Chapter Twenty-Four: Five Million for This Round!

By the time we returned to Hu San’s room, dusk was already settling over the city. Hu San busied himself moving the remaining stones inside, counting as he did so. He reported that we had only a dozen or so stones left, and two hundred thousand yuan.

His brow was deeply furrowed, betraying his lingering unease.

“Tiger, this is all the resources we have now. What should we do next?” Hu San asked cautiously.

I clapped him on the shoulder, my tone resolute. “Don’t worry, Hu San. Follow my lead. Go rest for now, I have some matters to arrange.”

He nodded, still doubtful, but obediently turned to his bedroom.

I walked to the window, gazing into the night outside as my mind whirled with the plans ahead.

Only four days remained until Old Leopard Chen’s Stone Gambling Exchange at Zhuang Bengqiao Market. In these four days, I had to gather every ounce of support possible.

To bring down Gao Youde—the dog chosen for the sacrificial altar—I needed to be flawless.

So, I decided to return to Sister Hong’s villa first.

By the time I arrived, night had fallen completely. Neon lights outside the villa flickered, casting a dazzling glow across the grounds.

Pushing open the door, I saw Sister Hong sitting on the sofa, the television in front of her playing a tedious soap opera. She looked bored and weary.

“You’re back?” she looked up at me, her eyes dull.

I nodded, closed the door, and headed toward my room.

Just as I reached the doorway, her voice called out.

“Are you feeling better? If so, get yourself to the KTV. They’re short-staffed tonight.”

Her words caught me off guard. I turned to face her.

“Sister Hong, didn’t you say I could rest for a while?”

Her expression was cold. “I let you rest so you could heal, not so you could get entangled with Gao Youde!”

I frowned. “You went to see Gao Youde?”

She told me not to concern myself with the matter.

She said she’d met him, and told him bluntly that perhaps she wouldn’t be able to repay the fifty thousand he’d given me, and asked if he could spare my life.

Gao Youde laughed. He said the money could be repaid slowly—it was the interest he cared about!

Hearing this chilled me to the bone. Gao Youde’s words implied much more than financial interest; his real aim was to control me, to use me for greater profit.

My fists clenched involuntarily. Inwardly, I swore: this dog hadn’t been chosen in vain.

“Sister Hong, you shouldn’t have gone to see him,” I said, my voice heavy, my gaze unwavering.

“I know what you’re thinking, but you must understand—our situation isn’t optimistic.” Her tone was icy, her eyes reflecting complex emotions. “Gao Youde isn’t easy to deal with. You know his methods.”

I took a deep breath and nodded.

It was true. Gao Youde was ruthless, and his henchmen were cutthroats. But precisely because of that, I couldn’t sit and wait for doom.

“Sister Hong, I have a plan.” I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “Old Leopard Chen’s Stone Gambling Exchange at Zhuang Bengqiao Market is our one chance.”

Her brows arched slightly, intrigued by the mention of the stone gambling exchange. “What’s your plan?”

“We need to find a gemstone at the exchange that will astonish everyone, then use it to draw Gao Youde’s attention.” Determination flashed in my eyes. “If he believes in its value, he’ll be distracted, and we’ll make him invest everything he has—so much he’ll never recover.”

I expected Sister Hong to react, but her gaze was cold.

“Wang Hu, do you really think Gao Youde is a fool?”

“When I saw him today, he told me Zhuang Bengqiao Market is nothing but a fake stone market!”

“No matter how skilled you are at gambling with stones, how much can you make in a place like that?”

I smiled faintly. “Don’t worry. I already have a target. Tomorrow morning, I’ll take Hu San to Old Leopard Chen’s turf to check out the market.”

Hearing Hu San’s name, her expression softened a little. “Fine. If you really want to go, I won’t stop you. But let me warn you again—not to get carried away!”

I nodded, grateful, and then asked, “Sister Hong, you know Gao Youde fairly well, right? Can you tell me how much liquid assets he has?”

Her expression shifted. She looked at me. “Why do you want to know?”

I coughed lightly. “Just curious. What kind of person would go to any lengths for money?”

“Anyone for sale!”

As I spoke, my gaze lingered on Sister Hong.

She was silent for a moment, weighing the gravity of my question.

Her eyes swept over my face as she answered slowly, “Gao Youde’s assets are about ten million—not counting his other black market investments and real estate.”

“But I have no way to know his liquid funds.”

Hearing the number, I felt a slight stir. Gao Youde’s wealth was substantial, though not enough to be a real tycoon. Yet for someone in this small town, it was enough to look down on everyone.

Without knowing his liquid assets, I couldn’t predict how to make this trap absolute.

But since assets accumulate and diminish over time, most people’s liquid funds are thirty to fifty percent of their total assets.

Better to estimate high than low. Let’s say five million.

This game required five million.

To make him lose everything at the stone gambling exchange would not be easy.

But I knew there was no turning back.

“Thank you, Sister Hong.” I drew a deep breath, my voice resolute. “I’ll be careful. I won’t disappoint you.”

She nodded, her eyes filled with complex emotion. “Wang Hu, remember—if you ever need help, tell me.”

I nodded, turned, and walked toward my room.

Night had deepened, but my mind was restless, racing to devise a flawless plan for every step.

Thus the day passed.

Three days remained.

And on the morning of that day, a phone call jolted me awake.

“How’s your preparation going, kid?”

I recognized the voice instantly—Gao Youde.

Suppressing my discomfort, I answered quietly, “Brother Youde, I’m preparing. Don’t worry.”

Gao Youde laughed. “Good! I admire your loyalty. To make sure you and Hu San have no worries, I’ve sent Hu San’s mother to the best traditional doctor in town for treatment! Wait for good news, kid. Work hard!”