"Xiao Gao? Nephew...nephew...you, you said you are, Xiao, Xiao Gao?" Tang Bao even stammered! You must know, Tang Bao's position as the head of Zheng Bang was earned through his fists. He was afraid of people, and he was wary of people, but he had never stammered like this before!
Tang Bao was truly shocked!
His gaze was fixed intently on Gao Jianfei.
Tang Bao vaguely remembered the scene when he picked up Gao Jianfei at the flower market train station...
A slovenly young man, dressed in cheap clothes that even people wouldn't want for free, was extorted by a group of thugs at the train station.
At this very moment, Gao Jianfei tells Tang Bao that he is "Xiao Gao." He is the one who makes Tang Bao, and even the entire underground forces of G Province, uneasy and sleepless—the Dongxing Sharp Gambling King, Xiao Gao!
“Uncle Tang, let’s go upstairs to a private room and talk.” Gao Jianfei also seemed a little embarrassed. “Actually, I didn’t mean to hide anything, Uncle Tang.”
Tang Bao followed Gao Jianfei blankly to a private room on the second floor of the casino. The two sat on the sofa and smoked.
Only now did Tang Bao realize what was happening! No matter how illogical it seemed, Gao Jianfei's skill, confidence, and mental fortitude during his fight against the one-armed man had overturned all principles and theories!
"Nephew, you...you really are Xiao Gao. It's true. You easily defeated the one-armed man; you're dozens, even hundreds of times stronger than the gambling experts at our Zheng Bang Casino. You are that Xiao Gao!" Tang Bao finally nodded in acknowledgment. Immediately, he slapped his forehead several times. "...I actually hired an assassin to kill my nephew! Damn it, damn it, I really deserve to die!" A look of lingering fear appeared on his face, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. Clearly, he was still somewhat shaken by the thought. However, the worry on Tang Bao's face quickly turned into joy! "Wow! Nephew, you can even take down two professional assassins in one go! And, at least three of Iron Arm's four bodyguards were taken care of by you! Impressive! Nephew, you know kung fu?"
Gao Jianfei smiled noncommittally. "Uncle Tang, don't you know kung fu too?"
Tang Bao put his arm around Gao Jianfei's shoulder and said, "Well, nephew, your Uncle Tang has been a thug for Zheng Bang since he was a kid, so it's normal for him to know some kung fu. When he was young, your Uncle Tang only did three things: kill people, practice martial arts, and sleep with women. Ha, now that I'm old, my skills aren't what they used to be, otherwise, how could those bastards have been a match for your Uncle Tang?"
The uncle and nephew looked at each other and burst into laughter.
Suddenly, Tang Bao stood up and shouted out the window, "Brother Jin, did you see that? Your son, your own son Gao Jianfei, how awesome he is! I told you, like begets like, Brother Jin's son is awesome!"
Tang Bao seemed to be venting something. His shout brought tears to Gao Jianfei's eyes as well. It was an emotional outpouring.
After shouting for a while, Tang Bao sat back down on the sofa. "Nephew, did your father teach you gambling skills?"
"Uncle Tang, there are some things I really can't say too much about. In short, neither gambling nor martial arts were taught to me by my father. And my father doesn't even know I know these things. In his eyes, I'm just a simple, kind, harmless little lamb," Gao Jianfei said with utmost seriousness. "Uncle Tang, my father is disabled and old. I hope that in his eyes, I will always be a well-behaved, harmless, simple, kind little lamb. Uncle Tang, what do you think?"
Tang Bao stared intently at Gao Jianfei for a full five seconds before speaking. "Nephew, you'll amount to something great in the future! Uncle Tang's judgment of people is never wrong! Don't worry, I won't tell Brother Jin about this. As for Feilong?"
"Don't let Brother Feilong know for now," Gao Jianfei said decisively. "Brother Feilong has already cleared his name. He's a clean man who does business honestly. I don't want him to know these things, nor do I want him to worry about me."
Tang Bao nodded. Then, Tang Bao remembered something, "Oh, right, nephew, you're family, your father is my brother. Instead of helping me, you're helping Zheng Bang's arch-enemy, Dongxing. This... this isn't quite right, is it? Nephew, your father used to be a pillar of Zheng Bang. There's an old saying... 'Don't let the good stuff go to outsiders,' no, that's right! 'The son follows the father's business.' It's 'The son follows the father's business.' Nephew, come help your Uncle Tang!"
