Chapter 1590
Evening.
Outside the Royal Hotel.
A bus drove up and stopped not far from the revolving door. Officials and their families from Jiangnan Province walked out of the lobby.
"The bus is here."
"Let"s go, let"s get on the bus."
"Is anyone else going there?"
"I just made a few calls, and everyone who"s coming is downstairs now."
"Let"s wait a moment. A few kids also said they wanted to go. Oh, people are here."
Several young men and women came out in twos and threes as the elevator door opened. With everyone present, they began boarding the bus one by one. It wasn"t clear if the local authorities provided it or if Jiangnan Province had rented it in advance, but there were enough seats. Dozens of people could fit in comfortably.
Dong Xuebing asked, "Are your parents not coming?"
Hou Wen replied, "I called them, but they"re asleep. They got up too early to catch the morning flight."
"Alright, let"s get on the bus then." Dong Xuebing and Hou Wen also got on.
"Where should we sit?" Hou Wen saw Xie Huilan talking to a middle-aged woman and sitting in the third row, surrounded by secretaries and mayors, so he asked.
Dong Xuebing gestured with his lips and whispered, "Let"s sit in the back. We won"t be able to chat with them."
Hou Wen laughed and said, "That"s a Good idea. I agree. Let"s take the last row."
The two of them went over and sat down. The last to come were a few young people who seemed about the same age as Dong Xuebing and Hou Wen, ranging from no more than three years older to no more than two years younger. They obviously knew Hou Wen and seemed to have a good relations.h.i.+p with him. When they saw him, they greeted him, and one by one, they sat down in the back rows or the second-to-last row and started chatting with Hou Wen and the others.
"Xiao Wen, you coming too?"
"Yeah, why not? What else am I going to do?"
"We planned to call you for dinner tonight, but you didn"t answer your phone."
"Oh, I went out for dinner with my cla.s.smate and didn’t hear my phone."
"Is this your cla.s.smate? Why don’t you introduce him to us?"
These young people should all be the children of leaders, and from their demeanor, it was evident that they had an a.s.sertive att.i.tude.
"Sure." Hou Wen smiled at Dong Xuebing and said, "Let me introduce you first. This is Secretary Liu"s son; this is Mayor Sun"s daughter and that"s Director Wei"s nephew." After introducing them, Hou Wen lowered his voice and whispered to Dong Xuebing, "They"re just some wine and dine friends of mine."
Dong Xuebing nodded, smiled, and greeted them, "h.e.l.lo."
Listening to Hou Wen, who didn"t introduce his cla.s.smates first but talked about them instead, some of the young men and women looked displeased, feeling disrespected. When Hou Wen"s cla.s.smate finally spoke with a casual "h.e.l.lo," they felt even more uncomfortable. Who is this person with such an arrogant demeanor?
Hou Wen said, "This is my college cla.s.smate, Dong Xuebing."
Just as he finished speaking, the bus started moving, and a leader in the front spoke, "Everyone, I think we should appoint a leader. We have a lot of people here, and opinions are not unified. For example, there was a lot of disagreement about where to go. It"s not conducive to collective action."
Another leader agreed, "I agree."
"Secretary Cheng, you"re the most qualified here. You lead."
"I can"t do it. How about Dong Xuebing, Mr. Dong? Mr. Dong is a superior leader. It"s appropriate for him. What do you all think?"
"Okay."
"I have no objection."
Several young men and women were stunned. They were all secretaries and deputy mayors, and they agreed to let a young man in his twenties lead the team. What kind of agreement is this? And what"s with this superior leader?
Dong Xuebing quickly waved his hand and looked at them, saying, "I can"t do it. Everyone here is more qualified and has more work experience than me. You all think highly of me. I"m here to tag along with my wife, eat, drink, and stay free. I can"t bear this heavy responsibility."
"Eat, drink, and stay for free,"
Everyone chuckled good-naturedly.
Xie Huilan smiled and said, "Indeed, my husband is unsuitable. You"re all too kind. I think Secretary Cheng should lead the team. He is the most experienced here."
Secretary Cheng was a City party secretary and the oldest among them, and he had a good reputation. So, when everyone heard this, they didn"t object.
"Don"t be modest, Old Cheng."
"Yeah, Secretary Cheng, you lead."
Secretary Cheng couldn"t refuse in the end, so it was settled.
Several young men and women"s expressions toward Dong Xuebing changed in the back seats. They only then realized that he was Secretary Xie"s husband, the disciplinary committee"s leader.
So young.
So unremarkable.
They glanced at each other in astonishment.
A decent-looking girl beside them smiled and reached out her hand, saying, "So you"re Director Dong. Nice to meet you. I"m Han Fang."
Dong Xuebing also shook her hand, saying, "h.e.l.lo."
Han Fang chuckled, "You"re Hou Wen"s cla.s.smate. We"re all friends from now on."
