Continuing, he said, "As an honor student, I really admire you guys who have been to college—you have so many ways to make money. Tell me, what kind of money-making path did you find recently? Care to share it with Brother Biao?"
The reason Brother Biao asked this is that he knew very well Ye Chen, who had the guts to go check out houses at Jinlin Mansion, definitely hadn't won that money at the gambling table.
Because for gamblers like Ye Chen, he had seen not a thousand, but eight hundred of them, and there was zero chance of any of them turning their lives around.
Therefore, Ye Chen's money definitely wasn't won from gambling. As for borrowing it from someone, that was even more absurd.
Aside from loan shark companies, who else would dare lend money to this kind of degenerate gambler?
Besides, if they could borrow money elsewhere, why would they ever resort to loan sharks in the first place?
"I won the welfare lottery!" Ye Chen smiled without any warmth.
"Bullshit, are you playing games with me? Welfare lottery, like you just happen to hit it?" Brother Biao said.
"Brother Biao, does your company really need to audit where your clients get their money from?" Ye Chen asked.
"Fuck, you really won't talk?" Brother Biao's expression shifted.
"Nothing to talk about!"
Ye Chen shook his head.
Gone was the usual cowardly, flustered, and timid demeanor he used to have whenever he saw the other man, as if facing a formidable enemy.
"Fine, you won't say, right? Then let's properly calculate the interest. Hmm, the two hundred seventy thousand was from a few days ago, and a few more days have passed, so it definitely can't be the same amount as a few days ago. I'm sure you know how these things work!"
Brother Biao looked at Ye Chen with a smile and raised three fingers. "I won't make things difficult for you: three hundred thousand, principal and interest included. Three hundred thousand will do!"
"I know the rules, which is why I never thought two hundred seventy thousand would settle it. There's exactly three hundred thousand right here, go ahead and count it!"
Brother Biao was quite surprised to find that Ye Chen had actually come fully prepared.
Immediately, he gestured to his subordinates.
The latter quickly opened the bag and began counting.
"Brother Biao, three hundred thousand, spot on!"
Hearing this, Brother Biao looked at Ye Chen again. "Not bad, honor student! Looks like you really found a way to make a fortune! Tell you what, do you want Brother Biao to introduce you to a high-end establishment? Much more upscale than the places you usually go to, and they even have special services. Whenever you want to blow off some steam, resources are available on demand—they're all top-notch, no exaggeration, they look just like celebrities!"
Ye Chen had originally planned to leave.
Hearing this, he froze.
Because Brother Biao's words dragged his memories right back up.
In his past life, he had invested an immense amount of time and effort trying to take revenge on these loan sharks.
Yet time and again, the other party managed to wriggle out of trouble, sheltered by their protective umbrella.
Even the inspection teams that entered Jiangzhou three separate times left empty-handed on every single occasion.
In the end, it was only during the fourth surprise return when the inspection team, after conducting secret surveillance for a long time and seizing the right moment, timing, and location, raided that hidden den—which involved massive gambling funds, prostitution, and drugs—that they managed to uproot the syndicate along with its bosses and protectors.
When the news broke back then, countless people in Jiangzhou cheered with delight. But behind that public elation, countless others felt chilled to the bone by the sheer depravity of the syndicate.
Because many of the women providing those special services were students or girls lured in through various manipulative tactics. Not only were they coerced into obedience through threats, but they were also controlled with drugs, completely shattering any will to resist.
Compared to running a local loan shark operation, that hidden den was truly a monstrosity that angered both gods and men.
After his rebirth, Ye Chen had assumed that this den hadn't even been formed yet.
After all, in his past life, the total uprooting of those scum because of that den had happened several years later.
Yet hearing Brother Biao mention it right now, he knew the den already existed.
"There are high-end places like that?" Ye Chen put on a look of being tempted.
"Damn it, do you think I'm lying to you? If you're interested, Brother Biao can introduce you. You can't just walk in there casually; fresh faces need to match the password to get through the door!" Brother Biao said.
"Where is it?"
Ye Chen immediately put on the eager, restless behavior characteristic of a gambler.
"Maple Leaf Hotel. When you get there, someone will ask if you have a reservation—just say Brother Biao introduced you. Afterward, someone will take you to the nineteenth floor. Once you're upstairs, someone will ask you what the weather is like outside, and you just reply with the four words 'light clouds and a breeze'!" Brother Biao said.
"Alright, thanks, Brother Biao!" Ye Chen said.
"Don't mention it. Brother Biao wishes you a fun and lucky time, haha!"
