Chapter 44

"Throughout my life, I have gambled with heaven, with earth, and with people. Gambling is my greatest love. If you don't mind, I can be your witness!"

In Hong Kong and Taiwan, the only person who could be so obsessed with gambling and have the audacity to bet against heaven, earth, and people is Mr. Stanley Ho, known as the King of Asian Gambling.

"Mr. Ho!"

Wang Zhong bowed slightly in greeting.

"Young man, I owe you a great deal for your righteous help last time. Otherwise, this old man would have lost all his face!"

Stanley Ho, holding a glass of red wine, said loudly.

"Mr. Ho, you are too kind. The Grand Lisboa Casino is full of dragons and tigers. I was the one who acted rashly!"

Wang Zhong replied with a smile.

The mysterious gambling king who defeated the French gambling king Roberts turned out to be Wang Zhong!

None of the people present were fools. Although Stanley Ho did not say it outright, everyone had their suspicions.

Fang Yihua looked at Sir Run Run Shaw with some difficulty. With the gambling king Stanley Ho as a witness, she felt caught between a rock and a hard place.

"Since the gambling king is interested, I will take a bet with Mr. Wang. If the total box office of 'Shaolin Temple' truly exceeds 100 million, Shaw Brothers will give Mr. Wang a consulting fee of 1 million and invite him to serve as the chief consultant with an annual salary of 1 million!"

"However, if Mr. Wang loses, I don't want a million in gambling funds. I just need Mr. Wang to write a few scripts, which Shaw Brothers will purchase at the original price!"

It must be said that Sir Run Run Shaw was very generous. With this bet, Wang Zhong would not suffer any losses, win or lose!

"If the total box office of 'Shaolin Temple' does not reach 100 million, I will provide Shaw Brothers with five scripts of no less quality than 'Police Story' for free!"

Sir Run Run Shaw was generous, and Wang Zhong was not to be outdone. The five works personally crafted by Wang Zhong were worth no less than a million.

"I have gambled all my life, but this is the first time I have seen such a bet. I am happy to be your witness, and the Grand Lisboa Casino will open a public betting pool. I hope everyone will participate enthusiastically!"

The gambling king Stanley Ho said with a smile.

The members in the hall had all heard about this bet to some extent. Many were rubbing their hands in anticipation, ready to place their bets.

"Mr. Wang was recommended by me. Last time, Tak Fai won a little, so I will represent him and bet 10 million on Mr. Wang!"

Upon hearing about the bet, the tycoon Li Ka-shing, although he felt that the total box office of 'Shaolin Temple' reaching 100 million was a tall tale, still placed a bet of 10 million Hong Kong dollars out of trust in Wang Zhong.

"I believe in Mr. Wang's prediction and Mr. Li's judgment. I will also bet 10 million!"

Stanley Ho looked at Li Ka-shing with some surprise. Li Ka-shing was known for being a good-natured man who never participated in gambling.

"Two old friends, you are playing so big today?"

The CEO of Sun Hung Kai, Kwok Ping-luen, looked at the two with surprise.

"Following the gambling king, one doesn't lose. I will also place a bet of 10 million on Mr. Wang!"

Li Chao-ki, who had been silent, was also interested and placed a bet of 10 million on Wang Zhong.

The other ordinary members, though not as generous as Li Ka-shing, were still wealthy. Within an hour, Stanley Ho's staff had made a tally.

The total bets from the Hong Kong Jockey Club members amounted to 150 million Hong Kong dollars. Due to the large bets by Li Ka-shing and others, the odds were reduced, but they still reached an astonishing 1 to 13.5!

No one believed that the joint production of Shaw Brothers and mainland China, 'Shaolin Temple,' could break the 100 million box office mark!

...

Wang Zhong lay in bed with a calm expression. The intense work of the past few days had drained his energy.

For three whole days, Wang Zhong's plump cheeks had become gaunt, and his eyes, red from lack of sleep.

