nycdaug Chapter 135 Greedy Manager
Chapter 135 Greedy Manager
After discussing the important matters, Zheng Hao and Zhen Cheng and the others said their goodbyes and left.
Sitting in the carriage on the way back to the inn, as they passed a gambling den, Gu Lin immediately remembered what Zhen Yuan had said in the private room earlier. He wondered when he would be able to get back the three thousand taels of silver he had bet at that gambling den and the money he had gambled.
"What is Uncle Gu looking at?"
Zheng Hao sat behind Gu Lin, following the other's gaze to the gambling den outside.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Gu Lin turned to look at Zheng Hao. The word "no" was about to come out of his mouth, but when he met Zheng Hao's deep, calm eyes, Gu Lin hesitated, unwilling to give a perfunctory answer or deceive him.
His expression showed a hint of hesitation. Although he placed his bets at the gambling den not for gambling purposes, but to prove himself, it was still gambling in essence. As an elder, he always warned Zheng Hao not to go to gambling dens and casinos, but now he was knowingly doing so.
Seeing the young man sitting opposite him looking hesitant, Zheng Hao knew he hadn't guessed wrong; Uncle Gu was indeed hiding something from him.
Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly, suppressing the usual coldness between his brows. His expression softened, and he looked at Gu Lin with a look of tolerance as he asked, "Uncle Gu, is there something you want to tell me?"
Hearing Zheng Hao's question, Gu Lin felt increasingly caught in a dilemma. Rationally, he felt there was nothing to hide and he should tell the other party the truth. However, emotionally, he was afraid that his actions would have a negative impact on the other party.
Gu Lin pursed his lips, thinking that with the palace examination imminent, it was best not to mention this matter to avoid worrying or distracting the other party.
However, when he looked up and saw the young man sitting in front of him, who was gradually losing his naivety and becoming more mature, with a tolerant expression, Gu Lin still did not want to deceive him.
"Actually," Gu Lin revealed in one breath, "the person Zhen Yuan mentioned in the private room who placed a bet of three thousand taels of silver on you at the gambling den was me."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Hao's eyes flickered, but no surprise appeared on his face. When Zhen Yuan mentioned this matter earlier, Zheng Hao noticed the change in Uncle Gu's expression and had already guessed what was going on. However, he did not expect that Uncle Gu would actually go to the gambling house to place a bet for him.
And it was three thousand taels at once.
However, thinking of something, Zheng Hao asked, "Just now, Brother Zhen Yuan said that the couple who bet three thousand taels at the gambling den were a married couple, Uncle Gu..."
Zheng Hao slightly lifted his eyelids, his gaze falling on the young man's face, observing the changes in his expression.
Gu Lin was initially surprised that Zheng Hao didn't show any shock after hearing what he had done. Now, after hearing the other party's slightly puzzled question, Gu Lin explained, "Brother Niu and I entered the gambling den together that day. They must have misunderstood our relationship."
Zheng Hao had some guesses about the man who accompanied Uncle Gu into the gambling den. It was either Niu Qiang or Da Zhuo and others. However, Zheng Hao was meticulous. In order to prevent Uncle Gu from having any contact with other men without his knowledge, he would not let go of any possibility and would not stop until he had figured it out.
Gu Lin felt guilty and glanced at the boy opposite him out of the corner of his eye, observing the change in the other's expression. Zheng Hao naturally noticed this and knew that Uncle Gu must be uneasy about his visit to the gambling den.
Zheng Hao spoke, his tone gentle, and if you listened carefully, you could even detect a smile that he didn't usually have: "The results of the provincial examination haven't been announced yet, and Uncle Gu has already bet three thousand taels on me. If I don't get the top score this time, Uncle Gu, aren't you afraid that the three thousand taels will go down the drain?"
Seeing that Zheng Hao didn't object much to his going to the gambling den to place bets, Gu Lin immediately shed his guilty conscience and said, "They don't know your strength, but I do know that you are fully capable of competing with He Yanzhi, Du Yuan, and the others for the top spot."
"Moreover," Gu Lin recalled the conversation between the two men when the topic of the provincial examination betting came up, and his usually gentle face showed anger: "Who told them to go too far! If they were just betting on other candidates to win the provincial examination, I would have nothing to say, but why do they say that you are not as good as them?"
Without leaning against the carriage wall, Gu Lin straightened his back and said to Zheng Hao with a defiant look in his eyes, "I'll not do as they want. They mistook pearls for fish eyes, but I have the discerning eye to recognize them. Look, didn't I bet the right thing with my three thousand taels?"
Uncle Gu is gentle and kind to everyone. Even when he has a conflict with someone, he can usually let bygones be bygones and rarely shows his anger like this.
