BXBX NOVEL Chapter 14 - 14 Gambling Debts Repayment
As the saying goes, if a business doesn’t open for half a year, once it opens it can sustain for the next half. This was Huang Xiaolong’s current scenario. With the deposit in hand, and having finished the job that evening, the final payment had been cleared. Ah, 8000 yuan in one’s pocket, nothing felt better.
Time to close shop.
Huang Xiaolong bought a 4G data card from a nearby mobile store. It was almost noon, time for lunch.
He decided to go to Su Xiaoman’s restaurant.
“Little Long, you’re here!” As soon as Su Xiaoman saw Huang Xiaolong, her pretty face glowed with a smile from the heart.
Today Su Xiaoman seemed to be in much better shape than yesterday her waterfall-like glossy black hair was hanging loosely behind her head, her bare face was smooth and tender. Her long legs were wrapped in white shorts her orchid-patterned lavender top accentuating her charm, with her white hands crossed in front of her.
Upon seeing Huang Xiaolong enter the store, she hurriedly got up from her tightly closed legs and went over to greet him.
“Sister Xiaoman, I’m hungry. I came here for lunch.” Huang Xiaolong smiled a bit. There were no other customers in the shop, so he simply selected a random seat and sat down.
“Little Long, what do you want to eat? I’ll go and cook it for you right away.” Su Xiaoman smoothly sat down beside Huang Xiaolong.
Su Xiaoman had a thin red thread around her neck, with the origami crane charm that Huang Xiaolong had given her hanging close to her chest, a treasured token indeed.
When Su Xiaoman noticed that Huang Xiaolong was looking at the place where her charm was hanging, her face turned into a shy scarlet red, and she slightly lowered her head.
“Sister Xiaoman, I want to eat twice-cooked pork.” Huang Xiaolong chuckled, “and two pounds of rice.”
“Hmm, wait a while, I’ll stir-fry it for you now.” Su Xiaoman ran into the kitchen with a radiant smile on her face.
Unforeseenly, ever since she met Huang Xiaolong, Su Xiaoman has felt an inexplicable joy in her heart, as if she’d dropped a heavy burden.
Before too long, delicious twice-cooked pork and steaming rice were on the table, along with a bowl of vegetable soup.
Huang Xiaolong started devouring his food voraciously.
Business was not as usual at the restaurant. Having nothing else to do, Su Xiaoman sat next to Huang Xiaolong, quietly watching him eat.
Unexpectedly, before he could finish his meal, a group of people burst into the restaurant with the sound of their heavy footfalls.
The man leading the group was burly and fierce, standing tall like an iron tower at six feet. He had a square face, bald head, eyes filled with ferocity, and seemed to be in his thirties. The man was shirtless, a ferocious tiger’s head tattooed on his chest.
Behind this man was Brother Earthworm and his gang who received a lesson from Huang Xiaolong yesterday.
“Brother Hu, it’s this kid…” Brother Earthworm looked at Huang Xiaolong with fear in his heart.
“Hmm.” Brother Hu, with his ominous eyes fixated on Huang Xiaolong, asked, “Bro, I heard you taught my boys a lesson yesterday. I wonder which clan you are a part of?”
Huang Xiaolong was busy devouring his food, and didn’t have time to care about Brother Hu.
However, Su Xiaoman was terrified, she inadvertently stood up and trembled, “Brother Hu…hello…”
“Ha– Xiaoman, you did well, you found someone reliable?” Brother Hu greedily glanced at Su Xiaoman’s waist and long legs, Brother Earthworm brought a stool for him to sit on.
“Xiaoman, don’t show off. This is Flower Lake Street, I don’t care who you call here, whoever enters my territory, be it a dragon, has to lie low, or a tiger, has to crouch low!” Brother Hu spoke with threatening implications, his eyes once again shifting towards Huang Xiaolong.
Huang Xiaolong somehow finished his meal, wiping the grease off his mouth with a table-napkin. “Oh, so you are Brother Hu? Yesterday, I said that I would pay off the debt Xiaoman’s brother owes. I’m not from any clan, just a country boy.”
“Little Long, don’t…” Su Xiaoman said anxiously.
The debt, plus interest, amounted to hundreds of thousands. Where would a poor country boy like Huang Xiaolong get so much money from?
“Oh?” Brother Hu hesitated for a while.
In his heart, he was secretly pleased, ‘Hmph! This kid has given in! Afraid! Backing down! God damn it, I thought he was hard to handle, but he gave in from the start. Christ! Brother Earthworm and the others are really a disgrace, that they lost to a small country boy!’
“Alright, it’s best when everyone is peaceful. Since you’ve promised to pay back, then I will not make things difficult for you.” Brother Hu said with a casual shrug. “Little country boy, listen carefully, the money Xiaoman’s little brother, Xiao Qiang, borrowed from me, the principal plus interest, amounts to 600,000. Yesterday, you beat up my boys, so medical expenses, nutrition expenses, loss due to absence of work, and compensation for mental distress, you should pay all of these, right? I won’t extort you, let’s just say 400,000, so with 600,000, the total is 1,000,000 even, bring money!” Listening to this, Su Xiaoman almost fainted -1,000,000!!
This was like a death sentence, wasn’t it?
Unexpectedly, Huang Xiaolong remained calm and even nodded repeatedly.
“Alright, alright, 1,000,000, I agree, I’ll pay.”
