Chapter 83: The Plan Begins
Time flew by, and soon, the end of winter arrived.
At the end of every month, Boss Hu would collect his earnings. Though his various businesses were managed by others, he still conducted a monthly review—essentially, just to receive his profits.
Even Electronic Dynasty operated this way. While Snake was the face of the arcade, the initial investment, including the venue and machines, came from Boss Hu. Originally, Snake was merely a caretaker, but in time, he had seized control, making the place his own.
On paper, Electronic Dynasty still belonged to Boss Hu, but in reality, he hadn’t seen a dime of its revenue for a long time. And lately, Snake had become even more brazen—not only withholding profits but demanding more money from Boss Hu each month.
His excuse? The gamblers had been too lucky, causing Electronic Dynasty to operate at a loss. Since it was technically Boss Hu’s business, he was responsible for covering the deficit.
Bluntly put, Snake was extorting him, and Boss Hu had no means to resist. He had become a lamb among wolves, with everyone around him taking their cut.
This month, like clockwork, Boss Hu collected what little earnings he could from his various businesses.
When he sat down to count, his face turned pale with fury. Over the years, he had invested in more than thirty ventures, pouring in billions. Yet, this month’s total profit barely reached two million.
He owned the buildings, eliminating rental costs, so the profits should have been much higher. Even if he had rented out the properties instead of running businesses, he would have made more!
Taking a deep breath, he glanced at the men managing his establishments.
He knew exactly what was happening—everyone was siphoning off money. If this continued, they would bleed him dry.
But the breaking point came when he reviewed Electronic Dynasty’s records. The ledger claimed a loss of seven hundred thousand this month.
“What… How the hell did it lose that much?!”
Fury erupted from Boss Hu as he slammed the ledger onto the table.
Snake cast him a lazy glance. “That’s just business. Some months are good, some aren’t.”
“This month, the gamblers got lucky. What can I do?”
“Besides, I covered that seven hundred thousand out of my own pocket. Out of respect for you, I didn’t even charge you interest. What’s there to be upset about?”
Boss Hu gritted his teeth. He knew this was daylight robbery, but with Snake’s cold gaze locked onto him, he had no choice but to endure.
None of the men in the room were on his side—they were all leeches, feeding off him.
If he antagonized Snake, no one would back him up.
Drawing a deep breath, Boss Hu forced himself to remain calm. “We’ll talk about the seven hundred thousand later.”
“I haven’t been feeling well lately, so I’m heading to Peaceful Capital City tomorrow for a check-up.”
“We’ll deal with this when I return.”
Snake frowned but didn’t push the matter.
After all, he couldn’t force Boss Hu to pay before getting medical care. That would be too excessive—even for him.
And in the end, Boss Hu had nowhere to run. The money would be his sooner or later.
With what little he managed to scrape together, Boss Hu left the room.
As soon as he was gone, the others erupted into laughter, their disdain for him palpable.
To them, Boss Hu was nothing more than a spineless fool.
Snake sneered and motioned toward Boss Hu’s Little Wife. Without hesitation, she sauntered over, wrapping herself around his arm as they left together.
The room roared with even greater laughter at the sight.
Snake and Boss Hu’s Little Wife didn’t even bother hiding their affair anymore, only deepening the group’s contempt for Boss Hu.
Later that night, in a hotel room, after an intense session, Boss Hu’s Little Wife lay draped over Snake’s chest, her eyes filled with a sultry glow.
“Oh, you beast,” she giggled. “At this rate, you’ll wear me out completely.”
Snake grinned, confident in his stamina. “If you can’t handle it, next time, bring one of your friends along to help.”
Instead of being upset, she laughed. “I knew it! You’ve been eyeing my friends all along.”
“Tell me, who do you want? I’ll bring her over next time to serve you.”
Snake let out a wicked chuckle, giving her a playful pinch before lighting a cigarette. “By the way, what’s up with that old bastard suddenly going to Peaceful Capital City for a check-up?”
“Think something’s wrong?”
Boss Hu’s Little Wife spat disdainfully. “That old geezer—his body’s long been falling apart.”
“Heart disease, high blood pressure—he’s got it all, but his medical checkups always come back normal.”
“For the past few days, he kept complaining about feeling unwell. Looks like something finally caught up with him.”
Hearing this, Snake stopped worrying and nodded. “Good. If he’s not home, no one will interrupt us!”
Boss Hu’s Little Wife scoffed. “Oh, come on now.”
“Even if he were home, do you think he’d dare interrupt Snake?”
Snake let out a hearty laugh. “What I meant was, next time he’s not around, we should go have some fun on his bed.”
“Think about it—how exciting would that be!”
Boss Hu’s Little Wife’s eyes gleamed with interest. She nodded eagerly.
The next day, Boss Hu left Peaceful City, heading to Peaceful Capital City for a medical checkup.
Snake paid it no mind. With the Lunar Month starting soon, business at the arcade was about to hit its peak.
Right now, all his attention was focused on managing the arcade, leaving him with no time to worry about Chen Xue Wen.
Lunar Month, Third Day.
At Peaceful City’s Bus Station, two men stepped off a long-distance coach.
One was Wang Kai, a lackey of He Fei.
The other was a man in his thirties, his expression tense, brows furrowed in deep thought.
Wang Kai chuckled as he gestured around. “Brother Tong, welcome to Peaceful City.”
The man called Brother Tong barely reacted, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings before settling on Wang Kai.
“Enough with the small talk,” he said, voice low and firm. “Let’s get this done quickly. I have to leave before five this afternoon. Understood?”
Wang Kai grinned. “No problem, Brother Tong.”
“Everything’s set. I guarantee you’ll leave smoothly.”
He waved down a taxi, and they headed straight for Old Square.
Upon arrival, Wang Kai led Brother Tong to the Brothers Game Arcade, owned by Chen Xue Wen.
“Brother Tong, this is the place!”
“Qian Qian already briefed you—your job is to get in there and win big.”
“Any issues?”
Brother Tong waved a hand dismissively. “Wait here. Let me take a look first.”
He strolled inside, acting casual as he surveyed the scene. After a few minutes, he lingered near a row of slot machines, studying them closely.
Moments later, he exited and returned to Wang Kai.
“No problem,” he said confidently. “These are machines from my old company.”
“If the programming hasn’t changed, I can definitely win.”
Wang Kai beamed. “So, we’re good to go?”
Brother Tong hesitated. “Are you sure about this?”
“Winning that much money from them is no joke. If the owner gets pissed, I might not make it out in one piece.”
Wang Kai laughed. “Don’t worry about that.”
“See those guys over there?” He pointed to a group of law enforcement officers patrolling nearby.
“This area used to be a mess, but now they patrol regularly. No one dares stir up trouble anymore.”
He clapped Brother Tong on the shoulder. “Besides, we already agreed—all the money you win is yours.”
“Qian Qian already gave you five hundred grand. If you win another million here, that’s a solid one and a half million in your pocket.”
“For that kind of cash, isn’t it worth the risk?”
Then, lowering his voice, he added, “And let’s not forget Qian Qian’s uncle. You know what he does, right?”
“Even if things go south, her family can clean it up. You’ll be fine.”
Brother Tong took a deep breath, then nodded. “Alright. Let’s do this.”
Wang Kai smirked and handed him a wad of cash. “Brother Tong, the people inside know me, so I won’t go in.”
“Good luck!”
Taking the money, Brother Tong inhaled deeply, steeling himself, before stepping into the Brothers Game Arcade.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation