His heart was not at peace!
"Jianfei has now gained power. Can my humble Dongxing restrain him?"
"Jianfei refuses to help me take over the other casinos in G province. How can I persuade him? Such a huge piece of cake is within my grasp, but Jianfei won't make a move. I'm so anxious!"
"What do the Song family want with me? Song Zhui should have left Hu City, or even G Province, after officiating this match. Why is he coming to see me again? Could it be that he wants to poach our staff?"
Various questions, various dilemmas!
As Chen Yaohui was going through a series of thoughts, a henchman knocked on the door and entered. "Brother Yaohui, Young Master Song is here."
Chen Yaohui immediately stood up. "Please let them in."
Shortly after, Song Zhui, accompanied by two bodyguards, swaggered into Chen Yaohui's office and sat down casually.
Chen Yaohui sat back down behind his desk. "Young Master Song Zhui, is there anything I, Chen Yaohui, can help you with?"
Song Zhui snapped his fingers, and a bodyguard behind him immediately offered him a cigar and lit it.
Song Zhui smoked a cigar and then began trimming his fingernails, without even glancing at Chen Yaohui. "Um, Chen Yaohui, I, Song Zhui, speak my mind directly and don't like beating around the bush. I came here mainly for Xiao Gao."
Chen Yaohui's heart sank, but he forced himself to remain calm and said, "Young Master Zhui, I don't quite understand what you mean."
Song Zhui laughed, a somewhat arrogant laugh. "I think you understand. You've reached your current position, so you can't be stupid or foolish. Generally speaking, besides officiating various important matches in the world of gambling, our Song family is also dedicated to discovering people with potential. I'm telling you this openly, Xiao Gao, our Song family wants him!"
"What?" Chen Yaohui finally couldn't hold back any longer, his face turning ashen. "Young Master Zhui, isn't your Song family being a bit too domineering?"
"Pfft..." Song Zhui sneered, "Chen Yaohui, calm down. You're just a gang leader in a city in G province. What right do you have to be so agitated in front of me? Fine, I won't scare you anymore. Don't worry, Xiao Gao will still be affiliated with your Dongxing. But you need to know, with Xiao Gao's strength, he can easily affiliate with several other forces! I'm just saying this: if you agree to my terms today, we'll all be at peace. If you object, then..." He paused, then Song Zhui pouted, "You have absolutely no trump cards to fight against my Song family! Absolutely none!"
Chapter 116 Facing Song Zhui Directly!
Chapter 116 Facing Song Zhui Directly!
"You have no leverage whatsoever to negotiate with the Song family! Absolutely not!" When Song Zhui said this, aside from a fleeting glint of sharpness in his eyes, his entire expression was nonchalant and indifferent. Very detached. This wasn't a negotiation, nor a threat. It was simply a statement.
However, this tone contained an unparalleled authority! A power that left Chen Yaohui with absolutely no room for resistance!
Disheartened!
Chen Yaohui could only slump back in his chair, hesitating before pulling out a cigarette, lighting it, and smoking. Facing Song Zhui gave Chen Yaohui a strange feeling, similar to when he faced Liu Feng. It was a suffocating, terrifying sensation, as if his hands, feet, and heart were all bound. Although Chen Yaohui's mind was in turmoil and terrified, some thoughts still lingered… “If we agree to this young master Song, then Jianfei can both align himself with Dongxing and with several other powerful forces. This won't really affect Dongxing; if he firmly disagrees, then Dongxing will be in grave danger! Although Young Master Feng promised to protect Dongxing, it doesn't necessarily mean he'll turn against the Song family for Dongxing's sake! The Song family is an international powerhouse, while Young Master Feng is a force in Beijing; they're evenly matched, like two tigers. They don't need to fight each other over a single pine tree…”
"So be it! What choice do I have? The law of the jungle! The strong survive and the weak perish! Since I am at their mercy, I can only be the fish on the chopping block!"
“Young Master Zhui,” Chen Yaohui sighed, “Since things have come to this point, I, Chen Yaohui, have no choice! Let’s do as you say! However… I have a few humble requests!”
Chen Yaohui's attitude immediately softened, his tone extremely humble. He knew that speaking to Song Zhui in this manner would enhance Song Zhui's sense of superiority and make him feel good. Therefore, he figured Song Zhui would likely agree to some small, not excessive, requests.
As expected, Song Zhui chuckled. "Interesting. Chen Yaohui, I'm quite satisfied with your attitude. At least you're a sensible and understanding person, and I enjoy communicating with this kind of person. Now, state your demands!"
