219: Chapter 214 Digging a Hole and Burying Oneself

When it came to feelings, his closest relationships were naturally with his three roommates: 'Carrot Top' Luo Yu, 'Resilient Pig' Zhu Yongqiang, and 'Big B' Dai Zhihang. As for the others, it was hard to say how deep their classmate ties were. Cao Xiao generally had a good reputation and got along with almost everyone, save for a few exceptions. Since they were in an engineering and mining major, there were only two girls in the class, neither of whom were present today. With over twenty male classmates plus their families, the group of nearly fifty people was quite lively.

The banquet hall was only about two hundred square meters, decorated with lanterns and streamers. It featured a large screen background and a hosting stage, playing soothing light music that created a warm and cozy atmosphere. After some joking around and exchanging pleasantries with his classmates while accompanied by He Yueyou, Cao Xiao also greeted Hu Fei. As for Liu Jiale, who was clinging to Hu Fei's arm with an arrogant look, her heavily made-up face contorted when she saw He Yueyou beside Cao Xiao, looking as if she had just been forced to eat a bowl of hot waste. Hu Fei wasn't much better; although he was smiling, anyone could see how displeased he was. His small eyes darted around, clearly plotting something. The two didn't say much; after the initial greetings, they turned away to socialize elsewhere. Before long, the music suddenly switched to a march, and Luo Yu's voice rang out from the stage. Cao Xiao originally thought there was an announcement, but it turned out to be the start of the performances. They had not only hired a song and dance troupe but also invited several singers to perform, with interactive activities like lucky draws and games planned for later.

Cao Xiao found it somewhat baffling. He couldn't understand why a simple class reunion was being treated like a concert. Wouldn't it be enough for everyone to sit together, chat, talk nonsense, and drink? All these superficial theatrics ruined the mood of a long-awaited reunion. However, while he thought this way, others didn't. Setting aside the dance troupe, those stars—though not A-listers—were the legendary 'little fresh meat' idols. Normally, one would have to buy tickets to see them perform. Now that there was a chance for close contact, everyone rushed up to take photos regardless of whether they liked them or not, just to have bragging rights later. Moreover, the subsequent lucky draw was even more enticing. The grand prize of 100,000 yuan alone had everyone waiting in anticipation. After all, those present were mostly working-class; 100,000 yuan was equivalent to a year's salary. With such a good thing on the line, sentimentality and reminiscing were cast aside. No one cared if the gathering had lost its intended meaning.

Seeing that everyone's attention was focused on the stage, Cao Xiao's interest waned. He had seen the people he wanted to see, and staying here felt pointless. He might as well call Luo Yu and the others to find somewhere else to hang out. Having made up his mind, he immediately leaned over and whispered a few words to Dai Zhihang, then the two of them spoke with Zhu Yongqiang and Luo Yu. Dai Zhihang and Luo Yu were quite decisive, while Zhu Yongqiang was a bit reluctant to leave. After some tugging and pulling, the four of them, each with their female companions, stood up to head out.

"Hey! Cao Xiao, where are you guys going? The show is just getting good. I was going to introduce you to some big stars in a bit. Besides, the grand prize is about to be drawn. There are only so many people here, so the odds of winning are very high. Don't miss out! After the party, I've arranged a special program—guaranteed to be something you've never played before!"

Hu Fei and Liu Jiale appeared at the door at some point, just in time to block their path.

Dai Zhihang shrugged and said bluntly, "It's too noisy here. We've all seen each other anyway, so the purpose of the reunion has been met. We're going out to find a quiet place for beer and skewers."

"Beer and skewers? How low-class! Isn't drinking high-end red wine and eating Western pastries more tasteful? You're not used to red wine? I'll have someone bring up some of my private collection of ten-year Moutai. You usually can't get a taste of this; today, it's on the house!" Hu Fei frowned, a look of disdain appearing on his face.

"Thanks for the kind offer, Class Monitor Hu, but people like us aren't used to fine liquor. Beer goes down smoother. Us commoners can't enjoy such high-end places. Let's go! Bye-bye, Class Monitor Hu," Luo Yu interjected sarcastically.

The group ignored the two of them and collectively tried to walk around them to leave.

"Hold on!" Hu Fei suddenly spread his arms to block the door. His expression shifted for a moment before he smiled and said, "It's rare for everyone to get together; we should have a good time. As the host, I can't just leave you be. Since you don't want to stay here, I'll take you to the next place early. Have you ever been to a foreign casino? Our hotel has one. The environment and facilities are top-notch. Aside from Aohai, we're one of the best in the country. Safety won't be an issue. I'll give each of you 100,000 in chips. If you lose, it's on me; if you win, you can cash out and take it with you! Well, how's that for a class monitor being a good sport?"

