Chapter 23

Li Yan was at work. She hadn’t been to the shop for three days. Ever since being tricked by that guy Cao Yang, she’d told him to transfer the shop, but he wouldn’t listen. Out of sight, out of mind—that was her approach now.

Suddenly, her phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number.

“Hello, who’s this?”

“Sister Yan, it’s me.”

“What is it?” Her voice softened the moment she heard Cao Yang’s voice.

“Nothing much. Just letting you know this is my number. Save it.”

“Oh… wait… your number? You bought a phone?”

“Heh, yeah, brand-new Nokia. Cost me over two thousand!”

“What… Where’d you get the money for a phone?”

“I transferred the shop, sold the machines, then used the money to buy a phone.”

“Cao Yang! Are you looking to die?! Just you wait! Today it’s either you or me!”

Li Yan was furious. She didn’t even finish her shift—just asked her manager for leave and stormed over.

Meanwhile, Cao Yang hung up grinning and kept eating with Lei Dian.

“Why’d you lie to your sister?” Lei Dian asked, puzzled.

“You don’t know her. She’s stingy and obsessed with money. If I told her I used the profit from these past few days to buy a phone, she’d blow her top.”

“Why? It’s just a phone. Big deal.”

“Because the shop money came from her. Any earnings should go back to repay her first.”

“But if I say I sold everything and spent the rest on a phone—her investment down the drain—she’ll flip out. Then when she comes and sees it’s not true, and business is booming, the phone thing won’t matter anymore.”

“You’re slick,” Lei Dian said. Just then, his phone rang again.

He answered, talked for several minutes, then hung up.

“Cao Yang, I’m heading to Shenzhen tonight for a big job. You coming?”

Cao Yang shook his head and pointed at the shop. “Gotta watch the place.”

“This one’s huge. I guarantee at least thirty thousand in one trip!”

“That much? What exactly is it?” Cao Yang was shocked.

Lei Dian lowered his voice. “We’ll sneak into Hong Kong tonight and bring some goods back to Shenzhen.”

“What kind of goods—drugs?” Cao Yang whispered back.

“Drugs? What’s wrong with your head? Just electronics.”

“Smuggling?”

“Yeah, that’s what it is.”

“And if we get caught? Heavy sentence?”

“No idea. Never been caught. Who cares how heavy—as long as there’s money!”

Cao Yang thought about it but still refused. A few days ago, he’d probably have jumped at it, but now that the slot machine business was booming, there was no need.

Seeing him decline, Lei Dian didn’t press. He packed up and left to call Jiawei and A-Liang.

As soon as he left, Li Yan stormed in!

“Cao Yang, you bastard!” She lunged at him, clawing like she meant to tear him apart.

But then she noticed a lot of people staring. Why were there so many in the shop?

“What’s going on? Why so many people? Didn’t you transfer the shop?”

Cao Yang lit a cigarette and smirked. “Just messing with you.”

“And these people?”

“Can’t you see? Customers. All here to play.”

“Then the money for your phone came from…?”

“From the last couple days’ profit.”

He pulled out his new phone to show off. “Since the day you left, business picked up. In three days I’ve made over three thousand.”

“Really?” Li Yan was shocked, thrilled, but also a little doubtful.

Cao Yang pulled cash from his bag and handed her a thousand. “Here, first repayment. I’ll give you more after the next few days.”

She pocketed it happily. “Repayment? Wrong word. This is me taking back my investment capital. Don’t forget—we’re partners.”

“Look at you,” Cao Yang muttered.

Li Yan shoved him aside. “I’ll handle the exchanges. You sit down.”

She plopped herself behind the counter and started swapping bills for coins.

As the stack of notes grew, her smile grew into outright laughter.

Cao Yang didn’t mind—if she wanted to handle it, fine. He leaned back, smoked, enjoyed the breeze, and played with his new phone.

Suddenly, a motorcycle pulled up out front. Two punks got off, walked straight to the machines, pulled out a key, and tried to open them.

“What are you doing?” Not just Cao Yang, but Li Yan and the players all stared at them.

They grinned. “Just collecting coins. Two minutes.”

One of them jammed the key into the machine, twisting, but nothing happened.

As they looked confused, Cao Yang yanked them away.

“Daylight robbery, brothers?!”

They glanced at him, then at the shop sign outside.

“Looks like we got the wrong place. This isn’t our machine.”

Still confused, they left—but before going, they asked whose machines these were.

Cao Yang ignored them.

By 2 a.m., most customers had left. Only three diehards were still trying to win back losses.

“Brothers, closing time. Come back tomorrow,” said Cao Yang, eager for sleep.

The three cursed under their breath but left.

“Why’d you chase away customers?” Li Yan snapped.

“Turning down money? Are you stupid?”

“Sleep! Don’t you ever sleep?” Cao Yang yawned.

“I don’t need sleep if there’s money to make!”

“Don’t you have work tomorrow?”

“I’m off tomorrow.”

They bickered a bit, then tallied the earnings.

Today’s net profit: 2,500.

Li Yan grinned ear to ear, pocketing 2,000 and bringing her total recovered capital to 3,000.

“Cao Yang, what time do you open tomorrow?”

“Not in the morning. I’ll open in the afternoon.” Cao Yang swept the floor, piling up cigarette butts.

“What? So late? You’ll die if you open earlier?”

“I can’t get up in the morning. And there aren’t many players anyway.”

“Bullshit. You’re just lazy! From now on, 8 a.m. sharp!”

“Tch. Then you do it!” Cao Yang dumped the trash, ready for bed.

“Fine, I will!” Li Yan was excited. One day’s profit was worth two months of her salary. She was already dreaming of a wealthy future.

“You’re really going to open at eight?” Cao Yang glanced at the clock—nearly 3 a.m.

“Yep. I’m off tomorrow, so I’ll be here early. If business stays steady, I’ll quit my job and do this full-time.”

“Suit yourself.” Cao Yang climbed up to the loft to sleep.

Li Yan packed up to leave.

“It’s almost three. Only five hours till then. Why not crash here with me instead of running back?”

Li Yan shook her head repeatedly. The loft was cramped—too low to stand upright—and bathing was inconvenient. The bathroom didn’t even have a showerhead, just a bucket.

But most importantly, she was afraid he’d make a move. Cao Yang had gotten bolder lately; last time he’d groped her all over. She wasn’t ready to sleep with him yet, and if she stayed, she’d probably end up crying out under him.

Seeing her bolt made Cao Yang chuckle. He rinsed off with cold water, then fell into a deep sleep.

But not long after, pounding at the door jolted him awake.

He glanced at the clock and cursed. Supposed to open at eight—yet it was barely past five.

“Open up!”