C21 He Is Your Father

The commotion at the gambling table drew an even larger crowd of onlookers eager to join in the excitement. The croupier's expression grew increasingly unnatural. This kid seemed off—how could he possibly hit the right numbers three times in a row? Could he actually be discerning the dice rolls by sound? The croupier didn't entertain the thought of Ye Fan tampering with the dice; after all, they were specially treated, making any undetected interference nearly impossible.

Yet, observing Ye Fan's youthful appearance, he hardly looked like a seasoned gambler.

Now, the table at the heart of the casino was encircled by players, all eyes fervently fixed on Ye Fan.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

The sudden electronic chimes in his head served as an alarm, snapping Ye Fan back to reality. Assessing his surroundings, he began to regret his earlier recklessness. His conspicuous winning streak was bound to draw the casino staff's scrutiny, inviting a host of problems.

Taking a deep breath, Ye Fan regained his composure.

In the next round, he intentionally placed the wrong bets, losing over half a million.

"I told you, the kid was just riding a wave of luck. Well, what now? His luck's run out, and he's finished!"

"Let's move on, this is boring. The guy was just lucky."

As Ye Fan continued to bet incorrectly, the gamblers murmured amongst themselves and dispersed to other games.

With the crowd gone, Ye Fan exhaled in relief, thinking to himself how fortunate he was to have his precious system. Otherwise, becoming the center of attention could have made leaving the casino safely a real issue.

Yet, someone had taken notice of Ye Fan's earlier antics.

In a plush private room within the casino, a tall man in a black suit lounged on a luxurious leather sofa, eyes glued to the surveillance feed while he casually savored his red wine.

This man, Chen Lang, was the owner of the casino. A well-known figure in Blaland's underworld, he was recognized for his straightforwardness and loyalty. His establishment was one of the few in the underworld that steered clear of drugs, earning him the reputation of being the rare good guy among bad company.

Chen Lang was intently watching the surveillance footage, capturing every nuance of Ye Fan's expression.

"He's an interesting one," Chen Lang remarked, sipping his red wine with a slight smile.

"Mr. Lang, should we keep tabs on him?" inquired a henchman standing behind him.

"No need. The kid's intriguing," Chen Lang responded coolly. "Just let me know the next time he shows up."

"Got it, Mr. Lang. You can count on me."

Ye Fan continued to place casual bets until his chips totaled exactly five hundred thousand. Then, he stood up and walked away from the table.

Without lingering, Ye Fan promptly exchanged his chips for cash at the front desk. The casino took its 1% cut from the winnings, but Ye Fan still walked away with nearly half a million in earnings.

With the casino's efficient transfer system, it wasn't long before Ye Fan received notification of the funds in his bank account.

Turning five hundred into five hundred thousand was beyond the wildest dreams of the average person.

Of course, winning at the casino was one thing; living to enjoy the spoils was another. The fate of cheaters caught in the act was typically a grim one.

Checking the time and seeing it was only three in the afternoon, Ye Fan decided to treat himself to some decent clothes and drove away from the casino.

Meanwhile, at the Shi family villa, Shi Mingyu was drenched in sweat, sitting on the floor and gasping for air.

"How about that? Have I mastered the Celestial Blade Spin Kick?" Shi Mingyu asked, looking expectantly at a middle-aged man beside him.

The man was clad in a white Taekwondo uniform, complete with a black belt – a testament to his expertise in the martial art.

"You already had some foundational skills, Young Master. Picking up this move wasn't too challenging for you. However, I'd advise against using it in a real fight. The Celestial Blade Spin Kick may be visually impressive, but it lacks practicality in combat," the man advised.

"That's alright. I'm after the flair," Shi Mingyu replied with a grin.

He planned to showcase this move in a dramatic hero-saves-the-damsel act in front of Su Yurou, and it would also give him the perfect opportunity to put Ye Fan in his place.

Shi Mingyu silently vowed to himself that this time, he would turn the tables!

After leaving the casino, Ye Fan quickly drove to the entrance of the National Trade Building. He scanned the area for a parking spot, but as he did, he caught sight of a familiar figure in distress, which made him furrow his brow in concern. Without hesitation, Ye Fan steered his car in that direction.

