Outside the Tianqi Casino.
"Go inform your boss, Lin Zhenbei, that Lu Mingtai's disciple... has come to collect the debt!"
As soon as I entered, before I could even be searched, the words I blurted out made the two bouncers in front of me freeze for a moment.
After recovering, although the two bouncers were both furious, they didn't dare to talk nonsense.
Setting aside other things, everyone who understands knows what kind of place underground casinos are.
No fool has ever dared to cause trouble at the entrance of a casino, so these two bouncers knew very well that I was a cheater coming to challenge them.
"Wait here!"
After gruffly throwing down these words, one of the bald bouncers turned and ran into the casino to report.
As for me, I stared at his disappearing back with cold eyes, lost in thought...
The third floor of the Tianqi Casino, conference room.
"Cù nà mài bǐ ge xiǎo chì lǎo!"
………………
"I really will fuck your mother! I just sent off the old man not long ago, and now the young one is here?"
"Is it because the old man isn't here that any Tom, Dick, or Harry dares to ride on our Lin family?"
The one speaking was a stout, middle-aged man wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.
The middle-aged man was named Lin Jiahuan, the eldest son of Lin Zhenbei.
After the Gambling King Competition concluded ten years ago, Lin Zhenbei had declared his retirement from the martial world.
Therefore, on weekdays, the Tianqi Building was managed jointly by Lin Zhenbei's sons.
Seeing no one respond, Lin Jiahuan immediately coldly reprimanded, "Where is Xiao Si!?"
"He's in charge of the casino this month, and we're assisting. Hurry up and get him over here to make a decision!"
"So that some people don't run to the old man later to complain that I'm monopolizing power and being autocratic again!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhenbei's second son, Lin Hetang, who was thin and had a face that resembled Lin Jiahuan's by seven parts, spoke up.
"Xiao Si is probably still lying on some woman's belly and hasn't gotten up yet!"
"Besides, the person who gambled with Lu Mingtai was the old man. What's the point of calling Xiao Si over?"
Hearing this, Lin Jiahuan anxiously stood up and pointed at Lin Hetang's nose, cursing in Shanghainese: "Nóng nǎo zi wǎ tè la?"
"Don't I know that the person who gambled with Lu Mingtai was our old man?"
"The key issue is that our old man previously gambled with Lu Mingtai... and lost!"
"Then, when he was fulfilling the promise to chop off his fingers, he had a hypertensive episode and only managed to chop off one finger before passing out!"
"I think you should know about this, right?"
Seeing Lin Hetang nod silently, Lin Jiahuan continued, "Although Lu Mingtai didn't say anything at the time and left directly, now his disciple has come to collect the debt!"
"Come on, tell me, in this situation... who do you want me to find to repay this debt!?"
"Should I find the old man, or Xiao Si?"
As soon as Lin Jiahuan finished speaking, everyone in the room, including Lin Hetang, looked at each other, no one daring to speak rashly anymore.
It was a joke, wasn't it!
Lu Mingtai's disciple was here to collect a debt. The so-called debt was naturally two fingers.
Between Lin Zhenbei and Lin Sihai (i.e., Lin Jiahuan's fourth brother), whoever was chosen, one of them would have to lose two fingers!
Wasn't this as difficult to choose as the deadly question of "Mom and wife fall into the water at the same time, who do you save first"?
After understanding the trap, the large conference room fell into a complete silence, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
After an unknown amount of time...
Seeing that no one spoke, Lin Jiahuan turned to his fifth sibling, Lin Xinyu, and asked in a deep voice, "Xinyu, what do you think? Should we call Xiao Si back?"
Lin Zhenbei had a total of four sons and one daughter: the eldest son Lin Jiahuan, the second son Lin Hetang, the third son Lin Wannian, the fourth son Lin Sihai, and the youngest daughter Lin Xinyu.
Jia He Wan Si Xin, a homophone for "home harmony and everything prospers."
Hearing her elder brother's question, the slender and sweet-looking Lin Xinyu smiled slightly and said, "Although I'm just a girl and don't know much about the matters of the martial world, but..."
"Didn't Father always say that the matters of the cheaters are for the cheaters to handle?"
"So I personally think we don't need to call Fourth Brother."
Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze involuntarily turned to Lin Xinyu.
There was shock, doubt, and anger...
The matters of the cheaters are for the cheaters to handle!
According to Lin Xinyu's statement, the debt of two fingers would still be counted against Lin Zhenbei?
Seeing everyone staring at her with strange eyes, especially her brothers who looked like they wanted to eat her alive, Lin Xinyu quickly added, "Oh! It's not what you think! Not letting Fourth Brother come to handle it doesn't mean Father has to come!"
"If I'm not mistaken, Lu Mingtai didn't come in person because he was worried about the situation that happened with Father before!"
"So, he sent his disciple to collect the debt, the meaning behind it is very clear!"
Hearing this, Lin Jiahuan and the others asked in unison, "What meaning?"
With a flash of confidence in her eyes, Lin Xinyu smiled and said, "It's very simple. Let's each take a step back!"
"The debt needs to be collected, but the person... doesn't have to be Father! Doesn't the old saying go? It's called: out of sight, out of mind!"
"If Lu Mingtai didn't mean this, he could have come in person to collect the debt from Father!"
"Continue."
Seemingly finding Lin Xinyu's words reasonable, after nodding, Lin Jiahuan gestured for her to continue.
"Since we're each taking a step back, it's easier to handle. There's more room for operation here."
"Among us here, if someone is willing to step forward and take the blame for Father by losing two fingers, then this matter will end here!"
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone in the conference room, including the Lin brothers, had a stunned look on their faces.
Judging by the situation, it was clear that no one was willing to take the blame for Lin Zhenbei.
Seeing this, after a moment of thought, Lin Xinyu spoke again, "Since no one is willing to step forward voluntarily, let's change the method."
"The matters of the cheaters are for the cheaters to handle!"
"Although Lu Mingtai is formidable, his disciple is definitely not necessarily that powerful!"
"Let's follow the rules of the cheaters and find someone skilled in cheating to compete with Lu Mingtai's disciple."
"If we lose, then we'll admit defeat and give him two fingers! But if we win, we can use this as an excuse to settle the previous debt!"
"Elder Brother, is this okay?"
Lin Jiahuan's eyes immediately lit up upon hearing this.
However, he did not respond to Lin Xinyu, but turned to his two younger brothers and asked, "What do you think of Xinyu's idea?"