BTMDY Chapter 114

Every underground casino had its own way of attracting customers.

 

After all, it was an illegal business, and mysterious, secretive guests were everywhere. A scruffy man at a mahjong table snapped his briefcase shut with a ‘clack’ and gave a knowing glance to the sexy woman in the red dress beside him.

 

The woman caught on instantly. Flashing a charming smile, she led the new guest into the main hall.

 

The hall was filled with gambling tables, surrounded by handsome men and beautiful women offering all kinds of services—dealing cards, shaking dice, or just adding to the lively scene. It wasn’t exactly packed, and there were still a few empty spots, but it was buzzing with energy.

 

The woman in the red dress handed over a new briefcase, speaking with thoughtfulness: “Boss, these are chips worth five hundred thousand. You can start playing with these, and we’ll bring the rest as soon as we finish counting.”

 

Lu Chengxuan took the case and casually picked a table to sit down.

 

Places like this were always chaotic, full of people who could lose everything overnight—or flip their luck and strike it rich.

 

True wealthy tycoons or second-generation rich were actually quite rare here. For them, money was just a number; what they were chasing was the thrill of the unpredictable. But the domestic atmosphere was tense. To avoid trouble, most of the serious gamblers went abroad. Only those who couldn’t travel but were itching to gamble came to these underground casinos—and all did so secretly.

 

Most people didn’t have massive wealth. There were plenty willing to sell everything they owned and risk it all just for a shot, but their bets were usually small.

 

Big spenders like this were unusual.

 

Lu Chengxuan didn’t even blink at wins or losses, frequently going all in. Within a short time, he had blown nearly a million, drawing gasps and wide-eyed stares from other guests. The handsome and beautiful staff flocked to him, flattering him with drinks, snacks, and small talk.

 

About twenty minutes later, Lu Chengxuan stood and looked at the woman in the maid outfit who had been dutifully bringing him fruit. He nodded toward his seat: “I’m going to the bathroom. You keep playing.”

 

The maid froze on the spot. Looking up, her heart skipped a beat as her eyes met the piercing gaze of the guest behind the mask.

 

Blinking her mascara-coated eyes in awe, she gushed softly: “Boss, what… what should I do?”

 

“Don’t worry about the winnings. It’s on me.”

 

“Oh… okay then. You’re so kind, boss! Come back soon, okay?”

 

With that, the maid sat down, basking in the envy of her colleagues. She proudly held the valuable chips, her chin practically tilted to the ceiling, glowing with pride.

 

*

 

Nearly seventy-two hours had passed since being caught.

 

Lin Wangye was cut off from water and food and could barely summon any strength. He no longer felt hunger, often slipping into fainting spells. With no nutrients or water entering his body, his system had begun breaking down fat to produce glucose just to keep him alive.

 

This state couldn’t last long. If his body lost too much protein, he’d be facing a life-threatening situation.

 

In a haze, Lin Wangye felt his soul slipping free from the confines of his body.

 

He drifted aimlessly through the long river of time, subconsciously picking a point to land on the other shore, unintentionally retrieving memories long buried in the sands of the past.

 

It was a scene from before his rebirth, familiar yet distant—the study in his father’s house.

 

The perspective felt strange. At this moment, he seemed small, squatting on the floor, his chubby hands cupping a wooden triangular block. In front of him, blocks were stacked into little houses.

 

Nearby, his father and aunt were talking.

 

“Do you have any clue about this?”

 

“There’s a problem with the branch’s accounts. I don’t know where the gray income came from. I suspect it’s linked to the recent crackdown on underground casinos…”

 

“So, that means inside our group… who is it?”

 

“I’m still investigating.”

 

“Wait, why do you look so pale… is it—”

 

“Daddy! Daddy!”

 

Lin Wangye hadn’t meant to speak, but his young voice slipped out through his own throat, abruptly interrupting the conversation: “Look at the big house I built!”

 

His father’s stern tone softened.

 

“Very nice. You built it so tall, and it didn’t fall. Xiao Lin is getting good at this.”

 

“When I grow up, I’ll build big houses for you and Auntie!”

 

“Don’t be picky, eat more carrots, and you’ll grow up faster. Alright, Daddy still has work to do. Let Auntie take you out to play.”

 

Then, Lin Wangye was lifted off the floor by his aunt, dusted off, and held by the hand as they walked out.

 

Before stepping out of the study, the little boy turned his head to look back.

 

In the last second before the study door closed, he caught a glimpse of his father, brow furrowed, leaning on the desk with the weight of exhaustion pressing down on him.

 

The only known clue—the keyword ‘underground casino’—triggered a memory deep in Lin Wangye’s mind of that long-ago conversation between his father and aunt.

