The weapon by the pillow

Chapter 91 This card has blood on it

"Well then," Fangjie said with a smile, "let's begin."

The atmosphere was noticeably different in the third game.

General Manager Zhao sat up straight, his expression turning serious. Director Sun also took off his glasses and began carefully wiping the surfaces with a cloth. Cheng Jing, who had been observing from the sidelines, sensed the tension in the air; her palms sweated.

As expected, Fangjie used the thumb bone die again this time.

Cheng Tan stared at the dice spinning on the table, finally stopping on the "four".

Draw cards. Arrange cards.

Cheng Tan had a good hand, starting with two pairs and the beginnings of several straights. He quickly calculated the possible hand combinations and decided to go for a mixed suit.

But when the game reached its fifth round, something strange happened.

Cheng Tan picked up a tile, a Red Dragon. Just as he was about to put it into his hand, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his finger. He looked down and saw a tiny bump on the surface of the Red Dragon tile, like a small thorn.

What kind of mahjong tiles are so easy to poke?!

Under the light, Cheng Tan examined the tile carefully. The mahjong tile was of standard size and material, but on the surface of this red tile, there was an almost invisible scratch, with a dark red dot embedded in the scratch.

Blood?

Cheng Tan gently touched the scratch with his fingers.

Good heavens! It was indeed dried blood, which had seeped into the texture of the cards.

There's blood on this card. Why?

Cheng Tan calmly placed the Red Dragon into his hand. He began to carefully examine the other cards. One, two, three... He discovered that not only the Red Dragon, but several other cards also had similar marks—fine scratches, dark spots, and abnormal wear.

These cards have been tampered with. If you think about it more closely, it's chilling; these cards must have gone through something, something bloody.

On the tenth round, Cheng Tan's hand was ready to win, waiting for the 2, 5, and 8 of the same suit.

He drew a tile, an 8 of characters. He won.

But he didn't immediately push over the cards. His gaze fell on the box of bone dice in front of Fang Jie. Thirteen dice, thirteen fingers. Could these dice be related to the bloodstains on these cards?

He decided to test the waters.

"Sister Fang," Cheng Tan began, his voice calm, "each of these dice has a story. Could you tell me the story of one of them? For example... this largest one?"

Cheng Tan pointed to the thumb bone die.

Fangjie's fingers paused for a moment. She looked at Cheng Tan, her eyes becoming deep.

"This one... do you want to hear about it?" She picked up the die and twirled it between her fingers. "It's a man's thumb. A very stubborn man. He always thought he was right and never listened to anyone's advice. In the end, he lost this thumb, and he lost so much more."

"Why did he lose his thumb?" Cheng Tan pressed.

"It was because of a bet," Fang said. "He made a bet with me on something he couldn't possibly win. He lost, and according to the bet, he had to keep one finger. He chose his thumb because he said it represented his dignity and strength. What a fool! What dignity does he have left without his thumb?"

Cheng Tan felt a chill. This story didn't sound fabricated. Its details were too specific, and its tone too real.

"What happened to him after that?" Cheng Jing couldn't help but ask.

Fang glanced at Cheng Jing and smiled: "He's dead. Three days after he lost his thumb, he jumped from a tall building. Some say he couldn't accept his disability, some say he was being pressured by debt collectors, and some even say... he was murdered."

Silence fell over the room. The only sounds were the gentle murmur of the flowing water and the soft hum of the mahjong machine.

"It's your turn to play, Xiao Han," Sister Fang reminded him.

Cheng Tan then realized that he had been silent for a long time. He played a safe card—a blank card.

The game continued. But the atmosphere had completely changed. Everyone was preoccupied, and the pace of play slowed down.

On the fifteenth round, Cheng Tan drew a two of characters. He won, and it was a self-draw.

He pushed down his hand: "Hu, self-draw, mixed suit, two points."

Scoring and collecting money. Cheng Tan won this round, and according to the rules, he could ask the loser to leave a souvenir or a story. The biggest loser in this round was General Manager Zhao.

Mr. Zhao's expression was not good. He glanced at Sister Fang, who nodded slightly.

"I choose to leave behind a story," said Mr. Zhao, lighting a cigarette and taking a deep drag. "A story about Jin Dafu."

Cheng Tan and Cheng Jing's hearts skipped a beat at the same time.

"Jin Dafu, you've all heard of him, right? The real estate tycoon whose entire family was wiped out thirteen years ago." General Manager Zhao exhaled a smoke ring. "I've worked with him a few times. He's a shrewd businessman and a ruthless competitor. He made a lot of money, but he also offended a lot of people."

"Does that include you?" Cheng Tan asked.

Mr. Zhao laughed: "Including me. He stole my biggest deal, almost bankrupting me. I used to hate him to death, and even thought about hiring someone to kill him. But later I realized that's how business is, it's all about the winner taking all."

"Do you know who killed him?" Cheng Jing asked.

Mr. Zhao shook his head: "I don't know. But I heard that there were more than just the three of them at home that night."

"What do you mean?" Cheng Tan pressed.

"I have a friend who happened to be near Jin Dafu's house that night," Mr. Zhao said in a low voice. "He said he saw a fourth person come out of the Jin family's house. It was a woman, carrying a bag that looked like it was filled with something heavy."

"A woman? What kind of woman?" Cheng Jing asked eagerly.

"I didn't see her face clearly, but she had a great figure, was wearing high heels, and ran in a very distinctive way, like she had been trained," Mr. Zhao said. "My friend didn't pay attention at the time, thinking she was the Jin family's nanny or a guest. He only remembered her after the incident, but he didn't dare to call the police for fear of causing trouble."

Nanny. Liu Li.

Cheng Tan and Cheng Jing exchanged a glance. This story matched Liu Li's account—she was at the Jin family's house at the time, but she claimed she knew nothing, only that she hid after hearing the noise.

But if she leaves with a bag... what's in the bag? Money? Valuables? Or... something else?

"It's time for the fourth round," Sister Fang interrupted the conversation. "Mr. Zhao has finished his story, let's continue."

The fourth round began. Cheng Tan's mind was no longer entirely on the cards. He was thinking about Boss Zhao's story, the bone dice, the mysterious teahouse, and Sister Fang.

Halfway through the game, Cheng Tan's phone vibrated. He glanced at it furtively; it was a text message from Cheng Jing: "Watch out for Director Sun; he's been watching you."

Cheng Tan looked up and met Director Sun's gaze. Director Sun quickly looked away, but in that instant, Cheng Tan saw the wariness in his eyes.

Director Sun is no ordinary person. He's more than just a retired state-owned enterprise leader. His eyes are incredibly sharp, and his observation skills are exceptional.

"But I heard that he doesn't seem to be dead!" Cheng Tan said with a smile.