Hearing the sound, Mr. He calmly said, "Giving up so soon? Zhonghua, that doesn't seem like your style!"
"..."
I was no longer interested in the conversation between He Zhonghua and Mr. He.
My mind was focused on wanting this power struggle, disguised as a finals match, to end quickly so I could deal with He Chenguang.
Just then, Yu Shuang, who had been sitting at the gambling table, suddenly let out a cold laugh for no reason.
Immediately after, I saw her stride over to me, looking me directly in the eye, and say, "I'm sorry, Chen Xiang! In the end, our struggle has resulted in my victory!"
This is the nature of a queen bee; once her objective is achieved, she immediately reveals her true colors.
Faced with Yu Shuang's taunts, I remained silent. Instead, I took out a cigarette, lit it, and began to smoke.
The victor becomes king, the vanquished becomes a bandit; this is an eternal truth.
Yu Shuang was more skilled, and I admitted defeat!
Seeing that she couldn't provoke my competitive spirit, Yu Shuang let out a cold snort and turned away from her seat.
At this moment, Li Wenting, who had previously gone with Camel and Cheng Minglang to conduct a thorough search at the New Lisboa, returned with her team.
Seeing Li Wenting suddenly reappear when the situation was already decided, I seemed to understand something more in my heart.
Standing beside me, Li Wenting looked directly at me and her first words were, "I'm sorry!"
"I didn't intend to keep it from you, but Mr. He had already made arrangements."
As expected! My belated guess was correct!
Tonight's finals were a complete setup! The name of the game: Luring the Lord (He Zhonghua) into the Trap!
Of everyone who chose to stand with Mr. He and participate in this setup tonight, I was the only one not informed of the truth beforehand.
Hearing this, I chuckled self-mockingly and shook my head without a word.
It doesn't matter anymore, nothing matters anymore!
Once Mr. He settled everything, I would seize the opportunity to avenge Uncle Tuo on He Chenguang and then leave Macau, this city devoid of emotion and warmth, filled only with deceit.
With that thought, I took a deep drag of my cigarette and said through the smoke, "Please tell Mr. He to leave He Chenguang for me later. Thank you!"
Hearing this, after giving me a deep look, Li Wenting frowned and said, "Chen Xiang, don't be angry! Actually, after escaping from He Zhonghua's villa, I personally trusted you from the bottom of my heart, but Mr. He..."
Seeing Li Wenting's hesitant demeanor, I looked at her with confusion and said in a low voice, "Since you say you trust me, then speak your mind!"
"After all the blows I've taken tonight, one or two more won't make a difference!"
Upon hearing my words, after a moment of thought, Li Wenting pulled me aside.
"If..."
As soon as she started, Li Wenting emphasized, "I'm saying *if*, okay? If I told you that Mr. He has an issue with you solely because of your deceased master, would you... believe me?"
Seeing my astonished expression, Li Wenting stepped closer to my ear and whispered, "Hu Dinggui, that mysterious person who won the King of Gamblers competition in '99 by a fluke!"
Her words were shocking!
I never imagined that Hu Dinggui had such a hidden identity.
Before I could ask, Li Wenting continued, "Back then, if your master Lu Mingtai hadn't explicitly refused Mr. He's invitation, the New Lisboa Entertainment City project wouldn't have been delayed."
"Do you know? To find your master, Mr. He not only pushed back the New Lisboa project repeatedly but also sent people to search for him for a good two to three years!"
"Unfortunately, they found nothing in the end!"
"Helpless, Mr. He had to give up the search and shift his focus to Hu Dinggui, a graduate of a prestigious university. Only then did the New Lisboa project officially begin."
"Little did he know, Hu Dinggui had already been bought off with a hefty sum by He Zhonghua!"
"As the person in charge of Macau's new landmark building, Hu Dinggui's defection alone affected hundreds, even thousands, of people in the He family's establishments!"
"These past events and truths are the hidden resentment Mr. He harbors towards your master, Lu Mingtai!"
"Back then, if your master hadn't refused Mr. He, he would have been the person in charge of New Lisboa instead of Hu Dinggui, and all the messy things that followed wouldn't have happened!"
Li Wenting's words sent a chilling sensation through my body.
No wonder, from the moment I first met Mr. He, I felt a subtle hostility from him. It turned out to be a consequence of Uncle Tuo's past.
After Li Wenting's explanation, I immediately understood my role in this entire affair.
I was merely a dispensable supporting character, one who wouldn't affect the final outcome.
In the counter-attack orchestrated by Mr. He, Yu Shuang was the true protagonist from beginning to end!
Understanding all this, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Heh heh."
Suppressing my laughter, I nodded at Li Wenting and said, "Thank you, I understand! You can go about your business!"
Hearing my words, Li Wenting gave me a meaningful look before turning and leaving.
After Li Wenting left, I turned my gaze back to Mr. He...
I had intended for this trip to Macau, using the King of Gamblers competition as a stage and my own gambling skills as the means, to leverage Mr. He's immense influence to avenge Uncle Tuo. I had been meticulously planning and calculating every step of the way.
I never expected that I, the self-proclaimed master strategist, had actually become a pawn in someone else's game!
I submitted. Reluctantly, but I submitted!
.........
After the power struggle was completely resolved and all involved personnel were taken away.
No longer wanting to dwell on the roles of pawn and player, I cast aside all distractions and thoughts, turned directly to Mr. He, and asked in a cold voice, "Mr. He, according to our agreement, as long as I reached the final round, you would..."
Before I could finish speaking, I saw Mr. He raise his right hand, which was holding a cane, and look at me with a somewhat desolate and sorrowful expression, saying, "It's very late today. We'll discuss whatever it is tomorrow!"
With that, without waiting for my consent, and with Li Wenting and others clearing the way, Mr. He left the casino hall, leaning on his cane...
The next morning.
As of now, I have not received any calls or text messages from Mr. He.
Half the day passed in a flash.
Seeing that it was already noon and my phone remained silent, a sense of foreboding began to creep into my heart.
So, I took the initiative to call Mr. He.
The call went through, but no one answered.
I called again, and it was the same.
Suddenly, the bad feeling in my heart grew stronger and stronger...