Chapter 41: Encountering Ma Tianyang at the Gambling House

Lin Chuan and I exchanged a wry smile, neither of us expecting to run into her here. Though we knew she might come to this place, with so many people around, what were the odds of meeting her? Feeling helpless, I asked, “What brings you here?”

“Same as you—just here to have some fun!” she replied.

“But it’s our first time, we don’t even know how things work!” Lin Chuan said, feigning innocence.

“Really? I’ve been here a few times, though I’m not that familiar either. Why don’t we go together?” she said, making herself quite at home.

Yet, the kind of places we men intended to visit weren’t really suitable for her. I hesitated, then said, “Would your bodyguards even allow you to come with us?”

“They don’t get a say. As long as I want to, that’s all that matters,” she answered.

I was left speechless and looked to Lin Chuan. After thinking a moment, he agreed, reasoning later that being with her would be less suspicious.

Looking back, it made sense. She’d been here before, and following her would make it easier for us to move around.

“So, what do you usually come here for?” I asked.

“Want to know?” She teased, seeing my curiosity.

Honestly, how could I not be curious? I nodded, “Tell us!”

“Alright, antiques!” She leaned in, hand cupped to her mouth, and whispered.

The moment I heard “antiques,” I breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she wasn’t involved with Yang Minghui’s crowd, we could be friends.

“Are there a lot of antiques here?” Lin Chuan asked.

“Not many, but every piece is a treasure. Some were just unearthed. I’m here to pick a few to buy and take back,” Su Yao replied.

Lin Chuan and I exchanged a glance, then asked, “What do you mean by unearthed?”

“Grave robbing,” she said simply.

“Is that safe? You dare take those home?” I asked, incredulous. Things from tombs are usually unclean unless properly handled.

“Why wouldn’t I dare? I paid for them. Besides, my family’s in this business. If there’s a buyer, it’s our job to get it. By the way, there’s an antiques auction later. Want to go?” Su Yao said, as if we were already in her circle.

Naturally, I agreed. Judging from her words, it seemed they would presell the antiques to businesses like hers via photos, then auction them off—winner takes all.

“When does the auction start?” Lin Chuan asked.

“Ten o’clock. We still have some time. Let’s look around first!” Su Yao said, taking my arm without a second thought.

I was startled and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Huh? What’s wrong?” She seemed not to mind at all.

I shook my head, thinking, if she’s not bothered, why should I be? If she wants to hold my arm, so be it.

Most of the shops here were upstairs. The ground floor only had a sign and someone guarding the entrance.

But as for where Yang Minghui’s shop was, it wouldn’t be easy to find by just wandering around. I sent Xiao Fang to look, while Xiao Yuan stayed with me.

“‘The Loli Palace’? What’s that?” I asked Su Yao as we passed a small building with an anime vibe.

She grinned wickedly, “A paradise for ‘loli’ lovers—full of sweet, cute girls.”

“Little girls? Are they of age or not?” Lin Chuan asked, out of habit.

She shrugged, “Who knows? Probably both. Nobody here cares about that.”

“Are there many shops like this?” I asked.

“This is the only one for lolis. There are also places for same-sex, S&M…” Su Yao smiled and trailed off.

Even though she didn’t finish, Lin Chuan and I knew what she meant, but we kept our curiosity in check, pretending we weren’t interested.

Seeing we remained calm, Su Yao asked, “So, what are you two here for?”

I glanced at Lin Chuan, then said, “We heard there’s a gambling hall here. Wanted to check it out.”

“Gambling hall?” Su Yao looked at us, surprised.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, puzzled.

“Nothing. Just, if you’re newcomers and don’t know anyone, it’s best not to go,” Su Yao warned.

“Why?” I pressed.

“It’s chaotic inside, with all sorts of games. If you don’t know the rules, you’ll lose everything before you know it. You could even lose your life.”

Hearing that, Lin Chuan and I exchanged another glance. We hadn’t expected the gambling hall to be that dangerous.

