Chapter 8's calculations were truly meticulous.
They moved to the poker room next door.
A staggering mountain of chips was piled up in the center of the card table.
On one side was Zhou Lin, his posture slightly tense, the cigar between his fingers burned a long ash without him flicking it off, his eyes fixed on the man opposite him, trying to read any information from that calm face.
On the other side is Shangqiu bamboo.
He leaned back comfortably in his high-backed chair, one hand resting on the edge of the table, his long, slender fingers toying with a high-value chip.
The chips flipped deftly between his fingers.
He casually placed his other hand on the bottom card, his eyes deep and still like a deep pool, revealing no emotion.
His well-tailored suit jacket was casually draped over the back of the chair. He was only wearing a white shirt, which made his broad shoulders and narrow waist appear even more prominent, giving him an air of nobility that also added a touch of danger.
Yan Shuang stood quietly in the shadows a little distance away.
This round was proposed by Zhou Lin, who was clearly well-prepared and came with great momentum.
But the bamboo of Shangqiu seemed to be performing a ritual with a predetermined outcome from beginning to end.
Bidding, raising, folding...
He made every decision without hesitation, and the pace was entirely under his control.
While Zhou Lin was deep in thought, he would slowly sip his whiskey, his gaze indifferently sweeping over the fine beads of sweat on the other's forehead.
This is the final river round.
With the cards laid bare, the possibilities are complex and varied.
Zhou Lin's breathing became noticeably heavier. He looked at his hole cards and then at the huge stack of chips in the pot.
The bamboo in Shangqiu remained unchanged.
He leaned back slightly, the chip on his fingertip stopped spinning, and he gently pressed it onto the green velvet table.
He raised his eyes and looked coldly at Zhou Lin.
Zhou Lin gritted his teeth, seemingly enraged by his calmness, and suddenly pushed all the chips in front of him into the pool.
"All in."
The mountain of chips collapsed with a crash, and the atmosphere instantly became extremely tense.
All eyes were on Shangqiu bamboo.
Instead of calling immediately, he picked up his two hole cards and casually flipped them over onto the table.
A pair of seemingly ordinary cards.
However, this combination happens to form an absolutely dominant royal flush.
Shangqiu Zhu spoke up: "Follow."
The color drained from Zhou Lin's face instantly, his eyes fixed on the royal flush, as if he couldn't believe his eyes.
Shangqiu Zhu did not look at the mountain of chips that had instantly become his.
He stood up and reached out his hand towards Yan Shuang.
Yan Shuang stepped forward and handed him his suit jacket.
Shang Qiuzhu took the coat and casually draped it over his arm. His gaze then swept lightly over Zhou Lin, whose face was ashen. His tone remained indifferent: "Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Zhou."
After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the door.
With steady steps and an upright posture, the thrilling gamble he had just made was nothing more than a trivial game to him.
Yan Shuang quickly followed, walking half a step behind him.
Looking at his cool and composed profile, and feeling the awe or complicated gazes around her, she began to understand why her sister was infatuated with this man.
It wasn't just simple worship or awe, but a deeper sense of submission.
I was captivated by his absolute wisdom and composure in understanding everything and controlling the overall situation, and by his powerful aura that remained unmoved even when Mount Tai collapsed before me.
Yan Shuang, wearing high heels, followed behind Shang Qiuzhu and walked into the back alley of the casino.
"Mr. Shang, why don't we use the main entrance?" she couldn't help but ask.
Shangqiu Zhu lit a cigarette, the orange-red sparks flickering at his lips.
“There are reporters at the main entrance.” He exhaled a puff of smoke, his profile partially obscured by the bluish-gray smoke. “Zhou Lin arranged it.”
Yan Shuang was about to respond when she suddenly froze.
Suddenly, three or four burly figures sprang out of the shadows ahead, blocking their path.
The leader had a sinister grin on his face, weighing a baseball bat in his hand, his gaze fixed menacingly on Shangqiu Zhu.
"Mr. Shang, you think you can just walk away so easily after winning so much money from Young Master Zhou?" The voice was rough and hoarse, carrying a clear threat.
Shangqiu Zhu stopped in his tracks as the other party charged forward, wielding a stick.
Yan Shuang's heart clenched. Almost reflexively, she threw her handbag aside, turned sideways, blocked, and kicked!
A perfect side kick landed precisely on the wrist of the first person to charge, sending the baseball bat flying out of his hand.
Seeing this, the other two roared and pounced at the same time.
Shangqiu Zhu stood outside the battle circle, his back against the cold brick wall, slowly exhaling grayish-white smoke that blurred his cold and stern features.