"One hundred thousand? Really?" Zhu Yongqiang asked, looking at Hu Fei in surprise.

"Of course. A few hundred thousand or a few million is pocket change for my family. Do you know how much I spent on this reunion today? Three million! The appearance fees for the stars alone were 1.8 million! My family has plenty of money, but in today's society, connections are the core strength. In all of Huanghe City, our Hu Family is well-known. Zhang Ruikang, the Vice Commissioner of the Provincial Committee and Commissioner of the Municipal Committee, is my maternal uncle. And Commissioner Zhang is about to be promoted to Provincial Commissioner. Based on that, one word from the Hu Family and everyone in both the legitimate and underworld will show us respect! Forget it, you wouldn't understand these things anyway. Come, I'll take you to broaden your horizons!" Hu Fei held his head high, sounding very proud. As he spoke, his gaze drifted seemingly unintentionally toward Cao Xiao, but mostly landed on He Yueyou with a strange undertone.

"Forget it. We're not interested in gambling. Winning or losing just makes us feel uneasy." Dai Zhihang found it strange. He couldn't figure out what Hu Fei was up to. When someone is unusually kind, they must have an ulterior motive. Hu Fei clearly didn't respect them as classmates; even if his family was rich, he wouldn't waste money on them for no reason. There was no such thing as a free lunch. Feeling a faint sense of unease, he frowned and glared at Zhu Yongqiang before flatly refusing.

"Actually, it wouldn't hurt to go play. It's still early, and I've never been to a casino. Since it won't cost a cent, it's a good chance to see what it's like!" At this moment, Cao Xiao looked tempted and eagerly urged the others to go.

Despite his words, Cao Xiao was sneering inwardly. How could he not see that Hu Fei had ill intentions? He had likely dug a pit and was waiting for them to jump in, specifically targeting him. Little did Hu Fei know that Cao Xiao was bold because of his skills; when the time came, the one suffering would definitely not be him. Hu Fei's words earlier had already laid the groundwork. To his knowledge, Commissioner Zhang was from the capital; how could he have relatives here? Furthermore, Commissioner Zhang was upright and incorruptible. If he really had a scoundrel of a nephew like Hu Fei and knew the Hu Family was using his name to throw their weight around, he would surely sacrifice kinship for justice and might even sue the Hu Family for defamation. Therefore, Cao Xiao was actually looking forward to the 'program' Hu Fei had prepared, waiting to see how he would court death!

"I won't touch gambling anyway. If you want to go, we'll just have to accompany you. No need to play; we'll just take a look and leave." Seeing that both Zhu Yongqiang and Cao Xiao wanted to go, Dai Zhihang figured there was no harm in looking. He could also keep an eye on them to make sure they didn't do anything reckless.

Luo Yu didn't object either. Hu Fei shared a knowing, hidden smile with Liu Jiale before laughing loudly and leading them to the third basement level of the hotel.

Only half of the third basement level was used for the casino; the rest was disguised as a warehouse. Despite Hu Fei boasting about his powerful background, under the country's strict anti-gambling environment, even if Commissioner Zhang really was backing them, they couldn't protect a casino this size if it operated openly. Although the casino was hidden, there were quite a few gamblers. Upon entering, the place was bustling with noise, with an estimated crowd of at least two hundred people. Hu Fei hadn't lied; the facilities were very complete, featuring slot machines, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, Sic Bo, pai gow, and more. Many of the dealers and servers were top-tier beauties, which alone was enough to attract many gamblers. Cao Xiao also noticed that the two security guards at the door had bulges at their waists; one could guess they were handguns without even looking. The Hu Family had clearly put a lot of effort into running this place, using the casino to draw traffic to the hotel. This was normal, though; casinos were essentially guaranteed to make money with staggering profits. This casino alone was likely more profitable than the five-star hotel itself.

While Cao Xiao appeared to be looking around, he was quietly planning his next moves. Since Hu Fei wanted to set a trap for him, he would pay him back with interest. He might even be able to earn some milk money for Guoer.

"Go get me 800,000 in small denomination chips and put it on my tab," Hu Fei ordered the clerk at the counter as soon as they entered.

