Chapter 72: Turning the Tables—Strike When the Time Is Right

The van drove straight into the underground parking lot of a towering building.

He Tian’s face remained calm, offering no opinions. Although Cao Xiaomin was worried, seeing He Tian’s composure brought her a sense of natural reassurance. The blond driver kept an eye on He Tian, and was a bit surprised to see him so tranquil. Still, inwardly, he sneered. Go on, keep pretending. Just a pretty boy—what is there to put on airs about? Let’s see if you can keep up the act in a while. This was a big deal, and the thought of Brother Yun personally handling matters made the driver excited. He regretted that by fetching the guests, he might miss the spectacle.

“Get out,” the blond driver commanded after stopping the vehicle.

He Tian took Cao Xiaomin’s hand and stepped out. “Follow me,” the driver said coldly, leading the way. He Tian and Cao Xiaomin followed behind. Though his face stayed serene, He Tian’s eyes moved restlessly, taking in everything—the path from the airport to the city, the unique features of this building, and everything along the way. It was all mapped out in his mind.

This was He Tian’s habit, his preparation against unexpected events. In unfamiliar places, the first task is to understand the surroundings. For a king of soldiers, this is essential, the most basic discipline. But compared to others, He Tian did it better, more naturally.

The underground parking lot was just a cover. He Tian’s suspicion proved correct. When a door suddenly appeared in the otherwise smooth wall, He Tian was not surprised. Cao Xiaomin, however, was so shocked she covered her mouth.

“Cao, don’t worry. This is normal. It’s a hidden underground casino. No matter how strong the owner’s backing, they have to keep it concealed. It’s not unusual—there are plenty of such casinos in Tianhai, just that you never encountered them before,” He Tian whispered in her ear.

“Oh God, how could my brother end up in such a place?” Cao Xiaomin exclaimed in shock and anger.

He Tian shrugged. Who could say what went through her brother’s mind?

Passing through the door, they entered a brand new world—a spacious hall crowded with people, easily more than three hundred. Each person was feverishly chasing their dreams of fortune, engaging in the peculiar games offered.

The blond driver walked up to a man in a sharp suit, whispered a few words. The suited man listened and eyed He Tian and Cao Xiaomin. When he looked at He Tian, his pupils contracted in subconscious envy. Damn, how could a man be so handsome? But when his eyes found Cao Xiaomin, they instantly widened, like a starving wolf on the prairie spotting a she-wolf—a look thick with predatory intent.

The suited man waved the driver away. Reluctantly, the blond driver glanced at He Tian and Cao Xiaomin, then melted into the crowd and vanished.

The suited man then strode directly toward He Tian and Cao Xiaomin. Before he could speak, his vision blurred, and a wave of pain swept through him. He cried out, falling to the ground, his face covered in blood.

“Keep your eyes to yourself. If you dare look at my girlfriend like that again, I’ll dig your eyes out,” He Tian said, pressing his foot onto the man’s chest, pinning him down so he couldn’t get up.

Cao Xiaomin stared at He Tian, stunned. She had felt the suited man’s invasive, sinister gaze—she knew as a woman exactly what was in his mind. Anger burned in her, but she was helpless in this place. She never expected He Tian would act so directly—and with such violence.

Seeing the suited man’s bloodied face, Cao Xiaomin felt a surge of fear, but hearing He Tian’s words, the fear melted into sweetness.

He did it for me.

He did it for me.

Those words echoed endlessly in Cao Xiaomin’s heart.

The entire hall erupted in chaos. Soon, dozens of burly men in suits rushed from every direction, the blond driver among them. He stared at He Tian, then at the man beneath He Tian’s foot, shocked by the sudden violence. Instantly, his opinion of He Tian shifted—no longer the pretty boy he’d assumed.

He Tian looked coldly at the encircling men, gently patted the trembling Cao Xiaomin, and with disdain said, “Where’s your boss? Isn’t it time he showed himself?”

A hearty laugh rang out from the other end of the hall as a man in his thirties stepped out of an elevator.

“Brother Yun!”

“Brother Yun!”

The man’s arrival was greeted by a chorus of voices.

He Tian smiled at the so-called Brother Yun, his foot still firmly planted on the suited man’s chest.

The blond driver quickly moved to Brother Yun’s side, whispering something in his ear. Brother Yun nodded repeatedly, then strode over to He Tian.

“He Mister… Miss Cao Xiaomin… Welcome to Qingdao!” Brother Yun greeted them, not sparing a glance at the bloodied man on the floor.

“Qingdao is quite hospitable, isn’t it?” He Tian replied, fully aware of Brother Yun’s meaning. Yet it didn’t matter to him whether he was in Qingdao or Tianhai—it was all the same.

“You’ve certainly taken charge, Mister He,” Brother Yun said with a squinting smile.

“Ah, it was necessary. Should I explain?” He Tian shook his head, slowly withdrawing his foot.

The bloodied man scrambled to his feet, shouting, “I’ll kill you!”

“Stop!” Brother Yun barked sternly.

“Brother Yun!” the suited man exclaimed, surprised.

Brother Yun slapped him hard across the face, then took a tissue from a subordinate and calmly wiped the blood away. “Is this how you treat guests? Damn it! Don’t you realize every guest is a god to us? How dare you insult our beautiful Miss Cao—take him away and let him reflect on his actions!”

“Brother Yun! Brother Yun!” The suited man screamed in terror as two burly men dragged him away.

Brother Yun paid him no mind.

“Mister He, and the lovely Miss Cao, I offer my sincerest apologies. I’m truly sorry you were mistreated,” Brother Yun said earnestly.

“I admit I was impulsive… but as a fellow man, you must understand. No one could tolerate that gaze. He made my skin crawl,” He Tian replied with a relaxed shrug.

“Haha, I completely understand!” Brother Yun laughed.

“Brother Yun, where is my brother?” Cao Xiaomin pressed, eager to leave and take her brother far from here.

“In the VIP room… but, Miss Cao, I must give you some bad news. After learning you brought money, your brother insisted we lend him more—he wanted to win it all back. We could hardly refuse. You know, we never turn away a guest, especially one capable of repaying us,” Brother Yun paused, adopting a heavy tone. “So now your brother owes us fifty million. I must say, his luck has been very poor—he’s been losing nonstop.”

“How could you! How could you lend him more?” Cao Xiaomin cried, horrified. Fifty million—her brother owed fifty million!

Brother Yun spread his hands helplessly, glancing at Cao Xiaomin and then at He Tian.

“It’s understandable. Business, after all—when opportunity knocks, who would refuse? But now… we want to see him. At least let us meet him before settling accounts. Brother Yun, don’t worry—fifty million is nothing,” He Tian said with a gentle smile, gripping Cao Xiaomin’s hand tightly.

“Haha, Mister He is straightforward. Please!” Brother Yun laughed, gesturing for them to proceed.

He Tian led the way, firmly holding Cao Xiaomin’s hand—he could feel her palm slick with sweat.

Brother Yun signaled his men, then quickly followed He Tian to the elevator.

As the group entered the elevator, burly men began cleaning the blood from the hall. The gamblers swiftly returned to their business as if nothing had happened. In this place, seeing blood was routine—nothing to fuss over. Some even felt invigorated, believing every sight of blood brought them luck.

The elevator descended to the second basement level, luxuriously decorated, every corner radiating wealth. The overwhelming impression was money, money, money.

The lighting was dim, making Cao Xiaomin uneasy. Thankfully, He Tian held her hand; otherwise, she couldn’t imagine how she might appear.

She marveled at He Tian’s calm—it seemed nothing could disturb his composure.

Her curiosity about He Tian only grew deeper.