Chapter 7

When it was time to leave work, Wang Chong, who had been eagerly waiting, still did not see Manager Chen appear.

As soon as he stepped out of the Greek Mythology KTV hall, Wang Chong saw Shi Xiaobao and Wen Jing.

"What are you doing?" Wang Chong asked listlessly.

"Hehe, you won the big prize, and if my brother and I didn't come to cheer you on, wouldn't that be too disrespectful?" Shi Xiaobao laughed.

"Did you lose money?" Wen Jing, with her keen observation, immediately noticed that Wang Chong was very dejected.

"Um..." Wang Chong hung his head in despair.

"What! Damn! You lost over 90,000?" Shi Xiaobao's eyes widened.

"I will get it back." Wang Chong tried to muster some spirit.

"There are too many people here. Let's leave first." Wen Jing glanced at the scattered crowd. "Let's talk about the situation."

Wang Chong recounted the entire story.

"You won't get that money back." Wen Jing sighed.

"Why?" Wang Chong's eyes flashed with a hint of ferocity, his whole body tensed up, and his usual weak appearance was replaced by a look of extreme viciousness.

"Since he told others that you didn't win, there's no way to reverse the situation. If he admits to cheating you, no one will bet with him in the future. In fact, all the gamblers around here know he cheated you. So, whether he cheated you or not, he has no market here. Even if he returns the money, his reputation will still be ruined. Since it's already like this, there's no need for him to return the money..."

"Then... then... what should we do?" For a moment, Wang Chong was at a loss.

"The old way!" Shi Xiaobao had a fierce look and made a gesture of cutting someone.

"I don't care, it's up to you." Wen Jing shrugged, looking indifferent.

"But... Manager Chen has some influence in the underworld..." Wang Chong was hesitant. After all, this wasn't as simple as cutting someone, and even if he did, he might not get the money back and could get into trouble.

"Brother Chong, back in the day, you beat me and Wen Jing until we cried. Why are you so timid now?" Shi Xiaobao said, dissatisfied.

"If you hadn't clung to me, could Wang Chong have beaten me black and blue?" Wen Jing's face showed a hint of disdain.

"Hehe... Let's not talk about the past, let's not talk about the past... If you're not satisfied, you can challenge Brother Chong..."

"Wang Chong is not my match." Wen Jing's face showed immense confidence.

"Brother Chong, Wen Jing says you're not his match." Shi Xiaobao immediately tried to stir up trouble.

"Stop it, I'm in a bad mood!"

Wang Chong was anxious about the large sum of money and had no mood to play around. Besides, after seeing Wen Jing's calm demeanor when cutting someone, he wasn't sure he could beat Wen Jing, unless he used some dirty tactics.

Wang Chong and Wen Jing, Shi Xiaobao's acquaintance, stemmed from a fight. Two years ago, Wang Chong was aimlessly wandering around when he saw Shi Xiaobao stealing Wen Jing's wallet. The two started fighting, and Shi Xiaobao, shouting "catch the thief," clung to Wen Jing. Wang Chong, acting bravely, beat Wen Jing up. In the end, Wen Jing, unable to take it, said Shi Xiaobao was a thief. Both sides accused each other, and Wang Chong, tired of the fuss, beat them both and left. After that, the three became friends...

...

"Look at you, it's just over 90,000! Do you have to act like you've lost a loved one?" Wen Jing, seeing Wang Chong's low spirits, scolded him.

"Hey, you're talking from a position of comfort. I worked hard to earn a little money, it's not easy for me."

"Worked hard!" Wen Jing sneered. "You're completely living off others!"

"Brother Chong, don't be angry. I'll give you this iPhone to cheer you up." Shi Xiaobao took out the iPhone he had stolen the night before and handed it to Wang Chong.

"Really?" Wang Chong snatched the phone, immediately beaming with joy, his spirits lifted. Being able to use a long-desired iPhone was a comfort to his wounded heart.

"Mixing with this thief, you, Wang Chong, are only this much of a success, sigh..." Seeing Wang Chong's immediate change of mood over a phone, Wen Jing shook his head and sighed continuously.

"Wen Jing, if you call him a thief one more time, I'll break up with you!" Shi Xiaobao glared at Wen Jing.

"Thief... forget it, if I stoop to your level, I'd be the lesser one..."

"Remember, I'm a gentleman thief, a gentleman thief, understand? A gentleman, not a thief!" Shi Xiaobao's face relaxed a lot when Wen Jing didn't mention "thief."

"A gentleman thief is still a thief."

"Ah... Wen Jing, I'll kill you, kill you!" Shi Xiaobao spread his fingers and lunged at Wen Jing.

"Bang!"

Before Shi Xiaobao could get close, Wen Jing stepped back, and before Shi Xiaobao could reach him, his leg shot out like lightning, sending Shi Xiaobao crashing to the sidewalk with a loud scream, drawing the attention of passersby.

Wen Jing knew that if he let Shi Xiaobao get close, he wouldn't be able to get away, so he naturally wouldn't give Shi Xiaobao the chance.

"Xiaobao, what's the password for this phone?" Wang Chong, ignoring Shi Xiaobao's dramatic moans, focused on the phone.

