Chapter 34 - 1#
Exclamations erupted from all around, clearly no one had expected Chi Gui to make a move on Zhang Aode directly.
Zheng Ying clutched her chest in terror, belatedly stepping forward to support him. “Brother De, are you okay? What’s this about! How can you just hit someone!”
“Second Ji! I’m still your elder!”
Zhang Aode fumed with humiliation, trying to use his seniority to suppress him. “Our Zhang family has status and standing in Aogang! And you let this outsider run wild like this! Humiliating me like this!”
Ji Tianheng frowned slightly, but before he could respond, Jing Shun rolled up in his wheelchair.
“Chairman Zhang seems to have forgotten—”
“The moment we met, you started with insults. You doubled the bet in a drunken stupor. And worse, you were caught red-handed cheating in public!”
Jing Shun sat steady in his wheelchair, but his presence showed no weakness.
He scrutinized Zhang Aode’s flushed face, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, as if he’d witnessed the funniest joke. “You lost your own face. Who’s to blame?”
Dressed to the nines, yet devoid of any humanity or morality.
“You!”
Zhang Aode wished he could tear Jing Shun’s mouth apart.
With Zheng Ying’s help, he scrambled to his feet. But before he could erupt, he met the icy, blade-like glare of Chi Gui.
Like a sword drawn from its sheath, one stroke to the throat.
An inexplicable suffocation seized Zhang Aode; his Adam’s apple bobbed.
Whether from the drink or sheer terror, his legs failed him again, and he collapsed most ungracefully onto the floor, a spineless crab.
Ji Tianheng suppressed the deep loathing within him, signaling the attendants. “Chairman Zhang is drunk. Hurry and help him back to rest!”
The two nearby attendants, keenly perceptive, quickly responded, “Yes, Second Young Master.”
With that, they flanked Zhang Aode, dragging him away from the scene like police escorting a prisoner.
“I’m not drunk!”
“Second Ji, you and Chi Gui are in cahoots! You framed me together! And Qin Ye! You Qins are no good either! Your father set me up back then, and now you’re doing the same!”
“…”
The increasingly unhinged shouts faded.
The guests exchanged glances, their disdain growing—
Wasn’t he just over fifty?
Had age robbed him of his wit?
Now he’d managed to offend the Chi, Ji, and Qin families in one fell swoop!
Soon, Zhang Aode was forcibly dragged out of the hall, his voice gone silent.
Without her backbone, Zheng Ying dared not offend Chi Gui and the others. She lifted her skirt and practically scurried out after him.
When the commotion subsided, Ji Tianheng finally spoke formally. “Apologies, everyone, for dampening the fun. I’ll have the steward open some fine wines. Please, continue to enjoy yourselves.”
One of the guests took the cue. “That would be wonderful. Thank you, Second Young Master.”
The crowd around the main table gradually dispersed, returning to their own amusements.
Qin Ye picked up a round chip from the table, tossing it in a graceful arc, then caught it securely. “What do you plan to do with these chips, Mr. Chi?”
All chips were clearly marked, backed by real money.
From the start, the guests had transferred their funds to the Qin family’s bank, with final accounts settled according to game results.
Jing Shun glanced at the mountain of chips. “How much is there?”
Qin Ye estimated. “At least two hundred million.”
“…”
Jing Shun took a deep breath, his mind filled with only one thought:
Today, I really want to fight it out with you rich people!
So he had actually been wagering real money in that card game? That was close!
Chi Gui noticed Jing Shun’s fleeting shock, and his cold, fierce demeanor softened. He said in a low voice, “Then as agreed: one-tenth for charity, the rest split three ways.”
Jing Shun caught a hint of something more, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the three men around him.
Qin Ye raised an eyebrow. “Generous as always, Mr. Chi.”
He called his assistant over and whispered a few instructions.
Ji Tianheng said, “Too many eyes here. Shall we move to a private room?”
Chi Gui nodded.
Ji Tianheng gestured. “Please.”
The group walked out of the card hall.
Jing Shun deliberately slowed his wheelchair’s pace. Chi Gui matched his speed, signaling to the two ahead. “Second Ji, Master Qin, go on ahead. We’ll catch up.”
Ji Tianheng smiled, giving them space. “Alright.”
Watching them walk away, Chi Gui turned to Jing Shun. “You have something to ask me?”
Jing Shun didn’t beat around the bush. “Did you guys set this up today?”
Chi Gui knew he couldn’t hide it from the man before him. “Yes and no.”
“Second Ji knew Zhang Aode and I were at odds over the project, and he also saw how Zhang Aode offended me at the auction hall entrance yesterday.”
At the time, Chi Gui had held back out of respect for Ji Tianheng.
Moreover, Ji Tianheng, Qin Ye, and the others were a generation younger than Zhang Aode and naturally disliked his condescending attitude.
“Second Ji worried I might hold a grudge. Last night on deck, he specifically had a word with me. He set up this afternoon’s card game ostensibly to entertain everyone, but really to let Zhang Aode take a few losses.”
But no one expected—
Zhang Aode showed up reeking of alcohol, started causing trouble from the get-go, and even dragged Jing Shun into it, proposing a three-round decisive match.
Chi Gui had initially worried Jing Shun wouldn’t handle the game well, but to his surprise, Jing Shun caught his hints immediately and played along seamlessly from the start.
In the first round, he deliberately switched card positions, creating the illusion of going bust.
In the second round, he purposefully hesitated and stopped early.
Jing Shun and Chi Gui worked together flawlessly, convincing everyone he was a complete novice, which made Zhang Aode even more cocky and reckless.
Jing Shun recalled the events and felt it was too risky. “But that was dangerous. What if—I mean, what if in the third round, we hadn’t drawn a blackjack? There would still have been a chance of losing.”
