It's unclear if it's because of the physical intimacy with Xu Shiyu, but I feel like she's a little different from before.
As for how she's different, I can't quite put my finger on it.
But I'm happy to have her help.
However, this time, I didn't have her bring too many people.
Since I already had four people on my side, if she brought a few more people, the scene of seven or eight people crowding onto the gambling ship would be too conspicuous.
Therefore, I told her to only bring one helper who was skilled in both literary and martial arts.
I said this to try and prevent what happened last time as much as possible...
It was a little past six in the evening.
When I came down from the hotel, Xu Shiyu had already arrived and was waiting for me in the lobby.
Upon seeing Xu Shiyu again, my eyes involuntarily lit up the moment I saw her.
She wore a hooded T-shirt on her upper body and light blue skinny jeans on her lower body, with pink sneakers on her feet. She looked youthful, dynamic, and full of charm.
Especially her long legs, wrapped in the tight jeans, were a福音 for anyone who liked long legs.
They say women dress up for those who please them. Could it be that Xu Shiyu dressed up for me?
Just as my gaze lingered on her and my mind began to wander...
A man of similar age to Xu Shiyu, sitting next to her, let out a cold snort.
The man wasn't very tall, but he was quite handsome.
If I remember correctly, I had seen him before at my rented apartment. He should also be from the same school as Xu Shiyu.
Seeing me come downstairs, Xu Shiyu immediately stood up and introduced the man next to her.
"Chen Xiang, this is my senior brother Bian Liang. Like me, he's a Zheng Jiang, but he's skilled in both literary and martial arts, and much more capable than I am!"
Hearing Xu Shiyu say that Bian Liang was even more capable than her, I immediately thought highly of him.
At the same time, I offered him a cigarette, using the most common social method among men – offering a smoke.
However, to my surprise...
Bian Liang neither accepted the cigarette nor stood up. He remained seated on the sofa and said indifferently, "No, thank you, I don't smoke!"
Although Bian Liang's tone seemed fine, I clearly caught the cold glint in his eyes.
I thought to myself, I didn't know he didn't smoke, so there's no need for him to give me the cold shoulder behind my back, right?
When I saw Bian Liang's eyes occasionally lingering on Xu Shiyu, I immediately realized: he likes Xu Shiyu!
For some reason, the moment this thought crossed my mind, I felt a pang of jealousy.
However, I didn't show it openly and concealed it well with a smile. kΑnshu伍.ξà
After a few pleasantries, I called Cheng Minglang and the other two down, and then we all went directly to the "Jia Zai Shandong" restaurant next to the hotel.
The ship tickets had already been bought, and it wasn't yet time for boarding the gambling ship, so I wasn't in a hurry to go. I decided to fill our stomachs first.
After ordering some Shandong dishes, the six of us ate and chatted.
Since Bian Liang showed hostility towards me, the so-called eating and chatting during this meal was us four eating our meal, while Bian Liang and Xu Shiyu chatted amongst themselves.
This guy was typically petty. Just because I glanced at Xu Shiyu a few more times, even though I was treating them to a meal, he barely touched his chopsticks and barely interacted with my people.
To be honest, he spent the entire time chatting idly with Xu Shiyu about everything under the sun.
Frankly, if it weren't for Xu Shiyu's safety, just for him giving me the cold shoulder before we even started working, I would have loved to slap Bian Liang across the face!
Who in the underworld doesn't have a temper? Damn it, he's getting too big for his boots!
...
Halfway through the meal, to avoid being interrupted by us, Bian Liang turned and started chatting with Xu Shiyu about some interesting stories from when they first became disciples, often making Xu Shiyu cover her mouth and giggle.
Just as I was feeling a bit down, Bian Liang suddenly changed the subject and asked me, "Young brother Chen Xiang, I still don't know which underworld senior you learned from. Can you satisfy my curiosity?"
Upon hearing this, a flash of displeasure quickly crossed my eyes.
In the underworld, even if your master was a renowned grand gambler or the king of gamblers, you should never reveal it unless absolutely necessary.
After all, the gambling world is intricate and extremely complex and ever-changing.
A friend who was calling you brother one moment could turn against you the next due to profit.
Besides yourself, you have no way of knowing if others are friends or foes, or even human or ghost.
Therefore, I couldn't and wouldn't answer Bian Liang's question.
Because I had no idea what his intentions were.
Was it thoughtless curiosity, or a deliberate attempt to probe?
I looked up at Xu Shiyu and saw that she also had an embarrassed look on her face. I immediately understood that this guy had lost his mind for love!
With this thought, I casually replied, "I don't have any proper master. I learned everything from hanging out in chess and card rooms since I was a child!"
As soon as he heard that I had no master and was self-taught, Bian Liang's gaze towards me changed.
Three parts contempt and seven parts disdain.
It seemed he truly considered himself a capable helper. wΑp.kanshu伍.net
Little did he know that all I needed was Xu Shiyu, and no one else.
As for his role, he was merely Xu Shiyu's bodyguard at best.
However, I didn't explain or clarify anything.
Judging by his public display of displeasure, it was clear that Bian Liang was a genuinely petty person. If I explained things clearly to him now, who knows what he might think of me behind my back...
The only fortunate thing was that after changing the subject, Bian Liang stopped chatting idly with Xu Shiyu and finally got back to the main topic.
So, we began to have a heated discussion on how to board the Yunshuang gambling ship smoothly without being discovered...
After dinner, the six of us, traveling light, headed straight for Wenzhou Port.
Upon arriving at the destination, I didn't rush to board. Instead, I had Zhu Wenjing go ahead with Xu Shiyu and Bian Liang to get the tickets and board the ship.
Zhu Wenjing would act alone, while Xu Shiyu and Bian Liang would disguise themselves as a couple and act together.
According to Shen Mengqing, Yu Shuang had stationed personnel to patrol the cabins, lounges, and deck.
The cabins are not to be discussed for now. The lounges and deck are exposed to view. As long as we figure out the patrol patterns of Yu Shuang's stationed personnel in these two areas, and then board the ship at the moment they are out of sync, we can perfectly avoid the risks...