Chen Lishu and Gu Xingdong arrived home around the same time.
Gu Xingdong looked at the fatigue on Chen Lishu's face and, feeling a pang of heartache, tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. He spoke with a tone of guilt and helplessness, "I'm sorry I wasn't by your side when such a major incident occurred."
Chen Lishu curved her lips and generously replied, "It's alright. I know you wouldn't abandon me without reason. You must have made arrangements before extricating yourself to handle matters."
As they looked at each other, Su Nian suddenly rushed out from a room. "Madam, there's good news! Qin Lan, through her efforts these past few days, has acquired the sausage products from over ten companies. The other companies still intend to hold on, but I've reviewed the online rumors. If we wait a few more days, our company's stock is likely to decline. At this rate, it won't be worth it."
Listening to Su Nian's report, Chen Lishu nodded. She then handed Tian Tian, whom she was holding, to Su Nian and said softly, "Take her to her room to rest. Xingdong and I need to discuss something important."
"Okay," Su Nian replied, taking Tian Tian and quickly heading towards the room.
Watching them leave, a complex expression flickered in Chen Lishu's eyes. She couldn't help but murmur, "Do you think this child will resent us if she knows we went to such lengths to deal with her father?"
Gu Xingdong gently rubbed Chen Lishu's head and comforted her, "I don't know. But I do know that we've shown mercy and chosen to save them. However, those people might not let us off."
Chen Lishu was only troubled for a moment before shrugging her shoulders, her expression becoming more open. "I can't worry about that now. They've already attacked our doorstep. We can't just do nothing and let our years of hard work go to waste. The people you arranged can start their actions now. I plan to resolve this matter completely within three days!"
"Alright!" Gu Xingdong said, then rested his head on Chen Lishu's shoulder. He spoke slowly, "Don't worry. I think Tian Tian is quite insightful. If we explain some things clearly to her, she'll be able to understand. If all else fails, I'll find a good family to adopt her, give her plenty of freedom, and let her grow for some time. If she seeks revenge later, we'll understand."
"Mmm," Chen Lishu said, her eyes closing slightly in exhaustion. They sat embraced for a while. Perhaps due to the events of the day, Gu Xingdong soon heard Chen Lishu's steady breathing. After carrying her into the room to rest, he went to Su Nian's room and said coldly, "The people I arranged can start their operation. You will personally supervise them these two days. I must ensure this plan has no unforeseen circumstances!"
"Yes!" Su Nian straightened her back. After watching Gu Xingdong leave the room, she vanished from sight.
----
The next day at the casino.
Xu Teng looked at his cards with a flushed face, saying with considerable annoyance, "It's like I've hit a cursed streak these past two days, losing every hand! I'm not playing anymore, I'm not playing." With that, he tossed his cards down, looking agitated and preparing to leave.
Su Nian, who was hiding in the shadows, saw this and raised an eyebrow, thinking, *How can I let you leave so easily?* She then signaled to her subordinate.
The subordinate, who received the glance, quickly blocked Xu Teng's path, a fawning smile on his face. "Why are you stopping playing, Boss Xu? It's only been half an hour since the game started, perhaps you haven't had your fill yet! Is there something wrong with our service? If you feel uncomfortable about anything, please tell us, and we'll do our best to correct it!"
Xu Teng roughly scratched his head and said impatiently, "It's not that there's anything uncomfortable. It's just that my luck has been bad lately. I plan to take a break. I've lost almost all my money, so I'll come back when I have more."
The person Su Nian brought along quickly chimed in playfully, "You don't have money? I heard you closed a big deal recently. Money has been pouring into your pocket like water. Are you still afraid of not having money to play? There are wins and losses at the card table; it's normal. Perhaps your current bad luck is just to set you up for a big win next time!"
Truth be told, Xu Teng was harboring such thoughts, so he couldn't help but be tempted when the man said this. However, he then thought that the money in his pocket was the hard-earned money from the villagers selling their pigs. If he spent it and couldn't earn it back, wouldn't he be deeply sinful?
With this thought, Xu Teng, who still had some conscience, shook his head and said, "No, I can't! This money isn't mine at all; it's the villagers' hard-earned money. If I spend it, I won't even be able to enter the village gate afterwards."
They continued to coax him, "Boss Xu, I've called you 'Boss,' so I definitely know you're working on a big project and making a lot of money. Besides, you haven't even started playing, and you already know if you'll win or lose? It's just a few hundred thousand yuan; are you still worried you won't make it back? Don't worry, this amount is nothing to you; it's just a matter of a few words. If we're going to play, let's play big. Playing a few hands every day and leaving before you've had enough is so frustrating!"
That's right, it was just a few hundred thousand yuan. By the time he cooperated with Yang Lili and obtained the inheritance of Chen Lishu's company, let alone hundreds of thousands, even millions would just be a string of numbers to him.
With this thought, Xu Teng gritted his teeth tightly, then placed the money from selling the pigs on the gambling table, and said through clenched teeth, "Alright, let's give it a try! I don't believe my luck can be this terrible forever. I want to use this money to turn things around and build a house and get married!"
"Boss Xu is indeed generous. Come, everyone, let's continue playing." As the words fell, the atmosphere at the scene reached a fever pitch once more.
To make Xu Teng willingly hand over all this money to the gambling table, Su Nian specifically instructed her subordinates to let him win a few hands first, to get him hooked. The rest would be easier to arrange.
As expected, Xu Teng, seeing the money on the table growing, felt his luck had turned. Under the instigation of a few people, he actually put forward two-thirds of his entire fortune. However, under Su Nian's control, he naturally had no chance to win. This money then entered the pockets of the people Su Nian brought.
Xu Teng watched as the money from selling pigs to the villagers was significantly reduced. His eyes immediately turned red. "No, are you cheating? Why do I lose so much when I lose?!"