Chapter 630: Convergence

Xiao Cheng pondered for a moment and couldn't help but furrow his brow.

The two individuals who had entered the casino early in the morning were clearly quite different from his own team.

Just based on their appearances, they looked like outright villains. While it didn't affect him much personally, there were still Tian Tian and Zheng Yingxiong in this venue, and getting involved with such shady characters too soon was not good news.

“Hua Bi Nan...” the man with tattooed arms behind him called out, “Weren't you going to borrow some Dao? Why did you come in directly?”

“Oh, I remembered that this old guy's game venue lets you enter without paying first to take a look. I thought I could come in and borrow some. Anyway, we're not planning to run off; we'll borrow and return properly.”

Upon hearing that the two wanted to “borrow Dao,” Xiao Cheng's face showed unease. He quickly put away his two Dao and turned to leave.

“Hey... wait a minute...” The man with a sly look reached out to stop Xiao Cheng, saying, “Buddy, why are you in such a hurry? We're not bad guys.”

Xiao Cheng had heard too many similar lines before; they were the classic opening for villains.

“Ah, I...” Xiao Cheng thought for a few seconds and decided to change the subject, asking, “May I ask your names?”

“Me?” The man blinked. “Hulu Wa. Any advice?”

Xiao Cheng was stunned and looked over at the man with tattooed arms, asking, “And you...?”

“Uh...” The man with tattooed arms hesitated. “If he's Hulu Wa, then I guess I'm Zhong Jie Zhe.”

“Got it.” Xiao Cheng nodded as if it were nothing out of the ordinary, then said to the two, “I have some business to attend to, so I'll take my leave.”

With that, he turned and walked away, and the two didn't stop him.

He knew he had to find Tian Tian and Zheng Yingxiong right away and discuss a strategy with them.

Xiao Cheng soon found Tian Tian in a dim corner. She was carefully reading the instructions for a Zhua Dao Ji, and since not much time had passed, she hadn't put in any Dao yet.

“Tian Tian Jie!” Xiao Cheng approached her with a serious expression and said in a low voice, “It seems we've run into some trouble.”

“What's wrong?” Tian Tian turned her head and asked.

“Two uninvited guests showed up—they don't look like good people at all. We need to avoid contact with them.” Xiao Cheng said seriously, “They seem to be looking to borrow some Dao, so it's best if we hide in a small room or the restroom.”

“Is it that serious?” Tian Tian furrowed her brow slightly.

“Yeah, where's Yingxiong Didi?”

“I don't know. Let's go find him.”

The two put away their Dao and found Zheng Yingxiong behind another tall structure. As the three were discussing where to hide, they saw the two men weaving through various tables and approaching.

“Oh no, oh no! Tian Tian Jie, take Yingxiong Didi and run!” Xiao Cheng whispered, “Take my Dao too! We'd rather lose all our Dao gambling than have them stolen!”

But at that moment, Tian Tian was staring at the two figures in a daze, and Zheng Yingxiong sniffed the air as if he'd noticed something.

“You two...” Tian Tian spoke up first.

“Yo! Tian Tian Nu!” Qiao Jia Jin smiled and walked right over.

“Wow! Xiao Zhang San!” Chen Jun Nan also looked thrilled.

The two approached with great enthusiasm, leaving Xiao Cheng completely baffled.

After Qiao Jia Jin walked over, he reached out and patted Zheng Yingxiong's head: “Yingxiong Zai? How are you two here? Did you dodge the black line from yesterday?”

“Mm.” Zheng Yingxiong smiled slightly and nodded. “Luckily, I met Tian Tian Jie. Do you know her too?”

“And about that...” Tian Tian gave a bitter smile and shook her head. “This kid rode a bicycle and ended up saving me.”

The four chatted and laughed together, making Xiao Cheng feel like the odd one out.

“Tian Tian Jie... you know them?”

“Ah, yes.” Tian Tian nodded reassuringly. “They're not bad guys.”

“What?” Qiao Jia Jin stepped forward and put his arm around Xiao Cheng's shoulder. “Handsome guy, you think we're bad guys?”

“Ah...?” Xiao Cheng waved his hand with a bitter smile. “Well, not exactly...”

Under Tian Tian's introduction, the five got to know each other, and only then did Xiao Cheng truly believe that these sly-looking men and the one with tattooed arms wouldn't rob their Dao here.

Even so, the situation hadn't changed much.

These two didn't have a single Dao on them, yet they had boldly walked into Di Hou's game venue.

Their intention to join the games was clear, and they wanted to borrow four Dao from Xiao Cheng for the entry fee, which was essentially the same as having four Dao taken from him.

From Xiao Cheng's perspective, he didn't know these two well. He only had fifteen Dao in total; he'd used six for the entry fee and lost one in a game, leaving him with eight. If he gave four to these strangers for their entry, the five of them would only have four Dao left to work with.

At that point, forget about the final redemption; they'd even struggle for chips in upcoming bets against other participants.

Besides, to get out that door, the five needed at least fifty Dao. Wasn't that destined to leave someone dead here?

“Relax...” Qiao Jia Jin stepped forward and patted Xiao Cheng on the back, saying, “Handsome guy, do you know what's most important in a gambling den?”

“What...?”

“Teammates.” Qiao Jia Jin said, “I don't really approve of this kind of behavior... but if we're playing mahjong and three of us are on the same team, do you think the fourth person would lose?”

“This...”

Chen Jun Nan nodded too: “Kid, this is way better than you playing alone. Your chances of winning marbles are much higher. Don't forget, this is a casino, not a game hall. Are you planning to sit at the machine by yourself and get rich?”

Xiao Cheng glanced at Chen Jun Nan, knowing this guy was sharper than him. He could spot the flaws in Ba Bei Da Jiang Jun at a glance. With their help, the chances of winning might be greater.

Besides, he wasn't much of a gambler himself. Relying on luck or smarts alone wasn't as reliable as teaming up to bend the rules.

He looked up and saw that Tian Tian had already taken out her two Dao. Xiao Cheng decided not to overthink it, took out his remaining two, and together they handed them over to Di Hou.

“Jun Nan Zai... you're the brain of this game...” Qiao Jia Jin said a bit nervously, “But you only learned the gambling rules last night. Is that okay?”

“It should... be fine, right?” Chen Jun Nan replied. “Don't worry too much. Xiao Zhang San isn't stupid either.”

Xiao Cheng watched the group and said seriously, “Let's get one thing straight... we've got very few chips left, so we absolutely can't afford any more...”

Before he could finish, Chen Jun Nan heard a sound. He turned toward the door, where a figure was slowly approaching with their head down.

He smirked and said, “Perfect, now we don't even need a brain.”