 

For a brief moment, Lin Wangye couldn’t tell who he really was.

 

The fragments surfacing in his mind didn’t align with the eighteen years of life he had lived, nor with the memories still etched in his heart.

 

Maybe it was all just a long dream.

 

When a dream ends, it’s time to return to the starting point.

 

Completely dazed, Lin Wangye had no idea where his soul truly belonged. The feeling of being peeled away from his body made him dizzy, leaving his consciousness to drift aimlessly in a void.

 

He didn’t know how long had passed when a sharp, acrid smell rushed into his nose, dragging him slowly out of unconsciousness.

 

Even opening his eyes felt like a battle.

 

Lin Wangye’s eyelids trembled as he forced them open. His blurred vision gradually cleared—and the first thing he saw was the man who had forced him to take photos before he’d passed out. That man was now holding a bucket, splashing liquid across the walls and floor of the room.

 

No. That wasn’t water.

 

It was gasoline.

 

The man’s face was still covered, and Lin Wangye couldn’t see it clearly. All he could make out was a medium-built figure, slightly hunched.

 

This was the first time the man had appeared in person. Back when Lin Wangye realized the man was taking pictures of him with a newspaper, he’d known it was the sign that the blackmail was officially starting. He’d tried to muster up his strength to negotiate. But the man had just snapped the photos, turned, and left without giving him a chance to speak.

 

And now—judging by what was happening—this was clearly the prelude to killing him.

 

Lin Wangye had thought the photos being sent outside were a good thing.

 

He’d believed that people outside must be trying their best to save him. He’d believed that no matter what the kidnappers wanted, Lin Shen would give it.

 

As long as they started blackmailing, more information would get out, and his chance of survival would increase.

 

But for reasons he didn’t understand, the man had suddenly started pouring gasoline instead.

 

Gambling tables. The casino.

 

The underground casino.

 

He couldn’t believe being kidnapped here was just a coincidence. If it was connected to Lin Shen, maybe this place was the very same casino his father had mentioned in his previous life.

 

And yet, in all his memories of that past life, there was never any news about this casino being raided.

 

Lin Wangye had gained so much from knowing the future.

 

No wonder the ancients said heaven’s secrets shouldn’t be revealed.

 

Maybe connecting such hopeless clues in this moment was fate’s way of punishing him.

 

A casino like this, standing strong for so many years, had to be hidden somewhere deep. At this point in time, it was impossible for anyone to find it.

 

He had no choice but to save himself—or he’d die for sure.

 

But right now, fire could snatch his life away at any moment.

 

Lin Wangye realized this instantly. A wave of final despair surged up in his heart. His body was so dehydrated he couldn’t even cry anymore.

 

He swallowed with his dry, scratchy throat, trying to gather enough strength to speak.

 

The man had now drenched the whole room in gasoline. When he aimed the bucket at Lin Wangye, his eyes accidentally met Lin’s pitiful, tearless gaze. Something flickered in his mind, some memory of someone else, and he suddenly threw the bucket aside.

 

“…All this does is pile up bad karma…”

 

His voice was very quiet, but Lin Wangye caught the faint sigh.

 

A spark of light flared in Lin Wangye’s eyes. He drew a deep, shaky breath and used up the last of his strength to whisper, weakly pleading: “Don’t kill me… please…”

 

Wei Dayong was just an ordinary migrant worker. If it weren’t for his son being seriously ill, he never would have come to the big city to work and seek medical treatment. The harsh reality of his son’s worsening illness and lack of money had left deep psychological scars. At a time like this, any glimmer of hope became something he had to cling to, no matter the cost.

 

Everything he did went far beyond what he could comprehend, and each step required guidance.

 

But before the blackmail messages were even finished, the person guiding him was suddenly arrested.

 

At any point where things spun out of control, Wei Dayong had no way to respond. Panic left his mind blank. To him, Hu Haoyang was the all-powerful boss; even if arrested, he knew Hu’s influence would still linger outside.

 

All he could do was follow Hu Haoyang’s orders, believing that completing the mission was the only way to save his son.

 

No matter how determined he was, it didn’t mean he could escape the moral torment or the sting of his conscience.

 

The person in front of him looked barely three or four years older than his son. He didn’t have the courage to meet the man’s eyes. He looked away awkwardly and said stiffly: “I… I have my own difficulties! You can report me to the authorities, let… let the King of Hell come and take my life, I won’t blame you!”

 

Seeing that the other party was even willing to respond, Lin Wangye’s breathing quickened in excitement. He tried to raise his voice: “You… you have some… problem? My dad has money, lots of money! Call him, give him a bank account, I’ll have him send it to you right now!”

