Chapter 365: Winning Money

"Alright, fine, shall we raise the stakes a bit more?" I asked.

"You say how much to add?" Qiao San asked.

"Fifty bags, then. I have another fifty bags of tea leaves with that boss, I'll wager them all. The win or loss is decided in one go. Dare you take it?"

"Fifty bags, right? Fine, I'll take it," Qiao San said cheerfully.

"Fifty bags of tea leaves, anyone else want to follow?" Hongguo Li shouted from the side.

Others had already seen Qiao San's Iron Spear King in action, so some people started to bet along.

Anyway, whatever the bet is, I'll take it.

"Damn, today we just play; the daring get to win, the timid starve."

Including the others, the total bet is 100 bags of tea leaves.

The win or loss reaches ten million.

He Zuming saw the stakes at ten million,

and became a bit nervous; he quietly came to my side,

whispering, "Jianqiang, isn't this too much? If we lose, what will we do?"

I smiled lightly,

"Mr. He, don't worry. If we lose, we lose. Money is earned by people. That boss, my tea leaf card isn't that many, I'll advance some from you,

and send it over after the match is over.

Of course borrowing money here incurs fees. Everything's negotiable."

Zhao Laoban said, "Mr. Zhao, you can write a slip and have Mr. He sign as well. This is out of respect for Mr. He."

I said, "Fine."

I then signed the slip the boss handed out. He Zuming gave me another glance.

My gaze was firm. He Zuming also had to sign the slip.

After signing,

the boss took out one hundred cards,

and said, "Mr. Zhao's tea leaves are all accounted for; everyone can play with confidence now."

At this moment, the Horse Hunter walked up to me,

pulling a cricket jar from his coat,

"Boss Zhao, use this cricket."

I took the cricket jar from the Horse Hunter's hand

"Brother Ma, what's this cricket called?"

"The wild bug, it has no name," the Horse Hunter replied.

"Then I'll give it a name: Invincible of the East," I said.

Hearing the name I gave the cricket,

Qiao San laughed heartily, "That cricket basically castrated itself."

Qiu Xi quickly added, "Brother Zhao, that name you gave— you could call it something like Invincible General or Invincible Marshal, which is better than this gender‑ambiguous 'Invincible of the East'."

I laughed, "Brother Qiu, this is just a game; fighting crickets needn't be taken seriously. My Invincible of the East not only castrates itself, but can also knock the opponent's spear off."

"Alright, whatever you say. Hongguo Li, start the match," Qiu Xi said.

I then opened the cricket jar the Horse Hunter gave me,

and released a cricket from inside.

The cricket wasn't big; compared to Qiao San's Iron Spear King in the fighting basin, it was about half the size.

But this cricket's shell was very glossy.

It looked quite attractive, and as soon as it entered the basin it began to twirl its antennae by itself.

Seeing this made Qiao San even happier, laughing,

"Ha ha, truly Invincible of the East—once in the basin it strikes poses, like a lady."

I looked and indeed it was so,

"Damn, this thing works."

I just named it on the fly; don't take it as a literal castration thing. I turned back to look at the Horse Hunter.

The Horse Hunter stared at me with unwavering eyes.

His resolve was so firm that I could only clench my teeth and steel myself.

Hongguo Li said, "Mr. Zhao, our match is about to begin."

I said, "Let's start."

Hongguo Li continued loudly, "Mr. Qiao's Iron Spear King challenges Mr. Zhao's Invincible of the East. This round is for 100 bags of tea leaves."

"The match will start immediately."

After Hongguo Li finished speaking, he began to prod the Iron Spear King with tweezers.

It's the rule: the first to act takes the initiative.

The Iron Spear King instantly lifted its head high,

staring at the slightly smaller Invincible of the East in the fighting basin.

Hongguo Li then prodded the Invincible of the East with tweezers.

Invincible of the East remained very calm.

After being prodded, it suddenly dropped down.

"Rip it apart for me, crush it to bits," Qiao San growled.

Those who had placed side bets also shouted toward the Iron Spear King: "Charge!"

The Iron Spear King raised its spear, spurred forward, and charged at Eastern Invincible.

My heart rose; this Eastern Invincible truly, as the horse hunter said, can defeat Qiao San's Iron Spear King.

I was a little puzzled.

The Iron Spear King quickly rushed to Eastern Invincible's side, its two front legs like great spears, clamping onto Eastern Invincible's head.

Then the Eastern Invincible lying on the ground suddenly lifted its body.

Its head was right under the Iron Spear King's front leg.

The Iron Spear King pressed down hard on Eastern Invincible's head.

If it pressed down, then the Iron Spear King would bite Eastern Invincible's neck with its large tooth, and Eastern Invincible would be finished.

Eastern Invincible is a bit clumsy,

how could it deal with the Iron Spear King this way,

its body is smaller than the Iron Spear King's, it simply cannot withstand the force of the Iron Spear King's front leg.

"It's over," He Zuming muttered, then closed his eyes, unwilling to watch.

I gritted my teeth, clenched my fists, and whispered encouragement to Eastern Invincible.

The Iron Spear King clearly felt victory within reach, yet it did not use its sharp teeth to bite Eastern Invincible's neck.

It deliberately pressed Eastern Invincible with its front legs.

It seemed to want to press Eastern Invincible into the soil of the battle basin.

This cricket shares Qiao San's temperament, enjoying toying with opponents.

At that moment Qiao San's face broke into an incredibly radiant smile, seeing the Iron Spear King suppress Eastern Invincible with its front legs, nearly pressing it into the soil.

He danced excitedly.

He was about to dance naked.

Hongguo Li glanced at me then; I bit my lip and stayed silent.

Qiu Xi signaled Hongguo Li to separate the two crickets. The current situation already clarified the issue: the Iron Spear King was winning with overwhelming superiority.

Qiu Xi feared the Iron Spear King would dismember Eastern Invincible with its large tooth.

I grew even more frantic, ready to clash with Qiao San; wasn't he just messing around again?

If Hongguo Li separates the two crickets, according to the rules I lose.

Just as Hongguo Li's tweezer was about to reach into the basin to separate them,

the Iron Spear King's attention was completely drawn to Hongguo Li's tweezer.

Then the Eastern Invincible lying on the ground,

from an unknown source of power,

with a bang rose forcefully from the ground,

its head slammed directly into the Iron Spear King.

It instantly knocked the Iron Spear King onto the ground.

Seeing this, everyone was stunned.

Everyone's expression seemed frozen.

No one had expected Eastern Invincible to have this move,

its intelligence is extraordinary; it could counterattack while the Iron Spear King was distracted.

Sometimes cricket fighting is a battle of wits.

How did this thing know that when the match was about to end, Hongguo Li would use the tweezer to separate them?

Eastern Invincible seized this fleeting opportunity and knocked the Iron Spear King onto the ground.

Qiao San stopped dancing,

his two eyes stared intently at the situation in the battle basin.

The Iron Spear King raised its six claws to the sky, kicking wildly.

At this moment Eastern Invincible quickly lunged onto the Iron Spear King's abdomen, preparing to use its sharp tooth to rend the Iron Spear King's belly.

Hongguo Li looked at Qiao San,

and whispered, "Mr. Qiao, still want the insects?"

The meaning was clear: if Qiao San wanted the insects, he would use the tweezer to separate the two crickets in the basin. But Qiao San must concede defeat.

If Qiao San refused the crickets, then the two crickets would have to fight to the death in the basin.

Qiao San mumbled, "Want, don't want. Want."