The Revenge of the Reborn Supreme Sovereign-Chapter 227 - 223: Grandpa 2! (5)

Li Yicheng had actually paid the huge sum of 1.3 billion.

As the crowd of gamblers watched Qin Fan’s carefree departing figure, they broke into thunderous applause. It seemed to be for Qin Fan, but even more so for Li Yicheng’s upstanding integrity.

After seeing Qin Fan off with a 1.3 billion payout, Li Yicheng didn’t linger in the gambling hall. He took the seven or eight burly men in suits and returned to the office floors above.

In Li Yicheng’s office, his confidant, Zhong Liang, trailed closely behind him, stepping on the expensive wool carpet. "Second Master, should we—" he asked, making a sharp, throat-slitting gesture.

"Shut up!" Li Yicheng turned his head slightly, his brows knitting together as he scolded in a low, firm voice. "I, Li Yicheng, have held sway in Macau for so many years. When have I ever resorted to something like that? Don’t ever mention it again!"

"Second Master, that was 1.3 billion! It came from the corporate account, so how are we going to explain it to the big boss? You know how suspicious he is. He was away from the casino due to his health, but now he has recovered. Given his paranoia, he’s bound to overthink you being in control of the Kingdom all this time. Now, on top of that, there’s this massive loss of 1.3 billion. It will undoubtedly fuel his suspicions even more!"

Seventeen years of life-and-death loyalty allowed Zhong Liang to speak his mind freely. He unscrupulously voiced words that, from anyone else, would have been branded as sowing discord.

"Zhong Liang, let me ask you a question." Li Yicheng let out a soft breath and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. Gazing at the bustling city below, he crossed his arms and spoke with his back to Zhong Liang. "In this Earth Realm of Macau, do you think they call me ’Second Master’ out of sincere respect?"

"Without a doubt!" Zhong Liang quickly followed him. "I’m not just saying this to curry favor, Second Master. Based on your reputation and how you conduct yourself, their respect is absolutely sincere!"

"Heh." Li Yicheng shook his head with a faint, unreadable smile. "If a saint does one bad thing, the world sees it as an unforgivable betrayal. But if a lifelong scoundrel does one good thing, he’s praised to the heavens—a prodigal son’s return more precious than gold. That’s just how the world is, and that’s how people’s hearts work. I, Li Yicheng, have lived long enough that I don’t need to rely on my reputation to make a living, but I still need it to live as a man of integrity. Money can be earned back. I’ll explain things to the big boss, so you don’t need to worry. This matter is over."

"Second Master!" Zhong Liang’s brows remained tightly furrowed, unable to relax.

"Enough!"

At Li Yicheng’s resolute command, Zhong Liang sighed inwardly, not daring to press the matter further. It was true that the Second Master’s public image in the Earth Realm of Macau was one of shining brilliance. But Zhong Liang knew that by prioritizing his persona and reputation, the Second Master had lost a great deal.

Many times, Zhong Liang had wanted to ask him if it was all worth it, but he could never bring himself to voice the question.

Leaning back in the genuine leather executive chair at his desk, Li Yicheng rubbed the corners of his eyes near the bridge of his nose. Qin Fan’s final words echoed ceaselessly in his mind.

A man who came to Macau to collect a debt! What debt? Does collecting a debt require coming to the Kingdom Casino and winning 1.3 billion? What is he really targeting? Could it be the Kingdom Casino itself?

Li Yicheng couldn’t figure it out, but a vague sense of unease began to stir within him.

***

After exiting the Kingdom Casino, Qin Fan scanned his surroundings with his Divine Sense. Finding no one following or preparing to follow him, the corners of his lips curved up in a silent, faint smile.

Looks like that fellow has some real guts. Losing over a billion, and a casino owner at that, yet he doesn’t plan to use underhanded means to take it back? Interesting.

Musing to himself, Qin Fan turned to Lai Zhuge beside him. "Lai Shenxiang, don’t you have connections with the Li Family? Do you know this Second Master?"

"I know of him, but he doesn’t know me," Lai Zhuge said, shaking his head truthfully. "He’s the biological brother of the Gambling King, Li Juncheng, and Li Wenxuan’s uncle. My connection to the Li Family was mainly with the late Old Master Li, who passed away several years ago, and with Li Juncheng. I haven’t had many dealings with anyone else."

"How interesting. The characters of these two brothers are worlds apart. One can default on a ten-billion-dollar life-saving debt, while the other can casually part with 1.3 billion in a bet. This trip to Macau is certainly getting interesting," Qin Fan said leisurely.

"Indeed, it’s quite a surprise to me," Lai Zhuge remarked. "And the contrast is deeply ironic, haha! I wonder why Old Master Li chose Li Juncheng as his heir in the first place. Perhaps he was getting senile in his old age."

Senile? Qin Fan merely chuckled softly, not bothering to retort to Lai Zhuge, a man solely devoted to the art of Geomancy. To hold up a family empire like that, you need a cunning and ruthless nature to defend and expand your territory. They just made the mistake of trying their cunning on me.

Seeing that Qin Fan hadn’t responded, Lai Zhuge changed the subject. "Master Qin, where to next? Should we head directly to the Li Family?"

"No need," Qin Fan replied, shaking his head. "Let’s start with Li Wenxuan. Use your connections in Macau and find out what she’s up to."

"Alright!" Lai Zhuge agreed. He pulled out his phone and, without any attempt at privacy, dialed a number right in front of Qin Fan.

After some polite greetings, Lai Zhuge began to subtly probe for information. The call lasted for several minutes before he finally hung up.

"It seems they have a guilty conscience," Lai Zhuge said with a scornful sigh.

"How so?" Qin Fan hummed, not having used his powers to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Li Wenxuan is holding her engagement party on a cruise ship tonight, but the Li Family didn’t invite me. And to think, I was the one who went to Macau three times to find that Feng Shui treasure land for Old Master Li! Haha, it smacks of someone tearing down the bridge after they’ve crossed it! I never thought ten billion could make Li Juncheng abandon all principles! It seems I was blind to ever think that man could become a true leader. What a miscalculation!" Lai Zhuge said, shaking his head with a look that was both tragic and absurd.

Was ten billion really a big deal to Li Juncheng and the Li Family? To say it was insignificant would be an exaggeration, but it certainly wasn’t enough to plunge their gambling empire into a financial crisis. Yet for that amount, he had abandoned a friendship and even violated his own integrity. It was tragic, comical, and utterly contemptible.

However, Qin Fan’s thinking was on a completely different channel from Lai Zhuge’s. As he had told Li Yicheng, he was simply a man who had come to Macau to collect a debt.

What does he care if it was tragic or comical? He was only here to collect what was owed—the ten-billion-dollar debt! At the same time, he would make the Li Family understand just how foolish it was to play their cunning games with him, Qin Fan. He would collect the debt, but the punishment was even more important. That wasn’t something that could be erased by a mere 1.3 billion in interest.

He smiled and murmured softly, "An engagement, huh? Excellent. It seems today is a fine day indeed."