Xiao Jingcheng seemed not to hear Zhao Hu's words. He turned his head to look at the croupier shaking the dice cup, his expression far from good.
When he was in a bad mood, the air pressure around him was also extremely low. Although Zhao Hu couldn't see his face clearly, he could obviously sense that he seemed unhappy.
Rolling his eyes, Zhao Hu thought of something and quickly said, "Boss, I swear to God that I didn't mean to pry into your whereabouts. As soon as I learned that you were related to Huichuntang, I immediately told my men to take good care of Huichuntang's business in the future!"
Zhao Hu turned his head and waved at two thugs. "A Wen, A Wu, come here!"
When the two came over, Zhao Hu said, "Quickly tell the boss if I told you to take good care of Huichuntang and the people inside?"
The two thugs bowed and scraped. "Yes, boss. Our boss... Oh no, the second in - command specifically told us today to take good care of Huichuntang's business. From now on, we'll go to Huichuntang for medical treatment, and we'll never allow others to bully Huichuntang!"
Only then did Xiao Jingcheng deign to glance at Zhao Hu.
Zhao Hu had a square - shaped face with ordinary eyebrows and eyes. Only his pair of eyes showed fierceness and a glint of shrewdness. He had two tufts of moustache above his upper lip, and the beard on his chin was as long as a palm. In the dim yellow light of the gambling house, he looked extremely obsequious and vulgar.
"Call your men and follow me. I have something to ask you."
A moment later, on the right side of the gambling house, people were betting and rolling dice in full swing.
On the open space on the left side of the gambling house, Xiao Jingcheng was sitting on a table. Zhao Hu, Tang Kang, and other thugs surrounded him in a circle.
Xiao Jingcheng looked at Zhao Hu and asked, "I'll ask you. If one day I kill Master Chen and let you take his place as Master Zhao, in charge of the whole Dongli Town, what would you most like to do?"
Hearing this, Zhao Hu was first greatly shocked by his words.
What, kill Master Chen?!
This... This was too brutal!
Even though he wanted to annex Master Chen's power, he couldn't easily say the words about killing someone!
Moreover, why did the boss say so?
Was this a test for him?
Zhao Hu sat up straight, with a serious face. "Then I'll surely manage Dongli Town well, so that all the folks in Dongli Town can make a lot of money, have enough to eat, and I'll also make Dongli Town more prosperous."
Xiao Jingcheng gave him a disdainful glance. "Tell the truth. Don't say such empty words that sound fake."
Did General Tunri really want to hear the truth?
Zhao Hu scratched his head, looked at him, and finally told the truth. "If I could take Master Chen's position, first I'd take all his wealth. I'd also sleep with all his women and make them kneel and serve me, calling me Master!"
Hearing this, the people below laughed lewdly, their faces full of vulgarity.
Xiao Jingcheng swept them a glance, and they immediately fell silent. Zhao Hu continued, "Then, I'll expand our gambling house. There should be branches of our Feihu Gambling House in the east, south, west, and north of Dongli Town, so that more people will come to our gambling house and we can make more money!"
There was greed and ambition in Zhao Hu's eyes.
"Hehe, I'll also make all the merchants in the town give me a part of their earnings every month. I'll occupy all the land in Dongli Town and make them give me all their grain."
"I want to be richer than Master Chen. I want people in the neighboring villages to fear me. I'll marry eight or ten concubines and have seventeen or eighteen fat kids!"
Zhao Hu was no good - natured person. If he got power, he would even more magnify the desires in his heart. He would expand the gambling house, occupy good farmland, oppress merchants, and do all kinds of evil.
Xiao Jingcheng was not at all surprised by Zhao Hu's answer. After listening, he looked at Tang Kang. "What about you? If you were in charge of the whole Dongli Town, what would you like to do?"
Tang Kang carefully glanced at Zhao Hu.
What did the boss mean? Didn't he just say that he would let Lord Hu take Master Chen's position? Why was he asking him now?
Could it be that the boss thought he was more promising than Lord Hu and planned to support him to take over?
Tang Kang felt elated. He thought seriously for a while and replied, "If I were to be the master, I'd also expand our gambling house like the second in - command. I'd also open our gambling house in Tianyuan County. One day, I'll make Tianyuan County our territory!"
"However, I don't need so many concubines. Two or three will be enough. It'll be very troublesome if there are too many women quarreling."
After Tang Kang finished speaking, he scratched the back of his head and smiled shyly.
Tang Kang was Zhao Hu's subordinate. He had been following Zhao Hu for a long time and didn't have any great ambitions. However, amassing wealth and having women were still his deep - seated desires.
Zhao Hu glared at him fiercely.
Good guy, he really dared to think. Had he been looking forward to getting rid of him and taking over his business?
Xiao Jingcheng just casually asked a question, but Zhao Hu and Tang Kang began to be suspicious and guard against each other. He saw the changes in their expressions and felt cold in his heart.
He didn't end the questioning. Then he said to the thug behind Tang Kang, "What about you?"
With Zhao Hu and Tang Kang setting the example, everyone knew what Xiao Jingcheng wanted to hear, and one by one they began to speak their minds.
These people were all hooligans who were used to being idle. They had never read books, had no great ambitions, and even less vision.
Therefore, their greatest ambition was to make more money, have a harem of concubines, have both sons and daughters, and have endless silver and food.
Of course, there was also someone who said that once he had power, he would make all those who had bullied him pay the price. When saying these words, his face was cold, and the killing intent in his eyes was undisguised.
Only one person's answer was a bit different from the others.
"My elder brother is ten years older than me. He was captured and conscripted into the army a few years ago. In the first two years, he sent some military pay home, but there has been no news of him for the past eight years."
"We can't contact him, and we don't know if he's dead or alive. I don't want to be a master. I just want to find him and know how he's doing now."
The person beside him kicked him and laughed and scolded, "You're so aimless. When you become a master, have money, and everyone fears you, are you still afraid of not finding your elder brother?"
Xiao Jingcheng looked at that person a few more times. There was really no ambition in his eyes like the others. His eyes were clean and bright, just like the dogs in Dongli Town.
He didn't know how such a pure - minded person had become Zhao Hu's follower and hung around in this gambling house all day.
However, Xiao Jingcheng roughly had a conclusion in his mind.
Power and wealth would indeed blind people's eyes. Once people had power, the evil in their hearts would be stimulated, and they would become slaves to their desires.
Anyone who defied them would come to no good end.
Such is human nature. There are no exceptions.