I remained silent, tacitly agreeing without saying a word.
"That guy gave me a website. I took a look and initially thought it was mostly a prank site. You know, in Europe and America, there are a lot of bored people who like to play these kinds of pranks. But this guy just casually won ten million US dollars in my casino, so I had to be careful. And that website looked pretty convincing... Out of curiosity, I arrested the guy and sent people to investigate that website, and... that Mysterious Matter Research Association."
"And then?" My eyes lit up.
"The result... is that I couldn't find anything." Yang Wei smiled bitterly, but the shock in her eyes was undeniable. "To be honest, my family is quite powerful. While we might not be considered all-powerful in North America, we can still mobilize considerable resources to investigate certain matters. Yet, I couldn't find any information about a website! This is quite obvious; this organization has a very deep background, and their security measures are extremely robust. It's definitely not some ordinary prank!" Yang Wei sighed. "After confirming this, I was truly astonished. If this luck ring is real... I can't speak for others, but for us casino owners, it's a devastating blow!"
Yang Wei spoke resolutely, yet with a hint of underlying worry. Indeed, if such rings could be "mass-produced," would casinos even need to operate? Not all of them, but just one-third... no, one percent of their customers wearing these rings to casinos would immediately force them to close down and go bankrupt!
“Don’t worry,” I chuckled. “As far as I know, this kind of ring can’t be mass-produced. What I do know is that the material of this ring comes from a very rare metal, which may not even be a product of Earth. This metal can absorb electromagnetic waves in the air… well, that’s roughly the idea, like a radio receiving waves or a wireless signal receiving a signal. But this kind of ring is very rare; it seems there are only two in the whole world. And that organization, it’s said, has already stopped this research and moved on to other projects. The only thing I’m curious about is that I’ve seen the only two rings in the world, but… I’ve never seen this ring on your hand before!”
“I know all that you’re talking about.” Yang smiled, a genuinely cheerful smile this time. “Actually, I interrogated that guy for a long time afterward, repeatedly, and I confirmed that he wasn’t lying. And the ring I got from him… it’s not a ring to improve luck at all, but… the ‘eye of the storm’.”
"The eye of the storm?" I was stunned.
Isn't it a ring that brings good luck?
What Yang Wei said next made me instantly have immense respect for that "Mysterious Substances Research Association"! I have to say, they are not only a crazy organization, but also a very visionary one!
The eye of the storm, this ring is also made from a rare material.
It is said that the raw material for the Luck Ring comes from a rare metal found in a meteorite from outer space, and the Eye of the Storm also comes from it!
The purpose of the eye of the storm is to counteract the "Luck Ring"!
In this world, with the advent of tanks, anti-tank weapons will emerge. With the advent of airplanes, anti-aircraft weapons will appear; there are Scud missiles, and there are also Patriot missile interceptors...
In other words, this is "restraint"!
Clearly, the Mysterious Substance Research Association, after creating the Luck Ring, had the foresight to begin research into how to control this substance! Those people are undoubtedly very intelligent! They should understand that the emergence of a powerful and wondrous new thing requires restraint! Without restraint, it could lead to negative consequences.
This principle is the same as the oversight of political power.
The gold ring in Yang Wei's hand, known as the "eye of the storm," is a product of this kind.
Its material comes from the same meteorite as the Lucky Ring, but it's a different substance from that meteorite. This substance, taken alone, is completely useless and worthless. However, when combined with the Lucky Ring, its value suddenly becomes apparent!
Its purpose is to completely suppress luck!
This ring can emit a kind of interference wave that interferes with the absorption of "luck element" in the air by people around it!
For example, if you're gambling and this kind of interference suddenly appears around you, preventing you from receiving good fortune, then you'll only lose. Because this "eye of the storm" blocks out all your luck!
However, the person wearing this eye of the storm is unaffected by the shielding! Just like the name of this ring, "Eye of the Storm"! As the name suggests, the eye of the storm is the center of a hurricane! And as anyone with common sense knows, no matter how fierce or chaotic a hurricane is, there are no people or wind at the center of the eye of the storm; it is absolutely quiet!