"I'll take your kind words, Brother Biao!"
After Ye Chen left, Brother Biao immediately took out his phone and made a call.
Nearby, a subordinate couldn't help asking, "Brother Biao, how much money could this kid possibly have? Just a while ago he looked like a penniless beggar with bare walls. Why did you introduce him to Maple Leaf Hotel?"
"That's because you don't understand. This sucker happily paid back three hundred thousand in principal and interest in one go, and he's also going over to Jinlin Mansion to buy a house. Even though I don't know how he suddenly got rich overnight, that's not important. What matters is that the cash in his hands definitely isn't a small amount—at the very worst, he can be milked for a few million!" Brother Biao sneered.
"Brother Biao, the boss said we should be careful when it comes to the Maple Leaf Hotel business and not draw too much attention, so we don't bring trouble down on ourselves. Could this—"
Before the man could finish, Brother Biao smacked him across the forehead.
"That spineless coward could bring us trouble? Damn it, if I get outsmarted by him, I'll let the boss chop me up and feed me to the dogs, and I'll accept it. Besides, with our boss's capability, how could these cheap little scraps kick up any waves?"
Thinking of how a certain top official from the municipal bureau had been completely wrapped around their boss's finger last time, Brother Biao involuntarily curled the corners of his mouth upward.
As if he were the main character who had the municipal bureau official wrapped around his finger.
The underling standing nearby hurriedly agreed.
In the end, he didn't dare contradict him.
He didn't dare blurt out the words: *Brother Biao, just a few days ago, you were the one who got outsmarted by that very honor student in his rental apartment.*
***
Chapter 035: Maple Leaf Hotel
Maple Leaf Hotel.
Ye Chen was far from unfamiliar with this den.
In his past life, while seeking revenge against the loan shark syndicate, he had eventually followed the trail and discovered this hideout.
He had even gone deep inside to gather a mountain of evidence.
It was just that by then, the inspection team had already mastered all kinds of incriminating evidence to uproot the gang through secret surveillance. By the time he was ready to provide his findings to the inspection team, the syndicate's stronghold had already been wiped out in a thunderous raid.
After more than fifty long years, stepping back inside this place once again, the righteous indignation deep within his heart still refused to be suppressed.
Putting his personal revenge aside, the secrets hidden within Maple Leaf Hotel were utterly inhuman and outrageously devoid of conscience!
"Sir, do you have a reservation?"
As soon as Ye Chen stepped inside, the middle-aged lobby manager immediately hurried over and asked with a smile.
"Brother Biao introduced me!" Ye Chen said.
According to the information Ye Chen had mastered in his past life, getting an entry pass wasn't limited to just mentioning Brother Biao.
He also knew several other methods.
However, those other methods were clearly unnecessary at the moment.
"Introduced by Brother Biao? Come, come, please this way, Boss!"
Hearing that Ye Chen was sent by Brother Biao, the lobby manager's attitude instantly shifted into a flattering, bootlicking subservience.
Although Brother Biao's main base seemed to be Anda Finance Company outside, whenever there was any dirty work to be done inside the Maple Leaf Hotel, Brother Biao was the one who handled it.
Therefore, in the eyes of the Maple Leaf Hotel staff, Brother Biao was truly a trusted and favored general under the boss.
They also knew what the phrase "introduced by Brother Biao" signified: it meant that the fellow in front of them was a fat sheep—a fat sheep who could be fleeced for at least a few million.
Led by the lobby manager, Ye Chen boarded the elevator that went straight to the nineteenth floor.
As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, a henchman stationed there on twenty-four-hour rotating duty immediately asked, "Hey, let me ask you, how's the weather outside?"
"Light clouds and a breeze!" Ye Chen calmly matched the code.
The next second, several henchmen exchanged glances.
They respectfully bowed slightly and made a gesture welcoming him in. "Boss, please!"
Under the guard's swiped card verification, the dragon-and-phoenix carved double doors swung open.
Ye Chen walked in with a leisurely stroll.
Expensive perfume mixed with the scents of various cigarettes and cigars.
The din of voices resembled the layout of a mini Las Vegas casino.
Siren-like seductive women shuttled back and forth among those men.
No one would ever have guessed that inside the unassuming Maple Leaf Hotel—a place that didn't even rank high in Jiangzhou's hotel industry—there existed such a breath-taking and elaborate hidden world.
If Ye Chen hadn't lived two lives and reached a net worth of hundreds of billions in his previous existence, his adrenaline would probably have spiked the moment he crossed this threshold, plunging him right into the extravagant, money-burning abyss of this world.
