Yang Wei appeared suddenly and left just as suddenly. She was like a mysterious phantom, coming and going, leaving behind only an empty beer bottle...
A faint trace of her lip gloss seemed to linger on the bottle. I stared at it, lost in thought, while her words kept replaying in my mind...
Are we... still... friends?
Part One: In the Martial World, A Man's Fate is Not His Own; Chapter Sixty-Five: Huan Ge's Entrustment
When Yan Di and A Mei came back, I was still sitting on the sofa, lost in thought. The two girls saw me sitting in the living room as soon as they entered, an empty beer bottle in front of me. A Mei immediately exclaimed, "Why are you drinking as soon as you get home tonight... Yan Di bought you so much good food, he's going to cook a lot of dishes for you tonight. If you get drunk, well..."
After all, Yan Di is more perceptive and vaguely noticed that something was off about my expression. She gently tugged at A Mei, and the little money-grubber finally shut up.
"Brother Wu, what's wrong?" Yan Di walked to my side, slowly squatted down, hugged my knees with both hands, rested her head on my lap, looked up into my eyes, and said softly, "Are you in a bad mood?"
I sighed, smiled, and gently stroked her soft face, whispering, "It's nothing, there's just something I can't quite figure out right now."
Yan Di's face was filled with concern, her eyes were full of tenderness. She gently held my hand and pressed it against her cheek, murmuring, "If you can't figure it out, then don't think about it... Fifth Brother, it's worrying to see you sitting alone in the living room without the lights on, just sitting here in a daze."
Looking at this gentle girl, I smiled and said, "Actually, it's not a big deal... I just had a little disagreement with a friend today, and I'm feeling a bit down." Then I stood up, put my arm around Yan Di, and walked over to A Mei, saying with a smile, "By the way, to tell you something happy, I made a small fortune today. I got a bonus, so I bought some things."
I took out the LV handbag, handed it to Yan Di, and said with a smile, "Here, this is for you. I just knew that a lot of girls like this brand, so I bought it."
Yan Di was startled: "LV? This must be very expensive!" She'd only glanced at it twice when A Mei snatched it away, her eyes wide with surprise. "Oh my god, it's real! Not a fake!" she exclaimed, turning the handbag over and over in her hands. She quickly said, "Chen Yang, you've struck it rich! This must cost several thousand!"
Upon hearing that it cost several thousand yuan, Yan Di immediately took it from A Mei's hand and handed it to me, saying softly, "No! I can't use something this expensive! Brother Xiao Wu, you should return it... It costs several thousand yuan, enough for our living expenses for several months!"
Before I could even speak, Amei next to me shrieked, "Yandi, why don't you want it?! It's a genuine LV!" She let out a scream typical of women, her eyes gleaming...
All women are like this. Many people think women love shopping for clothes... but actually, most women don't really love pretty dresses. As someone who's been around women all my life, I know exactly what women like!
Leaving aside things like diamonds and jewelry, handbags and shoes are definitely among the top three things women love most!
There's a saying: Give a woman a handbag, and she'll bankrupt herself!
Men without much experience cannot understand the obsession and madness women have for all kinds of handbags and shoes!
A woman's wardrobe can never have too many shoes. And never enough handbags!
Amei undoubtedly fits this standard perfectly, while Yandi, having grown up with a simple lifestyle, is still adjusting to buying such luxury goods and hesitates as she looks at the bag in her hand.
I smiled, gave her a gentle hug, and said softly, "It's just a handbag... I'm your boyfriend now. Can't you even accept a small gift from your boyfriend?" After saying that, I leaned over and pecked her cheek. Yan Di's face turned pink, and after hesitating for a moment, she finally fell silent.
Ah Mei cheered from the side, "Oh, LV! LV!! We finally have an LV bag at home!" Then she glanced at me furtively and giggled, "Chen Yang... Boss Chen... are you tired? Do you want a massage? Do you want your legs rubbed?"
I chuckled and said, "Little money-grubber, what do you want now?"
"Damn it!" A-Mei said, hands on her hips, "I've taken care of you for over a month! Don't you even show any appreciation?"
I laughed: "What do you want?"
"Hmm...LV? Huh? No way? Then Prada? Shakes its head again? Then...Gucci? Ugh, shakes its head again?" She glared and said, "How can you be so stingy?"
"Tch! You're not my girlfriend, why would I give you these things?" I pouted, turned around and walked into the living room. Amei followed me like a little puppy, deliberately shouting, "You at least got a bonus, you should at least give me something!"
I sat on the sofa, took out the lottery tickets I had bought from my pocket, and handed one of them, which was numbered with A-Mei's birthday.
"Tch! You're such a cheapskate!" Ah Mei glared at me. "A lottery ticket? It's only a few dollars!"
I smiled and said, "It's up to you whether you want it or not... But don't regret it later if you don't!"
"Sigh, something is better than nothing." Amei snatched it away angrily, saying, "If I win the lottery, I'll buy a hundred LV handbags! And a big house, and move in with Yandi. Humph! I won't let you in the door!"
