Chapter 59: The Sinister Plan

“I’ll do it!”

Sure enough, Tok’s provocative challenge had the effect he intended. Instantly, a young man clad head-to-toe in luxury brands stepped forward. The young heir waved to the crowd, then clapped his hands together and shouted:

“Fellow countrymen, I simply can’t swallow this insult! Even if I lose tens of millions to this guy, I’ll stand up and play against him, just to show these two foreigners that Chinese people are no cowards. What we have in abundance are heroes with courage and spirit, isn’t that right?”

Clap, clap, clap—

“Good man, I support you!”

“Right on, they dare to cause trouble here in China—let’s show them!”

…

The two or three hundred people present erupted into thunderous applause, celebrating him. The women in the crowd blew kisses at him, filling the air. Of course, there were those who called him a fool, but the young man didn’t care in the slightest. All he wanted was to bask in the spotlight, to indulge in a moment of internet fame, and he was certain this scene would be recorded and spread online.

As money changed hands, Osney and Tok were delighted. In their eyes, the Chinese were foolish and flush with cash—a bunch of idiots, really.

The bet was simple: Osney would play left-handed, a single game to decide the outcome. Lose, and he owed sixty million; win, and the challenger paid twenty million. All financial matters were handled by the management of Starlight Club.

In fact, this was all part of the plan between Tok and Starlight Club. The scheme was to rake in money, of course, but more importantly, to create hype and publicity—a win-win. Starlight Club’s reputation would soar, Osney would showcase his prowess playing left-handed, and it wouldn’t be too unfair to the challengers, would it?

With the eyes of the entire crowd fixed on them, Osney and the young heir began their match…

Bang—

The game unfolded as another display of Osney's dazzling skill. Whether left or right-handed, he was equally masterful—a true god of the game. His performance was flawless, spectacular beyond compare. Arrogant as he was, there was no denying he had every reason to be so in the world of snooker; his skills were unmatched.

The game wrapped up in less than half an hour. The outcome was never in doubt: Osney won with absolute dominance, completely overwhelming the young challenger.

The young man showed no sign of disappointment. Instead, he smiled proudly, as if he’d played the hero. He pulled out an elite-looking bank card, swiped twenty million, and tossed it to Tok and Osney, striking a heroic pose as he shouted:

“Here’s twenty million for you two blond foreigners! Take it and shut your filthy mouths.”

“Wow, that’s cool—so bold and stylish! I love how generous you are.”

“Rich and reckless, that’s the way! You’ve got my respect!”

Having played the hero, the young man felt exhilarated. To him, twenty million was just a number, but his reputation was now made—he’d truly gained something. The scene had already been filmed by many in the crowd and posted online, likely to trend soon. His goal of internet fame was achieved, and the money well spent.

Tok, pleased with the easy earnings, called out provocatively to the crowd: “Who else dares challenge Osney?”

“Damn, this is infuriating!”

Though the crowd was full of wealthy people, none were fools; they knew where their money should go. The limelight had already been seized, and the first challenger had successfully bought attention for his twenty million. Any subsequent challenger would see much less impact, and risk being mocked as a fool with too much money.

So, for a while, no one responded.

As minutes passed with no new challengers, Tok sneered, lifting his head arrogantly and shouting, “Hmph, a bunch of useless cowards. You can’t even beat Osney’s left hand—are you fit to play snooker?”

“Damn, I can’t take it anymore!”

The young heirs and wealthy uncles in the crowd were enraged, glancing at each other, all tempted to take a swing at the two foreigners.

Liu Teling and He Meixuan were swept up in the mood as well. Their admiration for Osney turned to instant dislike, especially for his manager Tok, who seemed to deserve a beating.

He Meixuan shook her head, looking at Chen Yufeng with a sigh:

“Ah, Xiaofeng, you’re good at everything—why can’t you play billiards? If only you could defeat Osney now, you’d be the hero of the hour.”

“Alas, I just don’t have the skill to crush him. These two blond foreigners insulted us, belittled our abilities, and I’m furious—I wish I could beat them up, but I’m just bottling it all up inside.”

Chen Yufeng’s face was filled with indignation.

“Exactly, I wish I could go up there and teach them a lesson,” He Meixuan said angrily.

“What can we do? He’s a world champion, after all. You two can’t even beat me—do you really think you can take on Osney? You’d just embarrass yourselves,” Liu Teling said calmly, shaking her head and glancing at Chen Yufeng and He Meixuan. “Come on, let’s go—better not to see any more.”

“No, I want to watch a bit longer,” He Meixuan insisted, hoping to see if someone else would step forward to challenge Osney.

Chen Yufeng had no intention of leaving either. He looked at Liu Teling and He Meixuan and said, “We can’t beat Osney at billiards, but if I don’t vent my anger, I’ll feel awful—it’s really stuck in my chest, and I can’t stand it.”

“So what do you want to do?” Liu Teling rolled her eyes at him—always causing trouble.

“How about this,” Chen Yufeng said with a mischievous grin, “I’ll go up and act tough, give them a tongue-lashing, then slip away. That’ll make me feel better.”

“Great, great idea! So exciting—I approve!” He Meixuan grew a little excited at the thought, immediately giving Chen Yufeng an approving look.

Liu Teling saw that these two were born troublemakers, clearly planning some mischief. She knew Chen Yufeng was good at fighting and wasn’t worried about him getting hurt; in fact, she’d be glad if someone managed to give him a beating.

He Meixuan could hardly wait to see Chen Yufeng’s performance—he’d insult them and then run, so thrilling.

She didn’t care anymore. After exchanging a glance with Chen Yufeng, she shouted at Tok:

“Hey, foreigner—who says no one’s challenging you? Someone’s ready to play!”