Rulan looked at the stubble on Wang Zhong's face with a pang of sympathy.

Suddenly, she thought of a foreign report. A woman's body can give a man a sense of security, like being cared for by his mother, leading to deep sleep.

In foreign countries, there was even a special female profession: sleep therapists!

Rulan's face turned red as she thought about it.

Suddenly, Wang Zhong's brows furrowed, as if he was having a bad dream.

Rulan's heart ached.

After hesitating for a moment, Rulan slowly took off her clothes, revealing her pale, smooth body. She quickly slipped into Wang Zhong's bed.

In his sleep, Wang Zhong seemed to sense something, and his arms slowly wrapped around her.

The fullness and softness in his embrace made Wang Zhong feel as if he was back in his mother's arms. His furrowed brows slowly relaxed.

...

While Wang Zhong was sleeping, the entire Hong Kong metaphysical community was awakened by an article he wrote!

"New Discovery in Feng Shui and Yi Xue: The Differences Between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres!"

Copies of "The Great Feng Shui," exuding the scent of ink, were like bombs. Their impact would not be limited to Hong Kong but would also affect Taiwan, Macau, South Korea, Singapore, and even Europe and America, wherever the belief in the Eight Characters and Feng Shui was prevalent.

Many people's fortune and Feng Shui would need to be recalculated and adjusted!

"Unconventional, the Hype Master Wang Zhong!"

"Childish Talk on Yi, Nonsense!"

"Believe Him, and You Will Be Fooled!"

Several well-known masters in the Yi Xue field publicly refuted Wang Zhong's arguments, even labeling him as a "show-off."

Of course, there were also those who supported him.

Taiwanese master Yan Shilin Wuzhang, known for his "academic research and rejection of falsehood," was the first to write an article in support, providing several cases he had encountered. For clients in South America, using traditional Eight Characters for fortune-telling was riddled with errors, but the accuracy improved significantly with the new method.

Hong Kong fortune-telling master Lin Guoxiong also wrote an article, acknowledging and thanking Wang Zhong for his discovery, calling it a revolution in the metaphysical field!

Hong Kong Feng Shui master Lin Zhen also wrote in support. Lin Zhen was very low-key, and even in the modern internet age, it was difficult to find his words. However, Lin Zhen was the Feng Shui teacher of Maggie Cheung, indicating his skill.

One by one, familiar and unfamiliar fortune-telling and Feng Shui masters came forward, supporting or opposing, engaging in heated debates in the newspapers.

Wang Zhong, however, was happily holding Rulan's hand. That morning, the two had naturally become intimate, and Rulan had undergone a beautiful transformation.

Wang Zhong looked at the bloodstains on the sheet, feeling a heavy sense of responsibility.

The two had been inseparable for the past few days, filled with deep affection. The article published in "The Great Feng Shui" had long been forgotten.

The debate continued to escalate, eventually even catching the attention of Mr. Nan Huaijin, who was living in seclusion in Taiwan!

Mr. Nan was one of the few remaining masters of Chinese classical studies, proficient in Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism, with numerous works to his name. He had a high reputation both domestically and internationally. Mr. Nan humbly claimed to have limited knowledge of Feng Shui and fortune-telling, but no one took him seriously.

"On the Differences in the Use of the Compass in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres"

Mr. Nan published an article in Taiwan, very brief, but its main content was almost identical to Wang Zhong's!

In the final part of the article, Mr. Nan explicitly stated that there were clear records in his unpublished work, "Miscellaneous Talks on the Zhou Yi."

Once Mr. Nan's article was released, the momentum of the supporters surged. The opponents seemed to have lost their backbone, although there were still scattered voices of opposition.

However, the academic value of Wang Zhong's paper had been widely recognized by the Feng Shui and fortune-telling masters in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Metaphysical publications in Malaysia, Singapore, and other Southeast Asian countries also reprinted Wang Zhong's article, causing a significant impact. Wang Zhong became an influential Feng Shui master in the Southeast Asian region!