Ji Yi took the receipt signed by Niu Hong and handed it to Niu Hong. Every signature on the receipt was so glaring to Niu Hong at that moment. He looked up and saw six neat rows of chips in front of Zhuang Rui, each row containing ten one-million-dollar chips. Zhuang Rui, sitting behind the chips, seemed to be mocking him.
"Wait, how did I lose so much?"
Niu Hong frowned, trying to recall the events carefully. However, his mind was a bit chaotic, filled only with images of his winnings, while the scenes of his losses were automatically filtered out by the excited cortex of his brain.
As the saying goes, those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly. Apart from Zhuang Rui, who was scheming against him, the other waiters, croupiers, and Zheng Hua all saw things clearly.
The bets between the two seemed to be a back-and-forth affair, but when Niu Hong won, Zhuang Rui also won, and when Zhuang Rui bet correctly, Niu Hong lost. As one side gained and the other lost, Niu Hong's chips kept decreasing. By then, Niu Hong, who was already blinded by gambling, had long forgotten how many times he had signed contracts and how many times he had transferred chips.
To everyone else, it was purely a contest of luck. Zhuang Rui had no chance of cheating. On the contrary, Niu Hong often listened intently to the dice, but it was clear that Niu Hong's dice-listening skills were not very good. He would win one round and then lose three or four. In just over two hours, the people in the private room witnessed Zhuang Rui's miracle of winning 60 million from one million.
Yes, it can only be called a miracle, because Zhuang Rui spent most of his time chatting with Qin Xuanbing or laughing with Zheng Hua. Sometimes he didn't even glance at Niu Hong's dice cup, but he won six or seven out of ten rounds, with the remaining two or three being draws. For Niu Hong to win even once was considered quite good. What else could this be but a miracle? It could only be described as Zhuang Rui's incredible luck.
What these people didn't know was that even with his eyes closed, Zhuang Rui's spiritual energy could still see through his eyelids to the dice cup opposite him. For him, gambling on dice and giving away money were completely equivalent.
"Young Master Niu, if you don't have enough money, let's call it a day. We'll continue tomorrow. I'll give you a chance to win it all back. Oh, I forgot to mention, I've always had exceptionally good luck since I was a child. I can even find money on the street. Tsk tsk, I never thought my luck in gambling would be this good too."
When Zhuang Rui saw the dejected Niu Hong, he felt as if he had run five miles on a hot day and someone had suddenly brought him a bowl of iced mung bean soup with sugar. It was so refreshing that every pore on his body seemed to be singing.
Logically speaking, although Zhuang Rui is a bit petty towards those who have offended him, he wouldn't be so harsh in his words. However, Niu Hong is really annoying. Let bygones be bygones regarding what happened at the charity gala that day; others have the right to bid, don't they?
However, the repeated provocations today really angered Zhuang Rui. In particular, Niu Hong's lust for Qin Xuanbing made Zhuang Rui unable to tolerate it any longer. "How dare you have designs on my woman?"
There's a saying that goes, "Brothers are like hands and feet, women are like clothes. If anyone touches my clothes, I'll chop off their hands and feet." In other words, Niu Hong isn't Zhuang Rui's brother at all, so wouldn't Zhuang Rui still go after him to the death?
Zhuang Rui's analogy was truly infuriating. Many people have picked up money on the street, but none of them seem to win money in a casino as easily as picking it up. Young Master Niu was now starting to wonder if he had made a mistake by not picking up those coins with the Queen's image on them that had fallen to the ground in the past.
"Ah Hong, you're having a bad day, you should stop."
Although Zheng Hua was angry that Niu Hong hadn't given him face, he was also a little alarmed by the fact that HK$60 million had been lost in just two hours. So he said he wanted to end this high-stakes gamble that originated from a fight of pride.
"Five million it is, hurry up and give it to me!"
Niu Hong completely ignored Zheng Hua, instead yelling at Ji Yi, then looking at Zhuang Rui with an unfriendly expression, he said, "Don't be too smug, our bet isn't over yet!"
In Niu Hong's eyes at that moment, Zheng Hua was in cahoots with Zhuang Rui, and ending the betting game meant that he had no chance to win back his losses. Gamblers, especially those who are blinded by greed, always hold onto a vague hope that they might be able to win back their losses in the next round.
"Whatever you want, as long as you can put up the chips, I'll gamble with you as long as you want."
Zhuang Rui found Niu Hong's words somewhat familiar, and after thinking about it carefully, he realized he had seen them in some movie. His own tone of voice sounded a bit like a villain in a movie, but Zhuang Rui didn't care. He would just keep gambling. If Niu Hong could win back his losses, Zhuang Rui was willing to say he'd eat the dice.
