Chapter 45: The Big Gamble

  Hei Zi and Zhu Xiao Fei were both interested in the opening bet. Hei Zi walked over and asked, "Wu Mei, how can you help us open a big bet?"

  The fifth sister looked at Hei Zi with a mysterious expression and said: "Call me Big Sister and I'll tell you."

  Hei Zi had a feeling of being played with, he withdrew his neck and said: "Forget it."

  Heizi drank by himself, and Xiao Fei asked in a low voice: "Sister, tell me, how can we help you open the casino?"

  The fifth sister smiled and said, "This is not easy, recently I have met some people, I will organize a few times for you, as long as you have a place, can ensure safety, familiar with each other's faces, and then naturally open up."

  After listening to Wu Mei's words, Zhuo Xiao Fei happily said: "This is of course good, but you are a girl who hangs out at the casino every day."

  "What's there to be afraid of? I'm just a girl, what's it to you? I've been to all the casinos around here." Fifth Sister said discontentedly.

  Hei Zi pretended to drink, but they whispered and didn't miss a word. Delivering coal is seasonal, there's still over a month until Chinese New Year, at most they'll make one more delivery before then. Buying a car won't happen anytime soon, the period before Chinese New Year is the golden season for opening casinos and racing cars, if the car can't be driven, they'll have to open the casino first.

  Hei Zi also has a good impression of Wu Mei, he feels that Wu Mei's personality is a bit like Yue Xiaoqing and a bit like Tan Mei. In middle school, Yue Xiaoqing liked to let Hei Zi call her "older sister", and Yue Xiaoqing also pretended to be an older sister. The Yue family are Hei Zi's benefactors, and from the bottom of his heart, he regards the Yue family as his own relatives.

  Tan Mei was Hei Zi's girlfriend in junior high school. She had always hoped that Hei Zi would become an outstanding person, but she didn't expect him to fight every day. After Hei Zi beat Ou Yang Hui, they broke up, and Hei Zi became depressed. He believed that at the time, he used excessive force to smash Ou Yang's face because of Tan Mei, and if she had been by his side, he would not have done so.

  Hei Zi thought about the past, Wu Mei and Zhu Xiao Fei were discussing the opening move. After finishing a cup of wine, Hei Zi put down his wine glass and said: "Wu Mei, why don't you also make an opening move with us?"

  The fifth sister looked at Hei Zi in surprise and said: "You really want me to join?"

  "Hei Zi nodded and said: 'With Xiao Fei by your side to protect you, I'm more than happy to have you join us.'"

  Heizi didn't say it explicitly, but in fact he hoped for the best for Xiao Fei and Wu Mei.

  The fifth sister understood the meaning of Hei Zi's words. She looked at Zhu Xiao Fei and said, "Who needs his protection? I can protect myself."

  Xiao Fei smiled and said: "Wu Mei, you promised to start with us?"

  "But how will we divide the profits?" asked Fifth Sister.

  "Heizi poured wine for the three of them and said: 'This is still not bad to say, apart from various expenses, the pure income will be divided equally among the three of us.'"

  The fifth sister listened and smiled: "It's unfair, you two have two-thirds, and I only have one-third."

  "Hei Zi smiled with ill intent and said: 'Why didn't you say I only get one-third, and the two of you get two-thirds?'"

  Wu Mei's face turned red, and Zhu Xiao Fei also understood the meaning behind Hei Zi's words. Hurriedly, he said: "Lao Wu, let's not discuss dividing the money for now, let's first think about how to start."

  As for the opening, Hei Zi and Zhu Xiao Fei have some experience. After a few days, Yin Le and Er Cheng will be discharged from the hospital and can help out, so there's no problem with personnel.

  The house next to the reservoir had been built long ago and was idle all along. The reservoir was originally prepared for the opening, and it happened to be used this time.

  Three people ate and discussed the opening, three days before New Year's Day. The three decided to open after New Year's Day. In these few days, Wu Mei was responsible for contacting people, Hei Zi and Zhu Xiao Fei prepared some essential things for the opening.

  After discussing it over, Hei Zi and Zhu Xiao Fei returned to the farmhouse courtyard and discussed it for half the night. Hei Zi had already felt the importance of mobile phones, and at the beginning, they must have a mobile phone, so that when something happens, they can contact each other conveniently.

