Although the princess was somewhat reluctant, she did not disobey her father's wishes.
“Alright, now we can talk, young man.” Thorin looked at me meaningfully, then slowly smiled and said, “Yesterday, you were picked up by Sophie as soon as you got off the plane. I know it was very impolite, please forgive my daughter’s willfulness. I know you and Mr. Fang must have a lot to talk about… How about this…” He smiled and said, “In about twenty minutes, my card game will be held in the reception room inside. I will reserve a seat for you.”
Eighth Master glanced at me and nodded: "Okay, please go ahead, we'll be there in a bit."
I know. The small reception room inside Mr. Thorin's banquet was where he had truly invited his "VIPs," while most of the guests coming and going outside were just there to make an appearance.
Sorin seemed to hesitate for a moment. Finally, he said to Yang Wei, "My dear Weiwei, come inside with me. I think there are a few guests here that you might find interesting to meet. Also, I have something I'd like you to tell your father..."
I chuckled inwardly... Old Thorin couldn't hold back any longer. It seems he noticed that Yang Wei and I were getting a little too close, so he deliberately took the opportunity to divert her away and reduce the time he spent with me.
As soon as they left, Eighth Master pulled me aside and whispered, "Little Fifth, how do you know that woman?"
"Yang Wei?" I smiled. "I met her when we were in China."
"Do you know who she is?" Eighth Master's expression was very serious.
"Hmm." I said casually, "She must be from a Chinese family in the United States. I heard that her family is a gambling syndicate."
"Yes...she seems quite close to you?" Eighth Master asked tentatively. I didn't immediately guess what Eighth Master meant, and only vaguely replied, "Not bad." Unexpectedly, a strange light flashed in Eighth Master's eyes, and then a smile appeared on his lips. He patted my shoulder forcefully: "This woman named Yang Weidi is not simple! Although I haven't dealt with her, I've heard of her name. Hmm, you know her. So perhaps in the future..." He suddenly stopped talking, his expression changed slightly, and then he smiled and said, "We'll talk about the future later."
He seemed to realize he had been a bit out of line and quickly covered it up, saying, "Oh, were you with the princess last night?"
"No," I answered honestly. "I had a little disagreement with her yesterday, and she took me back to the villa and then left on her own."
"Unpleasant?" Eighth Master frowned.
"Yeah, you know, women can be a bit inexplicable sometimes."
“The times are different now. You’d better not provoke this woman…” Eighth Master suddenly smiled, seemingly with a kind smile: “Oh. Don’t misunderstand. I’m not asking you to deliberately flatter this woman, it’s just that we’re cooperating with them now, and it’s best if we don’t cause any unpleasantness.”
"Yes, I know what I'm doing."
Eighth Master's expression was a bit strange, as if he also felt a little awkward discussing this topic with me. So he simply patted my shoulder hard, deliberately laughed, and said, "Well, youth is an asset. It's normal for a young man like you to attract girls."
I thought to myself, "Isn't it you who deliberately pushed me to the princess's place... I don't believe that the princess was waiting outside after we got off the plane yesterday, and you didn't know beforehand?"
I'm pretty sure that if it weren't for the princess, Eighth Master probably wouldn't have brought me along for this collaboration with the Thorin family.
To put it bluntly, he treated me like a "male escort".
My guess was absolutely correct.
Although Eighth Master nominally brought me here to participate in this business cooperation, I've been here all day and haven't had any say in the business matters whatsoever. My only task is to appease the princess. Eighth Master must have talked a lot with Sorin yesterday and today, and it must have been quite pleasant. However, he hasn't shown any interest in discussing the details of the business cooperation with me.
"Alright, let's go in." Eighth Master glanced at the time, then his tone became serious: "Don't be too flamboyant at the card game later. Everyone invited into Mr. Sorin's reception room has a certain background. You'll be representing me at the table later; don't aim for anything special, just avoid any mistakes." He smiled: "I'm not very good at gambling, but since the host invited me, I can't refuse. We'll just throw out a few hundred thousand, then I'll make an excuse and we can leave, understand? Just remember not to say anything out of line at the card table."