But I was still eager to see it. After all, with my little ghost around, maybe I could win some money and get some information.

So I said to Su Yao, “We’d like to take a look. If you’re busy, go ahead.”

“You really want to go?” she asked.

I nodded firmly. Su Yao said, “Alright, I’ll go with you. There’s still time before the auction.”

“You too? Is that convenient?” Truthfully, I wasn’t keen on her joining.

She said, “Why not? Besides, I know people there. If you two go alone, they won’t let you in.”

“In that case, thank you!” Lin Chuan said as soon as he heard we’d otherwise be denied entry.

Though I hadn’t wanted her along, I realized she knew this place better than we did and had bodyguards, so I didn’t argue.

We followed her to No. 88, Republic Street, a building of obvious luxury. At the entrance, the security guards respectfully greeted her, “Miss Su!”

But when it came to Lin Chuan and me, they blocked our way, “Gentlemen, please present your invitation cards.”

“What?” I was taken aback, but Su Yao turned back and said, “They’re with me, let them in.”

“Very well, please come in,” the guards relented.

Inside, I was struck by the opulent decor and followed Su Yao to the third floor.

“This is the gambling hall. Look around first, don’t jump into the games,” Su Yao advised.

Lin Chuan and I nodded obediently and stood by the entrance with her. The guards intended to frisk us, but Su Yao waved them off.

At that moment, my curiosity about Su Yao’s identity grew. The way people treated her here, she was clearly not just another rich girl.

Inside, the dazzling luxury nearly blinded me. Unlike other gambling halls, this place was quiet and orderly, not rowdy at all.

Elegant female dealers, legs long and faces smiling, shuffled and dealt cards at every table. It was clear this place was strictly managed.

I couldn’t help but marvel at the wealth here—the vast hall was packed to the brim!

“You two look around, I’m going to greet some acquaintances,” Su Yao said as she headed for the stairs. After a few steps, she turned back, “There’s full surveillance here, so be careful.”

I nodded, then Lin Chuan and I wandered from table to table.

Fortunately, there were no other spirits in sight, which was a relief. I whispered to Xiao Yuan, “Can you see the cards on the other side?”

He nodded, slipped over for a look, and came back, “Master, yes, I can.”

My lips curled into a smile. I turned to Lin Chuan, “Want to play? We can win.”

He caught my meaning immediately. “Is that a good idea?”

“But there are plenty of cheats here, and they seem to work for the house,” I replied.

He was surprised. “Isn’t there full surveillance?”

“What’s the point if it’s their own people?” I said.

“True…”

Suddenly, at a nearby table, a man stood up and shouted, “Impossible! You can’t have a bigger hand than me. I have one card here, the second hand has the other—how can you have three of the same card?”

“I think you’re mistaken. You have one, the second hand doesn’t, so what’s wrong if I have three?” The man in the suit and tie replied calmly.

He looked like an old hand, a gambler of more than ten years. I could tell he had used sleight of hand, but I couldn’t just accuse him, so I watched.

The loser protested and demanded the surveillance footage.

The suited man didn’t mind, readily agreeing. “Sure, check the footage.”

His confidence told me he was a house man. When the video played, I saw nothing amiss. Strange.

Then Xiao Yuan whispered, “Master, they tampered with the footage.”

I was stunned—how shameless could they be?

“Ma Tianyang, you lost. Do you remember our wager?” the suited man asked.

Wait, did he just call him Ma Tianyang? I looked at Lin Chuan. “Is this Ma Tianyang the master of Ma Yue?”

“I don’t know,” Lin Chuan replied.

“Impossible, I can’t be wrong—you cheated!” Ma Tianyang insisted.

The suited man gestured, and a few bruiser-types approached. “You’ve seen the footage, and you still refuse to admit defeat? You know what happens to those who cause trouble here. Take him away!”

“Wait!” I called out before Ma Tianyang could be dragged off.

“Who are you?” the man in the suit demanded.