After Teasing the Heroine and Running Away, I Was Forced into Love - Chapter 51

Although the ship’s signal was poor, it occasionally managed to receive messages. The captain’s vessel was not affiliated with the Tianze Group.

However… the two companies had a long-standing relationship, being old family friends. Therefore, he dared not offend the company’s business partner.

Seeing the captain’s furious demeanor, Shi Jianye’s heart sank. I’m done for! he thought.

It seemed his secret had been discovered after all. Could he not even escape his fate by hiding at sea? His life was truly miserable.

If only he had known…

He should never have indulged in the fleeting pleasures of the gambling table.

But when Shi Jianye drew his first card, as the stakes gradually doubled, no one could resist the allure of such a lavish reward.

The higher the stakes, the greater the potential to recoup all losses in a single hand.

But people often win little and lose much.

Therefore, Shi Jianye knew clearly that he couldn’t touch that stuff again.

“Captain, you know my situation. It’s probably those people…”

Shi Jianye’s massive debt couldn’t be hidden, even if he wanted to. He’d been introduced to the ship by a friend, so the captain knew some of the details.

“But I never imagined your creditors would be this ruthless!”

The captain’s voice carried a hint of resentment. He needed to keep a close eye on the bridge, so the first mate was temporarily in charge, but he couldn’t afford to be away for too long.

“Which creditor is it?”

Shi Jianye wasn’t stupid. He knew the names and personalities of all his creditors like the back of his hand. After years of hiding, he’d learned a thing or two about avoiding them.

“He Shanjian. Do you know him?”

“How dare you borrow money from him!”

The mere mention of He Shanjian’s name sent the captain into a fit of rage.

Inside the restaurant, the man devoured his food ravenously.

“Take your time,” He Shanjian said calmly, sliding several white napkins across the table. “There’s plenty of wine.”

Shi Jianye, however, was too busy chewing on his steak and lobster, juice dripping from his mouth. His unshaven, slightly curled stubble made He Shanjian’s brow furrow.

He Shanjian studied him closely. There was indeed a faint resemblance between Shi Jianye’s features and those of Shi Qing.

Fortunately, his daughter had inherited more from her mother than her father. Otherwise, Shi Qing’s beauty might have been several tiers lower.

He wondered if, in that case, she would still have caught the eye of his greedy and lecherous sister.

“Crab… crab… kind person…” Shi Jianye mumbled, his mouth stuffed too full to speak clearly.

“I’ve heard about your situation,” He Shanjian said, a glint of shrewdness in his eyes. After years of being suppressed by He Roushuang, he had finally found a breakthrough.

“Shi Jianye, you made quite a name for yourself at the Golden Dragon Casino. One night, you turned ten thousand yuan into a hundred times that amount!”

He Shanjian’s words were based on hastily gathered intelligence, a tone he’d never used with someone of lower status.

His voice carried a faint disdain, but Shi Jianye, being boisterous and oblivious, either didn’t notice or simply didn’t care.

However, hearing praise for his gambling skills was like flipping a switch. Shi Jianye’s head snapped up, and he launched into a rambling account of his past glories.

“Of course! My skills are top-notch. If I hadn’t been framed, I wouldn’t have fallen so low!”

He Shanjian frowned, enduring the rant with strained patience before finally extending his predatory claws, ready to prey on Shi Qing’s family.

Sister… this is your good brother’s return gift!

Accept it.

He Shanjian thought maliciously, his mood brightening as his appetite surged. He finally devoured the lone steak on his plate.

“By the way, what did you want to see me about?”

Shi Jianye wasn’t a complete fool. He belatedly realized something was off, but his hunger had completely overwhelmed his ability to think straight.

“I want to help you reclaim the glory of the God of Gamblers,” He Shanjian said, even he himself didn’t believe his own words. As soon as he finished speaking, he eagerly pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a drag—a habit he used to mask his awkwardness.

Shi Jianye froze at the declaration. To be honest, he’d never truly believed he deserved that title. After all, he’d only won a staggering sum of over ten million yuan one night.

But that fleeting moment was all it took.

In the very next game, the entire fortune vanished without a trace, as if it had never touched his hands.

“Don’t joke around, kid…” Shi Jianye said. “Even if I’m arrogant, I’m not foolish enough to believe that.”

“Just tell me what you really want.”

Shi Jianye might have been a gambling addict, but he was no fool. In fact, he possessed a sharp wit. When he narrowed his eyes, his cunning, fox-like expression bore an uncanny resemblance to his daughter, Shi Qing.

He Shanjian suddenly understood why Huo Wenlan lacked that particular air. It seemed Shi Qing had inherited it from her father.

“This is genuine. Please believe me.”

He Shanjian clapped his hands. Two men entered the room, each carrying a black briefcase. They unlocked the cases and opened them wide, creating a scene reminiscent of a criminal transaction in a drama series.

But the shrimp tail Shi Jianye was holding slipped from his grasp, splattering greasy stains across the floor.

Because… this box was filled with cash.

“You—!”

When Shi Jianye saw the money, all his words caught in his throat.

“I told you, I’m willing to help you.”

“Just sign this…”

He Shanjian took a contract from one of his men, his eyes gleaming with anticipation, and slowly slid the white document across the table.

Shi Jianye could read, but not well.

Squinting, he strained to decipher the tiny characters, no thicker than a mosquito’s leg, until his head ached.

“What does it say?”

Shi Jianye was already tempted. No matter what the contract said, signing it meant getting this thick stack of cash.

“It’s a contract. I give you the money. If you win, you split the profits with me. If you lose, this money counts as a loan.”

He Shanjian lied through his teeth.

In reality, the contract was a loan agreement.

Shi Jianye sensed something was off, but he didn’t dwell on it. Between his earnings as a sailor and these two entire boxes of money…

Maybe he really could turn his life around!

Unable to contain his excitement, Shi Jianye resolved to act. He reached out and took the pen He Shanjian offered with both hands.

Barely glancing at the contract, he scrawled his ugly three-character name across the bottom.

The handwriting looked like a chicken had scratched it into the dirt.

He Roushuang remained blissfully unaware of the unexpected turn of events, still comfortably lounging in bed.

After all, who could have predicted that the Male Lead would unearth the Female Lead’s father?

This plot point was entirely absent from the original novel. While the Female Lead’s father did make a few appearances later in the story, his sole purpose was to evoke sadness, grief, and vulnerability in the Female Lead, thus creating opportunities for the Male Lead to comfort her.

Yet He Roushuang couldn’t shake an ominous premonition. After all, He Shanjian had always been the type to cause trouble if left unchecked for three days.

The recent silence…

It was eerily suspicious!