Chapter 36 - Test
At this juncture, President Loong produced a check and presented it to Ye Zhiguo. “Consider this a token of appreciation from our paper.”
Ye Zhiguo's eyes widened at the sight of the two hundred thousand on the check.
“We'll keep the news about Ye Hao coming,” President Loong carefully stated, “but we do have a small favor to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
“We'd like Jiangnan Daily to be the first to break any news about Ye Hao,” President Loong asserted with gravity.
The intent behind the hundred thousand was clear to Ye Zhiguo, who then turned to Ye Hao.
Ye Hao gave a slight nod. “However, we're not going to stick around.”
“We're planning a trip.”
“Any particular destination in mind?”
“That's not something I can share,” Ye Hao replied with a grin. “But rest assured, Jiangnan Daily will have the exclusive on my story.”
“You've got the wrong idea,” President Loong interjected hastily. “I mean that our paper will keep your story in the headlines, steering public opinion to get the government's attention. The Ministry of Education might just let you retake your English exam.”
Ye Hao was taken aback. “That seems highly unlikely.”
“It's unprecedented since the founding of the nation, but your case is exceptionally rare,” President Loong acknowledged, shaking his head. “I can't be certain.”
“Even with the Ministry's approval, it would take time. We'll return in a week,” Ye Hao mused.
Once President Loong had departed, Ye Zhiguo looked at Ye Hao, perplexed. “Hao, where exactly are we traveling to?”
“M City.”
“M City?” Both Ye Zhiguo and Guo Xiu exchanged glances, their faces etched with confusion.
“I've dabbled in statistics during my downtime.”
“And what's that supposed to mean?”
“Statistics can be quite useful in gambling.”
“You're planning to gamble in M City?” Ye Zhiguo's face fell.
With a gentle shake of his head, Ye Hao clarified, “I'm going to win money.”
Ye Hao's knowledge of statistics was not deep, but he had his X-ray Vision to rely on.
“Hao, you're not thinking of using that hundred thousand for gambling, are you?” Guo Xiu asked, fixing Ye Hao with a probing gaze.
“I know you might not believe in my abilities, but once we get to M City, I'll show you what I can do,” Ye Hao said with a grin.
“Hao, I really don't think gambling is a good idea,” Ye Zhiguo cautioned in a stern tone.
But Ye Zhiguo's advice fell on deaf ears.
“Just give me a thousand RMB when we get to M City. If I lose, we'll call it quits,” Ye Hao proposed.
Ye Zhiguo was about to protest, but Guo Xiu intervened.
“Let's trust our son on this one.”
“Why are you encouraging this?” Ye Zhiguo asked, clearly worried.
“Our son aced his math test. He wouldn't consider going to M City unless he was sure of himself,” Guo Xiu reassured him gently. “Besides, we've all been under a lot of stress lately. It's time we took a vacation.”
After a moment's thought, Ye Zhiguo nodded in agreement. “Fine. But we can't just head straight to M City. We'll need to join a tour group to get there.”
“Then let's sign up for a tour,” Ye Hao suggested.
Soon after, Ye Zhiguo, pointing to his phone screen, announced, “I've found a tour group. It includes visits to H City and M City, plus accommodation at a five-star hotel, all for just 998 per person.”
“They're bound to have some compulsory shopping,” Ye Hao remarked as he dialed a travel agency's number.
“Who are you calling?”
“Amigo Travel Agency.”
“But Amigo Travel Agency charges 4999 per person,” Ye Zhiguo pointed out, having seen the price earlier.
“Amigo Travel Agency is well-regarded for its service, and crucially, they don't have a 5000 price tag,” Ye Hao explained. Then, a friendly voice came through on his phone.
“Hello, this is Amigo Travel Agency. How may I assist you?”
“I was looking at your website and saw the five-day trip to H City and M City,” Ye Hao said, then hung up. “We'll head over to Amigo Travel Agency shortly to settle the payment.”
With that, Ye Zhiguo had no choice but to concur.
M City!
Guided by a tour leader, Ye Hao and his family arrived at the Jiahua Casino.
“Now, you'll have five hours to yourselves. We'll reconvene here after that,” the bespectacled female tour guide instructed. “Just a reminder: gambling comes with risks.”
Despite the tour guide's warning, it went largely ignored.
After all, if you're determined to gamble, no one can stop you. And if you're set against it, no one can force you to play.
In both Shenzhen and H City, Ye Hao and his family found little joy.
H City, celebrated as a global shopping paradise, offered luxury goods at prices significantly lower than those on the mainland. Guo Xiu was tempted, but the thought of her family's financial situation made her abandon the idea.
Consequently, they made no purchases.
Ye Hao didn't try to convince his parents to indulge in the shopping either.
He knew that any attempt at persuasion would be futile.
As Ye Hao gazed upon the opulent casino before him, a spark of divine light seemed to flicker in his eyes.
He was here with one purpose: to gamble.
Upon entering the first-floor lobby, they were greeted by a sea of gambling machines, each surrounded by eager patrons.
“Hao, what game do you fancy?” Ye Zhiguo whispered.
“I'll have a look around first.” After surveying the lobby, Ye Hao's eyes landed on the three-card game.
“This is the one I want to play,” he declared, a note of excitement in his voice.
Ye Hao's choice was strategic; he possessed X-ray Vision.
The other machines simply played the odds.
“Does the three-card game involve probability?” Ye Zhiguo asked, taken aback.
He had played the three-card game himself during idle times with friends.
“Dad, could you exchange for a thousand in chips?” Ye Hao requested, after a brief observation.
Ye Zhiguo didn't hesitate, though he harbored doubts.
Seeing Ye Hao's eagerness, he decided to let his son play, prepared to write off the thousand.
Ye Zhiguo quickly returned, clutching ten yellow chips.
The casino's chips came in a spectrum of colors: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple.
Each red chip was worth one dollar, orange was ten dollars, yellow a hundred dollars, and green a thousand dollars.
These four denominations were the only ones available in the first-floor lobby.
For those looking to wager more, the VIP hall awaited.
Ye Hao accepted the coins and stood by silently, biding his time.
Roughly three minutes passed before a middle-aged man rose from his seat, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Ye Hao moved to claim the vacated spot, but just then, a tattooed young man beat him to it and took the seat.
“Wait your turn,” the tattooed young man said coolly.
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