The eye-catching, almost ostentatious bright red Mercedes-Benz had barely stopped when I saw two bodyguards in suits and ties leap out from the front passenger and driver seats.
Following that, one bodyguard went to open the door of the Mercedes-Benz from the rear left, while another exaggeratedly held up an umbrella.
Two bodyguards, as tall and sturdy as oxen, flanked a woman as she slowly stepped out of the car.
To be honest, I’ve always disliked such slightly ostentatious entrances.
It was the evening of a golden autumn in September, not the height of summer, so holding an umbrella at this time was truly a sign of being quite unwell.
But I must admit, this woman, who was apparently Shen Mengqing’s friend… was truly beautiful!
Within the small world shielded by the parasol, the cool autumn breeze of the evening stirred her long dress, also caressing her exquisite face.
Shoulder-length hair, a floor-length dress.
The woman’s long hair and long dress emitted a reddish glow under the afterglow of the setting sun.
As the setting sun hung slanted and the woman looked up and smiled at me, I instantly felt a sense of "a painting within an umbrella, a person within a painting."
As she approached me, her pearly teeth shining and her bright eyes sparkling, the woman gave me a sweet smile and asked, "You must be Chen Xiang, the one Xiao Qing told me about?"
Hearing the woman’s question, before I could even speak, Han Jinlun, who had already put on a lecherous expression, impatiently rushed over and said, "Hello, beautiful! Allow me to introduce myself."
"I am the one who conquers Jinling with my fists and tramples Xingjia with my feet, elegant but not vulgar, sexy but not repulsive, known as Richard Gere of Longxi, graceful and charming, sworn to be an enemy of gambling and drugs – Han… Jinlun!"
I had expected Han Jinlun’s old-fashioned pick-up line to elicit a negative reaction from the woman.
However, to my surprise, not only did the woman show no sign of displeasure, but she nodded and smiled at Han Jinlun, saying, "Han Jinlun, is it? Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you."
She paused, then looked back at me and said, "Your friend… is quite interesting."
"Since that’s the case, allow me to introduce myself as well. My name is Yang Yuanyuan, Shen Mengqing’s best friend."
"Xiao Qing should have told you the purpose of asking you to come here, right?"
I nodded directly in response, "Yes."
Upon hearing this, Yang Yuanyuan gestured to the bodyguards behind her, "Bring the items over."
As soon as she finished speaking, another bodyguard, who was not holding the umbrella, turned and retrieved a black briefcase, a bottle of red wine, and two wine glasses from the car.
After handing me the briefcase, Yang Yuanyuan had the bodyguards pour a little red wine into each of the two glasses.
Then, holding her glass, Yang Yuanyuan said to me, "My principle in doing things has always been that friendship is friendship, and business is business."
"Since Xiao Qing introduced you, I naturally trust your abilities! Regardless of success or failure, please accept this deposit of five hundred thousand."
"As I have work later tonight, let’s just have a small sip to signify our toast."
"Come, here’s to my victory, and here’s to your success!"
After speaking, Yang Yuanyuan elegantly took a small sip with her red lips.
Seeing this, I also took a shallow taste.
After some casual chat, I, along with Cheng Minglang and Han Jinlun, boarded Yang Yuanyuan’s yacht docked at the harbor.
As a refreshing river breeze blew, the yacht carried us for about half an hour.
The moment a cargo ship appeared within our line of sight, Yang Yuanyuan’s bodyguard stood up and walked to the front deck of the yacht, waving to the people on the cargo ship.
After receiving a signal from the people on the cargo ship, another bodyguard steered the yacht closer to the cargo ship.
To be honest, this scene was somewhat different from what I had imagined in my mind.
I had thought that even if these gambling ships weren't as glamorous as depicted in gambling movies, they at least shouldn't resemble a clandestine rendezvous for illegal crossings.
However, the reality before me was that it truly looked like a meeting for illegal crossings!
Upon boarding the cargo ship, Yang Yuanyuan signaled me to act as if I knew nothing about whatever happened next, or whatever I saw.
At first, I didn’t understand what she meant by that.
It wasn’t until people started boarding the cargo ship one after another, with all sorts of characters gathering, that I realized something seemed… amiss!
We were already on the ship, so why hadn’t anyone come to escort us to the gambling hall yet?
Since Yang Yuanyuan had already prepared me beforehand, even though my heart was churning with curiosity, I ultimately held back and didn’t ask.
Thus, we stood idly on the cargo ship for about ten to twenty minutes, until a sudden foghorn sounded, and someone finally came to invite us out.
At this moment, a cruise ship, twinkling with scattered lights, was slowly approaching.
Following the crowd to the deck, I discovered that this was merely a cargo ship for transporting passengers; the real gambling ship… was on the other side!
Approximately ten minutes later.
Upon boarding the actual gambling ship, the first thing that met my eyes were the smiling male and female attendants most commonly seen in gambling movies.
Among them, female attendants in strapless dresses were more numerous.
These tall and beautiful female attendants stood on both sides of the deck, bowing slightly to the guests boarding the ship.
Although glimpses of their figures were frequently revealed, these attendants seemed unfazed.
Some of the more calculating women even subtly lowered themselves further, instantly drawing the attention of most of the male guests.
This scene immediately tested Han Jinlun’s "erectile power" to its limit. Fortunately, Cheng Minglang managed to drag the guy inside.
After entering the hall, all I could see were men and women dressed in opulent attire, coming and going.
Beauties of all complexions wore revealing outfits, openly showcasing their bosoms, slender waists, ample hips, as well as beautiful backs and fragrant shoulders.
However, these colorful and dazzling sights did not capture my attention.
Since Yang Yuanyuan had spent a large sum of money to hire me to catch cheaters, I naturally had to prioritize her.
In my estimation, a gambling game that hired someone for millions to catch cheaters would likely have a pot of tens of millions, or even over a hundred million, in stakes.
Such a game wouldn't be found in a regular gambling hall.
And Yang Yuanyuan had been wandering around since we entered, so I deduced that… the people participating in this major gambling match on the gambling ship had likely not all arrived yet.
Indeed, what Yang Yuanyuan said next confirmed my previous deduction.
Casually tossing me a ten-thousand-yuan chip, Yang Yuanyuan said indifferently, "The game starts at precisely ten o'clock tonight. If you feel bored, you can go and amuse yourself for a while to relax."