Chapter 32
At noon, Lin Xiu went to the police station. Seeing Lin Weimin handcuffed and being led away by the police, Lin Xiu chatted with the officers for a while.
He received a call saying Lin Weimin had been arrested for gambling. Originally, he hadn’t wanted to come, but the police said Lin Weimin had organized the gambling session, with a total stake of 400,000 yuan, and Lin Weimin alone had 200,000 yuan. This amount constituted a crime and would result in a prison sentence.
Lin Weimin looked at Lin Xiu without speaking. “Are you here to laugh at me?”
Lin Xiu asked, “Where did you get so much money?”
Lin Weimin never gambled with large sums of money. First, he didn’t have that much money, and second, he was timid and didn’t dare gamble that much. Even after selling his house, he hadn’t gambled heavily. Lin Xiu couldn’t understand where he got the courage or the money.
Lin Weimin had promised Chi Aibei not to tell Lin Xiu. The child had kindly lent him the money; he couldn’t betray his trust.
Lin Weimin glanced away. “I can’t tell you.”
Lin Xiu: “Did you rob a bank?”
Lin Weimin scoffed. “If I had the ability, would I have been caught?”
Lin Xiu also thought he didn’t have the ability or the courage. “The police said you might be sentenced to prison. This money came from an unclear source; even if I don’t ask, the police will investigate.”
Lin Weimin hadn’t expected this much trouble. He frowned. “Why do you have to know where the money came from?”
Lin Xiu didn’t want to answer his nonsense. “What do you think?”
Lin Weimin hesitated. He mumbled softly, “I promised the kid I wouldn’t say.”
Lin Xiu, with sharp ears, heard the words “the kid.” Someone called “kid” who had 200,000 yuan and didn’t want Lin Xiu to know who it was… Lin Xiu could only think of one person!
Lin Xiu frowned. “Is it Chi Aibei?”
Lin Weimin was startled. “I didn’t say anything!”
Lin Xiu: “…”
What’s the difference between that and admitting it?
Lin Weimin realized he’d slipped up and quickly said, “You tricked me?”
Lin Xiu: “I was just guessing.”
Guessing my ass! He’d clearly been leading him on. Lin Weimin warned him, “Don’t cause him trouble. I promised him I wouldn’t tell you. Don’t take it out on him when you get back. Take your anger out on me!”
Lin Xiu almost laughed. Did he even know how he’d been caught?
He’d organized a large-scale gambling session and been reported and arrested shortly after. Was this coincidence really just that?
Lin Xiu couldn’t figure out when Chi Aibei had contacted Lin Weimin. He’d been with Chi Aibei almost constantly these past few days. When did he give him the money, and 200,000 yuan at that? He was generous!
Lin Xiu: “When did you see each other?”
Since he’d already spoken, Lin Weimin didn’t mind being more specific. “Yesterday afternoon.” Lin Weimin seized the opportunity to inquire, “That kid’s family is quite well-off, right? He told me this money was his allowance from his father, who frequently gambles in Las Vegas and wins millions every time.”
Lin Xiu: “…” You believe what he said? Even Las Vegas.
Lin Xiu couldn’t help but mentally praise Chi Aibei. Impressive!
Lin Xiu didn’t speak, and Lin Weimin felt a little uneasy. “I was going to pay him back after winning today, but I was so unlucky.”
Lin Xiu already knew the answer: unlucky or set up? Just the Las Vegas part showed that Chi Aibei hadn’t held back when fooling Lin Weimin.
Thinking back to Chi Aibei’s previous successful scams, it was normal for him to trick Lin Weimin to death’s door while still protecting him.
Lin Weimin knew his chances were slim. He said, “I can’t pay back this money for now. Tell that little friend of yours. When I get out, I’ll find a way to pay him back slowly. Uncle isn’t the kind of person who borrows money and doesn’t repay it.”
Lin Xiu: “…” Uncle?
In Lin Xiu’s impression, Lin Weimin always called himself “Old Man,” treating him like a burden, never as his nephew. This word from his mouth sounded strange.
Lin Weimin glared at him. “What’s wrong with ‘Uncle’? Do you think everyone is as disrespectful as you?”
Lin Xiu blankly looked at Lin Weimin. He probably guessed which tactic Chi Aibei had used: ingratiate himself, build relationships, and deceive. He’d planned to swindle him from the start.
Lin Xiu: “What are you going to repay with? More gambling? With your luck, you probably won’t be able to repay it in your lifetime.”
Lin Weimin hated hearing such unlucky words. “…Why do I have such a jinx of a nephew? Why do other people win, but you? If you had half the eloquence of that kid, I wouldn’t have lost so badly.”
Lin Xiu: “You lost because you’re not good at it. What does that have to do with me?”
Lin Xiu had only come to find out the source of the money. He didn’t want to be inexplicably saddled with an unknown debt. As for Lin Weimin, he didn’t want to deal with him, even feeling fortunate. Thinking about his grandmother dying because of him in the past life, it was good that he was locked up this time.
—
Lin Xiu didn’t tell Chi Aibei when he left. The first class of the afternoon had started, but Lin Xiu hadn’t returned. Chi Aibei messaged him, but he didn’t reply.
He leaned on his chin, bored, and poked Jiang Yu’s back with his pen. “Do you know where Brother went?”
