Chang Le Tian, the most prestigious gambling hall in the city.
In each private booth, separated by intricately carved screens and various ornaments, the sounds of chips clinking and cards being shuffled echoed periodically.
At a gaming table lit by the finest incense, Ting Yun, her face concealed by a folding fan, her captivating peach blossom eyes filled with a deep sense of helplessness, sighed, "Qing Que, please spare this poor maiden. If I lose any more, I will be penniless."
"Speaking of which, today isn't the day for the Bureau of Divination to be closed. Why are you here, Qing Que? Aren't you afraid that the Divination Master will drag you back?"
Qing Que, her cheeks flushed and her face radiant with joy, was in high spirits due to winning several rounds in a row.
Upon hearing Ting Yun's question, without much thought, she continued arranging her cards while casually replying, "The Divination Master isn't at the Bureau today. He didn't say where he went. But it's alright, I took a day off... cough cough... I made a divination before leaving work early. My fortune today is favorable for playing Di Yuan Qiong Yu! Come on, let's play another round!"
The speaker was oblivious, but the listener was attentive. Ting Yun shivered her fox ears slightly, her normally upturned eye corners drooping slightly, and she pondered silently.
The Divination Master isn't at the Bureau of Divination?
Wait a minute! Today seems to be the day the Black Tower space station visits. Could it be that Fu Xuan went to greet them with Xiao Bai?
Tsk...
Ting Yun's hand, which was about to grab a card, paused. The jade bracelet on her fair wrist gently tapped against the smooth, hard Di Yuan Qiong Yu card, creating a clear, crisp sound.
Xiao Tao Hong and Zi Ban Xia—no, it should be Wang Da Li and Zhao Tie Niu—secretly exchanged glances at the same table.
Playing cards doesn't always mean getting a table with familiar faces. Qing Que wasn't that picky and didn't mind joining a game with strangers at the gambling hall, which made her widely acquainted.
This provided Wang Da Li and Zhao Tie Niu with an opportunity to join the game.
As for whether they might be targeted by unfamiliar people collaborating to cheat and swindle them in a 'pig slaughter' scam?
It's a joke! Who would dare to cheat under the watchful eyes of this Cyber-Gambling Fairy?
"Hey! I won! Pay up, pay up!"
Qing Que suddenly clapped her hands joyfully and stood up, making a gesture of prayer towards the surroundings.
"Whew...! My fortune for today is perfect and I feel at peace. I told you, as long as I don't encounter Bai Shao Jiang Jun, my luck won't be bad!"
"Come on, come on, let's play another round!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Tie Niu secretly kicked Wang Da Li's leg under the table, continuously giving him hints—You fool! We're going to lose all our funds to this little sparrow!
How will we explain to the Supreme Leader later? Huh?
Will we say we lost all our money playing cards!?
Wang Da Li also looked depressed, sighing, "Qing Que, we really have no more money."
"Alright then," Qing Que scratched her head. "I'll take the win and go find someone else to play with."
That wouldn't do!
Wang Da Li, having seized this chance, wouldn't just give up like that.
After some thought, he got an idea, and suddenly pulled out a jade pendant and placed it on the table, slowly pushing it forward.
"This is a good thing I found before. It's worth tens of thousands of Xun Di. Let's play another round!"
Zhao Tie Niu was astonished.
No, my brother, are you serious? You're starting to pay out of your own pocket!?
"No, no, no! That won't do!" Qing Que's expression changed and she quickly waved her hands and shook her head. "I'm a person of principle. When playing cards, it's all about sustainable depletion. Once you drain someone completely, there's no more fun, right?"
"It's like slacking off at work. It's all about a slow and steady drip. If you slack off for a lifetime, it might be comfortable, but it will be troublesome later. The Divination Master will definitely kill me."
Wang Da Li, Zhao Tie Niu: "......"
Ting Yun: "…………You learned that from Xiao Bai, didn't you?"
"Hey, don't mention it. The Shao Jiang Jun really has a knack for saying things beautifully sometimes." Qing Que didn't deny it, laughing heartily. "I admire him so much. He can slack off so freely in a place like the Shen Ce Fu. Could it be that working under the watchful eyes of the General is easier than working under the Divination Master?"
Ting Yun casually glanced at the jade pendant on the table with the corner of her eye. As a renowned Chamber of Commerce president, her eye for quality was impeccable. She could tell what was good at a glance.
However, upon closer inspection, Ting Yun's face subtly changed.
This jade pendant—how come it looks exactly like the 'thing' Xiao Bai told her about before?
Her mind racing, her gaze fell back on Wang Da Li, and Ting Yun immediately understood.
Interesting. So this guy is Xiao Bai's undercover agent sent to the Ya Wang Secret Transmission? He intentionally brought this jade pendant out to inform her?
The fluffy tail behind her, meticulously groomed, swished slightly. A smile, as bright as spring blossoms, bloomed on Ting Yun's face. Her fingertips lightly tapped on the jade pendant, then she held it up for pretended examination. After a moment, she said, "It's truly a fine piece. I didn't expect to see it here. It's not something that can be bought with tens of thousands of Xun Di."
"Brother, how about letting this item go to me. I'll offer you a price you'll be satisfied with?"
"No problem!" Wang Da Li pounded his chest. "I trust Ting Yun's reputation!"
Ting Yun nodded in satisfaction, then said, "However, I can't set a suitable price for this pendant right away. Why don't you come with me to the Chamber of Commerce later, Brother. Let the appraiser take a look. Don't worry, at this table, if you lose, it's on me. If you win, it's yours."
"That's what I like about Ting Yun! So straightforward!" Wang Da Li's smile reached his ears.
In a discreet manner, he gave Zhao Tie Niu a sidelong glance: Brother, see? Learn from me!
Therefore, in a pleasant atmosphere, the four of them continued to play a few more rounds.
It wasn't until late at night that the game ended. Wang Da Li and Zhao Tie Niu trailed behind Ting Yun, heading towards the "Ming Huo" Chamber of Commerce office located somewhere in Chang Le Tian.
Along the way, Zhao Tie Niu quietly whispered to Wang Da Li, "You're really good at this. You might even make a profit from this trip."
"But what do we say later? Do we just come clean?"
"Don't worry, I have a plan," Wang Da Li said with a seemingly honest and simple smile, but he subtly fell half a step behind Zhao Tie Niu.
When the group arrived at the Ming Huo Chamber of Commerce office, Wang Da Li had subtly blocked Zhao Tie Niu's path.
As soon as they entered the office, the grand hall's doors were shut from inside. Ting Yun, with a cheerful smile, called for the master appraiser and handed the pendant to him. She then walked to the main seat and sat down, taking a sip of the tea served by a maid.
Lifting her eyelids, Ting Yun's captivating eyes swept over Wang Da Li before landing on Zhao Tie Niu.
"Uh, Ting Yun, what's this?"
Sensing something amiss, Zhao Tie Niu's face became alert.
"Nothing to be afraid of, Brother," Ting Yun's lips curled into a smile, her soft voice carrying a strange meaning. "I'm just a lowly civil servant after all, not skilled in martial arts. At most, I'll..."
"...simply use a broken teacup as a signal, and let the swordsmen and axe-wielders hidden around rush forward and dismember this brother."
Click!
As Ting Yun threw her teacup to the ground, Wang Da Li behind her let out a roar and lunged at Zhao Tie Niu.
"Monster! Prepare to die! Waaaaahhhh!!!"