Honestly, when Jin Yan said she wanted to let Wu Qiming go, there was a moment I desperately wanted to stop her right then and there.
If this whole killing game from beginning to end had nothing to do with me, and Jin Yan was the only one personally involved, it would have been fine. At least I wouldn't have been implicated.
But the reality was: not only was I involved in the killing game, but I was also the key figure in breaking it!
When it was clearly advantageous to strike down the enemy decisively while holding the moral high ground, Jin Yan inexplicably chose to spare them.
One must understand, showing mercy to an enemy is the greatest cruelty to oneself!
I had no doubt that if Wu Qiming managed to escape with his life, he would immediately retaliate with vengeance and a ruthless pursuit to eliminate all threats.
...
With this thought, while the onlookers were shouting, "Master Jin is righteous!", I quickly walked over to Jin Yan and whispered in her ear, "Are you really planning to let Wu Qiming go?"
Jin Yan smiled, pursed her red lips, and replied softly without moving her lips, "What are you thinking? Even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner!"
"Since Wu Qiming has already presented his grand gift and bowed out, I have to at least build a stepping stone for him out of respect for Master Xu Er and Master Wen San."
"To be blunt… regardless of whether tonight is Master Hong's birthday banquet, as long as Master Xu Er and Master Wen San are present, things cannot be pushed to the absolute extreme!"
"Don't worry! I'm well aware of the principle of letting a tiger return to the mountains!"
"I will not give that old dog Wu Qiming any chance to leave this mountain alive!"
Hearing Jin Yan reveal her true intentions, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, Jin Yan whispered in my ear again, "Thank you, Liang Kuan!"
"Without you, I would have been the one to fall in this gambling match tonight, one hundred percent!"
"Don't worry, once Wu Qiming's matter is resolved, I will not shortchange you on the promised reward!"
After finishing my conversation with Jin Yan, I heard the entire room erupting in a unified chant of "Master Jin is magnanimous."
At this point, I could finally relax.
Because: the situation was settled!
Even though the people cheering and supporting Jin Yan were all insignificant figures, and the big shots remained silent, even Master Xu Er and Master Wen San, the biggest of the big shots, dared not underestimate the current situation and rashly try to excuse Wu Qiming.
To put it simply, everyone would understand the reason.
Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it!
At this juncture, if Master Xu Er and Master Wen San, who had accepted benefits from Wu Qiming, were to rashly speak up to excuse him under the premise that the situation was already decided, they would inevitably lose public favor.
Although lost favor could be bought back with money, it was hard to guarantee that some people wouldn't feel grudging, uncomfortable, or even resentful.
This psychological imbalance could easily trigger a chain reaction.
As major players, they had to be thoroughly aware of this most basic principle of managing subordinates.
Therefore, the two of them tacitly chose to protect themselves.
After the killing game was defused, the subsequent arrangements and handling of matters were no longer my concern.
My task was completed, so I found an opportunity, took the car keys from the young subordinate who drove Jin Yan, and left the hall.
Walking back to the parking lot along the mountain road, I sat in the car, quietly smoking a cigarette, and leisurely admiring the night view of the forest.
After finishing the cigarette, I took out my phone to check the time.
It was 00:23 on March 4th, Beijing time.
Strictly speaking, counting from the night I escaped from Longxi, this was already the third night.
If Xiao Tianci had truly sent people to pursue me relentlessly, three nights and two days would have been enough time to track down my whereabouts.
After resting for half the night, I should leave tomorrow.
If I remembered correctly, the King of Gamblers competition was set to officially begin on March 12th.
According to the rules initially set by Mr. He, if the privileges of the King of Gamblers Token were not used by their expiration date, they would be invalidated along with the token itself.
In other words, before the King of Gamblers competition officially commenced, Ying Baolin and Yu Shuang would soon approach me to make my final decision!
And this also meant that I was about to part ways with Cheng Minglang.
Because the road ahead would inevitably be fraught with changes and bloodshed, and Cheng Minglang, who had found his other half, was no longer suitable to accompany me on this journey...
As infinite emotions welled up, Jin Yan's figure suddenly appeared outside the car window.
She was smiling broadly, clearly indicating a successful outcome.
As soon as she got into the car, Jin Yan said to me with a smile, "Thank you again, Liang Kuan!"
Before she finished speaking, I saw her take out a bank card from her bag and hand it to me.
"I really owe you a lot today; otherwise, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly afterwards!"
"This outcome is much better than I had anticipated!"
"I, Jin Yan, remember this great favor. I will definitely repay you when I have the chance!"
"Oh, and this card was used by Wu Qiming to compensate me earlier. It has about nine million yuan in cash that you can withdraw anytime. Please accept it."
After speaking, without waiting for my reaction, Jin Yan directly placed the bank card into my hand.
I didn't refuse, and as I accepted the bank card, I casually nodded and smiled at Jin Yan.
Under my smiling gaze, Jin Yan's smile turned a little awkward.
"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Hearing this, I immediately interjected, "You just said you owe me a great favor, right?"
"That's right!" Jin Yan replied with a solemn expression, nodding. "Without you, my gains wouldn't have been this significant!"
"So, after the monetary reward is settled, you intend to owe me another favor?"
"Yes!"
"What if I want you to repay this favor now?"
"I will go through fire and water for you, without hesitation!"
"What if my matter is also very troublesome, and the person I'm up against is a powerful figure you wouldn't want to provoke?" I pressed on.
Jin Yan replied solemnly, "I stand by my previous words, I will go through fire and water for you, without hesitation!"
As if afraid I wouldn't believe her, Jin Yan continued, "To be honest, if you hadn't been here tonight, I might not have been able to break this game at all!"
"As for any anticipated outcome, if I can't even break the game, then it's naturally impossible!"
"Therefore, I must keep this favor in mind!"
Jin Yan's answer satisfied me greatly.
With her promise, this trip truly felt like a complete success!
After a moment of thought, I looked at Jin Yan and said, "When we get back, I need you to do one thing for me immediately!"
"No problem!"