As Ying Baolin stepped out of the car, the doors of the other Mercedes-Benz vehicles were opened one after another from within.
Following suit, a group of bodyguards alighted in succession and took their positions orderly by Ying Baolin's side.
Subsequently, Ying Baolin, holding Yu Shuang's hand, walked towards the flower bed at the hotel entrance.
In the open space surrounding the flower bed, three strings of firecrackers had already been arranged, along with nine boxes of firecrackers on each side.
The firecrackers were set up to form the numbers three, arranged from left to right as: 9, 1, 8.
Ying Baolin stood in front of the "9" firecracker, while Yu Shuang stood before the "8" firecracker.
As for the "1" firecracker in the middle, it was handled by a bodyguard accompanying Ying Baolin.
When 9:18 arrived…
"Grand Opening!"
As Ying Baolin and Yu Shuang shouted in unison, the 918 firecrackers were lit, and the firecrackers on both sides were set off simultaneously.
The Tiandu Casino, having undergone a complete transformation, was officially open for business!
At this moment, observing this scene from within the crowd, a thunderous roar erupted in my mind.
How could this be? Why is this happening!?
I stood frozen in place as if struck by lightning, my mind reeling.
As fragmented memories flickered and then pieced themselves together, I seemed to have clarified some issues and resolved some confusions…
There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests!
The scene before me perfectly encapsulated the profound truth of Y Country's Prime Minister Palmerston's famous saying.
Liu Xiang's absence here tonight meant he had been eliminated by Yu Shuang.
It was evident that Liu Xiang's previous value was likely due to Yu Fei owing money at the establishment he managed.
Yu Shuang used him as bait to lure me in.
If my guess was correct, Liu Xiang was never Yu Shuang's partner but rather a pawn in her game all along.
Once the Yu Xian brothers were exposed, Liu Xiang, as a pawn, had no further exploitable value.
Therefore, Yu Shuang decisively abandoned him.
Although I was unsure of the specific consensus and agreements reached privately between Yu Shuang and Ying Baolin, one thing was certain.
That was, she no longer needed to worry about the wrath and danger from the formidable Ying Baolin for the time being.
From now on, she could firmly establish her foothold in the Wenzhou territory.
Ying Baolin's public appearance and endorsement tonight was the best proof of this.
The advantage of a woman's beauty truly shone through at such moments.
I could confidently state that if the person who had previously partnered with Liu Xiang to run the mobile casino was not Yu Shuang but someone else…
That person would not have had the chance to be alive and standing here today!
A miscalculation!
Previously, I had only focused on leveraging Ying Baolin to eliminate Yu Shuang for me, forgetting that my old rival was most adept at manipulating people's hearts.
Especially the psychology of men.
Upon seeing Yu Shuang and Ying Baolin lighting the firecrackers, I lost all interest in staying.
Now, I had to re-strategize on how to engage with Yu Shuang.
If I didn't plan carefully beforehand, a single misstep could lead to a situation where I was surrounded by wolves, attacked from all sides…
Upon returning to the hotel, I began to ponder incessantly about how to turn the tide.
It was impossible to bypass Ying Baolin.
Since Ying Baolin was willing to let Yu Shuang off the hook and even open the Tiandu Casino with her, it implied that she had likely paid a price.
On the surface, they were partners.
As for their private relationship, it was impossible to know.
If I were to bypass the Tiandu Casino and attack Yu Shuang from the shadows, Ying Baolin might become enraged.
Therefore, the most prudent approach was to use the casino as an entry point, confront Yu Shuang openly, and simultaneously test Ying Baolin's stance.
However, this approach was not without its risks.
Furthermore, there was the issue of my lack of knowledge about the newly opened Tiandu Casino.
Its internal strengths, both overt and covert, and the identities of those in charge remained a blind spot, completely unknown.
To challenge it openly, I would have to understand the intricacies involved.
Otherwise, it would be no different from inviting humiliation.
………………
When I expressed my intention to target the Tiandu Casino, the four people beside me displayed two distinct reactions.
Cheng Minglang and Han Jinlun appeared indifferent.
After all, they were fully aware of the grudges and entanglements between Yu Shuang and me.
As for Xu Shiyu and Ma Wei, they seemed quite shocked and incredulous.
Xu Shiyu looked at me with a very serious expression and asked, "Chen Xiang, do you know who the man beside that beautiful woman is tonight? It's Ying Baolin, the kingpin of Wenzhou's underground gambling scene!"
I wasn't surprised that Xu Shiyu recognized Ying Baolin.
Although Xu Shiyu and her group specialized in setting up scams for money around the bus station and were unfamiliar with Wenzhou's gambling circles, they had surely heard of Ying Baolin, the undisputed king.
Seeing me nod silently, Xu Shiyu continued, "Since you know that man is Ying Baolin, you should be well aware of one thing."
"If you intend to target his establishment, and if it's exposed, what will be the fate of all of us?"
"Although we are working for money, we cannot afford to offend Ying Baolin along with you!"
"Years ago, our master also offended a certain big shot in the gambling world, and he was forced to flee and live in hiding under that person's pursuit."
"It was only after hiding around the Wenzhou bus station in recent years that he managed to stabilize slightly."
"Therefore, if you've invited us here with the intention of targeting Ying Baolin's casino…"
"Then I can only apologize."
As the saying goes: a person's reputation precedes them.
Xu Shiyu's reaction gave me a deeper understanding of Ying Baolin's influence in Wenzhou's gambling circles.
However, since I wanted to move against Yu Shuang, Ying Baolin was an unavoidable obstacle.
After a moment of contemplation, I said, "You don't need to be directly involved in this. You just need to help me design the specific plan."
Before Xu Shiyu could reply, I continued, "You'll be responsible for the ideas, and I'll provide the money and effort, and then… the ten thousand reward we discussed earlier will be doubled!"
Hearing my words, Xu Shiyu's delicate eyebrows furrowed, and she bit her red lips, remaining silent.
In this society, there is nothing that cannot be done.
If there is, it's simply because the compensation is insufficient.
To put it bluntly, no one would refuse money.
As long as the money is sufficient, everyone can transform into a fierce bandit, capable of murder and arson without hesitation!
Seeing Xu Shiyu's silence, I held up a finger and said, "Another hundred thousand!"