I remember Huan told me that the underground parking spaces here are reserved for members, but the parking space number Fang Nan mentioned was actually one of those small, separate garages at the very back! This really surprised me.
It seems that Fang Nan has a very high membership status here!
I took the elevator up to the fourth floor of the hotel, where there was a coffee shop, but it looked rather empty. As soon as I entered, I saw Minister Kim and two men sitting there chatting, each with a cigar in their hand. At the same table were two young, beautiful women, exquisitely dressed in very expensive and tasteful clothes, exuding an air of nobility and elegance.
"Miss Fang!" Minister Jin saw us from afar and immediately stood up. Then he looked at me, who was standing next to Fang Nan, and said, "Oh, our God of Gamblers has arrived too!" After saying that, he stretched out his arms and actually came over to give me a warm hug.
I was somewhat surprised; Minister Kim's enthusiasm had exceeded my expectations. He remained as straightforward as ever, a smile on his face, his features sharp, his eyes bright and full of energy. He said to me, "I've been waiting for you for a long time, always wanting to spar with you again!"
Then, almost ignoring Fang Nan, he pulled me aside and smiled at the other two men, saying, "Let me introduce you... Park Yong-dae, my friend, a famous expert in Jeju Island casinos! I specifically brought him here to China for sightseeing!" I glanced at him; he was an ordinary-looking man, in his thirties, of medium build, with nothing particularly remarkable about him. The only thing that caught my attention was the occasional glint of shrewdness in his eyes. He was Korean and apparently didn't understand Chinese; he simply nodded at me and shook my hand.
“This is an old friend of mine. I didn’t expect him to be traveling in mainland China. We just met yesterday.” Minister Jin pointed to the last man and laughed, “Hey! Why are you still sitting? Don’t hide! Are you being shy like a woman? Come on, come on!” He pulled the man up, and I was stunned after just one glance at him!
Tall and slender, with the physique of a male model, handsome face, refined demeanor, and a calm and composed smile in his eyes... This person was actually Li Wenjing!
Li Wenjing looked at me calmly and said, "Hello, Chen Yang, we meet again." Then he extended his hand to me.
I snapped out of my daze and said, "Hello, Mr. Li," shaking his hand.
"You two actually know each other?" Minister Jin asked, somewhat surprised. But then he laughed loudly, "Not surprising! You're both Chinese, and both skilled gamblers, so it's not unusual for you to know each other... Sigh. But Li Wenjing, why didn't you introduce us to this highly skilled card player earlier?"
Li Wenjing squinted at me, a hint of amusement in his eyes: "I didn't know Chen Yang could play cards... We've only known each other for a short time."
Li Wenjing then turned to face Fang Nan. He looked at Fang Nan's bright and beautiful appearance, and his eyes were slightly dazed for a moment. Then he calmed down, a smile appeared on his lips, and he said calmly, "Hello, ma'am. I am Li Wenjing."
Fang Nan didn't react much. He simply said, "Shenlan Entertainment, Fang Nan."
Minister Kim seemed to be in high spirits, gesturing with his hands and laughing, "Alright, alright. Now that everyone's here, and with so many card-playing masters, we should have a good match today!"
Fang Nan smiled and interrupted him: "Minister Jin, you didn't call me here just to play cards, did you? Let's talk business first."
Unexpectedly, Minister Jin's eyes revealed a cunning glint as he smiled and said, "It's still early, still early! We can talk about things slowly, there's no rush. What do you say, Miss Fang?"
Li Wenjing looked at me and said with a smile, "Chen Yang, I didn't expect to see you here. You haven't come to have tea with me these past two days!"
I gave a wry smile: "Too busy, bogged down in mundane affairs."
"However, I really didn't expect that you would be such a skilled card player... Don't be so quick to deny it, our Minister Kim doesn't lie easily."
Minister Jin immediately laughed and said, "Not bad, not bad! To be honest, I sparred with Chen Yang once, and the scene when we played against each other still gives me the chills! I've never lost so badly before!"