I smiled and said, "Okay, anyway, I bought several lottery tickets today. If I win, I'll give you an LV bag too."
"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond!" Amei immediately clapped her hands, beaming with joy.
I glanced at her and said, "In that case, if you buy a big house in the future, can I move in with you?"
"Tch..." Amei gave me a very unladylike middle finger: "I'll let you sleep in the living room then."
After get off work today, Yan Di and A Mei went shopping. They went to the supermarket and bought a lot of food. That evening, the two girls busied themselves in the kitchen for a long time. Both girls come from humble backgrounds and have been doing housework since they were young, which is different from most girls these days.
The two girls at home were chattering and making a ruckus all evening, which actually eased a lot of my unhappiness.
Perhaps it's when people are unhappy that they crave the warmth of family affection the most. Even when Ah Mei is playfully fighting me for the remote while watching TV at night, it feels so heartwarming.
Actually, this has happened many times before.
"I want to watch Korean dramas!"
"I want to watch World Football!"
"Watch Korean dramas!"
"World Football!"
Korean dramas!
"football!"
At times like these, Yan Di would gently lean against me, smiling as she looked at A Mei and me. She seemed completely unconcerned about what we were arguing about. It seemed that in this gentle girl's heart, being able to lie in my arms was the happiest thing.
Most of the time, Ah Mei would resort to a woman's pinching, twisting, grabbing, and punching techniques... Frankly, I have many thuggish moves myself, but because Yan Di is there, I can't very well use those methods on that money-grubber in front of my girlfriend, can I? So, usually, I'm the one who backs down...
"Damn it! I'm going to buy another TV tomorrow! I'd be a dog if I didn't!"
I've said this countless times, but every time I do, the next day the same battle for the remote control still begins, and we've only ever had one TV in the house.
I guess, in my heart, I also feel that this kind of thing is quite "family-oriented".
It was the middle of the night when I was woken up by the phone ringing.
I got out of bed, turned on the lamp, and looked at the clock; it was exactly twelve o'clock.
I looked at the number, didn't recognize it, picked it up and answered.
"Hello, is this Xiao Wu?"
A cold, indifferent voice.
Upon hearing that sound, I immediately jumped out of bed!
It's Jinhe! It's Jinhe next to Huan Ge!!
The streets were nearly deserted. Although the streetlights were on, the road was still mostly shadowy. I had left in a hurry, only putting on a coat and changing my shoes. This attire probably made me look too much like a homeless person, so much so that it took me twenty minutes to flag down a taxi before a brave driver finally dared to stop and take me.
Jinhe asked me to meet him at Zhonghua Gate Castle in the southern part of the city. This area belongs to Nanjing's old city, surrounded by a dense network of alleys and lanes, like a spider web, and is also close to the Inner Qintan River. Now, Zhonghua Gate Castle has long been transformed into a tourist attraction… Locals don't like to go there, and tourists from other places rarely visit either, leaving this large city gate tower empty. Although the municipal government has spent a lot of money on maintenance and renovation, there's been little improvement.
At night, I easily climbed over the fence and hopped across the flowerbeds, making my way up to the city gate in the dark. The temperature was quite low in the middle of the night, and my cheeks felt numb with cold. I climbed the steps to the city gate tower and saw a small fire flickering beside the battlements of the city wall from afar.
As I got closer, I saw Jinhe standing there smoking.
"Brother Jin!" I ran over, a little excited. "You're back? Where's Brother Huan?"
Jinhe glanced at me, said nothing, finished his cigarette, threw it on the ground and stomped it out. He leaned against the city wall, looking down at the road not far away, and suddenly said, "Xiao Wu, Huan-ge hasn't come back. I came back this time to take care of some things. I also came to see you."
I took a deep breath, inhaling the cold night air into my lungs. I felt my emotions calm down a little. I stared at Jinhe: "Brother Jin! Although I didn't know anything about Brother Huan's affairs, I roughly know a little bit after last time... Tell me, is Brother Huan in some trouble?"
A smile appeared on Jinhe's cold face, and a hint of warmth appeared in his eyes. He patted my shoulder and said, "Xiao Wu, I know how you feel about Huan-ge... Don't worry. We don't care about this little trouble. Huan-ge is keeping a low profile right now, he has some other things to take care of, and he won't be back for a while."
I sighed: "I already know that the casino owner has changed, to that guy named Zhou Jingdi. I've met with him."
“You don’t need to worry about any of this.” Jinhe stared into my eyes: “You should understand what Huan Ge means now, right? He asked me to tell you that when he was in power, he wanted to groom you to succeed him. But now the situation is different... You’re a smart person. Huan Ge doesn’t want you to get into these troubles now... You should understand the meaning behind the arrangements he made before he left.”
"I understand." I said, somewhat dejected. "Huan-ge doesn't want me to get involved."