To put it simply, if someone wears this ring, all the good luck around them will suddenly disappear. But the person wearing the ring will remain unaffected.
However, it only means that one is "unaffected" and cannot improve one's luck.
From this perspective, the "eye of the storm" has very limited uses; its only purpose is to suppress other people's luck. It's somewhat of a "harmful act that benefits no one" situation.
Moreover, after thinking about it, I realized that the person who took the eye of the storm and went to the casino to gamble was actually quite clever.
Because, it seems, the Eye of the Storm ring is most effective only in casinos.
Blocking other people's luck without increasing your own makes this function rather useless.
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter Seventeen: The Prelude to Slaughter
If you're using this ring to attract romantic opportunities, and you're trying to woo a girl, at best you can use it to block out your rivals' luck in love, preventing them from winning her over. However, it won't increase your own chances of finding a partner. If the girl didn't like you before, even if all your other rivals fail, she still won't fall for you.
But gambling is different!
At the gambling table, for every loser, there is a winner! If you're wearing a ring and gambling with others, and everyone else loses, then you're the only one left, and you're the winner!
With this eye of the storm, casinos all over the world would become ATMs for the ring's holder! And... compared to the ring I have, it has one major advantage: no side effects!
However, Yang Wei's words ruthlessly interrupted my thoughts: "ATM? That's impossible! No casino would tolerate a customer who only wins and never loses coming to patronize the place. If you try to rely on that, you'll eventually be shot dead and thrown into a trash can in some alley."
On another note, wouldn't that guy who took the eye of the storm to the casino to make money just be a fool?
It's utterly useless, absolutely useless! That's the conclusion I've drawn about the eye of the storm ring. But one thing is undeniable: this eye of the storm is definitely the nemesis of all the rings I have on hand!
Since Yang Wei was being honest with me, I naturally wouldn't hide anything from her. I briefly recounted how I obtained the ring. Yang Wei listened and sighed repeatedly.
“I can’t believe such a miraculous thing actually exists in the world.” Yang Wei’s eyes shone brightly. “So, the organization that creates this miraculous product…” Her eyes sparkled, seemingly tinged with excitement. I knew that with Yang Wei’s ambition and aspirations, she naturally harbored some covetousness towards that mysterious organization. But I immediately and carefully dispelled her reverie: “I’ve heard that this organization has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in this project alone. And you’ve investigated for so long without finding any clues about them. Such an organization is not one that ordinary people can afford to offend. Since they can create such a miraculous ring, who knows what else they possess…”
Yang Wei's eyes sharpened as expected.
I then laughed and told her that I had spoken to one of the members who developed the ring on the phone and heard that the project had been cancelled and the organization had shifted its focus to other projects.
I think I remember one of the researchers behind that ring was named… um, right, Raymond, that's the name. I think he mentioned it. They were researching something that could slow down human aging by three times. If successful, it could increase human lifespan by more than three times…
I remember him saying at the time that their biggest challenge was that after the research breakthrough, human lifespan could be extended threefold, but... the developmental time would also slow down threefold! In other words, a normal person who would normally develop to the appearance of a twenty-year-old would instead take sixty years to reach that appearance...
“It seems they were definitely a bunch of scientific fanatics.” Yang smiled slightly, seemingly having temporarily dismissed the idea. She looked at me and slowly said, “I’ve studied this for a long time, always thinking that since the eye of the storm in my hand is real, then there must really be lucky rings in this world, but I don’t know who has them… I studied that website for a long time; I practically memorized all the pictures of those rings. Today at the casino, I suddenly saw you wearing this ring, and I was completely stunned…”
I sighed and said with a wry smile, "Actually... you should have had the chance to see this ring of mine a long time ago."
"oh?"
I explained with a smile that I had already obtained this ring when I first met Yang Wei in China, but because it always caused me side effects, I didn't wear it on the night of my "terrifying night" with Yang Wei. Later, the only "official" piece, the one owned by the European shipping magnate, was auctioned at an auction in China... Yang Wei was also present at the auction.
It's a pity that Yang Wei was only there to cause trouble for Zhou Jing and get revenge. She didn't pay any attention to the items being auctioned, and she probably didn't even notice whether they were rings or necklaces, or what the styles were.
