Chapter Forty-Two: Who Can Be Trusted

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“Of course... where else would we go? Naturally, to gamble... haha... let’s go...” With a wave of Xiao Tianci’s hand, someone immediately stepped forward to lead the way, followed closely by Chief Steward Lin Jian and Fang Meng.

Three helicopters were already waiting at the airport. The Xiao family’s businesses spanned the globe. Though Xiao Tianci appeared to stagger as he walked, making Lin Jian follow anxiously at his side, a faint, knowing smile flickered in Fang Meng’s eyes. He could see that Xiao Tianci was only half-drunk—certainly not as far gone as he appeared.

As the helicopter lifted off, Xiao Tianci leaned back as if dozing. Lin Jian sat beside him, while Fang Meng took the copilot’s seat up front.

“You’ve inherited a fortune; you’re about to become the richest man in the world”—who would believe such words? Xiao Tianci himself wouldn’t have believed it before, but now? What was he to do now?

Perhaps because he’d grown up with his mother, Xiao Tianci was fiercely independent, and he’d developed a habit: no matter what hurt or love he felt, he kept it locked inside. As his mother had told him as a child, “The bird that cries the loudest gets no food.” Xiao Tianci recalled his college days, when he’d saved up for years, invested in what was then an overlooked but now ubiquitous phone accessory, only to be betrayed by a competitor.

At the time, he’d swallowed the humiliation and returned to school, acting as if nothing had happened. Yet he never forgot the wrong. Years later, he used his business acumen to drive that same ruthless rival into bankruptcy and ruin.

But now? Xiao Tianci felt as if he were standing before a bottomless sea. The memory of Will’s expression, and even Zhou Ao’s reaction, brought him a measure of uneasy reassurance. At least, from the very start, he’d done one thing right.

Who among these people could he truly trust? The forces and resources at their disposal were beyond his imagination—terrifying, even. Lin Jian, Xu Guowei, Fang Meng... and certainly Will and Zhou Ao as well.

From the moment he inherited this fortune, Xiao Tianci understood he’d inherited not just vast wealth, but also unimaginable trouble. What vexed him most was that he hadn’t even been given a choice. Which of those surrounding him could he trust? For all his shrewdness, he couldn’t tell. Wealth and power had built a thick wall between him and the world, and all he saw were masks, one after another. It seemed he now possessed everything, yet he felt he’d lost even more. The life and trajectory he once had had vanished overnight, replaced by a hollowness that clutched at his heart. At last, he understood what it meant to be utterly alone.

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Still, no matter what, even if you fall, you must rise with a fistful of sand. For now, he would do his best to understand more, to secure greater advantage. Who was loyal, who treacherous—time would tell. First, he would balance these forces, find himself a stable foothold. Yes, for now, that was the best he could do.

He was now a man whose very identity had been upended by a sudden inheritance—a solitary boat adrift in storm-tossed seas. His priority was to keep himself afloat.

Lost in thought, Xiao Tianci felt a headache coming on. He could think no further, and could only mock himself inwardly: “For now, I’ll play the turtle—when it’s time to retreat, I’ll withdraw into my shell.”

Las Vegas, the city of gambling, was remarkable for its endless casinos; the most dangerous feature was that every casino was linked to the next. One barely made it out the door before being swept into another. The interiors were palatial, with grand domes and ever-soft lighting. Step onto the thick carpets and your footsteps vanished in silence. Every temptation was laid out for you—no matter the size of your wallet, each casino would make you feel like an emperor in his palace. Of course, most people only realized how much lighter their wallets had become once they left.

Curiously, for all their abundance, casinos lacked two things: sunlight and clocks. Without those, people lost all sense of time. Add the free drinks at the gaming tables, and it was no wonder that guests only remembered to leave once they’d lost everything. If you sought amusement, casinos were a fine destination; if you hoped to win, you might as well be drawing water with a sieve.

At the Camillo Casino, one of the top ten in Las Vegas, VIP manager Jerrison received word that three helicopters were landing at the casino’s helipad. Anyone arriving by helicopter—let alone three at once—was no ordinary guest. Jerrison hurried out to greet them personally.

“Welcome, honored guests. I’m Jerrison, VIP manager at Camillo. If you require anything, I am at your service.” As he saw the bodyguards alight from the first two helicopters, he quickly stepped up to the middle one. The door opened, and a powerful wave of alcohol hit him.

“Ah... hehe... thank you... very kind...” Xiao Tianci, weaving slightly, passed by, giving Jerrison a friendly slap on the shoulder.

Jerrison was a seasoned professional. One glance told him this must be the big boss—a man he’d never seen before. He was fluent in six languages, including both spoken and written Chinese.

“Right this way, please,” Jerrison said, leading the way, though he had already committed the faces of Fang Meng, Lin Jian, and the others to memory. “These are no ordinary bodyguards or attendants. In all my experience, few have such presence. And yet, I have no record of this man. Judging by his bearing, he can’t be some nouveau riche upstart—perhaps he’s from one of the great Chinese families. I’d best notify the director and file his information at once.”

“Hehe... Manager... I want to play that game... the one in all the movies... the kind those legendary gambling masters play...” Xiao Tianci slung an arm around Jerrison’s neck, making him start, fearing for a moment something was amiss.

But as Xiao Tianci clarified, Jerrison understood. Though he disliked being gripped so tightly, with such a VIP—especially one whose identity was unclear—he could only maintain his professional smile.

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“You must mean stud poker,” the manager replied, inwardly delighted. With such a guest, tonight’s table would be grand indeed—and even if the house didn’t send out its own players, they’d be sure to take a hefty cut. And that bonus...

At that thought, even the reek of alcohol around Xiao Tianci seemed less offensive, and Jerrison found himself edging closer.

Xiao Tianci felt a shudder run through him, nearly shedding goosebumps all over the floor. Damn, did I just stumble onto a gay guy?

(Royal flush: 10, J, Q, K, A, all of the same suit; spades highest, then hearts, diamonds, clubs.
Four of a kind: Four cards of the same rank.
Full house: Three of one rank, two of another.
Flush: Five cards of the same suit.
Straight: Five consecutive cards, not all of the same suit.
Three of a kind: Three cards of the same rank.
Two pair: Two pairs of the same rank.
One pair: A single pair.
High card: Five unmatched cards; winner is the highest card.)