Chapter Ninety-Two: A Gamble That Shook the World

"Damn. Would I come to you for something good?" Thinking of all the times he’d suffered defeats from Chu Dong, Wang Dongliang cursed quietly in his heart, yet kept a pleasant smile on his face. "There is something good, but I’m not sure if Mr. Chu can claim it."

Chu Dong laughed, awkwardly pushing the cue without even watching where the white ball rolled after hitting the tip, then straightened up. "Heh, I just have a good appetite; as long as it’s something good, I never refuse."

"If Mr. Chu is so interested, let’s play a few rounds first. If you win the prize, isn’t that a gain in itself?" Wang Dongliang picked up a cue, stretched out his arm, checked if it was straight, examined the tip, and rubbed it with chalk.

"I’ve never been fond of gambling, but it depends on whether the stakes can tempt me. If what you offer isn’t particularly tempting, to be frank, I have no interest."

Chu Dong walked around the table, searching for a ball with a chance to pocket. He looked for a long time without finding a sure shot, finally just took a random hit and missed.

"Haha, I knew Mr. Chu wasn’t an ordinary man. How could I use something ordinary to bet with you? If it doesn’t catch your eye, it’d only be humiliating for me." Wang Dongliang didn’t ask further, bent over to aim at the white ball, swung the cue with flair, and sent the yellow one into the pocket with a crisp sound.

"Then why don’t you tell me? If I’m truly interested, I just might bet with you." Chu Dong replied calmly, awaiting his words.

"I know Mr. Chu currently holds some shares in Silver Dragon Group, valued at less than one and a half billion. Isn’t that right?" Wang Dongliang smiled as he dusted his cue, pausing after his words.

"That’s true. Are you interested in my shares?" Chu Dong made no effort to hide it; after all, he’d mentioned it at the last banquet.

"Not bad. If Mr. Chu is bold enough, why not use them as your stake for a round?" Wang Dongliang pressed, swinging confidently and sinking another ball.

Chu Dong scratched his head. "That’s quite a stake. You really are a man of boldness, ready to take my entire fortune with a single bet. But, old friend, what will you put up as your stake?"

"Heh, I wouldn’t take advantage of you, rest assured. I hold about eight percent of Haifeng Group’s shares, worth around three billion. I’ll put up half as my stake, so you won’t be at a loss." Wang Dongliang wasn't lying.

"Heh, you truly have the bearing of a general. I admire your spirit." Chu Dong gave a thumbs-up in praise. "But truthfully, I’m not that interested in Haifeng. Even if the value matches, it doesn’t really attract me."

"Then what do you want? Surely you’re not asking me to risk three billion for your one and a half billion in shares?" Wang Dongliang was a little surprised.

"To be honest, I’m the contented sort. Once my basic needs are met, I have no further ambitions. Even if I never earn another penny, what I have is enough for retirement. I have no grand ambitions. Silver Dragon has fallen into my hands, and simply keeping it is enough of a challenge. Adding Haifeng’s shares would only mean ‘torment’ for me." Chu Dong sounded genuinely troubled, clearly unwilling to bet.

"Heh, you’re quite the character. Money never bites, you know. Even if you sell it, it’s a fine thing. Why so stubborn?" Wang Dongliang tried his best to persuade.

"I really have no interest in Haifeng." Chu Dong’s look of distress seemed genuine.

"Mr. Chu, you just want more chips, right? Fine, I’ll put up the full eight percent. Are you in or out?" Wang Dongliang was now impatient. If this worked out, he wouldn’t have to bother with underhanded acquisitions.

This time, Chu Dong answered decisively.

"Damn it, this bastard is a real schemer," Wang Dongliang thought, boiling with anger. But he kept praising Chu Dong, "Mr. Chu, you’re truly bold."

"Not as bold as you, though. What shall we bet on? Mahjong? Poker? Pai Gow? Or should we have a duel, just the two of us?" Chu Dong became spirited.

"No, with these stakes, you’re already getting a great deal. I get to choose the game." Wang Dongliang quickly interrupted. A duel? The guy nearly killed Viyata last time; going one-on-one would be suicidal.

"Fine, but choose something I know. If I don’t know the game or even the rules, I’d be doomed from the start." Chu Dong wasn’t foolish, hedging with words.

"Of course not," Wang Dongliang replied with a sly smile. "I won’t make things too hard for you. How’s your billiards game?"

"Not bad, at least I know how to play," Chu Dong answered honestly.

"Alright, let’s play billiards. No snooker, just standard rules. What do you say?" Wang Dongliang sounded casual.

"This game?" Chu Dong glanced at the scattered balls, holding the cue upside down. "I’m quite good at it. If I win, won’t you be at a disadvantage?"

