"Chen Yang, I've been thinking about our card game all night," Minister Jin said with a smile. "To be honest, I've never met a gambling master as skilled as you! Fang Nan and I were just talking about you. How about we find an opportunity to have another good match? I'll find two experts to play against you. That would definitely be very interesting."
I gave a vague reply, but Cang Yu glanced at me and laughed, "Chen Yang, I had no idea you were such a gambling expert?"
Cangyu had seen me play cards; at least that night at the casino, she was there for me as I lost all my chips over an hour.
Minister Kim is clearly a very generous man—to be honest, I'm not too bothered by his affair in the restroom.
We're all men, after all; sometimes, we understand each other implicitly. Every man has occasional, exciting sexual fantasies. This guy's pretty bold, quite the character!
However, Cang Yu seemed somewhat downcast, maintaining only a polite demeanor. It appeared that Minister Jin was also a regular at the casino and knew Cang Yu.
A few minutes later, Zhou Jing came over, and Cang Yu immediately stood up and introduced the two sides.
This time, I noticed something subtle again.
Minister Jin didn't seem particularly enthusiastic about the casino's new owner, exchanging only a few words before turning his attention to me. We made plans to play some more games together; I promised to teach him how to play cards, and he offered to teach me how to play pool. Watching our lively conversation, Zhou Jing remained calm, showing no sign of being snubbed.
After a while, Minister Kim got up to leave. I stood up and shook hands with him, then took the opportunity to whisper in his ear, "Dude, you have lip gloss on your shirt collar!"
"Oh!" He raised an eyebrow, but did not panic. He quickly pulled out a tissue, pretended to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and then casually adjusted his collar. All his movements were smooth and extremely elegant!
I was once again certain of my suspicions: this guy seems to be a seasoned adulterer!
"Thanks, bro." He winked at me, then left with his female companion.
I know I've already built a good relationship with this guy.
Sometimes, friendship between men is that simple.
Zhou Jing suddenly looked at me and smiled, "Chen Yang, would you like to go to the lounge for a cigar? It feels a bit stuffy here, I don't think the ladies will mind."
What does he want to do?
I was taken aback for a moment, but then I immediately smiled and said, "I couldn't be happier."
Zhou Jing had already stood up. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled elegantly: "Ladies, please excuse me for a moment."
Part One: In the Martial World, Not in Control of One's Own Fate, Chapter Forty-Eight: The Sucker
The lounge was located in the corridor behind the banquet hall. Security was noticeably tighter there, with several hotel security guards standing at the entrance. When they saw Zhou Jing and me approaching, two guards immediately came to greet us.
Zhou Jing glanced at me, casually took out a gold invitation card, and the two security guards' expressions immediately became several times more respectful. Then they ushered us into the corridor.
There were several small lounges here. It was obvious that I wouldn't have been able to get in if Zhou Jing hadn't brought me here! Because I saw clear zoning outside the corridor: VIP area.
Zhou Jing was clearly a VIP, while I wasn't. We were only able to get in because of the golden invitation card he had.
We requested a private lounge, which was a small private room in the hotel that had been temporarily converted. However, it was fully equipped with a small wine cabinet and a soft sofa.
As I entered the lounge, the door closed immediately. Zhou Jing casually sat down on the single sofa, then pulled a cigar from his pocket and tossed it to me: "Cohiba, Century 5. Do you like this brand?"
I took it in my hand, glanced at it, and then gently tossed it back to him, saying with a faint smile, "I'd rather not smoke this. I'm used to smoking, and the taste of cigars is too strong for me."
A complex smile appeared on Zhou Jing's face as he said thoughtfully, "Young people should actually be brave enough to try new things..."
"I've tried it before, but I really didn't like it, so there's no need to force myself." I smiled and took out a cigarette case from my shirt pocket.
Zhou Jing didn't say anything more, casually took out a cigar cutter from the liquor cabinet, and then lit it with a lighter.
The Cohiba Centenario 5 he was smoking was a very expensive cigar, originally from Cuba, costing over two hundred RMB per stick. I had seen this kind of cigar before in the movie "Golden Mansion." Zhou Jing was undoubtedly a true cigar smoker; a look of enjoyment appeared on his face, and he pointed to another sofa next to him: "Sit down."
