40: Gambling den upgrade

Over the next month,

Nancheng and the Bai Family were like two spiteful children;

today you smash one of my joints, tomorrow I take down one of your Gambling Dens.

Until a brawl involving over a hundred people broke out at the Wharf,

both sides were severely weakened, and things finally began to quiet down, leaving only minor skirmishes and friction.

Taking advantage of this rare breathing room, Li Zhan began to secretly accumulate power.

Old Zhou brought Big Courage and Water Life, and recruited five veteran comrades from their hometown.

AZu and Little Night weren't idle either, scouting over thirty strong young men locally.

This was currently the peak era for migrant workers in China.

Young people from the countryside swarmed into the cities, but how could jobs in factories be that easy?

Working three shifts, rotating for over ten hours straight, yet the wages they received at the end of the month were pitifully small.

Many had their eyes opened in the city, tasted the flavors of the dazzling world, and were unwilling to return to the countryside to farm no matter what.

In front of entertainment centers and in the back alleys of nightclubs, these idle young people could be seen everywhere.

They became the cheapest and most abundant human resources for the various local underground forces.

Li Zhan stood in his office on the second floor of the Xinyue Entertainment Center, looking at the thirty-plus newcomers undergoing training downstairs.

Old Zhou walked over with a cigarette in his mouth, "This batch of recruits isn't bad; they've all endured hardships."

"Have them follow AZu first to get familiar with the joints."

Li Zhan flicked his cigarette ash, "Tell Little Night to add twenty percent to their wages based on the market rate."

Outside the window, a young man with dyed yellow hair was vigorously swinging a steel pipe, his sweat glistening in the sunlight.

On the distant streets, even more young people were pouring out of the long-distance bus station,

carrying woven bags, their eyes flickering with a longing for the city.

—

This afternoon, Li Zhan still came to the Gambling Den for an inspection.

He greeted Uncle Chen, who was keeping watch at the small shop outside, and slipped him a thick red envelope.

"Uncle Chen, business has been good lately, so I've prepared a red envelope for you."

"A-Zhan, you're too kind."

Uncle Chen accepted it with a smile, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out.

Passing through the shop, the two lackeys guarding the stairs immediately stood up.

"Brother Zhan, hello!"

Li Zhan nodded and tossed out two more red envelopes, "It's been hard lately, keep a close eye on things."

Walking down the stairs, the scene before him was already vastly different from before.

The entire Gambling Den looked brand new; without reducing the number of gambling tables, the originally oppressive space was now bright and airy.

The most prominent addition was the new bar, where three girls in white shirts and black vests were mixing drinks.

The refrigerator was fully stocked with beer, wine, and soft drinks, all provided free of charge to the gamblers.

Although they were all budget goods, this gesture had already earned endless praise from the gamblers.

The air was no longer as hot and stuffy as before.

Several sets of powerful exhaust fans installed by AZu ran continuously, and an oxygen concentrator was hidden in the corner—

this trick was learned from the casinos in Macau.

The ample oxygen kept the gamblers excited and fully immersed in their games, making them completely unaware of the passage of time.

The main gambling table was crowded, even more bustling than usual.

Several gamblers had beautiful girls in their arms, who were smiling charmingly as they helped the guests check their cards and pour wine.

The scent of women mixed with the aroma of alcohol, making the atmosphere at the gambling tables increasingly heated.

After surveying the area with satisfaction, Li Zhan left again.

—

Xinyue Entertainment Center · Second Floor Office

In Dongguan at the end of November, the weather was slightly cool, but far from cold.

When Sister Hua pushed the door open and entered, the temperature in the office seemed to rise a few degrees instantly.

Being in her early thirties, it was the time when a woman was at her most alluring.

Today, she wore a deep V-neck knit sweater paired with a slim-fitting black blazer.

On her lower body was a hip-hugging miniskirt; her waist swayed gently as she moved, exuding a myriad of charms.

Her high heels clicked on the floor, each step seemingly treading on a man's heartstrings.

She casually tucked a strand of long hair behind her ear, her red lips curving slightly, a seductive allure naturally emanating from her shifting gaze.

"Oh, having a meeting?"

She walked with a light laugh toward the inner part of the sofa,

crossing her legs and holding a slender lady's cigarette between her fingertips; the swirling smoke added a touch of hazy beauty.

Li Zhan sat in the main seat with a cold expression,

his gaze sweeping over everyone before finally landing on AZu.

"Talk about the situation this month."

AZu pushed up his glasses and opened the report,

"The Gambling Den at the South Gate Market has been harassed heavily by the Bai Family lately.

It opens one day and closes the next, so many customers have fled to our place."

He paused, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly,

"Plus, with the hostess service plan Brother Zhan set before,

the results have been excellent; this month's turnover has more than doubled compared to last month."

Sister Hua chuckled, exhaling a puff of smoke from her red lips,

"More than doubled?

The income of the girls on my side is three times what it was last month."

The corners of her eyes tilted up slightly with a hint of pride,

"A few lucky ones who encountered generous guests who won money made enough in tips alone to match their entire previous month's income."

She looked at Li Zhan, her smile deepening. "A-Zhan is still the most impressive; this business is doing quite well."

Little Night also chimed in with a smile,

"Now most customers have signed up for membership cards, and all the topped-up money has been used for lending."

She blinked,

"And now, as soon as the guests finish playing cards, they rush upstairs to Sister Hua's; we can't even stop them."

The atmosphere in the office was relaxed, and everyone had a smile on their face, except for Li Zhan, who still looked cold.

Little Night couldn't help but ask, "Brother Zhan, business is so good, why are you still keeping a straight face?"

Sister Hua glanced at Li Zhan and lightly tapped her cigarette ash,

"Your Brother Zhan is thinking about whether to still give Nancheng their cut of the commission, right?"

Li Zhan looked up at her without speaking, but his gaze was a silent admission.

The room fell quiet for a brief moment.

Sister Hua chuckled and stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray,

leaning forward slightly, the view beneath her V-neck partially visible,

"If you ask me, Nancheng and the Bai Family are currently overwhelmed themselves; how would they have time to worry about us?

Why don't we..."

She paused, her red lips parting slightly. "Take this opportunity to take back everything that should be ours."

Li Zhan stared at her for two seconds, then suddenly the corners of his mouth curled up,

"Sister Hua is right."

He stood up, leaning his hands on the table, his gaze sweeping over everyone,

"Since they don't have time to care, we'll help 'ease their worries.'

But it's not the time yet."

After a pause, he turned to AZu,

"AZu, if Nancheng asks about the profit sharing, just stall them and say the accountant is still calculating the books.

Now that we have more people, one joint is too few.

How is the renovation downstairs going?"

AZu immediately opened his notebook,

"According to your previous suggestion, Brother Zhan, the fifth floor has been converted into a gym, and all the equipment is ready.

The renovation of the casino converted from the underground warehouse is progressing quickly and will be ready for use next week."

Li Zhan nodded with satisfaction,

"Young people have a lot of energy; we need to give them something to do.

The gym will be open 24 hours a day so the brothers can go pump iron anytime."

When the meeting adjourned, Sister Hua was the last to stand up.

She reached the door and suddenly looked back, glancing at Li Zhan seductively,

her red lips parted as if to say something, but in the end, she just gave a light laugh and walked away gracefully in her high heels.

Her crisp footsteps echoed in the corridor, mixed with a faint scent of perfume that lingered in the air for a long time.