"Wait." Since he had a plan, he couldn't follow Hu Fei's script. Under everyone's surprised gazes, Cao Xiao pulled a stack of cash from his bag, placed it on the counter, and said to Hu Fei, "How can we let Class Monitor Hu spend his money? I just happened to withdraw 20,000 in cash today. The girls shouldn't play; the four of us will take 5,000 each. Once it's gone, we leave."

Hu Fei picked up the two stacks of cash and stuffed them back into Cao Xiao's hands, saying dismissively, "The smallest chips here are 100 denomination. How many rounds can 5,000 buy? This is my family's casino; even if you lose it all, I won't lose anything. Don't worry about it, just have fun."

Cao Xiao shook his head and refused again. "I don't know how my luck is today. Let's talk after we lose this. Miss, please exchange this for me first, split into four portions."

"Fine! If you run out, come to the counter yourself to get more; I'll let them know. I have some business to attend to, so you guys go ahead and play." For some reason, Hu Fei didn't insist this time. After saying a few words to the front desk staff, he pretended to have business and entered an office.

Dai Zhihang absolutely refused to play and gave his share of chips back to Cao Xiao, saying he'd just watch. Luo Yu didn't refuse; he took his chips with an indifferent air and went off to play with his girlfriend. Zhu Yongqiang, however, felt the chips weren't enough and wanted to swipe his card for more, but he behaved after a scolding from his girlfriend.

"Cao Xiao, what exactly are you doing? This isn't a good place. I've heard my father say those people are ruthless and they have guns. If something happens later, we'll all be in danger. Should I have my family send more bodyguards?" He Yueyou asked worriedly, whispering in Cao Xiao's ear.

Cao Xiao toyed with the chips in his hand and comforted her with a smile. "It's fine, don't let them worry. I've already had bodyguards rush over, and I notified Director Liao to have people lie in wait outside the hotel. They'll be set up in half an hour at most. This guy has bad intentions and dares to court death using Commissioner Zhang's name. This time, he won't just screw over his father; he'll screw over the other shareholders of this hotel too. I'm afraid they won't even be able to cry later. Let's see what tricks he's going to play and have some fun with him. Come on, let's play Sic Bo; it's the simplest."

Arriving at the gambling table, Cao Xiao wasn't in a hurry to bet. Although he had never been to a casino, he had heard about their inner workings. Casinos were guaranteed to profit and rake in money daily; no one would believe it if there weren't some tricks involved. After a bit of investigation, it was indeed the case. Take this Sic Bo table, for example: the dice shaker had a hidden mechanism, and the dice contained magnetic material. Under the table, there was a networked remote-controlled instrument using electromagnetism to control the dice's rotation. Someone in an independent control room operated this, analyzing the players' bets and weighing the pros and cons to roll a desired number. Even a novice dealer who knew nothing about gambling could hold the floor. No wonder the dealers here were all beautiful women with sweet voices. If a dealer also had some skill to coordinate with the shaker's mechanism, even a God of Gamblers would have to kneel. However, in other casinos, the dice shakers were usually transparent glass domes with a mechanical base that shook the dice without the dealer needing to pick it up. This place seemed a bit primitive.

After watching others play for a while, he finally understood the rules of Sic Bo. Sic Bo involves the dealer shaking the dice while players bet on Big/Small, specific numbers, triples, or totals. If a bet wins, the house pays according to the odds; otherwise, the house takes the bet. 11 to 17 points is 'Big', 4 to 10 points is 'Small', with 1:1 odds. 'Three Armies' is betting on a single die's face value: one die matching pays 1:1, two dice matching pays 1:2, and three dice matching pays 1:3. For example, if you bet on a 3 and one die shows a 3, you get paid once; if two show a 3, you get paid twice, and so on. A 'Specific Triple' is betting that all three dice show a specific number, with odds of 1:150. A 'Any Triple'—often called a 'Leopard'—is betting that all three dice will be the same regardless of the number, with odds of 1:24. Total points is betting on the sum of the three dice: 4 or 17 points pays 1:50, 5 or 16 points pays 1:18, 6 or 15 points pays 1:14, 7 or 14 points pays 1:12, 8 or 13 points pays 1:8, and 9, 10, 11, or 12 points pays 1:6.

Having clarified the rules, Cao Xiao prepared to place his bet, silently mourning for Hu Fei. Facing him, the casino's cheating tools were completely useless. No matter how the other party operated behind the scenes, he could silently change the dice to the numbers he wanted at the last moment. As long as he wanted to win, even with only 10,000 yuan in chips, he could win everything from Hu Fei and the Hu Family—down to their underwear—in less than half an hour. At this moment, Hu Fei likely hadn't realized that the huge pit he dug was actually for himself.