Chapter 500: Chapter 500: Breaking Through Four Barriers! (Fifth update)
 

The 9th Floor of Paradise Palace.

A massive dining area.

Walking on the woolen carpet, Huang Xiaolong felt softness beneath his feet, as though he were stepping on lush greens—very comforting.

The entire 9th Floor had an enormous area, with a variety of dining zones of distinctly different styles. Each zone was designed according to different food cultures from around the world.

Chinese cuisine, Spanish food, Brazilian barbecue, Italian food, island country cuisine…

Countless.

After consulting with Huang Xiaolong, Lin Zicong booked a spot in the Chinese dining area.

Bai Gang, thick-skinned as ever, actually followed along. Lin Zicong intended to dismiss him, but Huang Xiaolong casually remarked, “It doesn’t matter. Let him join us.”

The three of them dined in the Chinese dining area, a place adorned with pavilions, terraces, and flowing water. The servers were beauties dressed in vintage palace costumes, holding elegant umbrellas, making the dining experience more enjoyable.

Huang Xiaolong voraciously devoured the feast in front of him as if the autumn wind swept the fallen leaves.

His table manners left much to be desired.

Lin Zicong didn’t even have time to eat for himself, attending to Huang Xiaolong with utmost courtesy instead.

Bai Gang was shocked.

He always knew that Lin Zicong was a proud and impulsive person. The eldest son from the Lin family—the leading family among the four major families in Binhai, and the heir to the family headship.

How could he behave so obediently and respectfully towards an ordinary-looking young man dressed in simple clothes?

Bai Gang puzzled over Huang Xiaolong’s identity but couldn’t figure it out.

“Will you guys go directly to the casino after this?” Bai Gang asked with a smile.

“Bai Gang, don’t worry about that,” Lin Zicong responded with a cold smirk.

Huang Xiaolong looked up and chuckled, “Yes, we will, right after the meal.”

“Haha~~ That’s the spirit. It would be a shame to visit Paradise Palace without playing a few hands. Once we reach the casino, I will search for my cousin. If he’s in a good mood, he might show you some of his skills. Honestly, you would rarely get the chance to witness a truly skilled gambler! ” Bai Gang boasted.

“Great~~” Huang Xiaolong joked with a smile, “Perhaps, I might play a few hands with your cousin tonight.”

At his words, Bai Gang froze, then burst into laughter as if he’d heard the funniest joke in the world. “Hahaha ~~ Stop kidding around! Playing against my cousin? My cousin is one of the top gamblers in Binhai’s Paradise Palace. Do you think you are even worth his time? Hahaha~~ Apart from that, playing against my cousin would be like leading the lamb to the slaughter. No amount of money would suffice!”

“That’s not necessarily the case! My master’s skills are beyond the comprehension of a second-rate fellow like you, Bai Gang.” Lin Zicong retorted.

Huang Xiaolong simply responded with a noncommittal chuckle.

…

After finishing their meal, the three headed to the 16th Floor.

Floors 16, 17, and 18 of Paradise Palace housed the grand casino.

However, the 18th floor was a VIP lounge area, not open to the general public.

Upon stepping into the 16th floor, an enormous space came into view.

Spacious, bright, and splendidly extravagant!

It was even more luxurious than a five-star hotel!

Polished marbles that reflected human figures, gold-plated lamps, refined wooden furniture, elegant and antique calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls.

The entire space, through ingenious design, accommodated hundreds of gambling tables without seeming crowded. Instead, there was a unique aesthetic feel.

Each gambling table was surrounded by various customers to a greater or lesser extent.

Chinese, foreigners, men, women…

White-collar men and women, fresh-faced students, well-dressed individuals, successful entrepreneurs with fat faces and big ears, geeky guys with glasses, government officials…

All sorts of people converged in the casino, playing various gambling games.

From time to time, bursts of joyous laughter erupted.

At other times, sighs of regret could be heard.

…

This casino was more like a miniature world, containing people of all sorts!

Upon stepping into the casino, Bai Gang could hardly contain his excitement. He eagerly looked around and took out a checkbook, laughing, “Let’s go get some chips.”

It was clear that Lin Zicong had a penchant for gambling, his eyes were flickering with excitement.

