CHAPTER 315: CHAPTER 298 THE BEARDED MAN

Anyone who has played Blackjack knows its rules: the player with the highest score wins, and the score must be equal to or less than 21. Players who exceed 21 are considered bust. Cards from 2 to 10 are calculated at face value, while J, Q, K each represents 10 points, and A can be counted as 1 or 11.

The dealer must hit until reaching 17 points. At this moment, Hua Qingyi’s decision to stand was unclear to many in attendance, especially as he was only one point away from the dealer.

According to the rules of Blackjack, even without taking another card, Hua Qingyi still had a chance to win. Such a straightforward abandonment at the table baffled many, making him the center of attention.

"Today, luck’s not on my side!" Hua Qingyi muttered in fluent English to himself, revealing an Ace as his hole card, and a 3 as his drawn card, while his other two cards were a 10 and a 7.

"Let’s play big!" The opponent shoved five million onto the center of the table, then leisurely sat back in his chair, fiddling with the ring in his hand.

"Call!" Hua Qingyi glanced at the previous dealer, noting that his score was 10. He chuckled and turned his attention to the bearded Middle Eastern man, who pushed out the same chips and added another million.

The dealer professionally dealt the third card in turn; the player on the left accumulated 15 points, the bearded Middle Eastern man had 12 points, and Hua Qingyi had 7 points.

"Oh dear, what should I do with this!" Hua Qingyi turned backward, beckoning to his bodyguard: "Place a bet for me!"

Xiao Lin calmly stepped up and unceremoniously pushed all the chips in front of Hua Qingyi, amounting to twenty million! The spectators at the gambling table gasped. Such extravagant bets were not uncommon in the Middle East, but seeing a bodyguard place this kind of bet was different.

The player on the left folded, leaving only the bearded man. His dark skin bore a faint blush as he looked at Hua Qingyi with a smirk. At this moment, a Middle Eastern man walked up from the side and whispered something in the bearded man’s ear. The bearded man seemed somewhat tense and excited, then stood up and left.

Xiao Lin glanced at Miao Shaoqing, who naturally shifted his attention in the direction the bearded man had gone.

"Brother, we just won over ten million." Hua Qingyi expressed evident dissatisfaction; he wagered in the games, where winning that little wouldn’t suffice.

Xiao Lin followed behind Hua Qingyi; as for the gambling money, they didn’t need to worry. Someone would handle it, and they only needed to exchange it at the service desk before departure.

"This ten million still depends on whether you have the capability to take it away." Hua Qingyi was not a true winner this round. The bearded man left midway, which, no matter who you are, at the gambling table means automatic forfeiture. So this amount wasn’t significant, and taking it away wasn’t easy either. Middle Easterners hold grudges, as Miao Shaoqing mentioned, and it seemed like Hua Qingyi had formed a conflict, albeit in a rather inexplicable way, and of course, Xiao Lin had a hand in it.

Hua Qingyi shrugged nonchalantly, wandering from one gambling table to another, seeking his target. Miao Shaoqing had already vanished from sight.

"Brother, there are twelve cameras in the lobby, one hidden at each corner of the gambling table, two in the hallways, three at the elevator entrance, twenty security personnel, with unknown hidden posts, at least seven or eight."

"Let’s head back to the hotel and wait for Shaoqing’s news!" Xiao Lin said calmly.

After exchanging chips at the service counter, Hua Qingyi smiled foolishly at the amount displayed. Xiao Lin hailed a taxi at the door to escort Hua Qingyi into the back seat as he walked around to sit in the front passenger seat.

The taxi driver was very enthusiastic, introducing the natural scenery of Amman along the way. Hua Qingyi talked incessantly, while Xiao Lin kept his eyes on the view outside the window.

"We’ll get out here."

"But the destination hasn’t been reached yet!" The driver replied in English, feeling somewhat puzzled by Xiao Lin’s sudden request to stop.

"We want to see the famous music fountain square here." Xiao Lin explained.

"Get off here, cross that street, and you’re there. Have fun, may Allah bless you." The driver gratefully accepted an amount double the meter fare, thanked them repeatedly, and drove away.

"Five on the left wing have weapons, three on the rear wing, which do you pick?" Xiao Lin took out a camera and started taking photos of a building in front.

"I’ll take the left," Hua Qingyi chuckled. Compared to the three experts, he preferred choosing the side with more people. Although it’s more exhausting, it’s preferable to getting entangled with enemies. Such intricate matters were better suited for Xiao Lin. It wasn’t that his inner skills were lacking; he was just simply lazy.

"Don’t be too flamboyant, this is the Middle East, not our turf. Also, try to keep a low profile." Xiao Lin rolled his eyes and said.