He stood there casually, his deep eyes calmly watching from behind the smoke.
Yan Shuang elbowed the person attacking from the front away, then grabbed the arm of another person who was throwing a punch and executed a clean over-the-shoulder throw.
The man crashed heavily onto the slippery ground, letting out a painful groan.
However, the person who had initially had the bat kicked away got up at some point, silently crept up to Yan Shuang's side and back, his eyes flashing with malice, picked up the baseball bat from the ground, and swung it hard at the back of her head.
A strong wind swept in.
Yan Shuang was facing ahead and realized it was too late.
At this critical moment.
Shangqiu Zhu, who had been observing from the sidelines, finally made a move.
With a casual flick of his hand that was holding a cigarette, the burning cigarette butt, along with sparks, shot precisely at the attacker's face.
The whole process happened so fast, the crisis was resolved in the blink of an eye.
The remaining thugs saw their leader clutching his eyes and screaming in pain. They helped their companion up and retreated hastily into the deeper darkness, disappearing from sight.
The back alley returned to silence, with only heavy breathing and the dripping of water remaining.
Yan Shuang was still in shock, her chest heaving violently.
She straightened up, intending to check on Shangqiu Zhu's condition, only to see him leisurely lighting another cigarette.
"Not bad," Shangqiu Zhu commented slowly. "Besides Taekwondo, he also has a foundation in Aikido and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu."
Yan Shuang was stunned for a moment.
His tone was so calm, as if he had known all along.
So he already knew she could fight, which is why he walked so calmly down through this obviously unsafe alley.
"Mr. Shang," she couldn't help but complain, "So tonight I'm not only your secretary, but also your invisible bodyguard?"
Shangqiu Zhu did not deny it, "Zhou Lin will bite people when he loses, and I hate getting my hands dirty."
Yan Shuang suddenly realized something. It turned out that everything tonight—bringing her to escape the engagement banquet, leading her to the casino, and even deliberately taking her through the back alley—was all part of a carefully planned scheme.
She almost blurted out, "Truly befitting a capitalist, their calculations are so meticulous."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them.
No matter what, he's still the boss and the brother-in-law.
However, Shangqiu Zhu was not angry.
He even chuckled very softly, a laugh with an indescribable magnetism that only made Yan Shuang feel more stifled.
He flicked his cigarette ash, then looked back at her, his deep eyes revealing no emotion in the darkness.
“Yes,” he admitted directly, his tone so matter-of-fact it was infuriating, “Otherwise, why would I have brought you here?”
Yan Shuang felt a lump in her throat, almost choking up, and her eyes widened in shock.
Then, he added slowly and deliberately.
"Your bodyguard's salary will be settled with finance later."
"......."
"Thank you, Mr. Shang." She put on a professional smile.
"No need to be so polite, Secretary Yan."
She was completely choked.
capitalist!
A capitalist who is ruthless and calculating to the core!
She cursed him a hundred times in her heart, but dared not speak her anger, which could only be expressed as a fleeting resentment in her eyes.
Yan Shuang quickly bent down, picked up the handbag that had been placed on the ground, and walked briskly toward the light at the alley entrance.
Watching her leave in a huff, Shangqiu Zhu strode after her, taking long strides at a leisurely pace.
A black Maybach silently glided to the alley entrance, and the driver respectfully opened the car door.
Shang Qiuzhu gestured for Yan Shuang to go first, "Make the arrangements. I need to see the acquisition plan for Zhou's Technology before the end of tomorrow's workday."
Yan Shuang felt there was more to it than met the eye. "President Shang, will Zhou Lin agree to the sale?"
“After tonight,” Shangqiu Zhu said confidently, “he will be begging me to buy it.”
The car came to a smooth stop in front of the cast iron gate of the Yan family villa.
"Thank you, Mr. Shang. See you tomorrow."
Yan Shuang unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. The night breeze blew against her face, scattering the stray hairs behind her ears.
She didn't rush inside, but stood by the roadside watching the Maybach's taillights disappear around the corner before turning to look at her own villa. The light in the bedroom on the second floor was still on; Yan You hadn't gone to sleep yet.
She didn't want to go in yet.
Yan Shuang touched the hidden pocket of her dress and pulled out a pack of menthol cigarettes and a lighter, both spoils she had taken from the casino that night.
She walked barefoot to the bench across the street, and with a "click" of her lighter, the flame instantly illuminated her tired eyes.
She took a deep breath, the coolness of the mint suppressing the burning sensation in her throat, then tilted her head back and exhaled smoke rings, watching them dissipate in the night breeze.