After Young Master Niu signed his name on the document for the last time, the five million euro Swiss bank draft had absolutely nothing to do with him anymore. All Niu Hong possessed was the five million euros in front of him.
"Zhuang Rui, shall we call it a day?"
Qin Xuanbing saw Niu Hong's eyes were bloodshot from gambling. She was slightly worried. She knew Niu Hong had a bad temper, and if he lost too much and came up with some crooked ideas to take revenge on Zhuang Rui, that would be troublesome.
Zhuang Rui gently patted Qin Xuanbing's hand and said, "It's okay, I know what I'm doing."
At Niu Hong's insistence, the gambling game quickly resumed. Perhaps Niu Hong's luck had turned around, because in the first half hour or so, he actually won the bets one after another, winning back more than ten million. This gave Niu Hong a chance to make up for his losses, and he smiled. After each round, he urged Ji Yi to start again quickly.
"Young Master Niu, isn't it about time for dinner? Shall we continue?"
Zhuang Rui glanced at his watch; it was nearly five in the afternoon. He had been gambling for over three hours since entering the room. To be honest, Zhuang Rui was getting bored with gambling by cheating with his eyes, so he deliberately lost a little to Niu Hong in hopes of ending the game.
It's worth noting that in these last few rounds, Zhuang Rui didn't even bother using his spiritual energy; he had Qin Xuanbing throw the chips onto the table for him. Even the onlookers could see that Zhuang Rui had no intention of gambling anymore and was deliberately letting the game go.
"What, you think you can just leave after winning money? You mainlanders don't have such bad gambling etiquette, do you? Today, you either win all my money or you keep gambling. Well, you can leave if you want, and I'll let you take all the money you win, but you have to agree to one condition."
Niu Hong felt his luck was on his side. Just as he was getting excited, Zhuang Rui suddenly said he didn't want to gamble anymore, and his bull-like face immediately turned into a dog-like face.
"Oh? What are the conditions?"
Zhuang Rui had never seen such an ungrateful person. He had already given him face, but the man was taking advantage of his kindness and even made demands.
"The conditions are simple, hehe, it's just that Miss Qin has to have dinner with me, for two, of course."
Niu Hong chuckled. Actually, he didn't want to have dinner with Qin Xuanbing. When a gambler is blinded by greed, even if a beautiful woman stood naked in front of him, he wouldn't be able to take his eyes off the gambling table.
Niu Hong meant to pressure Zhuang Rui into continuing to gamble, hoping that his good luck might allow him to win back some money. However, Niu Hong forgot that Zhuang Rui had only invested one million so far.
"Niu Hong, you!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Xuanbing immediately stood up with a furious expression.
“Xuanbing, sit down. Since Young Master Niu wants to gamble, I’ll play along.”
A cold glint flashed in Zhuang Rui's eyes. He had previously adhered to the principle of leaving a way out for others and let Niu Hong off the hook, but now Zhuang Rui had made up his mind that no matter how much money Niu Hong offered today, he would win it all, even if it meant offending the shipping empire behind him.
Let's begin!
Zhuang Rui, expressionless, signaled to Ji Yi that the betting game could continue. He was completely different from his previous lazy demeanor. Even Zheng Hua and the others could see that Zhuang Rui was angry. Of course, it was all Niu Hong's own fault.
The two dice-rolling waiters were now somewhat numb, but their dice-rolling skills had actually improved considerably. With the crisp sound of the dice hitting the dice cup, the gambling game started again.
In everyone's eyes, although Zhuang Rui became serious, Niu Hong's luck seemed to have really turned around. In just twenty minutes, he won back seven or eight million chips.
However, the principle of fortune turning around applies most to the casino. Just when Niu Hongzhi was feeling triumphant and preparing to reclaim his lost ground, the situation suddenly changed, and he started losing money again.
Moreover, this time the loss was even faster. He had won back 18 million in an hour, but in just half an hour, he lost 23 million. Not only did he lose the 10 million, but the 5 million chips he finally exchanged were also neatly placed in front of Zhuang Rui.
Niu Hong was dumbfounded. If he had to describe his current state in one sentence, it would be that it wasn't that Niu Dashao didn't understand, but that the world was changing too fast. You have to understand, that's a full 66 million Hong Kong dollars. Even if you exchanged it for chips, it would be enough to fill a whole sack.
Chapter 389 Unwilling
Five million euros, more than sixty million Hong Kong dollars. Niu Hong wasn't a sore loser; this amount of money was just a year or two's worth of dividends compared to the billions of Hong Kong dollars worth of shares he owned. His shares on this gambling ship alone were worth more than that.