"Brother Chong, Wen Jing is bullying me..."

"What's the password?"

"How would I know the password?"

"If there's no password, what are you giving me? I have no money left, not even for a phone repair." Wang Chong, thinking about his broken phone, stolen friends, and lost money, was furious.

"Getting the password is easy. In a day, I can make that girl tell me the password!" Shi Xiaobao, struggling to stand, kept a safe distance from Wen Jing, wary of a surprise attack.

"You're just boasting!" Wen Jing snorted.

"Want to bet?" Shi Xiaobao laughed coldly.

"On what?"

"What do you have to bet with?" Shi Xiaobao looked up and down at Wen Jing.

"What I have to bet with isn't important. What's important is what you have that's worth betting on!" Wen Jing said calmly.

"Do you know what I hate most about you?" Shi Xiaobao said through gritted teeth.

"Hmm?"

"I hate your high-and-mighty attitude, looking down on me, a gentleman thief. You're just a poor punk, always boasting about how expensive your clothes and shoes are. Do you think I'm a country bumpkin who hasn't seen luxury brands? I've seen them all. Your fake Hermes and Gucci, trying to act all high and mighty in front of me..."

"Did I ever say that? Do I need to show off in front of you?" Wen Jing was surprised.

"...You... you... did..." Shi Xiaobao's expression froze. Suddenly, he realized that Wen Jing hadn't really shown off.

"Fine, if I did, I apologize." Wen Jing looked sincere.

"No need to apologize. If I lose, I'll stop being a gentleman thief. If you lose, you can't look down on the profession of a gentleman thief. Got it? It's an ancient and sacred profession, dating back to the time of apes. Male apes would steal fruit to win the favor of female apes..."

"Stop! Explaining the animal world is Zhao Zhongxiang's job. Fine, if you can get the password, I'll reconsider this profession..."

"Ding ding ding..."

Before Wen Jing could finish, Wang Chong's newly started iPhone suddenly rang.

"Wow, so fast! Shh... hehe, watch me!" Shi Xiaobao made a gesture to be quiet and took the phone from Wang Chong.

"Hello, who is this?"

"The phone you have is mine. I don't mind giving you the phone, but please return the SIM card."

The voice on the other end was cold and emotionless, and it was impossible to tell the age.

"Are you the owner?" Shi Xiaobao asked seriously.

"Yes, is there a problem?"

"Hello, I'm Officer Shi from Wuling Police Station. The thief who stole your phone has been caught. We need your iCloud account and password to confirm your identity. If confirmed, you can come to Wuling Police Station to file a report and retrieve your phone..."

"Thank you so much!"

The cold voice on the other end suddenly became excited and immediately provided the iCloud account and password.

"Miss, thank you for your cooperation. We will notify you to retrieve your phone. Have a pleasant life!"

Shi Xiaobao hung up the phone, looking smug.

"Can you believe it..." Wen Jing was speechless.

"People are getting easier to deceive. If this continues, how can the level of thievery improve?!" Shi Xiaobao had a look of deep concern.

"Phew!"

Wang Chong and Wen Jing both spat at Shi Xiaobao.

"I know you're jealous, but it's useless! Usually, those who use pliers to cut locks are blue-collar workers. Those who use lock-picking skills are white-collar workers. But someone like me, who uses their brain to open locks, is a gold-collar worker... Hmm... you wouldn't understand, talking to a donkey, high and lonely..."

While Shi Xiaobao was boasting, Wang Chong and Wen Jing had already walked ten meters away.

Since the iPhone had a built-in battery and needed to be disassembled to insert a SIM card, and Wang Chong hadn't received the large sum of money, the three decided to cancel their celebration and head straight to Shi Xiaobao's place.

After a thirty-minute walk, they arrived at Shi Xiaobao's rental apartment.

Shi Xiaobao's rental apartment was in a demolition area, with a very complex environment. Naturally, the houses were extremely dirty and messy.

When Wang Chong and Wen Jing followed Shi Xiaobao into the building, they felt like there was no place to stand. The hallway was cluttered with firewood and coal, and the long corridor was blocked by messy furniture, making it difficult to walk through.

The three carefully navigated the dark corridor and reached Shi Xiaobao's apartment.

Shi Xiaobao's room was a single room, but it was quite spacious and well-equipped with a toilet and kitchen. However, the hygiene was poor, with garbage scattered everywhere. A broken desk was piled high with instant noodle containers, emitting a pungent, sour smell that made one feel nauseous.

However, the tools in the room were impressive. On the messy desk, there were over a dozen tweezers of various sizes. Along the wall, there were all kinds of pliers and hydraulic pliers. On the coffee table, there were various locks, some partially disassembled, indicating that Shi Xiaobao was studying them.

At the head of the bed, there were some electronic devices and small safes, suggesting that Shi Xiaobao not only studied ancient lock-picking techniques but also kept up with modern high-tech methods.

In addition to the lock-picking tools, there were many disguises and masks for night operations, many of which were double-sided, one side light and the other dark.

As for the various ropes of different thicknesses, they were hung all over the walls.