King of Gamblers: Growing from a Student to a Jade King

There is no such thing as an event occurring without reason; everything has its cause…

Flower's father, Lao Niu, is a figure I know little about. I once thought that he had sold a fake raw stone to my father, causing my father's death. But as it turns out, he has been selling fake raw stones to many others.

Boss Zeng was very fond of visiting Lao Niu's shop to gamble on raw stones, and it seemed that he always won. I personally witnessed him win three million on one occasion, with that very stone being recommended by Lao Niu. At the time, I assumed it was just luck. But now, it appears that things are not so simple.

Lao Niu had deliberately allowed Boss Zeng to win, for without his assistance, Boss Zeng—who knew nothing about gambling on stones—could never have won so much. This was all part of Lao Niu's plan. By allowing Zeng to win, he ensured that many more people would come to his shop to gamble, thus fattening his sheep, before slaughtering them. Lao Niu is, without a doubt, the top figure in the business of fattening and slaughtering sheep.

Zeng may not understand what it means to fatten sheep, but I certainly do. In every industry, there are those who prey on the unsuspecting. In the stone gambling industry, the sellers often use fake stones, polishing them to appear as high-quality raw stones before selling them to those who are completely ignorant, thus making a profit. This is what "fattening sheep" is all about.

Lao Niu, however, operates in the shadows, carefully concealed in his scheming. Those who do not understand will never be the wiser.

But Flower spoke of it so casually, confident that we wouldn't know what "fattening sheep" meant, but I did. And this information was crucial to me.

I looked at Flower, and she met my gaze. I sensed that she wasn't particularly fond of her father, but neither did she seem to hate him. She lived an avant-garde and carefree life, seemingly unconcerned with the millions her father owed or the fact that she had become a hostage in their schemes.

From her appearance, however, it was clear that she was a person with a strong sense of self-preservation. She was not merely surviving; she was playing a game. No, to be more precise, it was a game her father and she were both orchestrating. Fattening sheep was never a solo endeavor.

I asked Flower, "When did your father disappear?"

Flower responded casually, "Not long ago. What does it matter to you?"

I studied her for a moment and then said, "Oh, nothing. I have a friend in Ruili who is involved in the same business—fattening sheep. My friend works as an agent, attracting clients. He made several millions, and his clientele is huge. He runs a bar and a folk business, and he was considering expanding, but then his supplier vanished for some reason, and now my friend is left without business."

Flower looked shocked at my words, glancing at me, then at Zeng Hong. She seemed uncomfortable, and her voice faltered, "You know…"

I nodded. I noticed her strange expression. She was looking at me but kept sneaking glances at Zeng Hong. I knew she was frightened because, to her, Zeng Hong was the fattened sheep.

The ultimate tactic in fattening sheep is "pasturing"—building relationships with the wealthy, befriending them or even their children or relatives, fostering deep, trusting connections. Then, when the time is right and money is needed, the sheep are slaughtered. Flower and Zeng Hong were now reaching the point where the slaughter was imminent, and I could tell that Flower was afraid. She was probably aware that I could expose the truth.

Zeng Hong asked, "Zhao Fei, what are you talking about? What is fattening sheep? What do you mean by attracting clients? Are you involved in some crime?"

Flower looked increasingly nervous, her smile fading. I could feel her foot lightly pressing against mine. She forced a smile, but it was awkward. I knew exactly what she meant. Smiling, I responded, "Fattening sheep is a local custom. It's just about selecting fat sheep to slaughter. Ruili is a tourist city with all kinds of folk restaurants and bars, and we just bring people in to enjoy a good lamb feast. It's a pretty lucrative business."

Zeng Hong looked confused and asked, "Really? Selling lamb can make millions?"

I chuckled at her innocence, "Of course, it's true. Haven't you seen the lamb skewers everywhere on the streets? If it weren't profitable, would anyone be selling them?"

She nodded, and I said, "Come, let's have a drink."