However, Niu Hong was unwilling to accept his defeat, especially losing to a novice like Zhuang Rui. He prided himself on being the best gambler among the younger generation of Hong Kong's wealthy, but he never expected to lose to a mainlander whom he had always looked down upon. This fact was hard for Niu Hong to accept.
Although he had won money, Zhuang Rui was getting impatient with the boring betting game. Looking at Niu Hong, who was sitting there blankly, he said, "Well? Young Master Niu, can we end the betting game now?"
"The end? Not a chance. I don't believe you can keep having such good luck forever..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Niu Hong snapped out of his daze, a look of resentment on his face. He then pulled out a checkbook, quickly scribbled a number on it, signed his name, and placed it in front of Ji Yi, saying, "A HSBC check, twenty million. Give me another twenty million in chips..."
"Niu Hong, are you crazy? Mr. Zhuang already gave you face, don't be ungrateful..."
Seeing Niu Hong's actions, Zheng Hua could no longer hold back. People in the game often can't see the situation clearly, but Zheng Hua and others outside the game could see it clearly. Zhuang Rui was on a winning streak today, and no matter how much money Niu Hong threw in, it would be in vain.
“My affairs are none of your business. If I lose again, I still have a 6% stake in this gambling ship, which is worth hundreds of millions. I don’t believe this kid can handle that…”
Niu Hong was so enraged by his losses that he wouldn't listen to Zheng Hua's advice and was determined to continue gambling.
"I think you've really gone mad..."
Zheng Hua shook his head, turned and walked out of the private room, took out his phone and made a call.
"Let's continue!"
Niu Hong stared at Zhuang Rui with bloodshot eyes. He no longer listened to the dice; he was betting entirely on luck. Just like before, although there were wins and losses, he always lost more than he won. More than an hour later, the 20 million yuan chips were once again placed in front of Zhuang Rui.
"Alright, that's enough for today. I won't leave the gambling ship until tomorrow night. If Young Master Niu wants to win back his losses, I'm always ready to oblige..."
Zhuang Rui stood up and gave Niu Hong a cold look, who looked like a defeated rooster. It wasn't that he wanted to kill him, but the kid was too arrogant. He actually dared to make a move on Qin Xuanbing. You have to understand, Qin Xuanbing is the closest woman to Zhuang Rui besides his mother and older sister.
"Mr. Zhuang, would you like to exchange these chips for bearer drafts from a Swiss bank, or have them deposited directly into your designated bank account?"
The staff member in charge of distributing chips came over. They could deposit money into bank accounts in any country in the world, or issue Swiss bank drafts, offering a variety of withdrawal methods. This was a tactic that the gambling ships had learned from Macau casinos.
Niu Hong, who had been looking dejected, jumped up as if he had a spring in his butt after hearing what the staff member said. He glared at Zhuang Rui with a ferocious expression and shouted, "Wait! I haven't finished losing yet. Don't think it's over so soon!"
"Oh? You have money? Then let's continue."
Zhuang Rui refused to believe he couldn't subdue this kid today. However, he was still a little shaken by his win. In just one afternoon, he had made nearly 90 million RMB. You know, the money Zhuang Rui had earned from gambling on stones in the past was only this much. Well, compared to that, gambling on stones is indeed much more arduous than drinking coffee here, enjoying air conditioning, and gambling with beautiful women.
"Young Master Niu, let's call it a day. Take a rest and try your luck before you gamble again."
Director Ji and Niu Hong were very familiar with each other, and he could see clearly that Zhuang Rui's luck today was absolutely unstoppable. Not to mention Niu Hong, even if he went down to gamble against Zhuang Rui by rolling dice, he would probably lose. After all, this kind of gambling relies entirely on luck and there is basically no skill involved.
"What? Old Ji, you dare to lecture me now? Who do you think you are!"
Niu Hong's face was now completely unrecognizable, devoid of any sense of propriety. He couldn't distinguish between strangers and acquaintances anymore; anyone who advised him against gambling was seen as an enemy. Just now, Zheng Hua had advised him, and since their statuses were similar, Niu Hong hadn't dared to speak harshly to him. Now, Ji Yi was also trying to persuade him to stop gambling, and Niu Hong's pent-up anger was immediately directed at Director Ji.
"Alright, Mr. Niu, just pretend I didn't say anything, but according to the casino's rules, you should exchange your chips first."
Ji Yi's face turned red from being humiliated by Niu Hong. As the person in charge of all the dealers on this gambling ship, he was a man of absolute authority. Now, Niu Hong was reprimanding him so mercilessly in front of so many people, and Ji Yi had finally lost all pretense of civility.
