I have ten trillion licking dog gold

"Let's go play some mahjong."

Mahjong.

One of the national treasures of China.

With an afternoon to go before the wedding banquet that evening, we needed to find something to do to pass the time.

"Sister Tong Dan, aren't you very tired? Why don't you rest for a while?"

Hong Xiaoyu, who had gone to great lengths to pick up the bride, expressed his concern.

"I was tired just now, but not anymore. Sign up, who's going to do it?"

Tong Dan, who had just been muttering that she couldn't walk at the Wen family's house, no longer looked haggard at all.

Mahjong is usually played by four people, and the current number of people is more than enough.

"You guys fight."

"No, you have to play. I haven't even said anything to you for helping someone cheat."

"..."

It seems that Miss Tong knows everything perfectly well, but she just doesn't say it out loud.

Fang Qing fell silent, perhaps feeling guilty.

"I won't fight."

Hong Xiaoyu followed closely behind.

Why not fight?

"I won't."

"You can't even do the simplest dish of 'cheating oil'? Are you even a native of Shacheng?"

"superior."

Fu Zili said generously, "If I lose, it's on me."

"light and spacious!"

Tong Dan praised her, then asked Ji Ailin, "Do you know how to play?"

Ji Ailin nodded. In Shacheng, a girl who doesn't know how to play mahjong is one in ten.

"...We're not very familiar with each other."

"It's good that we're not familiar with each other. If you're too strong, I won't fight you."

Tong Dan joked, then looked at Wu Yubin, "Squad Leader Wu must be an expert. Hong'an is the hometown of mahjong, he can teach you."

Ji Ailin remained silent, blushing.

Wu Yubin didn't mince words and readily said, "Don't blame me if you win too much."

The card players have finalized their decision.

The three bridesmaids plus Hong Xiaoyu, a man, are what the industry calls the "Emperor's Gathering."

An empty hall was transformed into a temporary entertainment venue, bustling with activity as mahjong, cards, and poker games were played.

"A little gambling is harmless fun, just a hundred or two hundred is fine."

Mr. Jiang, who had come to join in the fun, then spoke up.

Ji Ailin was startled.

One hundred or two hundred?
The maximum possible score for that game is 6400.

If she's unlucky, one of her entire salary could be gone!
But she had already agreed, and was inevitably embarrassed to speak at this point, so Hong Xiaoyu spoke up.

"Brother, isn't it a bit too big?"

"Anyway, someone will cover for you, so what's there to be afraid of?"

"Don't listen to him."

Ignoring someone, Tong Dan asked Ji Ailin, "How big of a game do you guys usually play?"

"...The biggest bet I've ever made was ten or twenty yuan."

That means it's shrunk by a factor of ten.

The maximum number of blocks that can be opened is 640.

After a match, the winnings and losses are roughly around two thousand dollars.

"Okay, I'll give you ten yuan and twenty yuan."

Tong Dan doesn't mind that it's too small.

Although someone didn't participate, they chose to stand behind their childhood friend, acting as a strategist and offering advice.

"Play the eight of bamboo".

"Ninety thousand."

"Three."

"Bar!"

"Confused!"

That's right.

Under Boss Jiang's guidance, Fang Qing won first place, winning the first hand with a winning hand, and even managing to get a winning hand with a cheat.

One family spends 80 yuan.

Delicious.

"Which of you two is actually fighting?"

After losing money, Tong Dan immediately started complaining.

"It's alright, Sister Tong Dan. I'd rather be cut into a thousand pieces than lose the first one."

Hong Xiaoyu offered words of comfort.

It turns out you really have to believe in metaphysics.

"Don't let it go, keep going!"

In the second round, Boss Jiang wanted to press his advantage and drew a wild card. Fang Qing then drew another one. According to the rules of half-wild cards, she could win, but Boss Jiang encouraged her to raise the stakes.

"If you win like this, you only get 20 per family. But if you win with the second joker, you can get 160 per family."

Fang Qing seemed to be persuaded and put Lai Zi down, saying, "Leverage."

Oops.

What I touched was a small bird.

She's betting on 50,000 or 80,000, but the numbers are all wrong.

"It's nothing. It was definitely you touching yourself."

Mr. Jiang remained calm and composed.

Fang Qing chose to believe.

Having confidence is a good thing, but confidence doesn't guarantee a win. After several rounds of play, the five and eight of the suit still hadn't appeared, while the other players were probably all close to winning.

"Bar!"

Tong Dan touched Lai Zi and slapped it down without thinking.

"Six and nine of bamboo! I win!"

Tong Dan beamed with joy, slammed the nine of bamboo she had drawn onto the table, and then overturned her own tiles.

That's right.

It is indeed six and nine of bamboo.

Thanks to someone's direction, Fang Qing, who had clearly won the game long ago, was rear-ended.

"how much is it?"

"320, haha!"

Tong Dan was overjoyed, her face beaming with happiness.

Fang Qing had only won 240 in the first round, but then lost it all and even lost 80. She couldn't help but turn around.