"Of course, we"re friends." Dong Xuebing smiled and said, "No need to be so formal. Just call me Xuebing."
However, the other young people were not as proactive. Maybe because they were all around the same age and all males, they naturally had some resistance to Dong Xuebing"s achievements. They didn"t seem convinced. They couldn"t see what Dong Xuebing had done to marry such a perfect woman as Secretary Xie and to hold such a high position. So, they talked among themselves, pretending not to notice him.
Only Han Fang seemed to get along well with Dong Xuebing.
Hou Wen knew what those wine and dine friends were thinking. Under the protection of their parents, these people were all influential figures in the city, with high self-esteem and a proud personality. Now, they encountered someone of the same age who was much more capable than them, and psychologically, they couldn"t accept it. Why could he marry such a beautiful wife? Why could he hold such a high position? They weren"t convinced.
Twenty minutes later.
The bus arrived at the street of the Grand Lisboa Casino.
Everyone got off the bus, but they split into several groups. Some people didn"t intend to visit the casino nearby and instead planned to stroll around the shopping malls. Some were preparing for free activities, and only a group would visit the area outside the casino. Dong Xuebing, Hou Wen, and those young men and women were among them.
Xie Huilan came over. "Where are you going?"
"The casino, to take a look," Dong Xuebing said.
Xie Huilan smiled. "Then I"ll go to the mall with Ms. Sun."
Dong Xuebing nodded. "Okay, when should we meet?"
"Secretary Cheng said one hour later. Keep an eye on the time," Xie Huilan said.
Xie Huilan left, and the casino was beside them; they could already see the signs. About a dozen people remained, and they walked over in that direction.
"It"s quite grand."
"Yeah, very luxurious."
"Not surprising, it"s a legal casino."
Most of this group were family members, and no leaders were among them. Presumably, those higher-ranking officials were afraid of gossip or causing unnecessary trouble, so they just took a distant look and didn"t go with this group.
Han Fang smiled and asked, "If it"s legal, can we play?"
"You"ll have to ask Xuebing," Hou Wen said, looking at Dong Xuebing.
Dong Xuebing shook his head and said, "Definitely not. Although no explicit regulations exist for family members, it"s not recommended. As for the officials, the rule is to look but not touch. You can enter and look around but can"t touch the gambling tables. That"s probably what it means."
A woman ahead said, "Then shall we go in?"
Dong Xuebing smiled, "That"s no problem."
Another family member said, "Let"s go in. Since we"re here, we should take a look."
Seeing that this group seemed to be following Dong Xuebing"s lead and seeking his opinion, several young people felt even more displeased, and their opinions about Dong Xuebing grew stronger.
Instead of going straight in, they walked around the perimeter of the casino first. Ten minutes later, they arrived at the main entrance and climbed the steps. The casino was open 24 hours a day, with flas.h.i.+ng lights and quite a few people, perhaps at peak hours. They could see many people coming and going, and from the faces of the gamblers, they could sense various emotions—antic.i.p.ation, frenzy, despair, and more.
This was the casino.
A place that devours people without spitting out bones.
As they queued to enter, a leader"s son said, "I"ve been here once before. The security check here is stricter than at customs. The main reason for the strictness is not just to prevent cheating, but also to prevent gamblers from going crazy after losing. I saw two people here once; one of them flipped the table on the spot and went crazy, and the other was crying bitterly, like a grown man crying like a child. It"s unbelievable. This place is like a man-eater."
Another young man said, "You"ll definitely lose nine times out of ten. Even if you win occasionally, if you keep gambling, you"ll lose everything. It"s a matter of probability. The casino can"t lose money."
"So, I don"t understand why they keep giving their money away. It"s crazy."
"It"s addiction. They can"t see clearly at all. It"s not easy to win money from the casino."
They expressed their opinions after being overshadowed by Dong Xuebing"s presence for a while.
However, Dong Xuebing didn"t speak or offer any comments. He just walked around, observing his surroundings with great curiosity.
Finally, it was Dong Xuebing"s turn for the security check. Several staff members began scanning them with instruments. Cameras, metal items, and dangerous items were not allowed inside. You might have the option to check them in at the airport, but here, there was absolutely no room for negotiation.
One by one, the group pa.s.sed through security.
Dong Xuebing was the last one. After the inspection, he pa.s.sed through a long corridor and noticed cameras from various angles.
Beyond the corridor was the casino.
At the entrance, however, there were a few people staring at the faces of the gamblers.
His pupils contracted when the middle-aged staff member saw Dong Xuebing"s face.
Dong Xuebing glanced at him strangely, wondering why he was looking at him like that, but he didn"t say anything and went in.
After he left, the staff member immediately picked up the walkie-talkie and hurriedly said, "There"s a situation in the corridor."
