"I beg to differ, with such a high and mighty attitude, I really cannot believe that you, Lu Ming, have no significant identity or background..."

Though Lu Ming's face was dark with brooding, he had not yet erupted with rage, but his patience clearly would not last long. And knowing his character, even if he didn't show it now, he would certainly play dirty tricks later on.

"Lu Ming, cut the nonsense. Qin Fang is a guest I invited. Don't target him—if you have an issue, take it up with me. Just draw the line, and I, Sun Shu, will take it from here..."

While not quite understanding why Qin Fang would purposely provoke Lu Ming, he knew Lu Ming's personality well. Having offended Lu Ming like this, with Lu Ming's narrow-mindedness, there was no way he would just let it go.

Qin Fang was Su Xiaoxiao's man, and as such was also a guest invited by Sun Shu. He naturally could not allow Qin Fang to suffer a loss, not to mention Qin Fang had given him two generous gifts. Regardless of anything else, just for this favor, he could not stand idly by.

"Oh? Young Master Sun can't sit still? That doesn't seem like your style..."

Sun Shu's response was out of character, instead of his usual avoidance of conflict, he was openly protecting Qin Fang, which said a lot.

Either Qin Fang must have a considerable background, which Sun Shu was very wary of, not wanting Qin Fang to get into trouble in Yangcheng... or perhaps Qin Fang might be a relative of Sun Shu, whom he naturally wanted to take extra care of.

Upon realizing this point, Lu Ming's gaze immediately shifted away from Sun Shu and Qin Fang, ignoring Li Yao at Sun Shu's side too, and directly fell upon Su Xiaoxiao. His brooding eyes suddenly shot out sharp rays, filled with surprise and admiration.

Hastily, one thought after another flitted through his mind, and very quickly, Lu Ming retrieved related information from his memory. He remembered Sun Shu had a cousin who was said to be very beautiful but not in Yangcheng... Several local young men from Yangcheng had wanted to arrange matchmaking with her, but she hadn't taken a fancy to any of them!

With such a straightforward comparison, the woman before him must surely be Sun Shu's cousin... Looking at the affectionate way Su Xiaoxiao and Qin Fang were nestled together, it was undoubtedly Su Xiaoxiao's boyfriend.

With this discernment, Lu Ming had a clear idea in his mind and soon figured out a plan.

"Since Young Master Sun is so straightforward, I, Lu Ming, naturally can't dawdle either... Let's do it the old way, a single gamble to decide the outcome!"

Now that he had a clear idea in his mind, and his goal had been achieved, there was naturally no need for him to be too polite with Sun Shu. A smug smile appeared on his face, and he stated his terms quite bluntly.

Those who knew him understood why he was so pleased, yet those who didn't might really think he was the generous type.

"Fine! The time, the place..."

Sun Shu's face was dark with anger, but he still clenched his teeth and agreed, his eyes also filled with fury.

Of course, this anger wasn't directed at Qin Fang, but at his archenemy Lu Ming...

"Brother Sun, what's this old rule?"

That Sun Shu would protect him so openly was indeed a surprise to Qin Fang, but it soon ceased to be strange; Sun Shu was such a person, and it was not surprising at all for him to act this way.

But seeing the expression on Sun Shu's face when he agreed to Lu Ming, it seemed like the decision was quite a tough one for him. Qin Fang naturally could not stand by and watch, so he stepped in with a question.

"Sigh, little brother... you better not ask! I'll handle this matter... You guys go ahead and leave for the hotel first, try not to linger on the way!"

Sun Shu really meant well for Qin Fang. It seemed he was planning to shoulder all the responsibilities himself, not wanting Qin Fang to worry about this matter.

Even considering the dirty tricks Lu Ming might have arranged, Sun Shu specifically warned Qin Fang to prioritize safety above all else.

After saying this, Sun Shu did not linger further and took out his phone as if to notify someone... And judging by his anxious demeanor, it seemed that matters were not going to be easy to handle.

"Xiao Xiao, what were your cousin and the others talking about? What's this old rule?"

With Sun Shu and Li Yao gone, only Qin Fang and Su Xiaoxiao were left. Naturally, he had to ask Su Xiaoxiao, as she might know a bit about the situation.

"What else could it be, but street racing..."

Su Xiaoxiao twisted her lips as she spoke. Actually, she herself was a street racing enthusiast, but since her skills were nothing special, it could only remain a hobby.

Sun Shu and Lu Ming had raced each other not just once; they had competed many times before. Initially, each claimed victories and defeats interchangeably, neither able to dominate the other.

However, ever since Lu Ming employed some underhanded tricks to cripple Sun Shu's best car modding master and scared away the skilled drivers in Sun Shu's employ, Sun Shu had been losing far more than winning, especially in this past year where he hadn't won a single race...

"They gamble big, in this past year of losses, my brother has almost gambled away his wife's dowry..."

Su Xiaoxiao added from the side, her tone making it clear she held some resentment towards Lu Ming. Looking at her expression, it seemed as though she might want to eliminate Lu Ming herself.

Of course, generally speaking, this would be impossible.

The Assassin's Alliance has its own rules; assassins normally only kill on assignment, and seldom engage in killing otherwise, especially in Dragon Country, where they are particularly cautious about such matters.

Moreover, Lu Ming's background was complex, with an official as a parent—a somewhat sensitive matter, not something you can act upon lightly!

"Gamble big? How big?"

When Qin Fang heard about street racing, his expression became quite odd—he was Ninghai's Car God, having defeated all the notable racers in Ninghai, he had already reached a point where he was seeking a match without an equal.

"Three million a race..."

Su Xiaoxiao held up a hand as she spoke, obviously shocked by the high stakes herself. She was now a multimillionaire, but even she couldn't last many rounds at such stakes.

"Plus, an exquisite antique... it has to be at least from the Song Dynasty or earlier!"

But the bet involved more than just money—there was this strange additional condition...

Even Qin Fang was slightly startled when he heard the complete details of the wager. Three million for a race wasn't particularly much, considering it was between Sun Shu and Lu Ming betting against each other.

But the addition of an antique raised some eyebrows; according to Su Xiaoxiao, it was Lu Ming who insisted on this condition, claiming it was because his father, Mayor Lu, had such a hobby...

It sounded like a reasonable excuse, but no matter how you heard it, it felt quite odd, though Sun Shu hadn't given it much thought at the time and agreed...

At first, each had their wins and losses, sometimes you would lose to me today, and I might lose to you tomorrow. It didn't cause much of a stir, save for the odd detail that Lu Ming never lost the antiques he had won from Sun Shu back to Sun Shu; he often prepared a new antique instead.

Sun Shu had found this curious as well, but having had the items appraised, and confirming their high value, he didn't dwell on it much. He'd even gifted a few choice pieces to his uncle, Secretary Sun, to enjoy for a time...

Only, Sun Shu had been consistently losing recently. Not only had he lost all the antiques Lu Ming had previously wagered, he even dug into his own pocket to acquire several more for gambling.

That said, Sun Shu wasn't someone to throw good money after bad; knowing he would lose, he didn't continue to bet, and mostly, he avoided confronting Lu Ming.

If it wasn't for the fear that Lu Ming might harm Qin Fang, he wouldn't have agreed to Lu Ming's terms today.

Losing money was a small matter, and losing antiques wasn't serious, but if Qin Fang were to come to harm, that was something Sun Shu couldn't accept...

"There's a problem, a big problem..."

Sun Shu was more concerned with Qin Fang's safety than the outcome of the race. He was almost certain that he was bound to lose, yet Qin Fang felt that there was something off about Lu Ming, or that there might be some major issue at play...(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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