Two young girls each held a gleaming silver tray; on the left tray was a bottle of red wine, and on the right were two stemmed crystal glasses.
To be honest, my heart started racing immediately! Because I was lying in the bathtub, looking up at the girl's long, firm legs were incredibly alluring, and the short towel at the bottom seemed to be about to fall off at any moment!
Two girls walked up to us, gently kneeling on the ground. They then presented Huan Ge and me with crystal glasses filled with bright red wine, their pink faces flushed with a charming blush. They hesitated slightly for a moment...
As the white bath towel was lifted, two perfectly naked bodies, almost suffocating me, slowly stepped into the bathtub and sat down beside me, one on each side. Before I could even speak, four soft little hands had already climbed onto my back, chest, and arms, gently massaging me!
"Xiao Wu, this is my private treasure. I've never been willing to take it out to entertain people. I was saving it for a big purpose. Consider it a big gift from Brother Huan to you today." Brother Huan noticed my unease and smiled. Then, as if it were nothing, he said something in a low voice, and what he said stunned me!
“This place is mine. Now, I intend to hand it over to you.”
Book One: A Man in the Martial World, Forced by His Own Will - Chapter Nineteen: The Most Profitable Business in the World
"Brother Huan, what did you say?" I exclaimed in surprise. Brother Huan waved his hand, signaling me not to speak and to listen to him finish.
He leaned against the pool, closed his eyes, and it was unclear what he was thinking. Then he suddenly asked, "Xiao Wu, how long have you been following me?"
“Four years.” I answered quickly, “Brother Huan, I’ve been with you for more than four years.”
"Hmm...it's been over four years." Huan Ge seemed to smile, opened his eyes and glanced at me: "Xiao Wu, how has Huan Ge treated you?"
"Okay!" I answered without hesitation, "Brother Huan, you're so good to me!"
I spoke quickly and decisively!
Huan-ge has really been very good to me. I was just a nobody working at Jinbihuihuang, but after Huan-ge took a liking to me, I've been able to get to where I am today because of his protection! Without Huan-ge, I probably wouldn't even know where I'd be working as a waiter right now!
Huan sighed, then suddenly finished the glass of red wine in his hand in one gulp. He pointed to the sauna room and said, "Come in with me for a while." Then he put on a bath towel and stood up, and I immediately followed him. The two twin girls quickly wrapped the bath towel around me.
Inside the sauna, Huan and I sat side by side. Huan picked up a wooden ladle and poured water onto a pile of scorching hot stones. As he did this, he seemed to be thinking about something, his mind wandering.
One ladle of water, two ladles of water, five or six ladles of water were poured down, steam filled the air, and the heat was unbearable! I felt as if the air itself was becoming scalding hot! Every breath I took felt like my lungs were on fire! Sweat poured down my face, as if I wasn't in a sauna, but had been thrown into a microwave oven!
"Huan-ge, that's enough." I quickly stopped Huan-ge from continuing to water the plants... Just kidding, Huan-ge was clearly distracted. If he kept watering, we'd probably be boiled alive.
Normally, when you go to a sauna, you only need to pour two scoops of water on it. Look at it now, the wooden tub on the side is almost empty!
Huan was still deep in thought, seemingly oblivious to the oppressive heat. His eyes revealed that he was considering something difficult to decide, but then he seemed to have finally made a decision!
“Xiao Wu, do you know, there are only two people I truly trust.” Huan Ge said slowly, “One is Jin He. Back when I was struggling in the south, I saved Jin He’s life, and then he followed me. I only saved him once back then, but over the years, he has saved me countless times… If he owed me anything, he would have paid it back long ago. But he is still loyal to me. It’s just a pity that although Jin He is loyal and listens to me, I can’t entrust him with managing my business. He’s not good at that.”
I didn't say anything.
