Although Tang Wuzui didn't say it, Shen Lang knew the other party must have made a fortune during the stock market storm. He didn't know the exact amount, but he believed it was an astronomical figure.
After the two hung up, Shen Lang fell back into his melancholy.
Just then, a phone call suddenly came in, making Shen Lang's eyes light up.
"Hello, Shixiong, I'm in Lanling (Nanling). I'm freezing, where are you? I'm coming to find you."
The person calling was none other than Shen Lang's junior brother, Wolong.
Wolong's Mandarin was still terrible. Shen Lang couldn't help but feel a hint of annoyance, but at this moment, he was incredibly excited. "Wolong, where are you? I'll come pick you up right now."
Wolong was Shen Lang's junior brother, but their relationship was no different from that of brothers.
Shen Lang met Wolong when he was nine. They studied medicine together, practiced martial arts together, hunted venomous snakes and fierce beasts in the primeval forest, and traveled the world.
No one could describe the bond between them, not even Shen Lang.
Hearing Wolong's voice at such a lonely moment, Shen Lang felt as excited as a person who had been thirsty for days in the desert seeing a clear spring.
"Shixiong, I'm at the Nanling High-Speed Train Station. You can come over."
Wolong heard Shen Lang and smiled.
"Okay, wait for me. I'm coming now."
Hearing Wolong's words, Shen Lang smiled, hung up the phone, and drove out.
Half an hour later, Shen Lang arrived at Nanling High-Speed Train Station. He parked his car by the roadside and quickly spotted Wolong.
Wolong was 1.95 meters tall, with a sturdy build, a hooked nose, large eyes, thick lips, and dark, thick eyebrows. His eyes were dark and bright, resembling a wild beast.
At this moment, this beast was squatting by a small stall in front of the Nanling High-Speed Train Station, looking dejected.
Shen Lang approached stealthily and stood behind Wolong.
"Brother, you've already lost over a thousand. Are you playing again?"
Opposite Wolong was a man with a pointed mouth and monkey cheeks, with dyed yellow hair, who looked very sleazy.
The sleazy man held a handful of money and had a dice cup in front of him. Clearly, this was a gambling stall.
"Yes, it's just over a thousand, what's the big deal? I have plenty of money."
Hearing the sleazy man, Wolong shouted angrily, then took out a thick wad of money from his pocket and threw it on the ground. He said to the sleazy man, "This is ten thousand. I'll bet it all. I don't believe my luck is that bad."
"What?"
The sleazy man, known as Lai Qi, was a local thug and bully who often set up gambling stalls at the train station to cheat people. Normally, other gamblers would stop after losing a few hundred, but he never expected Wolong to become so desperate.
However, Lai Qi loved it when people got desperate, because such people would empty their pockets when they lost their reason.
"Good, that's the spirit. Brother, I admire a true man like you."
Lai Qi laughed heartily, then took out ten thousand from his pocket and threw it out. "You bet ten thousand, and I'll bet ten thousand too. Are we still comparing highs and lows?"
"Yes—"
Wolong waved his hand and said, "Let's compare highs and lows."
"Okay—"
Lai Qi pushed the dice cup towards Wolong and smiled, "You go first."
The game was to compare the sum of three dice. Three to ten was considered low, and eleven to eighteen was considered high.
Wolong picked up the dice, weighed them, tossed them into the dice cup, shook it for a while, then slammed it on the ground and quickly lifted the lid.
As soon as he lifted it, Lai Qi was overjoyed.
All three dice rolled by Wolong showed a single dot, the lowest possible outcome.
Lai Qi felt that with Wolong's roll, he would surely win even without cheating.
So, Lai Qi picked up the three dice, weighed them lightly in his hand, tossed them into the dice cup, gave it a gentle shake, and placed it directly on the ground.
Lai Qi glanced at the thick stack of bills in front of Wolong, and his face couldn't hide his inner delight. He excitedly lifted the lid.
However, as soon as he lifted it, Lai Qi was completely dumbfounded.
Wolong's dice showed three points, the lowest. But Lai Qi's roll was even lower than Wolong's.
Three dice, yet Lai Qi's total was only two points.
This was because the third die had turned into a pile of dust, showing zero points.
"Oops, sorry, three points. I win."
Contrary to Lai Qi's gloomy expression, Wolong's face lit up with excitement when he saw Lai Qi's roll. He then directly took the ten thousand yuan from in front of Lai Qi and put it into his own pocket.
"You..."
Seeing the triumphant Wolong, Lai Qi's face turned ashen.
"Wh-why did this happen?"
Lai Qi couldn't understand why his third die had turned into powder and become two points.
"Brother, you used too much force. The dice are too fragile to withstand such force."
Wolong looked at the grim-faced Lai Qi and smiled. "You can't say you lost ten thousand to me. You can say you won a thousand from me. See you around."
With that, Wolong stood up and turned to see Shen Lang behind him. He was incredibly excited. "Shixiong, you're here?"
"Heh heh, waiting was too painful, so I played a couple of rounds."
Wolong weighed the thick stack of twenty thousand yuan in his hand and said, "What do you want for lunch? Junior brother will treat."
Wolong's Mandarin was still awkward, but Shen Lang felt an indescribable sense of warmth hearing it. He smiled and said, "Let's go to Baima Club for lunch. Didn't you always want to go there? I'll take you there today and you can have your fill."
"Really?"
Wolong exclaimed, "Baima Club, that's a den of extravagance. Twenty thousand might not be enough to cover it."
"No worries—"
Shen Lang smiled. "Brother is now a major shareholder, holding eighty percent of Baima Club. We won't spend a dime."
"Shixiong, you're amazing."
Wolong gave Shen Lang a thumbs-up and said, "Golden scales are not ordinary things, they turn into dragons when they meet the wind and clouds. I knew that little place in Qiulong Mountain was holding you back. This vast mortal world is your true belonging."
"Get in the car, we'll talk as we go."
Shen Lang looked at Wolong and said with a smile.
"Alright—"
Hearing Shen Lang, Wolong revealed a row of pearly white teeth and was about to follow Shen Lang.
However, just as Wolong was about to leave, Lai Qi suddenly rushed in front of him and said, "Kid, you can leave, but leave the money behind. All your money and my money must stay."
What?
Hearing Lai Qi's words, Wolong showed a shocked smile. "A bet is a bet. Are you going back on your word?"
"So what if I go back on my word? My surname is Lai, and I'm known for it."
Lai Qi looked at Wolong and sneered, "If you don't pay, you're not leaving here in one piece today."
With that, Lai Qi blew a whistle, and instantly, over a dozen ruffians with various colored hair poured out from around them.