby."

"Let's talk about your business," Yong said, getting down to business. "You know New Century Entertainment, right? They bought the remake rights to a Japanese drama from Fuji Television and are looking for someone to collaborate with."

"Your family has been making movies for so many years, making a TV series would be a piece of cake, let alone a remake, you can just copy it."

"They'll pay for it and we'll film it?" Xiang Zuo thought for a moment, then his face lit up with joy. "This is a good business. The risks are manageable. Even if I don't make a lot of money, at least I can get a role."

"Uncle Yong, my dad said that you have a close relationship with New Century. You asked me out today just to talk about this, right?"

""

"You want me to go home and act as a mediator?"

"Tell me, isn't this a good thing?" Yong Ge didn't deny it and continued, "Let's film a drama first to test the waters. If the ratings are good, we can sign a long-term contract. If you make this happen, you'll be a model father, and no one will dare to criticize you."

"I'll give it a try." Xiang Zuo was indeed tempted.

After finishing their business, Yong-ge continued watching the movie. "Why haven't you come out yet?"

"I was so busy chatting with you that the camera moved past you; there's more to come."