Chapter 587
Chapter 587: Blatant scheme
Two muffled booms resounded. The figurative arrow that had already been strung suddenly paused as everyone was rather bemused.
"Haha, shall I blow it up or not?"
The brat on the second floor balcony mimed throwing out an explosion in a card game, next drawing another card and signing that he was ready to unleash another explosion at any time.
"I still have more. Believe me?"
More than one person downstairs had the urge to pull out their guns. Still, the problem was that this brat could not die tonight, or the embittered Jin Twenty-four would lose all reservations, becoming a vicious wolf with only revenge on his mind.
He Twenty-seven too was bemused. Could Jin Twenty-four be here? Had he long been prepared?
Still, he very quickly regained clarity of mind. He knew that with how things were right now, nothing else was important. He also did not have to get to the bottom of anything. He simply needed to bring people and charge in, capturing Little Jinshan...victory would be assured with that.
"Ignore everything else. First, let's…" He Twenty-seven said.
"Hold on," Jiang Three raised a hand to stop him and picked up a call.
The situation entered a stalemate once more.
"Come back, little pervert...don't stand there," A crying voice could be heard.
Little Jinshan heard the voice behind him and turned to see Fang Ruli trembling slightly as she stood there.
He grinned, saying softly, "Oh, how come my little wife is suddenly concerned about me? Didn't you say that I'm second most disgusting under the heavens? Who's the first? It's my Uncle Xu, right."
The first day Fang Ruli and her mother had come to Binzhou, they had met an intricate, cute, harmless-looking little boy. The little boy had shyly called her big sis to which she had joyfully responded. The little boy had held her hand and led her into the house. She had followed. He had acted cute and asked for a hug, and she had hugged him. Then, the little boy had kissed her and asked, "Can you sleep with me tonight, Big Sis? I'm afraid of ghosts."
Fang Ruli had very nearly agreed...she would have had she not discovered in time that the little boy was peeping at her collar, sighing as she shook his head.
Then, just as expected, Fang Ruli had swiftly forged a relationship with Little Jinshan. This was a relationship that was like cat and dogs, incompatible as water and fire, like some deep enmity existed between them with bullets flying everywhere…
A fourteen-year-old girl had been teased by an eight-year-old rascal to the point where she had no tears left. As Fang Ruli saw it, Little Jinshan's level of detestableness was nearly catching up to Xu Tingsheng's.
She and her mother had both been in the villa today. When they wanted to leave, it had already been too late.
Tears in her big eyes, Fang Ruli entered combat mode on reflex, retorting, "You! Who's your wife? How old are you? Hmph."
"Hmph your ass. Uncle Xu sent you to Binzhou to raise you as my wife, you know? Your looks satisfy, a pity you're a bit unruly...still! I like it. Hah, Uncle Xu truly understands me indeed," Little Jinshan said in the manner of a lordling.
Fang Ruqing glared at him for a bit but eased her tone as she thought of the current situation, "I won't argue with you. Come back first, okay? A little kid like you…"
"If I come down, will you sleep with me?" Little Jinshan asked.
Ever since Fang Ruli's first day here, he had already asked this same question who knew how many times. He had been violently beaten up a few times but simply refused to reform himself.
"I…" Fang Ruli hesitated for a moment.
He was only eight and weaker than her. What could he do?
Nodding, Fang Ruli rolled her eyes and said, "Alright. Come down first."
"Can I hug you to sleep and touch you anywhere then?"
"You...alright. Touch wherever. But you must know, you can't touch anywhere if you're dead…"
Fang Ruli had experienced too much separation and even death over this period of time. While this little pervert was indeed very detestable much of the time, it was precisely because he shamelessly messed around everyday that Fang Ruli and her mother had fit in very well whether it was at school or at home. It virtually did not feel like they were being dependent on others in living under their roof at all.
She did not want to see him die. He was only eight.
Little Jinshan was taken aback slightly before he calmly said, "Go back. Auntie…" He indicated towards Fang Ruli's mother behind her before saying in a hushed tone, "Bring her back. If they really do charge in later, Auntie, you must remember not to reveal your identities...just mingle with the rest."
