Chapter 148

He placed the chips on the table and said, “Xiang, there’s no need to be envious. Are you interested in betting with me?”
Xiang Tiexiao was momentarily stunned, then quickly smiled and said, “I wonder what kind of bet Brother Xie wants to play?”
Xie Wendong sighed and said, “I’m not very good at gambling. The only game I know is Texas Hold’em. But after playing for so long just now, I’ve lost interest. How about we bet on luck?”
“Bet on luck?” Xiang Tiexiao asked in confusion, “How exactly do we bet on luck? It sounds interesting.”
Xie Wendong said, “Each person gets one card. The one with the higher card wins!” Xiang Tiexiao asked, “Is it that simple?” Xie Wendong replied, “That’s exactly how simple it is!”
“Interesting!” Xiang Tiexiao laughed and said, “If it’s this interesting, it would be a shame not to bet.” With that, he walked to the other side of Xie Wendong and politely said to the middle-aged man who had been sitting there, “Senior, please move aside so that I and Brother Xie can bet on luck.” Xie Wendong then said to the others, “If anyone else is interested, they can also join in the bet.”
The middle-aged man wearing glasses stood up and stepped aside, saying helplessly, “Although I like gambling, this seems a bit too childish. I’ll just watch the excitement!” The others also stood up and left, leaving only Xie Wendong and Xiang Tiexiao sitting at either end of the table. The latter asked, “Who goes first to place the bet?” “The winner goes first!” “Who will place the bet first in the first round?” “I’m the guest, and you’re the host. The guest follows the host’s lead. You decide!” “Alright, deal the cards!” Xiang Tiexiao said to the waiter.
The waiter didn’t dare to delay and handed each of them a card. Xiang Tiexiao smiled as he took his card, snapped his fingers, and his subordinates understood what he meant. Immediately, two waiters came over, each carrying a tray filled with large chips. Xiang Tiexiao picked up five chips worth one hundred thousand yuan and threw them on the table. Xie Wendong revealed his card, which was an eight of clubs. He placed the card on the table and sighed, “This card isn’t high enough to be considered strong, nor low enough to be weak. It really gives me a hard time.” Then he turned to the girl beside him and asked with a smile, “What do you think? Should I go for it?”
The girl was taken aback, not expecting Xie Wendong to ask her. Nervously, she said, “I, I don’t know either. I think maybe I can win.” She was just guessing, as she had noticed that Xie Wendong seemed to lose very rarely after playing for so long. Xie Wendong stroked her face with his finger and threw fifty thousand yuan worth of chips at her, saying, “Smart! The money from this win is yours!”
Xiang Tiexiao laughed heartily and asked, “I really wonder where your confidence comes from. How do you know you’ll definitely win?”

Xie Wendong didn’t answer. He simply said calmly, “Reveal your cards!” Xiang Tiansao stared at his face for a while before revealing his own cards and said helplessly, “I lost!” It turned out his card was a seven of diamonds, exactly one rank lower than Xie Wendong’s. Xie Wendong smiled as he collected his chips and placed five of them in front of the girl, saying with a smile, “Here, for you.”

“I, I…” The girl was nervous and didn’t dare accept them, her gaze instinctively shifting to Xiang Tiansao across from her. Xie Wendong tapped his chips and said, “Since you’re sitting next to me now, you belong to me. Feel free to accept what I give you—there’s no need to consider anyone else’s feelings. Right, Brother Xiang?”

Xiang Tiansao raised his eyebrows and said with a laugh, “Exactly! Brother Xie is right!” Xie Wendong then laughed heartily.

The waiter began dealing cards again. This time, Xie Wendong bet first without even looking at his cards. He pushed all his chips forward and said, “That’s roughly forty million in total. I’m betting it all!”

Xiang Tiansao lost his smile and said calmly, “Brother Xie, it shouldn’t be done this way. If you don’t leave yourself a backdoor, one loss will ruin you forever.”

Xie Wendong wore an innocent expression, still smiling. He was already quite handsome, and when he smiled, his long eyes narrowed into slits, resembling a child who had stolen candy without being caught. Who would pay attention to a child? But Xiang Tiansao was very concerned about him! Those who hadn’t clashed with Xie Wendong couldn’t understand his menace or sense of gloom—the kind that could strike deep into your heart. It seemed he could see the deepest secrets in your heart at any moment, yet you could never get close to his heart. Xie Wendong’s eyes curved like two crescent moons as he said, “I have an intuition—very accurate! I know I’ll win this time.”