Yet, the moment he stepped inside, out of the corner of his eye he noticed several surveillance cameras pivot toward his unfamiliar face.
A cold, silent sneer crept into his heart.
On the surface, Ye Chen put on an excited and exuberant expression.
He walked toward the chip exchange counter.
Directly exchanging for one million in chips all at once.
Then, he strolled over to the gambling tables, fully performing the quintessential persona of a reckless gambler.
It wasn't until half an hour later that he noticed the cameras focusing on him had finally shifted away.
Bloodshot eyes, irritability, cursing, excitement, frustration, hair-pulling.
These standard reactions of a gambler were skillfully and seamlessly portrayed by him.
An hour later, the one million in chips had been completely wiped out!
"Dammit, what rotten luck!"
Ye Chen angrily stood up from the table.
Just then, a seductive woman of uncertain age holding a champagne flute walked over to him. "Why so angry?"
"Lost a million in less than an hour, losing over a dozen hands in a row. You tell me if you wouldn't be angry?" Ye Chen wore an expression of sheer exasperation.
"Calm down, calm down, isn't running into bad luck completely normal? Since your luck's off, just stop and take a break! Looking at your fresh face, this must be your first time here, right? Since it's your first time, don't miss out on Maple Leaf's God-tier service. This place is a man's paradise! Maybe after having some fun, your luck will turn right back around?" the seductive woman said with a smile.
"Hold on, who the hell are you?" Ye Chen asked.
If Li Changfeng and Zhang Jingshan were here right now, they would definitely be dumbfounded.
Was this still the seemingly foolproof, extremely composed Ye Chen?
"Hehe, let me introduce myself. People here call me Sister Hong; you could say I'm the manager of this place!" the seductive woman chuckled.
"The manager, huh!" Ye Chen's aggressive aura suddenly seemed to subside.
He put on the complete expression of a vulgar upstart.
"About those special services, I heard Brother Biao mention them. Where are they?"
"Biaozi? Biaozi introduced you? Heh, looks like your relationship with Biaozi isn't ordinary!"
With that, Sister Hong suddenly snapped her fingers.
Two young men immediately walked over. "Sister Hong!"
"Take this guest to experience the fun Maple Leaf has to offer!" Sister Hong instructed.
Then she looked back at Ye Chen. "Sir, but those aren't free, you know. Hmm, basic service is eighteen thousand, the next tier up is twenty-eight thousand, deeper services are thirty-eight thousand... there are quite a few tiers, plus imperial suites and king suites. The girls will introduce them to you when the time comes. No problem, right?"
"Isn't it just about money? No problem!" Ye Chen grew stirred up.
"That's settled then. Have a wonderful time, Sir!"
Holding her champagne flute, Sister Hong walked away.
Under the respectful guidance of the two young men, Ye Chen walked toward the deepest part of the casino.
As another door was pushed open, a spacious swimming pool appeared before his eyes.
In the pool, many women dressed in sexy attire were frolicking and playing in the water with men who looked like vulgar upstarts.
Around the edge of the pool, quite a few more women were sitting.
"Sir, if you take a fancy to any of the girls, you can go straight over and bring her into the water, or take her to a room for whatever service you need. They'll explain the service prices to you in detail!" one of the young men said.
Ye Chen nodded offhandedly.
His gaze swept over the women sitting by the poolside.
Soon, his eyes locked onto a girl with a somewhat vacant gaze and a desolate, weary demeanor.
"That one!"
Ye Chen raised a hand and pointed at the girl.
"Got it, we'll arrange it for the boss right away!" one of the young men smiled.
"Xiaoya, come here!"
At that call, the girl named Xiaoya stood up and walked over expressionlessly.
"Damn it, can you stop wearing that deadpan face all the time? Do you think life is too good for you right now, huh?"
Seeing Xiaoya's numb expression, one of the young men barked angrily.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Scolded like that, the girl named Xiaoya instantly trembled in panic.
As for Ye Chen, he froze in a daze.
Earlier, from a distance, he hadn't been able to clearly make out her features.
Now that the distance had closed—
Wasn't this, wasn't this the girl from his past life whose corpse was buried in the concrete of a construction site?
After the incidents at Maple Leaf Hotel were exposed in his past life, several women who had met tragic deaths inside the hotel were also brought to light.
However, the authorities at the time had not released detailed profiles or photos of those women.
Yet before the inspection team raided Maple Leaf Hotel, Ye Chen had already gathered detailed information on the women murdered by the hotel.
