Having talked to Xiao Daniu on the phone, Luo Yang learned Lang Yifeng had injured Tang Jie, suspecting Tang Jie of stealing his money.
Upon hearing this news, Luo Yang chuckled to himself.
However, upon hearing another piece of bad news, he felt somewhat helpless. It turned out that Xiao Daniu hadn't gone to school that evening and instead had headed to Lang Yifeng's casino to gamble. Initially, he gambled with his own meal money, but later on, he borrowed from Lang Yifeng to play. Surprisingly, Lang Yifeng had actually lent him the money.
After saying goodbye to Zhu Li, Luo Yang cycled back to the Hongyun Brigade. Once he arrived in the village, he went straight to Lang Yifeng's casino with Xiao Daniu.
By then, it was almost midnight.
Seeing Luo Yang arrive, Lang Yifeng didn't say much, just had a somewhat cold expression. The two had a rift, so Luo Yang didn't expect a warm welcome. He was here to help Xiao Daniu win back the ten thousand yuan or so he had lost.
Though Lang Yifeng was annoyed with Luo Yang, he hoped he would gamble. His mood was sour since the money hidden under the water tank had been stolen, and he wasn't pleased with anyone.
With his X-Ray Ability, Luo Yang naturally played Texas Hold'em. After sitting down for a while, he won over a thousand yuan. The other players at the table suspected him of cheating, but with his hands empty and wearing a short-sleeved t-shirt, there was nowhere to hide the cards.
What's more, many people stood around Luo Yang, numerous pairs of eyes unblinkingly watching him, yet they couldn't find anything amiss.
In the blink of an eye, another fifteen minutes had passed, and Luo Yang had already won over three thousand yuan. He adopted a strategy of losing small and winning big, not winning every hand, to ensure the authenticity of the game as much as possible.
Even so, the players at the same table were both resentful and afraid to play against him. Xiao Daniu sat to one side counting the money for Luo Yang and laughing loudly, further stirring the discontent of the other players.
"I don't believe your luck is that good! Come on, I'll play with you all night!" Lang Yifeng threw two stacks of bills onto the table and sat down with a thud.
"I have class tomorrow, I can't play so late into the night," Luo Yang explained.
"Win money by playing cards, why bother with school? At least play until dawn!" Lang Yifeng smacked the table hard.
The other players also grew envious, echoing Lang Yifeng's words.
"Niu Zai, you can't just walk away after winning money."
"Exactly. Have you ever seen anyone in our village break the rules like that?"
"Only the losers can leave whenever they want!"
...
...
This was not wrong; it was always the rule in gambling that the winners couldn't leave early. Even if a time was set, when the hour came, players were expected to continue for several more rounds before closing out the game.
If it weren't for Xiao Daniu owing Lang Yifeng a high-interest loan, Luo Yang wouldn't want to come here to gamble again. He even considered calling the police to shut down the casino.
The greenhouse was filled with smoke and noisy with people's voices. The gamblers who had originally played with Luo Yang had all lost heavily, their eyes bloodshot as they focused on him, looking for evidence of his cheating so they could reclaim their betting money.
"Let's play until two in the morning. I have school tomorrow; I can't play until dawn," Luo Yang suggested.
He estimated that, in another two hours of play, he should be able to win about ten thousand yuan, which would be enough to pay off Xiao Daniu's high-interest loan.
"No way! The loser calls the shots! You can only leave if the person losing says they're done playing!" Lang Yifeng said sternly.
"Are you saying that as long as I win, I can never leave this place?" Luo Yang slapped his palm down on the wooden table. The table jumped, and the deck of cards quivered and leaped.
Having dealt with local roughs, Luo Yang was well aware of a truth: it was useless to reason with bullies, and only by showing your ferocity could you intimidate others.
Sure enough, the gamblers fell silent. They knew Luo Yang was good at fighting.
Only Lang Yifeng glared and said, "Don't make a scene here!"
Luo Yang suddenly stood up, his voice cold, "Set a time, and if it's past that time I'm not playing anymore. Win or lose, I'm going back to sleep. If anyone still has a problem with that, come and challenge me one-on-one!"
The noisy tent suddenly became uncomfortably quiet.
Dozens of people turned to look at Luo Yang and Lang Yifeng, wondering if the two would come to blows again.
"We play till three in the morning," Lang Yifeng said.
Immediately, the gamblers sat around the table and continued to gamble. By one in the morning, Luo Yang had won over ten thousand yuan. The other players were out of money and wanted to borrow from him.
Of course, Luo Yang wouldn't lend them any. He had a good reason: one shouldn't lend money during a gambling game, as it could take his good luck away.
Only Lang Yifeng still had funds to play with Luo Yang, but even he didn't feel confident about winning against Luo Yang.
Even when playing Texas hold 'em, they would draw cards back rather than deal them out. This minimized the chance for cheats to play tricks.
"Get someone to deal the cards!" Lang Yifeng demanded.
"No!" Luo Yang refused.
In fact, Lang Yifeng was just looking for an excuse. Last time at Qin Piao's house, he had been careless and Luo Yang had knocked him to the ground. He had been looking for an opportunity to save face ever since.
"If you don't want to play, that's fine, but leave the money!" Lang Yifeng shoved the table forcefully.
He was sitting opposite Luo Yang, so naturally when he pushed the table, it moved towards Luo Yang.
In terms of strength, Lang Yifeng was definitely no match for Luo Yang. He only had more martial arts foundation and techniques than Luo Yang.
Luo Yang pushed back, and the table was momentarily immobile.
At that moment, An Yuying made a phone call to him. Luo Yang answered the call while pushing the table—essentially just using one hand to resist Lang Yifeng's two-handed push.
Lang Yifeng's face turned red, and veins bulged on his forehead, yet still, he couldn't move the table. With a loud shout, he flipped the table over with both hands.
Hearing Lang Yifeng's voice on the phone, An Yuying asked where Luo Yang was. Luo Yang told her the truth.
An Yuying said she would come to see him, then hung up the phone.
"Those who are friends of Luo Yang, please stand back; those who are friends of Lang Yifeng, come on all together! Tonight, it'll either be your blood splattered within five steps, or mine!" Luo Yang looked around and declared loudly.
Given the situation and knowing Luo Yang's fighting skills, the spectators retreated to the wall of the tent. Naturally, several village thugs who were on good terms with Lang Yifeng were ready to back him up.
Xiao Daniu stood on Luo Yang's side.
Before the fight could start, they heard An Yuying's delicate voice from outside: "Niu Zai, Niu Zai."
Before her voice faded, she walked in.
"Sister An, go back first. I'll come to find you later," Luo Yang said as he picked up the phone to call Zhu Li.
When he called and said, "Sister Kick, can you send some people to my village?" everyone present was extremely shocked. Mainly because the name "Sister Kick" was a big deal, not someone just anyone could afford to mess with.
Lang Yifeng was furious about losing over a hundred thousand yuan and coming across a gambler with such good luck as Luo Yang, his rage was at its peak. Despite hearing Luo Yang's phone call to Sister Kick, he didn't quite believe that Luo Yang could actually summon Zhu Li.
"Luo Yang! You have two choices tonight! Either leave the money, or fight me!" Lang Yifeng roared.
Luo Yang asked Xiao Daniu how much he owed in usurious loans. After getting a clear answer, he counted out nine thousand five hundred yuan onto the table, treating it as repayment for Xiao Daniu's debt.
However, Lang Yifeng refused to accept that Xiao Daniu had repaid his debt, growling fiercely, "Shui Niu still owes me money!"