Want to keep gambling? Sure, pay up. Don't have money? Sorry, you can go do whatever you want. Even if Zheng Daheng were here, he wouldn't be able to say no.
If you don't have money but still want to gamble, that's not impossible. There are plenty of loan sharks in the gambling ship's lobby. Although they don't lend large sums, at most a few million at a time, there are so many people involved. With Young Master Niu's name, lending out tens of millions shouldn't be a problem.
"Exchange chips?"
Niu Hong, whose mind had been in a frenzy, suddenly came to his senses. He realized he was penniless. Although he owned shares in many companies worth nearly two billion Hong Kong dollars that could be used as collateral for casino chips, who carries those documents around all the time? Right now, besides a few tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars in loose change, Niu Hong truly didn't have a single penny left.
However, Niu Hong would be unwilling to give up so easily. But he also knew the rules of the casino: if he couldn't come up with the money, the game couldn't continue.
Niu Hong had considered borrowing money from loan sharks, but he didn't dare. There were two reasons for this. First, if he took out a loan at a high interest rate, news of today's gambling match would spread throughout Hong Kong Island in the shortest possible time, and his reputation as Young Master Niu would be ruined. Of course, Young Master Niu's so-called reputation was only something he cared about.
Secondly, if he borrows money at high interest rates and then lends it out, Niu Hong will have to sell his shares to repay the loans, a consequence he cannot afford, because those shares are key to the family company's control.
It's important to understand that the shareholding structure of companies controlled by shipping magnates, such as the former Wharf Holdings, is extremely complex. Many shareholders only own a fraction of a percent of the shares, while owning around 20 percent of the shares makes one the largest shareholder. If Niu Hong's shares were bought by certain individuals with ulterior motives, it could shake the foundation of the business empire built by the shipping magnates at any time. If that were to happen, the current head of the Niu family would not let him off easily.
However, apart from the shares, Niu Hong really couldn't come up with any more money. Unless he sold his house, the villa he lived in on the hillside was left to him by the old shipping magnate and was worth several hundred million, but that was too far to solve his immediate problem, and he didn't have the deed to the house in his own hands.
For a moment, Niu Hong was at a loss. Let Zhuang Rui leave like this? That would be worse than death for him. But if he wanted to continue gambling, he couldn't afford to. Even if others left, he couldn't do anything about it. Niu Hong knew Zhuang Rui's background very well. If he wanted to resort to underhanded tactics, not only would Zheng Hua forbid it, but Zhuang Rui also had Commander Huang of the Hong Kong Garrison standing behind him. Unless he didn't want to stay in Hong Kong anymore...
"Oh right, how could I have forgotten those things?"
Suddenly, Niu Hong remembered some items and quickly stood up. He said to Ji Yi, "Old Ji, I'm going to get the money. The gambling game must not end. If some people leave when I come back, I'll settle accounts with you."
Niu Hong didn't even bother to listen to Ji Yi's reply. He rushed out of the private room like a gust of wind, almost bumping into Zheng Hua who had just walked in from outside.
What's wrong with him?
Zheng Hua looked at Zhuang Rui with a puzzled expression.
"I don't know, maybe he took the money? Brother Zheng, how can there be such people in Hong Kong circles?"
Zhuang Rui was both amused and exasperated today. Damn it, someone actually complained about the money being too much for him and was begging to send it to him, and wouldn't let him refuse. If he had known that Hong Kong people were so enthusiastic, why would Zhuang Rui have bothered with all that effort to gamble on stones? Of course, people like Niu Hong are exceptional, and are quite an oddball in Hong Kong circles.
"well,"
Zheng Hua sighed and said, "Not long after he was born, his parents died in a plane crash while traveling around the world. He was raised by the old shipping magnate and was spoiled from a young age. After the old shipping magnate passed away, he not only left him the family mansion but also the largest share of company stock. When he was young, it was fine because he couldn't touch that money, but after he turned eighteen, he could do whatever he wanted with those shares. In terms of wealth, no one in our circle is as rich as him. Coupled with the lack of discipline from a young age, he has a very arrogant personality and is particularly petty. Brother Zhuang, please don't hold it against him this time."
When Zheng Hua uttered his last few words, they already carried a pleading tone.
In these large families in Hong Kong, male members receive a share of the family business after reaching adulthood. However, while the elders are alive, they are not allowed to sell these shares; they can only receive dividends from them annually. This is why the children of the wealthy often spend lavishly; they can still receive money even if they do not work in the family business.
"This whole thing wasn't my fault. He wanted to play, so I'll just play along!"
Zhuang Rui said calmly, "No one in this world owes anyone anything. Don't think that the whole earth revolves around him."