Chapter 7

Anyone with basic knowledge of horse racing knows that to judge a horse's quality, one must look not only at its current condition but also at its past performance.

"Black Lightning" is a thoroughbred from Great Britain, entirely black, and its glossy coat shines attractively in the sunlight, hence its name "Black Lightning."

It is still very young, not yet two years old. According to the prime racing age of 2 to 6 years, Black Lightning is at best a novice. It has always been trained in a small farm and has never participated in major races. Even though rumors suggest that this horse is very sharp and has excellent endurance, people still doubt its potential, as racing in a small place is fundamentally different from racing in a professional track.

Even with the support of three-time champion jockey Mark, many horse racing enthusiasts still view Black Lightning with skepticism. They believe that the owner, Xu Shixun, the third son, is merely letting it gain experience, and winning the championship is out of the question. Therefore, the odds for Black Lightning are unusually high at 3 to 1.

"Dear Lei, it looks like your bet is in trouble!" Standard Chartered Bank manager Seban, holding a glass of champagne, said to Lei Luo with regret.

Lei Luo's lips twitched. He never expected that the horse Stone Zhijian, the "old man in a dream," wanted to bet on would be this inexperienced and unproven foal!

Isn't this just asking for trouble!

Ten thousand dollars, gone down the drain!

At this moment, Lei Luo wished he could get his money back.

As for the others, the wealthy people who invested in Stone Zhijian along with Lei Luo were even more uncertain.

Those who didn't invest were secretly relieved, feeling lucky to have avoided a disaster.

The news that a VIP had placed a heavy bet of 200,000 on the debut horse "Black Lightning" spread quickly.

Needless to say, the horse racing enthusiasts mocked it. Although most of them were frequent losers at the track, they considered themselves knowledgeable about horses and often studied horse racing. If this horse could win, it would be a miracle!

Of course, there were also some gamblers who saw this as a chance to turn things around. A 3 to 1 payout was rare, and since someone dared to place a 200,000 bet, why couldn't they?

Thus, before the race, a group of gamblers followed Stone Zhijian and heavily bet on "Black Lightning."

For a moment, the entire racetrack was in a frenzy.

"I bet on Black Lightning!"

"Black Lightning, go for it!"

"Win or lose, this is our last shot!"

As a debut foal, "Black Lightning" became the highlight of today's race.

...

In the VIP area of the racetrack, besides the betting area for the wealthy, there was a separate area for the horse owners.

According to the racetrack rules, horse owners must be isolated from others during the race to prevent any cheating.

At this moment, a few older horse owners were gathered together, their bellies protruding, peering through binoculars and discussing animatedly.

A handsome man in his thirties lounged lazily in a chair, his eyes half-closed, tapping his fingers on the armrest while listening to a melodious Cantonese opera.

The opera singer, named "Xiao Hongxia," was specially hired by this third son, Xu, from Kowloon for a high salary. She had already sung four songs for Xu, earning 400 after deducting venue and travel expenses.

"Great performance!"

At the end of the song, Xu Shixun opened his eyes and praised Xiao Hongxia.

Xiao Hongxia, holding a lute, bowed slightly to Xu Shixun, "Thank you, Third Son!"

"Although you sing well, you still fall short compared to the 'Queen of Kowloon,' Nie Yongqin!"

Xiao Hongxia's face darkened, and she forced a smile, "Nie Yongqin is famous for her exceptional skills and has many supporters. How can I compare?"

"Fair enough, you know your place!" Xu Shixun stood up from his chair, stretching, his red suit and blue silk tie making him look very flashy and flamboyant.

"Here, I'll give you the promised tip. Go find my assistant, Ah Xiang. Where is Ah Xiang, anyway?"

Just as Xu Shixun was about to get angry, Ah Xiang, with a sly look, ran over, shouting before he even reached him, "Master, something big has happened!"

Xu Shixun grabbed an ivory fan and hit Ah Xiang on the head, "Is the place on fire, or did your father die?"

"It's not on fire, and my father isn't dead! It's about your horse, Master. Someone has placed a 200,000 bet on it to win!"

"Huh?" Xu Shixun was stunned.

Even Xiao Hongxia, who was waiting for her tip, was stunned. Although she was a performer, she knew how poor this third son's foal was. A horse that had never participated in a formal race, and someone dared to bet on it?

"Did you hear wrong?" Xu Shixun kicked Ah Xiang in the butt, "If you're just trying to amuse me, I won't forgive you!"

"How could I? I wouldn't dare to lie. Someone really did place a 200,000 bet on our Black Lightning!"

Xu Shixun was taken aback, "Who?"

"I don't know, just a young man surnamed Shi, everyone calls him Master Shi!"

"Master Shi?" Xu Shixun flicked open the ivory fan, revealing a vivid peony flower. He racked his brain but couldn't think of anyone he knew with the surname Shi.

"Never mind, whoever it is, if they dare to bet on my Black Lightning, they must be my friend! After the race, I'll invite him for a drink!"

Xu Shixun wasn't just saying this for show. This time, he let "Black Lightning" participate not just to gain experience but to win the championship and prove to everyone that a young horse can win!

Xu Shixun, being the third son, had two older brothers. At 30, he could only handle trivial family affairs, which made him very unhappy.

This horse race was his way of declaring his ambition, telling everyone that he was capable!

"Since this Master Shi has placed a 200,000 bet, as the owner, I can't be stingy—Ah Xiang, follow the bet with 100,000! I must have confidence in my horse!"

"Understood!" Ah Xiang bowed.

...

Xu Shixun, full of spirit, followed the bet with 100,000!

This news immediately caused a stir at the racetrack.

The rich people's "recklessness" was beyond comprehension.

They casually threw hundreds of thousands of dollars away!

When Lei Luo heard this news, he was first shocked, then understood the reason. He thought to himself that Xu Shixun was truly a man of passion, not bothering to investigate who placed the bet, and directly followed with 100,000, quite sharp!

However, Xu Shixun's status was no small matter. His family was not only a shipping tycoon but also a banking tycoon, especially with HSBC, which was the "boss" among Hong Kong banks, with the Xu family holding a significant stake. Few dared to offend them easily.

Even Lei Luo, the famous Chinese detective, was not in a position to challenge the Xu family. If the old master of the Xu family decided to target him, he could be ruined in a moment!

Thinking of this, Lei Luo started to think of a way out. If he lost this time, he could directly blame it on the person surnamed Shi, so even if Xu Shixun lost money, his anger wouldn't be directed at him.

Just as Lei Luo and others were plotting to shift the blame, the race began!

Under everyone's watchful eyes—

The horse "Black Lightning," which everyone doubted and considered a novice, started to run, but it was not fast and quickly fell behind.

Stone Zhijian, seeing this, was in a panic, thinking he might have remembered wrong, and was drenched in sweat!

Lei Luo's eagle-like eyes narrowed, and he gave a signal to his subordinate, Chen Xijiu.

Chen Xijiu understood—

Daring to fool Brother Luo, this person surnamed Shi might not make it through the day!