Jinhe squinted at me: "Xiao Wu, I've been by Huan Ge's side for many years... You know, he's never been this kind of nice to anyone before. I know you really want to do something right now... But don't bother! You can't help with these things. The things in this industry aren't something you can handle right now!"
He took out another cigarette, lit one, and said casually, "Zhou Jing is nothing, just a lackey. It's the people behind him that Brother Huan is wary of! There's been some trouble lately, so Brother Huan has temporarily given up some things. This is normal; that's how this industry is, full of ups and downs. This isn't the first time Brother Huan has experienced this over the years." He smiled, a smile that carried a hint of confidence in this man who never smiled before: "Don't worry, it won't be long. We'll be back."
I hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "There's something... I've met Yang Wei."
"Oh?" Jin He was taken aback: "Yang Wei?"
"Yes." I nodded. "She told me something."
Jinhe's expression was somewhat strange: "Why would she be looking for you?"
I gave a wry smile: "It's probably because she remembered a favor I did for her when we were ambushed together last time."
Jin He nodded, not delving into the matter further, and said calmly, "The Yang family does things very strangely, and this girl seems to be no exception. You'd better be careful and not get too close to her." After a pause, Jin He suddenly smiled and said, "But this time I have to thank Yang Wei. A lot has happened these past few days. It seems the Yang family has come looking for trouble, humph."
"What?"
"Recently, a group of experts came to several casinos. They ran off with a lot of money, and our local experts were no match for them. They were clearly well-prepared and won a lot of money at the tables. It's obvious they're foreign gambling experts who came to sweep the casinos. If they hadn't left themselves some room for maneuver, our casinos probably wouldn't have been able to hold out and would have had to resort to force!" He thought for a moment, "Brother Huan doesn't concern himself with the casinos anymore. No matter how big the trouble the casinos get, those guys are the ones who clean up the mess, it has nothing to do with us. But watching their expressions is quite amusing."
A thought struck me.
It seems Yang Wei really did it. Although she turned the tables on Zhou Jing's faction when they attacked her last time, given Yang Wei's personality, she would definitely come back for revenge.
They come from a powerful family in Las Vegas; they're practically overflowing with gambling experts. Using this kind of gambling table tactic to cause trouble is certainly underhanded.
Casinos have their own established rules. Generally, when a skilled gambler tries to steal money, if the opponent is alone, the casino owner will usually let them win some money and leave, as long as it's not too outrageous. However, if the opponent is greedy and you are no match for them at the table, then they will most likely resort to dirty tricks.
Generally speaking, major casinos around the world have a list of many famous professional gamblers. Sometimes, as soon as a gambler enters the casino, before he even starts betting, he will be invited to the casino's office. Some casinos will even give him a sum of money and ask him to leave, telling him to go play somewhere else and not come back.
In casinos, this is called "paying protection money." As long as the other party isn't too greedy, casinos generally tolerate this behavior. After all, there are so many professional gamblers worldwide. If a skilled gambler comes along and the casino sends his henchmen to kill him... if word gets out, the casino's reputation will be ruined, and it will go out of business.
There are certain rules in this circle. If a gambling expert wins more than a certain amount of money, the casino will give you face and ask you to leave privately. If you still don't know what's good for you... then they'll kill you and spread the word. People in the circle won't blame the casino for being ruthless anymore; they'll only blame the gambling expert for being too greedy and courting death.
In short: They run a casino! They're not your ATM!
Another possibility is that other gambling syndicates come in an organized manner to raid the venue!
In such situations, violence is usually avoided. Instead, everyone gathers their skilled gamblers and they compete to see who is better at the game.
The fight at the gambling table ends when one side voluntarily concedes defeat. But if someone resorts to violence or dirty tricks before a winner is decided... then word gets out, their reputation is ruined, and they'll be banned from doing business in the future.
It seems that this time, Yang Wei brought a group of experts from his family to clean up the mess, causing Zhou Jing and his gang to suffer a lot of losses.
“The casino has already conceded defeat. This incident has infuriated the big boss, and Zhou Jing and his gang have also lost face. Brother Huan said the opportunity hasn't come yet, and he wants to wait a little longer.” Jin He said calmly, “Now Brother Huan has something he wants to entrust to you. This matter is very important… I think you won't let Brother Huan down, right?”
I said seriously, "Go ahead and tell me!"
Jinhe took an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to me: "This contains someone's information. It's a girl, only eighteen years old this year, still in high school, and she's in Nanjing... Huan-ge is entrusting you with the task of taking good care of her in Nanjing!"
"Huh?" I was taken aback.
Jin He's expression was serious as he slowly said, "Xiao Wu, you must handle this matter carefully... especially... you can't let anyone know about her relationship with Huan Ge! For the past few years, I've been handling this myself! I was confident I'd kept it very secret, that absolutely no one knew! Now, it's up to you..."
I took a deep breath: "Who is this girl...who is she to Brother Huan?"
Jin He's expression turned somber: "This girl... is Huan-ge's daughter, and Huan-ge's only family in this world!"