The fourth brother knew that gambling was addictive. He had lost several million and was planning to quit, but he was already somewhat addicted to the thrill of gambling. With Liu Minghui's encouragement, he unknowingly fell into it, and the stakes became higher and higher, from tens of thousands of chips to hundreds of thousands or millions.
He didn't keep losing, but he lost more than he won, and his losses were large while his wins were small. By the time the fourth brother came to his senses, he found himself deeply mired in the situation and unable to extricate himself. Moreover, he had lost all the family funds under his control.
Because Liu Minghui always gambled with different people, Lao Si didn't suspect Liu Minghui at the time. However, when he ran out of money and Liu Minghui offered to lend him money, Lao Si realized what was going on. But by then, he was penniless and didn't even dare to go home.
Bi Yuntao's first thought was Zhuang Rui, but Zhuang Rui was deep in the mountains and his phone was off. That's how he ended up contacting Wei Ge, which led to the whole mess that followed. ...
"Damn it, it's all the tricks of the Thousand Gates. They've even tricked us brothers..."
After hearing what the fourth general had said, Zhuang Rui's face darkened. The antique business was like a江湖 (jianghu, a world of martial arts and chivalry), and he was very familiar with these methods. Even if he hadn't eaten pork, he had seen pigs run.
Zhuang Rui wasn't particularly blaming Lao Si anymore. Once these con artists targeted you, they had a hundred ways to drag you down with them, and it was impossible to guard against them.
This isn't a matter of whether one's stance is firm or not; it's a weakness that everyone possesses. Only a saint could resist temptation. Let alone the fourth brother, even Zhuang Rui himself would probably fall into the trap. Of course, if Zhuang Rui were to gamble, it would be hard to say who would win or lose.
Wei Ge couldn't understand the slang Zhuang Rui used, so he asked curiously, "Youngest brother, what is Qianmen? Is it like those gangsters from before Liberation?"
"They're similar in some ways, but not quite the same. 'Scammers' specialize in deception, which is different from 'playboys'..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head. He knew what Wei Ge meant by "bai xiang ren" (白相人). It was a slang term used in Shanghai before liberation. In Shanghainese, "bai xiang" means to play around, and "bai xiang ren" can be interpreted as a person who is idle, does bad things, or is a hooligan.
In the old days, street urchins dressed fashionably, cleanly, and neatly, not sloppily, to distinguish themselves from the petty thugs who also hung out on the streets. They were generally well-versed in eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, and swindling. Back then, countless outsiders who ventured into Shanghai were swindled out of their fortunes by these street urchins.
However, the people of the Thousand Gates are extremely self-disciplined. Although they are proficient in eating, drinking, gambling and whoring, they do not become addicted to these things. They only use them as a means to get close to their target.
There are eight generals in the gambling den, collectively known as "Zheng Ti Fan Tuo, Feng Huo Chu Yao". The Zheng General is the one who makes a living by running a gambling den using cheating techniques, and is the one who hosts the game at the beginning. They are the kind of people who are not respectable. The Ti General is the one who runs the gambling den and is responsible for persuading people to join the game. According to Lao Si, Liu Minghui's behavior has a bit of the Ti General's style.
A counter-strategy is a method of using the opposite approach or provocation to lure someone into a trap. The method Liu Minghui used later was a counter-strategy.
As for the remaining generals, the escape general will help people run away, the wind general will be in charge of keeping watch and inspecting the environment, the fire general will be responsible for resolving the situation by force, that is, thugs and killers, the rumor general will specialize in spreading rumors to lure "old guys" into believing the lies and getting involved, and the removal general will be responsible for negotiating the terms and cleaning up the mess after the game ends. This is also Liu Minghui's job.
It can be said that each of the eight generals of the Thousand Gates had their own duties. If all eight generals came out together, ordinary people would not be able to resist them. Liu Minghui did several jobs among them, so his status in this Thousand Gates organization must not be low.
"Holy crap, this...this is way too complicated!"
After listening to Zhuang Rui's explanation, Wei Ge was dumbfounded. These things were too far removed from his life, and he never came into contact with them in his daily life. They were like two completely different social systems.
Even the fourth brother didn't know there were so many twists and turns involved. It turns out that dozens of people were plotting against him. It's not unjust that he suffered this setback.
"Complex? Viagra, there are billions of people in the world, doing all sorts of things, and there are many things that are much more complicated than this..."
Zhuang Rui knew so much because Uncle De, who had once been involved in Shanghai, taught him all of that.
"Youngest brother, so... we're just going to suffer this loss for nothing?"
The incident happened overseas, and no one forced you to gamble. No matter how hard Lao Si thought about it, he couldn't figure out how to get the money back.
"Don't rush, let me make a call and see if there are any similar cases..."
Zhuang Rui thought for a moment, then took out his phone and called Officer Miao. It was better to find a professional for this matter.
Chapter 904 Mediation
"Zhuang Rui? What's the matter?"