Chen Yaohui secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "Young Master Zhui, firstly, I hope everything you just said is effective. Even if you manage to win Jianfei over, he will still be affiliated with Dongxing. If Dongxing Casino has any trouble, we have the right to ask Fei to handle it, and we will still pay Jianfei his salary and commission on time every month. Secondly, I will not get involved in the Song family's attempt to win Jianfei over. I hope Young Master Zhui will discuss this with Jianfei in person. Thirdly... I have a piece of advice for you, Young Master Zhui!"
"Advice?" Song Zhui was taken aback.
“Yes, Young Master Zhui, if Jianfei insists on not cooperating with the Song family, then I suggest that you do not use force, because…” Chen Yaohui’s gaze deepened slightly. “Jianfei is not as simple as he appears on the surface. Alright, that’s all. Provided that Dongxing’s interests are not harmed, I agree that Young Master Zhui should go and talk to Jianfei.”
"Pfft..." Song Zhui couldn't help but laugh... "Just a gambler, not as simple as he seems on the surface? Ha! Then I'll have to see for myself later what's so special about this Gao Jianfei you're talking about!"
"Let's go!" Song Zhui stood up abruptly, beckoned to two bodyguards, and left Chen Yaohui's office together.
After Song Zhui left, Chen Yaohui, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, took deep drags, rubbing his temples with both hands, seemingly lost in thought. A few minutes later, Chen Yaohui used the internal phone in his office to call in A Zhuo, one of the managers of the Emperor Casino.
A-Zhuo entered the office and casually sat in the same seat that Song Zhui had just been sitting in.
"Brother Yaohui, are you in trouble?" Azhuo seemed to have guessed what was going on, and gave a wry smile. "Brother Yaohui, now that I think about it, having a gambling master ranked 51st in the world is really a happy problem. Just like Wu Youcun before, he was affiliated with almost all the underground forces in F province, so no one dared to touch him or have any ulterior motives. And our Dongxing family has a master like Brother Jianfei, which is indeed..."
“Ah Zhuo, I understand. We can't really protect them.” Chen Yaohui exhaled a smoke ring. “Alright, the Song family is not someone we can afford to offend right now. However, things change! If Dongxing absorbs all the dozen or so underground forces in G province and merges them, then we won't have to fear the Song family!” At this point, Chen Yaohui's face contorted with rage. He paused, then continued, “Ah Zhuo, listen to me. I've already spoken with Jian Fei. He refuses to act on behalf of Dongxing against any casino in G province, but he allows us to use his reputation to create momentum. Ah Zhuo, I'm entrusting this matter to you. Spread the word that our Dongxing's gambling god, Xiao Gao, will directly sweep through other casinos in G province. This will create panic and chaos, and Dongxing will reap the benefits!”
“Okay, Brother Yaohui, don’t worry, I’ll take care of it right away.” Azhuo nodded slightly.
Gao Jianfei hailed a taxi and went directly to the World Gambling Association branch office in Hushi.
He strode into Huang Bojun's office.
"Ah! Xiao Gao!" Upon seeing Gao Jianfei, Huang Bojun jumped out from behind his desk and rushed over to shake hands with him. His enthusiasm was so great that it was as if he wanted to shower Gao Jianfei with a basket of flowers!
Extremely attentive! Extremely enthusiastic! Even extremely cheesy!
"Xiao Gao! When you came to get certified, you actually held back! Haha, so you're a gambling genius! How old are you? 22 or 23, right? At this age, you've already become a super expert ranked 51st in the world, unprecedented! Truly unprecedented! Come, come, sit down, I'll make you some tea."
Huang Bojun praised Gao Jianfei in an exaggerated manner, and then personally went over to make tea for Gao Jianfei.
The tea is very good. It's Longjing.
Gao Jianfei maintained a polite smile, sipping his tea calmly, and didn't engage in much conversation with Huang Bojun. Only after Huang Bojun had been chatting and laughing, praising him for quite some time, did Gao Jianfei finally laugh heartily. "Mr. Huang, I'm here to redo my verification. According to the rules, I must re-verify, right?"
“Oh, right, right,” Huang Bojun slapped his forehead and then turned on his computer. “Xiao Gao, your eye speed, hearing, hand speed, and memory—these four basic tests—were faked when you registered before; they were inflated. Now, if I ask you to retest, and you still have ulterior motives, then the retest will basically be all fake too! In that case, there's no need for further testing. In a few days, the World Gambling Association and the Song family will deduce your data based on the video recording of your match with Wu Youcun. Heh, Jianfei, the experts' deductions are generally reliable, unless you weren't going all out in that match!” After saying that, he gave Gao Jianfei a meaningful look. “Perhaps, the world's number one gambling tycoon, Chen Yifeng, will also personally verify your data!”
Gao Jianfei suddenly choked!
His facial expression changed slightly, but inside, he was in turmoil!
"Chen Yifeng? Chen Yifeng also watches my videos? He's the world's number one ranked super expert, the King of Gamblers." Gao Jianfei tried to calm himself down, pretending to ask casually.