Finally, Tang Bao asked Gao Jianfei for help!
Gao Jianfei had anticipated this request. He felt somewhat troubled.
Tang Bao added, "Nephew, let's join forces, take down Chen Yaohui, and swallow Dongxing!"
"Well, Uncle Tang, I have to explain. The reason I affiliated myself with Dongxing back then was twofold. Firstly, I had some connections with Chen Yaohui, and he treated me well. Secondly, I wasn't really interested in gambling. I just wanted to have a high enough ranking to challenge Chen Yifeng!"
“Chen…Chen Yifeng…” Tang Bao’s pupils contracted. “Nephew, you…you know?”
“Yes. Chen Yifeng is the murderer who framed my father. I got involved in the gambling world simply to challenge Chen Yifeng and win back everything my father lost!” Gao Jianfei said solemnly. “So, Uncle Tang, I don’t want to work for any casino. I’m in a bit of a dilemma having you ask me to come to Zheng Bang. Also, getting rid of Chen Yaohui is also a difficult task for me.”
To be honest, Gao Jianfei really couldn't bring himself to kill or torture Chen Yaohui.
Tang Bao tugged at his hair, then said, “Nephew, I know your predicament. You want to be loyal, right? Then come and help your Uncle Tang. As for dealing with Chen Yaohui, you don’t need to worry about it, okay? Also, nephew, you now possess gambling skills and other abilities. If you let these abilities go to waste, if you don’t use them to rise to power and seize benefits, and instead think about keeping a low profile, that’s impossible! In fact, you’ve already embarked on this path, and… there’s no turning back. Nephew, come and help me!”
Once you've embarked on this path, there's no turning back!
Gao Jianfei frowned.
These days, keeping a low profile is simply impossible! Since you've already allied yourself with one underground organization, what difference does it make if you allied yourself with another?
Besides, the Zheng Bang gang was his father Gao Jin's "family." Tang Bao was his uncle!
"Alright!" Gao Jianfei finally nodded. "Uncle Tang, I'll call the Song family right away and tell them to help me register Zheng Bang as my officially affiliated underground force! That way, if anyone tries to cause trouble in the future, they'll have to think twice before they try to cause any trouble!"
"Good! Nephew!" Tang Bao laughed loudly. "Also, nephew, even brothers should keep clear accounts. Although we are family, we still need to be clear about money! How was your payment made in Dongxing? Nephew, just tell me clearly. Your Uncle Tang doesn't like beating around the bush, so just say it directly!"
Seeing that Tang Bao's expression was very serious, Gao Jianfei spoke without any concealment, "Chen Yaohui gave me Emperor Casino, 15% of the net profit every month."
"Tsk, Chen Yaohui really went all out!" Tang Bao stuck out his tongue. "But, with my nephew's high world ranking, he deserves that much! Alright, nephew, as the head of Zheng Bang, I'm telling you now, starting this month, my Zheng Bang Casino will also give you 15% of the net profit! Even close brothers should keep clear accounts!"
Hearing the salary offered by Tang Bao, Gao Jianfei didn't refuse too much. Firstly, he knew he couldn't refuse. Secondly, who would complain about having too much money? Besides, Gao Jianfei was receiving money from the Zheng Bang gang, not Tang Bao's personal funds.
That's settled then.
The next thing to do was for Tang Bao to open a bank account for Gao Jianfei. Gao Jianfei then called Song Zhui and asked him to register the Zheng Bang gang as part of his affiliated organizations.
Song Zhui wasn't surprised at all. A gambling expert ranked 51st in the world, an underground force affiliated with several cities in one province—that was perfectly normal. Everyone wants to make money!
Lake City.
The Emperor Building. Chen Yaohui's office.
Chen Yaohui had just answered a phone call. Then, his expression instantly changed, becoming dark and gloomy!
“Jianfei, what... what do you mean by this? Is it just greed, or... or did you plot this all along…” Chen Yaohui pondered repeatedly. “No, if Jianfei wanted to destroy Dongxing, he wouldn’t have saved me so many times! Nor would he have helped me deal with Wu Youcun.”
Several trusted henchmen asked in surprise, "Brother Yaohui, why does your face suddenly look so pale? What happened?"