Miao Feifei finally understood that Zhuang Rui would never call her unless there was a reason. However, several years had passed, and Officer Miao was no longer so insistent on it, accepting that the two were still friends.
Miao Feifei is now focusing all her energy on her work, and while her career is thriving, her family is very dissatisfied with her love life. They have arranged several blind dates for her, but Miao Feifei hasn't liked any of them.
"Officer Miao, I need to consult you, as a professional, about something..."
Zhuang Rui told Miao Feifei everything that had happened to Lao Si, and then asked, "Has anyone reported this kind of thing to the police? Can the police handle it?"
"Someone did report it to the police, but they couldn't accept it. First, the incident didn't happen in mainland China, and gambling is legal in Macau, so it can't be considered a crime for 'organizing gambling.' Second, your friend went to gamble on his own, so it doesn't constitute fraud..."
Miao Feifei's words were actually within Zhuang Rui's expectations. This matter was impossible to explain. Although he knew it was a trick, without any evidence, he couldn't do anything to the other party.
"Officer Miao, thank you. I'll treat you to tea another day..."
Zhuang Rui finished speaking and prepared to hang up the phone.
"Wait, Zhuang Rui, you mustn't gamble! Gambling is like drugs; once you're addicted, it's very difficult to break free..."
Miao Feifei reminded Zhuang Rui that she knew he had once been extremely lucky and won tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars and some calligraphy and paintings in Hong Kong. She was afraid that Zhuang Rui would gamble for his friends.
But what she didn't know was that for Zhuang Rui, gambling meant knowing the cards every time, so there was no excitement whatsoever, and it was impossible for him to experience any pleasure.
"Okay, I understand..."
After hanging up the phone, Zhuang Rui fell into deep thought. If the police could get involved, that would be the best outcome. When the state apparatus is in operation, even the most skilled swindlers would flee in terror. However, Officer Miao's reply dashed Zhuang Rui's hopes.
Go gamble by yourself? Zhuang Rui shook his head inwardly. The last time he made a move, it caused quite a stir. He didn't want to be in the limelight again. Besides, the other party might not even be willing to gamble with him. Who knows where those con artists are living happily in some corner of the world right now?
After thinking it over and over, Zhuang Rui couldn't come up with a good solution, so he frowned. But seeing his brother suffer such a huge loss, and having lost over 100 million yuan himself, while watching those con artists live a carefree life, Zhuang Rui couldn't hold back his anger.
Seeing Zhuang Rui's troubled expression, the fourth brother stood up, walked up to Zhuang Rui, and said, "Youngest brother, that guy surnamed Liu has businesses in Guangzhou. Give me another million, and I'll handle this myself..."
Chaoshan people are not only good at doing business, but also extremely brave and ruthless. The term "Big Circle Boys," represented by Ye Huan, who used to fight with the Hong Kong Flying Tigers, specifically referred to Chaoshan people at a certain time.
While Chaoshan people do business all over the world and are more united than Wenzhou people, there are still many poor people in the Chaoshan region, and quite a few people engage in shady dealings. There is also a group of people who idolize Ye Huan.
The fourth brother had lived in that place since he was a child and knew that as long as you were willing to pay, there were people who could solve your problems. One million was enough to buy several lives.
"Nonsense, what's wrong? Still hot-headed? Want to cool down a bit more?"
Zhuang Rui glared at Lao Si. Even if they spent money to get rid of that person, what good would it do? What's lost is lost, and you can't get it back. This is the most foolish thing to do.
After thinking for a moment, Zhuang Rui took out his phone and dialed again, this time to Uncle De.
Uncle De had no family growing up and started hanging out in Shanghai when he was seven or eight. He knew all sorts of people from all walks of life. And most of the con artists now operating in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are descendants of those from old Shanghai. Maybe Uncle De has some tricks up his sleeve.
"Zhuang Rui, the matter you mentioned was done by the Thousand Gates," Uncle De said with certainty on the phone after Zhuang Rui finished explaining the whole story.
"Uncle De, do you know these people? Could you find someone to mediate and get some money back? After all, what they did was really unethical. As you said before, this is a cardinal sin in the underworld—the ruthless pursuit of the very few..."
Zhuang Rui knew that Uncle De used to be a person of high status in the gang, and his words carried more weight than those of the police in some situations.
"Hey, Zhuang Rui, these days, the words of us old fogies don't carry any weight. Besides, I've been in the antique business for years, and outsiders don't listen to me at all..."
Uncle De sighed on the phone. In the past, those old swindlers, although they were also swindlers, never cheated ordinary people. On the contrary, some of them would even give some money to help the poor.
Young people today don't care about these things at all. They scoff at the so-called code of honor in the martial arts world and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
"Uncle De, then tell me about this matter..."
Zhuang Rui and Uncle De had a very good relationship. He only had a superficial understanding of the ways of the underworld and wanted Uncle De to come up with a plan.
"Sigh, you really have guts to gamble with your friend. It's amazing he could come up with hundreds of millions to gamble. These guys probably just made a quick buck and then quit..."
