After gaining control of the situation, Li Bin's men began greedily stuffing money into their bags. Chu Yuxuan and the other two didn't idle either, scavenging anything valuable.
By chance, the three of them stumbled into a small room where two glass counters displayed several gold and silver items, likely left behind by gamblers in a desperate bid to cover their losses. Without hesitation, Old Fourth smashed the glass with his elbow and calmly gathered the valuables. Old Fifth, imitating him, raised his arm and struck the glass with an elbow blow. A dull thud echoed, but the glass remained intact.
"F*ck…" The genius hacker cursed, wincing in pain as he cradled his arm, experiencing firsthand the toughness of "Made in China."
Meanwhile, Li Bin, playing the role of a boss, sat nonchalantly at a gambling table, casting a lecherous gaze at a beautiful female dealer crouching nearby. Every now and then, he would slyly grope her.
Before long, the entire casino was looted clean. Just as they were about to make their exit, a young woman suddenly clung to Li Bin's leg, crying desperately, "Big brother! Please leave me something! I'll do anything! That money was all I had to make a comeback! My child is only eight months old, I need to win it back for his milk powder! You… you can do whatever you want with me, just give me back the money!"
Li Bin was stunned for a moment. Was money worth more than life to her? How deep was her gambling addiction?
It was hard to understand why some people, despite knowing the odds were against them, continued to gamble away everything they had. Before Li Bin could respond, Old Fourth's machete had already chopped off one of the woman's hands.
People like her didn't deserve pity.
Watching the woman writhing in agony and screaming, Li Bin glanced at her severed hand on the ground and instinctively took a step back.
Chu Yuxuan gave him a pat on the shoulder, snapping him out of his daze. He cursed at the woman before hastily leaving with his men.
Once in the car, Chu Yuxuan removed his mask and, with an expressionless face, turned to Li Bin. "Let me warn you, it's fine to enjoy women, but there must be limits. That woman got the idea to beg you because she saw you messing with the dealer, thinking you had a soft spot. While it didn't matter much this time, it proves one thing — she saw your weakness. I don't want this happening again."
Li Bin quickly nodded. "Understood, Mr. Chu."
Chu Yuxuan sighed. "Among the Chu family, aside from Chu Zhiqing, everyone else follows the rules when it comes to women. The old man once said, 'Beautiful women bring ruin.' While it's an extreme view, many in our line of work have been destroyed because of women. So, control yourself. If you have needs, pay for it. If you like someone, go for it. But don't mess with women who throw themselves at you. They'll ruin you."
Li Bin thought back to when Qinglu tried to frame Chu Yuxuan and vowed, "I get it. I won't make the same mistake again!"
Chu Yuxuan nodded approvingly, then asked with a faint smile, "How many men do you have under you now?"
"Around seventy or eighty. There were a few junkies, but I got rid of them since you didn't want them. Otherwise, we'd be over a hundred."
"Good. Be generous with the money, share it with the brothers. Keep an eye on a few reliable ones and groom them. If the money runs out, just go rob more. Be as arrogant as you can."
"Understood, Mr. Chu!"
That night, the rain had lightened.
At Zhao Yanan's house, in the master bedroom, Chu Yuxuan snuggled up to her like a little bird, his tough-guy persona completely gone.
In recent days, it had become a routine for the couple to watch horror movies after dinner. Chu Yuxuan, being shameless, would take every scary moment as an opportunity to get close to Zhao Yanan — from holding hands to resting against her, sometimes even going as far as tightly hugging the stunning beauty.
Zhao Yanan found it both amusing and exasperating, but over time, she grew less resistant. Only when Chu Yuxuan held her hand for too long and she felt uncomfortable did she pull away, giving him an apologetic glance.
The pain of a psychological illness is something a normal person can never fully understand.
It's like parents who don't take it seriously when they find out their child has depression. Some even mock them, saying they're weak or overly sensitive. They recall how children from their generation were tougher and healthier, but in the end, they are always filled with regret.
On screen, another terrifying scene played out. Chu Yuxuan, as usual, clung to Zhao Yanan, burying his head in her chest. Normally, this would lead to some playful banter, but tonight Zhao Yanan seemed uninterested. She grabbed his ear and pulled him aside, sighing, "Chu Yuxuan, I have a feeling you're just pretending to be scared so you can take advantage of me, aren't you?"
"Who said I'm scared?" Chu Yuxuan, playing tough, replied, "This is nothing, I'm not afraid at all."
Zhao Yanan shot him a look. In truth, earlier that morning, while chatting with Old Third, she'd accidentally learned that Chu Yuxuan was actually a huge fan of horror movies. He had seen almost every famous one and watched them like they were cartoons, completely unfazed.
But for some reason, Zhao Yanan chose not to expose him at this moment. Instead, she gave his waist a sharp twist, said nothing, and continued watching the movie.
Noticing his wife seemed down, Chu Yuxuan gently held her hand and asked softly, "Yanan, what's wrong? You've been acting strange since you got home."
Zhao Yanan lowered her head, paused, then turned to look at him, tears in her eyes. In a low voice, she said, "I miss my dad… Tomorrow is his birthday."
Chu Yuxuan opened his mouth but stayed silent for a moment. He then gently squeezed her hand and smiled tenderly. "Tomorrow, I'll go with you to see him, okay?"
Zhao Yanan nodded, choking back her tears. "Yuxuan, is life in prison really like how they show it in the movies? Last time I visited him, he'd lost so much weight, he looked so frail…"
"No, no, the movies exaggerate everything. It's not as scary in real life. Don't worry. It's just that our dad isn't used to the food and drink there, plus the military-style management is tough on him. But he's fine."
"He's getting old, I'm so afraid he won't be able to hold on…"
"It's okay. Chu Zhiqing has already pulled some strings for him inside, so he won't suffer."
With that, Chu Yuxuan sat up, gently wiping the tears from Zhao Yanan's face. He stared at her beautiful, tear-streaked face for a moment before carefully asking, "Yanan, can I… can I hug you for a while? I feel like you really need a hug right now."