Huang Xiaolong, on the contrary, appeared to be extremely relaxed, so serene it was almost terrifying!

Just then, a man in his thirties, neatly dressed in a suit, and with an air of composed assurance, was heading towards Huang Xiaolong and his group.

“Oh? Cousin!” Bai Gang’s eyes lit up, immediately stepping forward with an ingratiating smile, “Cousin, I didn’t expect to bump into you! Hahaha… Look at those two fools over there, they actually want to gamble with you…”

The man was Bai Gang’s cousin, the 129th world-ranked gambling expert and one of the star players of the Binhai Bliss Palace Casino.

“Hmm~~” The man casually nodded at Bai Gang before brushing him off, “You go play on your own, I don’t have time to accompany you today.”

After that, the man walked straight towards Huang Xiaolong.

Bai Gang followed him like a shadow.

Before the man could speak, Bai Gang was already squawking, “Cousin, it’s this guy who’s arrogant and ignorant, wanting to gamble with you… Don’t you find it hilarious?”

“Shut up!” The man gave Bai Gang a fierce look before turning to Huang Xiaolong with solemnity, “Mr. Huang, Brother Hui invites you.”

Crack~~~~~~

Mr. Huang?

Both Bai Gang and Lin Zicong were shocked!

They never expected that this star player of Binhai Bliss Palace Casino and a top-tier character in the world of gambling, ranked 129th, would be so polite to Huang Xiaolong!

“Cousin, are you…confusing him with someone else… Brother Hui is inviting him… could he… be… the butler of Ji’s Group… Ming… Ming Hui…” Bai Gang stuttered out.

The man ignored Bai Gang and gestured Huang Xiaolong to follow him.

Huang Xiaolong nodded, giving an amused smile, “Tonight, how many of your expert players have been invited to deal with me?”

“Well…Brother Hui has requested a group of gambling experts to learn from Mr. Huang’s skills.” The man said solemnly.

“Okay. Tonight, I’ll flatten Bliss Palace!” Huang Xiaolong chirped.

“We’ll see if Mr. Huang has what it takes.” A ruthless glint crossed the man’s eyes, “Enough talk, Mr. Huang, after you!”

So, Huang Xiaolong followed the man to the 18th floor of Bliss Palace!

The floor reserved for VIPs!

Lin Zicong and Bai Gang followed behind, absolutely clueless about everything.

“I’ve…never been to the 18th floor before,” Bai Gang said in shock. “Young Master Lin, who exactly is this so-called master of yours?”

“My master is, of course, a person of great importance.” Lin Zicong declared proudly.

The man opened an office door, “Mr. Huang, Brother Hui is waiting for you inside. Please come in.”

Blatantly, Huang Xiaolong walked in.

Lin Zicong and Bai Gang tried to enter as well but the man shut the door at their faces.

Inside the office.

Ming Hui sat behind his desk, a smirk on his face as he looked at Huang Xiaolong. “Mr. Huang, we finally meet.”

“Oh, so you’re Ming Hui, the one who called me? I remember your voice. Alright, I’m here, specifics of the gamble, your call.” Huang Xiaolong said, playing it cool.

“Mr. Huang, are you sure you don’t want to consider my proposition? A salary of 10 million British Pounds per annum is not a small sum.” Ming Hui tried to persuade.

“Can we get to the point? Detail out the conditions.” Huang Xiaolong said impatiently.

“Ok, since Mr. Huang is determined, we will go by the book.” Ming Hui nodded, “Mr. Huang, you surely did break the rules during the last incident, and according to tradition of this circle, you are obliged to pass four rounds.”

“Four rounds? What does that mean?” Huang Xiaolong wasn’t familiar with all these.

“It’s simple, there are four rounds and for each one, our company has deployed one gambling expert. If you pass all four rounds, we can just wipe the slate clean! Not only can you leave with Miss Su Xiaoman and Mr. Su Xiaoqiang, but you will also win a big amount of money.” Ming Hui explained calmly, “But…if Mr. Huang fails to pass the four rounds, then… revolving the rule, it is…the chopping of hands.”

“Not just one hand, but both hands would be cut off.” Ming Hui observed Huang Xiaolong closely, trying to discern emotions of fear, retreat, or terror from his expression.