Diao An led Zou Lifen into a private room.
Inside the room were two other men, both looking rather burly, which made Zou Lifen feel a trace of fear.
Fortunately, Diao An was there; otherwise, Zou Lifen would never have come, even to her death.
"Come, come, let me introduce you. Sister Zou, this is Brother Xiong, and this is Brother Fei."
"This is my Sister Zou, isn't she beautiful!"
Hearing this, Brothers Xiong and Fei felt a wave of nausea. Beautiful? Her face was practically withered.
"Alright, let's get started," Brother Xiong said impatiently, waving his hand.
The four of them soon began to play mahjong.
At first, seeing the fierce appearance of the two men, Zou Lifen was somewhat timid. But as they played, she found herself winning most of the time. Gradually, she became more relaxed.
Soon, she had won over a hundred thousand yuan, which made Zou Lifen very excited.
If things continued like this, she might win back all her losses tonight. It seemed Diao An hadn't lied to her after all.
"Come, come, Sister wins again! A pure hand, hahaha! Ten thousand from each player, pay up!"
Seeing this, a sinister smile crept onto Diao An's lips. He then exchanged a look with Brothers Xiong and Fei.
They nodded in unison, knowing the prey had taken the bait.
Zou Lifen became more and more excited as she played, completely oblivious to the subtle movements Diao An and Brothers Xiong were making under the table.
Slowly, Zou Lifen began to lose money.
At first, she didn't pay much attention. After all, in gambling, winning and losing were normal.
But soon, Zou Lifen started to feel something was wrong.
Brothers Xiong and Fei seemed like different people, with all the good tiles going to them.
The money Zou Lifen had won was mostly lost, and she had even lost some of her initial stake.
She nudged Diao An with her foot.
Diao An gave her a reassuring look, signaling her not to worry and that he was there for her.
Zou Lifen, trusting him, continued to play.
Half an hour later, Zou Lifen had unknowingly lost over three hundred thousand yuan.
After losing her last coin, Zou Lifen immediately shook her head and refused to play any further.
"You guys play. I'm out of money, and it's getting late. I need to go home."
With that, Zou Lifen stood up, preparing to leave.
Thirty thousand yuan. The money she had just gotten from her daughter, lost in just a few hours. How would she explain this to her when she got back?
Seeing Zou Lifen about to leave, Diao An quickly grabbed her and whispered in her ear,
"Sister Zou, it's just the beginning. Why are you leaving? I was doing it on purpose earlier. I deliberately let them win some hands so they wouldn't leave if they kept losing. Now they're in high spirits. Let's try harder and win it all back in one go."
"But I have no money. I've lost all the money my daughter gave me," Zou Lifen murmured, frowning.
Diao An patted his chest, making a guarantee,
"Heh heh, don't worry, Sister Zou. I'm still here. I know the owner of this mahjong parlor. I'll have her lend you money. We'll win back both the principal and the interest!"
"Can that work?" Zou Lifen asked, a little worried.
Diao An looked at her earnestly and said,
"Sister Zou, do you still trust my character?"
Seeing his sincere expression, Zou Lifen chose to believe him.
"Alright, I trust you."
With that, she sat back down.
Brothers Xiong and Fei exchanged a smile, and then the next round began.
Zou Lifen didn't know how long they played. Unknowingly, an entire night passed, and Zou Lifen was extremely drowsy.
She said to Diao An,
"I'm leaving. I'll play again next time I have free time."
Diao An gave a sinister smile. Then, the door was pushed open, and a stout, overweight man walked in, smiling at Zou Lifen.
"Ms. Zou, you're leaving, aren't you? Please settle your debt with the casino."
The fat man was none other than the owner of the mahjong parlor, Ma San.
"Debt? What debt?" Zou Lifen asked, confused.
"Didn't I already pay back the twenty thousand yuan I owed you last night?"
Ma San sneered,
"That was the old debt. Last night, you borrowed a total of two point three million yuan from our mahjong parlor. Since you're a regular, let's round it down. Two point three million will do."
"What!"
Hearing Ma San's words, Zou Lifen's sleepy head instantly cleared.
"How is that possible!"
Ma San waved his hand, and an underling brought over the record of Zou Lifen's loans from last night.
It clearly recorded Zou Lifen's borrowings from last night.
Thirty thousand.
Fifty thousand.
Twenty thousand...
A total of three point three million yuan.
Zou Lifen was stunned. How could she owe so much!
Over three million yuan. Where would she get three million? Yesterday, she had only asked Yue'er for fifty thousand, and now she couldn't bring herself to ask again.
Suddenly, Zou Lifen remembered that Diao An had brought her here, and borrowing money was his idea. She scanned the room but couldn't find him.
Zou Lifen instantly realized she had been thoroughly tricked. She pointed at Brothers Xiong and Fei and yelled,
"It's you! You're in cahoots with Diao An, and you've all scammed me! Give me my money back!"
Saying that, Zou Lifen started punching and kicking them.
"Slap!" Brother Xiong slapped her back, knocking Zou Lifen to the ground.
"Pah! What the hell do you think you are? I won fair and square! What Diao An? I don't know him! If you keep talking nonsense, I'll have you taken care of!" Brother Xiong spat at Zou Lifen and cursed fiercely.
Zou Lifen was desperate. She crawled to Ma San and explained,
"Boss, they colluded to cheat me! The money is all with them! Go find them!"
Ma San chuckled and crouched down, patting Zou Lifen's face.
"Ma San always goes by the evidence. The money was borrowed by you, and the signature is yours. Therefore, I only recognize you. Three point three million, not a cent less. Otherwise, you might not be able to walk out of this door today."
Zou Lifen was completely panicked. She grabbed Ma San's trouser leg and begged,
"Boss Ma, considering I've been coming to your establishment, please give me one month. I guarantee I'll return the money."
Zou Lifen had already planned it out. In the next month, she would ask Tantai Yue for seven or eight hundred thousand each week, and she could gather three million in about a month.
However, Ma San shook his head and smiled,
"No, such a large loan, I dare not make the decision myself. If my boss were to investigate, I couldn't bear the consequences."
"Then... what do you suggest?" Zou Lifen was full of regret. Thirty thousand yuan. What else could she have done instead of losing control of her hands?
"Boss Ma, as long as you give me one month, I'll do anything you want!" At this point, Zou Lifen had no other options.
Ma San grinned sinisterly,
"No, you're a bit old. My subordinates and I aren't interested in you. Do you think you're worth three million yuan?"