Chapter 45: Admitting Defeat
“Are you afraid? If you’re afraid, why don’t you admit defeat directly?” Long Zhenglin’s previous words suddenly attracted Zhang Yongjin’s attention as he quickly aimed his muzzle toward Long Zhenglin, mocking and ridiculing him.
“Ha, it’s simply the same with teasing. Only a few words from Grandmaster Jia and you’re already smug and conceited. You really don’t know about your own class!”
“Old ginger is spicier than young ones, Grandmaster Jia is really amazing.”
Xue Renfei and Hu Wanjun stared at Tang Xiu with a face full with ridiculing expressions.
But Tang Xiu turned a deaf ear to Zhang Yongjin and the others’ ridicules. He and Jia Ruidao looked at each other and then they took a dice cup and swayed it.
Although Tang Xiu had yet to speak, his actions conveyed countless words.
The moment Tang Xiu began to sway and shake the dice cup, Zhang Yongjin, Hu Wanjun and Xue Renfei seemed to have had their necks grabbed. They no longer said anything as their smile was frozen. Their awkward expressions turned more embarrassing.
With their identity, had they bumped into Tang Xiu in the street, they would have been disinclined to even glance at him.
But now, they were the ones who took the initiative to talk to Tang Xiu, while Tang Xiu simply disregarded them. This was basically a slap in their faces, and it made them clench their teeth in a bad mood.
However, they couldn’t do anything, since the gambling rules prohibited them. They could only wallow and drown in a sour, bitter, and aggrieved feelings.
Jia Ruidao looked at Tang Xiu with appreciation as he also picked up the dice cup and began to shake it.
The room turned quiet and silent in an instant. Leaving only the sounds of the dices that fiercely collided with each other in the dice cup.
One time, it was just like the sun that brightened up the sky. Another time, it was like a hurricane during stormy weather.
One time, it was calm and tranquil. Another time, it turned chaotic.
****
Along with the swaying and vibrating wrists of Jia Ruidao and Tang Xiu, the room was filled with dice sounds. Sometimes the sounds burst in a rush, sometimes slow, and other times light. While some others turned heavy. Everyone’s heart also fluctuated, reflected by the tense expression on their faces.
Jia Ruidao and Tang Xiu tightly locked their vision at each other’s eyes. They didn’t pay attention to the dice cups in their hands.
When everyone in the room was almost suffocated, muffled “bang” sounds sounded twice. Jia Ruidao and Tang Xiu had put down their dice cups on the table.
“You go first, or I go first?” Jia Ruidao looked at Tang Xiu as he smiled and asked.
“Grandmaster Jia first.” Tang Xiu sent out a letting posture as he spoke in a respectful tone.
Although the two of them had just fought, but in fact, it was an exchange. The two of them, in the end, had even entered the mutual accompaniment realm.
After having these matches, not only had they deepened their understanding and became familiar with each other, but they also had forged a deep friendship. It was just like the proverbs said that talented people were able to acknowledge each other’s talent.
Upon hearing Tang Xiu’s words, a deep thoughtful expression emerged on Jia Ruidao’s face.
“4 points… ah no, 6 points.” Having been pondering for a long time, Jia Ruidao said a number. But he instantly changed the number when he said the number, while a strange expression emerged on his face.
Seeing clearly Jia Ruidao’s reaction with their eyes, Zhang Deqin and the others couldn’t help but become stunned and apprehensive.
Zhang Deqin and the others had a near-fanatical worship and trust for Jia Ruidao’s gambling ability. They also had witnessed his legendary gambling skills. But never once did they ever expect that Jia Ruidao would really have difficult times like this when gambling.
But now, they could see that Jia Ruidao was hesitating. Moreover, the person Jia Ruidao was facing now, was only an outsider, a green-rookie gambler. This unexpected situation made them agape.
“Grandmaster Jia, are you really sure about it? You don’t want to change again?” Tang Xiu did not immediately open the dice cup but asked with a ruminating expression.