Mr. Sorin's reception room was actually quite large. It was a windowless room, but the spacious interior didn't feel stuffy. An oval table was already occupied by four guests, and I noticed three empty chairs. When Eighth Master and I entered, we saw Sorin sitting in the center, with Yang Wei to his left, and then two other men, all quite old. Their expressions carried a subtle air of arrogance, a quality perhaps cultivated by those in positions of power.
I looked at the information about these two people on the way. One was a member of the ruling party in the provincial local council, and the other was a powerful member of the largest French family in Quebec.
"Oh. You've finally arrived." Thorin smiled, his smile possessing a certain aristocratic gentlemanly grace. Despite his age and the many wrinkles etched on his face, his composed demeanor was still quite charming. He looked at us and said, "So, my old friends, are you going to try your luck at the table yourself, or let the younger generation do it for you?"
"I'll just watch." Eighth Master pressed me down to sit, and then someone immediately brought a chair for him to sit behind me.
"Can we begin? What are we playing today?" The French family member asked impatiently, fiddling with the ring on his thumb. He was balding and had a large, hooked nose.
“Oh, there are still two important guests who haven’t arrived yet,” Thorin said with a smile. “Today is truly a special day. We have so many guests from the East all of a sudden.”
I quickly understood what he meant.
About two minutes later, the door to the reception room was pushed open, and a person walked in from outside.
This man was short and somewhat stout. He had a full head of white hair, a round face, and small eyes. But although his eyes were small, the occasional flashes of bright light in them made one easily overlook his otherwise unremarkable appearance!
Fortunately, his overly bright and sharp eyes were partially obscured by a pair of glasses perched on his nose, concealing some of his brilliance.
This person is the one Yang Wei specifically introduced to me today; he's our common goal.
That "traitor to Japan".
Jason Nakata, the Japanese-American congressman who submitted an anti-Japanese bill to the U.S. Congress.
Thorin immediately stood up and personally welcomed Jason Nakata in. Although Jason Nakata looked Japanese, he was clearly very American, after all, he was a third-generation immigrant who was born and raised in the United States. Unlike the Japanese people I was used to, who would bow upon meeting, he spread his hands, gave a very Americanized exaggerated smile, and then said loudly, "Sorry to keep you all waiting."
"Let me introduce you," Mr. Sorin said with a faint smile. "This is Mr. Jason Nakata, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives."
The man from the Canadian provincial council, who was sitting in his seat, initially looked somewhat impatient, but upon hearing the other party's identity, he immediately and unconsciously toned down his arrogance.
Just as I was carefully examining this guy, the last VIP of the day walked in through the door.
“Oh, Mr. Thorin.” A gentle and refined voice, with a composed demeanor, chuckled in a flamboyant yet not exaggerated tone: “I’ve been on my best journey, and thankfully I didn’t miss your card game. If I had missed it, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep for a week.”
Then, a tall, slender figure walked in, with a handsome face, an elegant smile on his lips, and clean, neat attire.
My eyes widened instantly!
Yellow skin, black hair, tall and slender build, melodious baritone voice, handsome face, elegant demeanor...
The man who walked in was Li Wenjing.
After Li Wenjing came in, he didn't see me immediately. Instead, his eyes fell on Yang Wei, who was sitting facing the door. He smiled genuinely, mixed with a sigh: "God, Weiwei, I almost thought that this was the end of my trip and I would never see you again."
Li Wenjing?
Does he know Yang Wei?
Yang Wei raised an eyebrow slightly, smiled, and said nothing.
Just as I was making a strange face, Li Wenjing finally saw me!
If my expression was strange, then Li Wenjing's expression could definitely be described as surprised...
"Oh? Chen Yang? You?" He looked at me sitting at the gambling table with an awkward smile, then suddenly took a deep breath, and before I could speak, he glanced directly at Sorin: "My God, Mr. Sorin, are you also participating in today's gambling?"
“Yes, this is Mr. Fang’s nephew. He’s representing Mr. Fang today… Um, Tony, do you know him?” I wasn’t surprised that Thorin called Li Wenjing “Tony”, because I seemed to remember that it was Li Wenjing’s English name.