This had Brother Hu and the others completely shocked…
They had thought Huang Xiaolong would argue, bargain, or even beg for mercy. But to their surprise, Huang Xiaolong agreed so readily!
“You’re not trying to trick me, are you, country boy?” Brother Hu widened his eyes.
“Why would I trick you? It’s only right to pay what you owe. We villagers are honest people. We keep our words. I’ll repay the money I owe.” Huang Xiaolong expression was so sincere, his eyes so pure, they resembled those of a baby.
“Well… ok… give me the money then.” Brother Hu was now convinced that Huang Xiaolong wasn’t lying, and that he would indeed repay the debt.
“Hmm hmm.” Huang Xiaolong nodded. “So, Little Qiang’s debt from gambling, right? As they say, gambling debt must be paid. I’m busy today, but in a couple of days, I’ll come over to your place, have a few rounds, and repay the money. It’s 1 million yuan, right? Or, should I give you an IOU?”
“Long, don’t gamble!” Upon hearing Huang Xiaolong’s words, Su Xiaoman let out a terrified scream. “It’s a bottomless pit that swallows people whole! ” “Ha ha ha ha-??? Brother Hu burst into laughter. “Country boy, I didn’t realize you’ve got a gambling addiction. L00K1ng to turn tnmgs arouncl ror Little Qiang? Ha ha ha ha- Interesting, very interesting. Fine, I’ll hold you to your promise. But, do you have the money to gamble with?”
This made Brother Hu really happy.
Repay the gambling debt by gambling?
It’s true that in any ten bets, nine are lost!
‘Country boy, dare to step into the casino, I’ll make sure you lose everything! Pay the money back? By that time, you’ll even lose your underpants to me! Ha ha ha ha!’
“Money to gamble, huh? Why wouldn’t I have it? I do!” Huang Xiaolong took out the money he had safely affixed near his body, and slapped it on the table.
It was the 4,000 yuan deposit from Cui Dong, together with the thousand-plus yuan he had earned from the black car driver, all spread out on the table.
“Pff— Country boy, you’re quite amusing. You’ve been saving this amount for quite a while, haven’t you? Alright, you don’t need to give me an IOU. I reckon you’re not capable of doing anything fancy.” Brother Hu stood up, “But I advise you to come to the casino as soon as possible, if you wait until tomorrow, you’ll have to owe more than 1 million yuan!”
“Oh, how much do I have to pay tomorrow?” Huang Xiaolong carefully collected his money.
“Tomorrow 1.2 million! The day after tomorrow 1.4 million!” Brother Hu was demanding an exorbitant price.
“Alright, I got it, I’ll come over to your casino as soon as I’ve finished my work.” Huang Xiaolong truthfully nodded.
“Let’s go.” Brother Hu glared fiercely at Huang Xiaolong again, then turned to Su Xiaoman and blew a ruffian whistle, leaving flamboyantly with Brother Earthworm and others.
“Little Long, you… you shouldn’t gamble, really, you must never touch that…
it’s deadly!” Su Xiaoman was almost in tears.
“Sister Xiaoman, you’re right, gambling is not good. Even if you win money, it’s ill-gotten gains.” Huang Xiaolong nodded in absolute agreement. “I’ve promised the villagers before that I won’t get involved with gambling. Even if I’m very poor, I won’t get into the gambling and drugs mess. But… this time it’s not for winning money, it’s to repay Sister Xiaoman’s money… Sister Xiaoman, don’t worry, I promise, after I’ve repaid the money, I’ll pull out…” “You…” Su Xiaoman was left dizzy by Huang Xiaolong’s words.
Alright, that means you’re certain of winning then!
“Alright, Sister Xiaoman. I’ve found a job to do tonight, I’m off now. Going home for a nap.” Huang Xiaolong took out a 20-yuan note and placed it on the table. “Sister Xiaoman, this is for the meal. Keep it.”
“Little Long, no… you eat here, I… I won’t charge you!” Su Xiaoman waved her hands repeatedly.
“Sister Xiaoman, don’t be like this. Let’s keep business separate from pleasure.
If you refuse to take my money, I won’t come to eat here anymore.” Huang Xiaolong said seriously. “Besides, I got a job today, I made money! Do know how much I made? 8,000 yuan!”
Unable to refuse Huang Xiaolong any longer, Su Xiaoman reluctantly took the money.
As he was about to leave, Huang Xiaolong suddenly asked, “Oh, right, Sister Xiaoman, could you give me a blank sheet of paper and a pen?”
“Huh? Alright.” Su Xiaoman quickly fetched paper and a pen.
Huang Xiaolong wrote a few lines on the paper swiftly, then handed it to Su Xiaoman. “Sister Xiaoman, this is for you. Study it carefully. I’m off now, bye-bye.”
Su Xiaoman unfolded the paper and looked at it
“The Lost Secret Recipe for Smoked Duck from the Qianlong Era”
Turns out, this paper was filled with numerous traditional Chinese herbs’ formula, secret recipes for sauces, and guidelines for knife work, heat control, and process sequences.
It was a cooking secret for a dish!
“A secret smoked duck recipe from the Qianlong court? A lost dish?” Su Xiaoman muttered to herself, then quickly closed her shop and went out to buy the ingredients listed on the paper.
At 6:30 in the evening, Huang Xiaolong drove his BYD F3 directly to the meeting point Cui Dong had arranged.