CHAPTER 314: CHAPTER 294 THE BEARDED MAN

Anyone who’s played Blackjack knows the rules: the player with the highest points wins, but the points must equal or be less than 21. Players exceeding 21 are called bust. Cards from 2 to 10 are counted as their face value, J, Q, K each count as 10 points, and A can be counted as 1 or 11 points.

Before the dealer reaches 17 points, they must draw, and at this point, Hua Qingyi’s move to stop drawing left many onlookers puzzled, especially since he was only one point away from the dealer.

According to Blackjack rules, even if Hua Qingyi does not draw more cards, he still has a chance to win. Such an easy abandonment in a gamble is hard to understand, which makes him a focus.

"Today, luck’s not on my side!" Hua Qingyi muttered to himself in fluent English, with a face-down card of A, revealing a card of 3 points, and the other two cards were both 10 points and 7 points.

"Go big or go home!" The opponent pushed five million into the center of the table and then leisurely sat back, playing with a ring in his hand.

"Call!" Hua Qingyi glanced at the previous dealer, whose count was 10, smiled, and then looked towards the bearded Middle Eastern man. After he pushed the same amount of chips, he added one million more.

The professional dealer dealt the third card successively. The player on the left had a total of 15 points, the bearded Middle Eastern man had 12 points, and Hua Qingyi had 7 points.

"Oh dear, what should I do?" Hua Qingyi turned to his bodyguards, gesturing: "Place a bet for me!".

Xiao Lin walked calmly to the table, unceremoniously pushing all of Hua Qingyi’s chips forward — a total of twenty million! The onlookers at the table gasped. Such high-stakes betting is not uncommon in the Middle East, but when it’s a bodyguard making the bet, it’s different.

The player to the left decided to stand, leaving only the bearded man. A faint blush glowed on his dark skin, and he smiled at Hua Qingyi. At this moment, a Middle Eastern man walked up to whisper a few words into the bearded man’s ear, making him appear nervous and excited before he stood up and left.

Xiao Lin glanced at Miao Shaoqing, who naturally followed the bearded man’s direction.

"Bro, we just won over ten million." Hua Qingyi sounded obviously disappointed; he never plays gambling games to win such a small amount.

Xiao Lin followed behind Hua Qingyi; there was no need to worry about the winnings. Someone would naturally manage it, so long as they exchanged at the counter before leaving.

"This ten million—let’s see if you have the skill to walk away with it." Hua Qingyi wasn’t really the winner this round; the bearded man left in the middle. No matter who you are, leaving the table means forfeiting, so this money isn’t a big deal, but walking away with it isn’t easy. Middle Eastern people hold grudges, as Miao Shaoqing said. It’s believed Hua Qingyi is now embroiled in a mysterious quarrel, partially thanks to Xiao Lin’s handiwork.

Hua Qingyi shrugged indifferently, wandering from one table to another in search of his target, with Miao Shaoqing already out of sight.

"Bro, there are twelve visible cameras in the front hall, each table has four hidden ones at the corners, two in the passageways, three at the elevator entrances, twenty security guards, and at least seven or eight hidden posts."

"Let’s head back to the hotel and wait for news from Shaoqing," Xiao Lin said calmly.

After exchanging winnings at the service counter, Hua Qingyi looked at the sum and chuckled stupidly, while Xiao Lin hailed a taxi, escorting Hua into the back seat and climbing into the front passenger seat himself.

The taxi driver was quite enthusiastic, chatting about Amman’s natural scenery all the way with Hua Qingyi, while Xiao Lin gazed out the window.

"We’ll get off here."

"The destination hasn’t been reached!" The driver responded in English, feeling puzzled by Xiao Lin’s sudden request to stop.

"I want to check out the famous music fountain square," Xiao Lin explained.

"Get off here, cross that street, and you’re there. Have fun, and may the Lord bless you," the driver said, overwhelmed with gratitude, after receiving double the meter fare.

"Five on the left wing have weapons, three on the rear wing. Which do you choose?" Xiao Lin asked while taking photos of a building with his camera.

"I’ll take the left," Hua Qingyi chuckled. He preferred dealing with larger numbers rather than string-pullers; while it requires more effort, it’s better than engaging with skilled adversaries. Such strategic matters were better left to Xiao Lin, not because Hua’s martial skills were lacking, but simply because he was lazy.

"Don’t draw too much attention. This is the Middle East, not our turf. Maintain a low profile," Xiao Lin said, rolling his eyes.

"That’s a bit challenging, bro," Hua Qingyi admitted truthfully. Keeping a low profile usually means getting beaten up, doesn’t it? For someone from the Hua family, no way — he’s the one who does the beating, alright?