“Of course I know him,” Li Wenjing said with a smile. “We’ve known each other for a long time, and not long ago in Vancouver, Her Highness the Princess brought him to the club I run.”
However, Li Wenjing then sighed, glanced at me, and said, "Chen Yang, since you're here, I think there's no need for me to participate in today's bet."
"Why?" This was the question that Solin and Yang Wei asked at the same time.
Yang Wei couldn't help but glance at me, seemingly somewhat surprised.
“Because ever since I gambled with him in China, I’ve vowed never to gamble with him again.” Li Wenjing said calmly, “Although I enjoy gambling, a gamble that I know I will lose is not a gamble at all; it’s just giving money away to the other party, and it has lost its meaning.”
He sighed and said with a wry smile, "You have no idea how terrifying this guy's performance in the gambling game is..."
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter Fourteen: Is it a Miracle?!
Enjoying gambling and not caring about winning or losing is called "good gambling etiquette." But if you knowingly gamble even though you're 100% guaranteed to lose, then you're out of your mind.
Li Wenjing's gaze, as he looked at the people sitting at the gambling table, clearly conveyed the message, "You're all crazy to gamble with people like this."
I noticed that Yang Wei's gaze towards me had become somewhat strange. A hint of surprise flashed in this intelligent woman's eyes, followed by a subtle hint of reproach. I understood; she was probably reproaching me for not mentioning my abilities to her.
The others also looked at me with some doubt. What surprised me was that, while they were surprised, they also seemed somewhat disbelieving. However, no one spoke up to refute or question Li Wenjing's words.
Thorin paused for a moment, gave me a deep look, then glanced at Eighth Master sitting next to me, his eyes becoming much more intense... Then he laughed and said to Li Wenjing, "Tony, so you're not playing today?"
Li Wenjing shook his head repeatedly: "No, no, no, I only said I wouldn't gamble with him, but I didn't say I wouldn't gamble myself." The cunning fellow rolled his eyes and smiled faintly: "How about this, no matter what you gamble on today, I'm willing to bet on the outside! I bet on Chen Yang to win!"
The others were even more suspicious. But Thorin's eyes remained unreadable. This old fox was certainly no ordinary person.
Li Wenjing is a man of calm and steady character, and he always acts only after careful consideration... Thinking about it now, his personality is quite similar to Yang Wei's. They are both intelligent people, and such people are generally not prone to boasting.
As for Li Wenjing himself, if I remember correctly, he also seems to hold a title in some kind of bridge association… To put it simply, he's a highly skilled gambler!
I knew I had to speak up now. I deliberately sighed, looked at Li Wenjing, and said with a wry smile, "Mr. Li, although I beat you last time, you don't have to push me into this predicament... You know, the gambling table is unpredictable, winning and losing are both normal things."
Yang Wei, being my ally after all, finally spoke up, smiling, "Tony, when did you meet Chen Yang? I don't seem to remember him being a good gambler..."
Yang looked at me with a smile, but there seemed to be some displeasure in his eyes: "Chen Yang, I remember the first time I met you was at the casino. That night, you seemed to have lost all your chips in less than an hour, right?"
Yang Wei's displeasure. I could vaguely understand that it was a kind of unhappiness stemming from her feeling that I wasn't being honest with her, as a friend.
But for some reason, seeing her expression, I felt it wasn't so simple... as if there were other meanings behind it... perhaps... surprise? astonishment? And a hint of excitement!
I smiled. But these things are inexplicable. I can't exactly say I can control my luck, or that I have a ring that makes my luck explode. Jason Nakata, who had been sitting to the side, had some sweat on his forehead—probably a common problem for fat people all over the world. Generally speaking, fat people tend to sweat more. His chubby face wore a somewhat affable smile typical of politicians. Suddenly, he interjected with a laugh, "Why don't we all make a bet? Then we'll know if Tony is telling the truth."
After speaking, he glanced at Li Wenjing with a somewhat friendly smile. However, Li Wenjing only responded with a cold smile.