Chen Yaohui said slowly, "Just now, Huang Bojun called to inform me that Jian Fei, the star of our casino, has officially become affiliated with the Zheng Bang Society."
"Huh?" Several henchmen exclaimed in shock at the same time, "Zheng Bang is our Dongxing's mortal enemy!"
"Brother Yaohui, could it be that Brother Jianfei is a member of Zhengbang? Did he infiltrate Dongxing from the very beginning?" one of the henchmen speculated.
Chen Yaohui said coldly, "Don't talk nonsense! I trust Jianfei's character. With his strength, if he wanted to kill me, I wouldn't have a chance to fight back! I'll talk to Jianfei about this privately. Perhaps he really just wants to make more money." He paused, his pupils contracting slightly. "Last time, after Jianfei left the hotel I arranged for him, he bought a house in Hu City. Find out the location of Jianfei's house. Also, start following up on Jianfei's woman, Chen Xian, and monitor her movements."
"Brother Yaohui, are we going to deal with that Chen Xian?"
"...I just want you to follow her occasionally! Record where she likes to go and her social network." Chen Yaohui suddenly stood up. "You absolutely mustn't do anything reckless, don't provoke her! She's Jianfei's woman, we can't be disrespectful to her in any way!"
Several henchmen were puzzled. "Then, Brother Yaohui, what's our purpose in monitoring her?"
Chen Yaohui's face suddenly turned somewhat dejected. He rubbed his temples and said, "I'm just preparing a way out for myself."
Chapter 142 Qin Leshi's Mysteriousness
Chapter 142 Qin Leshi's Mysteriousness
At Zheng Bang Casino, Gao Jianfei completed some handover procedures with Tang Bao regarding the casino's setup. He now had another bank card in his pocket, with hundreds of millions of RMB deposited into his account monthly. Shortly after, Gao Jianfei accompanied Tang Bao and a group of Zheng Bang's high-ranking henchmen to a five-star hotel within the Zheng Bang Club for lunch and drinks.
When leaving Zheng Bang Club, Tang Bao suggested that Gao Jianfei buy a property in Huashi and settle down.
Gao Jianfei smiled and said, "Uncle Tang, I've settled in Hushi. Coming to Huashi is partly because I'm worried about what Brother Feilong might think; and partly..." He paused, then turned to Tang Bao with a serious expression. "Uncle Tang, there's this guy in Huashi... 'Beard.' He's the president of some folk martial arts exchange association, with a group of martial artists under his command, and even some gunmen. He's come to Huashi seeking revenge, but I don't know if he has any other motives. Anyway, Uncle Tang, please keep an eye on him. If you find anything, let me know immediately."
"Beard?" Tang Bao was taken aback. "Nephew, we're going to kill this guy?"
“No, no,” Gao Jianfei didn’t want Tang Bao to get involved in the fight with Hu Zi, especially since Hu Zi was no ordinary person. Therefore, he was also worried that Tang Bao would make a powerful enemy. “Then, Uncle Tang, if you find Hu Zi’s whereabouts, you just need to let me know. You don’t need to investigate him deliberately. In short, whatever you do, don’t have any conflict with him.”
"Alright. Nephew, your speech and behavior are quite mature now. You can make your own decisions about many things. If you need anything from your Uncle Tang, just ask. At the very least, Zheng Bang has thousands of henchmen." Tang Bao picked his nose as he saw Gao Jianfei out of the Zheng Bang Workers' Club. Before leaving, Tang Bao reminded him, "By the way, nephew, next month on the 5th is Feilong's mother's birthday. Come over and visit. I'll introduce you to someone. 'Wenjun,' my son! He's about your age, you two should get along well."
"Wenjun?" Gao Jian was taken aback. "Oh, Uncle Tang, your son? Great! I'll get to know Wenjun and make friends with him."
When Tang Bao mentioned his son, Gao Jianfei was overjoyed. Although they had never met, Gao Jianfei instinctively felt a sense of goodwill towards this 'Wenjun' because of his connection with Tang Bao.
After saying goodbye to Tang Bao, Gao Jianfei casually strolled through the streets of the flower market.
"Heh, we taught Hu Zi a very profound lesson last time, so he shouldn't dare to act recklessly for the time being."
"Also, regarding the matter of affiliating with Zheng Bang, I'll go directly to Yao Hui to discuss it next time. In short, I won't touch Dong Xing's interests. If Yao Hui has any complaints, I can simply leave the Dong Xing triad."