Power and Wealth
Evening.
Outside the Royal Hotel.
A bus drove up and stopped not far from the revolving door. Officials and their families from Jiangnan Province walked out of the lobby.
"The bus is here."
"Let"s go, let"s get on the bus."
"Is anyone else going there?"
"I just made a few calls, and everyone who"s coming is downstairs now."
"Let"s wait a moment. A few kids also said they wanted to go. Oh, people are here."
Several young men and women came out in twos and threes as the elevator door opened. With everyone present, they began boarding the bus one by one. It wasn"t clear if the local authorities provided it or if Jiangnan Province had rented it in advance, but there were enough seats. Dozens of people could fit in comfortably.
Dong Xuebing asked, "Are your parents not coming?"
Hou Wen replied, "I called them, but they"re asleep. They got up too early to catch the morning flight."
"Alright, let"s get on the bus then." Dong Xuebing and Hou Wen also got on.
"Where should we sit?" Hou Wen saw Xie Huilan talking to a middle-aged woman and sitting in the third row, surrounded by secretaries and mayors, so he asked.
Dong Xuebing gestured with his lips and whispered, "Let"s sit in the back. We won"t be able to chat with them."
Hou Wen laughed and said, "That"s a Good idea. I agree. Let"s take the last row."
The two of them went over and sat down. The last to come were a few young people who seemed about the same age as Dong Xuebing and Hou Wen, ranging from no more than three years older to no more than two years younger. They obviously knew Hou Wen and seemed to have a good relations.h.i.+p with him. When they saw him, they greeted him, and one by one, they sat down in the back rows or the second-to-last row and started chatting with Hou Wen and the others.
"Xiao Wen, you coming too?"
"Yeah, why not? What else am I going to do?"
"We planned to call you for dinner tonight, but you didn"t answer your phone."
"Oh, I went out for dinner with my cla.s.smate and didn’t hear my phone."
"Is this your cla.s.smate? Why don’t you introduce him to us?"
These young people should all be the children of leaders, and from their demeanor, it was evident that they had an a.s.sertive att.i.tude.
"Sure." Hou Wen smiled at Dong Xuebing and said, "Let me introduce you first. This is Secretary Liu"s son; this is Mayor Sun"s daughter and that"s Director Wei"s nephew." After introducing them, Hou Wen lowered his voice and whispered to Dong Xuebing, "They"re just some wine and dine friends of mine."
Dong Xuebing nodded, smiled, and greeted them, "h.e.l.lo."
Listening to Hou Wen, who didn"t introduce his cla.s.smates first but talked about them instead, some of the young men and women looked displeased, feeling disrespected. When Hou Wen"s cla.s.smate finally spoke with a casual "h.e.l.lo," they felt even more uncomfortable. Who is this person with such an arrogant demeanor?
Hou Wen said, "This is my college cla.s.smate, Dong Xuebing."
Just as he finished speaking, the bus started moving, and a leader in the front spoke, "Everyone, I think we should appoint a leader. We have a lot of people here, and opinions are not unified. For example, there was a lot of disagreement about where to go. It"s not conducive to collective action."
Another leader agreed, "I agree."
"Secretary Cheng, you"re the most qualified here. You lead."
"I can"t do it. How about Dong Xuebing, Mr. Dong? Mr. Dong is a superior leader. It"s appropriate for him. What do you all think?"
"Okay."
"I have no objection."
Several young men and women were stunned. They were all secretaries and deputy mayors, and they agreed to let a young man in his twenties lead the team. What kind of agreement is this? And what"s with this superior leader?
Dong Xuebing quickly waved his hand and looked at them, saying, "I can"t do it. Everyone here is more qualified and has more work experience than me. You all think highly of me. I"m here to tag along with my wife, eat, drink, and stay free. I can"t bear this heavy responsibility."
"Eat, drink, and stay for free,"
Everyone chuckled good-naturedly.
Xie Huilan smiled and said, "Indeed, my husband is unsuitable. You"re all too kind. I think Secretary Cheng should lead the team. He is the most experienced here."
Secretary Cheng was a City party secretary and the oldest among them, and he had a good reputation. So, when everyone heard this, they didn"t object.
"Don"t be modest, Old Cheng."
"Yeah, Secretary Cheng, you lead."
Secretary Cheng couldn"t refuse in the end, so it was settled.
Several young men and women"s expressions toward Dong Xuebing changed in the back seats. They only then realized that he was Secretary Xie"s husband, the disciplinary committee"s leader.
So young.
So unremarkable.
They glanced at each other in astonishment.
A decent-looking girl beside them smiled and reached out her hand, saying, "So you"re Director Dong. Nice to meet you. I"m Han Fang."
Dong Xuebing also shook her hand, saying, "h.e.l.lo."