"The second one is you." Huan Ge suddenly smiled and patted my shoulder hard. "You kid, I don't know what happened back then, but the moment I saw you, I felt an instant connection with you! You're loyal to your own people, but you can be ruthless to your opponents. You don't hesitate when you do things, which is great. Most importantly, you're young, but unlike young people these days, you're not impetuous! I left you at Golden Splendor for four years. Don't you find that strange?"
I said seriously, "Brother Huan, I know you want me to gain more experience. Besides, I've made a lot of money in the nightclub. If it weren't for Brother Huan's interest in me, I'd probably still be a waiter."
"Hmm." Huan smiled and said, "This is what I like most about you: you're not greedy! Everyone has ambition, and ambition is not the problem. What's the problem is greed! Ambition can lead to great things, but greed will only lead to bad things. Xiao Wu, you must remember this."
I nodded.
"Xiao Wu, the reason I suddenly called you here tonight is because I feel the time is right, and it's time for you to know many things about myself."
I nodded again, but my expression had calmed down.
Huan glanced at the expression on my face, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes, then suddenly laughed and cursed, "Damn it, why is the steam so hot today?"
I gave a wry smile, thinking to myself, "Wasn't it you who was desperately pouring water onto the hot stone just now..."
Huan wiped his sweat: "Were you surprised when I said this place was mine?"
"Yes!" I nodded. "I think this place is very complicated and has a deep background. To run such a place, one would need enormous resources and even more connections!"
"Hands and connections everywhere...hands and connections everywhere...hehe!" Huan Ge suddenly sneered: "Xiao Wu, I can't explain these things clearly in words right now. I called you here tonight so you can see for yourself! After we finish washing up, I'll take you around here and broaden your horizons! There are many things that I'll only explain after you've seen them, and then you'll understand."
I nodded immediately.
Huan smiled, there was something warm in his eyes as he looked at me, then he stood up and laughed, cursing, "Damn it, it's too hot in here, I can't stand it anymore, get out!"
Stepping out of the sauna, Huan Ge leaned over the edge of the bathtub and sighed, "Come here, scrub my back."
The two girls had been soaking in the pool. Hearing Huan Ge's words, one of them picked up a towel and sat down next to him. Huan Ge frowned and said, "Women's hands are too soft, they don't have any strength." He pointed at me and said, "Xiao Wu, you come here."
This isn't the first time I've taken a bath with Huan Ge, nor is it the first time I've scrubbed his back. Just now, when I heard him wanting a back scrub, I went to the side to wash the towel in my hand, and then took a wooden basin and brought over a basin of water.
However, with two girls staring at me, I felt uncomfortable.
Although I've seen women before, and I've been seen by women before, it still feels a bit awkward to have two women staring at you while you're taking a shower in a place like this. I frowned: "You two go out first."
The two girls paused for a moment, then looked at Huan Ge at the same time. Huan Ge was lying face down. Hearing this, he casually waved his hand, raised his head, and laughed, "Alright, go out. You two go back to your rooms and get ready to serve Xiao Wu well tonight!"
Upon hearing this, both women blushed simultaneously, then quickly grabbed their wine bottles and glasses, hurriedly wrapped themselves in towels, and ran away.
I had already placed a damp towel over Huan Ge's back, then gently patted it with my palms. Huan Ge hummed contentedly and sighed, "Little Wu, is your Huan Ge getting old?"
"No way!" I laughed. "Last week, in the boxing ring, that punch almost knocked me so badly I couldn't stand up for a long time!"
"Hmph, you cunning little brat." Huan Ge chuckled and cursed, "You think I don't know? You've started to hold back when you fight me lately!" Then he sighed, "Actually, I know it all too well. When you get old, you just get old! Look at my waist now, how much more fat has I gained compared to a few years ago? Hehe!"
To be honest, Huan Ge's physique is actually quite solid and strong! However, as people reach middle age, even if you're a bodybuilder, your body will inevitably become more bloated. As I patted and kneaded Huan Ge's back, I could feel that his muscles were indeed much looser than before...