Minister Kim then introduced the two beautiful women standing next to him.
These two are both beautiful Korean women. They had been standing quietly to the side since we came in. They waited quietly until we finished exchanging pleasantries, and only stepped forward when they heard Minister Kim's greeting. Their faces showed no displeasure at being ignored; they were both smiling.
I'd heard that South Korea is a patriarchal society with strong traditional patriarchal customs, and it seems that's indeed the case. Women's status is far lower than men's!
Let me introduce them. These two beautiful women both work for Minister Kim's company. One is in charge of performing arts training, and the other is in charge of public relations.
Looking at these two beautiful women, both with exquisite features and makeup, they are clearly outstanding women, yet they somehow give me a strange feeling.
Hmm, it suddenly occurred to me that most of the beautiful women in South Korea are the result of plastic surgery. These two have probably had corrective procedures too...
But as soon as I took a closer look at the two Korean beauties, Fang Nan next to me immediately showed a hint of jealousy in her eyes, so I quickly looked away.
Li Wenjing kept smiling calmly, but I had already learned a bit about this guy; he was definitely a man of few words.
"Mr. Li, do you like playing cards?" I asked him with a smile.
Before Li Wenjing could speak, Minister Jin patted him hard on the shoulder: "Him? He's a freak! From horseback riding and playing ball to wine tasting and cigars to gardening and chess, there's nothing this guy can't do! As for playing cards, he's a platinum member of the Asian Bridge Association! Do you think he can't play cards?"
Book 1: A Man in the Martial World, Helpless in His Own Way - Chapter 92: The Great Gamble (Part 1)
Stepping into the elevator, we followed Minister Kim to the hotel's rooftop casino... It was clear Minister Kim was a regular there. I knew the elevator to the casino was reserved for special members and was absolutely inaccessible by ordinary people!
In broad daylight, the casino seemed deserted, but all the security guards and staff remained well-trained and on duty. I looked around but didn't see Cang Yu, and even the beautiful women who accompanied the customers in the casino seemed to have disappeared.
Many of the gaming tables were even empty.
It seems there are very few customers here during the day.
"Actually, this place isn't open during the day," Minister Jin chuckled. "But when a person's gambling addiction kicks in, it doesn't matter whether it's day or night. Right now, my hands are itching to play! If I don't get a couple of good hands, I probably won't even be able to sit still!"
Li Wenjing didn't say anything, just smiled faintly. Then he said a few words to that Pulongda in Korean, which I couldn't understand.
"Minister Jin..." Fang Nan's brows furrowed slightly.
“Oh, Ms. Fang.” Minister Jin smiled and said in a low voice, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to delay our conversation. Actually, the cooperation documents have already been brought by two ladies from my company. To be honest, we’ve already made our bottom line clear, and it seems our disagreement is still on that last five percent. However, I have a little interesting suggestion that you might find interesting.”
"What?" Fang Nan asked coldly.
"I'm a gambler. Or rather, I'm someone with the personality of a gambler." Minister Jin smiled meaningfully. "Actually, in our cooperation, that five percent price is just a small amount for you, Miss, or for me. It's just that neither of us is willing to compromise on business principles, right?"
Fang Nan didn't say anything. But I could tell from her eyes that she really didn't seem to care much about the money.
I know that many important figures do business this way. They often get stuck on very minor price differences, neither side willing to budge. For these people, that amount of money is really insignificant. But business is business; it's a matter of principle. At this point, the dispute isn't about the price, but about a principle!
“My proposal is…” Minister Jin deliberately slowed his pace, then lagged behind with Fang Nan. He then whispered, “These two friends of mine are both very skilled. I’ve known them for many years, but I’ve never beaten them. If Mr. Chen Yang can beat them—let me see the look of defeat on their faces—I’ll be extremely happy! I’m willing to personally cover the five percent of the business deal! What do you say?”
Fang Nan stopped, her face showing surprise. I also looked at Minister Jin with a look of astonishment. Li Wenjing suddenly burst into laughter and said loudly, "You rascal, saying that in front of us, aren't you worried I'll get angry?"