“YOU… I won’t change!” Jia Ruidao almost choked and fainted the moment he heard Tang Xiu’s words. He thought that Tang Xiu was arrogant and rude, causing anger to surge deep inside his heart.
“Grandmaster Jia, I’m sorry, but your guess is wrong.” Tang Xiu really wanted to give Jia Ruidao another chance. But he was afraid that doing so would hurt Jia Ruidao’s ego. Therefore, he opened the dice cup in a natural and relaxed manner.
When Tang Xiu had opened the dice cup, Jia Ruidao’s complexion instantly turned deathly pale as his body trembled for a while.
Because the 6 dices in Tang Xiu’s dice cup were stacked into a pillar. Only the dice on top showed the points, as the rest were covered.
According to the dice game’s rules, in the case that the dices stacked and overlapped, then you only needed to calculate the points on the topmost dice. Thus, in this case, the impressive stacked points for Tang Xiu’s dices were 4, since it was the points of the topmost dice.
In other words, when Jia Ruidao guessed the points, his first guess was correct. But he was wrong on the second guess and insisted on picking the second, wrong guess.
“This old man has gone through ups and downs in every aspect of gambling for many years. Except losing games early in my studying career, never once have I encountered equally matched opponents within these 10 years in the Shuangqing Province. But today, this old man truly has understood the meaning of the saying that the younger generations will eventually surpass the old ones.” After having looked at Tang Xiu for a very long time, Jia Ruidao then turned away and left.
Only until Jia Ruidao had reached the building’s entrance did Zhang Deqin and the others react to what had happened.
“Ah, Grandmaster Jia, please don’t go. We have yet to know the gambling’s result.”
“Grandmaster Jia, please wait! You’ve not necessarily lost yet.”
****
Zhang Deqin and Zhang Yongjin were the first ones to catch up with him and hurriedly spoke to retain him. Hu Wanjun hesitated for a moment before he also chased up. Only Xue Renfei left and stared at Jia Ruidao’s dice cup that had yet to be solved, for fear that Tang Xiu and his people would open and peep into it.
In the end, Zhang Deqin and the others still failed to keep Jia Ruidao to stay. In fact, the moment Jia Ruidao turned around and left, Zhang Deqin knew that she couldn’t retain him because she was perfectly aware that Jia Ruidao’s character was extremely stubborn. Once he decided on something, it’s very unlikely that he would change his decision.
Returning back with a depressed feeling to the room, Zhang Deqin and 3 others saw that the dice cup had yet to be opened. They froze for a moment before their eyes turned bright in next moment.
The gambling was not over yet?
Didn’t this mean that they hadn’t lost yet?
For a moment, the depressed and frustrated expression on Zhang Deqin and the others’ faces disappeared as they instantly turned excited.
“Chief Long, do you think the Gambling Master you’ve invited is able to guess the dice points in the dice cup?” Zhang Deqin eyes fell on Tang Xiu’s face for a short moment as she then immediately sneered.
Although Zhang Deqin also had slightly acknowledged Tang Xiu’s gambling skills, but she still believed that Tang Xiu’s gambling skills were impossible to surpass Jia Ruidao’s. Therefore, her words and attitude toward Tang Xiu still had no proper respect.
“3 points.” When Zhang Deqin had just finished speaking, Tang Xiu answered instantly without even thinking.
Upon hearing Tang Xiu’s answer, Zhang Deqin couldn’t help but feel that some of her life force was sucked away.
With a nodding signal from Zhang Deqin, Xue Renfei slowly uncovered the dice cup, as the dices were then revealed.
It was different with Tang Xiu’s dices that were overlapped into one stack. Jiang Ruidao’s dices were divided into 3 stacks with each consisting of 2 dices overlapping the other. Only the topmost dices showed points, and all of them were 1 point each.
When everyone in the room saw Jia Ruidao’s dice points, they were immediately shocked.
“W-Won! We have won! Big Brother, Do you see now? WE WON!” Long Zhenglin was the first that was unable to hold back his excitement as he cheered out loud, “I said that Eldest Brother can do it! Now, you will really believe me, right?”