"Master Mahjong, you've commanded brilliantly!"

Tong Dan, taking advantage of the situation, praised someone standing behind her.

"I'll win it back for you next time."

The person remained unmoved and offered empty promises.

"Get out of my way."

"puff."

Everyone who was watching the cards and playing them laughed.

"Never mind, let's go for a walk around the side."

Fu Zili stepped forward, giving the disliked Boss Jiang a way out.

In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows in the corridor.

Fu Zili took out a cigarette, knowing the other person didn't smoke, and lit one for himself.

"It seems that the lawsuit regarding Greenland Phase II has reached a conclusion."

Jiang Chen hummed in response, calmly observing the traffic flow on the street outside.

Fu Zili took a drag of his cigarette. "I'm ready."

Jiang Chen smiled.

Are you afraid I'll stand you up?

Fu Zili shook his head. "I just wanted to say that I'm ready to be at your service at any time."

Jiang Chen nodded. "It won't be long."

Fu Zili exhaled a puff of smoke. Even though he had prepared himself mentally during this period, he still couldn't suppress the surging emotions in his heart.

"Since you're willing to give me this opportunity, Jiang Chen, I won't let you down."

A man's promise doesn't necessarily need to be made in a grand, resounding way.

“My face doesn’t matter. Real estate is different from your previous business, don’t get yourself into trouble.”

Fu Zili smiled.

"Don't worry. Building houses properly is already profitable enough. Why would I take unnecessary risks? Hang Seng is a perfect example. What's the point of having a lot of money if you can't spend it?"

Fu Zili was smoking.

"Of course, Boss Geng must have thought the same thing before he became rich. Just like those drug addicts, most people know the dangers of drugs at first and think they will never touch drugs in their lives, but in the end they still can't resist the temptation."

“If that day ever comes,” Fu Zili said calmly, “I will accept a fair trial.”

Jiang Chen looked out the window, remaining noncommittal, but simply took out a car key and handed it to the other person.

Fu Zili turned his head and was taken aback.

This is a Koenigsegg car key.

"Not giving it to Junzi?"

“He runs a barbecue restaurant, he doesn’t need this kind of extravagance, and maintenance costs are a burden for him.”

Fu Zili couldn't help but chuckle.

“Taking over Greenland requires a certain level of strength, and you need to demonstrate that strength to the outside world; otherwise, how can the public have confidence in you?”

Fu Zili took a few deep drags on his cigarette.

"It seems like there's no reason to refuse."

Jiang Chen chuckled, "It's not a gift for you, I'm just borrowing it."

Fu Zili threw away the cigarette butt, stubbed it out with his foot, and without saying anything more, reached out and took the keys.

You'd better take good care of yourself.

"what?"

"If anything goes wrong with you, all of us will be finished."

Jiang Chen was speechless, seemingly having never thought about the question before, and then he laughed.

"So next time you burn incense and pray to Buddha, please pray for me as well."

I pray for you every day.

Two men stood by the window, chatting and laughing, leaving faint silhouettes in the corridor.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"How's the battle going?"

Half past five in the afternoon.

The largest banquet hall is on the first floor of Siram.

Guests arrived one after another.

The hall was filled with about forty or fifty round tables, scattered throughout, creating a spacious and grand atmosphere. Floral branches extended from the tables, and delicate glass cups shimmered with light. Candle flames flickered like orange-red heartbeats on the linen tablecloths.
In the center is a walkway, with bouquets of white roses densely arranged on both sides. Soft white ribbons extend forward like a flowing river. At the end, a floral archway stands tall, with emerald green vines intertwined into a net, adorned with creamy white roses and light pink daisies, and several beaded lights hanging in it.

Crystal chandeliers, sparkling and translucent, hang silently above the dome, refracting a dreamlike brilliance that complements the filtering sunset.

The main backdrop is a pristine white wall, with sheer curtains draped on either side, like frozen moonlight, making the central wrought iron wreath appear even more refreshing and striking. Countless delicate flowers climb the wreath, like an inseparable love intertwined and entwined.

Around the hall, large, clear surround screens played the newlyweds' wedding photos in a loop, vividly presenting the happiness and sweetness of the celebration through audio and video, touching everyone present from every angle.

The environment here is indeed unique, which is why it was able to rise from behind and stand out.

"Hey, Zili, here's your share of the profits."

The bridesmaids and groomsmen finished their card game and sat in the seats near the front of the aisle.

Hong Xiaoyu immediately reported the good news to Fu Zili.

"How much did you win?"

"Three thousand."

"You can win three thousand in a game of ten or twenty?" Even Fu Zili was surprised. "Who lost?"

"Three return to one".

Looking at the three ladies, Fu Zili couldn't help but laugh, "The old saying is indeed true."

"It's so fake, I'm never playing it again."

Tong Dan was indignant.

"With three women and one man, either the man's family wins or the man's family loses; that's the rule."

"Is that even a claim? Why didn't you say so sooner?"

"Who knew you couldn't even beat Xiaoyu?"

