SH City's hustle outshone SZ City; people here had bigger opportunities.
"How's the fit?" Xiao Ran asked from the passenger seat, testing Xu's driving.
"It's okay — first time driving it. Still getting used to the auto," Xu said. Thankfully it was an automatic; the Quattroporte's ride was superb, if a bit thirsty on fuel.
Xiao Ran suddenly offered, "Really — take it. I'll fill the tank for you."
Xu eyed him suspiciously. "You hiding something? Is this banquet a trap?"
Xu wasn't naive — if it were a setup, he'd help Xiao Ran through it. He didn't belong to Xiao Ran's circle, but he'd do his best.
"They're targeting me. I know you shielding me at drink rounds is serious," Xiao Ran sighed. "This needs long-term planning. Whatever happens, as long as we get out alive, there's a way."
Xu had been a soldier once; he could protect himself. He also knew Xiao Ran learned taekwondo — they had a chance to escape if needed.
"Remember Li Anran?" Xiao Ran suddenly asked, making Xu nearly crash into a bus.
"What happened with you and Li Anran? Weren't you two supposed to be done?" Xu pressed. He didn't like romance, but remembered clearly the story of Li Anran — her purity and kindness had impressed everyone. She'd once liked Xiao Ran, and Xu had even bought milk tea for her, pretending it was from Xiao Ran. When Li Anran found out she'd been happy he helped make it happen.
"Her family has power. After that I had to step back," Xiao Ran said flatly. Li Anran's family was formidable; that memory lingered.
"You said she'd wait," Xu tried to console. "You said she promised to wait at her family's."
Xiao Ran was grateful for the kindness Xu showed him back then. "Anran's sister Xiao Ya… I've lost her contact. Maybe she moved to BJ City?"
Xiao Ran shook his head; the old numbers were dead. "Let's not rush. Today's banquet is the priority."
Their slow pace clogged traffic for nearly a kilometer. The Maserati's engine growl made Xu's heart race. "Man, hitting the gas in this car feels amazing."
"Laugh all you want," Xiao Ran smiled. Night is when the city truly wakes; for Xu's parents back in TZ City, it's bedtime.
At home, Xu's father Xu Hai and mother Dai Lanlan discussed their son. Dai worried him into traveling to SZ to find Xu, and Xu Hai grumbled about giving money to others but wanted to see how their son was doing. They argued a bit about marriage prospects and the pressure of time — the usual rural parents fretting over a grown child.
On the ship, the banquet was held on a cruise near the Bund. Xu suddenly needed the restroom. "Don't go. Once you're in, there's no backing out," Xiao Ran whispered. "There are bodyguards everywhere, and those guys have Bluetooth earpieces for coordination."
"Also, you don't know my identity yet. Everything revolves around me — don't be too curious," he warned. Xu took him seriously; obedience meant safety.
Gambling tables and high-stakes games were everywhere onboard. "Want to try your luck?" Xiao Ran suggested, glancing at the dealer opposite.
Xu balked. "I can barely beat at online card games. This is real money." He watched a man lose thousands in an instant — his wallet felt painfully thin.
"Just try it. I'll cover the money," Xiao Ran coaxed. Xu wasn't thrilled, but curiosity and a rush of excitement pulled him in.
Xu was reluctant but excited — this was his first time seeing real gambling live. He sat, heart pounding.
"Place your bets," the croupier said. Xiao Ran's idea of money was bottomless to Xu; in college Xiao Ran never seemed to pay — his girlfriends did. That's why Xu teased him as a "pretty boy".
"Change for 200,000," Xiao Ran tossed chips, and a handful vanished in a blink. Xu's eyes widened — tens of thousands gone in a glance. He felt the sting.
"Why tip so much?" Xu winced. "It's not our money."
"You'll see the payoff," Xiao Ran murmured. Xu didn't want to see; the memory of not even affording a net café when in school stung.
"Your turn," Xiao Ran poked Xu to play.
"I'll call — 10,000," Xu whispered.
"No, ten thousand? Ten-fold!" the tough man across the table barked.
"Call! If I need more funds I'll get them," Xiao Ran said. He wasn't afraid of offending anyone — he'd chosen his moment.
"Ten thousand? Ten thousand?!" Xu pushed out half of the 200,000 in chips.
The tough guy sneered, tearing his cigar — Xu shivered. Xiao Ran stepped in; he wanted the man to stop. He'd seen the tough guy cheat in subtle ways; he called out a huge bet — one million — and the man folded. Xiao Ran had forced him into retreat.
The table erupted in murmurs. Xiao Ran's hand had the winning cards — three aces plus a ten of spades would have beaten the cheater if needed. Xu realized he'd been sitting next to someone who could see through tricks.
They retreated from the table. Hunger gnawed at Xu. The lower decks had a dance hall and a buffet downstairs — the spread was extravagant: Australian lobsters, rare fish, money-can't-buy displays. Xu wandered like someone in a dream, trying not to be noticed.
"Don't wander. Let's eat then head back," Xiao Ran urged. He knew the ship was full of temptations but also power players — officials, secretaries, big shots from SH and SZ. The wealth on display dwarfed everything Xu knew.
"Someone invited the mayor's secretary and a party secretary," Xiao Ran muttered. He frowned — the host must be very well connected. Could it be the man from Li Anran's family? That possibility unsettled him.
Xu realized tonight exposed him to a world he'd only read about. He was in awe and overloaded. "This could change many lives," he whispered.
"These people are small fish to bigger fish," Xiao Ran said. "True titans make money every second."
Xu laughed skeptically. "You're talking like Forbes is a joke."
Xiao Ran shrugged. "There's more at stake than money. Influence. Control. Tonight's crowd is all about mutual needs."
"Anyway, stay alert. That one guy's been targeting me," Xiao Ran said. He worried for his life and Xu's.
They tried to relax with the music, but the tension never fully left.