Chapter 312
Xie Wendong and the others headed back. Along the way, they noticed highway police cars shuttling back and forth, stopping from time to time by the roadside to observe. Xie Wendong said, “It doesn’t seem like they were sent by Director Ren.” The three-eyed man agreed, “Exactly because it doesn’t seem like them that I dare not attack the Nan Hongmen who are retreating.” Xie Wendong smiled and said, “Why rush? There will be plenty of opportunities in the future!”
By the time they returned to the hotel, it was nearly dawn. Jiang Lin hadn’t slept, staying awake the whole time. Seeing Xie Wendong and the others back, she stepped forward quietly and asked concerningly, “Was everything smooth?” Xie Wendong replied, “It went wrong as soon as we started on the way.” Jiang Lin was silent for a while before asking, “What happened?” Xie Wendong unbuttoned his shirt and rubbed his tired head, saying, “The Nan Hongmen don’t want us to grow too fast. Xiang Wentian wants to use Bo Zhanhui to hold me back, so I can’t focus on both ends at once. That way, I’ll inevitably be hesitant and unable to act freely.” Jiang Lin was shocked after hearing this. She glanced at the others around, who all wore neat clothes and seemed relaxed, not like they had fought. She wondered, “You didn’t fight?”
Xie Wendong smiled and said, “With the Nan Hongmen in ambush, even if we fought, we wouldn’t gain an advantage.” Jiang Lin said disappointedly, “So Bo Zhanhui is still alive?!” Xie Wendong looked at her, paused for a moment, and said, “Today, Bo Zhanhui is still alive. But none of the people I intend to eliminate have so far been able to continue living safely in this world.” “But Bo Zhanhui isn’t dead yet,” Jiang Lin reminded him word by word. Xie Wendong narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp as curved steel needles, pointing straight at Jiang Lin’s beautiful eyes. He said, “You don’t need to provoke me. What I do doesn’t need anyone’s interference, nor do I like to be controlled by anyone, no matter who they are!”
Under Xie Wendong’s piercing gaze, Jiang Lin couldn’t help but shiver. She blamed herself for being too hasty and quickly explained, “Mr. Xie, you’ve misunderstood. That’s not what I meant.”
“I hope so!” Xie Wendong’s lips twitched as he nodded and waved his hand. “It’s late. Go to bed.” “What about you…?” Jiang Lin stopped mid-sentence, recalling Xie Wendong’s words earlier. Being smart, she swallowed her words, said good night, gave him a deep look, and returned to her room.
The next day, early in the morning, as the Fresh Flowers Hotel had just opened, a black Mercedes sedan arrived on the street. With a creak, the car stopped in front of the hotel. The doors opened, and two men got out—one fat and one thin, one dark-skinned and one fair-skinned. Both were dressed in neat, high-quality suits. The fair-skinned young man spoke in a low voice, “Brother Hui, it’s just the two of us. What if Xie Wendong tries something to us…” The dark-skinned man chuckled and said, “Since we’re here, we’ll just make the best of it. Xie Wendong also came alone to our place. He may have a higher status than me, but that doesn’t mean I’m not as brave!” The fair-skinned young man shook his head silently and said nothing more. The hotel doors opened, and three men in black stepped out. They sized up the two of them. The leader asked loudly, “Friends, what can I do for you?” The man in black smiled and said, “I’m looking for someone.” “And who are you?” “Bo Zhanhui!” the man in black replied proudly.
The man showed no sign of surprise, merely nodded briefly and said, “Wait a moment!” Then he turned and went back into the hotel. It wasn’t long before he came out again, smiling, and said, “Brother Dong invites you in!” The fair-skinned young man’s expression changed slightly as he whispered, “Xie Wendong is so arrogant!” Bo Zhanhui’s smile remained unchanged as he said, “In terms of status and seniority, he certainly has reason to be arrogant!” Inside the hotel, which was still under renovation with a pungent smell of paint and scattered construction materials everywhere, the fair-skinned young man frowned. He knew all this was his fault. Last time, the Loyalty Gang caused a ruckus at Fresh Flowers, failing to gain any advantage but instead leaving the place in disarray.
Xie Wendong was sitting in the dining area on the right side of the lobby, accompanied only by Gao Qiang. There were a few plates of snacks on the table. He stood up, waved at Bo Zhanhui, and said with a smile, “I didn’t expect Brother Bo to arrive so early.” Bo Zhanhui nodded politely and sat down across from Xie Wendong. Looking at the snacks on the table, he said cheerfully, “Mr. Xie has a great appetite!” Xie Wendong replied, “I’ve always had a good appetite, anytime, anywhere.” He poured a glass of milk and pushed it toward Bo Zhanhui, saying, “Brother Bo must have made up your mind by now.”