On the grassy area next to the National Trade Building, a middle-aged man with a pockmarked face was busy counting a wad of cash. Nearby, the diminutive Mu Qingyu knelt with a look of utter dejection.

"Why is this all the money you have?" the man barked, waving a handful of red bills that seemed to amount to a few thousand yuan at Mu Qingyu.

"This is all I have; it's my most recent paycheck," Mu Qingyu replied, her voice barely above a whisper as she fought back tears.

"Damn it, this is peanuts! Go and bring me 50,000 yuan, now!" he demanded, shoving the cash into his pocket without a shred of sympathy.

"Where am I supposed to find that kind of money?" Mu Qingyu cried out in desperation.

"I don't care how you get it, just do it. Or maybe you should sell yourself; you look like you might fetch a decent price," he sneered with a vile chuckle.

"How can you say such things? Are you even human? My mother is still in the hospital; have you contributed even a penny?" Tears streamed down Mu Qingyu's face as she confronted him.

"Get lost! Don't you dare bring up that woman in front of me again!" the man roared with fury.

"You... you don't deserve to be called human!" Mu Qingyu shouted back, her voice breaking with emotion.

"What did you just say?" The man's hand flew up, poised to strike Mu Qingyu.

Just then, Ye Fan, having just arrived, witnessed the man's intent to strike. He quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and dashed out of his car.

"Stop right there!" Ye Fan's commanding voice rang out.

The middle-aged man shot Ye Fan a dismissive glance, but his slap continued its trajectory towards Mu Qingyu.

"Bastard!" Ye Fan bellowed, accelerating his movements in an instant.

As the middle-aged man's hand nearly connected with Mu Qingyu's face, Ye Fan seized his wrist and delivered a swift kick to his abdomen.

"Ah!"

A scream echoed as the man was sent flying into a nearby tree, collapsing to the ground in a heap, moaning pitifully.

"Scum! Pah!" Ye Fan spat after giving the man a disdainful look. He wondered if this thug was sent by Ma Tao, that piece of trash.

"Are you okay?" Ye Fan hurried over to Mu Qingyu, whose face was streaked with tears.

Caught off guard by Ye Fan's sudden intervention, Mu Qingyu paused, then in a flurry of panic, she rushed to the man crumpled by the tree. "Dad, are you okay?"

"Dad?" Ye Fan echoed, his face contorting with confusion. He turned to Mu Qingyu and asked, "He's your father?"

She nodded, her lips quivering slightly.

"But why would he..." Ye Fan was baffled.

Mu Qingyu shook her head, her eyes closed, offering no explanation.

"Look, never mind that now. Let's get your dad to the hospital," Ye Fan suggested.

He hoisted the middle-aged man onto his back, with Mu Qingyu trailing behind.

Once in the car, Ye Fan fired up the Maserati and sped towards the nearest hospital.

An hour later, outside the surgical ward of Blaland's Second People's Hospital.

"I'm really sorry, I had no idea he was your father," Ye Fan said, scratching his head in embarrassment.

Mu Qingyu shook her head, silent, her eyelashes still wet with tears.

Ye Fan looked at the forlorn figure of Mu Qingyu, feeling a mix of helplessness and regret. He had intended to play the hero, but instead, he had caused a major misunderstanding. It seemed Mu Qingyu was upset with him.

Just then, the ward door swung open, and a doctor stepped out, asking, "Who is the patient's relative?"

"I am. Doctor, how is he doing?" Mu Qingyu asked anxiously.

"He's sustained some minor external injuries, but he's alright now. You should go and settle the hospital bill," the doctor instructed.

Mu Qingyu's face showed clear distress. "Doctor, is there any chance I could pay later? I'm really in a rush and didn't bring any money with me."

"Alright, but make sure it's settled by today," the doctor surprisingly didn't give Mu Qingyu a hard time.

"Thank you so much," Mu Qingyu expressed her gratitude.

The doctor simply nodded, remaining silent, then turned to leave.

"Hold on, doctor. I'm her friend. Let me take care of the payment," Ye Fan suddenly interjected, stopping the doctor who was on his way out.

He then followed the doctor to handle the hospital admission formalities.