CHAPTER 250: CHAPTER 141: AWE-INSPIRING WITHOUT ANGER_3

"Goddamn it all to hell!"

Everyone was startled for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Ma Ke gleefully raked in sixty thousand in chips and then, with utter shamelessness, twisted the knife, "Bro, that’s just fate for ya!"

Chen Botao’s composure completely crumbled; he was utterly devastated by three consecutive hands.

After that, there were no more surprises. Han Lie didn’t even need to use any tricks; Chen Botao started messing up all on his own. Anyone who’s played poker or mahjong knows that once you lose your cool and start playing erratically, your luck only gets worse, and your hands just get crappier.

They had agreed to play for another hour, but in less than half an hour, Chen Botao had lost another 1,200,000. Han Lie himself had won 180,000, while the rest was divided among the others. By the end of it, everyone had won except for Chen Botao, who was the sole loser.

"Well, damn!" Liu Yingjun mockingly exclaimed. "Looks like Young Master Chen is covering all expenses today!"

"Screw you all!" Chen Botao slammed his cards down and stormed off. "Don’t fucking bother me again, you bunch of morons! Such fucking bad luck!"

Liu Yingjun instantly leaped to his feet. "You son of a bitch! Who the fuck are you calling a little prick?!"

If Wang Xiaotian hadn’t pulled him back in time, Liu Yingjun would have definitely gone after Chen Botao.

Wang Hong cursed, "Get lost, and don’t come near us again, you dumb fuck!"

The others seemed unfazed. Fang Tongzhi chuckled and reassured Han Lie, "The School of Humanities is full of all kinds of idiots; you’ll get used to it. Anyway, we won’t have any reason to deal with him again, so just let him go."

As the victor, Han Lie naturally didn’t care. He stretched lazily and stood up nonchalantly.

"Brother Wang, cash these chips in for me. Bros, I’m heading out. You guys enjoy." He didn’t even bother to mention Chen Botao.

"You got it! I’ll come settle the bill with you tomorrow!"

"Take care, Young Master Han!"

"Bye-bye!"

Amidst a chorus of farewells, Han Lie leisurely walked out of the living room. Just as he reached the main bedroom door, he was suddenly stopped.

「Meanwhile, the group of old foxes were still mulling things over.」

Someone curiously asked, "What exactly does Young Master Han’s family do? That aura of his... damn! It’s truly intimidating!"

Liu Yingjun proudly explained, "They’re in finance. Either the China Securities Regulatory Commission or the China Banking Regulatory Commission!"

Those hearing this for the first time were suddenly filled with respect. "Oh! No wonder..."

Wang Hong boldly guessed, "Doesn’t seem like the CSRC. Children of high-ranking officials there aren’t allowed to trade stocks. It’s probably the CBRC."

Honestly, what a know-it-all, someone mused.

After this incident, Fang Tongzhi felt compelled to patiently remind everyone again, "Don’t go out of your way to provoke Han Lie. Never mind his family background; their connections are beyond what our parents can reach. But even if Young Master Han didn’t rely on his family, he’s the type who can make things happen. We’re not getting any younger, brothers. Don’t be like that idiot Chen Botao and needlessly offend people."

Everyone hastily agreed, "Don’t worry, we’re not stupid. We know who we can mess with and who we can’t."

"That’s right." Wang Xiaotian subconsciously started sucking up again, even though Han Lie wasn’t present. "Young Master Han is definitely a remarkable person. You don’t develop that kind of aura unless your parents are at least at the department chief level with real power!"

"Absolutely! Plus, he holds a position in Capital City himself..."

"Right, right, right! That phone number of his... you can’t get one like that unless you’re at a certain level. No amount of money can buy it!"

"Holy shit! He’s not from Dream City?"

"His ancestral home is Dream City, but his parents hold positions in Capital City!"

"You clearly don’t get it. At that level, you’re either in a provincial capital or the Capital City. What prefecture-level city has director-general positions?"

"If it’s the People’s Bank of China or the CBRC headquarters, a director-general would have to be the head of a key department, right?"

Good Lord, their guesses were getting more and more outrageous...

But then again, when it came to projecting an impressive aura, Han Lie was pretty much unmatched in his age group. This wasn’t to disparage anyone else, but the gap was indeed ridiculously large. Natural authority wasn’t just about not showing anger. You needed the right demeanor, expression, posture, and gaze... you had to genuinely project that power.

The awestruck young men excitedly made wild guesses, thoroughly convincing themselves of Han Lie’s background: a big shot from the Capital City’s Banking Regulatory Commission!

Well, regardless, they at least got the "Banking" part right...

Han Lie was abruptly stopped by Zhao Shengnan. Glancing down, he saw more than he should have through the opening of her bathrobe. Ah, so today the cafeteria was only serving poached eggs, he mused. And very tender ones at that.

Mustn’t stare at what’s improper, Han Lie told himself, quickly averting his gaze to Lou Xiaoxiao. Hmm, hers are more like those cheap, one-yuan-for-two steamed buns—rather plain.

"Sister-in-law, is something up?" For some reason, as Han Lie uttered this form of address, a subtle thrill coursed through him.

Zhao Shengnan tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, grinning. "Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to let you know they’ve taken your tracksuit for washing. The attendant said it won’t be dry until tomorrow morning."

What exactly was she getting at? Han Lie couldn’t figure it out.

Lou Xiaoxiao added with similar enthusiasm, "Brother Lie, we’ve gotten the small bedroom ready for you. Are you staying over tonight?"

Where I sleep is none of your damn business! Han Lie thought. You clearly have too much time on your hands!

"Hmm, I can’t be bothered to go elsewhere. I’ll just make do in the small bedroom for the night," Han Lie replied with a faint smile and a polite nod, then sidestepped the two "tigresses" blocking his path and calmly made his way to the small bedroom.

Sigh, I can’t go back to the dorm anyway. What difference does it make where I sleep? he mused. You all tell me, am I right?

*****

Read each Chapter promptly. Things can change even if you’re just half a day late. This humble author can only offer this much of a hint.