"Two of Diamonds? They don't even deserve it!"
Ma Hu sneered; in his eyes, the group of people behind him didn't even seem like human beings.
He surveyed the room with a proud tone, then addressed Chuanliu earnestly:
"Here, whoever I say is 'Square 2' is who they are!"
As he spoke, he pulled a playing card with "2 of Diamonds" written on it from his pocket.
The henchmen beside him immediately had their eyes light up, timid yet eager. They wanted to step forward, but a single glance from Ma Hu scared them back. They then adopted a fawning attitude.
"Ha, a bunch of idiots."
Ma Hu's expression turned ruthless as he tossed the card in his hand into the air.
It was as if the master had tossed out a bone. A dozen or so henchmen pounced on the card instantly, and before the "bone" even hit the ground, someone was the first to grab it, only to be tackled by the others.
Fighting, biting, punching and kicking, Ma Hu's henchmen were in complete chaos. It was all for the sake of grabbing a "2 of Diamonds".
They didn't look like humans, they looked like starving dogs.
Chuanliu's eyes darkened; these people had clearly become mindless beasts. He couldn't imagine what they had gone through under Ma Hu's command.
Even between the smallest "square 2" and "square 3", there is such a big difference in status, so it must be quite difficult to reach the next level.
With a soft tearing sound, the "2 of Diamonds" was split into three pieces. The scramble among the crowd ceased immediately.
Ma Hu shook his head regretfully, "You guys couldn't even use your chances? Such a good hand, tell me..."
As he spoke, he pulled out many "2 of Diamonds" from his pocket. But after flashing them in front of everyone, he put them away.
The power that others covet is nothing but a plaything in the eyes of those in power.
It seems that Ma Hu has monopolized many "2 of Diamonds" games, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the "king" among this group.
Ma Hu then explained to the girl, "Here, without status, there is no standing. People like them, these worthless wretches, are collectively called 'vagrants.'"
The girl lowered her head, as if startled. She moved closer to Ma Hu, letting him stroke her arm.
Seeing that his intimidation had worked, Mahu nodded in satisfaction. Seemingly wanting to give Chuanliu some time to process this, he didn't speak again for the rest of the journey.
The road next to it gradually widened and became smoother, and the number of buildings around it gradually increased.
Contrary to what Chuanliu had imagined before arriving on the island, "Paradise Island" was not an undeveloped desert island. On the contrary, it was fully equipped and resembled a city.
Most of the buildings, constructed with mirrors, refracted beams of light, and the skyscrapers reflected the last rays of the setting sun. The crescent moon's image was etched in the window mirrors.
The setting sun and the moonlight are both present, everything is like a mirage.
On the tallest building, a large red square stands.
This city in the mirror is where all the islanders with their square patterns live.
Fifty meters from the city gates, Ma Hu and his men stopped.
"Little sister, you seem to be a smart girl, you know what to do, right?"
Chuanliu's heart sank, thinking: It's come to this.
Maho, who seemed kind and gentle to her, actually didn't take Chuanliu seriously at all. In his eyes, Chuanliu was no different from the other "vagrants" behind him; they were all just fish to be slaughtered.
Ma Hu's meaning couldn't be clearer: hand over the cards.
Surrendering the cards means losing power, but it also means saving your life.
Chuanliu nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, his face full of flattery. He immediately took out a card from his pocket and handed it to Ma Hu with great care.
"Brother Donkey, I'll be relying on you from now on."
Flip the card, and a "2 of Diamonds" appears in your hand.
When he saw Mato pull out a "2 of Diamonds", Kawaryu took notice.
She approached Ma Hu and succeeded while he was talking non-stop. Then, when he asked for it, she handed over the "2 of Diamonds".
Ma Hu glanced at Chuan Liu, unsuspecting, and put the card into his pocket.
Just then, a man's voice interrupted their conversation. The man spoke in a frivolous tone and his words were unrestrained.
"Hey! Who do we have here? Isn't this the donkey's calf?"
Ma Hu instantly lost his previous arrogance and bowed obsequiously, saying, "Brother Qian Liu, you've arrived! I'm just here to teach the newcomer a lesson on your behalf."
Qian Liu doesn't look very old, but his every move is very experienced.
The man was wearing a white shirt with three buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up; his slightly long hair was tied up at the back of his head, with a few stray hairs left on his smooth forehead.
Qian Liu walked straight toward the stream until the two were less than half a meter apart. The girl with her hoodie pulled up was forced to take two steps back, and she lost her balance and fell to the ground.
"His mental fortitude is lacking."
Qian Liu showed no intention of helping her up, keeping his hands in his pockets as if it were none of his business.
Ma Hu scolded impatiently, "Get up and apologize to Sixth Brother! Sixth Brother's reputation as the number one broker is legendary in Square City and even the entire Paradise Island!"
The man then glanced at Chuanliu and continued, "This is the new recruit? Just a little girl like this?"
Seeing this, Ma Hu shoved Chuan Liu into the man's arms and said ingratiatingly, "Sixth Brother, hehe, the new girl is a '2 of Diamonds,' you can keep her if you want."
Chuanliu frowned slightly. These words made it seem as if he were a commodity to be traded at will.
Although he was annoyed, he didn't stop moving.
The hand that remained in the man's arms seemed to caress his chest muscles before secretly reaching into his pocket.
His identity token was indeed on him, and Chuanliu smiled inwardly. He quickly slid out a card from his sleeve and exchanged it with him.
He then braced himself up and took two steps back.
The girl's voice sounded worried: "I'm sorry, I lost my balance and bumped into you! Sixth Brother, please forgive me, you are a magnanimous person."
Qian Chuan felt like he'd been taken advantage of, but he had no proof, so he could only snort and say to Ma Hu, "Don't learn those dirty tricks from the Plum Blossom people. What kind of person do you take me for!"
Ma Hu smiled obsequiously, "Yes, yes, you're right. Then I'll just leave this girl..."
Qian Chuan glanced at Chuan Liu again and said to Ma Hu in an annoyed tone, "Isn't taking their identity token enough? You little brat, I heard you've been quite active lately? I suggest you tone it down a bit."
After a pause, Qian Chuan patted Ma Hu on the shoulder and leaned closer, whispering, "Don't think your 'white powder' deal with Mei Hua is airtight. You should know that the higher-ups hate that stuff the most."
Upon hearing the words of "the person above," Ma Hu swallowed hard and dared not be presumptuous any longer. He only dared to breathe a sigh of relief after delivering the money strings back to his residence.
At this point, he no longer cared about the flow of people; he only wanted to get back as soon as possible to destroy the evidence of the transaction. He then dismissed everyone, saying, "Disperse, disperse. Follow my instructions at any time."
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