While not particularly fond of Wu Junjie and the other two, since they came together, some courtesy was due.
Introduced by Liu Qinghe, the taller one was Wang Run’kang, and the slightly plumper one was Zhao Liang. Both were relatives of important figures in the fishing association and had been sent over for a brief stint. Their actual abilities were unknown, as they hadn't been seen in action yet.
However, it was unlikely that those here for a quick résumé boost would be particularly competent.
After completing the procedures for Li Haochen, the five of them entered through a special passage, much faster than queuing in the main hall.
They emerged about five minutes later. Upon arrival, their phones immediately showed the "macao" signal, and they had already received numerous messages, including many from real dealer websites.
At the entrance stood a large archway, considered a scenic spot built by the Portuguese. It was quite iconic. Previously belonging to the mainland side, after the completion of the new border checkpoint building, the entire Macao-Zhuhai border shifted slightly northward, effectively returning the archway to the Macau border.
To the left of the exit were free shuttle buses for the various casinos. The scene was chaotic yet orderly. The most popular were the ones for the Venetian, Sands, and Lisboa, with queues stretching for hundreds of meters.
Even more eye-catching were the tall women with long legs, wearing short skirt uniforms and holding large umbrellas, their faces heavily made up. From a distance, they were a pleasant sight; up close, they were… acceptable.
Li Haochen and the others were here to compete, and the organizers had made arrangements, so they didn't need to squeeze onto these buses.
As his eyes drifted down the long legs, a white Toyota minivan pulled up. Seeing this Alphard, one might be reminded of Hong Kong celebrities.
A man in his late forties or early fifties stepped out from the passenger seat. He was dressed in attire resembling a Zhongshan suit and wore a dazzling crystal bracelet on his wrist. He appeared energetic, exuding the aura of a metaphysics master.
"Director Liu, hello, hello."
"President Fan, thank you for coming. Everyone, allow me to introduce President Fan Kaidong, the President of the Hong Kong and Macao Charity Federation."
"Welcome to our island, young friends. Director Liu is too kind; I am merely one of the vice-presidents of the federation. Forgive my presumption, hehe!"
Fan Kaidong exchanged only brief pleasantries with Li Haochen and the others, not even bothering to ask their names. In his eyes, they were likely just there to be jesters for the event. As for Liu Qinghe, he only engaged in a few meaningless sentences with him.
Once inside the car, no one spoke, creating an awkward silence. Fortunately, the journey wasn't long.
Before long, a distinctive tall building in the distance piqued Li Haochen's interest. He had seen this building online; it was a landmark of Macao.
At first glance, it resembled a giant sword plunged downwards, with a massive egg-shaped structure at its base. The main entrance was directly beneath the sword’s tip. This was the impressive support of the new casino. Anyone entering from here would find themselves thoroughly ‘egg-beaten.’
The minivan continued forward, turning right at an intersection. Nearby, many tourists were queuing for the free shuttle buses. Only a few wore smiles, likely those who had won some pocket money. As for those with disgruntled expressions, it was easy to guess they had lost everything down to their last pair of underpants.
The car suddenly turned right into the underground parking garage of the new casino. It seemed this was indeed where they would be staying.
Fan Kaidong led Li Haochen and the others to a conference room on the upper floor. He gave a few instructions to a young man at the reception desk and left without so much as a goodbye, not even looking back. It was extremely impolite.
"Several of you, please present your identification cards for verification. Your cooperation is appreciated."
Just as Li Haochen and the others were about to produce their IDs, two middle-aged men swaggered in without any checks.
Li Haochen frowned and looked at the two men, asking, "Why don't they need to be checked?"
"Yes, why don't they?" Liu Qinghe chimed in.
Questioned by Li Haochen and Liu Qinghe, the young man showed a hint of displeasure and impatiently retorted, "Damn it, they're locals, of course, they don't need to be checked. Just give us your IDs, what's with all the talk?"
Fan Kaidong's earlier behavior had already annoyed Li Haochen, and now this young man was exhibiting discriminatory treatment. Li Haochen's temper couldn't be contained, and he immediately cursed, "What the hell, are you singling us out? Do you think we're easy to bully?"
The young man hadn't expected Li Haochen to be so defiant. His eyes flickered slightly, but as a few people who heard the commotion approached, he gained a bit more courage. "Mainlander, yeah, we're singling you out. What are you gonna do about it?"
Although Li Haochen didn't understand the latter part, he understood "mainlander." This ignited the gunpowder keg. Li Haochen clenched his fist and swung it towards the young man's face.
With a bang, the young man fell to the ground, unable to move. The people who had rushed over saw the youth being beaten and angrily swung their fists towards Li Haochen. Liu Qinghe was startled and stepped forward to block them. However, Wu Junjie and his two cronies remained detached, already watching the spectacle from the side.
"Stop."
Just as the conflict was about to erupt, a commanding voice echoed from behind.
The approaching henchmen immediately halted. The young man who had been hit was helped up, his eyes glaring, teeth bared, and he resentfully stared at Li Haochen, wishing he could flay him alive. However, he dared not act, lest he lose his job tomorrow.
The person who arrived was none other than He Yinglong, the president of the Charity Federation.
"P-President."
His face was ashen, suppressing his anger. He shot a glare at Li Haochen and the others, then sternly asked the young man, "What exactly happened?"
The young man lowered his head, afraid to meet his gaze, breaking out in a cold sweat. He stammered for a long time but said nothing.
"You're the president of the federation, right? Then I need to have a word with you."
"Oh, why is everyone gathered at the entrance? Uh, Uncle Long, you're here too. Come on, my dad has been looking for you."
Li Dazhi appeared at this moment. He Yinglong immediately understood what was happening. This fellow simply couldn't stand mainlanders and hadn't changed his ways.
"I'll deal with you later."
After all, they were acquaintances, so He Yinglong naturally took the opportunity to de-escalate. He uttered that sentence and prepared to leave.
"Wait!"
Just as He Yinglong was about to turn a blind eye and leave, Li Haochen called him back. "President He, the matter isn't settled yet. It's not appropriate for you to leave like this, is it?"
Li Haochen's words annoyed He Yinglong. His face darkened, and he said coldly, "Then what do you want!"
"Hey, Li Haochen, how can you speak to President He like that? Apologize quickly." Wu Junjie reprimanded him, then became obsequious. "President He, please don't be angry. Why bother with such a minor character? Calm down, calm down."
"Wu… Jun… Jie!"