Little Beard was hopping mad, but Ling Zhenfei remained completely unfazed.
He chuckled as he stuffed the money from the table into his bag and then, with a sly smile, gestured towards the gambling den's boss, "Hey, you've got over a million there, that should about cover it. Money from the casino isn't easy to win. Be careful, or the boss might not let you leave! Heh heh..."
Ling Zhenfei's words were loaded with implication, hinting at the unspoken rule that gamblers who win at the casino can't leave easily.
The gambling den's boss, who had been counting on Ling Zhenfei to deal with Little Beard, turned a dark gaze upon Ling Zhenfei after hearing his blunt words, looking extremely frightening.
Right now, Ling Zhenfei couldn't care less about the others; he picked up a bag of money and walked out the door. He had won all the money he wanted and would definitely never return to such a harmful gambling den. Why should he care about the gambling den boss's expression?
"Hey, stop right there!" Just as Ling Zhenfei left the den and was about to make his getaway, he heard a familiar shout from behind.
Recognizing the voice, Ling Zhenfei didn't need to guess that it was Little Beard.
He turned around, grinning at Little Beard who was approaching him with a sullen face, "Oh, you actually managed to leave alive, now that's a miracle!"
After speaking, he glanced at the bag in Little Beard's hand and laughed sarcastically, "Heh, I really didn't expect that, you even brought the money out? That's quite illogical!"
"Pfft, what are you babbling about with that crow's mouth of yours?"
Though dressed as a man, Little Beard's behavior was utterly feminine, rolling her eyes at Ling Zhenfei, "Can't you say anything nice? What do you mean, 'leaving alive'? I won this money fair and square; why should I fear being robbed? Hmph!"
"Fair and square? Heh, a cheat daring to claim they won money honestly? I must say, that's the funniest joke I've heard all year!"
Ling Zhenfei found Little Beard's self-righteous words even more amusing.
"You... I can't be bothered to argue with you!" With her trick exposed by Ling Zhenfei, Little Beard could no longer keep up appearances, glaring furiously at him, unable to come up with a retort.
"Heh, since you can't be bothered to talk, then I guess it's time for me to leave!"
Ling Zhenfei's lips twisted into a mischievous smile as he turned to go, but then as if remembering something, he turned back, "Oh, and sister, no matter what, I still have to thank you for losing money to me today! Goodbye!"
"Hey, what nonsense are you spouting? Who's your... sister... you lousy rascal, come back here!"
Having her cheating techniques exposed was one thing, but having her female disguise uncovered by Ling Zhenfei made Little Beard even more furious and anxious.
"Stop!" Just as Little Beard, livid with anger, was about to chase after Ling Zhenfei, she heard a fierce shout from behind.
Little Beard turned around to see the gambling den's boss approaching with two heavies in tow.
"What do you want to do?" Seeing the grim look on the gambling den boss's face, Little Beard sensed trouble and took two steps back.
"What do I want? Heh heh, you wretched woman, you think you can just win money and leave? Not so easy!" The gambling den boss's face twisted hideously as he and his two heavies advanced threateningly.
Little Beard's makeup skills were truly subpar, even the gambling den boss could tell at a glance that she was a woman.
"Hmph, looks like that kid hit the nail on the head; this den really does swallow people whole without spitting out the bones when they win money!" Little Beard scoffed, instinctively clutching the bag tighter.
"I don't care what you say, you dare to cheat on my turf, you're courting death!"
The street was bustling with people, and the gambling den boss wanted a swift resolution. He barked at his two heavies, waving his hand sharply, "Get her!"
Phew!
The two thugs seemed well-versed in such matters, and upon receiving their orders, they charged at Little Beard like fiends from hell, intent on snatching the bag from her hands.
"Robbery! Help, someone is actually committing robbery in broad daylight!"
Although Little Beard had talked tough earlier, she was after all a woman and no match for two burly men. No sooner had the thugs charged at her than she started screaming and dodging backwards.
Alas, her movements were still too slow; before she could take two steps back, the thugs had seized her and snatched the bag away from her.
"You... you dare to rob in the street! I'm going to call the police!"
Little Beard's arms were tightly gripped by the two big men, leaving her unable to break free, so she could only scold the gambling den owner in a shrill voice.
"Call the police? Heh heh, go ahead and call. You were gambling; if you call the police, you'll be the first one they arrest!" The gambling den owner flipped through the banknotes in the bag, his expression extremely smug.
Seeing Little Beard flushed with anger, the gambling den owner's face grew even more lecherous. He walked over and ripped off the mustache on her lips and then lifted the hat off her head.
Indeed, once Little Beard's disguise was exposed, the crowd was faced with a rather comely woman.
"Heh heh, I guessed right, you are indeed a woman! This is fantastic, today I'm going to have a real treat with this broad. Take her away!"
The gambling den owner ogled the woman's pretty face with a sardonic leer, then burst into fits of derisive laughter, ordering the thugs to take the woman away.
"No... let me go! Let me go!" The woman cried out in alarm at the gambling den owner's sinister expression.
Unfortunately, though there were many people on the street, nobody dared to get involved in such matters out of indifference.
"Save... save me!"
The woman's voice was almost hoarse from shouting, yet no one stepped forward to help. In desperation, her pleading eyes turned to Ling Zhenfei who was standing there.
Ling Zhenfei had initially been unclear about the woman's identity, merely observing from a distance. Now, seeing her beseeching look, he knew he could no longer just watch.
"Stop!"
Just as the gambling den owner was about to take the woman away, Ling Zhenfei flashed in front of them, blocking their path, "Even if she did cheat, taking back the money would have been enough. But you don't stop at that; you're way out of line!"
"Kid, this is none of your business, don't meddle!" The gambling den owner, not expecting Ling Zhenfei to intervene, rolled his eyes and commanded fiercely.
"How is it none of my business?"
Ling Zhenfei chuckled coldly and then pointed to the pitiful-looking woman, "She's my wife. You grab my wife right in front of me and have the nerve to say I'm meddling?"
"What, she's your wife? You're in cahoots with her?" The gambling den owner was taken back by that.
"You..." The woman hadn't expected Ling Zhenfei to make such an outlandish claim; just as she was about to deny it, she saw Ling Zhenfei winking at her insistently, and she held back her words.
"Congratulations, you've guessed it; we are indeed together!" Ling Zhenfei's gaze swept toward the gambling den owner, his eyes brimming with disdain.