"Just hold back on your usual skills, that big-bearded guy isn’t a regular person. Don’t forget our identities, once you’re almost done, that’s good enough." After saying this, the two had already turned into the street that the driver mentioned earlier. The bright streetlights didn’t bring much light into this dark alley. The architecture in Amman has its own distinctive style, with nearly every building having such a passageway between them, running from start to finish, allowing people to weave through. It’s convenient but also narrow.

Walking in the dark, utilizing optical effects, the two vanished from others’ sight with such speed that it astonished their pursuers. Sitting on the wall’s edge, the two exchanged smiles and then darted off in different directions one after the other.

"Where are they?" A rather burly young man entered the alley, but the distant points of light couldn’t fully illuminate the entire passage, leaving a long stretch shrouded in darkness.

At night, this place could very well become a nest for criminals.

"They indeed just entered this passageway,"

The young man spoke in a low voice, seemingly pondering something: "Go, let’s check it out."

"Are you looking for me?" Feeling a bit impatient from waiting, Hua Qingyi stepped out from the darkness, secretly counting the number of people. Why was there one missing? Could he have miscalculated?

"Why are you following me?"

"You took something that doesn’t belong to you." The young man seemed to be the leader of the group. His solid muscles formed a strong physique beneath his clothing. Hua Qingyi wondered if he could fight, since combat and bodybuilding are two different things. Having well-toned muscles doesn’t necessarily make you a great fighter, which made Hua Qingyi a bit excited.

"Oh? But I don’t know what I took from you,"

"You took something from Master Khalid. Hand it over, and we’ll let you go."

Apparently, criminals from different regions have their unique styles. These people seemed quite gentlemanly. Listening to the polite response, Hua Qingyi wryly thought to himself.

"Oh, you mean the money I just won! Isn’t it said ’a willing loser shouldn’t throw a tantrum’? Is your Master Khalid such a sore loser?"

"Hand it over, or you’ll pay with your life,"

"What if I don’t hand it over? I won it fair and square," Hua Qingyi said with a smile.

Clearly, there was no room for negotiation. The four of them moved to encircle Hua Qingyi, as one of them sneered and said, "It’s not uncommon for a tourist to die in an alley."

"Alright then! My brother tells me not to be too high-profile, but if I don’t take a little risk here, I might just lose my life," Hua Qingyi muttered to himself in Chinese. The young man didn’t understand what he was saying, and raised his right hand, as the other three rushed towards Hua Qingyi.

In fact, from Hua Qingyi’s perspective, the attackers’ moves looked just like slow-motion scenes on TV. Every move, every punch, and every direction and speed were perfectly clear to him. For someone who had received formal training, they were like preschoolers, not even on the same level.

Extending his left hand, he caught the first incoming fist and pulled it back, while delivering a right punch to his opponent’s abdomen. Sidestepping to the right, he lifted his right leg to sweep at the second person’s head. With a feint, he leaped and spun, planting his left foot squarely on the opponent’s chest.

"I didn’t expect you to fight so well." The young man had thought that without bodyguards around, this East Asian would be easy to handle. But unexpectedly, Hua Qingyi dispatched the attackers with ease. He brandished the weapon in his hand, kicked a fallen comrade by his side, and charged ferociously towards Hua Qingyi’s back with a knife.

Sensing the cold air emanating from behind, Hua Qingyi frowned. Why do all criminals love such lowly tricks like ambushes? He crouched, sweeping his right leg backward, landing it on the young man’s calf. The man let out a shout, his leg going numb, causing him to stagger sideways, dropping the sharp knife onto the ground.

"This knife isn’t bad," Hua Qingyi picked up the knife, weighing it in his hand. It wasn’t as light and dainty as the one from his brother, but it was intricately made.

Suddenly, Hua Qingyi’s brown pupils contracted: "In China, we have a saying, something like ’knowing when to back off.’ If you understand, then get lost."

"Let’s go!"

Standing at the other end of the alley, Hua Qingyi smoked a cigarette with a bit of boredom. As Xiao Lin said, he had indeed made quite a big grudge this time, letting the tiger return to the mountain only to leave future troubles!

The clock had already passed halfway, and he had never seen the person he was waiting for. It was just three people, was his brother taking a bit too long? Hua Qingyi extinguished the cigarette butt; he had no intention of waiting any longer. If they couldn’t meet up on time as expected, there was no need to wait. It’s a tacit understanding, or an unwritten rule: on either side, waiting without purpose or time is a foolish act. They trust each other’s abilities, so they are confident the other party will be safe.

When the thin blade pierced the throat with a faint cracking sound, any call for help became an eternal secret. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation.)