Siro thought for a moment: "Perhaps he hid the gun in the storeroom."
"Possibly." I nodded.
Before boarding, the security checks are just as thorough as at an airport! All luggage goes through an X-ray baggage carousel. Passengers also have to go through metal detectors, and customs and security personnel will conduct full-body scans with metal detectors.
A gun. It's really hard to bring that onto the ship.
Unless it was prepared in advance. Hide the gun in the storeroom!
I sighed, looked at Xiluo, and rubbed my temples: "It's a bit complicated... Our target has been targeted by someone else."
Siro shrugged: "Anyway, our goal is to kill him."
“It’s different.” I smiled wryly. “Eighth Master said that no one can touch him before he meets with his contact! Our target isn’t just him, but also Hong Da’s contact! If Hong Da dies before then… we won’t be able to contact his contact!”
"Damn it, are we supposed to be his bodyguards?" Ciro said with a wry smile.
"I'm afraid so, Siro." I smiled wryly as well.
"It's a pity... It was all my fault just now... I wasn't prepared enough, I didn't expect him to wake up suddenly. If he hadn't knocked me over..."
I stopped Ciro from continuing and told him very seriously, "You've done your best! Even I didn't expect that guy to wake up so quickly... I think he might have received special training... You know, some experts in this field are specially trained. They are trained to resist unconsciousness and will wake up faster than ordinary people after falling into a coma... Moreover, I don't even rule out the possibility that he was faking it from the beginning!"
A moment later, someone knocked on the door; it was Tiger.
Tiger went into the room, and I saw that there was no one outside.
"Follow the target with the ponytail." Tiger whispered as he entered, "Something happened?"
"Hmm." I briefly explained the situation, and Tiger's brows furrowed. Then I shared my and Shiro's guesses.
“Okay.” Tiger raised his head and took two slow steps. “We need to be careful… This is not a simple matter. Someone wants the target to die before he can meet the contact… As for who did it and what their conspiracy is, we don’t need to worry about that! The only thing we need to do now is complete this mission! As for the rest, I will tell Eighth Master and let him decide. That’s not something we should be concerned with, understand?”
I noticed that Tiger used a somewhat imperative tone.
“Okay.” I nodded. Xiluo also involuntarily straightened up.
“We’ve taken out the first guy… He jumped into the sea, so he’s definitely not on this ship anymore… I don’t think someone who fell into the sea could climb back onto this ship without any equipment… He’s not on our radar… But now, I suspect there are still enemies on this ship… At least, as you guessed, the assassin’s gun was definitely hidden in the storeroom beforehand… By the way, what about that cleaner you saw? Was he suspicious?” Tiger looked at me with a glint in his eyes.
“No problem.” I said slowly, “I paid close attention to his hands when I was talking to him, and his hands didn’t look like they were trained.”
Tiger thought for a moment and said, "Alright, let's get back to work... I thought things would be easy until the target meets his contact, but it seems that's not the case... Brothers, it looks like none of us will get any sleep tonight. We need to go back and keep an eye on our target... I'm not comfortable leaving Ponytail to watch him alone."
"Where is he now? Is he still watching striptease?" I asked.
“No. It seems he went to the casino… but now he has another person with him besides that guy.” Tiger’s tone was somewhat mocking.
"Oh? Who?"
“A stripper.” Tiger curled his lip, his tone somewhat disdainful: “The strippers on this boat are all high-class prostitutes; three thousand dollars can get you a night with them.”
I gave a wry smile, then couldn't help but laugh and curse, "This old guy is really interested... He probably doesn't know that if I hadn't reacted quickly, his body would probably be cold by now."
“And what about this gun?” Ciro suddenly asked.
Tiger glanced at it and said in a calm tone, "If you don't want to cause trouble, find a secluded spot on the deck later and throw it away!"
I could tell that Ciro was a little disappointed. He'd always loved guns... it's a pity he didn't get a chance to handle one while he was at the auto repair shop.
This silenced pistol was undoubtedly beautiful, and for him, it was a rare toy.
I patted him on the shoulder and laughed, "Alright. When we get back, I'll lend you my gun to play with for a few days."
The three of us went out together, then split up in the corridor and exited through two different exits, going up the stairs.
The casino on the ship is on the rooftop. It's very professionally set up…you could say that besides being a famous cruise ship, this is also one of the most famous gambling ships in Southeast Asia!
There are dedicated counters at the entrance for selling and exchanging chips. The casino staff are all dressed in neat uniforms, and there are also security guards in black walking back and forth.
As soon as I entered, I saw Ponytail standing in front of a table, holding two chips in his hand, pretending to be about to place a bet. And opposite him was our target.
Sure enough, Hong Da was accompanied by a girl, who was the first stripper I'd seen that night! She was petite but very well-proportioned. After she put on her clothes, I almost didn't recognize her. Her clothes were simple but clean. At that moment, Hong Da's arm was around her slender waist, and she leaned against him, a professionally charming smile on her face, whispering in his ear.
"That fat guy had a blast tonight," Xiluo muttered somewhat resentfully. I smiled and walked over with him.
"Don't worry, he won't have any fun tonight." I smiled and said, "I suddenly have an idea."
"What?"
“For safety’s sake, we’d better make sure he doesn’t leave our sight…especially on this ship.” I laughed. “But if he takes a girl back to his room to do *that* kind of thing, we can’t just go in and watch, can we? So, the best way is to keep him out of our sight tonight!”
"You have a way?" Ciro glanced at me.
I nodded: "You watch him and wait for me."
I left quickly and went to the bathroom, where I took out a small thing from my inner pocket... I've gotten into the habit of sewing a special pocket into my underwear, with a soft pad inside. That's where I keep my measuring device!
I held the measuring instrument in my hand and began to pray silently.
Looks like I'm really lucky today!
Or rather... I'm having really good luck with money today!
I breathed a sigh of relief, and then, with indescribable mixed feelings, I took the ring that always hung on my neck and gently put it on the middle finger of my right hand.
I walked out of the restroom, went straight to the gambling table, stood opposite Hong Da, and smiled at him, "Hey friend, wanna play a game?"
Does Hong Da like gambling?
Very well, I'll make him lose so badly he won't be able to leave the table! Tonight, he won't be taking any girls back to his room!
Part One: In the Jianghu, Not in Control of One's Own Fate, Chapter 164: The True Villain
The dealer, who had an ordinary appearance but was dressed very cleanly, calmly announced my cards and then pushed the chips in front of me.
I noticed that Hong Da's expression had turned hostile. The muscles on his fat face were twitching, and his eyes were blazing with anger. The arm that had been hooked around the stripper next to him had long since been withdrawn.
He snorted loudly, crumpled his cards into a ball and threw them away, staring at me: "Kid, three hands in a row, BIACK JACK! You've got a problem!"
I whistled softly, then casually pulled a chip from the table and tossed it to the dealer: "Here's yours."
"Thank you." The dealer accepted the money without batting an eye.
I looked at Hong Da, my gaze deliberately sweeping over the stripper next to him with a blatant air, and laughed, "Buddy, a bet's a bet. Don't even mention three consecutive BIACK JACKs; I've seen it happen more than ten times in a row at Genting Casino in Malaysia!"
"Hmph!" Hong Da snorted indignantly, then glared at the dealer: "Continue! Deal the cards!"
I smiled slightly, then casually glanced around. Ciro was pretending to watch from behind me, while Tiger and Ponytail had already moved to other tables.
My strategy is simple... Since I can't guarantee that I can stay by my target's side every step of the way... then I might as well stay by his side openly and keep him within my sight!
Hong Da won three hands in a row, so he didn't actually lose much money. But it seems he really enjoys gambling. Even though the amount lost wasn't large, as a gambler, losing three hands in a row, especially when his opponent got the best hand... anyone would be very unhappy!
And I intend to take advantage of his defiant attitude.
The stripper next to me was getting impatient. She deliberately yawned, gestured to Hong Da with her eyes, and her face also showed a hint of impatience. I knew this woman wanted to urge Hong Da to go back to his room quickly.
Clearly, she was a high-class prostitute on this ship. A woman in this profession naturally wanted to go back to her room with this fat man as soon as possible, finish her business, get her money, and leave. Then she could probably go home and rest… But now, this fat man, Hong Da, was gambling away, betting against me at the table. Her wish to finish her work early and go home was naturally dashed.
As expected, Hong Da completely ignored the woman's impatient expression. He simply raised his hand, called over another waiter, and tossed out a wad of dollars in exchange for chips. He looked at me defiantly: "Kid, let's continue! I've never believed in such things!"
I quickly calculated in my mind that Hong Da had already lost nearly four thousand dollars, and he didn't have many chips left on the table. If he were to lose it all at once, I worried that even if he was still unwilling to accept it, he might drag a woman back to his room to vent his anger... After all, not every gambler would risk losing everything just because of a momentary grievance! When traveling, no one would gamble to the point of losing their mind, because there's no need for it.
So I started deliberately letting the water flow out.