 

Hearing this, Wei Dayong didn’t hesitate—but he simply couldn’t.

 

He could tell Lin Wangye was probably very rich. His mind twisted into knots, trying desperately to figure out who he should trust.

 

At that moment, Hu Haoyang’s constant warnings and precautions echoed in his head.

 

He gritted his teeth and stiffly refused.

 

“I don’t believe you!”

 

Facing life and death, Lin Wangye’s mind raced.

 

If this man wanted revenge and his life, he’d already be dead.

 

If this man only wanted money, no matter how large the amount, even if Lin Shen couldn’t produce it, Lu Chengxuan could. They wouldn’t refuse—but this person had just taken photos and then wanted his life.

 

There was only one explanation: something happening outside had made him feel threatened and determined to go all in.

 

And yet he still had ‘difficulties.’

 

“The people outside… won’t give up on me.”

 

Lin Wangye seized this as a breakthrough, speaking rapidly.

 

“Even if they want to catch you, they’ll still put my safety first. I’m in your hands—that’s your leverage. Tell them about your difficulties so they can handle it. Don’t touch me. They won’t touch you until the problem is solved.”

 

The logic of this argument was airtight, with no flaws.

 

Wei Dayong had never done anything like this before. Every step he’d taken was only according to Hu Haoyang’s instructions; he dared not make a single mistake. He had sent messages to Lin Shen purely to relay Hu Haoyang’s demands—but before the plan was complete, Hu Haoyang had just happened to be caught.

 

Since the messages weren’t finished, Wei Dayong hadn’t dared to act rashly.

 

Up until now, every step of his thinking had been led by Hu Haoyang, and he hadn’t even realized that the hostage was actually in his hands.

 

Now that Hu Haoyang was gone, he could make his own demands—have Lin Shen pay for the surgery that could decide his son’s life or death.

 

There would have been nothing wrong with that.

 

But Wei Dayong didn’t dare. He worried that Lin Wangye might really be setting a trap, just like Hu Haoyang had said.

 

If he spoke up, he would expose himself. And if things didn’t go as he hoped, the money Hu Haoyang had promised would definitely never come. Later, Lin Shen could even take revenge on his family.

 

If that happened, it would all be over.

 

Thinking this, Wei Dayong shook his head firmly and pulled out the lighter he had prepared in his pocket. “I don’t believe you. If Lin Shen refuses to pay to save you, it’s all over.”

 

Lin Wangye’s eyes instantly turned red. He shouted hoarsely:

 

“He will! Ask him! You just ask him! What if he does!”

 

‘What if…’

 

Yeah, what if…

 

Hu Haoyang was already gone. What if after completing the mission, no one was willing to give him the money?

 

What if Lin Shen could pay immediately?

 

After all, he still had a hostage in his hands.

 

Those two words—‘what if’—hit Wei Dayong like a hammer to the back of his head. Instinctively, he reached for his phone in his pocket, hesitating as he pulled it out.

 

The screen was still on the messaging interface. After his contact with Hu Haoyang had been suddenly cut off, Wei Dayong hadn’t dared to respond to a single message.

 

He knew the phone couldn’t be tracked. His fingers hovered over the screen, wavering, trying to decide who he should trust.

 

At that moment, the wheels of fate quietly turned.

 

A new message popped up on the screen—

 

“I can give you everything I have. Don’t hurt him. I beg you.”

 

It was such a coincidence. Wei Dayong stared at the message for several seconds, then his face twisted into a mix of sheer joy and disbelief. He was about to reply when the lock on the door behind him suddenly clicked.

 

In the next instant, the door was violently pushed open from the outside.

 

From where Lin Wangye lay, he couldn’t see what happened—only the sound of the door slamming against the wall. Lu Chengxuan was the first to lock eyes with Wei Dayong, and both froze at the same time.

 

The heavy smell of gasoline hit Lu Chengxuan, filling his nose.

 

He quickly noticed the lighter in Wei Dayong’s hand and Lin Wangye lying in the corner. Acting with lightning speed, before Wei Dayong could even react, Lu Chengxuan pinned him to the ground with a swift grappling maneuver.

 

Lin Wangye’s eyes widened, staring at Lu Chengxuan, feeling as if he were dreaming.

 

In that instant, the whole world seemed to light up.

 

The situation flipped in a heartbeat. Wei Dayong had been a farmer in his early years, later working on construction sites. While he didn’t have combat skills like Lu Chengxuan, he was incredibly strong.

 

Lu Chengxuan’s sudden appearance caught him completely off guard.