"And you, stinky fish, that's enough! Women shouldn't interrupt when men are doing things."
Little Jinshan waved towards Fang Ruli before turning and cheerily facing the crowd below.
Downstairs.
He Twenty-seven saw Jiang Three's expression slowly collapse, his chest heaving intensely.
"What happened? The route that my people are in charge of had the mines collapse on both ends. They're all trapped inside…"
"..." Everyone was stunned.
Upstairs, Little Jinshan yelled, "Relax, Gramps Jiang, they're all still alive! You can still dig them out...still, that's only now. You won't know for sure if it's later. I still have explosives! Any more explosions, and it won't just be two of 'em!"
He drew Jiang Three's attention over completely.
Little Jinshan continued, "Think about it, Gramps Jiang...after tonight, even if Jin Twenty-four loses and is finished, what about afterwards? Five players win big, while you, Gramps Jiang, will have peanuts left. How are you still to maintain your position in Binzhou in the future?"
This was not some underhanded scheme. It was blatant, in the open as he tried to create discord amongst them. Still, while Jiang Three clearly knew this, he could not simply wave it off.
Jiang Three's expression slowly turned gloomy. He had originally been the strongest of them six as it had been agreed that he would take fifty percent when splitting the loot. Still, if all his people met their ends in the mines tonight, how would he still be qualified to take that fifty percent?
Based on brotherhood? He had stopped hearing this kind of joke decades ago. Just as Little Jinshan was saying, it was unknown if he could even still maintain his position then.
He Twenty-seven glanced upstairs, his thoughts swiftly circulating.
"Everything else can wait. Capture that little brat first before anything else," He Twenty-seven waved his hand, preparing for them to charge in.
Jiang Three stopped him with his bodyguard, "What is the meaning of this, Twenty-seven? Do you find me useless or are you thinking you might as well off me too tonight?"
He Twenty-seven glanced at him, thinking that he was in fact useless as the remaining people were also sufficient, "Third Sir, I'll give you a proper apology after this. Please don't hinder me now. We can't let this drag on anymore…"
"What if I must hinder you? Those trapped there are all my people. You love that, right?"
With Jiang Three's subordinates trapped, he was resisting using the weight of his past achievements. Otherwise, he would be dying with Jin Twenty-four after tonight.
"Urgh…"
A dagger pierced through Jiang Three's heart from behind, penetrating out from his chest.
The hand that was holding it was slender and white like jade.
While everyone was dazed, He Chunhua slipped out from behind Jiang Three's big body and hid behind He Twenty-Seven, her lips trembling slightly as she said, "Sir, since...anyway…I..."
Amidst the chaos, He Twenty-seven's first thought was that while He Chunhua's method had been a bit extreme, Jiang Three had already been out of the picture anyway. At this point in time, they could succeed even without him...also, he would have done this sooner or later anyway.
"Some of you keep an eye on Jiang Three's people. The remainder, charge in with me before reconvening," He Twenty-seven said decisively.
He charged forward.
Then, he discovered that there were fewer than twenty people with him.
"Eleven, Eight, Twenty, Twenty-nine. You guys…" He Twenty-seven said.
He suddenly realised only now what He Chunhua's backstab had caused. What she had stabbed was not a person, but hearts. Who of the Binzhou Thirty truly trusted somebody?
If they had only pushed Jiang Three aside and charged in earlier, the remainder would definitely have followed his lead for the time being. Still, Jiang Three had been killed in front of everyone's eyes, and by someone He Twenty-seven had 'planted' by his side too…
Now that was different.
Little Jinshan yelled from the balcony, "Eleven, Eight, Twenty, Twenty-nine, Uncles...Jin Twenty-four will be here soon. He says: Rather than six splitting one, we'll have five splitting two instead. How about it?"
"Or do you guys want to take a wager? Bet that the mines your people are hiding in don't have explosives. Bet that tonight might not actually see a one swallowing six. Bet that there are no daggers primed at your backs."