Chi Gui reminded him. “Qin Hua helped.”
Jing Shun caught on. “Did you mean the Ace you drew was prearranged by him?”
Chi Gui didn’t deny it.
“Second Ji told me that two days before the cruise banquet, Zhang Aode had won a sum by cheating at a card hall under the Qin family.”
The dealer on duty that day noticed but, mindful of the families’ superficial good relations, tried to talk him out of it. Instead, Zhang Aode insulted him.
Qin Ye only learned of it a day later and was already displeased.
“He used my hand to teach Zhang Aode a lesson.”
Chi Gui saw it clearly but didn’t mind being “used” that way.
An Ace could count as 1 or 11. As long as you could calculate, there was a chance of winning—but not guaranteed.
“Zhang Aode cheated and raised the stakes, thinking victory was certain. But no matter how well he calculated, he couldn’t beat you—”
Jing Shun froze, meeting Chi Gui’s eyes. “Couldn’t beat me in what?”
Chi Gui looked down at him. “Jing Shun, that J card—it was the luck you brought me.”
If Jing Shun hadn’t drawn it to complete his blackjack, Chi Gui wouldn’t have been so quick to accept the subsequent bets.
“…”
Jing Shun bit his lip, feeling an inexplicable warmth in his chest.
His lashes lowered, and he quickly changed the subject. “I didn’t expect to draw it just like that. But knowing Zhang Aode, even if the money goes through, he’ll definitely renege on the final bet.”
He said “a bet is a bet,” but he’d absolutely go back on his word.
Chi Gui had long seen through Zhang Aode’s character and wasn’t worried. “Since he said it—whether he likes it or not—the deep-water dock project belongs to Chi Corporation.”
“Remember what Wei Di told you yesterday about the Zhang family’s connections?”
“Yes.”
“Zhang Aode’s eldest daughter, Zhang Yazhi, is a formidable figure. She’s been quietly competing for Zhang family equity and resources over the past two years.”
Jing Shun caught on immediately. “You mean you’re planning to negotiate with Zhang Yazhi? Let her take over and push Zhang Aode out?”
Chi Gui motioned for him to continue toward the private room. “More or less.”
Power struggles in wealthy families are always bloodless battles.
Sometimes, a simple sentence hides a web of complex interest exchanges.
Jing Shun roughly understood the stakes. Without pressing further before things were settled, he said, “Either way, after today, Zhang Aode has completely lost face.”
“Yeah.”
The private room door opened.
The conversation inside paused briefly.
Jing Shun took a closer look and saw, besides Ji Tianheng and Qin Ye, who had entered earlier, a familiar figure—
It was Xie Congjin.
But his expression was terrible, marked by sickly exhaustion.
Xie Congjin met Chi Gui and Jing Shun’s gaze and spoke up immediately. “Oh, you’re here? If I’d known this afternoon would be so exciting, I wouldn’t have been lazing around in my room.”
The Xie family had strict rules, forbidding any involvement in cards or gambling.
Ji Tianheng gestured for Chi Gui and Jing Shun to sit, then scolded Xie Congjin. “Lazing around? You were barely able to get up because of stomach pain. I told you to drink less these days, but you never listen.”
“Tch.”
Xie Congjin refused to admit it, trying to bluff. “I just need to rest a bit and I’ll be fine. If I could’ve seen that old fool eat dirt, it would’ve killed the pain instantly.”
Ji Tianheng warned him like an older brother. “Lay off the alcohol for now. If you end up with a gastric bleed again like last time, we’re at sea, and no one can save you.”
Jing Shun was startled. “Gastric bleed? That serious?”
Ji Tianheng deliberately exposed him. “Two years ago, I think? Something to do with a broken heart…”
“Bullshit!”
Xie Congjin straightened abruptly, glancing guiltily toward Jing Shun. “Don’t listen to him. Seriously, don’t.”
Jing Shun smiled. “I didn’t say anything.”
Chi Gui noticed the exchange between them and interrupted smoothly. “Anything to drink?”
Ji Tianheng replied, “Of course. Some drinks for you both?”
Chi Gui declined on Jing Shun’s behalf. “He’s still on medication, so no alcohol. Juice or a sparkling drink would be fine.”
Ji Tianheng nodded and instructed an attendant.
Knock, knock.
A knock at the door.
Ji Tianheng’s assistant entered and whispered something in his ear.
“…”
Ji Tianheng raised an eyebrow and let out a soft laugh.
Qin Ye swirled his glass. “What’s up?”
Ji Tianheng glanced around the room, not hiding anything. “Zhang Aode is throwing a fit in his suite right now, insisting on taking a helicopter back.”
Jing Shun feigned ignorance. “Sobered up already?”
“We’re docking tomorrow afternoon.” Xie Congjin guessed. “He’s rushing back because he knows he’s completely lost face, right?”
Ji Tianheng exchanged a glance with Chi Gui. “Mr. Chi, let him go?”
Chi Gui was indifferent. “Sure.”
Zhang Aode was nothing but a paper tiger relying on his family background. Even if he went back a day early, it wouldn’t change what was coming for him.
Ji Tianheng then told the assistant, “Let him go. Arrange it.”
“Yes, sir.”
The attendant brought up the sparkling drinks.
Ji Tianheng took the initiative. “I won’t stand on ceremony. Chi Gui, and Jing Shun—I haven’t had the chance to sit down and talk properly. Now, let me formally welcome you both.”
Afraid Jing Shun might have trouble reaching from his wheelchair, Chi Gui handed him a sparkling drink first before raising his own glass. “Thank you for your hospitality these past two days, Second Young Master.”