 

From the repeated warnings Hu Haoyang had emphasized, Wei Dayong knew that Lu Chengxuan was someone you could never provoke—messing with him meant certain death.

 

Realizing there was no way out, Wei Dayong panicked. When he saw Lu Chengxuan moving to grab the lighter from his hand, he suddenly unleashed all his strength, lifting Lu Chengxuan off the ground. At the same time, he flicked the lighter and tossed it onto the gasoline-soaked sofa.

 

A wave of heat surged instantly, spreading to the walls of the room in the blink of an eye.

 

Everything happened in an instant.

 

Reacting on pure survival instinct, Wei Dayong ran like a man possessed, even locking the door behind him as he fled. Lu Chengxuan didn’t waste a second chasing him; he turned back, dashed into the room, and dragged Lin Wangye out from the path of the spreading flames. He bent down, trying to untie the ropes binding Lin Wangye’s hands and feet.

 

The fire made the room unbearably hot. The air seared, and thick smoke climbed to the ceiling.

 

Their hair began to soften and curl under the fire’s heat. Lin Wangye looked up at Lu Chengxuan’s face lit by the flames, and a few tears forced their way out.

 

“It’s too dangerous… Brother Lu, don’t worry about me.”

 

But Lu Chengxuan didn’t respond—he hadn’t even heard, or maybe he didn’t have the time to care.

 

To prevent Lin Wangye from escaping, the ropes were not only tied around his legs but also anchored to the gambling table in the room.

 

Lu Chengxuan quickly realized this was an unbreakable knot. He scanned the room for something he could use and spotted the ashtray on the coffee table. He rushed over and smashed it on the floor.

 

The shards of glass were jagged, each edge glinting sharply.

 

Without a second thought, Lu Chengxuan grabbed a piece and ran back, using it to saw through the ropes binding Lin Wangye’s hands and feet. Once it was cut, he tossed the glass aside, not bothering to look at the bloodied cuts on his fingers and palms, and lifted Lin Wangye onto his back.

 

By now, the room felt like a massive oven, the heat rapidly approaching the limit a human body could endure.

 

As Lu Chengxuan stood, Lin Wangye choked on the smoke, turning his head to bury his nose in Lu’s solid back. He stretched his arm and pressed his sleeve over Lu’s nose to help him breathe.

 

Only then did Lu Chengxuan notice the door was tightly closed.

 

He frowned, reaching toward it to try to open it, but the handle had been heated by the fire to scalding temperature. No matter how hard he tried, it wouldn’t budge.

 

The sound of flesh meeting the scorching metal made Lin Wangye shiver uncontrollably. Goosebumps ran all over his body.

 

He wanted to help but had no strength at all, sobbing as he clutched Lu Chengxuan’s clothes.

 

“Lu… Brother Lu…”

 

Lu Chengxuan supported Lin Wangye with one hand, pulling the hood of his hoodie tight around him for protection. He stepped back a few paces, gathering momentum, and charged forward.

 

With a loud ‘BANG’, the locked wooden door was kicked open.

 

This room was at the very end of the deepest part of the casino. Flames had already started spreading down the corridor.

 

Fire needed time to spread. The space outside was slightly larger, so the temperature rose more slowly, and oxygen was more abundant. Lu Chengxuan rushed into the nearest bathroom and set Lin Wangye down, turning on the faucet and scooping water over him.

 

Lin Wangye had been dehydrated for days. The water felt like rain after a long drought. He didn’t care if it was clean or not—he just opened his mouth to drink. It wasn’t until the metallic taste touched his tongue that he noticed Lu Chengxuan’s right hand was covered in blood.

 

Even though he physically couldn’t cry tears, he couldn’t stop himself from sobbing. Years of accumulated grief poured out, and he whispered between broken breaths:

 

“Brother Lu… how did you find me here… what if I hold you back… and get you killed… what would I do…”

 

After roughly soaking Lin Wangye, Lu Chengxuan took off his own shirt and put it under the faucet to wet it. He crouched down to check Lin Wangye for injuries.

 

Lin Wangye had never seen Lu Chengxuan look so disheveled before.

 

The two of them had just narrowly escaped death, both covered in dust and soot.

 

After confirming that Lin Wangye hadn’t suffered any major injuries or abuse, Lu Chengxuan exhaled in relief. Even his usually calm and collected voice trembled slightly.

 

“I’m sorry… I didn’t protect you last time.”

 

Lin Wangye didn’t understand and tilted his head in confusion. “Last time…”

 

Lu Chengxuan lifted his head. Those deep, dark eyes seemed to pierce through flesh and bone, straight into the depths of Lin Wangye’s soul.

 

“The car accident.”

 

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