"So, the one you have in your hand is the only one left in the world?" Yang Wei blinked as she looked at me.
I smiled and said, "And yours is the only thing in the world that can restrain it."
“That’s not important.” Yang looked at me with a gentle gaze and said softly, “What’s important is that we both know this secret now… and this secret is something we share.”
My heart skipped a beat. Looking at Yang Wei's beautiful face, I saw a clear sense of closeness in her eyes. Indeed, this had been my biggest secret, a secret even my closest friends—Yan Di, Qiao Qiao, and A Ze—didn't know! And now, Yang Wei knew everything…
"What about the guy you captured? What's he doing now..." I suddenly remembered the poor fellow whose leg had been broken. Since he possessed this Eye of the Storm, could he also be a member of the Mysterious Matter Research Association?
I remembered the strange gleam in Yang Wei's eyes when she mentioned this organization earlier! Indeed, how could a strong woman with such lofty ambitions as Yang Wei not covet such an organization that could create miracles?
“That person…” Yang Wei hesitated for a moment, then smiled bitterly, “I really want to get a breakthrough from him. You don’t need to look at me like that…” She glared at me, “I didn’t kill him to silence him, nor did I torture him. Originally, I had my men keep him in a secluded place, but unfortunately… he suddenly went mad, and since then he’s been talking nonsense every day, acting like a lunatic. Now, let alone getting any valuable information out of him, it’s difficult to even get him to say a complete sentence.”
I sighed... Gone mad? How could he have gone mad?
Yang Wei rubbed her temples, thought for a moment, and when she looked up, her expression was very serious. She sighed, slowly leaned closer to me, and said softly, "Xiao Wu..."
Her voice was so gentle that it startled me. Looking into her bright eyes, which were just a few feet away, I couldn't help but look away, mumbling, "Hmm?"
Yang Wei ignored my reaction. Instead, she spoke softly and slowly, "As the saying goes, 'A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime!' You have such a magical thing on you, so you can't easily let others know. You can't see into people's hearts. If someone with ulterior motives finds out that you have this, and they develop a desire to covet it, you might be in danger! I know you are a proud and arrogant person, but you must listen to what I'm saying."
My heart skipped a beat!
Yang Wei clearly had some ulterior motives towards this organization. And the moment she saw my ring, she immediately recognized it, indicating she had put a lot of thought into it.
I even thought, what if I didn't know Yang Wei, and didn't have this kind of relationship with her...
Yang Wei was an exceptionally intelligent person, adept at reading people. She immediately noticed the change in my expression. She sighed softly and said in a low voice, "You probably guessed it already. I've put a lot of effort into investigating this matter, and naturally, I want to get my hands on this thing too. To put it bluntly, neither of us is the type to be soft-hearted. If it weren't for you, Chen Yang, but someone else..."
I smiled wryly and said, "If it weren't for me... I'd probably be dead by now, right?"
Yang Wei seemed to smile, but there was a hint of sorrow in her smile. She slowly said, "Don't worry, in this world, there is only one person I would never bear to hurt, and that is you." As she said this, her face flushed and her eyes became somewhat hazy, but then she seemed to realize that her words were a bit ambiguous, and immediately added, "No matter what, you are my only friend now."
"Actually..." I thought for a moment, then said, "If you like this, I can give it to you..."
Yang Wei shook her head, signaling me not to speak. She smiled faintly and said, "You are now in the martial world, powerless and walking a tightrope. Having this on you makes me feel much more at ease. There's no need to say more. If I need your help in the future, I will naturally ask you for it."
Seeing that I was about to say something, Yang Wei's expression changed. She glanced at the couple on the bed and the floor, and then changed the subject with a smile: "What should we do with this princess and this count's son?"
My head suddenly felt like it was going to explode.
The princess drugged me and kidnapped me; her intentions are obvious now. And this count's son… damn it, if Yang Wei hadn't stopped him, I'd have beaten that bastard to death! Just thinking about it—if it weren't for Yang Wei, I probably would have… Damn, disgusting!
However, if I leave now, the princess will not let it go once she wakes up and finds me gone.
Kill her.