I raised my glass, clinking it with Flower's. She hesitated for a moment but lifted her glass and clinked it with mine. I smiled coldly at her, and she lowered her gaze, refusing to look at me. But I knew this "punk princess" would fall into my hands.

The food at the Kunming restaurant was top-notch, though I only ate a third of the twenty-four dishes. I still felt satisfied.

As we left, I was holding the dogs, and Zeng Hong and Flower were chatting behind me. They entered the elevator first. I took out a pen and paper, scribbled down my number, and discreetly slipped the note into the back pocket of Flower's loose skirt. I lightly tugged at the edge of her pants.

The gesture was bold and arrogant. I saw her body shift slightly, but she didn't turn around. But I was sure she understood the meaning.

When the elevator reached the ground floor, I called Zhao Kui, and he drove over. Zeng Hong said, "Flower, come over to my house."

Flower glanced at me but didn't respond immediately. She simply said, "No, I have things to do. You two enjoy yourselves. Remember, use the perfume I gave you. You'll find unexpected rewards."

Zeng Hong looked at me with a playful glance and said, "Got it."

I said, "Zeng Hong, I'll take you home. I need to talk to your father. Get in the car."

I opened the car door for Zeng Hong, and she climbed in. I watched Flower for a moment. Her face had turned cold. The once confident, rebellious look had been replaced with a chilling expression. Her eyes, once defiant, were now frozen, as though the warmth had drained from them.

I was unconcerned. The initiative was now in my hands. If she didn't come to me, I would let her remain a hostage for a few more months.

We drove off, and as I looked in the rearview mirror, I saw Flower glaring at us with a cold intensity. There was something uniquely frightening about her, a fierceness not common in others. I could sense her threatening gaze, and I wasn't prepared for that.

Zeng Hong, clutching both dogs, appeared gleeful and asked, "Zhao Fei, why the sudden interest in my house? My dad's home, or should we go to a hotel?"

"A hotel?" I was slightly puzzled. Why would we go to a hotel?

I replied, "What's the point of a hotel? I need to talk to your father."

Zeng Hong's expression immediately shifted to one of slight disappointment, but she quickly recovered with a smile. "Alright, I hope you and my father can work things out. Just so you know, my dad's temper is a bit fiery. If he says anything harsh, don't take it personally, okay?"

I smiled and nodded. My visit to Boss Zeng's was just a means to intimidate Flower. But I wondered—could I leverage him for something more?

We reached the neighborhood, got out of the car, and the dogs ran ahead. I asked Zhao Kui to park the car and wait for me.

Inside the villa compound, Zeng Hong clung to my arm, walking close by. She pulled out her phone, saying, "Let's take a photo. It's been a while."

She leaned in, one arm around me, the other holding the phone. But she wasn't satisfied with the angle. "You need to put your arm around me or we won't get the shot."

Reluctantly, I placed my arm around her shoulders, and she rested her head on my shoulder. The photo was taken, and she pulled me inside the house.

I wasn't comfortable with the closeness. Her scent was intoxicating, and there was a deep, almost magnetic pull to it.

We entered the house, where the housekeeper greeted us. The two dogs ran inside, and the villa felt both familiar and strange to me, stirring up feelings of ambition and humiliation in equal measure.

We walked into the elegant living room, where Boss Zeng was inspecting two raw stones with a magnifying glass.

He looked up, saw me, and immediately stood up, furious. He pointed at me and yelled, "You little bastard, what are you doing in my house? Get out of here!"

"Dad, he came to see you. How can you be so rude?" Zeng Hong quickly intervened.

"See me? Hmph! He's here to provoke me, I know what kind of person he is. My dear daughter, don't let him fool you. He's no good," Boss Zeng spat angrily.

I smiled coldly and said, "Boss Zeng, you once thought highly of me. You even said I was polite and well-mannered. What changed? I'm curious. My father wasn't .