Uncle De was also stumped by this matter. He knew he didn't have the influence to mediate, so after thinking for a moment, he said, "How about this, I'll ask Uncle Ba to see if he can find someone to mediate and get the other party to return the last 180 million..."
Uncle Ba, whom Uncle De mentioned, is a bigwig in old Shanghai. He is now over ninety years old and has countless disciples and followers in China. Back when the country was first liberated, even the government needed him to maintain order.
According to seniority, Uncle De should call him Eighth Uncle. However, even if Eighth Uncle intervened, Uncle De was not confident. Those scoundrels were ruthless and might not necessarily listen to Eighth Uncle.
"Alright, then I'll leave it to you, Uncle De..."
Zhuang Rui had no other choice. If he could get back 180 million, that would be about half of the money. He would then use that money to help his fourth son cover the family's deficit.
After this incident, it's unlikely that the fourth brother will be able to work in the family business anymore. Even his nominal management rights over funds have been stripped away. Zhuang Rui is thinking of letting the fourth brother stay in Beijing to help him from now on.
The fourth brother isn't addicted to gambling; he was set up and schemed against. At most, we'll just stop letting him manage the money in the future.
Things were starting to look promising, and the fourth brother's mood improved considerably. Around noon, the second brother, Yue Jing, also arrived at the manor. The brothers had a few drinks together, and in the afternoon, Zhuang Rui returned to the courtyard house. ...
"Dad... Dad..."
Looking at his one-year-old children sitting on his lap, Zhuang Rui felt very content. Both little ones were healthy and especially loved animals, whether it was a white lion, a golden eagle, or a macaw, they all adored the two little ones.
However, Zhuang Rui felt a little regretful that the Tibetan Mastiff was unable to have puppies last year, and the puppies from the year before were all taken away. Zhuang Rui decided that if the Tibetan Mastiff could have another litter this year, he would do everything he could to keep one for each of Fang Fang and Yuan Yuan.
"Zhuang Rui, are we not going out again this time?"
Having not seen her husband for more than ten days, Qin Xuanbing's words carried a hint of resentment.
"Probably not, I'll stay home with my wife and kids..."
Zhuang Rui pulled Qin Xuanbing, who was sitting next to him, and his big hands started to wander.
"You rascal, it's daytime now..."
Qin Xuanbing was startled by Zhuang Rui, especially with her children around, she just couldn't bring herself to do it.
"Fangfang...Yuanyuan, let's go see the white lion..."
With a mischievous grin, Zhuang Rui picked up one of them in each arm and headed outside. He knew that once these two little guys started playing with the white lion, they wouldn't want to go back inside for several hours.
The irresponsible Zhuang Rui's father, after handing Fang Fang and Yuan Yuan over to Bai Shi, returned to the house, where the atmosphere was naturally filled with passion, and the sound of panting lingered for a long time.
"By the way, Zhuang Rui, I'm thinking of sending Fangfang and Yuanyuan to kindergarten next year. What do you think?"
Qin Xuanbing's pretty face still had a blush that hadn't faded as she drew circles on Zhuang Rui's chest with her finger.
"kindergarten?"
Zhuang Rui was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this. He seemed to have never attended kindergarten as a child. He immediately said, "Let's forget about kindergarten. There are plenty of kids in this alley. I can play with them when I'm older. Besides, Mom gets lonely at home. She's a teacher, so we don't need to worry about her early education..."
Zhuang Rui's childhood was all about playing. He would climb trees to steal birds' nests and go down to the river to catch shrimp. He still has many happy memories of these days.
Children in cities today have no access to these things. They start enrolling in extracurricular classes from kindergarten to cultivate so-called skills. In Zhuang Rui's opinion, it's all nonsense. If they don't play when they're young, are they going to play when they're older?
"But……"
Qin Xuanbing hesitated a bit. As a mother, she always thought about her child and wanted him to learn more skills.
"There are no 'buts', Xuanbing. From now on, Fangfang should be raised frugally so he understands that everything must be earned through hard work, while Yuanyuan should be raised lavishly so she can experience everything and won't be tempted by material things when she grows up..."
Zhuang Rui interrupted Qin Xuanbing. He had researched a lot of information about children's education and finally felt that the saying "boys should be raised frugally and girls should be raised lavishly" was especially true.
"Okay, we'll do it your way..."
Qin Xuanbing's small hand slid down, causing Zhuang Rui, who hadn't tasted meat for over ten days, to groan. Just as he was about to turn over and have another round, the phone rang unintentionally.
"Wait, I need to take this call..."
Zhuang Rui saw that it was Uncle De calling and quickly answered it.
"Zhuang Rui, the matter you mentioned has been investigated. It was done by a group of people from Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Uncle Ba has passed on the message for you, but they said they can only give you a reply tomorrow..."
Uncle De treated Zhuang Rui like a son or nephew. At noon, he brought several boxes of pastries to visit Uncle Ba. Uncle Ba had a lot of influence, and after instructing a few people in Shanghai, news came immediately.