Okay, Huang Bojun was just joking, he didn't really mean it. He started busying himself with entering some data on the computer. "Heh, I said it's possible, not certain, haha! By the way, Xiao Gao, the gambling association certification card I gave you last time is invalid, I'll cancel it for you now. As for the identity card representing your world ranking of 51st, the gambling association will verify your data before it's made. I'll notify you then, and you can come and pick it up." Huang Bojun rambled on. "Alright, Xiao Gao, your previous information has been successfully canceled. Now I need to ask you, when you registered your information, did you still use the code name 'Xiao Gao'?"
Gao Jianfei thought for a moment, "Yes, let's use code names."
“Okay, then,” Huang Bojun pressed the Enter key. “Also, what about the photo? You can provide a photo of yourself in your identification document, or you can choose not to use a photo and continue to maintain this somewhat mysterious status.”
Gao Jianfei didn't even hesitate. "Photos? Let's forget about that!"
"Alright, done!" Huang Bojun stood up. "Everything's settled! The World Gambling Association has already reviewed your match footage. In three days, all your statistics will be verified. You can come and collect your identification card then! Congratulations, you're ranked 51st in the world, Xiao Gao!"
Gao Jianfei politely shook hands with Huang Bojun and then left the Lake City branch of the World Gambling Association.
Just as he stepped out the door, Gao Jianfei's phone rang.
I took out my phone and saw that it was an unfamiliar number calling.
Gao Jianfei hesitated for a moment, but still answered the phone.
“Gao Jianfei? Ha, hello, I’m Song Zhui from the Song family.” A cold, arrogant voice came from the other end of the phone. “I’m currently at a business hotel next to the gambling association’s Hushi branch, suite 1124 on the 17th floor. You can come directly to me. I have something very important to discuss with you. Let me remind you, this matter is very beneficial to you, not a bad thing.”
The voice subtly contained elements of command and imperiousness.
Gao Jianfei immediately recalled the intriguing look Song Zhui gave him after the match ended.
"What was bound to happen has finally arrived! What could the Song family want with me? To win me over? To threaten me?" Gao Jianfei held his phone, his eyes scanning the area. Sure enough, there was a magnificent hotel nearby.
"Okay, I'll come over now." Gao Jianfei knew he couldn't avoid this, so he agreed.
Anyway, he just wanted to go and hear what Song Zhui had to say. As for Gao Jianfei himself, he was still very confident. Gao Jianfei had already analyzed that in the gambling world, the higher the ranking, the greater the benefits, but also the greater the possibility of being pursued! In this pursuit, if you don't have the ability to protect yourself, it will be very tragic! Undoubtedly, you will have to submit to orders and become a puppet of some powerful forces.
However, as far as Gao Jianfei himself is concerned, he believes that he should be ranked among the top gamblers in the world when it comes to self-preservation!
Gao Jianfei patted the life-saving throwing knife at his waist and walked into the hotel with a smile on his face.
As Song Zhui instructed, Gao Jianfei took the elevator to the 17th floor of the hotel. He arrived at the door of suite 1124.
Knock gently on the door.
Immediately, a burly bodyguard opened the door for Gao Jianfei. The bodyguard's face wore an expression of numb indifference to life and death. "Please come in."
Gao Jianfei stepped into the room.
This is a very large suite. The spacious living room is carpeted with high-quality wool, and the antique-style furniture gives it an expensive and high-class feel.
Four bodyguards stood behind a sofa. On the sofa sat a handsome young man. He crossed his legs, held a wine glass, and a smug smile played on his lips.
Who else could it be but Song Zhui?
"Heh, Gao Jianfei, come and sit down." Song Zhui smiled at Gao Jianfei.
Gao Jianfei nodded slightly, walked over, and sat down on the sofa opposite Song Zhui. The bodyguard who had opened the door for Gao Jianfei earlier was now standing behind the sofa where Gao Jianfei was sitting! This made Gao Jianfei feel as if a vicious dog was guarding him from behind, ready to pounce and devour him at any moment!
Gao Jianfei remained calm and composed, merely smiling at Song Zhui without saying much. His demeanor was also quite composed, revealing no unease, inferiority, or servility.
This was partly due to the etiquette he learned from Zhong Haiyang, and partly because Gao Jianfei had met and talked with extraordinary people like Ke Zhen'e, Huang Feihong, and Hua Rong. Therefore, he didn't need to panic when facing a spoiled brat from a powerful family. Even if there was a vicious dog guarding him, Gao Jianfei didn't need to fret.
"Hmm?" A hint of surprise flashed in Song Zhui's eyes! He was taken aback by Gao Jianfei's composed demeanor. Of course, his usual superiority and the air of someone from a prominent family quickly masked this surprise. "Gao Jianfei, you truly live up to your reputation as a top talent in the gambling world. Your composure and demeanor are those of a master. I have high hopes for you! I, Song Zhui, have great faith in you!"
