233: Chapter 229: Robbery?
233: Chapter 229: Robbery?
“Brother Hao, it’s that guy, Hua.
Should we head over to their Pujing Hotel?”
The guy with the wolf tattoo on his arm seemed to really know Zhang Zihao and his mates.
Feng gazed in that direction and moved closer to Zhang Zihao, asking him quietly.
“Which hotel to hit up?
I don’t really care.
I came to Hao River with you two just to spend money!”
“I’ve been to Hua’s Pujing Hotel many times already.
I’m pretty tired of that place.”
“Forget it, let’s just go to that tall guy we just saw!”
With a furrowed brow, after pondering for a moment, Zhang Zihao said with a smile.
This guy always considered himself smart.
Ignoring the invitation of acquaintances, he headed towards the unfamiliar tall guy.
What exactly was he scheming in his heart at this moment?
Since he had spoken, Feng and Han, who always looked to him for direction, naturally had no objections.
Carrying their suitcases, they followed closely behind Zhang Ziqiang, making their way to where the tall guy was standing, dozens of meters away.
Currently, the only gambling license in Hao River was held by the Gambling King.
In theory, all the casinos in Hao River belonged to him and should be harmonious.
But in reality, that wasn’t the case at all!
To balance the major forces, the Gambling King had implemented a contracting system, outsourcing the various gaming rooms in his casinos after.
Let’s not even talk about the rivalry between the major casinos; there was competition even between different gaming rooms within the same casino.
Whether it’s at a checkpoint or a ferry point, the casinos generally employed junket operators to pull gamblers coming to Hao River into their establishments.
The income of an ordinary junket operator was modest if they couldn’t attract many gamblers.
Of course, there were several legendary figures among Hao River’s junket operators.
For instance, Buck Teeth Zhu started as a junket operator.
“Bro, what should I call you?
I haven’t seen you before; where do you hang out?” As they approached the tall guy, Zhang Zihao and his mates stopped.
He glanced over the ramshackle van behind the big guy and then looked at him, asking with a smile.
“Brother Hao, my surname is Bai, and everyone calls me Bai.”
“I came from New Era, earning my keep with Big Brother Wei.”
“Brother Hao, you are my idol.
Ever since I read about you in the newspapers, my admiration for you pours out like a river…”
The tall guy’s Cantonese seemed quite unpolished, sounding a bit strange to the ear.
“New immigrant?
Not long in Hao River?
With such an imposing physique, no wonder you ended up as just a junket operator!”
Zhang Zihao looked the big guy up and down and laughed heartily.
He probed, “Hanging around here in Hao River is just wasting your time and talents.”
“Interested in rolling with me for some bigger deals?”
“Since you know about my past, you should be aware that even if you were a junket operator for ten years, it wouldn’t compare to pulling off one job with me…”
Merely by his looks, Zhang Zihao was certain that this fellow in front of him must be a simple-minded tough guy.
Ignoring acquaintances and walking over to this big guy’s side, perhaps deep down, he already had the intention to recruit him.
Of course, he wouldn’t trust others so easily.
His words at the moment were just preliminary probing.
Even if this big guy were to nod and agree to Zhang Zihao’s recruitment on the spot, gaining Zhang Zihao’s trust and truly entering his inner circle would likely take quite some time.
“Brother Hao willing to take me in, that’s a high regard for me.”
“But, I’ve only been with Big Brother Wei for a few days; leaving right now seems a bit improper.”
“I’ll think about it for two days and then give Brother Hao my answer.
How does that sound?” Feng scratched the back of his head and chuckled, then replied.
“Sure, Brother Hao never forces anyone.
I just thought it was a waste to have a big guy like you working as a junket operator!
Take your time to think about it, I won’t rush you!”
“If you’re not foolish, you’ll surely see that hanging with me offers a much brighter future than working as a junket operator!”
Zhang Zihao laughed carefree and gestured to his subordinates with a wave of his hand: “Feng, Han, let’s go, hop in the van.
We’ll head over to New Era and have some fun!” Having said this, he had already walked self-assuredly into the back of the van and found himself a seat.
The seats inside the van were a bit worn but seemed to have been cleaned within the last two days and looked fairly clean.
Zhang Zihao, who had faced many tough years in the past, now had money and lived a better life, but did not develop an obsessive level of cleanliness.
At his call, Feng and Han also promptly boarded and sat down in the van.
This type of seven-seater van could easily accommodate five or six people.
Even after the three of them sat down, there was still plenty of space inside.
The tall guy hesitated for a moment, did not head to the passenger seat, but also climbed into the back, shut the door behind him, and found a seat.
Zhang Zihao twisted his mouth and smiled indifferently.
To him, it seemed clear that the tall guy wanted to befriend them and establish a connection.
“Bro, drive us back to the hotel!” At the driver’s seat of the van sat a man wearing a baseball cap and a pair of large sunglasses.
The big guy smiled at him and signaled with a wave of his hand.
The engine started up, and the van slowly moved forward, picking up speed, and soon left the Outer Port Pier far behind.
Sitting in the back seat, Zhang Zihao crossed his legs and hummed an unnamed tune, with his eyes half-closed.
His minions, Feng and Han, looked curiously at the bulky guy, scanning him up and down.
Brother Hao made no secret of his desire to recruit this big guy to his crew from them.
From their expressions, they appeared eager to see whether this big fella had anything commendable about him, aside from his imposing appearance.
Unfortunately, after a long look, they didn’t find anything particularly shiny about him, but they suddenly realized that the guy had pulled out a pair of women’s pantyhose from his pocket.
And right under their noses, the big guy unfolded the pantyhose and pulled it over his face.
“Bai, in broad daylight, and inside the van at that, why the hell are you suddenly putting pantyhose over your face?
What’s the big idea?”
Feng couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.
“When you rob, don’t they always wear pantyhose over their face in those movies from Xiangjiang?” the big guy chuckled and replied.
While speaking, he reached under the seat and surprisingly pulled out a brick.
“Bai, you’re here to joke around, right?
With your build, wearing a mask or not, you’d look the same, and anyone could recognize you at a glance!
What is it?
Seeing Brother Hao trying to recruit you, are you trying to show off in front of us?”
Han, on the other side, looked at him as if he were looking at a fool, his face full of disdain, and he forcefully spat on the floor.
“I know I’m pretty noticeable, regardless of whether or not I wear a mask!”
“You guys understand, why say it out loud?”
“Don’t treat me like an idiot; I know you’re just looking down on me.”
“Now, I’m seriously telling you, this is a robbery.
Hand over all your money!”
The big guy, who was Bai Xiaohang, held the brick in one hand and spoke in a calm and measured voice.