TATSD Chapter 45

Chen Sanwu was a close friend of the original owner. Back in the day, a few of them formed a group and ran rampant in Changliu Town’s Qinglong Branch, holding their own against Liu Qing and his gang.

After the original owner got into trouble, Ji Wei, who had taken over, cut off contact with Chen Sanwu. He thought there would be no further ties between them, but to his surprise, Chen Sanwu came looking for him.

“Ji Wei! You have to help me!” Chen Sanwu grabbed Ji Wei’s hand as he got up from the ground. He opened his mouth to speak but, noticing the crowd staring at him, his anger briefly flashed before he dragged Ji Wei into the kitchen and kicked the door shut.

“What’s going on? I thought you were doing well. Is it that bunch of people with Liu Qing causing you trouble again?” Ji Wei, with the original owner’s memories, spoke as naturally as ever, and Chen Sanwu didn’t notice anything unusual.

“You know me. Sometimes I get the itch and head to the gambling den for a few rounds, but it’s not like I go all the time.” Chen Sanwu rubbed his hands, feeling ashamed to face Ji Wei. He hadn’t even visited when Ji Wei was bedridden after being beaten by Liu Qing, yet here he was now, asking for money. His cheeks burned with embarrassment.

“A few rounds, huh?” Ji Wei smiled, playing along. “And then?”

“And then those damned dealers set me up! I got trapped and now owe a hefty sum of silver. Ji-ge, could you lend me a bit to get through this?” Chen Sanwu, who had swaggered in with confidence, was now begging meekly, his height seeming to shrink next to Ji Wei despite them being nearly the same size.

“I know you’ve been doing well in business and made some decent money. I’ll just borrow it for a short time!”

Chen Sanwu swore up and down.

Ji Wei showed a deeply exasperated expression. “But I need to spend a lot of money soon. I don’t have any extra silver to lend you. You know how hard it is to run a business. I was sick for a long time, drained all my savings, and had to borrow just to set up my stall. I did make a little profit, but I’m expanding the business now, and that’s taken a lot of capital. I haven’t even recouped my costs yet. If you had come a bit later, it might have been different.”

When it came to playing the pity card, Ji Wei was a master.

His pained, helpless expression made Chen Sanwu fall silent for a long time before he spoke, struggling to find the words. “I just need a little help for a few days—five or six would be enough. Ji-ge, please…”

Compared to ordinary people, they were more formidable. But the people who ran the gambling den weren’t to be trifled with. They had connections on both sides of the law, possibly even some ties with the upper echelons of the Qinglong gang. There was no way a small-time thug like Chen Sanwu could mess with them. After being warned by the gambling den about the repayment deadline, he had no choice but to seek out Ji Wei.

If he didn’t pay his debt on time, with the gambling den’s methods, losing an arm or a leg would be the least of his worries.

“But look, there are so many people outside counting on me to pay them their wages. If I lend the money to you, I won’t be able to pay them. Running a business requires trust; I can’t let them down.” Ji Wei spread his hands, looking utterly heartbroken.

“Ji-ge, for the sake of our years of friendship, I, Chen Sanwu, am begging you! Help me through this, and in the future, I’ll do whatever you ask! Even if you want me to—” Chen Sanwu paused, leaving the rest unsaid. In truth, he was thinking that if Ji Wei asked him to go up against Liu Qing, he’d do it.

But after considering it, he wondered if Ji Wei had any such intention. Why say it out loud?

Ji Wei smirked. He had known Chen Sanwu for years through the original owner and could easily guess what he was going to say just from the half sentence.

“So, what can you do for me?”

“I heard you made a bet with Liu Qing a while back, didn’t you?” Chen Sanwu asked curiously. He had overheard someone let it slip while drinking.

Liu Qing, of course, hadn’t wanted to publicize the matter, planning to only announce it after he won.

Chen Sanwu hadn’t planned to bring it up either, but now, desperate for money from Ji Wei, he had no choice. Crossing Liu Qing, he could still find a way out, but crossing the gambling den? He feared he might lose a hand any day now.

Ji Wei didn’t deny it.

“I’ve seen Liu Qing at the gambling den a lot these past two days. I avoided sitting at the same table as him, but he didn’t seem to be in a good mood. He probably didn’t win that bet with you, huh?” Chen Sanwu buttered Ji Wei up with some flattering words, but Ji Wei waved him off, signaling him to get to the point.

“His luck’s been terrible. He’s lost nearly a tael of silver. It’s not like he can’t afford it, but he got into a shouting match with the dealers, accusing them of cheating.” Chen Sanwu recounted what he’d seen the previous day in vivid detail, as though reliving the moment.

Ji Wei crossed his arms, watching Chen Sanwu with interest. “What are you trying to say?”

“Why don’t we team up?” Chen Sanwu made a gesture, clearly hinting at a plot against Liu Qing.

Despite the fierce expression, his face lacked true malice, and Ji Wei knew he didn’t mean any real harm.

“Liu Qing’s been targeting our brothers in town for ages. Why not humiliate him so badly that he’ll have no face left to stay here? Then we can finally be at peace. He always turns to gambling when he’s in a bad mood. We all know that. Let’s set a trap and reel him in!” Chen Sanwu had often fantasized about dragging Liu Qing down with him during moments of desperation.