"I accept the outcome, win or lose. I’ve never welched on a bet," Wang Dongliang thought Chu Dong was feigning weakness. "With your skill? You can’t even hold the cue steady, and you still pretend."

"Billiards?" Chu Dong muttered, then suddenly looked up. "Is that it? Isn’t it a bit frivolous?"

"Hey, gambling is frivolous by nature. What, Mr. Chu, you don’t think it’s good enough?" Wang Dongliang tried provocation.

"Fine, let’s do it. At worst, I’ll lose everything and start over, raising my sails to cross the vast sea," Chu Dong muttered some cobbled-together poetry, taking off his suit—the one three girls had forced him to wear that morning—and tossing it to a nearby attendant.

"Let’s be clear, though. We can’t decide the outcome with just one round; that would be unfair to whoever breaks second." Chu Dong spat on his hands like an old-timer and addressed Wang Dongliang seriously.

"Of course. You want best two out of three or best three out of five? You decide," Wang Dongliang wasn’t fazed.

"How about best four out of seven, or six out of eleven?" Chu Dong tried to extend the number of rounds.

"Come on, Mr. Chu, we’re all busy people. It’s rare to have time for leisure, so let’s not drag it out. Best three out of five, alright? We’re all straightforward," Wang Dongliang thought, who has so much time to entertain him? With that posture, he could give him a two-hundred-meter head start; he was just impatient.

"So, who breaks first?" Chu Dong, unable to resist the flattery, shifted the focus.

"Let’s agree: whoever wins breaks, you know the rule. But you can break first for the opening game," Wang Dongliang appeared magnanimous.

"No." Chu Dong was already poised to break, but after bending over for a while, he stood up suddenly.

"What now?" Wang Dongliang was exasperated, and even Tian Bing and the others behind him felt powerless. Unable to stand it, Tian Bing blurted out, "Are you going to play or not?"

"Why wouldn’t I? And what’s it to you? Even stray dogs bark. What if he doesn’t honor the bet?" Chu Dong said seriously.

"Who are you calling names?" Tian Bing immediately flared up; if not for people holding him back, he’d have rushed forward, Viyata’s fate notwithstanding.

"No worries, just play. If needed, we’ll write up the share transfer agreements, three copies each, signatures included, kept by ourselves. Once the match is over, we notify the notary to process it immediately," Wang Dongliang soothed Tian Bing and turned to Chu Dong. He was eager to finish, and thankfully, Chu Dong’s silly reminder made him realize he’d nearly overlooked it.

"Alright, let’s do it now," Chu Dong put down the cue and told Wang Dongliang to get the agreements ready.

Without delay, Haifeng Group, being such a large company, had everything at hand. One phone call, and soon someone brought over two share transfer agreements, three copies of each.

Since the documents were brought by the company, Chu Dong ignored Wang Dongliang’s anxiety and carefully scrutinized them. Finding no loopholes, he agreed. The two wrote them up on the spot, each keeping a copy.

"Can we start now?" Wang Dongliang’s confidence was nearly spent.

"Yes, yes." Chu Dong flashed a bright smile. "Thank you, Wang, for this grand gift—I really don’t know what to say."

"No need for thanks." Wang Dongliang now felt that dealing with Chu Dong was pure torment, suddenly realizing something was wrong. "Wait, you’re thanking me too soon—I haven’t lost yet."

"Hehe, all the same," Chu Dong replied with a simple, honest laugh, placing the white ball, staring at the triangle of colored balls, aiming for a good while.

"Come on, brother, hit it," Wang Dongliang, now at his wit’s end, was about to collapse.

As he spoke, Chu Dong broke, but clearly missed the mark. He moved fast, extending the cue to stop the weakly rolling white ball, glaring at Wang Dongliang with displeasure.

"Can you not talk? How am I supposed to play well with you chattering?"

"Alright, alright, I won’t say a word. Start again, okay?" Wang Dongliang felt his chest about to burst, turning away so he wouldn’t watch Chu Dong play.

"This is a gentleman’s sport, you know? Abroad, anyone who makes noise during a match gets thrown out. I’m being nice—otherwise, I’d have withdrawn already," Chu Dong grumbled endlessly.

Wang Dongliang didn’t even look at him, enduring with difficulty—his body trembling. If not for the bet, he’d have walked out long ago. Who could stand this?

The entourage behind Wang Dongliang was extra quiet today. After all, this was a match involving the transfer of billions in wealth. The cues, balls, even the table used would become collectibles. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Chu Dong to break.

"Crack!" Just as Wang Dongliang and the others were about to lose their patience, Chu Dong broke.

ps: I’ve seen messages from mobile readers—thanks to Qiangzi, Xinshang, and so many friends for your continued support. It’s not easy for me to leave comments on mobile; typing is slow, and I’m a bit impatient, hehe...