Zheng Hao lowered his eyes, his emotions surging. He knew that Uncle Gu's behavior was all for him. If it weren't for him, how could Uncle Gu, who always hated gambling, have stepped into the gambling den and how could he have made an exception to place bets for him personally?
The image of Uncle Gu's eyes flashing with anger flashed in Zheng Hao's mind, and his fingertips twitched slightly beneath his sleeve.
He wondered if this meant that not only were his joys and sorrows based on Uncle Gu, but Uncle Gu's joys and sorrows were also affected by him.
"Xiao Hao".
Seeing that the boy lowered his head and remained silent after he finished speaking, Gu Lin called out to him a few times.
After revealing everything about his gambling trip, Gu Lin no longer needed to specifically go to the gambling den to collect his winnings when Zheng Hao wasn't at the inn.
Zheng Hao snapped out of his daze and heard Gu Lin calling him. He looked up at the other person.
Before the other party could speak, Zheng Hao took the initiative to ask, "Uncle Gu, do you want to go to the gambling den now to retrieve your winnings?"
When interacting with people, whether they are strangers or close friends, Zheng Hao can always easily guess what the other person will say or do next. He is meticulous and good at observing people, and he knows their habits very well. However, when facing outsiders, he is motivated by self-interest, but when facing Uncle Gu, he simply puts the other person first out of habit.
Gu Lin quickly nodded and said, "To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, it would be better if we took the money back."
In the imperial examination betting game, Zheng Hao's odds were very high. If Gu Lin bet 3,000 taels, he could win back at least 10,000 taels. Gu Lin would not feel at ease if he left more than 10,000 taels out there for even a day.
So Zheng Hao instructed Niu Qiang, who was driving outside, to change the route and head to the gambling den where Gu Lin had placed his bet.
Upon arriving at the gambling den, Gu Lin and his companions secured the carriage and then went inside.
Walking towards the counter behind the gambling den's main hall, Zheng Hao and Niu Qiang followed behind Gu Lin. After Gu Lin stopped in front of the counter, he took out the receipt that the dealer had given him earlier from his purse and said to the manager, "A few days ago, when I placed my bet on the top scholar in the imperial examination, the scholar I bet on won the top spot. I've come here today to collect my bet money."
Compared to other gambling games in the gambling den, the gambling game for the top scholar in the imperial examination was not large. However, for the manager, the sudden emergence of a stranger who won the top spot in the imperial examination this year made the entire gambling game for the top scholar in the imperial examination very profitable. Hundreds of thousands of taels of silver flowed into the gambling den's pockets, and the gambling den itself did not lose much.
Suddenly, upon hearing a gambler say that he had bet on the right person, the manager's face showed surprise. Then, after hearing the gambler introduce himself and produce the receipts kept by the casino's bookmaker, the manager saw that it was indeed true.
However, when the manager saw the young man's bet and odds on the back of the ticket, his face twitched.
Looking at the slender, handsome young man standing in front of the counter, the manager raised his slanted eyes and said, "Young man, you have quite the luck."
Seeing the manager's expression, Gu Lin frowned slightly, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. However, recalling the odds of 1 to 20 on the tickets he had seen on the way here, a smile reappeared in Gu Lin's eyes and between his brows.
Then, he couldn't help but sigh, no wonder so many people want to get rich overnight through gambling. Apart from the initial capital of three thousand taels, Gu Lin earned nearly sixty thousand taels. Even a business with no capital is not so easy to make money.
However, Gu Lin also knew that this was a one-time thing, and relying on gambling to make money was ultimately not the right way. He was able to win the bet this time because Zheng Hao was very strong. If it were any other bet, he would not have been so lucky.
As he drew closer to the candlelight, the steward continued to examine the receipts, going over them four or five times without offering any further comment. Gu Lin sensed something was amiss.
His smile faded.
The steward, his eyes narrowed with a hint of sarcasm, said to Gu Lin, "It's getting late. It's not safe to give nearly 60,000 taels of silver to a mere boy like you. You should bring your family to collect it tomorrow."
Looking at the manager, Gu Lin said, "Thank you for your concern. My family came with me today. You can just hand over the gambling money to me."
Zheng Hao took a few steps forward, and his tall figure, which had been in the shadows, was now exposed in the candlelight. Only then did the steward notice that the young man had not come alone; he was followed by two men.
One was dressed in a long robe, with a handsome face and an air of scholarly refinement, clearly a learned man. The other was tall and imposing, with a fierce and terrifying face. The steward's eyes lit up with wariness. He didn't need to pay attention to the young man or the scholar, but he needed to be wary of the latter.
Zheng Hao raised his eyes slightly, his dark eyes, like those of a beast, looking at the steward and saying, "Please settle the gambling debts and hand them over to us, steward."