I adopted a "balanced" strategy. After I played another round of BIACK JACK, Hong Da was clearly on the verge of going berserk. So, I easily lost to him in the next round.
Actually, the process of losing was quite thrilling, because it seems I'm really on a lucky streak today. And my ring has greatly enhanced my luck! When I received my cards, I found that I had an Ace and a Jack again, and I almost couldn't hold back anymore.
"Pass." I gave up and threw away my cards.
The fat man took the chips with some confusion, but looked at me with suspicion. Then he laughed and said, "Kid, what's wrong? Bad cards?"
I smiled deliberately: "God can't always be on your side." Then I took out a cigarette, looked at Hong Da, and gave him a friendly smile: "Hey buddy, got a light?"
Hong Da hesitated for a moment, but he still took out a lighter, and the stripper next to him took it and walked over.
I could sense a hint of hostility in the woman's eyes as she looked at me. I understood that in her mind, she already saw me as an annoying hindrance that prevented her from completing her sex transaction quickly.
However, I naturally wouldn't consider what that kind of person thought. I just smiled at her, pretending to look a little lecherous: "You're so beautiful!"
The woman, with a cold expression, lit a cigarette for me and returned to Hong Da's side.
After losing two rounds in a row, Hong Da's face began to glow with pride, and a hint of smugness appeared in his eyes. He sat across from me and laughed, "Not bad, you're right! God can't always be behind you! It seems that the old man is behind me now!"
I chuckled, flicked my cigarette ash with a deliberately nonchalant air, winked at the fat man, and teased, "No, no, no... the one behind you isn't God, but a sexy goddess!" Then, I deliberately winked at the stripper. But all I saw in her eyes was disgust.
An hour passed, and I carefully calculated the wins and losses between Hong Da and me, meticulously keeping our odds roughly equal... After nearly two hours of fierce competition, our chips were almost evenly matched... Neither of us had won or lost!
Hong Da's hostility towards me had lessened considerably, but he was still somewhat curious about me: "Kid, you're a strange guy... Every time you beat me, it's a BIACK JACK! It's unbelievable! For ordinary people, getting those hands is all about luck... but you've gotten them so many times tonight!"
"It's luck," I said, pursing my lips.
At this moment, the stripper finally couldn't resist any longer. She bent down and whispered a few words in Hong Da's ear, deliberately making a seductive expression. After hearing this, a hint of hesitation flashed across Hong Da's face...
I cursed inwardly, "That bitch! She's trying to get Hong Da back to his room!" But I couldn't directly interfere, so I just frowned and glanced at Hong Da.
Fortunately, it seems God is really on my side today. Hong Da considered for a moment, shook his head, then glanced at the dancer and muttered something under his breath. The dancer looked somewhat helpless, but continued to stand silently to the side. Hong Da rolled up his sleeves, his face beaming with excitement: "Come on, kid, let's see how many more good cards you can get!"
At six o'clock in the morning, the casino was already preparing to close. The ship had left international waters and entered Vietnamese territory. Hearing the announcement over the loudspeaker and the waiter's reminder, I breathed a sigh of relief and deliberately said with a wry smile, "Hey, buddy, looks like our luck is about even. Look, it's been hours already, and it seems neither of us has won."
Hong Da rubbed the fat on his face vigorously, grinned, and said, "Damn, this is weird! Really weird!"
I sighed: "It's the last round, how about we go all out? Of course, only with the chips on the table! It's not much money anyway... Whoever wins has to treat everyone to breakfast. I heard the ship's head chef is making Vietnamese specialties like giant prawns this morning."
"Okay!" Hong Da readily pushed all the chips in front of him forward, saying, "You're very straightforward, and I like straightforward people!"
I smiled, pushed the chips out, and glanced at the dealer: "Continue dealing the cards."
Hong Da raised the cards in front of him and glanced at them from the corner. I, on the other hand, called over a waiter and pointed to the chips on the table: "Turn them into cash... preferably checks, I don't want to leave with so much cash."
"Would you like to deposit money into your account? We can provide that service," Shi Chun asked politely.
"No need." I picked up a chip from the table and tossed it to him: "This is a reward for you."
The waiter bowed and left. Hong Da, somewhat disgruntled, muttered, "Hey! What are you doing? The cards haven't been dealt yet!"
I stood up, gently patted my clothes, glanced at him, and said calmly, "You lost."
I casually flipped over the cards; there was an Ace and a Jack.
Then I looked at him with a smile and said, "Right, buddy? You're an interesting guy. Let's go get breakfast."
It's very simple; I've already changed "I" to "we".