"Also, how is your sister-in-law doing lately? Should I call her and have a chat?"
As I walked, my thoughts kept flowing.
Slowly, Gao Jianfei stepped into a commercial pedestrian street.
Just then... "Gradually take flight!"
A strangely familiar, soft and beautiful female voice, filled with great surprise and joy, rang out behind Gao Jianfei.
Qin Leshi's voice!
Gao Jianfei turned around and saw Qin Leshi wearing a red plaid skirt, pink high heels, and a unique white shirt with a bow in the sunlight.
Short hair, no makeup, naturally beautiful.
That exceptionally kind and gentle smile appeared on her face. Her complexion was rosy and healthy. She looked very youthful.
She jogged towards Gao Jianfei. "Jianfei! It really is you! I never expected to run into you here!"
Since attending Qin Leshi's birthday party, Gao Jianfei and Qin Leshi haven't seen each other again. At that birthday party, their relationship transitioned from ordinary colleagues to friends.
"Hello, Le Shi!" Gao Jianfei smiled warmly at Qin Le Shi. It was a cheerful and sunny smile. Her snow-white teeth, reflecting the sunlight, gave a clean and crisp impression.
"Heh, Jianfei, I called to ask you to meet up, but you always avoided me. I never expected to run into you like this!" Qin Leshi stood beside Gao Jianfei, smiling the whole time. She was panting heavily from running so fast, which was quite unladylike. She touched her hair sheepishly. "Jianfei, how have you been lately?"
As Gao Jianfei inhaled the faint fragrance wafting from Qin Leshi's direction, his mood naturally improved. Indeed, beautiful things can change one's mood. Beautiful women can do the same.
"Le Shi, I found another job in Lake City. The salary and benefits are better than at Alice Company. Heh," Gao Jianfei casually lied.
Qin Leshi raised her eyebrows slightly. "Heh, you changed jobs? That's impressive! Jianfei, when you first came to Alice's planning department, you didn't know anything. I taught you everything step by step! Now that you've found a good job, shouldn't you thank me?"
Qin Leshi laughed exaggeratedly. Although it was an exaggerated laugh, it still carried a sense of good manners and elegance.
She is actually a girl who makes people feel like they are bathed in a spring breeze.
She won't give you the same stunning, beautiful, or figure-hugging impression as Chen Xian. Instead, she offers a gentle, warm breeze—a sense of approachability.
In reality, Qin Leshi grew up in a very strict family. She was the kind of girl who had to be home before 10 PM every night. She would never act like this in front of a man. But, there were some things she had come to understand…
She figured it out after that birthday party.
That time, Gao Jianfei's sunny good looks, his eloquent speech and manner, and the confident and poised manner he displayed when discussing red wine with Chen Zhenwei. And then, that song... "Love is Simple," were all deeply etched into Qin Leshi's memory! So much so that every night afterward, she would fall asleep accompanied by these memories.
She'd figured it out... She shouldn't be timid and hesitant, like a lady waiting for a prince to put her high heels on. She should let go of some of her reserve and actively pursue her own happiness!
"Le Shi, to be honest, I've always been grateful to you. How about I treat you to a meal next time?" Gao Jianfei said sincerely.
"Hmm... there's no time like the present. Jianfei, come walk with me for a bit!" Qin Leshi said quickly. "The weather's really nice this afternoon, come shopping with me! Are you free?"
This is a girl who took the initiative to invite a man.
This was also the first time in Qin Leshi's life that she had extended an invitation to a man. Moreover, there was a hint of cunning in this invitation. After quickly finishing her sentence, Qin Leshi lowered her head, her face flushed as she looked at Gao Jianfei. A subtle, mischievous glint appeared in her eyes.
shop?
Gao Jianfei didn't want to waste his time refusing a woman's invitation. It was just shopping, nothing serious.
"Okay. I'm free this afternoon, Leshi, I'll go shopping with you." Gao Jianfei smiled.
Qin Leshi felt a surge of joy in her heart, and then, like a little bird nestled against its nest, she walked side by side with Gao Jianfei.
However, as he walked, Gao Jianfei sensed that something was wrong!
This commercial street has many shops: clothing stores, jewelry stores, snack shops, leather bag shops... you name it!
Among them are many well-known brand clothing stores.