Arriving at Tiantian Snack Restaurant with Cheng Minglang and Han Jinlun, I asked the proprietress... Good heavens!
Zou Laogou hadn't even arrived yet!
This was truly a colossal screw-up, like grass growing on a plain and then being uprooted.
However, upon reflection, it was understandable.
Facing the prospect of his livelihood being destroyed, the anxious Zou Laogou would certainly have no time for anything else. Moreover, I had called him unexpectedly, so he was bound to be unprepared, only thinking of luring me out first.
Therefore, I directly asked the proprietress for a private room facing the lobby, ordered a few dishes, and then sat in the room to wait.
Not long after, when I heard the sound of an emergency brake at the restaurant entrance, I knew Zou Laogou had arrived.
Looking up, as expected.
Zou Laogou, holding a bottle of Fenjiu, walked in with a few subordinates in a hurry.
Upon seeing me sitting in the private room right by the lobby, Zou Laogou was stunned.
After about five seconds, he came to his senses and said with a forced laugh, "My apologies, brother, buying the wine took a bit of time."
"I'm not particular about food, I just love good wine!"
"I understand, I understand! I just arrived too!"
Hearing this, I got up to reply, while also gesturing for Zou Laogou and his men to sit down.
After all the dishes were served, Zou Laogou stood up to pour me wine.
Despite my repeated refusals, he insisted.
So, I sat there stiffly, watching as this seasoned veteran of the Wenzhou underworld, this tough old character, humbled himself to pour wine for a junior like me.
After the wine was poured, this banquet, with everyone harboring their own intentions but ostensibly a "welcome feast," officially began...
After three rounds of drinks and five courses,
After much toasting and feasting, Zou Laogou and I chatted casually.
I asked, he answered.
He asked, I answered.
But no matter how we chatted, whenever the topic turned to me being attacked by Luo Qiwu's people, I would deliberately steer the conversation elsewhere.
It wasn't that I was being aloof, but I knew very well that once I took a stance on the previous incident, Zou Laogou would seize the opportunity to manipulate me.
After Ying Baolin privately declared his intention to consolidate all the casinos in Wenzhou, Yu Youwei, the owner of the Red Sun Casino, had already shown his stance through a complete overhaul.
As long as I took a stand on the previous incident, especially by uttering something like "I swear to be irreconcilable with Red Sun"...
Then Zou Laogou, struggling to survive in the cracks, would undoubtedly do his best to win me over to jointly resist Ying Baolin.
I could even imagine that after this meal, rumors would suddenly spread.
Saying that I, representing Ruichi Casino, had rejected Ying Baolin's cooperation request for consolidation.
I wanted revenge, yes, but I wanted revenge on Luo Qiwu and Red Sun Casino.
Ying Baolin was Zou Laogou's enemy, not mine.
Unless absolutely necessary, I would never provoke Ying Baolin.
The reason I sought out Zou Laogou was merely to add another layer of insurance to my subsequent revenge plan against Red Sun Casino... nothing more!
Seeing that I was hesitant to engage, Zou Laogou, though anxious, couldn't press too hard and could only drink his wine dejectedly.
When Zou Laogou stopped bringing up that matter, I suddenly spoke, "Brother, I have something I'd like to ask of you!"
After taking a sip of Fenjiu, Zou Laogou said listlessly, "Brother Chen Xiang, just say it! As long as I can do it, I'll help you with everything!"
"Thank you, brother! I'll have a drink first!"
After downing a small glass of baijiu, I lowered my voice and said to Zou Laogou, "In a while, I'd like to borrow a few people from you, brother, to help me with some personal matters!"
"Could you trouble yourself to pick out a few reliable brothers for me?"
"Don't worry, brother! I won't shortchange you on any tea money or anything like that!"
Hearing that I wanted to borrow people and that there would be tea money, Zou Laogou's eyes lit up slightly, and he readily agreed, "No problem, brother!"
"As for tea money, let's forget about it between us brothers! If I'm in trouble later, I'll still be counting on you, brother, to give me a meal!"
Hearing this, I also readily agreed.
At a time like this, if I were to be so clear-cut with Zou Laogou, insisting on calculating tea money, he would know that I no longer intended to maintain a relationship of mutual obligation with him.
This would also be my indirect way of signaling that Ruichi might accept the consolidation and integration by the Ying family.
In this banquet tonight, by not bringing up the matter and not trying to signal my intentions, but instead asking to borrow people, he would naturally have a clear understanding.
After chatting for a while longer, and once we had eaten and drunk our fill, I made an excuse about having matters to attend to at the casino and left first.
Before leaving, I settled the bill.
As I waved goodbye through the window, Zou Laogou suddenly sighed, "I'm getting old!"
"Does the current underworld... really have no place for us old folks anymore?"
Hearing this, I deliberately pretended not to hear, continued to wave goodbye with a smile to Zou Laogou, and then turned to leave.
It wasn't that the underworld had no place for the old, but that the rising stars in the underworld wanted to replace their predecessors and become the supreme beings at the forefront!
Times create heroes!
In the treacherous and deceitful underworld, some are destined to become the background for heroes, to be trampled underfoot and ruthlessly ravaged!
Wenzhou, this storm stirred by Ying Baolin's words, my only goal is this!
To preserve myself and everyone around me as much as possible!
Until the storm passes... and I can face the sun and live!
...
A week later.
Outside the Red Sun Casino, also known as Baoli Casino.
As one of the earliest casinos established in Wenzhou, Red Sun enjoyed an excellent geographical location.
When I arrived with Gu Chunlai, Cheng Minglang, Han Jinlun, and a group of Ruichi's hidden operatives...
As soon as we reached the entrance of the casino, we saw Luo Qiwu and Xiang Tianhua, each leading a group of people, standing grimly on either side of the entrance, waiting for me.
The day after Zou Laogou agreed to lend me people, I had called Gu Chunlai in advance.
On the phone, I told Gu Chunlai that I planned to hold Luo Qiwu accountable a week later for her failure to honor her promise to shut down the casino.
While it was called accountability, it was essentially a show of force.
It was just a legitimate show of force.
Everyone knew how much money would be lost by easily shutting down a casino based on a mere verbal promise.
Therefore, this accountability visit, even though I had the moral high ground, was clearly not going to yield any concrete results.
As the notary for the previous gambling match, Gu Chunlai chose to accompany me out of a sense of responsibility.
His objective was also clear: to mediate the conflict between me and Luo Qiwu as much as possible.
Otherwise, something major would happen tonight!