Happiness also covered Long Zhengyu’s face. But he didn’t lose his manners due to excitement. He looked at Zhang Deqin with a calm and composed manner as he then spoke softly, “Chief Zhang, shall we conclude our gambling’s results?”
“Chief Long, you can rest assured that since you have won the gambling, the exploitation and development rights for Walled Hilled Village are yours. In addition, as part of the stake, within 10 days, we will transfer 10% of our equity shares for Skylane Commercial District to you.” Zhang Deqin pursed her lips and thought deeply for a moment, before she immediately smiled and acknowledged her defeat frankly.
Although the Zhang Family had strong power in the Shuangqing Province, the Long Family’s power was also formidable. Moreover, the potential of the Long Family’s younger generation was stronger than theirs. If her family truly insisted on dealing with the Long Family, this was absolutely just like killing 1000 enemies with 800 casualties. Thus, the gains wouldn’t make up for the losses.
It was true that when family enterprises had developed to a certain stage, they would be intertwined and chained with each other in some interest and benefit relations. Thus, it was impossible to have bloody struggles and conflicts with all of their might. This was also the true reason as to why Zhang Deqin didn’t fully go all out with every means possible to obtain the Walled Hill Village’s development rights. She’d rather choose this frank and open approach to fighting for it through gambling with Long Zhengyu.
But, since it was gambling, she naturally had to put out her stake. The Long Family’s stake was to recede and withdraw from the competition in obtaining the Walled Hill Village’s development rights. As for the Zhang Family, they had to transfer 10% of their Skylane Commercial District’s shares as the stake.
“On behalf of my father, this Long apologizes and thanks Chief Zhang.” Long Zhengyu was subconsciously relieved after he heard Zhang Deqin’s words.
Although the Zhang Family was the majority shareholder of Skylane Commercial District, however, the Zhang Family only accounted for 35% of the Skylane Commercial District’s total shares. The other shares were in the hands of several other shareholders.
The Long Family’s plan to build up the Skylane Commercial District was to construct a Culinary District. But since they had insufficient funds, they invited too many shareholders to the extent that their movements in handling matters were restrained, resulting in a slower completion for the overall layout of the Skylane Commercial District.
Since the Zhang Family now had transferred 10% of the shares, although the Long Family was still unable to fully control the Skylane Commercial District’s holding, but the Long Family’s power regarding the Skylane Commercial District undoubtedly had increased by a lot. As long as the Long Family released a press conference about this news, they would easily acquire the shares held by the small holders.
“You don’t need to be polite. Chief Long should be thanking yourself in finding a good Gambling Master.” Zhang Deqin replied in a perfunctory manner as her eyes then fell on Tang Xiu with a complex expression.
As for the Zhang Yongjin, Hu Wanjun, and Xue Renfei trio, they were still dumbfounded ever since the dice cup had been opened.
In the eyes of this trio, Tang Xiu was only a vulgar and barbaric country bumpkin. Apart from his brute strength, he was worth nothing.
But after having been folded again and again in Tang Xiu’s hands, only now did they finally realize that this was not the root of the case.
Especially after having seen Tang Xiu demonstrate his formidable gambling skills, their minds flickered and were unable to sober up for a very long time.
Originally, this trio had also intended to find someone to investigate Tang Xiu’s identity after today, and then slowly clean up Tang Xiu afterward. But when Tang Xiu had succeeded in helping the Long Family win the gamble, they perfectly knew that it would be almost impossible to retaliate against Tang Xiu easily.
Although Long Zhengyu looked amiable and calm on the surface and seemingly had no bad tempers, however, Zhang Yongjin, Hu Wanjun, and Xue Renfei were very well aware that Long Zhengyu previously was the famous first young master of the Shuangqing Province. Who were they to begin with? Not to mention that Long Zhengyu was the kind of person that had a heavy gratitude and valued friendship. Since Tang Xiu had helped Long Zhengyu, it was impossible for Long Zhengyu to only watch and let Tang Xiu get bullied, and become indifferent toward him.