"There's a Dragon Country proverb that says, 'A newborn calf isn't afraid of a tiger.' Young man, you have a lot of guts."

Hades had seen it all when Xia Liang grabbed the waiter by the neck. It was rare to see someone cause trouble in this place, yet Xia Liang sat down nonchalantly across from him.

"We have a legendary tough guy in Dragon Country named Brother Qiang. He once said, 'What's the point of being young if you're not going to be fiery?'"

The crowd was stunned, not expecting Xia Liang to be so bold. This world has never been fair; perhaps it's the same in every time and space. Some people are just different. Some can print a nation's currency and determine its economy, others can manipulate international gold prices, and for them, controlling a person's life or destiny is a trivial affair.

Members of the Sanctuary lacked for nothing—not money, men, or women. Beyond their desire for more power and higher status, all they craved was a thrill. Life was simply too monotonous. Having enjoyed every possible pleasure, they despised a life devoid of novelty.

Hades, for his part, loved trying new things. In recent years, he had grown interested in Dragon Country's culture, especially its women.

"This is the first time I've heard that saying," Hades chuckled. "But there's a hint of truth to it. I was fiery too when I was young. Now, I'm just old."

Xia Liang nodded with a serious expression. "It shows."

Hades was taken aback for a moment. After a brief silence, he continued, "Young man, I would like to invite your beautiful companion to dinner. But rest assured, she will be returned safely to your side by tomorrow morning. As for the price, you can name it." He offered this with a smile, toying with his bracelet, his calm and unflustered demeanor suggesting this was a common practice for him.

"Unharmed? I doubt that," Xia Liang said, winking at Xiao Qianxi. "As for the price, do you think I'm short on cash?"

Hades paused, then smiled with understanding. Indeed, no one who could enter this place was worried about money. "How about this? You and I make a bet. What do you say?"

Xia Liang nodded. "That suits me just fine. So, what are the stakes?"

"If I win, the beautiful lady by your side is mine," Hades stated, tapping the table lightly. "If I lose, this hotel is yours."

Although this Keldon Hotel wasn't the headquarters, its value was astronomical. Whoever owned it could make a fortune as easily as playing a game.

"The hotel?" Xia Liang's tone was dismissive. "I'm not interested in such loose change. How about this: if I win, I just want the bracelet in your hand."

"This?" Hades was baffled, unable to follow Xia Liang's line of thinking. How much could a bracelet possibly be worth? This young man is certainly arrogant.

"You're that confident?" Xiao Qianxi's lips barely moved, her voice a whisper only Xia Liang could hear, even as she maintained her icy facade.

Xia Liang wore a serious expression. "When it comes to attitude, you have to nail it completely."

Xiao Qianxi's lip twitched. So my reputation is on the line just for his 'attitude'?

"Very well. As the host, I should extend my hospitality. You decide the game," Hades said with an inviting gesture.

Without wasting any words, Xia Liang stood up and grabbed a handful of the decorative obsidian fragments scattered on the marble round table. "I have a number of obsidian fragments in my hand," Xia Liang said with a smile, "but neither of us knows the exact count. So, let's bet on whether the total is odd or even."

Hades's eyes lit up. This was the first time he'd encountered such an interesting method of gambling; he had long grown bored of card games. "Interesting! Let's do it. I bet on even!"

Xia Liang rolled up his sleeves to show he wasn't cheating. He then began placing the stones one by one onto the table. Hades and the croupier watched intently, their eyes glued to his hand. Even a few of the well-trained bodyguards couldn't resist their curiosity and glanced over.

One... two... ten... eleven...

The obsidian fragments were grouped in pairs, making it easy to distinguish between odd and even. This prolonged anticipation and excitement had Hades completely hooked. He was unaware that this type of game had existed for hundreds, even thousands, of years in the East. Strictly speaking, the croupier should place all the pebbles on the table and then count them with a bamboo stick. But no one here knew this ancient method, so things went as Xia Liang dictated. With his sleeves rolled up under the watchful eyes of the crowd, cheating was impossible.

"This is the twenty-third stone. Mr. Hades, do you think I have any left in my hand?"

A long-forgotten sense of tension rose in Hades. He smiled. "I think you have more."

"It seems your premonition is quite strong, Mr. Hades." Xia Liang placed another stone on the table.

The croupier let out a sigh of relief.

"But... I never said I was finished," Xia Liang declared, raising his hand and placing yet another stone down.

The twenty-fifth! Still an odd number!

"This time, do you think I have any more in my hand?"

Hades's breathing grew shallow, and an unhealthy flush crept into his face, his blood pressure clearly rising. "You definitely have more!"

Xia Liang playfully shook his closed right fist before slowly opening his hand with a smile. "Unfortunately, you guessed wrong this time."

The count was still twenty-five. An odd number!

"Wow!" the croupier couldn't help but exclaim.

So thrilling! Even though the house lost, that was still so exciting. You could never guess who would win, unlike card games where the outcome is practically decided the moment the cards are dealt.

Hades's expression was grim and uncertain. He felt as though he'd been played, but he had no proof.

"It seems the Goddess of Luck is on my side today. Mr. Hades, your bracelet now belongs to me." Xia Liang slowly walked over to Hades, leaning a hand on the edge of the card table with a playful smile.

It's just a bracelet! Thank goodness I didn't wager the hotel, or I would've been ruined, Hades thought. "Alright, young man. You've outdone me this time. But this game is truly novel. How about we play another round?" he asked, placing the bracelet on the table with a smile.

BOOM—

Suddenly, an explosion erupted outside the Keldon Hotel. The massive roar sent the nobles on the rooftop into a panic, and they all crouched down. The tragic memory of the two planes was still vivid in their minds. The Keldon Hotel's security team responded faster than the local police, locating the site of the explosion almost immediately. It was the open-air parking lot, where three cars had suddenly blown up for unknown reasons.

After the bodyguards on the roof received word via their walkie-talkies that the situation was under control, they finally relaxed. One of them leaned in and whispered something in Hades's ear.

"Investigate it thoroughly," Hades ordered before turning back around.

Xia Liang, however, remained perfectly calm. "Mr. Hades, it seems your security here isn't quite perfect. If you want to bet again, let's save it for next time."

Before anyone could stop him, he draped an arm over Xiao Qianxi's shoulders and strode away without a moment's hesitation. Maintaining an air of calm and dignity, they crossed the Keldon Hotel's first-floor lobby and got into the stretched Cadillac as quickly as possible.

"Sister Qianqian, Brother Xia, how did it go?" Explosive asked, driving the car smoothly away from the Keldon.

Xiao Qianxi tied her hair back into a more comfortable ponytail. "You'll have to ask Xia Liang. But that was some beautiful work with the explosion. You truly are a demolitions genius."

Explosive grinned proudly. "Of course. I just had to control the blast radius to avoid harming any innocents, otherwise I would've gone for something much bigger. By the way, Brother Xia, what actually happened?"

As Xia Liang recounted the events on the rooftop, Explosive repeatedly expressed his amazement.

"No way, Bro! How were you so sure the number would be odd?"

"Because I quietly crushed the last obsidian stone in my hand—the one that would have made the count an even number," Xia Liang explained, rubbing his palm. "While your explosion drew everyone's attention, I got close to Hades to grab the bracelet. Heh, the thing I was *really* after wasn't hidden too well. I'm sure he'll realize it's gone soon enough."

With that, he pulled a small black USB drive from his pocket.

Crush obsidian with his bare hands? Explosive secretly clicked his tongue in astonishment.

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