I could be ruthless, but this bitch actually used such disgusting methods to scheme against me. I hate her to the core now!
But killing her? That's impossible!
After all, she's Thorin's daughter, and at least dozens of eyes watched me leave the banquet with the princess. If the princess were to die, Thorin would probably tear me to pieces first! I'm not afraid, but I can't go home in China, and if I offend Thorin in Canada, I might as well not stay in North America.
And this count's son… A murderous glint flashed in my eyes, but I quickly concealed it. Yang Wei chuckled softly, “Alright, you promised to help me with that Japanese-American senator, so naturally I'll help you this time too. Leave this matter to me; you don't need to worry about how I handle it.”
She smiled mysteriously: "Especially this Mr. Pierre, the count's son, a darling of high society. I really didn't expect him to like this kind of thing. If this matter is handled well, it may not be without benefit for me."
Yang Wei had her bodyguard escort me out; it was that black man named Hansen. This guy was extremely cold-blooded, his expression as hard as granite. On the way out, he didn't say a word, and his eyes were icy and expressionless.
He drove me to the villa area by the lake, and I was a little suspicious. After all, I was Eighth Master's subordinate; I should have gone to see Eighth Master. But Yang Wei's subordinate brought me back, and this Hansen was a silent, icy man. I asked him a question on the way, and he only coldly replied, "This was arranged by Miss."
Fortunately, once we got back to the villa area, after Hansen parked the car, I spotted Eighth Master's men not far away. I recognized one of them as the young man nicknamed "Little Pig" who had spoken so highly of me.
I quickly said "thank you" to Hansen and jumped out of the car.
Little Pig was standing at the villa entrance smoking with another young man. When he saw me coming from afar, Little Pig immediately came over and said with a smile, "Brother Xiao Wu, you're finally back. Eighth Master said that you should go see him as soon as you get back."
I remained calm and slowly asked, "When did you get back?"
“An hour ago.” Little Pig hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, “Brother Wu, Eighth Master is meeting with guests inside. He said that you should go see him as soon as you get back.”
"Guests? What guests?"
"Hmph." The little pig scoffed, "A Japanese devil."
I paused for a moment, then laughed.
Could it be that Japanese-American senator? That guy's pretty clever. He probably knows now that Master Ba is Mr. Sorin's partner, and's trying to take a roundabout approach.
I nodded to the little pig, patted him on the shoulder, and smiled, "I understand."
This little pig seemed to respect me a lot, muttering indignantly to himself, "I really don't understand what Eighth Master has to talk about with a Japanese devil. If it were up to me, I would have kicked him out long ago."
I chuckled and said casually, "You wouldn't understand. This Japanese guy is incredibly useful." I quickly walked past him, pushed open the door, and went into the villa.
Upon entering, I saw Master Ba sitting on the sofa with a serious expression. He held a teacup in his hand, slowly blowing on the tea foam. And sitting opposite him was, as expected, the Japanese-American senator.
Contrary to my impression of the typically serious and meticulous Japanese, this Japanese-American congressman, clearly raised in America, had completely adopted American mannerisms. He wore a relaxed smile, appeared quite unassuming, and exuded a friendly aura. Upon seeing me enter, Uncle Hachi immediately put down his teacup and nodded at me. Jason Nakata, on the other hand, had already stood up, looking at me with a smile and saying, "Oh, our God of Gamblers is back. Young man, how about we play a couple more rounds sometime?"
After saying that, he smiled as if nothing had happened and said, "Oh, by the way, why didn't the beautiful princess come with you?"
I smiled. Many people had witnessed the princess's deliberately intimate gestures towards me at the banquet. This Japanese-American senator seemed to have gained a higher opinion of me because of it. I didn't comment, simply nodded to him, politely greeted him, and then walked up to Eighth Master: "Eighth Master, you wanted to see me?"
"Hmm." Eighth Master smiled. "You've met this Councilor Nakata before. We're just discussing some things, so why don't you sit down and listen? Young man, you'll have to take on more responsibilities sooner or later."
He glanced at Jason Nakata: "This is my nephew, Chen Yang."
“A very nice young man. He should be about the same age as my son.” Jason Nakata smiled. “You can call me uncle.”