One hour later.
Mr. Hu knocked respectfully on Ying Chen's door.
Upon seeing Ying Chen, Mr. Hu bowed deeply without a word.
"Thank you, Mr. Ying, for resolving the years of estrangement between my father and me. I had planned to return to the Hu family to visit my father tomorrow. However, upon learning of Mr. Ying's recent troubles in Hong Kong, my father explicitly instructed me to stay and assist Mr. Ying with the Hong Kong affairs before returning."
"Therefore, I will be by Mr. Ying's side during this period. Please feel free to treat me as a servant you can command."
"I have some connections and influence in Hong Kong. Would you like me to investigate Li Fengcheng's movements?"
Despite Mr. Hu's eagerness to help, Ying Chen refused outright. "No need."
"From what I understand, Li Fengcheng has been operating in Hong Kong for many years, and with the Huo family's assistance this time, he is likely to cause some trouble. I believe Mr. Ying should remain vigilant..."
"Furthermore, I had someone check the betting markets just now. Some underground casinos in Hong Kong have set up a massive betting pool for this duel. Currently, all bets are on Li Fengcheng winning, with not a single bet on you. It's possible that Li Fengcheng is so confident that he's betting on himself."
Mr. Hu advised.
He had initially hoped that the unusual betting activity would persuade Ying Chen to be cautious.
Unexpectedly, Ying Chen's eyes lit up. "You mean no one is favoring me so far?"
"Uh, yes, that's right. After all, this is Hong Kong, and as an outsider, you're bound to face some prejudice. You don't need to feel..."
Mr. Hu thought Ying Chen was upset by this, but before he could finish, he heard Ying Chen interrupt, "What are my current odds then?"
Mr. Hu blinked in surprise and replied, "Around ten to one. The market is relatively cautious, and they haven't set any exorbitant odds."
Ying Chen blinked regretfully. "Only ten to one! That's a bit low. But it'll do."
Ying Chen had expected odds like a hundred to one or two hundred to one.
To his surprise, it was only ten to one.
This also indicated, indirectly, the respect and apprehension the bookmakers had for Ying Chen's strength.
After all, Ying Chen had defeated He Chongxu in front of so many people. Even if Li Fengcheng and others were arrogant, they wouldn't dare to set such odds.
For comparison, the odds for China to win the World Cup were only a thousand to one, and that was a widely known impossibility.
No matter how weak Ying Chen was, he certainly wasn't as weak as the Chinese men's football team!
"Then please help me bet a hundred billion!" Ying Chen said, waving his hand.
Hearing this, Mr. Hu's expression changed instantly.
"Mr. Ying, a hundred billion is not a small sum. I think it's best to be cautious."
"How about I sponsor ten billion and place the bet on your behalf, just for fun?"
Mr. Hu wanted to pay and bet for Ying Chen.
"No, no, no, ten billion isn't enough. A hundred billion. Zhuang Ruoting just happened to collect so much money for me. Let her bet it all. It's a sure thing, why hesitate?" Ying Chen asked, looking at Mr. Hu strangely.
With odds of ten to one, a hundred billion could yield a trillion.
Ying Chen couldn't think of any reason to hesitate.
While Ying Chen knew it was a sure bet, Mr. Hu did not.
Mr. Hu seemed hesitant to speak further, clearly wanting to persuade him again.
Ying Chen patted Mr. Hu's shoulder. "This is something you need to learn from your father. If it were him, he would support my decision without hesitation and even bet several billion to express his stance."
"You still have a long way to go!"
Mr. Hu was speechless.
Betting several billion to express a stance?
Even if the Hu family was wealthy, they wouldn't squander money like that!
However...
Thinking of Ying Chen's life-saving grace to his father, Mr. Hu sighed and said, "Since you've made up your mind, Mr. Ying, I won't say anything more. I don't have several billion, but I do have ten billion."
"I'll trust you this once, and bet ten billion on you winning!"
Ying Chen smiled slightly and patted Mr. Hu's shoulder again. "Mind your words, it's not a bet, it's a sure thing."
"..." Even with his respect for Ying Chen, Mr. Hu couldn't help but frown.
He felt Ying Chen was being too confident.
After all, excessive confidence could turn into arrogance!
However, out of politeness, Mr. Hu said nothing and bowed before leaving.
...
Li family villa.
Li Fengcheng, Huo Sheng, He Chongxu, and others were gathered.
They sat around a table, their faces filled with cold determination.
"This incident is a disgrace unseen in a century! If we cannot wash away this shame with the blood of that Ying surname traitor, I fear we will all become sinners of Hong Kong and the laughingstock of the world!"
Li Fengcheng slammed the table in anger.
His cheeks were still swollen, and speaking brought him an indescribable pain.
This only fueled his hatred for Ying Chen.
"Washing away shame is one thing, making money is another. As long as we eliminate that Ying fellow, we'll get the Mirage Realm formula. The profits generated from that, I believe everyone understands?"
Huo Sheng spoke up then.
The old and new generations of Hong Kong's power brokers had, at this moment, found rare common ground to unite against an outsider.
"We understand."
"We understand."
The distinguished figures present nodded in agreement.
"It's not just the Mirage Realm formula. This betting market is also a great opportunity. I've already ordered all my gambling houses to accept wagers without limit. We must seize this great opportunity to reap a huge harvest!"
One of the bosses present said.
Li Fengcheng nodded. "Indeed, this incident will surely cause a sensation. The betting market is indeed a great opportunity to profit. I'll join in, we'll share the risks and split the profits."
After speaking, Li Fengcheng looked at He Chongxu.
"Of course, all of this depends on Master He."
"Master He, when you agreed to stand with us, you must have had some backing, right?"
He Chongxu, who had appeared humble and lacking in masterly demeanor at the auction, now regained his dignified bearing. "Naturally."
"Then we entrust this to Master He! If we succeed, we will share three-tenths of all the profits generated with Master He!" Li Fengcheng cupped his hands towards He Chongxu.
He Chongxu's eyes lit up at the mention of three-tenths.
This was an enormous sum!
Not only the fifty billion in overt assets, but also the future profits from the Mirage Realm's production and the underground betting market!
He Chongxu immediately agreed without hesitation. "Alright! Leave it to me!"
"However, I've recently encountered some issues in my cultivation, which makes me no match for that traitor. To defeat that traitor, I need to invite one person out of seclusion!"
Li Fengcheng and the others asked in unison, "Who?"
He Chongxu looked around, then raised his head and said, "My martial uncle—Daoist Yinlong!"