Sixty thousand taels of silver is no small sum. These past few days, the manager had only earned a few thousand taels from gambling on the top scorer in the imperial examination. Faced with this sixty thousand taels of silver, the manager's eyes showed greed, and he was unwilling to let it go easily.
He observed the clothes of the three people opposite him. They were all made of the most ordinary fine cotton fabric, and judging from their accents, they did not seem to be from the capital. They must be candidates who came to the capital from other places to participate in the imperial examination. Now that the imperial examination was over, all those who made the list were preparing for the palace examination. They had no time to accompany the young man to collect gambling money.
The steward's mind raced, and he guessed that these three must be people who had no one to rely on, no power, and no influence.
Greed had numbed his senses; the manager's eyes were clouded yet resolute. He was determined to swallow this sum of money today.
After making his decision, the steward glanced at the aloof young man standing not far in front of him. He had seen many such ignorant scholars who, apart from their degree, had no power or influence in the capital and were easy to bully.
He didn't take all their money; one should always leave some room for decency and not push people too far.
After thinking it through, the manager smiled, but his eyes were full of threat: "You are new to the capital, so you probably don't know the rules of our gambling dens. If the amount of money won by a gambler is small, it can be settled on the same day. But if it exceeds 10,000 taels, you have to settle accounts with the manager above. After settling the gambling money back and forth, it will take more than a month."
“I know it’s not easy for you to settle down in the capital,” the manager said, then changed the subject. “The expenses in the capital are huge. I will return the betting money you placed first. Give me the receipts and come back in a month to collect the remaining amount.”
The manager put on an air of sanctimoniousness, and Gu Lin almost burst out laughing when he heard the other party utter such shameless words.
Flames ignited in his light brown eyes. Gu Lin curled his lips and said sarcastically, "This huge gambling den has been established in the capital for many years and has always been known for its abundant funds. Its daily turnover alone is more than 100,000 taels. Gamblers have to go through a process of more than a month to withdraw 60,000 taels of gambling funds?"
"Is it to report to the higher-ups, or are some people just greedy and want to line their own pockets with the gamblers' winnings?"
Gu Lin showed no mercy.
He does believe in making money through harmony. When cooperating with Fang Jiyue, Mrs. Fang, and others, he is willing to take a step back and give up some benefits. This is because only by giving up petty gains can he obtain greater returns. All these behaviors do not mean that he is weak and easy to bully.
What is rightfully his will be his, and it won't be so easy for others to take it away.
Hearing the young man's rudeness and his exposed intentions, the manager's face turned cold, and he scolded, "Young man, don't talk nonsense and tarnish the reputation of my gambling den."
Seeing that Gu Lin and the other two were unwilling to back down and were determined to suffer the consequences, the steward was too lazy to be polite to them.
He shouted, "Men, get them out of here!"
As soon as the manager finished speaking, Gu Lin immediately saw a group of thugs surrounding him from all sides. At a rough glance, there were at least a dozen of them. Gu Lin's expression turned cold.
Zheng Hao stepped forward, shielding the young man behind him, and then faced a group of thugs wielding sticks. Despite the vast disparity in their numbers, he showed no fear, protecting the young man behind him. He looked at the manager and calmly asked with his dark eyes, "Are you sure you want to swallow this money?"
The steward stood behind a group of thugs, looking at the three people surrounded in the middle, his face full of mockery and disdain: "So what if you are? Don't think that just because you are a scholar I'm afraid of you. The capital city has no shortage of scholars."
Every three years, countless people take the imperial examination to become successful candidates. In a prefectural city, a successful candidate might have a high status and be respected and feared. However, in the capital, where even a fifth-rank official has to keep a low profile, a successful candidate is nothing.
Faced with the other party's mockery, Zheng Hao calmly retorted, "If there aren't enough candidates for the provincial examination, then what about the candidates for the metropolitan examination?"
His beast-like eyes locked onto the steward, and he saw the steward's stunned expression after he finished speaking.
"You mean the top scholar is the same as the top scholar?"
The manager realized what was happening and adjusted his expression.
However, upon seeing the handsome, distinguished young man opposite him, whose expression remained indifferent throughout, the steward began to hesitate.
Having worked in the gambling den for many years, his gambling skills might not be great, but he was exceptional at judging people.
I hadn't noticed it before, but now that I'm observing carefully, the young man opposite me is indeed unlike an ordinary scholar, much less someone of ordinary background.
Could he be a scion of a prominent family from out of town who has connections in the capital and has come to take the imperial examinations?
It's worth noting that there are quite a few scions of noble families who dislike attracting attention and prefer to go out as ordinary citizens.
The person in charge immediately broke out in a cold sweat.