Chapter 21: Running into My Bro

“I don’t lack this bit of money.” Fang Si Ting’s face showed no ripples at all. “Let go.”

Xiao Fen pursed his lips and released his grip. He muttered under his breath, “Don’t think I don’t know how much vice squad officers make. You’ve almost lost a million without batting an eye—how much have you pocketed? You know it in your heart.”

“…”

He rubbed his own wrist. Under the golden light, the skin on his wrist gleamed with a pearly white sheen, but several red marks the width of fingers lingered on it—chaotic and ambiguous.

“It’s not like I’m not going with you. Why be so overbearing? If you grab me that hard next time,” Xiao Fen said with a smiling gaze that hid a warning, “I’ll have to properly investigate the cases Inspector Fang has handled.”

Fang Si Ting didn’t bother wasting words with him. He lowered his head and saw that his neatly ironed, impeccably straight suit jacket now had several wrinkles—courtesy of someone’s claws.

His eyelids lifted. He looked toward the people at the card table.

Xiao Fen smiled on the surface, but his eyes were cold. He narrowed them slightly, the corners hooking upward as he eyed the crowd at the table, who knew what crooked thoughts he was brewing.

What scheme was this little fox plotting?

At the gambling table, the dealer had already begun dealing the cards.

Hu Juan looked at Xiao Fen with an inscrutable expression. “Didn’t you always say you had no money before? Where’d you get the cash to play now?”

“I finally picked up a few gigs, so I wanted to take a shot and pay off my debts sooner.” Xiao Fen adjusted his glasses and smiled. “What if my luck’s good?”

“You seem… a bit different.” Hu Juan’s eyes lit up, then a strange caution flashed through them. He hesitated. “Didn’t you swear you’d never gamble again?”

“People change. Blame my dumb brain before—I didn’t know how to be flexible.” He grinned at Fang Si Ting by way of introduction. “Him, my bro. We were high school desk mates for three years—ironclad bond. He always loops me in on good stuff.”

Hu Juan smiled on his face, but shrewd light deepened in his eyes.

Xiao Fen whistled. “Luck’s good tonight, huh? This table’s got great feng shui. Mind if I join?”

“Of course not,” Hu Juan said excitedly. “How much did those gigs net you?”

“Not much, just a few tens of thousands.”

Hu Juan’s gaze took on deeper meaning. He teased, “Playing coy with me now? Everyone knows celebrities rake it in fast. ‘A few tens of thousands’? Come on, bro—you’re holding out on me.”

Xiao Fen laughed it off.

Scarface, seated diagonally across, grew impatient. “Can you catch up somewhere else? You’re bad luck. If I catch you two colluding later, I won’t let you off.”

“Who’s in cahoots with who isn’t set yet. Right, Hu Juan?”

Hu Juan didn’t look at them. He lowered his head and started checking his cards.

The dealer asked, “Hit?”

Hu Juan glanced at his gesture and said decisively, “Hit.”

“Miss, your hands are gorgeous.” Xiao Fen propped his elbow on the table, pointing remotely at her hand from across the table, admiring it with full amazement. “Especially the right one.”

The faces at the table stiffened.

“R-Really?” The dealer forced a calm smile despite her grin. “Thanks for the compliment.”

“I was wandering other tables earlier, and none of the other misses had hands as nice as yours.”

The remark was so blunt it was practically pointing fingers. As Dark Lamp, the Fat Guy couldn’t have missed it. His amiable eyes turned probing as he looked at her.

The gamblers here came in all varieties, and dealers getting verbally teased was routine. As casino veterans, they should handle this level with ease.

Yet the dealer’s face showed undue tension and panic, which sparked a sliver of suspicion in the Fat Guy.

“If I win some cash later, how about we head up to the hotel lounge? I’ll treat you to late-night snacks.” Right after he spoke, Xiao Fen felt a piercing gaze from beside him.

He turned and saw Fang Si Ting staring at him expressionlessly.

“If you wanna join, three’s no issue for me—just means chipping in more cash. Depends if the miss is game. Her little frame probably couldn’t handle it.” Xiao Fen teased.

Fang Si Ting’s sharp brows pressed down further, his facial lines turning icy and stern, laced with veiled anger.

“You’re breaking the law with full knowledge.”

“It’s just about who eats more snacks—how’s that illegal?” Xiao Fen’s innocent eyes held a roguish smirk. “Or is Inspector Fang thinking something dirty?”

He indifferently shifted his gaze away and leaned back heavily in his chair.

Xiao Fen smugly bared his little tiger teeth and continued eyeing his cards.

Dare call me Skinny Dog? Hmph!

Knew he was a fake prude.

In a few seconds, the dealer had composed herself and smiled professionally. “I’m on the clock. For requests outside the casino, contact our front desk.”

“Now, hit?”

Xiao Fen shook his head and tossed out his cards.

He clearly lost this round, but not much—just a thousand.

The dealer continued dealing. After finishing, her hands hovered in midair, right over left, interlaced in front of the table.

Hu Juan glanced at the gesture. “Hit.”

“Hit.”