"Brother Zili, 1,500 each."

Hong Xiaoyu appears righteous, but in reality, he's trying to divert hatred. However, Fu Zili is a very shrewd person.

"It's settled then, whatever we win is yours."

"It's okay, you got over six thousand in red envelopes, so you even made a profit."

Someone is always good at comforting people.

Wu Yubin, who had been observing all day, felt a mix of emotions.

Tie Jun always jokingly called him a Brahman from the county town.

Today, however, he encountered a "heavenly being".

but.

Shouldn't they be aloof and superior?

Why is it like this?
"I lost two thousand by myself! That's not fair, you have to make it up to me!"

"Why should I get it fixed? If anyone should get it fixed, it should be the groom."

Tong Dan spoke up because Boss Jiang was rich, but being rich doesn't mean being willing to be taken advantage of. Someone wisely stood up immediately to avoid being entangled.

"I'll go help Tie Jun."

As the groom, he should be greeting guests at this time. Jiang Chen walked to the entrance of the banquet hall and saw Tie Jun smiling so hard his face was almost frozen.

"Drink of water."

A bottle of mineral water was handed over.

Tie Jun turned his head, took the bottle, and gulped down half of it. Before he could finish, another guest arrived, so he had to stop, force a smile, and nod in greeting.

Logically, the parents should be present at this time, but Tie Jun's mother passed away a long time ago, and his father's health has always been poor, so he basically handled the wedding by himself.

Fortunately, Boss Jiang came out and helped him out a bit.

"congratulations!"

Anyone who has been married knows that as the groom, it's impossible for him to know all the guests, and in fact, he doesn't know most of them. The same goes for the guests!
This is not.

After Mr. Jiang came out, a series of misunderstandings began. People mistook him for the groom and congratulated him and shook hands with him.

The key is that Tie Jun let it go without explanation, enjoying the ease, and eventually even sat down on a chair to slack off.

Left with no other choice, Mr. Jiang had to make the best of a bad situation and temporarily act as a stand-in to exchange pleasantries with the guests in a convincing manner.

Isn't it at times like these that guys make sacrifices and contributions?
Moreover, Boss Jiang's acting skills have been officially certified by Pei Yunxi, a top-tier celebrity known as the pride of China.

"Happy wedding..."

Another female guest, who had rushed over, instinctively offered her congratulations to Mr. Jiang, who was dressed in a suit and looked very handsome, standing at the door.

But upon closer inspection, she stopped talking and realized she had noticed the couple's poster standing right next to her.

It should be noted that previous guests had almost all just glanced at the exhibits.

Although the poster has been retouched with beauty filters, it is still possible to tell if it is the same person upon close inspection.

Tie Jun could no longer slack off. He stood up and, on behalf of the righteous Boss Jiang, gave a polite and courteous smile, "Please come in."

"Congratulations."

The rather overweight female guest recognized him as the groom, changed her target to offer her congratulations again, and as she walked in on her high heels, for some reason, she glanced at Jiang Chen again with a strange look.

"Who is this?"

After the person left, Tie Jun asked.

Jiang Chen's eyes revealed a searching look.

"They must be the woman's guest," Tie Jun explained, while asking with a hint of doubt, "They seem to know you?"

"Have you rested enough? Come on over."

Jiang Chen neither agreed nor disagreed, and stepped down to give way to a more capable person.

In the wedding hall, Zhang Zhongquan, who had just received a call from his wife, came to pick her up.

"This way."

Amid the noisy environment, Mai Encui, who had rushed over after get off work, followed them inside, asking, "Who's that man at the door?"

"Which one?"

"The one in the suit."

"It must be the groom."

Zhang Zhongquan was baffled; what an idiotic question.

"I'm not talking about the groom, I'm talking about someone else."

"do not know."

"Come out with me and take a look."

Mai Encui was still looking back at the door, frowning, trying hard to remember, "It looks kind of familiar."

"Everyone looks familiar to you."

Zhang Zhongquan didn't take it to heart at all.

"Really, you might know him."

"I know a lot of people here."

Zhang Zhongquan scoffed, "Did you do me a favor?"

"You didn't go?"

"I've already given you the money, what am I supposed to use?"

shit.

They just wanted her to spend money.

However, being in the "honeymoon period," Mai Encui was too lazy to argue with him. She also wanted to reconfirm her intuition, so she took out her wallet and handed the bag to Zhang Zhongquan, "How much? A thousand, right?"

"up to you."

"Didn't you say a thousand? Why are you saying it's whatever now?"

The son-in-law already knows such important people, why would he care about this little bit of money?
Zhang Zhongquan waved his hand, "Go quickly!"

What's gotten into him this time?

Mai Encui knew she couldn't hold out much longer, but at least she hadn't reached her limit today. She turned around and walked out of the wedding hall again, not rushing to pay or write down the bill, but deliberately looking around.

But this time, she only saw the groom; the young man who seemed vaguely familiar to her was nowhere to be seen. (End of Chapter)