Jiang Yu had been waiting all morning for Chi Aibei to apologize, and when he was suddenly poked, he turned around and glared at him. “You’re finally willing to talk to me?”
Chi Aibei blankly said, “Ah?” “Didn’t you also not talk to me?”
Jiang Yu was speechless. He’d been waiting for him to speak all morning? Doesn’t he have any self-awareness of being wrong and needing to apologize?!
Jiang Yu felt a sense of powerlessness at having been angry for nothing all morning. “Can’t you tell I was angry?”
Chi Aibei blinked at him. “You’re still angry? Didn’t you finish giving birth yet? It’s taken this long.”
Jiang Yu: “…” Listen to what you’re saying!
Jiang Yu said angrily, “Don’t you have anything to say to me?”
Chi Aibei feigned ignorance. “Say what?”
Jiang Yu was exasperated. “I’m angry, don’t you know how to coax me?”
Chi Aibei narrowed his eyes. A villain needs to be coaxed? Your character is collapsing!
Chi Aibei said, “I don’t know how to coax people.”
Whether he didn’t know how or didn’t want to, Jiang Yu could tell. He scoffed. “Bullshit, I’ve seen you coax Lin Xiu!”
Chi Aibei pouted. Funny, are you the same as my precious brother? You’re not my son.
…
At the end of the first class, Chi Aibei was about to message Lin Xiu when he heard someone calling him from outside the classroom.
Seeing the girl standing at the door waving at him, Chi Aibei pocketed his phone and went out.
A boy in the front row peeked out. “Am I seeing things?”
Wasn’t that Meng Ying, their school’s beauty and the top student in the third year? Does this silly kid have some special magic that attracts top students?
Lin Yang was also shocked. “Damn, the silly kid only plays with top students? No wonder he doesn’t talk to me much. Does he think I’m trash?”
Jiang Yu glanced at him too. “Perennial ninth place. Pretty useless, indeed.”
Lin Yang: “???”
Why does that sound so familiar? Perennial second place?
Meng Ying came to return Chi Aibei’s uniform and gave him a cup of milk tea as a thank you.
Meng Ying’s friend waited for her. After chatting with Chi Aibei for a while, they waved goodbye. Lin Xiu happened to pass Meng Ying when he returned, and she stared at him.
He Youyou, mischievous, hooked her arm. “What’s wrong with our Miss Meng today? She’s actually staring at a second-year top student?”
Meng Ying rolled her eyes. “Can you stop being so obsessed?”
He Youyou: “Then why were you staring at him?”
Meng Ying: “Nothing. He just looks a bit like my brother.”
He Youyou looked back. “How? I don’t see the resemblance.”
Meng Ying couldn’t explain it; it wasn’t a resemblance, but a feeling.
Chi Aibei hadn’t sent his message yet when he saw Lin Xiu return. “Brother, where did you go?”
Lin Xiu glanced at the girl walking away. “Was that girl looking for you?”
Chi Aibei: “Yeah. Brother, where did you go?”
Lin Xiu asked, “What did a third-year student want with you?”
Chi Aibei was stunned. “Ah? She’s a third-year? No wonder she called me ‘junior.’ She came to return my uniform.”
Lin Xiu looked at the uniform draped over his arm. “This morning, you said you lent your uniform to someone. Was it her?”
Chi Aibei nodded. He wanted to continue asking Lin Xiu about his unanswered question, but before he could speak, Lin Xiu said, “I went to the police station. Lin Weimin was arrested.”
Chi Aibei had orchestrated Lin Weimin’s arrest, instigating his big gambling and reporting the gathering. Hearing that Lin Weimin had been arrested, Chi Aibei didn’t react, only saying, “Oh.”
Lin Xiu looked at him. “Aren’t you curious why he was arrested?”
Chi Aibei followed his lead. “Why?”
Lin Xiu observed his reaction. “The police said he organized gambling and was reported.”
Chi Aibei nodded. As the reporter, he had no opinion to express.
Seeing his eyes darting around, Lin Xiu suddenly pinched his cheek.
Chi Aibei’s mouth was pulled to the side. He made a sound and looked at Lin Xiu. “Brother, what are you doing?”
Lin Xiu was a little angry that Chi Aibei had kept this a secret. He released his hand. “The police said the total gambling funds exceeded 400,000 yuan, and he might be sentenced for several years.”
Chi Aibei rubbed his face and tilted his head to look at Lin Xiu, sensing something was odd.
Why was he telling him in such detail?
Lin Xiu asked, “How many years do you think he’ll get?”
Chi Aibei mumbled, “Three years or more. For individuals involved in gambling with more than 200,000 yuan, the sentence is three years or less, but since he was the organizer, it’ll be three years or more.”
Lin Xiu was prepared, but he was still surprised. “Where did you hear that?”
Chi Aibei often heard his chatty lawyer at home complain about cases and sometimes asked him to analyze them. He remembered some of it, and it happened to include gambling laws.
He said, “I saw it in a video before. It’s something like that, if I remember correctly.”
Lin Xiu narrowed his eyes… Of course, he remembered correctly. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have lent Lin Weimin 200,000 yuan!
He thought Chi Aibei had acted on impulse, not considering how much 200,000 yuan was. Now it seemed he’d underestimated him! He’d planned it all along, intending to send Lin Weimin to prison for several years!
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