CHAPTER 316: CHAPTER 300: BIG BEARD

Anyone who has played Blackjack should know the rules: the player with the highest score wins. Their score must be equal to or less than 21 points; exceeding 21 points is called busting. Cards from 2 to 10 are counted at face value, J, Q, K each count as 10 points, and A can be either 1 point or 11 points.

The dealer is required to draw up to 17 points, but Hua Qingyi’s decision to stand at this point puzzled many onlookers, especially when his score was just one point away from the dealer’s.

According to Blackjack rules, even if Hua Qingyi chose not to take another card, he still had a chance to win. Such an easy abandonment at the table was hard to understand, so he became the center of attention.

"Luck’s not on my side today!" Hua Qingyi muttered to himself in fluent English. His hole card was an A, he turned over a 3, while the other two cards were both a 10 and a 7.

"Let’s raise the stakes!" The opponent casually pushed five million towards the center of the table, then leisurely sat back in his chair, playing with the ring in his hand.

"Call!" Hua Qingyi glanced at the dealer, who had a 10, smiled, and then looked at the bearded Middle Easterner, who pushed out the same amount of chips followed by an additional million.

The professional dealer dealt the third card in turn. The guest on the left had a total score of 15, the Middle Eastern bearded man had 12, and Hua Qingyi had 7.

"Oh dear, what should I do now!" Hua Qingyi turned around and waved to his bodyguard behind him: "You guys place a bet for me!".

Xiao Lin calmly stepped onto the stage and unapologetically pushed all the chips in front of Hua Qingyi forward, a total of twenty million! The spectators around the table gasped. Such a hefty amount wasn’t rare in the Middle East, but seeing a bodyguard throw down such gambling money was something else.

The player on the left stood their cards, leaving just the bearded man. A faint blush appeared on his dark skin, and he looked at Hua Qingyi with a half-smile. At that moment, a Middle Eastern man approached and whispered a few words into the bearded man’s ear, causing him to seem a bit nervous and excited before he stood up and left.

Xiao Lin glanced at Miao Shaoqing, who naturally followed in the direction of the bearded man.

"Brother, I only won just over ten million." Hua Qingyi said with a noticeable disappointment. For him, winning such a small amount in gambling was unsatisfying.

Following Hua Qingyi, Xiao Lin paid no mind to the winnings, knowing that they’d be taken care of by someone else, and they could simply exchange them at the service desk before leaving.

"This ten million, you’ll still have to see if you have what it takes to walk away with it." Hua Qingyi wasn’t a real winner this round as the bearded man walked out mid-way, and regardless of who you are, leaving the table means an automatic forfeit in gambling terms, so this wasn’t any big sum, but taking it wasn’t going to be easy either. Middle Easterners were known to hold grudges, as Miao Shaoqing had warned. It seemed that Hua Qingyi had unknowingly made an enemy, largely thanks to Xiao Lin’s contribution.

Hua Qingyi shrugged nonchalantly, wandering from one gambling table to another, looking for his target, but Miao Shaoqing had already vanished.

"Brother, there are twelve cameras in the lobby, one hidden in each corner of every gambling table, two in the corridors, three at the elevator, twenty security guards, and at least seven or eight undercover."

"Let’s head back to the hotel and wait for Shaoqing’s news first!" Xiao Lin said lightly.

After exchanging their chips at the service desk, Hua Qingyi laughed foolishly at the amount displayed, while Xiao Lin hailed a taxi at the door, escorting Hua Qingyi into the back seat, and then taking the front passenger seat himself.

The taxi driver was an enthusiastic fellow, chatting away about the natural sights of Amman as Hua Qingyi talked freely, while Xiao Lin gazed out the window.

"We should get off here."

"We’re not at the destination yet!" The driver replied in English, feeling somewhat puzzled by Xiao Lin’s sudden request to stop the car.

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

"Get off here, and just cross that street, you’ll be there. Have fun, and may Allah bless you." The driver repeatedly thanked them while taking a fare that was double the meter amount before driving off.

"Five on the left wing are armed, three on the rear wing, which will you deal with?" Xiao Lin took out his camera, snapping photos of a building in front of them.

"I’ll handle the left side." Hua Qingyi chuckled, preferring to deal with more people rather than entangle himself with those three skilled fighters. Despite the effort, it was better than getting tangled up with adversaries. It wasn’t that his martial arts were any less impressive, but more out of sheer laziness.

"Don’t make too much noise; this is the Middle East, not our turf. Also, try to keep a low profile." Xiao Lin rolled his eyes as he spoke.