The Xiaoya before him was precisely the one who had been murdered, transported to a construction site, and buried in concrete.
And the one who had murdered her and buried the corpse was none of other than Brother Biao!
"Sir, do you want to play in the pool for a bit, or head straight to a room?"
The young man's voice snapped Ye Chen out of his thoughts.
"Straight to the room!" Ye Chen blurted out.
"You got it!"
With that reply, the young man immediately barked at Xiaoya again, "What are you still standing there daydreaming for? Hurry up and lead the way for our boss!"
***
Chapter 036: Are You a Good Person?
Inside the ingeniously designed room, wisps of lingering incense curled around a scent that seemed capable of stirring up hormones.
Looking around, everything was crafted purely for sensual pleasure.
One had to admit, a lone man and woman placed in this kind of environment would find it hard to maintain their self-control, even if Liu Xiahui himself were here.
As soon as he entered the room, Ye Chen immediately raised his head to check the corners.
Instinctively, he wanted to see if there were any surveillance cameras.
"Are you looking for cameras? Rest assured, there are no cameras installed in the rooms!"
As if reading Ye Chen's intentions, Xiaoya said with a numb tone.
Then, she reached out as if to take off her clothes.
"What are you doing?" Ye Chen asked hastily.
"Don't I need to take off my clothes?" Xiaoya asked blankly.
Yet she didn't seem particularly surprised.
After all, many 'guests' had their own distinct fetishes.
"Help me massage my head first!"
Ye Chen walked over to the expensive, large bed and lay down.
He rested his head at the foot of the bed.
"Massage your head?"
This was the first time Xiaoya had ever heard such a request.
In her past receptions, the clients were basically all impatient, hot-headed men.
However, upholding the principle that the customer is God, she obediently pulled over a stool and began massaging Ye Chen's head.
"If we chat, will we be overheard?"
Under Xiaoya's kneading, Ye Chen, with his eyes closed, suddenly asked.
"No, there are no cameras or voice recorders installed in the rooms. Why do you ask?" Xiaoya asked blankly in a daze.
Hearing this, Ye Chen hesitated.
The reason he sought her out was because he caught a glimpse of a struggle deep within her eyes and expression—a refusal to resign herself to fate. This indicated that she hadn't been completely broken yet.
After a moment of thought—
"What did you use to do before this?" Ye Chen asked.
To his surprise, this simple question caused the massaging movements in Xiaoya's hands to stall.
Ye Chen didn't rush her, nor was he surprised.
After a brief pause, Xiaoya spoke with a bitter tone, "Three months ago, I was still in college, a senior. Surprised?"
"Huh? Then how did you end up working here?" Ye Chen asked again.
Xiaoya hesitated, her face a mask of struggle.
She resumed the massaging motion, then suddenly asked a strange question in return, "Are you a good person?"
"Not a bad one!" Ye Chen thought for a moment and spat out those two words.
Whether it was because Ye Chen gave her a feeling completely different from the 'guests' she had hosted in the past, or because Ye Chen invisibly radiated an inexplicable sense of affinity, she, who had never once disclosed her personal situation to any 'client', inexplicably took the risk of being abused and beaten, and began to speak in a daze.
"I come from a single-parent family. My mom raised me and my younger brother all by herself, and my brother is still in his senior year of high school. Three months ago, my mom's health had serious problems. The doctor said we needed five hundred thousand. To our family, five hundred thousand was an astronomical figure. But the situation was urgent, and after I found out that a company called Anda Finance could lend money, I went to them!"
"They granted my wish and lent me five hundred thousand all at once! I thought I'd use the money for the hospital to save my mom first, and then slowly figure out a way outside. But a month passed by in a flash, and I couldn't think of any way to pay back that high-interest loan. Facing that kind of dead end, I even thought about completely abandoning my dignity and doing what I always thought was the dirtiest, most despicable thing—finding a rich man to keep me as a mistress!"
"But as soon as they heard I needed over half a million all at once, they all walked away. The repayment date arrived, and I couldn't pay. Brother Biao from Anda Finance company had people drag me back to their office, and they showed me two videos. One was a video of my brother at school, and the other was a video of my mom at the hospital!"
"They gave me two choices: either pay back the money immediately, or come to work at Maple Leaf Hotel to pay off the debt. Otherwise, my brother and my mom wouldn't live! I had no choice. Even though I knew what that 'work' meant, I had no choice!"
Hearing Xiaoya say this, Ye Chen frowned. "You've been working here for so long, how much do you still owe?"
"How much? It'll never be paid off, it only keeps piling up!" Xiaoya said.