Xiang Tiansao held up his card, showing it to Xie Wendong—it was a king of spades. He said, “There are only four cards higher than mine. Do you really believe your luck will be that good?” Xie Wendong shrugged and said, “My luck has always been good. Heaven has always favored me, that’s why I’m still alive today. If I have the courage to take a risk, surely you have the courage to try too, right?” Xiang Tiansao smiled and said, “In that case, I won’t hold back.” After saying that, he glanced at the chips held by the waiter and added, “I don’t have forty million here.”

Xie Wendong glanced around the casino and sighed, “The setup here is really excellent. Who would have thought that such a luxurious hotel would hide a casino of this scale? I guess this place is worth forty million as well. Why don’t you use this hotel as the stake in a bet with me?”
Everyone in the casino had already stopped playing and gathered around the two of them. Hearing Xie Wendong’s words, their expressions changed—they felt he was going too far. Needless to say, Xiang Tianshao’s men were even angrier; if their glares could kill, Xie Wendong would have been riddled with holes long ago.
Xiang Tianshao was seething with anger but forced himself to stay calm, still smiling and maintaining his composure. “Great! Very good! I’ll bet the property rights of ‘Waterworld’ against yours.” He waved at one of his men, who stepped forward. Xiang Tianshao whispered something in his ear, and the man nodded before leaving. Soon, he returned with a stack of white papers and handed them to Xiang Tianshao. The latter placed the papers on the table and sneered, “These are the deed and property rights of the hotel. If you’re brave enough, go ahead and take it!”
Xie Wendong sighed, stood up, and said, “I think the lighting here is a bit dim. I’ll have a window installed there later. What do you think, Lao Lei?” He pointed at a wall, as if the hotel already belonged to him. Dong Xinlei, surrounded by murderous glares, trembled with fear and replied with forced agreement, “Not bad! Not bad!”
“You bastard are going too far!” a burly man roared and charged at Xie Wendong. Before he could get close, dozens of guns were pointed at his head. Xie Wendong’s men drew their guns, and Xiang Tianshao’s men also quickly pulled out their weapons. The two sides glared at each other, ready for a fight at any moment.
Xie Wendong waved his hand and said calmly, “What are you doing? This is extremely rude. Don’t forget we’re guests. No matter how rude the host is, we have to endure it. Put down your guns.” Xiang Tianshao’s face turned red as he snapped, “Red Brat, come back!” The man called Red Brat glared fiercely at Xie Wendong before retreating behind Xiang Tianshao. “I’ll still bet with you!” Xiang Tianshao pushed the white papers forward and said, “Brother Xie, I forgot to tell you—actually, I’ve always been very lucky!”

“Is that so? It’s a pity the person you met is named Xie Wendong!” With that, he flipped the cards in his hand. Everyone’s gaze turned to the cards, including Xiang Tianshao. There was only a large black heart on the card—very dark. Xiang Tianshao had never felt the Spade Ace to be this dark; perhaps his eyes were failing him. Xie Wendong laughed heartily, pointing at the wall and saying, “I told you, we should put a window there so the room gets more light!” Then he turned to Xiang Tianshao and said, “Luck doesn’t always side with one person. Whoever has greater momentum will have luck on their side. Please forgive my rudeness earlier; it was just a way for me to boost my own momentum!”
Xiang Tianshao sighed deeply. “Impressive! I, Xiang Tianshao, admit defeat today wholeheartedly. But next time, I’ll definitely make sure luck is on my side.”
Xie Wendong nodded with a smile. “I look forward to that day! It’s rare to find a true friend in life, and meeting a worthy opponent is also a delightful experience.”
Many years later, Xiang Tianshao said to others that Xie Wendong was a genius—you could never read anything on his face, but you were completely transparent to him. If geniuses could be classified, he would undoubtedly be the best; if villains could be classified, he would undoubtedly be the worst! Having such an opponent, anyone could be satisfied for life. If he regarded you as an opponent, then you could be proud.
Xie Wendong came to “Waterworld” with envy in his eyes, but left with its ownership. Sitting in the car, he was happy—not because he had won it, nor because he had triumphed in his first clash with Xiang Tianshao, but because he felt he had truly met someone who could be his opponent. What excited him the most was that Xiang Tianshao was just as bold as he was, capable of being as crazy. “I’m not alone in this world!” Xie Wendong leaned back in the car seat, eyes closed, yet unable to control his smile as he exhaled. Dong Xinlei replied, “Of course! No matter when, I’ll always support you!”
Nie Tianxing sighed quietly. He understood what Xie Wendong meant and remarked, “There’s a certain amount of recklessness in the world, and Brother Dong has eight parts of it!”
“Haha!” Xie Wendong patted his shoulder and laughed. Dong Xinlei asked in confusion, “Oh? What are you talking about?” “You wouldn’t understand even if I told you!” “Do you want a beating?”