I've figured it out. Li Wenjing seems to be quite influential here, and his relationship with Sorin is quite close... This is evident from the fact that he knows the princess; back in Vancouver, the princess took me to his private club. And when he came in just now, the first thing he said was "I'm late," a tone clearly reserved for old friends.
As for this Japanese-American congressman, it's not surprising that his smile towards Li Wenjing had a hint of befriending. After all, I know that Li Wenjing also has a large family behind him, and some of his family members have connections with the US government, dealing in arms. It's not unusual for him to know a congressman.
However, Li Wenjing was very cold to this Japanese man... Hmm, this Jason Nakata, the information shows that he is a Democrat. Does that mean that Li Wenjing's family is a Republican in the United States?
"Then let's play two rounds."
The French family member sitting next to me spoke up, looking somewhat impatient. His large, hooked nose twitched as if he had some kind of sinusitis. He coughed a couple of times and said loudly, "The more skilled the player, the more I like them. If I can witness a gambling master, I don't mind losing some money." He glanced at Li Wenjing with a smile: "Since we started gambling, haven't I lost a lot of money to you?"
“OK, then I’ll just watch today.” Li Wenjing shook his head and then sat down on the sofa behind me. From his angle, he was directly behind me, so if we were playing cards, he could see everything I did just by looking up.
“Alright, let’s begin then.” Thorin smiled. After all, he was the host here, and he maintained his composure. He glanced at me and said, “Young man, I hope you can bring us some surprises.”
He gave a low order, and his men went out. A moment later, a middle-aged man in uniform and a bow tie walked in, carrying several decks of casino-grade playing cards on a round tray. "This is the dealer I just hired. He worked in Atlantic City for fifteen years. His skills are excellent." Thorin smiled, glancing at Yang Wei: "Weiwei, you recognize him, right?"
Yang Wei paused for a moment, glanced at the middle-aged man, and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and smile: "Oh, so you're Mr. Gu Li. He used to be one of the top ten dealers in the industry." After a pause, she made a timely joke: "Uncle Solin, you've actually hired such a master for your little gambling table. Are you trying to turn this place into a professional casino and steal business from my family?"
Everyone chuckled along, but Thorin only smiled faintly. I noticed a flicker of unease in Yang Wei's eyes... Could there be some hidden story?
"Wait!" Just as a deck of cards was being split up, and the dealer named Guli skillfully and professionally laid out the cards in a row for everyone to examine, the princess's voice came from outside the door.
Sophie walked in from outside, carrying two large wine glasses filled with red wine. Her face was slightly flushed, and she looked up and smiled, saying, "Since everyone's playing, why don't you count me in... I may not know how to gamble, but I can deal the cards."
With a charming smile, she looked at the dealer: "Mr. Guli, you don't mind if I temporarily take your job, do you?"
Beautiful women are always treated well, even a promiscuous one. Besides, she's Thorin's daughter, and this isn't a serious contest; everyone's just playing around and not taking it too seriously.
Guli didn't hesitate. He just glanced at Solin, took a step back, and smiled, "Of course."
The princess took over Guli's position, but placed a glass of wine in front of me and smiled at me: "Darling, this is your wine glass, you forgot to take it."
This intimate gesture was immediately noticed by everyone present. I saw a hint of a smile in Li Wenjing's eyes. He knew about the connection between me and the princess... With his intelligence, his relationship with Qiaoqiao, and his acquaintance with me, he knew a little about me and naturally wouldn't think that I would have anything to do with this princess.
After the princess did this on purpose, she looked up and gave Yang Wei a defiant glance. Sorin remained silent, while the other three—the Japanese senator, the Canadian local councilor, and the member of the French family—all wore ambiguous smiles.
All in.
The minimum bet is $1,000, with no upper limit. Of course, in these light, recreational betting situations, no one really gets carried away and risks their entire fortune.
"Wait a minute." Before the princess dealt the cards, Li Wenjing, who was sitting behind me, suddenly laughed and said, "Have you forgotten what I said about betting on the outside? I'm betting $10,000 on Chen Yang to win. As for the odds... well, there are six people at the table now, so let's make it 1 to 6. That's fair."