"Heh, Young Master Song flatters me," Gao Jianfei said casually.
Song Zhui crossed his legs, snapped his fingers, and immediately a bodyguard took the red wine from his hand, replaced it with a cigar, and lit it.
"Well then, Gao Jianfei, the first thing I want to tell you after calling you here today is..." Song Zhui stared intently at Gao Jianfei, "You need to understand that everyone in this world experiences both good and bad luck! That is to say, everyone has the opportunity to make money and the opportunity to be unlucky. However, this does not mean that everyone can seize that extremely limited opportunity to make money in their life. Now... I'm giving you this opportunity to make money and rise to a higher position; it's up to you whether you can seize it!"
Chapter 117 One Against Five!
Chapter 117 One Against Five!
"Three periods of decline and six periods of good fortune?" Gao Jianfei raised an eyebrow slightly and looked directly at Song Zhui. "Young Master Song, I don't quite understand what you mean."
Song Zhui smiled and elegantly exhaled a smoke ring. "You don't need to understand everything. Just understand this: I'm giving you a chance! To put it simply, with your skills, it's a waste to only be affiliated with the underground forces of one province or one city. Besides, you won't earn much at all! But, as long as our Song family manages you and promotes you, you will earn ten times more and be ten times more prestigious than you are now!"
At this point, it's quite clear that the Song family has extended an olive branch to Gao Jianfei.
In a flash, many thoughts raced through Gao Jianfei's mind...
"Isn't the Song family a family of referees in the world of gambling? How come they're involved in this competition for top gambling experts?"
"Furthermore, if I agree to the Song family's demands, does that mean I'll be at their mercy?"
“If it were just a matter of being affiliated with Dongxing, and Chen Yaohui was wary of me, then I could arrange my life as I pleased without worrying about being controlled. However, after I became involved with the Song family, given their power, it will be difficult for me to remain unscathed!”
"Of course, things aren't all going badly. The Song family is like a huge protective umbrella. Once I get in touch with the Song family, I'll be in contact with a power structure a level higher than that of thugs like Chen Yaohui!"
A variety of thoughts flashed through my mind!
Song Zhui knew Gao Jianfei was thinking, so he waited quietly, a confident smile playing on his lips. He didn't believe anyone could resist the Song family's allure, especially someone like Gao Jianfei, a newcomer to the gambling world. In fact, everyone who enters the gambling circle wants to climb the ladder! Everyone wants to rise to the top! The gambling world is a utilitarian place; there are no humble people here!
Moreover, before meeting Gao Jianfei, Song Zhui had done a general investigation into Gao Jianfei's background. The investigation revealed nothing unusual... Gao Jianfei came from the mainland, worked for a company in Huashi, and then came to Hushi and entered the Emperor Casino.
Song Zhui also tried to investigate Gao Jianfei's hometown, but without any leads. He stopped investigating. Because all of that was no longer important! Since Gao Jianfei was willing to show his face and gamble, what did he have to do with family power or a strong background? Why would he need to rely on an underground organization?
"Then, please tell me, Young Master Song, what benefits will I receive if I cooperate with the Song family? I think this is a two-way choice," Gao Jianfei said, gathering his thoughts before asking this question.
Previously, Song Zhui had given Gao Jianfei a hollow promise… a promise ten times greater than the benefits offered by Dongxing. This was far too vague.
Besides, Gao Jianfei couldn't possibly agree to any of Song Zhui's demands right away! He believed he had the leverage to negotiate and needed to understand the situation clearly before making any decisions.
Suddenly, Song Zhui's eye twitched... "Gao Jianfei, I'm warning you, don't try to negotiate with me, and don't ask any unnecessary questions! You joined the gambling world for nothing more than fame, fortune, and power; you just want to climb the ladder. You only need to understand that the Song family can give you all of that, and that's enough! Don't waste my breath on me! I, Song Zhui, have never been one to waste breath! For a nobody like you, the Song family giving you even one chance is already a blessing from your ancestors! How dare you try to be ambiguous in front of me? Insolence!"
People from prominent families like Song Zhui are always arrogant and haughty. His presence to negotiate with Gao Jianfei stemmed from a certain underestimation of Gao Jianfei. Subconsciously, he believed Gao Jianfei was simply someone with some potential, seeking fame and advancement. He didn't mind using forceful methods to suppress such a person. Although Song Qian and Chen Yaohui had both warned Song Zhui against using force, he had his own way of handling things. Asking him to patiently explain anything to Gao Jianfei would undoubtedly be a huge loss of face!
He was convinced that he could easily defeat Gao Jianfei!
Unfortunately, he was wrong this time...