Seeing that I seemed to have completely forgotten my promise to Zhu Wenjing, Cheng Minglang immediately said in an exasperated tone, "How can you forget something and still be so righteous about it?!"
"Didn't you promise Zhu Wenjing earlier that you'd help her get back the IOU from Xiang Tianhua?"
"When it comes to things like this, the sooner they're resolved, the better, don't you think!?"
Hearing Cheng Minglang's words, I suddenly remembered and gave an awkward laugh.
Mistake, mistake!
There have been too many things happening lately, and I ended up forgetting about this.
But then again, why was Cheng Minglang, who usually stayed out of other people's business, so concerned about Zhu Wenjing's matter this time?
Even if he resonated with her experiences, he shouldn't be this agitated, right?
Could this guy be…
Thinking this, I was about to ask him if he had feelings for Zhu Wenjing.
But in the end, I stopped myself.
Although Cheng Minglang had many strengths, he also had a fatal flaw: he was easily embarrassed.
When it came to matters of romance, unless he brought it up himself, any questioning from others would only make him feel awkward and, in order to save face, stop him from taking further action.
With this in mind, I nodded and said, "Alright! Then I'll listen to you and get Zhu Wenjing's IOU back first, to avoid any further complications."
As soon as I finished speaking, I saw a flicker of joy on Cheng Minglang's face.
But it quickly vanished.
…
When we arrived at the arcade again, Xiang Tianhua happened to be there.
This time, I didn't waste much time and directly retrieved the IOU for Zhu Wenjing.
The reason was that my performance on the gambling ship had thoroughly intimidated Xiang Tianhua.
As someone who had been sent to the frontier, Xiang Tianhua only saw how highly Ying Baolin valued and relied on me.
As for any other hidden matters, he was naturally unaware.
Earlier, Xiang Tianhua had been very defiant towards me, thinking that he only lost to me due to underestimation and carelessness.
If he had another chance, he might not have lost to me.
Therefore, this guy harbored a thousand grievances against me.
But now, as I continuously made a name for myself and achieved success under Ying Baolin, especially on the gambling ship, that clean and decisive victory under immense pressure in front of everyone…
Xiang Tianhua was finally completely convinced and no longer dared to harbor any thoughts of revenge.
So, as soon as I spoke, without any resistance or hesitation, Xiang Tianhua decisively handed over Zhu Wenjing's IOU.
On the way back, Zhu Wenjing was so happy that tears streamed down her face.
While wiping her tears, Zhu Wenjing smilingly told us that she would treat us to dinner.
Just as the atmosphere in the car was incredibly lively and joyful, my phone suddenly started ringing frequently.
Taking it out, I saw it was Jiang Xiaowan calling.
As soon as I answered, I heard Jiang Xiaowan on the other end say in a half-joking tone, "Congratulations, Manager Chen! Congratulations on bringing honor to the boss again, and also filling your own pockets!"
"Speaking of which, you're a manager in Tiandu, aren't you? As a subordinate, won't you offer any token of congratulation?"
Hearing this, I immediately realized that Jiang Xiaowan must have already known about what happened on the gambling ship.
She wasn't calling me just to treat her to a meal. Most likely, she had heard something from Ying Baolin and was preparing to give me a heads-up privately.
It seemed that whether Ying Baolin had figured out the riddle of the "King" character left by Mo Pingqiu before he left depended entirely on Jiang Xiaowan…
So, after a moment of thought, I directly took the opportunity to invite Jiang Xiaowan out for dinner.
…
I met Jiang Xiaowan at a high-end French restaurant.
When I arrived, Jiang Xiaowan had already ordered and was sitting by the window, sipping tea and admiring the night view outside.
After sitting down, I got straight to the point without any pleasantries, "Did you need something from me?"
"Yes!"
Nodding slightly, Jiang Xiaowan lowered her voice and replied, "It's about you!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Xiaowan took out a stack of documents printed on A4 paper from her handbag and pushed them towards me.
After just a glance at the title of the document, I was stunned on the spot.
"Comprehensive Personal Information File of Chen Xiang!"
"Did you do this?" I asked, frowning.
Nodding slightly, and without minding the revealing view of her chest, Jiang Xiaowan leaned forward and whispered into my right ear, "The boss has found out about the Thousand King Token!"
Before I could ask, Jiang Xiaowan preempted me, "Your connection with Yu Shuang and Yun Jin, and the past grievances and entanglements between you three, the boss knows it all!"
"In two days, when you return to Tiandu to sign and collect your money, you won't be able to leave!"
Upon hearing this, my eyelids twitched uncontrollably.
Ying Baolin truly lived up to his reputation as a powerful figure. In less than 6 hours after learning the "King" character information from Mo Pingqiu at noon, he had already sent people to investigate everything.
His speed caught me completely off guard!
If Jiang Xiaowan hadn't leaked this information to me, I might have truly fallen into his trap when I went to sign and collect my money after the holiday!
Just as I was about to ask Jiang Xiaowan why she, who had always been loyal to Ying Baolin, was not being as dutiful this time, a waiter came over with a tray to serve the dishes.
Seeing this, I had to hold back my question.
After the waiter served the dishes, Jiang Xiaowan looked up at me and asked preemptively, "Are you curious why I'm telling you this news?"
I didn't answer but nodded in agreement.
"Because the onlooker sees clearly, while the participant is blinded!"
Pausing, Jiang Xiaowan continued, "The boss sees that you've been hiding things from him, but he doesn't know that the one truly deceiving him is Yu Shuang!"
"And what I see is that you've been targeting Yu Shuang from beginning to end!"
"Yu Shuang approached the boss with ulterior motives, while you approached the boss actually to deal with Yu Shuang! Am I right?"
I hadn't expected Jiang Xiaowan to see things so clearly.
Seeing my silence, Jiang Xiaowan continued on her own, "I, Jiang Xiaowan, am not someone who distinguishes right from wrong or good from evil, nor am I a fool who only knows blind loyalty!"
"Do you remember what I told you? If anyone acts in a way that harms the boss or the casino's interests, I will definitely not let them off lightly!"
"But you not only harmed the boss and the casino's interests, but you've also been working diligently.
"So, I wanted to inform you in advance, run quickly!"
"If you don't run now, you won't have a chance to run anymore!"