“Take off the mask.”
“I have a cold.”
“I said—”
Liang Ziyu regarded him without expression, enunciating every word.
“Take. It. Off.”
Everyone around them broke into a cold sweat. Chi Yi’s heart was practically in his throat as he frantically signaled to Song Liang.
Song Liang appeared not to notice.
“No.”
Everyone: “…”
Liang Ziyu thought he had misheard.
“Say that again.”
“I’m not taking it off,” Song Liang replied. “I’m here to do an honest day’s work, not show off my face. You tell me to take it off, and I’m supposed to obey? What if I do and you fall for me?”
“…”
Liang Ziyu pressed his tongue against his cheek and looked at Ms. Fei.
“Why did you hire a lunatic?”
Ms. Fei: “…He left his last job because the owner took an interest in him. Perhaps it’s left him a little wary.”
Liang Ziyu looked thoroughly unimpressed.
“I’m not interested in men. I’m not going to fancy you. Now take off the fucking—”
Before he finished, his Bluetooth earpiece flashed.
He frowned.
“What? What’s he doing here?”
Whatever the person on the other end said made his frown deepen and his expression grow impatient.
Without another glance at Song Liang, he turned and walked away.
His men followed.
The corridor fell silent.
Chi Yi stared after them, bewildered.
He had expected someone to get beaten up.
Instead, Liang Ziyu had simply turned and left?
Ms. Fei remained calm, apparently accustomed to it.
“Young Mr. Liang wears his emotions openly. His temper comes quickly and passes just as quickly. Just humor him.”
Inside Song Liang’s head, 3085 celebrated their narrow escape.
【Wonderful! He’s an idiot!】
Song Liang: “…”
Ms. Fei turned to him, looking displeased.
“What was that about, Song? You’re usually so quick and sensible. Why choose now to slip up?”
“I’m not feeling well.”
She glanced at his mask and reluctantly believed him.
Still, she frowned.
“Next time, tell me in advance. That was the club’s real owner. Even Mr. Hu works for him. You must never offend him. Understand?”
Song Liang acknowledged her, then said, “I’d like to take leave.”
Her expression shifted slightly.
She watched him with an unreadable gaze.
“You’ve been here a while, Song. You should know what kind of place this is. VIP guests aren’t like the ones downstairs. They absolutely must not be offended. Do you understand?”
Song Liang understood perfectly.
It was a warning.
If he refused to attend tonight, they would probably drag him there by force.
So he nodded.
“Understood.”
Only then did Ms. Fei smile warmly.
“Don’t worry. Get through tonight, and you’ll have a bonus at the end of the month.”
…
Meanwhile, Liang Ziyu strode back into the VIP casino hall and found Hu Yue coming to meet him.
“Where is he?”
“In Hall One. He brought someone new.”
“…”
Liang Ziyu’s steps slowed.
The casino wasn’t a legal business, but it was too profitable to abandon. Even when his father began legitimizing the family’s operations, he hadn’t had the heart to give it up.
Xinhe Group, however, could not be openly linked to gambling.
So the casino’s controlling owner on paper remained Hu Yue, the aide his father had assigned to him years earlier.
The casino enjoyed its uninterrupted profits because Liang Ziyu had spent considerable money and favors cultivating senior officials and powerful families across Linhai.
For that same reason, discretion was essential.
The VIP area admitted only regulars or people introduced by regulars.
The former needed no special procedures. The latter had to meet Hu Yue personally before he decided whether to accept them.
Normally, Liang Ziyu wouldn’t have bothered to come himself.
But this newcomer had been introduced by someone who habitually opposed him within Xinhe Group and had always disliked the Xinglong Society.
He had also recently offended both Xiao Yi and Xiao Guangjin.
He couldn’t afford to be careless.
Soon, he found the newcomer in the lounge.
The man wore an impeccably fitted navy formal suit. He was tall and lean, with smooth muscle definition through his shoulders and arms.
The skin visible at his neck and jaw was cool and pale. His lips were lightly pressed together, his bearing unmistakably refined.
A silver mask concealed the rest of his face, leaving only a pair of black eyes visible.
Liang Ziyu’s sworn rival, Li Huaiyi, wore a red mask. He stood beside a Texas Hold’em table, speaking quietly to the newcomer, apparently explaining the rules.
Li Huaiyi did most of the talking. The other man offered an occasional reply and otherwise seemed rather aloof.
The man in the silver mask also had a little attendant following him closely, as though afraid of losing his employer.
A pair of novices, obviously.
Li Huaiyi noticed Liang Ziyu and brought the newcomer over.
As he greeted him, he made the introduction.
“This is Mr. Yi. He’d like to try his hand.”
Liang Ziyu studied the exposed portion of the man’s face, then smiled ambiguously.
“You know our rules, Mr. Yi?”
“I do.”
That low voice sounded strangely familiar.
Liang Ziyu quietly asked Hu Yue, “Has his membership information been registered?”
Hu Yue nodded.
“Yes. A rising figure in the tech sector. His credentials check out.”
Even so, Liang Ziyu remained cautious.
While explaining the casino’s rules and services, he began probing the man’s background, asking several questions about technology.
The silver-masked man answered each with effortless composure.
What did a gangster like Liang Ziyu know about technology?
He couldn’t make sense of the unfamiliar, unwieldy terminology.
Nevertheless, he adopted a thoughtful expression.
“I see. That certainly is a major breakthrough.”
“…”
Watching this young underworld heir earnestly praise the terminology he had invented on the spot, Xiao Yi was amused.
Without showing it, he surveyed the room.
He soon noticed that almost every guest at the gaming tables had a companion, male or female.
Some were held in their guests’ laps. Others had an arm around their waists. Still others were being freely groped.
The one thing they shared was the staff uniform.
The women wore fitted skirt ensembles.
The men wore white shirts with black waistcoats and tightly cut black trousers, deliberately emphasizing narrow waists and shapely backsides.
Exactly what a certain someone had been wearing in the photographs.
Then Liang Ziyu’s suggestive voice sounded beside him.
“That’s another service the casino offers. If you’re interested, Mr. Yi, I can arrange someone immediately.”
Xiao Yi’s eyes cooled.
“No need.”
Assuming none of the staff appealed to him, Liang Ziyu didn’t ask again.
After a few more pleasantries, he prepared to leave.
At that moment, however, Ms. Fei arrived with the staff covering tonight’s shift.
Among them was the man in the face mask.
Remembering their encounter in the corridor, Liang Ziyu pointed toward him and beckoned him over.
Xiao Yi instinctively followed the direction of his finger.
A moment later, the dark green eyes concealed behind black contact lenses stilled.
Song Liang.
He recognized him immediately.
Behind him, Yang Xuan also spotted the young man in the staff uniform.
Excitedly, he pointed.
“That one! That one—”
Liang Ziyu paused at the outburst.
Once he saw whom Yang Xuan meant, he answered casually.
“Not him. He’s already booked for tonight.”
Xiao Yi’s gaze darkened at once.
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