Without hesitation, Bo Zhanhui picked up the glass and took a big gulp, then said calmly, “With Mr. Xie by my side, I’d be satisfied just to get a share of the spoils.”
The Harbour Hotel is a non-star-rated establishment, but those who have been there generally agree that its environment and the behavior of its staff are far beyond what one would expect from a four-star hotel. The exterior of the hotel is unremarkable, with a modest frontage, but the interior decoration is truly splendid—rumored to have even gold-plated handrails on the stairs. Upon entering the lobby, several huge chandeliers reminiscent of French designs illuminate the space like daylight, while the dark, smooth marble floors shine like mirrors. The Harbour Hotel is indeed luxurious, yet it has few guests because it isn’t star-rated despite its exorbitant prices. Those without money can’t afford it, and those with money usually avoid it—people, especially the wealthy, prefer to maintain their image and feel that staying at a non-star-rated hotel doesn’t suit their status. Today, as usual, there are more staff members moving about than guests, but they don’t seem to slack off at all due to the low number of guests. Each one wears a standard service smile, with their lips curved to reveal four teeth.
To ordinary people, the Harbour Hotel may not seem special, but in the eyes of the underworld, it is a place of both love and hate. The largest underground casino in all of Shanghai is located on the upper floors of the hotel, where some people may become rich overnight, while many others end up penniless. In the past, many in the underworld took an interest in this place and even attempted to seize it by force, but those who went never returned and disappeared as if they had vanished into thin air. Later, people learned that it was the stronghold of the Nan Hongmen, a world-class gambling city meticulously planned by Xiang Wentian.
A car slowly stopped outside the hotel, and two people got out. The first to exit was tall and thin, with pale skin, a short, flat haircut styled with gel so it stood upright, a full beard covering his face, and deep black eyes that emitted a cold aura. The other person was slightly shorter, with fair skin and an ordinary appearance, but his almond-shaped eyes were quite beautiful. Especially when he smiled, the two crescent-shaped mustaches on his lips gave him a shrewd and experienced look. After getting out, the two scanned the surroundings. The shorter man with the beard said, “The environment here is nice!” The tall, thin man understood what he meant and nodded, “It is.” The bearded man rubbed his hands and said, “Let’s go in and see how lucky we are today.”
It was their first time here, and they hadn’t expected such a stunning interior in what seemed like an ordinary hotel. The mirror-like marble under their feet reflected colorful lights, creating a dazzling spectacle that left them dazzled. Fortunately, both of them were experienced and, after a brief pause, quickly recovered and strode toward the reception desk.
The receptionist flashed a standard professional smile and said, “Good day, gentlemen. How may I assist you?”
Moustache’s eyes curved like a crescent moon in the night sky as he smiled and said, “I’d like to see your manager.” The receptionist sized him up and smiled, saying, “Please wait a moment!” Then she picked up the phone. Before long, a tall young man in his early thirties came out from the side of the hall. He glanced around; aside from Moustache and the tall, thin man beside him, there was no other guest in the hall. He walked straight over, looked at them suspiciously, and then smiled as he extended his hand. “Gentlemen, I’m the manager here. Are you the ones looking for me?” Moustache’s smile deepened as he shook hands with the young manager and said bluntly, “I’m here to spend money.”
“Oh?” The young man was taken aback. “Spending money” was their code word for gambling. He kept smiling and said, “You two seem unfamiliar with this place. It must be your first time, right?”
Moustache raised an eyebrow and asked, “So you don’t do business with first-time visitors?” “No, not exactly,” the young man replied. “Only if referred by an acquaintance.” Moustache smiled at him for a moment before pulling out a card from his pocket and handing it over. “I wonder if Brother Bo from the Loyalty Gang counts as an acquaintance of yours.”
The young man took the card and examined it closely. The bold golden characters “Bo Zhanhui” were clearly visible, with a red “Loyalty” symbol in the lower right corner—this was indeed Brother Bo Zhanhui’s business card. He laughed heartily and said, “Of course, Brother Bo is an acquaintance. But from your accent, you don’t seem to be from around here.”
“That’s obvious!” Moustache said. “Do you have a rule that forbids nonlocals from entering?” The young man replied, “No, but in our line of work, we have to be cautious.” Moustache’s expression darkened, and he said, “If you don’t trust me, you can call Brother Bo to verify. I’m here to have fun, not for you to conduct a background check.”
