Hearing my words, the orchid woman, who appeared pure on the outside, let out a cold laugh.
"Heh heh~ I of course know these rules."
"Moreover, grievances have their origins, and the primary responsible person for Mu Haitang's death is Xiao Tianci, and the secondary responsible person is you!"
Looking at the orchid woman, I said coldly, "Since you know all this, you should go find Xiao Tianci first. Why come looking for me?"
The orchid woman's eyebrows shot up, and she stared at me with a chilling gaze, replying, "Before coming to you, I already went to find Xiao Tianci!"
Upon hearing this, I immediately became vigilant and retorted, "So, you think he's too powerful, and you can't achieve your demands from him, so you've chosen to pick on me, the soft persimmon?"
In my estimation, Xiao Tianci was highly unlikely to admit fault or back down.
Therefore, it could only be that the orchid woman, intimidated by Xiao Tianci's influence, was forced to yield.
However, I never expected that the orchid woman would say something that caught me completely off guard.
"No! Boss Xiao not only didn't bully me with his power, but he also apologized to me sincerely and earnestly!"
"Besides that, Boss Xiao, feeling guilty, generously gave me five million, asking me to explain clearly to our hall when I returned. He said this money was his compensation for mistakenly killing Mu Haitang before the truth was ascertained, expressing his atonement to our hall!"
As soon as the orchid woman finished speaking, I was instantly dumbfounded.
After regaining my senses, I looked directly at the orchid woman and asked, "Then what do you mean by coming to me now?"
"It's very simple!" the orchid woman interjected. "Although Mu Haitang died at Boss Xiao's hands, the incident started because of you!"
"Therefore, as the secondary responsible person, you have to show your attitude and make some token gesture!"
Hearing this, I said coldly, "Name your price!"
"Four million, a fixed price!" the orchid woman said without hesitation. "As long as the money is in place, the matter is settled immediately!"
Brilliant! Truly brilliant!
Xiao Tianci's move, seemingly a display of weakness, was actually a strategic retreat that pushed me into an abyss.
As I mentioned before, the Orchid Gate is a fringe organization that has survived and thrived through countless dynastic changes.
The reason for this is its strict hierarchical system, disciplined members, and exceptional unity.
To put it in a nutshell: when divided, they fight individually; when united, they are an unstoppable force!
If Xiao Tianci hadn't backed down, the debt for Mu Haitang's death would likely have been entirely attributed to him.
At that time, members of the Orchid Gate operating in the Longxi region would have been dispatched one after another, specifically targeting Xiao Tianci.
Even if they couldn't directly kill him due to his influence, they could have made his life a living hell, causing constant disturbances.
But now, not only has he conceded, but he has also paid out five million in cold, hard cash...
To put it bluntly, if I were the person in charge of the Orchid Gate hall in Longxi, I would likely find it hard to refuse.
What about the pricelessness of human life? Don't be ridiculous!
In this day and age, if you accidentally hit and kill someone while driving, and the victim's family comes to cause trouble, aren't they just trying to get more compensation?
Pay out a few hundred thousand, and the victim's family will sign the letter of understanding faster than you can blink an eye!
If a few hundred thousand can achieve that, what about several million?
Undoubtedly, I had been tricked by Xiao Tianci.
He could produce five million without batting an eye to make peace with the Orchid Gate, but I couldn't!
Firstly, it wasn't worth it. Secondly, the bulk of my money had already been spent by the Camel master and apprentice to save their lives. Forget about four million in compensation; the remaining change in my account was less than forty thousand!
If Xiao Tianci hadn't made a generous compensation of five million first, and the Orchid Gate had sent someone to demand an explanation from me today...
Out of humanitarian considerations, I would have been willing to give them all the remaining money.
If it wasn't enough, I would even go to the gambling dens outside to earn some more money as a token gesture.
But now, not only is the situation outside unclear, but the compensation amount of four million has directly stumped me.
Regardless of the considerations, I could not and should not pay this compensation that exceeded my capabilities.
But unfortunately, Xiao Tianci had already set a precedent. If I couldn't pay this money, the seemingly harmless orchid woman in front of me would transform into a butcher's cleaver in his hands, ready to strike me down!
Xiao Tianci had presented me with an unsolvable choice between money and life.
If I chose money, I would surely lose my life.
If I chose life, my pockets would be empty.
Coupled with the unclear situation outside, what awaited me later would be the predicament of a hero being stumped by a single coin.
Without money, I couldn't move an inch; I couldn't accomplish even minor tasks!
...
To prevent Xiao Tianci's scheme from succeeding, after careful consideration and deliberation, I decided to feign agreement with their compensation demand.
Of course, it wouldn't be in cash, as I didn't have much money left in my account.
Glancing at the gentle and charming orchid woman, I asked, "If I can't come up with that much money at this stage, are there any other ways to substitute for cash compensation?"
"What other ways do you mean?" the orchid woman asked back with interest.
Hearing this, I had to be direct and say, "I'm a cheat, and I can help you set up a game to cheat money!"
Before the orchid woman could ask further questions, I continued, "I've heard a little about how you people in the Orchid Gate operate. To put it bluntly..."
"You spend time, effort, and energy to lure men in, and the money you painstakingly earn in the end might not be as much as I earn in a single gambling session!"
"If you have someone who has lured a man who is both rich and a tough nut to crack, as long as you create an opportunity for a gambling session, I guarantee I will hand over the four million compensation!"
"Of course, the prerequisite is that the safety and secrecy of the gambling session must have the most basic guarantee, as you should be well aware of my current predicament."
"Besides this method, I really don't have that much money on me right now!"
Hearing me say this, the orchid woman fell silent and began to ponder with her head bowed...
After an unknown amount of time.
After a long silence, the orchid woman finally spoke again.
"I do have a target person under me. His name is Jiang Jinshan. He's a real estate developer, and he likes to play cards when he's free, and he plays for very high stakes."
"However, Jiang Jinshan is very cautious. He only plays with close acquaintances. If invited by an ordinary friend, he never goes!"
"Can you handle it?"
After speaking, the orchid woman looked at me with a questioning gaze, wanting to see how I would respond...