Xie Wendong and his group stayed in Nanjing for two days. Nie Tianxing remained in Nanjing to handle some matters and did not go with them. After the summit, the leaders from various places hurried back to their respective bases by plane. Sitting in the plane, looking down at the entire city of Nanjing, Xie Wendong asked, “Lao Lei, if it were you, how confident would you be in driving the South Hongmen out of Nanjing?”
Dong Xinlei thought for a moment and replied, “Seventy percent confident!” “Only seventy percent?” “If we’re well-prepared and launch a surprise attack, we could add another two percent.” “That’s only ninety percent!” “If Tianxing were with me, even if we’re unprepared while they’re well-prepared, I’d be 100% confident!” “Tianxing…?” “Tianxing doesn’t like to show off much; he seems carefree and rowdy, but I know him well. He’s the smartest person I’ve ever met, aside from the old master and Dong Ge! Much of the success of the North Hongmen owes to him; I’m just a mere soldier in the front lines. The old master once said, ‘With Xinlei, you can defeat a thousand armies. With Tianxing, you can defeat ten thousand!’”
Xie Wendong sighed deeply and said nothing. He had a feeling that Nie Tianxing wouldn’t be useful to him. Strangely, despite no signs, he just had this feeling. Such a talent couldn’t be used by me—it was actually a hidden threat to me! Xie Wendong clenched his fist, filled with murderous intent. Dong Xinlei’s casual remark earlier only deepened his desire to kill. After a moment, Xie Wendong relaxed his fist, smirked, and muttered to himself, “Who in the world could pose a threat in my eyes?!”
“Hm?” Dong Xinlei asked, “Dong Ge, who’s posing a threat to us? Is it Xiang Tianxiao?”
Xie Wendong shook his head and smiled. “Xiang Tianxiao is a notable figure, even a hero. But even if you gave Xiang Yu a thousand chances, he still couldn’t defeat Liu Bang! That’s the difference between a hero and a warlord!”
“Hehe!” Dong Xinlei laughed. “Anyway, I still prefer Xiang Yu.” “So you only have military talent!”
City T, hospital. As soon as Xie Wendong returned, he went to the hospital by car to tell the old master about some things from the Hongmen summit. Without entering the ward, he happened to see a doctor coming out. Xie Wendong stepped forward and asked, “Doctor, how is the old master’s condition?”
The doctor was an insider of the Hongmen and, seeing it was the trusted leader, quickly replied politely, “He’s doing much better now. His condition is stable; it’s just a matter of time before he recovers. After all, although he was shot twice, the wounds weren’t in any vital areas.”
“Oh!” Xie Wendong felt relieved. As if remembering something, he asked, “You just said the two shots the old master took weren’t in vital areas?”

“Yes!” The doctor nodded and asked, “Is there something wrong?”
Xie Wendong shook his head and hurriedly said, “Nothing, nothing. Go ahead with your work. I’ll go in and check on the old man.” With that, Xie Wendong frowned as he entered the ward. After hearing what the doctor said, he had an idea in mind, but he wasn’t sure yet and didn’t want to jump to conclusions. As soon as he entered the room, a fragrant breeze blew towards him, and a small figure rushed into his arms. A pair of small hands covered his eyes, and a clear voice said, “Guess who I am?”