Chapter 28: Mountains of Cash

Through his eavesdropping insect, Number 001, Chen Xian learned that Fang Jing, accompanied by a large contingent of city police, had already arrived at the designated location on the outskirts of the Guangnan mountains’ casino, lying in wait. They were poised to launch an assault at any moment, aiming to apprehend all those involved in gambling, including the casino organizers. However, the precise time of their operation remained unknown.

Upon realizing this, Chen Xian felt both exhilarated and anxious. He worried that, should the police act prematurely, all his carefully laid plans would come to nothing.

“Driver, could you please go a little faster? I’ll pay you extra,” Chen Xian requested.

“Son, these mountain roads are winding, and there’s a lot of traffic. I truly can’t go any faster!” the driver sighed in response.

Left with no choice, Chen Xian could only keep monitoring the updates relayed by Number 001, staying alert to any changes in the police’s movements. He hoped Fang Jing and her colleagues would delay their action.

The wheels turned steadily onward. After two hours, the vehicle finally stopped at a remote village called Luer. The narrow road was already packed with cars, stretching in a long line for more than a kilometer.

Several men in black suits and sunglasses were at the scene, directing the orderly parking of the cars.

After paying the fare, Chen Xian got out, donned a baseball cap, slung a large backpack filled with 1.95 million yuan in cash over his shoulders, and merged with the crowd heading up the mountain path. Before leaving, he had asked for the driver’s number, just in case he needed a ride out later.

Most of the crowd were dressed in expensive clothes, many sporting prominent bellies, unmistakably looking like wealthy businessmen.

“Damn it, why does the Guangnan casino have to be halfway up a mountain, and make us walk this wretched path? They’re trying to kill us!” one man grumbled.

“Heh, Boss He, isn’t it all for safety? To avoid those cops!” another replied.

There was no shortage of complaints about the casino’s location.

Despite their grumbling, they carried their cash and brought bodyguards along—such was their appetite for the thrill.

“By the way, this afternoon’s the life-and-death boxing match. I wonder if it’ll be as bloody and exciting as last year?”

“The casino boss has invited a bunch of top fighters, including a Muay Thai master named Yanade. Should be even more fierce and brutal than last year.”

“That casino boss is something else, being able to get someone like Yanade to fight here.”

“It’s said the real owner behind the Guangnan casino is a powerful martial arts family, with connections all the way up to the provincial police headquarters. Their reach is immense—no wonder they’re so untouchable.”

“Who knows if that’s true or not?”

“Chances are, it’s true. Otherwise, how could the Guangnan casino operate here for two years without the police shutting it down?”

“Anyway, back to the main point—who are you betting on in this afternoon’s life-and-death match?”

“I’d say Muay Thai master Yanade is a safe bet.”

“Last year, Ma Delong won ten matches in a row, killing ten top fighters with his bare hands in a single day. I’m betting on Ma Delong to defend his title this year.”

Following these tycoons, Chen Xian listened intently, piecing together detailed information about the Guangnan casino. It turned out that the influx of high-stakes gamblers today was mainly due to the casino’s annual life-and-death boxing tournament. Other gambling events took place every week—those looking for a fix could come anytime—but this particular tournament happened only once a year.

Moreover, victory here was decided by life or death, making the event especially bloody, violent, and thrilling.

Learning all this, Chen Xian couldn’t help but marvel inwardly: This Guangnan casino truly operated with impunity—not only organizing illegal gambling, but also hosting these deadly matches. Such lawlessness could not go unpunished.

After half an hour, the group reached a large cluster of steel-structured buildings halfway up the mountain. Many people milled about, and the place resembled a factory built into the mountainside.

Throughout the journey, Chen Xian didn’t spot a single police officer, though Number 001 informed him that a large force was already lying in ambush at designated locations.

“It seems Fang Jing and the others are positioned at the foot of the mountain. They’re avoiding alerting the criminals,” he surmised.

Soon, Chen Xian followed the crowd to the entrance of the buildings, where a team of burly men in black suits blocked their way.

“Please present your invitations,” the apparent leader requested.

Chen Xian handed over his invitation. After a brief inspection, he was allowed to pass.

Inside, he continued with the throng to a building where another long line had formed—this was the chip exchange, where money was traded for casino chips. Over twenty sharp-eyed men in black stood guard, each with a conspicuous bulge at their waist, unmistakably armed.

Thanks to the mysterious tree and his cultivation of the Supreme Chaos Manual, Chen Xian’s senses were far keener than ordinary people’s. He noticed five concealed gun barrels aimed at the gamblers from the shadows.

“Interesting,” he mused to himself.

From his place at the end of the line, Chen Xian watched as one boss after another handed over boxes of cash, which were verified and exchanged for chips. The chips came in denominations of 1,000 yuan (yellow), 5,000 yuan (red), 10,000 yuan (purple), 50,000 yuan (gold), and up to 100,000 yuan (purple-gold).

As he watched the casino staff stack box after box of cash inside, the money piling up like a mountain, Chen Xian couldn’t help but lick his lips.

“There must be at least a hundred million yuan in cash in this building alone by now,” he thought.

He knew that these gamblers all brought cash to avoid leaving evidence that could be traced by the police. Bank transfers or third-party payments would be too easily monitored.

Soon it was Chen Xian’s turn. “How much would you like to exchange?” asked the staff.

“One million nine hundred and fifty thousand.”

“What denominations?”

“A mix of 5,000, 10,000, and 50,000.”

He handed over his bulging backpack. With so many people watching, this was not the time to act; he planned to return once the boxing matches began and the crowds thinned, to “confiscate” these ill-gotten gains.

The machines counted the cash with astonishing speed, tallying up 1.95 million in less than a minute and handing him the corresponding chips—faster than any bank.

Chen Xian took the chips but did not leave immediately. With a thought, a streak of red light shot from his forehead, materializing in his palm as a small, translucent red insect—the second eavesdropping bug.

He named it Number 002, and issued it commands with his mind.

Spreading its wings, the insect darted onto the shoulder of a black-clad staff member. Chen Xian controlled it with no one the wiser.

With that done, he joined the crowd heading toward the largest building—the boxing arena.

The tournament had not yet begun, but already the vast hall, nearly two thousand square meters in size, was filled with people animatedly discussing the fighters and placing their bets.

Finding a seat, Chen Xian checked his phone; there was still over an hour until 1:30 p.m.

He settled in, intending to pass the time browsing the news, only to find his phone had no signal.

“Don’t bother, young man. The casino has jammers set up. Only their staff can access the network inside,” a middle-aged man beside him said.

Chen Xian nodded his thanks, pocketed his phone, closed his eyes, and quietly read the updates from Number 001 and 002.

Finally, the clock struck 1:30 p.m.

“Look, the fighters are coming in! That Muay Thai master Yanade is here too!” an excited voice exclaimed nearby.