"That’s a bit difficult, brother," Hua Qingyi said truthfully. Staying under the radar meant getting thrashed, how could the Young Master of the Hua family possibly endure that? It’s only his right to thrash others, isn’t it?

"Just hold back your usual skills, that bearded guy isn’t an ordinary person. Don’t forget our identities. Just do enough." After speaking, the two of them had already turned into the street the driver had introduced earlier. The bright streetlights didn’t bring much light to the dark alley. The buildings in Amman have their unique characteristics, with almost every building having such a spacing passage between them, running from start to end, allowing passage between each other. It’s convenient but also narrow.

In the darkness, utilizing optical effects, the two disappeared from others’ sight. Their speed surprised the pursuers. Clinging to the wall, the two exchanged smiles and swiftly moved off in different directions.

"Where are they?" A burly young man entered the alley. The distant glimmer of light couldn’t illuminate the entire passage, leaving a long stretch in darkness.

At night, this place could easily become a haven for criminals.

"They did enter this passage just now."

The young man, in a low voice, seemed to be contemplating something: "Let’s go in and take a look."

"Are you looking for me?" Feeling a bit impatient while waiting, Hua Qingyi stepped out from the darkness, secretly counting the number of people. Hmm, why is there one less? Could it be that brother miscalculated?

"Why are you following me?"

"You took something that doesn’t belong to you." The young man appeared to be the leader of the group. Solid muscles were wrapped in fabric, forming a good physique. Who knows if he can fight later; after all, martial arts and bodybuilding are different things. A perfect muscle group doesn’t make you a formidable fighter. Hua Qingyi felt a bit excited.

"Oh? But I don’t know what I took from you."

"You took Mr. Khalid’s belongings. Please hand them over, and we’ll spare your life."

It turns out that criminals from different regions have their own specialties. The people here seemed to have quite the gentlemanly demeanor. Listening to the polite response, Hua Qingyi thought wryly.

"Oh, are you talking about the money I just won? Isn’t it that you should be willing to lose if you gamble? Can your Mr. Khalid not afford to lose?"

"Hand it over, and you’ll live."

"What if I don’t? This is my winnings," Hua Qingyi said with a smile.

Clearly, there was no room for negotiation. The four of them began to surround Hua Qingyi, with one of them sneering, "A tourist dying in an alley is a common occurrence."

"Alright then! Brother told me not to be too flashy, but if I don’t show off a little, my little life will be over here." Hua Qingyi muttered in Chinese to himself. The young man didn’t understand what he was saying, raised his right hand, and the other three rushed toward Hua Qingyi.

In fact, in Hua Qingyi’s eyes, these attackers’ moves were like slow-motion scenes from television. Every move, every punch’s direction and speed, he saw them all clearly. To someone with formal training, they were like kindergarteners, incomparable.

He extended his left hand to grab the first punch and pulled back with momentum, his right fist striking the opponent’s abdomen. With a sidestep to the right, he lifted his right leg and swept towards the second person’s head. After a feint, he leaped and flipped, his left foot striking the opponent’s chest precisely.

"Didn’t expect you to be so good at fighting." The young man thought it would be easy to deal with this Asian without a bodyguard, but he didn’t expect his men to fall so quickly. He drew out his weapon, kicked a fallen comrade beside him, and aggressively lunged at Hua Qingyi’s back with a knife.

Feeling the cold air coming from behind, Hua Qingyi frowned. Why do all criminals like using such cheap tricks like sneak attacks? He ducked, sweeping his right leg back to hit the young man’s calf. The latter let out a howl, his whole leg tingling and numb, tilted to the side, and dropped the dagger to the ground.

"This knife isn’t bad." Hua Qingyi picked up the dagger, weighing it in his hand. Although it wasn’t as light and small as the one his brother carried, it was quite exquisitely made.

Suddenly, Hua Qingyi’s brown pupils narrowed: "There’s a saying in Chinese, ’know when to retreat.’ If you understand, then hurry and leave."

"Let’s go!"

Standing at the other end of the alley, Hua Qingyi smoked by the fountain with a bit of boredom. As Xiao Lin said, this grudge was too serious. Letting the tiger return to the mountain leaves hidden dangers!

The hour hand had passed the halfway mark, but he still hadn’t met the person he was waiting for. It was only three people, so wasn’t brother taking a bit too long? Hua Qingyi stubbed out his cigarette. He had no intention of continuing to wait. If a rendezvous does not occur within the expected time, there’s no point in waiting. This is a kind of tacit understanding, or perhaps a principle. Regardless of which side, waiting without a purpose or time is a foolish act. They both trust each other’s capabilities, which is why they are sure the other will be fine.

As the thin blade pierced the throat, making that slight cracking sound, the cry for help became an eternal secret. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my biggest motivation.)