Seeing Lou Fengyun being carried upstairs amidst the whispers and pointing fingers of many gamblers, Song Tianyao lit a cigarette and also started walking towards the stairs.
The younger brother who rushed back first had tidied up the private room called "Fortune and Prosperity." The so-called tidying up was just sweeping up cigarette butts on the floor and opening the windows to let in some fresh air. Lou Fengyun was placed on a bed made of three chairs pushed together, along with a stretcher. Song Tianyao sat in the main seat at the large Pai Gow table, lit a cigarette with a match, and looked at Lou Fengyun with a playful expression.
Lou Fengyun's henchmen quietly withdrew and closed the door from the outside. Song Tianyao said to Lou Fengyun, "Is it really that you can't sit up, or do you feel more comfortable lying on the stretcher like this?"
Lou Fengyun reached out and lifted the blanket covering her. She was wearing a plain white Chinese-style nightgown. Meeting Song Tianyao's gaze, she unbuttoned the top of her nightgown one by one and slowly took it off, leaving her only in a red bodice embroidered with the Five Poisons and gold chains. On her sides, which the bodice could not cover, the still-fading dark purple marks and the splints used for bone setting were clearly visible.
"Should we just take our clothes off at the slightest disagreement?"
"Secretary Song, do you still want to see about the injury on your leg?" Lou Fengyun pursed her lips and asked, responding to Song Tianyao's teasing.
Song Tianyao went over and tucked the blanket back over Lou Fengyun, covering her upper body. Then he went to the window and closed it before sitting back down. "Speak."
"This Gambling den was built up by Brother Hua from scratch. He started as a small-time street hustler making money by playing three dice (fish, shrimp, crab) and gradually built up his business to own this Gambling den. From beginning to end, this Gambling den has nothing to do with any gambling dens; it was all earned by Brother Hua himself," Lou Fengyun said to Song Tianyao, pulling the blanket around her slightly tighter.
Song Tianyao chuckled, "Why don't you repeat those words to Golden-Tooth Lei yourself? I bet he'll soon arrange for someone to give you a second round of the thirty-six lashes."
"We were blind to offend Secretary Song. I'll accept Brother Hua's death, and I'll accept being beaten too. But should the other uncles in the gang take this opportunity to seize the Gambling den as well?" Lou Fengyun bit her red lips hard, and it took her a long time to speak. "Should we not even wait for Brother Hua's death and immediately arrange for someone else to take over the Gambling den? Right now, all those people outside who are running the business are not on my or Brother Hua's side. I dare not disagree, nor do I dare to agree. If I agree to one of the three Big Brothers, the other two will not let me go. If I hand over the Gambling den to Boss, it means that the three Big Brothers are dissatisfied with me. Secretary Song, I beg you to give me a way out."
"This tells us that only an idiot would get involved in organized crime," Song Tianyao flicked his cigarette ash and said to Lou Fengyun. "Actually, it's not that they forced you; it's that you couldn't bear to give up the foundation your man built, which is why things have dragged on to this point."
Lou Fengyun remained silent. Initially, it was just that someone coveted this Gambling den, but after she offended Song Tianyao, and Song Tianyao openly accepted bribes from Golden-Tooth Lei, those Big Brother immediately started to raise the stakes, saying that the gang had spent fifteen gold bars on this matter and that she had to hand over all the money the Gambling den had earned over the years to make up the difference.
Some of the more malicious ones even went so far as to say they would sell her to the Kowloon Walled City to pay off the triad's debts.
"Keep one-fifth of the money, and give the rest to Fuyixing. The Gambling den will also be handed over to Fuyixing. I'm giving you a chance to leave Fuyixing safely. Are you willing? There's no point in saying anything more." Song Tianyao said to Lou Fengyun, a cigarette between his fingers.
Lou Fengyun's eyes dimmed considerably after Song Tianyao's words. Was this really a young man who was only eighteen years old? He hadn't offered her any benefits, nor had he even gotten to the point, yet he had already shut her down, only offering a so-called path.
She had a good plan. She thought that since Song Tianyao came from the Squatter Area, if she sold five of her Gambling den to him and humbled herself to please him, this hot-blooded young man would take pity on her. As long as Song Tianyao spoke up, the big Big Brother of Fuyixing, including the boss Golden-Tooth Lei, would probably stop trying to take advantage of the Gambling den.
"Boss said you received fifteen gold bars, and then used a whole gold bar to reward the Songstress..." Lou Fengyun was stunned for a moment before speaking again.
Song Tianyao nodded and said confidently, "So, I didn't directly call you stupid. If anyone knew what I've been through, they wouldn't be surprised if they thought I was greedy and lustful."
"One-fifth of the money... without Brother Hua, without the gang leader, I, a woman alone, can't support a family." Lou Fengyun said, her eyes already reddening.
"Was the Gambling den previously managed by your man, or is it still being managed by you?" Song Tianyao ignored Lou Fengyun's heartbroken tears and asked in a normal tone.
Lou Fengyun sighed inwardly. Song Tianyao across from her was truly heartless. "It's me. Brother Hua knows how to shake the dice and play the dice game, so he's in charge of killing off the customers."
"If you only had looks, I wouldn't have asked. But you're not stupid. I told my forgetful mother today that kindness isn't something to be given lightly. Trying to help others beyond your capabilities will only get you killed. Think carefully about the question I just asked you. I'll give you a chance to leave Fuyixing safely. Are you willing? I'll only eat one bowl of rice, and then I'll leave. Tell me before I go." Song Tianyao took the last two puffs of his cigarette, stubbed it out, and shouted outside, "Hurry up! Are you eavesdropping outside? Do you think I'm having an affair with your boss's wife? Something shameful? Bring in the food and drinks!"
The Scribe Hui, was startled by Song Tianyao's words. He pushed open the door and brought in several waiters with the packaged dishes. After they set them out, Song Tianyao picked up his rice and began to eat his dinner.
The Scribe Hui and his men dared not linger there, and hurriedly left after serving the dishes.
Song Tianyao ate with gusto, clearly quite hungry. In the blink of an eye, he had devoured more than half of the bowl of white rice. Lou Fengyun, watching Song Tianyao's hearty eating from the stretcher, suddenly had a thought. She steeled her heart and said to Song Tianyao, "Secretary Song, I'm willing."