Minister Jin, seemingly unconcerned, said, "I'm not trying to hide anything from you. You always look so confident, and seeing you get frustrated must be quite a sight! Chen Yang is the most bizarre card player I've ever seen, although I don't know if he can beat you. But anyway, it won't hurt me to give it a try. If I fail, at most I'll be laughed at for a while longer. If I succeed, I can throw out a few million and see the frustrated expressions on Young Master Li and Mr. Park's faces, enough for me to laugh at you for years to come... This is a worthwhile deal!" His eyes gleamed, his expression composed.
But I couldn't help but have some doubts... gambling?
Am I capable?
If I were relying on the ring, I'd be quite confident... but the problem is... today isn't my lucky day for money! I checked with a fortune teller this morning, and it says my love luck is incredibly strong today... can I use that luck for gambling?
I was extremely annoyed.
“Chen Yang…” Fang Nan glanced at me, her eyes filled with anticipation.
I sighed and said, "Let's give it a try." I didn't say anything, just nodded slightly.
Minister Kim, of course, wouldn't play cards in the lobby. Instead, he had a staff member lead us directly into a VIP room with a large, round gambling table and a green velvet surface. A young woman in a shirt and bow tie approached; she looked quite respectable, and her smile was very professional. As soon as we sat down, she immediately had several brand-new decks of cards brought over.
I sat at the lowest seat, with Minister Kim to my left and Lee Moon-kyung to my right, while the Korean, Park Yong-dae, seemed quite used to sitting at the highest seat.
Two Korean women had already followed them in. One sat next to Minister Kim, and the other was originally going to sit next to Park Yong-dae. However, Mr. Pu's face darkened, and he muttered something. The Korean beauty froze, and Lee Moon-kyung sighed and beckoned to her.
Fang Nan, who was sitting a little behind me, frowned slightly upon hearing this and said, "Hmph!" She seemed somewhat dissatisfied.
"What's wrong"
"That Korean guy surnamed Pu, he said something about men doing serious business and women staying away." Fang Nan curled her lip, seemingly looking down on this kind of man: "Is gambling a serious business?"
I was slightly surprised: "You understand Korean?"
Fang Nan nodded: "I understand a little."
"You're amazing!" He paused for a moment, then laughed, "Actually, gambling isn't necessarily a bad thing. For professional gamblers, gambling is their profession, their job, and their livelihood. For them, is there anything more important than gambling?"
Fang Nan paused for a moment upon hearing this, gave me a charming sidelong glance, but did not argue with me.
Minister Kim laughed heartily from the side: "Well said! For a man like me with a strong gambling addiction, when the gambling urge kicks in, nothing is more important than playing cards!"
At this moment, the young woman in the bow tie, the dealer at the gambling table, spoke up. Her voice was clear and crisp: "Gentlemen, what games are you planning to play? How many chips do you need? I need to clarify that no matter how big your bet is, our casino will take a certain percentage and a handling fee from the final stake. If you need to verify any checks or promissory notes, our company has dedicated financial staff who can verify them for you on the spot!" Then she smiled and said, "Do you have any further questions?"
"That's all!" Minister Jin waved his hand, rolled up his sleeves, and laughed, "How much are we betting today?"
Li Wenjing shrugged: "Same old rules, one million US dollars in chips, maximum bet of one million US dollars..."
I immediately objected: "Sorry, I think that's very unfair."
"Oh?" Li Wenjing smiled and glanced at me.
I spoke calmly, smiling gently, "I think it's very unfair." I casually pulled out a cigarette. Without a second thought, I lit one and took a drag.
My calm demeanor drew everyone's attention to me before I slowly began to speak: "Excuse my frankness, but among the gentlemen at the gambling table, Minister Kim is wealthy and powerful, Mr. Li, you come from a wealthy merchant family in Southeast Asia, and Mr. Park Yong-dae must also be quite rich... Only I am a humble worker, and I don't have that much money to gamble with you."