“Little Wu…you have to do the work that comes with your position! But some positions may look glamorous, but they’re actually very tiring. If you don’t sit in them well, you might lose your life!” Huan Ge was laughing, but he seemed quite helpless. “Who am I, Ye Huan? Hmph, back in the day I dared to venture south with only a thousand dollars. What haven’t I seen? Life-or-death battles, blood and gore…I’ve been through it all. But now, sitting in this position, in this place, living a life of debauchery and decadence, it actually makes me tremble with fear, like I’m walking on thin ice!”
"How much money could your brother Huan have in those nightclubs, restaurants, and taxi companies combined? Tens of millions, I guess. To ordinary people, that's an astronomical figure! Hmph, but to real tycoons, it's probably just a number lost in a single card game! If you had tens of millions here, hmph, I doubt you could even get through the door of my hotel!"
Huan Ge's tone carried a strange resentment, then he took a deep breath: "Xiao Wu, didn't you find it strange that I said this place was mine? I'll tell you now!"
After he finished speaking, he asked me, "Tell me, what kind of business in this world has the highest profit margin?"
"Arms and drugs," I answered immediately.
Most people probably know this common knowledge.
But Huan-ge laughed, and then said in a mocking tone, "Wrong!"
Before I could retort, he quickly said, "What's the arms trade? What's the drug trade? Both can make money, but that kind of money is a hot potato! If you're involved in drugs, you're essentially standing against the government! No matter how rich or powerful you are, no amount of interference can overcome the state apparatus! Drugs? Hmph, if the state apparatus is determined to eliminate you, no matter how big a drug lord you are, you're doomed! If you lose your life, what's the point of making money?"
Catching his breath, Huan Ge continued with a laugh: "As for arms... humph, it's only barely acceptable. In the arms business, if a country supports you, you can do whatever you want! But if one day the country stops supporting you, it can wipe you out at any time! Don't be fooled by how glamorous those American arms dealers are; that's because the US government supports them. But America is America, not us! In the end, the arms business is actually run by the country, not you arms dealers. You arms dealers are just making money for the country."
I listened quietly, and I knew that Huan Ge must have had other intentions in telling me all this, so I asked, "Then what is a truly profitable business?"
Huan laughed, looked up at me, a sharp glint in his eyes, and then uttered four words:
"A transaction of power for money!"
He chuckled coldly and said slowly, "There is no business in the world more profitable than the exchange of power and money!"
I didn't speak. Huan Ge's words echoed in the bathroom air: "Power and money, these two things are the most powerful forms of capital in the world! If these two things are combined, the power they generate is even greater! Xiao Wu, look at where you are right now. Do you know how many transactions take place every night in this place, maybe in a room upstairs, maybe at a card table, maybe in a club, or even... maybe on a bed? How many people's fates are decided here every day? Hmph, if someone were to compile these figures, I'm even sure that the annual transaction amount here would probably surpass the combined sales of all the venues in the city!"
If real estate developers want to acquire a piece of land, they have to use their money to exchange for the power held by high-ranking officials!
Large companies that want to evade taxes have to pay bribes to the tax officials! Otherwise, a single stroke could amount to millions or tens of millions!
Merchants who want to smuggle goods have to pay money to bribe the customs officers so they can turn a blind eye when needed!
If officials want to buy villas, keep mistresses, or have concubines, they have to use their power to exchange for money!
Xiao Wu, do you have no idea how many interest groups are behind this place? How many people's interests do they represent?!
Hmph, cracking down on prostitution and illegal publications? You can send them to inspect places in the city, but you send them here?! In the parking lot downstairs, some of the license plates... Hmph, even if the passengers show up, you could send out any driver and they could do whatever they want!
"Xiao Wu, let me tell you, the business done here is nothing but exchanging power for money!"
Part One: In the Martial World, Unable to Control One's Own Fate Chapter Twenty: A Fateful Encounter
Huan didn't say anything more. He seemed a little tired. He didn't speak, and I didn't ask any questions either. I just silently helped him wipe his back and then rinsed him off. Huan led me out, not back to the changing room, but through the corridor outside, directly into the elevator, and upstairs.