I don't like being passive, so I took the initiative and said, "Mr. Zhou, you asked me to come in with you, so there must be something you want to tell me, right?"
“Hmm, you’re very direct, and I like direct people.” Zhou Jing’s eyes were hidden behind the blue smoke, a slight smile playing on his lips. “It’s like this, Chen Yang, I hope you can do me a favor.”
"What?"
Zhou Jing, with a cigar between his fingers, gently patted the sofa armrest twice with the other, and slowly said, "It's about Miss Fang. To be frank, I have a good impression of her. So I'd like to ask you for a favor."
I shook my head: "Mr. Zhou, I'm afraid I can't help you with this. I'm just Miss Fang's subordinate."
“My request is very simple.” Zhou Jing slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, smiling confidently: “I just want to know one thing: tonight, Miss Fang is attending this charity gala. At the auction later, is there anything she wants to bid on?”
My eyes lit up, but I quickly coughed to cover it up and said with a faint smile, "Mr. Zhou... do you mean you want to curry favor with her?"
"There are quite a few precious jewels among tonight's auction items... Women all love jewelry, don't they?" Zhou Jing smiled confidently. "I think you're her assistant. She must have looked at the catalog of tonight's auction items before she came. Did she pay special attention to anything?"
This guy really put his heart into it!
I already know his plan. He probably wants to take a picture of what Fang Nan wants in public and then give it to her formally... This is a good way to win a woman's favor.
Of course, this is also a typical way for rich people to pursue women.
Thinking about this, a thought suddenly came to my mind...
"Well..." I made a hesitant expression on my face.
“I never let anyone do anything for me for free.” Zhou Jing smiled, then took out a checkbook from his pocket, wrote a check, tore it off, and pushed it onto the table in front of me: “You only need to do me a small favor. 100,000 for an intelligence report. That price should be fair.”
Damn, he's a rich man after all, so generous and extravagant. Just to please a woman, before anything even happened, he casually threw out 100,000!
Zhou Jing looked into my eyes and slowly said, "Well? I know that since Miss Fang is here tonight to attend this auction, she must have her eye on something."
It must be said that he guessed very accurately.
Because when I saw that booklet in the car today, I did see that Fang Nan had circled one of the items listed in the auction.
It was a diamond brooch, worth around 200,000 yuan. Fang Nan probably plans to bid on it tonight.
“Mr. Zhou.” I deliberately put on a troubled look. “You’re putting me in a difficult position… I’m Miss Fang’s subordinate, and I can’t disclose anything about her, especially things that involve her private life.”
Zhou Jing laughed, his expression showing not a trace of dissatisfaction, still smiling happily, and then quickly uttered a few words: "Two hundred thousand."
I shook my head again: "I really can't say."
I said that intentionally. I said "I can't say," but I didn't say "I don't know," which was a way of implying that I did know Fang Nan's target tonight!
Zhou Jing sighed, staring into my eyes as if casually saying, "Young man, you can't be too greedy. How about this, 300,000. Buying intelligence at this price is more expensive than the CIA."
He casually wrote another check and pushed it in front of me.
This time I really laughed. Without making a sound, I picked up the check, flicked it lightly in my hand, and then put it in my pocket.
“Miss Fang has two targets tonight,” I said with a smile. “The first is a diamond brooch from the French jewelry house Menique, which is the third item up for auction tonight.”
Zhou Jing nodded: "Yes, I know. Cang Yu seems quite interested in that thing too; it's worth two hundred thousand, which is indeed quite good." Then he glanced at me: "What about the other target?"
“Lot number five.” I said calmly and slowly, “It is a ring, a double-strand diamond design, donated by Mr. Herod, the European shipping magnate.”
Zhou Jing thought for a moment, then frowned and said, "That ring? That ring doesn't seem very suitable for women to wear... but it's not a big problem."
He then smiled and said, "Okay, thanks for the news." He then pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to me, saying, "This is my phone number, young man. I hope we can keep in touch. I might need your help again."
After saying that, he stood up, straightened his clothes, and gave me a deep look: "Working alongside a beautiful woman like Fang Nan must be very pleasant for you, right?" Then he stared into my eyes: "You'd better forget our conversation just now, and I don't want you to mention Miss Fang to me either."