“Hit.”

Scarface and Bearded Bro both hit.

“You all are, so I’ll hit too.” Xiao Fen eyed the dealer like he had no clue, took a card, and paired it with his hand for a total of 17.

The other two busted. Fat Guy and Hu Juan each had 19. As the banker, Fat Guy won the round.

In the next few rounds, Xiao Fen followed the crowd, looking like he didn’t know how to play much, but he broke even with some wins and losses. Meanwhile, Hu Juan and the others grew visibly cautious and careful with their own hands.

Because the dealer always put her right hand on top each round, even if she remembered the order of every card after the shuffle, she didn’t dare signal cheats anymore.

Working the same casino, she surely knew the Fat Guy. Before, he hadn’t spotted their trick because occasional disruptions happened at the table. Hu Juan’s crew weren’t pro cheats—they relied on the dealer memorizing cards and signaling, not always reliable, which made it harder to detect.

The Fat Guy hadn’t suspected casino staff aiding outsiders before. Now that he’d noticed her oddity and kept glancing at her hands, she didn’t dare cheat again no matter what.

The table finally returned to fair play.

Hu Juan and Scarface weren’t ready to give up. They stared at the dealer’s hands every round, but saw no flaws however they looked. Their expressions grew more hesitant.

Xiao Fen decided to make his move next round.

When he spotted a six of diamonds in Bearded Bro’s hand, Xiao Fen realized this bro was cheating too.

They used four decks, so four sixes of diamonds total. Anyone with decent memory would’ve noticed all four had appeared earlier.

Bearded Bro had stayed quiet before, following the dealer’s signals and occasionally folding on purpose to keep things looking normal. Now that the dealer route was blocked, he couldn’t hold back.

Xiao Fen glanced at the Fat Guy—sure enough, he’d spotted it too.

The Fat Guy laid out his cards: 15 points. He had no immediate intention of acting against Bearded Bro.

Disappointment flashed in Xiao Fen’s eyes.

Looks like Dark Lamp still wanted to deal with him and Fang Si Ting first.

Hu Juan cheered excitedly beside him. “Xiao Fen, show your cards already.”

None of them had hit blackjack in several rounds. This time Bearded Bro did, and the pot was already at 160,000—no wonder he was thrilled.

Xiao Fen tugged the corner of his mouth at him and revealed his cards.

Also blackjack.

An ace and ten, bigger than pieced-together blackjacks, with double payout.

By this table’s special rules, regular blackjacks paid 2:1; his paid 4:1.

The Fat Guy’s remaining chips vanished in this round. He didn’t mind—Dark Lamp played with house money. He sighed and left the table soon after.

Bearded Bro’s face looked the worst.

He’d bet the most this round: 80,000 straight up, now gone—320,000 total.

He hadn’t won that much all night.

After tallying, he still owed Xiao Fen 20,000.

Xiao Fen flipped two ten-thousand chips between his fingers, seemingly flashing them deliberately, and smiled. “So, what now? Cash more chips or borrow from the house?”

Bearded Bro looked toward Hu Juan.

Hu Juan and Scarface kept their heads down sorting their remaining chips, pretending not to know him.

No choice—Bearded Bro said, “Wait here,” got up, and left with a casino enforcer trailing him. No fear of him stiffing and running.

Soon, he returned with chips, tossed 20,000 to Xiao Fen, placed the rest on the table, and said, “Kid, dare go all-in with me?”

Xiao Fen had won over 600,000 in one round, his chips clinking noisily. “For how much?”

“All of yours.”

Scarface couldn’t pretend anymore. He grabbed his sleeve angrily. “You nuts? Borrowing 600k at killer rates? If you lose…”

“No—my all-in is 700k.” Xiao Fen helpfully reminded him. “Better borrow more.”

Fang Si Ting stood too and grabbed him. “Had enough fun? Let’s go.”

“Mr. Black Cat, your mindset’s all wrong here.” Xiao Fen criticized righteously. “Am I the one who wants to play? This is the people’s demand—we gotta respond, or we can’t face the motherland or the Party.”

“…”

“Come on, sit. With me right under your nose, how could I vanish? Don’t trust your own skills or overestimate my tricks?” Xiao Fen hiked up his pant leg. “See, yesterday when you chased me, you swept my leg. Still swollen—how far could I run?”

He puffed his cheeks like “you owe me,” gazing at him resentfully.

Fang Si Ting’s gaze flickered. He turned away and sat back down.

“Wait while I vent for you.” Xiao Fen happily pinched his cheek.

“You!” Fang Si Ting’s aura sharpened fiercely. He started to speak but turned away, ignoring him.

His thick, sharp brows pressed down further, his deep eyes brimming with fierce sternness.

Dozens of terrified comments flooded the live stream chat.

【Done for. Brother Fen’s dead.】

【Sayonara, Brother Fen. I’ll book you a full fracture package—I’ll always remember your contributions to this show.】

【No need—book the crematorium directly. Though I just stanned you, I’ll diamond-encrust your urn.】

【New here, what’s happening? Stan now, ashes-level fan later?】