The next day.
This time, Zhang Jingshan didn't rush out early.
After all, the gem-gambling market in the Western Suburbs only gets lively in the afternoon.
So, when that Land Rover appeared at the intersection of Dongpu Main Street,
it was already noon.
Just as Ye Chen expected.
Since Zhang Jingshan didn't drive that flashy red Porsche Panamera, he must have given Li Changfeng a ride.
"Mr. Ye!"
As soon as Ye Chen got in the car, both of them turned around and called out with a smile.
"President Zhang, General Manager Li, thank you for yesterday's matter!"
Ye Chen, sitting in the back seat, immediately said.
"Mr. Ye, there's nothing to thank me for. Putting aside the fact that you are my savior, Wang Tao's actions have long crossed my bottom line. Before, I tolerated him only because of that so-called relative relationship and the lack of a suitable opportunity to make him leave. It just so happened that yesterday's incident provided the opportunity and the reason!" Li Changfeng said with a smile.
"Lao Zhang, this is the wisest decision you've made since the first day I met you! That idiot, really, if you don't make him leave, he'll kill you sooner or later!"
Zhang Jingshan said as he turned the steering wheel.
Li Changfeng smiled and didn't dwell on the topic.
Changing the subject, "Mr. Ye, have you ever been involved in gem-gambling before?"
"It's not really 'involved'. I've joined in on the fun a few times, but I've never made a move!" Ye Chen replied.
In the past, he had indeed joined in on the fun a few times.
The reason he didn't make a move wasn't that he didn't want to, but that he didn't have the money.
After all, the stones cost tens or even hundreds of thousands, which was not something someone at his level could afford to play with.
He just went with others to join in on the fun and see the market.
"Then why this time?" Li Changfeng asked curiously.
Zhang Jingshan also pricked up his ears upon hearing this.
Ye Chen shook his head and smiled.
He knew what the other person was thinking.
He said, "Precisely because I haven't tried playing, that's why I want to give it a shot!"
Hearing this.
Zhang Jingshan and Li Changfeng should have been puzzled.
But after seeing the calm expression on Ye Chen's face, their curiosity was piqued again.
They really wanted to see if this guy's intuition was really that incredible.
After a leisurely chat along the way,
they arrived at the Western Suburbs.
Outside a large area of single-story buildings that were completely unrelated to luxury,
dozens of cars of various types and grades were parked.
There were Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Land Rover.
There were also some cheap commuter cars worth tens of thousands.
There were even taxis.
The Land Rover stopped.
Zhang Jingshan, who was familiar with the place, led Ye Chen and Li Changfeng, who was visiting such a place for the first time, directly into the single-story building.
"Oh, President Zhang is here!"
"Young Master Zhang, long time no see!"
"President Zhang, when are you going to introduce me to those beautiful streamers in your company? Haha!"
"President Zhang.."
"President Zhang.."
As soon as Zhang Jingshan, who had good connections, showed up,
all sorts of people immediately greeted him with smiles.
"Huh? Damn, Ye Chen, it really is you! I thought I saw the wrong person. When did you hook up with a big shot like President Zhang?!"
Suddenly, a thin man, after confirming that he wasn't mistaken, came over.
"Mr. Ye, your friend?"
Zhang Jingshan asked in surprise.
"A card buddy from when I used to play cards!" Ye Chen explained.
Ye Chen wasn't surprised by the appearance of this gambling friend.
On this day in his previous life, Ye Chen also came here to join in the fun with him.
"Oh, alright. You guys chat first. I'll go say hello to a few people first. We'll meet up later." Zhang Jingshan said.
After speaking, he patted Ye Chen's shoulder and continued walking inside with Li Changfeng.
"Damn, Ye Chen, how did you get to know someone like President Zhang? The CEO of Yunshan Network, the grandson of the former Old Secretary, the crown prince of Yong'an Construction Company... No, how did a gambler like you, who can't even afford to eat, hook up with him?"
The gambling friend looked as if he had seen a ghost, exclaiming loudly.
"What do you mean 'a gambler like me who can't even afford to eat'? Are you much better than me?"
Ye Chen rolled his eyes at the other person and said irritably.
"Cough, we're about the same, about the same!"
The gambling friend coughed dryly and then said seriously, "You've hooked up with a person like this, you'll have plenty of opportunities in the future! Following a big shot, even if you just run errands, it's a bright future! Don't gamble anymore, don't think about getting rich at the gambling table anymore. Over the years, we've been fellow sufferers, but in the end, besides our wives and children leaving, we have nothing! So you must seize this opportunity, live like a person, and don't gamble or drink anymore!"
"Lao Huang, what's wrong with you today? Drunk again? Why do I find these words coming from your mouth so awkward?" Ye Chen was confused.
He had known this gambling friend for a few years. Although they weren't close, he only knew the other person's name was Lao Huang. While they weren't close, he did have a basic understanding and knew that this guy was about the same as his past self.
So he was truly surprised to hear these words from such a gambler.
Moreover, on this day in his previous life, he also came with him, and he didn't see anything unusual.
"Damn, do you smell alcohol? The reason I'm telling you this isn't because I'm drunk, it's because I see that your life has a chance to start over! If you were still the same as before, I definitely wouldn't say these things. Why? Because people like us are the ones left over after the Jade Emperor is done managing. To put it more elegantly, we are outside the three realms and not within the six paths. We are just a damn human waste and a piece of mud!"
"Actually, we all understand those principles, but we just can't control our hearts and hands. The poorer we are, the more we want to gamble. The poorer we are, the more we want to get rich through gambling. If I could somehow step on dog shit luck and climb a high branch, I would definitely be able to quit gambling! But damn it, I just don't have that fate, so I might as well just degenerate to the end. Anyway, my wife and children have already left, there's nothing left to lose!"
Lao Huang sighed bitterly and meaningfully.
Just as he said, every gambler understands these principles. Every gambler is more rational and clear-headed than anyone else when repenting.
But they can't control their hearts and hands after repenting. It's precisely that phrase: the poorer you are, the more you want to get rich through gambling, and the more you gamble, the poorer you become, constantly falling into that vicious cycle.
"But you are different now. You've climbed a high branch. Following a person like President Zhang, you probably don't have to worry about anything. If you work hard, he will definitely treat you well! So, take care, remember, once you've turned your life around, don't touch gambling again. That stuff has no good ending. I have no hope. Whether I gamble or not, I'll end up the same way, so I might as well just go down the dark path!" Lao Huang said again.
"Alright, let's not talk about that!"
Ye Chen smiled bitterly and shook his head with mixed feelings.
He asked knowingly, "Tell me, why are you here this time? Are you aiming to get rich through gem-gambling?"
On this day in his previous life, he came with Lao Huang to watch the fun, but Lao Huang put his entire fortune on the line.
Of course, on this day in his previous life, Lao Huang lost everything.
Ye Chen was quite curious at the time how this guy suddenly came up with tens of thousands.
But in the end, he didn't ask much, only remembering Lao Huang's ashen face and despair as he lay on the ground.
And the last image Lao Huang left him with was his numb and empty eyes, leaving the gem-gambling market like a walking dead.
No matter how much he called out from behind, the other person didn't respond or look back.
Since then, he had never seen Lao Huang again...