I immediately put on a smile and said, "Don't worry."
Zhou Jing nodded, then casually stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray, and turned to leave the lounge.
I checked the time; less than five minutes had passed.
I sighed, took a deep drag on my cigarette, glanced at the cigar in the ashtray that I'd only puffed a few times, shook my head and smiled bitterly: "What a waste! Cohiba... Century 5, over two hundred yuan a stick, and I just throw it away after a couple of puffs... Humph."
Want to woo Fang Nan? Hmph, keep thinking about it!
I've started thinking about something else.
I have absolutely no chance of buying that ring tonight on my own. But now that I have Zhou Jing, this sucker, let him pay the bid. No matter how much he spends, he'll give it to Fang Nan in the end…
As long as the ring is in Fang Nan's possession, at least it will remain within my sight. The difficulty will be significantly reduced from now on...
Anyway, Fang Nan might not like this ring. I can try to get her to transfer it to me in the future. It's not like there's no hope.
The most urgent task is to prevent the ring from falling into someone else's hands!
That's all I can do right now.
Zhou Jing... I think you should stop using the surname Zhou and start using the surname Yuan! Change your name to Yuan Datou (meaning "sucker")!
I laughed happily for a while, and only left the lounge after finishing a cigarette.
"Sir, is there anything else you need?" A person in uniform immediately came forward.
"That's all." I thought for a moment, then sighed. "Please have someone bring me a glass of warm water."
Back in the banquet hall, Zhou Jing was nowhere to be found. I walked to my seat alone, holding a glass of warm water in my hand.
Cang Yu was talking to Fang Nan. Cang Yu seemed to be asking Fang Nan a question, and Fang Nan's expression became somewhat unnatural; she simply shook her head without speaking. Cang Yu sighed, looking somewhat helpless. Just then, she saw me approaching and frowned, saying, "Why are you back? Where's Mr. Zhou?"
I shrugged. "I'm not used to cigars. Mr. Zhou is probably chatting with the other guests." Then I handed the glass of warm water to Fang Nan.
Fang Nan looked up at me, her eyes gentle, and smiled, "Thank you."
I nodded: "It's nothing, I'm your assistant, it's my duty to take care of you." Just as I finished speaking, I suddenly felt a kick under the table. Cang Yu looked at me and smiled: "Chen Yang, dance with me."
Before I could speak, she turned to Fang Nan and said, "Can I borrow your assistant for a few minutes? You won't be reluctant, will you?"
Fang Nan's face flushed slightly, and she looked a little awkward. She glared at her and said, "What nonsense are you talking about! If you want to dance, just ask him yourself."
I quickly stood up and extended my hand in an inviting gesture: "Miss Cangyu, please."
The music had returned to a gentle melody. Cangyu and I walked hand in hand onto the dance floor, and I gently put my arm around her soft waist. I felt Cangyu stiffen for two seconds, and I suddenly remembered the scene of me holding her in the restroom earlier, and I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Cang Yu had returned to normal and sighed, "Chen Yang, I'm starting to regret it."
"Regret what?" I held her close and we swayed gently, our bodies pressed together.
"I regret introducing you to work for Fang Nan." Cang Yu's tone was somewhat unfriendly: "I just warned you, you'd better not get yourself into trouble..." She glared at me and said in a low voice, "Fang Nan is not a woman you should mess with, am I clear enough?"
I deliberately sighed: "Cang Yu, answer a few questions for me first... Am I very handsome?"
"?" Cang Yu looked at me with a puzzled expression, but seeing that I didn't seem to be joking, she smiled and said, "It's alright, not bad among ordinary people, but that's about it."
I nodded, indicating that I agreed with her assessment, and then asked, "So let me ask you again, am I rich and powerful?"
"Of course not," Cang Yu replied decisively. "I know almost everything about you."
"Or do you think I'm particularly popular with women? Like a high-class heartbreaker?"
Cang Yu smiled and said, "You don't seem to be either."
"That's good then." I sighed. "I'm just an ordinary person, at most a worker with a decent income. I know Fang Nan's background better than you do. Would she even look at a man like me? So... don't worry."
"But……"