"This whole floor is mine. I don't usually let outsiders in." Huan Ge smiled and led me into a room, then opened the wardrobe and glanced at me again: "Xiao Wu, you've gotten a lot stronger. I wonder if you can still wear my clothes." After saying that, he took a set of clothes out of the wardrobe and threw them to me.
Huan Ge made another phone call, and a few minutes later someone delivered a clean set of new underwear.
"Get dressed, tonight Brother Huan will show you something amazing."
...
Half an hour later, I was completely dressed up. I was wearing an expensive suit that I had never worn in my life, and the leather shoes on my feet were also delivered by someone earlier. They fit perfectly, but I still felt a little awkward.
I accidentally saw the brand of leather shoes. I've only ever seen this brand on TV at the annual Milan Fashion Week, and you can't even buy it in this city!
Wearing such expensive clothes for the first time in my life made me feel a little awkward, as if I were wearing heavy shackles. Huan Ge was walking in front of me, looking at me, and he smiled: "Don't be nervous, I felt the same way when I first wore them."
When I stepped out of the room, I saw Jinhe already standing in the corridor. He was still meticulous, his face as hard as granite. Huan Ge, with a cigar between his fingers, quickly asked, "Has Miss Yang arrived yet?"
"They're here, up there."
Huan nodded, then gestured for me to follow him.
We took the elevator again, this time going straight to the top floor.
Huan told me that although this building only has sixteen floors, it has a total of six elevators! This is because some elevators can only go up to the top floor, while other floors can only be reached by taking a special elevator!
When the elevator arrived, a strange sound immediately came out as the elevator doors opened!
How to put it? It's a very complex sound. The sounds of playing cards, dice, roulette, various instruments turning, the electronic music from slot machines, people's screams, sighs, cheers, women's screams, men's roars, and so on, all intertwine to create an extremely complex atmosphere.
Stepping into the lobby, I saw a place I'd only ever seen in movies: a casino!
I've never been to Las Vegas, or even Macau, but I can tell that this casino is very professional!
Polite waiters in standard uniforms, skillful dealers, glamorous women in sexy evening gowns, rows of slot machines, spacious gaming tables, and security guards in sleek black suits with headsets and walkie-talkies all around!
This hall is over a thousand square meters in size, and the flow of customers seems quite good. There are many men and women surrounding each gambling table. I noticed that every customer here is well-dressed, regardless of gender, but overall, most of the customers here are men.
As soon as we stepped out of the elevator, two security guards in black suits came over and bowed respectfully to Huan Ge. Huan Ge didn't say anything, just nodded, and then glanced at me: "Xiao Wu, what do you think of this place?"
I took a deep breath: "Very good."
A smile crept across Huan Ge's lips. He simply raised his hand and beckoned slightly with his finger, and immediately a woman in a very sexy evening gown gracefully walked over. This woman wasn't young, but upon closer inspection, she seemed strange. Her skin and face suggested she was only in her early twenties, yet her eyes, brimming with experience, suggested she was much older. She was alluring, but in a righteous way.
I must say, what first caught my eye was her pair of long, straight legs exposed to the elements, like ivory. Her black evening gown, paired with strappy high heels, exuded a dazzling allure.
“This is my younger brother, Chen Yang. Give him some chips, and then find someone to take him around for a bit.”
Huan didn't even look up at the woman. He just pointed at me and quickly gave the order, then whispered to me, "Someone will bring you to see me in an hour."
After saying that, accompanied by Jinhe, he walked into a corridor on the left side of the casino.
“Mr. Chen.” The woman glanced at me. Her voice was elegant, with a subtle sexiness that I couldn’t quite describe. I just thought her voice was very pleasant to hear. “Please come with me.”
I then realized that there were three elevators around the casino. People were going in and out of the other two elevators, but the one I had just come out of seemed to be in a corner, as if it were reserved for private use.