The roar of engines could be heard in the distance.
Yan Shuang didn't pay attention until the sound got closer and closer, finally stopping on the other side of the road.
She instinctively turned her head and met a pair of dark eyes.
Shangqiu bamboo.
He sat in the back seat of the Maybach that had turned back, the window rolled down halfway, his right hand holding a phone to his ear, clearly on a call.
Time seemed to freeze for a second.
Shangqiu Zhu first looked away.
He said something to the person on the other end of the phone, the car window rolled up, the Maybach started again, and this time it really left.
The cigarette butt glowed in the night as Yan Shuang watched the Maybach's taillights disappear around the corner.
She smiled indifferently, then relaxed and leaned back on the bench, curling up her other leg as well.
The night breeze brushed against my skin, carrying away the smell of smoke and alcohol that lingered in the casino.
She tilted her head back and took another drag of her cigarette, then looked up at the second-floor window again; the light had finally gone out.
Yan Shuang let out a soft breath, stuffed the lighter back into her evening bag, stepped onto the stairs, and slid into the door crack, only to freeze in the entryway.
A sliver of light peeked through the crack in the study door. She took a deep breath, put on the obedient smile she had practiced a thousand times, and pushed open the heavy oak door of the study.
"How did things go with President Shang tonight?" Yan Zhenye closed the financial report in his hand.
Yan Shuang nodded: "It went fairly smoothly."
"Shuangshuang," Zhou Yaqin closed the door, turned around, and spoke with an accusatory tone, "What happened to you tonight? What was your attitude towards Young Master Zhao like? You were so indifferent, I asked you to talk to him, and you disappeared in the blink of an eye! Do you know the Zhao family..."
Normally, Yan Shuang would probably immediately lower her head and put on a submissive and apologetic expression.
She would use a few soft words like "Mom, I know I was wrong," "I will pay attention next time," and "Young Master Zhao is actually quite good" to brush it off, playing the role of a well-behaved and sensible second young lady from the Yan family, who could be a good match for marriage.
But today, perhaps because the hazy lights of the back alley of Jin Dian were still flickering before her eyes, the rebellious spirit that had been suppressed in her heart for too long suddenly resurfaced.
She raised her head, for the first time not looking away from her mother's reproachful gaze, and calmly said, "I don't want to marry him."
"..."
The study fell into a deathly silence.
Zhou Yaqin seemed not to have heard clearly, or rather, she couldn't believe what she had heard. Her well-maintained face was filled with astonishment: "What did you say?"
Yan's father also looked up from the documents, his gaze sharp as he looked at her.
Yan Shuang met her parents' gaze. The words had already been spoken, and she neither wanted to nor could take them back.
She repeated it, her tone even more resolute than before:
“I said, I don’t want to marry Zhao Mingyuan. I don’t like him, and I have no interest in him.”
Zhou Yaqin finally realized what was happening, and was instantly furious. Her voice rose: "Yan Shuang! Do you know what you're saying?! What kind of family is the Zhao family? Zhao Mingyuan is someone countless people would love to be associated with! The fact that he's taken a liking to you is because..."
"That's because you think it's good!" Yan Shuang interrupted her mother, her voice rising a few decibels. "It's not me, I don't like the way he is."
"Like? Is marriage something you can decide based on whether you like it or not?" Zhou Yaqin's chest heaved with anger. "We carefully selected this for you, isn't it all for your future..."
"Is it for me, or for the Yan family?" Yan Shuang blurted out.
The air froze completely.
Zhou Yaqin pointed at her, her fingers trembling: "You...you've gone too far!"
Finally, the father, who had been silent all along, spoke, his voice carrying an undeniable authority: "Shuangshuang, watch your tone. The Zhao family's affairs cannot be dismissed simply because you say you don't want to. Do you know how many resources the Zhao family can bring?"
Yan Shuang certainly knew.
From childhood to adulthood, in family businesses of their size, marriage has always been a matter of choice for many.
Her elder sister, Yan You, had already fulfilled her mission, saving the Yan family through a marriage alliance. And Yan Shuang, sooner or later, would inevitably follow the same path.
Even if we can't offer help in times of need, we should at least add to what's already good.
She had long since resigned herself to her fate.
But...
"I'm sorry." She pursed her lips and said firmly, "I can't do it."
After saying that, she turned around, opened the door, and left.
"Yan Shuang! You stop right there!" Zhou Yaqin's voice was incredibly sharp behind him.
Yan Shuang quickened her pace without looking back.
Zhou Yaqin's scolding was gradually left behind, and Yan Zhenye's sigh also dissipated in the wind.
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