Seeing the bearded man angry, the young man didn’t dare offend him too much before figuring out who he was—after all, he had seen too many times how such actions could backfire on oneself. He quickly waved his hand and said, “Ah! I definitely didn’t mean that. I was just being overly cautious. I’m really sorry. Please, come in!” With that, he stepped aside to let them in first, then quietly handed a business card to the receptionist, gave her a wink, and whispered, “Call Boss Bo from the Zhongyi Gang and ask if he sent these two people.” After that, he hurried after the bearded man and his companion, smiling apologetically as he said, “We only accept cash here. I wonder if you two have any…”
Before he could finish, the bearded man shook his head, and the tall, thin man understood. He raised his hand and patted the black leather bag at his side, saying, “One million in cash, plus two million in a check—will that suffice?”
The young man secretly rolled his eyes. Three million wasn’t a huge amount, but it wasn’t small either. He quickly smiled and said, “That’s enough, absolutely enough!”
The three of them went upstairs. The young man led the way up to the third floor. The bearded man grew impatient and said, “Friend, the watercolor paintings hanging in this stairwell are beautiful, and the carpets downstairs are comfortable, but how many more floors do you still want to make us climb?” The young man smiled bitterly and said, “We’re almost there.” When they reached the third floor, he took out a key from his pocket, stopped in front of a door near the end of the corridor, opened it, and invited the bearded man and his companion in. The room was quite ordinary—just like any standard double room. The bearded man looked around and said disappointedly, “Is this your casino?” The young man laughed and said, “You really know how to joke.” Then he walked over to a wardrobe in the corner of the room, smiled at the bearded man, subtly nudged the wall beside it, and pushed it gently—the wardrobe moved aside, revealing a small door about one and a half meters high behind it.
The bearded man noticed his subtle move but pretended not to see it. He exclaimed in surprise, “Your casino is really well-hidden!”
Little Mustache said helplessly, “There’s no way. Shanghai isn’t like other cities. The authorities are very strict. Even we from the Hong… even we don’t dare to be too obvious.” He opened a small door, revealing a staircase leading upward. Night lights were embedded in the walls on both sides, providing ample light, with a faint fragrance in the air. The young man told Little Mustache and the other man to go first, calling out from time to time, “Be careful, guys. Don’t hit your heads.” It was easier for Little Mustache, who was shorter, as bending to climb didn’t cause much trouble. But the tall, thin man who came with him had a harder time and almost had to climb on all fours. Even so, after going only a short distance, he ended up with two big bumps on his head. He cursed under his breath and glared fiercely at the young manager behind him, who just smiled sheepishly with an innocent expression. Finally, they reached the end. Pushing the door open, Little Mustache jumped out. Suddenly, the view cleared, revealing an incredibly large hall. If the lobby upon entering the hotel was luxurious, this place was like a palace. The entire hall was dominated by gold—golden walls, a golden ceiling, and even the tables and chairs were made of gilded copper. Everything sparkled with gold, almost blinding to the eyes. After coming out, the tall, thin man was stunned for a long time before exclaiming, “I really didn’t expect this.”
Little Mustache asked with a smile, “What didn’t you expect?” The tall, thin man replied, “A hotel that seems ordinary on the outside actually hides such a paradise!” “A paradise?” Little Mustache sneered and lowered his voice, “It’s more like a den of debauchery!” This place was clearly much livelier than the lobby on the first floor. Men in suits and women in gorgeous dresses came and went, filled with laughter, moving back and forth in the hall. Among them were also some blond, blue-eyed Europeans and Americans, as well as arrogant Japanese and Koreans. The young man stepped forward and introduced, “Guys, this is Shanghai’s largest gambling city. It’s even among the best in all of China.” He raised his thumb proudly. Then he pointed to several golden doors around the hall and said, “Besides the casino, we also have restaurants, guest rooms, baths, game rooms, and bars. Even if you get tired of gambling, there’s everything you need for eating, drinking, entertainment, rest, and sleep—of course, as long as you have money. What do you think?”
Little Mustache and the tall, thin man both exclaimed sincerely, “Great!” The former said, “With all these amenities, it wouldn’t be a problem to gamble here for a month.”
“Of course!” the young man said proudly. “There was once a Chinese American who lived here for three months.” The man with the mustache blinked and laughed, “I guess he must have left with no money at all.” The young man was stunned for a moment before forcing a laugh. “That just shows he had bad luck. After all, gambling is all about luck!”