Su Daiyi!

Neither Ling Chaoyang nor Wan Yuanshan, not even Old Jiang Ba, had imagined that Su Daiyi would be the third person to follow suit and place a bet. After all, this high-stakes gamble was meant to butcher many families to fatten one. The winner would take all, and the losers... would lose two hundred million in assets.

This kind of loss would be a crippling blow to any family. It was no exaggeration to say their family's fate was tied to it.

"Oh?" Wan Yuanshan's voice was deep as he looked over. "Niece Su, this is no joke. Can you truly make such a decision for the Su Family?"

"Yes!" Su Daiyi uttered just one word, but it was with absolute decisiveness.

Ever since the Ye Family's downfall, after clinging to Xu Lai for support, she had already gained the final say in all family matters. One might even say that the Su Family had become her one-woman show.

"And your stake is..." Ling Chaoyang squinted as he looked at her.

"Two hundred million in cash!"

A ripple of sharp intakes of breath sounded throughout the venue. Two hundred million in assets was a simple matter for the families of everyone present, but none of them could produce two hundred million in cash on short notice. Fixed assets and liquid cash were two entirely different things.

Whether it was a cruise ship or a casino, though valued at two hundred million, it couldn't actually be sold for that amount. Any sale would have to be discounted. An old cruise ship like this one would likely need a twenty-percent discount, and even then, a buyer was not guaranteed.

"Su Daiyi, you're insane!" Old Jiang Ba lost his composure, his eyes bulging as he exclaimed, "I know you like Mr. Xu, but you can't..."

"Eighth Master," Su Daiyi responded calmly. "I do like him, but this bet is not influenced by any personal feelings."

She looked straight into Old Jiang Ba's eyes, emphasizing each word. "I believe in Xu Lai. He won't lose!"

Su Daiyi herself didn't know where this courage came from. But she believed that this gamble was a great opportunity, one that she had to seize so that the Su Family could rise quickly. Only then would they not be in today's position, being jokingly told to ally with the Jiang Family the moment they arrived. On the surface, it was a jest, but in reality, it was a mockery, implying the Su Family lacked the standing to represent Hangcheng and could only hitch a ride with the Jiang Family.

After much hesitation, Old Jiang Ba finally gritted his teeth and said, "I'll put up half of that two hundred million!"

Su Daiyi was startled and about to speak when Old Jiang Ba said in a heavy tone, "If we win, our families rise together. If we lose... at least we won't be completely unable to recover in the coming years."

Split the benefits, share the risks. Su Daiyi nodded. This was indeed the best way to minimize the risk. Yet, after the impulsive moment passed, a cold sweat clutched her heart. After all, this was a two-hundred-million-yuan bet. If they lost, the Su Family would stagnate for years to come, utterly left behind by the other wealthy and noble families.

"If even Niece Su is joining the fray, then I'll place a bet as well," an elderly woman with white hair said with a smile. "My Niu Family owns a five-star hotel in East Sea City worth roughly two hundred and ten million."

She was Niu Guihua, the head of the Niu Family from Hua City. Her name was odd and old-fashioned, but no one dared to laugh at it because her brother was the Martial Arts Grandmaster Niu Taishan—a Martial Dao expert who was half a step into the Eighth Grade. Otherwise, the Niu Family would not be under Niu Guihua's authority.

Another person had joined the gamble.

This prompted the remaining eight family heads to ponder for a moment. They exchanged glances, and a strange smile appeared on their faces as they all said in unison, "I'm in!"

The Martial Artists these eight families had invited, though not as formidable as Niu Taishan, Xu Huang, and Feng Lang, were still Seventh Grade Martial Ancestors with Boundary progressions varying from the early to late stages. However, these eight families had long since conspired privately to work together for a collective win. This bet suited their plans perfectly.

It was just that the eight families collectively only put up two hundred million, which made Wan Yuanshan slightly regretful.

He clapped his hands, and three young people, all lawyers, appeared outside the lounge. They pushed open the door and delivered contracts, one by one.

Su Daiyi and the others looked at Wan Yuanshan with complex expressions. The contracts had already been drafted. All that was needed was to fill in the numbers and names and stamp them with a seal to make them effective. Clearly, the head of the Wan Family had come prepared to fleece them all.

The stakes were set. But as for who would win or lose... no one could know until the very end.

Su Daiyi closed her eyes and clasped her hands together before clutching the pen to write her name. She had thought her hand would tremble, but she found her handwriting was very steady. She put down the pen. Looking at the name 'Su Daiyi' on the contract, a mysterious smile suddenly curved her lips.

「Meanwhile.」

In his room on the fourth floor of the cruise ship, Xu Lai, who had been resting quietly, murmured, "What a clever woman."

Some people are destined to leave a bold mark on history because they dare to make choices that could lead to their doom. Su Daiyi was such a person. Even if Xu Lai weren't here today, there would be another 'Li Lai' or 'Gu Lai' to embolden her to risk it all.

"Since you trust me," Xu Lai said with a light chuckle, standing before the window and gazing at the distant azure sea, "then I shall grant the Su Family a meteoric rise!"

***

Sea Temple Island was exceptionally lively today. This was especially true after Yu Xiaoxiao appeared with Hu Yanjie before Ruan Lan and Li Li, which was followed by incessant teasing from the latter two. The 1.8-meter-tall Yu Xiaoxiao was so embarrassed that she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

As the sun set, Yu Xiaoxiao, having been teased for an entire afternoon, finally couldn't take it anymore. In an effort to divert the attention, she gave Hu Yanjie a gentle kick.

Taking the hint, he produced four white cards and cleared his throat. "At six o'clock tonight, I'll take you all to see something thrilling."

Ruan Lan and Li Li exchanged a glance, and both women took a step back simultaneously. Ruan Lan even said disdainfully, "You two are getting a room and you want us to watch? You guys are way too perverted."

"Exactly," even the mild-mannered Li Li couldn't help but whisper, "Xiaoxiao, you've changed. You weren't like this before."

Yu Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded. She smacked Hu Yanjie on the back of his head, annoyed. "Can't you speak properly? Use your words!"

Hu Yanjie fell silent. Could there be anything more thrilling than watching a group of legendary Martial Dao masters cross the sea? He could only carefully explain it all over again.

Ruan Lan was instantly shocked. "Really?" she asked, her voice filled with excitement. "A hundred nautical miles? They're crossing from the shore to Sea Temple Island on their own?"

She had always dreamed of becoming a martial arts master, which was why she had learned taekwondo. But this feat seemed impossible.

"So? Knowing you'd like this, Yanjie prepared it especially," Yu Xiaoxiao added.

"If you had been this thoughtful back then, you wouldn't have been rejected so much when you were pursuing Lan Lan," Li Li muttered.

Hu Yanjie's scalp tingled. Then, he felt another slap on the back of his head from Yu Xiaoxiao. "Go buy some water!"

Hu Yanjie was speechless. This is so hard!

As Hu Yanjie left, Yu Xiaoxiao was about to say something, but before she could, Ruan Lan took her hand. "Don't worry, Xiaoxiao. I'm genuinely happy for you two. I mean it."

"Mm." Yu Xiaoxiao's worries were also completely put to rest. "That hair clip we saw earlier was pretty. Let's go buy it, one for each of us!"

"Sure thing."

The three women left together. When Hu Yanjie returned with the water, he was stunned.

Where did everyone go? Who ran off with my girlfriend?!

Unbeknownst to him, a pair of cold eyes had been watching him from nearby for a very long time.

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