Han Fang chuckled, "You"re Hou Wen"s cla.s.smate. We"re all friends from now on."
"Of course, we"re friends." Dong Xuebing smiled and said, "No need to be so formal. Just call me Xuebing."
However, the other young people were not as proactive. Maybe because they were all around the same age and all males, they naturally had some resistance to Dong Xuebing"s achievements. They didn"t seem convinced. They couldn"t see what Dong Xuebing had done to marry such a perfect woman as Secretary Xie and to hold such a high position. So, they talked among themselves, pretending not to notice him.
Only Han Fang seemed to get along well with Dong Xuebing.
Hou Wen knew what those wine and dine friends were thinking. Under the protection of their parents, these people were all influential figures in the city, with high self-esteem and a proud personality. Now, they encountered someone of the same age who was much more capable than them, and psychologically, they couldn"t accept it. Why could he marry such a beautiful wife? Why could he hold such a high position? They weren"t convinced.
Twenty minutes later.
The bus arrived at the street of the Grand Lisboa Casino.
Everyone got off the bus, but they split into several groups. Some people didn"t intend to visit the casino nearby and instead planned to stroll around the shopping malls. Some were preparing for free activities, and only a group would visit the area outside the casino. Dong Xuebing, Hou Wen, and those young men and women were among them.
Xie Huilan came over. "Where are you going?"
"The casino, to take a look," Dong Xuebing said.
Xie Huilan smiled. "Then I"ll go to the mall with Ms. Sun."
Dong Xuebing nodded. "Okay, when should we meet?"
"Secretary Cheng said one hour later. Keep an eye on the time," Xie Huilan said.
Xie Huilan left, and the casino was beside them; they could already see the signs. About a dozen people remained, and they walked over in that direction.
"It"s quite grand."
"Yeah, very luxurious."
"Not surprising, it"s a legal casino."
Most of this group were family members, and no leaders were among them. Presumably, those higher-ranking officials were afraid of gossip or causing unnecessary trouble, so they just took a distant look and didn"t go with this group.
Han Fang smiled and asked, "If it"s legal, can we play?"
"You"ll have to ask Xuebing," Hou Wen said, looking at Dong Xuebing.
Dong Xuebing shook his head and said, "Definitely not. Although no explicit regulations exist for family members, it"s not recommended. As for the officials, the rule is to look but not touch. You can enter and look around but can"t touch the gambling tables. That"s probably what it means."
A woman ahead said, "Then shall we go in?"
Dong Xuebing smiled, "That"s no problem."
Another family member said, "Let"s go in. Since we"re here, we should take a look."
Seeing that this group seemed to be following Dong Xuebing"s lead and seeking his opinion, several young people felt even more displeased, and their opinions about Dong Xuebing grew stronger.
Instead of going straight in, they walked around the perimeter of the casino first. Ten minutes later, they arrived at the main entrance and climbed the steps. The casino was open 24 hours a day, with flas.h.i.+ng lights and quite a few people, perhaps at peak hours. They could see many people coming and going, and from the faces of the gamblers, they could sense various emotions—antic.i.p.ation, frenzy, despair, and more.
This was the casino.
A place that devours people without spitting out bones.
As they queued to enter, a leader"s son said, "I"ve been here once before. The security check here is stricter than at customs. The main reason for the strictness is not just to prevent cheating, but also to prevent gamblers from going crazy after losing. I saw two people here once; one of them flipped the table on the spot and went crazy, and the other was crying bitterly, like a grown man crying like a child. It"s unbelievable. This place is like a man-eater."
Another young man said, "You"ll definitely lose nine times out of ten. Even if you win occasionally, if you keep gambling, you"ll lose everything. It"s a matter of probability. The casino can"t lose money."
"So, I don"t understand why they keep giving their money away. It"s crazy."
"It"s addiction. They can"t see clearly at all. It"s not easy to win money from the casino."
They expressed their opinions after being overshadowed by Dong Xuebing"s presence for a while.
However, Dong Xuebing didn"t speak or offer any comments. He just walked around, observing his surroundings with great curiosity.
Finally, it was Dong Xuebing"s turn for the security check. Several staff members began scanning them with instruments. Cameras, metal items, and dangerous items were not allowed inside. You might have the option to check them in at the airport, but here, there was absolutely no room for negotiation.
One by one, the group pa.s.sed through security.
Dong Xuebing was the last one. After the inspection, he pa.s.sed through a long corridor and noticed cameras from various angles.
Beyond the corridor was the casino.
At the entrance, however, there were a few people staring at the faces of the gamblers.
His pupils contracted when the middle-aged staff member saw Dong Xuebing"s face.
Dong Xuebing glanced at him strangely, wondering why he was looking at him like that, but he didn"t say anything and went in.
After he left, the staff member immediately picked up the walkie-talkie and hurriedly said, "There"s a situation in the corridor."