"That’s going to be tricky, brother." Hua Qingyi admitted. Being low-key would just mean getting beaten up. How could a young master of the Hua family allow that? He’s only ever been the one to do the beating, not the other way around.

"Just use your regular skills, that bearded guy is no ordinary person. Don’t forget our identity; just do enough." After speaking, the two had already turned into the street the driver had just introduced. The bright streetlights did not bring much light to this dark alley. Amman’s buildings have their own unique style, with a passageway like this one between almost every building, running through and through. It’s convenient but also narrow.

Walking in the darkness, using optical effects, the two disappeared from others’ sight. Their speed surprised the pursuers. Clinging to the top of the wall, the two of them exchanged smiles and flew off in different directions.

"Where are they?" a rather burly young man walked into the alley. The faint light in the distance couldn’t illuminate the entire passage, and there was a long stretch in the middle that was pitch-black.

At night, this place is likely to become a haven for criminals.

"They indeed entered this passage just now."

The young man let out a low voice, seemingly pondering something: "Let’s go in and have a look."

"Are you looking for me?" Getting a bit impatient, Hua Qingyi emerged from the darkness, secretly counting the number of people. Why is there one less? Could my brother have miscalculated?

"Why are you following me?"

"You took something that doesn’t belong to you." The young man seemed like the leader of this group, his solid muscles forming a good physique under the fabric. It was uncertain whether he could fight well, as ultimately combat and bodybuilding are two different things. Just because you have perfect muscle groups doesn’t mean you’re a great fighter, and Hua Qingyi felt a bit excited.

"Oh? But I don’t know what I’ve taken from you."

"You took something belonging to Mr. Khalid. Please hand it over, and we’ll let you go."

It turns out that criminals from different regions have their own characteristics. These people here are quite gentlemanly. Listening to the polite response, Hua Qingyi thought to himself with a bit of self-mockery.

"Oh, you mean the money I just won? Aren’t you supposed to accept the loss? Is your Mr. Khalid that unwilling to lose?"

"Hand it over, and you’ll live."

"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; four people moved to surround Hua Qingyi. One of them sneered and said, "It’s common for a tourist to die in an alley."

"Alright! My brother told me not to be too ostentatious, but if I don’t show off a bit, my life might end here," Hua Qingyi muttered to himself in Mandarin. The young man couldn’t understand what he was saying, raised his right hand, and the other three rushed towards Hua Qingyi.

In fact, to Hua Qingyi’s eyes, these attackers’ moves were like slow motion in a TV show. Every move, every punch’s direction and speed, he could see clearly. For someone with proper training, they were like kindergarten children, incomparable.

He extended his left hand to grasp the first punch and pulled it back, using the momentum, his right fist striking the opponent’s abdomen. With a sidestep, he moved to the right, raised his right leg, and swept towards the second person’s head. After a feint, he jumped and flipped, his left foot unerringly hitting the opponent’s chest.

"Didn’t expect he’d be so good at fighting." The young man thought that, without a bodyguard around, this Oriental would be easy to handle but was surprised to see the thugs dealt with so quickly. He brandished his weapon, kicked a fallen companion, and viciously approached Hua Qingyi, aiming a knife at his back.

Sensing the cold air emitting from behind, Hua Qingyi frowned. Why do all criminals like to resort to lowly sneak attacks? He crouched, sweeping his right leg backward, hitting the young man’s calf. The opponent let out a scream, his entire leg going numb and tilting to the side, dropping the sharp knife onto the ground.

"This knife’s not bad." Hua Qingyi picked up the knife and weighed it in his hand. It wasn’t as light and delicate as his brother’s, but the craftsmanship was quite exquisite.

Suddenly, Hua Qingyi’s brown pupils contracted: "There’s a good Chinese saying: know when to retreat. If you understand, then get lost."

"Let’s go!"

Standing on the other side of the alley, Hua Qingyi smoked by the fountain with a hint of boredom. As Xiao Lin said, he’d created quite a feud, letting the tiger back into the woods. The clock had passed the middle of the night, but he still hadn’t met the person he was waiting for. It was just three people; did my brother take too long? Hua Qingyi stamped out the cigarette butt and decided not to wait any longer. Without a rendezvous within the expected time, waiting is unnecessary; it’s a kind of tacit understanding, or rather, a principle. No matter which side it is, waiting without time or purpose is a foolish act. They trust each other’s abilities, so they are confident that the other will be fine.

When the thin blade pierced the throat, making that slight cracking sound, the plea for help became an eternal secret. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)