The female dealer gave me a surprised look, and I immediately looked back at her, my tone indifferent: "What? You find it strange? You must be wondering how an ordinary person like me could get into this kind of place and sit at this table? But let me tell you very clearly, I am not rich, and I don't have much money."
I braced my hands on the table: "Gentlemen, that's why I feel it's unfair."
“But…” Minister Jin laughed: “But you have Miss Fang with you. You’re representing her at the gambling table. Surely Miss Fang can’t not even come up with a mere one million US dollars?”
“This is pointless.” I shook my head, smiling slyly. “Even if Miss Fang is willing to pay, the money isn’t mine. What if I lose? That means I’ve lost Miss Fang’s million dollars… I’ll have to pay it back, right? Even if Miss Fang is my boss and she doesn’t ask me to pay it back, I’ll still have to carry a huge psychological burden… I don’t think this is gambling… You’re forcing me into this situation, and I’m the duck.”
I regretted it as soon as I said that... Damn it, how could I have said I was a gigolo!
Fortunately, the people present did not notice the ambiguity in the words.
Li Wenjing actually thought about it seriously for a moment, then nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right, I think Chen Yang makes a lot of sense." He glanced at Minister Jin: "What do you think?"
Before Minister Jin could speak, Li Wenjing added, "If someone richer than us were here today and demanded at least one hundred million US dollars in bets, wouldn't we feel the same way Chen Yang is feeling right now?"
Minister Jin thought about it carefully and said with a wry smile, "Damn it, you mean you don't want to go all out... Oh well, after all, I invited you here, and I should respect the guest's opinion."
He spoke a few words in Korean to the man opposite him, Pulongda, who frowned. After a brief exchange, Minister Kim looked at me with a furrowed brow: "Chen Yang, so what do you think we should set the betting stake at? If it's too low, it won't be fun."
"How could it not be fun?" I smiled. "We just need to set a certain limit on the bet. Whoever loses all their money is out! That way, even if the bet is small, it will still be a lot of fun..."
After saying that, I took out my wallet, pulled out all the cash inside, counted it, and laughed, "I have over 1,300 RMB here... Well, I need to keep 300 for gas and lunch... So how about we set the bet at 1,000 RMB?"
Minister Kim's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets: "One thousand?"
Part One: A Man in the Martial World, Unable to Control His Own Fate, Chapter Ninety-Three: The Great Gamble (Part Two)
For someone like him, the chips he casually tosses away probably amount to well over a thousand!
I shrugged: "The amount doesn't matter. Does having more money and gambling more necessarily make it more fun? You just want to beat Li Wenjing and the others, but you don't care how much you win."
Minister Jin remained silent. Li Wenjing, looking at me with a beaming smile, suddenly spoke up: "What you said seems to make some sense..."
"It's not just a little bit of truth, it's a lot of truth," I laughed. "People like gambling, which is similar to the reason why people like playing chess. Gambling is about winning and losing, and so is chess. Does it mean that Lee Chang-ho has to bet a lot of money on every game to make it interesting?"
"A thousand it is!" Minister Jin rubbed his hands together and slammed his hand on the table. "I don't care how much money it is, as long as Chen Yang can beat the two of you, I'll be very satisfied!"
Li Wenjing smiled wryly: "I don't care. I'm your guest too. I'll do whatever you say."
Park Yong-dae and Minister Kim exchanged a few words. The guy gave me a complicated look, his expression somewhat impatient, but he reluctantly agreed out of respect for Minister Kim.
The dealer couldn't help but speak up: "Well... gentlemen, if your bets are too small... it's difficult for us... this..."
Minister Jin glanced at her impatiently: "I know you want a commission, right? I'll give you whatever amount is due. Just deduct the minimum from my member account!"
Then he shouted, "Deal the cards! Deal the cards!" His face was full of excitement, and his eyes were burning with anticipation.
The dealer looked utterly helpless; she'd probably never seen a customer in such a high-class casino betting so little.