Chapter Sixty-Six: Explanation

A female university student, not yet having set foot in society, suddenly found herself saddled with a gambling debt of 3.88 million overnight. Just from this piece of information alone, without needing to know the details, nine out of ten people would reflexively assume she had fallen into a trap—a colossal one at that.

A glimmer of understanding flashed in President Bian’s eyes. No wonder Hong Chen insisted on making everything clear in public. He wanted to cause a stir, force the club’s hand, and ensure the matter was handled impartially. Convinced he had seen through Hong Chen’s intentions, Bian’s previously stern expression softened. He was well aware of the tricks that went on in the card rooms; for various reasons, the club usually turned a blind eye. When something did come to light, it was simply a matter of weighing how strictly to intervene.

To outsiders, such scandals might seem ruinous to the club’s reputation. But as an industry insider, Bian knew the real impact was minimal—there would almost never be irrefutable evidence tying the club to any wrongdoing; at most, the mess would stop with those directly involved.

Besides, he had already looked into it. Hong Chen was only a silver card member, the second lowest among the club’s five tiers. Even if he had evidence, he lacked the clout to pursue the matter deeply, especially with the Wang family backing the club.

After a brief pause, once the commotion had died down, Bian, now feeling once again in control, spoke slowly and with poise: “Sir, everything requires evidence.”

“Of course,” Hong Chen replied, giving Qiu a subtle signal. Qiu walked over and, with one hand, hauled the bald-headed man back to his seat.

Looking into the bald man’s eyes, Hong Chen said, “You can speak now. Was it your idea to set up Lin Yufei, or were you acting on someone’s orders? And if you were, who was it?”

The bald man gave a bleak, bitter laugh. “I lent her 1.35 million, and she was to pay back 1.5 million—double if late. The 880,000 as collateral was her own choice; I never forced her. Everything was done by the book. Don’t think you can just throw accusations around and wipe out the debt. If you’ve got the guts, do me in. Otherwise—ah!”

Perhaps because the bald man believed the club would back him, not only did he refuse to concede, he even tried to threaten Hong Chen. Hong Chen sneered, took his half-smoked cigarette, and shoved it into the man’s mouth. The searing tip made the man scream in agony.

Bian’s eyes darkened at the sight. “Sir, this is not a place for vigilante justice. Let me remind you, every infraction you commit tonight will come at a price. And if you make claims with no evidence, it’ll be your turn to explain.”

“Bian Kang, I do have evidence.” No sooner had he spoken than a powerful voice rang out, and a large group strode into the lounge. At their head was a tall man with hawk-like eyes. Bian’s pupils contracted sharply.

The newcomer was none other than Hu Yidong, vice president and de facto second-in-command of Hongcheng Group—the archrival of the Wang family, who stood behind the King’s Club.

“Sir,” Hong Chen stood and addressed Hu Yidong, who nodded in return before gesturing behind him. Immediately, two battered figures were thrown at Bian’s feet.

They were the balding man and the young man whom Qiu had previously taken to Room 6.

Seeing them, the bald man’s face changed dramatically. It was no surprise; with millions involved in the scam against Lin Yufei, there had to be several participants, and he wasn’t the mastermind. Most of those involved didn't even know each other, but one of these two cheats was precisely the one he had liaised with.

“He’s confessed to everything,” Hu Yidong said, pointing at the balding man. “There are recordings of your conversations, details of your demands, the exact amount of your fee, and records of the bank transfers—all solid evidence. Do you still want to deny it?”

The bald man was in turmoil. If it had been some nobody, even with evidence, he wouldn’t have cared—either he wouldn’t believe they could get a professional cheat to talk, or he’d think strength was all that mattered when things got ugly. As long as he had the IOU, he wasn’t afraid of not getting paid.

But Hu Yidong’s aura was overwhelming, flanked by more than ten people, calling Bian by name—a man of such stature was not someone he could afford to provoke. Frankly, even if Hu Yidong wanted to take him down without evidence, he’d have no choice but to accept it.

When the bald man fell silent, Hu Yidong didn’t press him further. He turned to Bian, pointing to Hong Chen. “Bian Kang, this employee of ours at Hongcheng Group is facing a debt of 3.88 million—enough to destroy his family. And this happened at your King’s Club. Don’t you think you owe us an explanation?”

Bian Kang frowned, pondering for a moment. “I’ll need to understand the full details first.”

Hu Yidong had anticipated this and gave a cold laugh. “I’ve already done that for you. You should know I never fight battles I’m not sure of.”

He stepped forward and planted a foot on the young man’s stomach. The young man woke in pain, eyes slowly filling with panic. Hu Yidong looked down at him coldly. “Repeat what you said earlier.”

A flicker of anxiety passed through Bian Kang’s eyes. He recognized the young man—a professional cheat with connections to a senior club manager, knowledgeable about many goings-on. Bian dreaded what he might reveal.

“Bian Kang, with so many witnesses here, and people filming with their phones, you know exactly what it would mean for King’s Club if you so much as hint at interference,” Hu Yidong said sharply, catching Bian just as he was about to make a move.

Bian’s face darkened like a thundercloud, but he said nothing.

“Speak!” Bian shot the young man a glare, who hesitated before finally confessing, “It was Young Master Chen who orchestrated the setup against that girl. He contacted me through Deputy General Manager Luo, promising me a thirty percent cut of any winnings.”

“You heard that? Luo Xiaoming was involved—as Deputy General Manager, your equal, Bian Kang. He can speak for King’s Club. So, what do you have to say now?” Hu Yidong’s gaze bore down on Bian, exerting tremendous psychological pressure. When the young man named Deputy GM Luo, Bian knew the night’s events were about to spiral out of control.

“Hu Yidong, let’s not beat around the bush. What outcome do you want? Tell me straight, so I can report to the boss.” After a long pause, Bian finally decided to lay his cards on the table. He was at a complete disadvantage; Hu Yidong was clearly prepared, while he was improvising. Who knew what else Hu Yidong had up his sleeve?

If this were a private matter, he wouldn’t mind sparring for a few rounds. But now, in front of so many club members—most from second- and third-tier families, and possibly even some on par with the Wang family—the stakes and consequences were beyond his capacity to bear.

“It’s simple. King’s Club conspired to defraud a guest. You must make things right to all your members. At a minimum, three hundred million, to compensate every member whose overall balance was negative in the past year.” Hu Yidong didn’t even have to think; the demand rolled off his tongue, hitting Bian like a hammer blow. Bian nearly collapsed on the spot.