Chapter 340: I Can Participate in the Competition

I stood up and looked around the room.

The furnishings in the room were very simple,

just a few tables and stools, and the tables and stools weren't painted, they were bare wood.

It seems they were mainly worried that paint fumes would harm the crickets.

I never expected this thing to be so expensive.

I thought it would be a few thousand dollars each, but the starting price is ten thousand.

Sigh, it's really the people of Sijiucheng who know how to play.

Just raising a little bug can make money like this.

There are invoices that can be reimbursed, and it looks like some of the players are office workers.

An ordinary person working a year can't earn as much as one cricket costs.

Just as I was sighing, He Zuming and Qiu Xi came out of the room.

Qiu Xi said: "Then let's follow Mr. He's arrangements.

"The sixteenth is a good day; when the time comes, we'll also invite Mr. He to come over to observe and cheer."

He Zuming said: "I'll definitely come; I also like this pastime. Fighting crickets is an elegant pursuit, and ancient emperors liked it too. Now ordinary commoners can also participate, which is a good thing.

"Mr. Qiu, you just need to do as I say."

"Don't worry, Mr. He. We're old friends—I've got what you've got." Qiu Xi laughed happily.

He Zuming looked at me and said: "Mr. Zhao, have we settled the cricket matter?"

I said: "It's settled; I've already chosen a Black Head General."

"Good, Mr. Qiu, the competition will be held on the sixteenth; can Mr. Zhao participate?" He Zuming asked on my behalf.

Qiu Xi looked at me and rubbed his own bald head,

"This? Mr. He, you see everyone here is an insider; let's just forget about Mr. Zhao."

This Qiu Xi doesn't want me to participate; he surely looks down on me.

I was just about to say something,

He Zuming laughed and said: "Mr. Qiu, give an old man a thin face—this Mr. Zhao is no stranger; he's my close friend, and he's always liked crickets,

but he's not well‑versed. Coming here with me to Mr. Qiu's place is just to broaden his horizons.

to let him know the fun of raising crickets,

Mr. Zhao lives in the South Ring, and that's also a wealthy family,

his family doesn't lack anything else—just the real estate amounts to dozens of units. This matter is a bother for Mr. Qiu."

He Zuming deliberately exaggerated my status,

to show off my wealth.

Hongguo Li quietly walked up beside Qiu Xi and whispered something.

Qiu Xi nodded,

then he raised his chin at me and said arrogantly: "Mr. Zhao, normally we're just a small circle playing; as Mr. He just said, we must give him face.

You want to join the competition,

you can—just come and participate when the time comes."

Damn, what the hell. I cursed in my heart.

But my face was full of smiles,

"Thank you, Mr. Qiu, for the opportunity to learn a bit."

He Zuming said: "Mr. Qiu, thank you for giving me face. I'll arrange things on Mr. Zhao's side; I won't interfere with your event."

Qiu Xi said: "All right then, Mr. He. I have a meeting this afternoon to attend, so I won't see you off—Old Li and Xiao Yan will see Mr. He and Mr. Zhao off."

After saying that, Qiu Xi went into the inner courtyard himself.

Hongguo Li said to us: "Mr. He, Mr. Zhao, please."

He Zuming and I then left the courtyard.

The two of us returned to the car,

seeing several tickets stuck on the car, I just tore them off.

Damn it, putting up tickets—what a penny‑pinching mess. Anyway, it's not my license plate, so you guys handle it however you like. I cursed to myself.

After I got in the car, He Zuming asked: "Jianqiang, how about it—buying crickets?"

I said: "I bought it; this thing is damn expensive—one cricket costs 100,000 yuan, and it needs special care."

He Zuming laughed and said: "100,000 yuan is cheap; some go for a million each. You're entering the circle by competing—this is great."

"Is it hard to get into the circle?" I asked.

He Zuming nodded,

"To get into such a circle, people don't just look at whether you have money; they also check whether you have backing. Those who play this aren't ordinary folks.

They're all people with power and influence."

"Mr. He, I can get in mainly thanks to you. Without your support, they'd definitely not let me in." I said.

He Zuming laughed,

"I don't have any face—I'm just an old diviner.

It's your ability; they just see you have money—yesterday you spent over 900,000 on a fake jar, and today another 100,000+ on crickets.

This shows you're willing to invest here; they're just planning to drain your money.

I didn't quite understand,

"Mr. He, it's just playing with crickets—how could they drain my money?"

There are so many tricks in here that even if I talked for three days and three nights, I couldn't finish. Many privileged youngsters have been defeated by this.

I'm telling you this, but you don't feel it; after another two days of the cricket competition, I'll give you a detailed introduction, and you'll understand what's going on here, He Zuming said.

The more you say that, the more I look forward to that day. Will Second Master Wen join Mr. He's competition that day? I asked.

That's hard to say; I didn't ask. You see, Qiu Xi is very sharp—if you say one more word, he'll have an idea—so we don't ask, we rely on chance encounters.

I believe that as long as Second Master Wen likes this particular thing, he'll eventually join, He Zuming said.

We drove back to Xinfa Land quickly.

We arrived at Xinfa Land.

Ding Li and Zhu Sheng were waiting for us,

and when they saw us they said,

"How's today, did you see?"

I laughed, "Not that fast. This matter isn't urgent."

"Looks like Jianqiang really got Mr. He brainwashed, so he's not in a hurry," Zhu Sheng said.

"Ha ha, I don't have that much ability. Old Zhu, what did Mr. Mei say when you saw him?" He Zuming asked.

"He can support us; he has also secretly taken a stake in a family coal mine in the northwest region.

That mine gives him dividends every year, and he plans to invest that money in us," Zhu Sheng said.

"Is that so? He can only use us now; otherwise, how would his son Qiu take revenge?"

"These leaders, who doesn't have surplus grain in hand? Fine, as long as we have support," He Zuming said.

I said, "Mr. He, Mr. Zhu, let's eat while we chat; we're all hungry. Go. Ding Li, what do you want to eat?"

"Brother Zhao, I'll eat anything," Ding Li said.

"Is Zaocheng still peaceful over there?" I asked.

"It's relatively peaceful; I saw Shangguan Zhuren, and he said it's just Shen Honghong acting emotional, not wanting to stay in the mine," Ding Li said.

"That Shen Honghong is determined to come to Sijiucheng; what's so good about Sijiucheng?" I said.

"Let's have Sichuan cuisine today; there's a decent Sichuan restaurant here," He Zuming said.

"If it really doesn't work, let that Shen Honghong come over," Zhu Sheng said.

He Zuming shook his head at this moment,

"Old Zhu, that woman isn't ready yet. Let's go, we'll eat while we chat."

After saying that, our party went to a Sichuan restaurant.

Then we ordered wine and dishes and started eating.

Since everyone knows each other, we didn't need to be so formal.

It was then that I explained Zhu Sheng's true identity to Ding Li.

It almost knocked Ding Li's jaw off.

Ding Li looked at Zhu Sheng and said, "Zhu Sheng, when you were overseeing work in Zaocheng, I was in university; you even inspected our school."

Zhu Sheng chuckled, "That's all in the past. Sigh, I'm now a down-and-out person as well."