  The next day, Hei Zi and Zhu Xiao Fei ran another trip to the county town and spent over 10,000 yuan buying back six mobile phones.

  The Spring Festival is approaching, and Zhū Xiǎofēi hasn't returned home for a long time. Heizi and Zhū Xiǎofēi bought gifts and went back to Zhū Xiǎofēi's hometown to visit his parents. Heizi doesn't have parents, so he envies Zhū Xiǎofēi and considers Zhū Xiǎofēi's parents as his own relatives.

  The two spent New Year's Day at Zhū Xiǎofēi's old home in Gějiābǎo. From Zhū Xiǎofēi's parents, Heīzi felt the warmth of family and friendship. During these two days, several of Zhū Xiǎofēi's childhood friends came to visit him. These people were all involved in mining, some opened up mines, while others picked up scraps. Recently, with the rise in iron ore prices, even the scraps they picked up could be sold. They all enthusiastically told Zhū Xiǎofēi and Heīzi about their own affairs, hoping that the two would join them in their endeavors.

  Hei Zi is very interested in mining, he has made inquiries and now even an ordinary mine opening has been sold for 700,000 to 800,000 yuan, a good one can be bought for over a million. Hei Zi and his partners currently have 2.2 million yuan, buying a mine opening is not a problem, but Hei Zi doesn't want to give up on his sports car and starting capital. This money he plans to use to buy a new car, first stabilize the long-distance passenger transportation business, then explore the road of opening up a large market, and only after making more money can they consider buying a mine opening.

  After New Year's Day, Hei Zi and Zhu Xiao Fei returned to the town. Wu Mei had already contacted seven or eight people and was just waiting for them to set a time.

  The place is ready, except for Yin Le, the other three have been discharged from the hospital, and Hei Zi decides to start a trial run immediately.

  Hei Zi brought people to the reservoir on a predetermined date, and everything that needed to be prepared was ready. The three rooms that had been built were used for different purposes: one for meetings, one as a kitchen, and the last one for living quarters.

  The sky gradually darkened, and the light reflected on the ice surface of the reservoir also began to dim. The few dogs that had just been bought occasionally barked in their kennel. Hei Zi leaned against a chair smoking, hearing the dog bark said to Er Cheng: "Er Cheng, go take a look, is someone coming?"

  Er Cheng went out the back door of the house and walked up a slope, from where he could see two car lights in the distance on the dirt road. He ran back to say: "Hei Ge, there are two cars coming."

  Hei Zi threw away his cigarette butt and stood up saying: "You guys get ready, I'll go take a look."

  Hei Zi walked along the dirt road by the reservoir for a few minutes after leaving the house, standing on the side of the road waiting. Soon two Passats and one Hyundai appeared. Hei Zi thought to himself that if there were more people in the future, having ten or so cars parked at the entrance would definitely attract attention from others. It seemed like he needed to buy a car for himself.

  The car stopped by the side of the road, and Wu Mei got out and asked, "Hei Zi, are you all set?"

  In the darkness, he couldn't see Wu Mei's face, but he knew that she must be very excited too.

  "Everything is ready."

  Three cars found a place to park, and seven or eight people got out of the car, each carrying a trunk. The fifth sister introduced these people to Heizi one by one, most of whom had met before, but didn't usually have much contact.

  Let these people in, Hei Zi asked Er Cheng to make them tea and asked: "What are you guys playing?"

  Wearing a down jacket, the stout deputy director of the iron and steel plant, Liu Zhenghua, asked: "Heizi, what do you have here?"

  "Hehe, I've got Pai Gow, Mahjong, Dice and Poker ready, just pick what you want to play."

  Liu Zhendong looked at several others and said: "What do you guys want to play?"

  A few people discussed and decided to play Pai Gow for fun, without asking Hei Zi to make arrangements. They started setting up the Pai Gow tiles to get ready to play.

  Wu Mei looked at Hei Zi and said: "Hei Zi, you must guarantee the safety of this place."

  Hei Zi nodded and said: "Don't worry, Fifth Sister, I bought a mobile phone today, now let them go out to guard the entrance, everyone just relax and have fun."