Chapter 16: Recruiting a Lackey

Ruan Xing was hesitating; since she had already come, should she go in and gamble a round? Anyway, she had one Simulation she could use to cheat, but there were only twelve copper coins left in her pocket. Would the loss outweigh the gain...

Unexpectedly, the door suddenly pushed open. Ruan Xing was startled for a moment, but her brain quickly turned and another idea came to her. She tilted her head and revealed a bright smile, "Brother Hu, I've come to see you!"

She held up the snacks she was carrying to show him, "I even brought you a gift."

"See me?" Hu San repeated, shook his head, and did not take Ruan Xing's gift, "If you have something to say, just say it."

Seeing that Hu San did not take it, Ruan Xing took the opportunity to put it down; holding it up the whole time was quite tiring. However, seeing that Hu San's attitude was not bad, perhaps her previous idea had a chance.

She pulled Hu San out of the Gambling Den, walked a few steps to the side, and squatted by the wall. She said somewhat mysteriously, "Brother Hu, do you want to make money? I have an idea, but I need you to do me a small favor."

Brother Hu remained unmoved, his gaze simply resting quietly on her, waiting for what came next.

"Brother Hu, you are more familiar with the Gambling Den. Are there any foolish, wealthy sheep? Set up a game for me to gamble against them, and we can split the winnings fifty-fifty."

Such suckers were not uncommon in the Gambling Den. The usual practice was to let the other party lose a few rounds before winning a big one, making their emotions rise and fall, keeping their gambling addiction hanging in the balance. Only in this way could the money flow steadily as the other party contributed their wealth to the Gambling Den. When the other party was already addicted to gambling, that was the time to slaughter the pig.

Ruan Fu used to be like this, losing several taels of Silver in the Gambling Den every month. If he won, he would treat others to drinks and listen to their unsparing flattery; if he lost, he would go home to beat and scold his wife and children, demand Ruan Mu's monthly allowance, and sell off the inheritance of his late father-in-law. Until now, not a single book or antique remained in the house, and only then did Ruan Fu get the idea of selling his daughter for a few taels of gambling debt.

Such people were usually held as a resource by a few people inside the Gambling Den. If Ruan Xing went in rashly, it was not certain she could find someone, and even if she did, cutting in on someone else's turf would offend them. Finding Brother Hu was different; not only could she quickly identify a target, but with him watching the floor, no one would cause her trouble. There was no need to expose her martial arts skills for such a small matter.

She estimated that winning one tael of Silver with ten Simulations would be enough for her to test her errors in the Dense Forest Labyrinth.

"Are you very short of money? Why?" Hu San was somewhat puzzled. In his view, this girl had no feelings for her family, as she had let them break Ruan Fu's leg, and now that she had entered Qiye's faction, she was unburdened and free. Where exactly did she need money?

Ruan Xing could not explain it to him and asked in return, "Aren't you short of money? If you aren't short of money, why join the Red Head Gang?"

"I'm not here for the money." Hu San opened his mouth but said nothing more. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "I can help you, but I'm not the only one who calls the shots in this Gambling Den. It's not easy to snatch meat from someone else's mouth. Come back and see me tomorrow."

Ruan Xing's joy was immediately evident. She had not expected Hu San to agree so easily and said sincerely, "Then thank you in advance, Brother Hu. From today on, you are my own brother, and when your little sister makes money, I will definitely honor you!"

Hu San did not haggle with her. It did not look like he was helping her for the sake of profit, but she still used words to draw them closer. Who couldn't say sweet things and make empty promises? It didn't cost anything, so what was the harm in saying a few more? Perhaps if Hu San was happy, she could get some other benefits.

Who would have thought that Hu San did not feel happy after hearing this, but instead frowned slightly. His tone carried a strange flavor, like the kind of resentment one only has toward someone close, "You can even be indifferent enough to have your own father's leg broken; I wouldn't dare to be your own brother."

Hu San would actually say such a thing.

She dared to bring this up to Hu San because his attitude toward her, whether now or in the Simulator, was inexplicably friendly. Excluding the option that the other party was born kind-hearted, she really didn't know why. However, this did not hinder her from using this friendliness to achieve her own goals.

Ruan Xing was a bit confused. She tilted her head and leaned toward Hu San to sniff, smelling a faint scent of alcohol. "Brother Hu, have you been drinking?" "I drank a little."

No wonder Hu San's speech and actions today didn't seem as steady as usual. Such a small amount of alcohol could affect him; his tolerance wasn't very good.

The two of them actually had no friendship. Don't look at how affectionately she called him; in reality, if Hu San were of no use to her, she wouldn't even bother to say a word to him.

However, this was a good opportunity. She was in no rush to return to the faction and asked Hu San, "Brother Hu, I heard your tone and it seems you don't like me much. You aren't doing this for money, so why are you helping me?"

Hu San revealed a look of recollection.

"The first time you came to the Gambling Den to deliver food to your father, he was in a bad mood and hit you. You cried and begged me to save you. I didn't, but later I always remembered that scene, and I remembered you."

"I felt you were pitiful. When Qiye came that day, I saw you and was afraid you would run around and offend Qiye, so I took you to the side. I didn't expect you to catch Qiye's eye, and the first thing you did was have Qiye help you break your father's leg. I felt you were cold-hearted."

"I thought that with a personality like yours, you would definitely be vengeful, and if you gained power in the future, you might hold my cold-eyed observation against me, so I took the initiative to take the job of picking you up. I didn't expect... you would stuff money into my hand with a smile."

He didn't say the specific reason, just recounted the past that Ruan Xing had forgotten, but Ruan Xing already understood why and believed the claim that Hu San didn't join the gang for money.

Human nature is very complex. Hu San was different from those at the bottom of the gang who cheated, swindled, and bullied the weak. He still had kindness and a bottom line. He wouldn't show kindness unconditionally, but he wouldn't make things difficult for others over trivial matters. Perhaps he joined the Red Head Gang just to protect himself.

The original body was well protected by Ruan Tao and had never been to the Gambling Den. The matter of delivering food was something Ruan Xing had pestered and begged for after she transmigrated in order to earn those ten copper coins, and she had long forgotten the memory of being beaten that day.

Actually, on the day her fate changed, she was originally about to run out of the Gambling Den when she was suddenly picked up. She had cursed that person in her heart for a long time, but she didn't expect that Hu San had actually been acting out of kindness.

"You really don't seem like someone in a gang. You're quite sentimental," Ruan Xing sighed.

"Indeed, you are more suited to being in a gang than I am," Hu San said frankly.

Ruan Xing hurriedly denied it, "Don't talk nonsense. I am just a weak, pitiful, and helpless little girl."

Hu San let out a scoff, "If you say so."

"Then why did you join the Red Head Gang? Is it convenient to tell me?"

This time, Hu San was silent for a long time before saying in a very soft voice, "For my younger brother."

Thanks to Qisheng Qizhang for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to book friend 20240216173613857 for the monthly ticket~ (End of chapter)