Chapter 553: The Stakes
"Then let’s go tonight. You make a reservation for a private room first."
Yan Xinrou waved her hand, eager as ever to partake in such a mischievous scheme.
Qiao Jiang forced a smile and nodded, then moved aside to make a phone call. One could imagine his expression at this moment must be quite remarkable, perhaps even on the verge of tears?
Having been around the block for so many years, what hasn’t Liou experienced?
This level of blatant trickery was a first for him, but he said nothing, letting the youngsters handle their own antics.
If Lin Tian couldn’t even handle Qiao Jiang, what right does he have to marry his daughter?
"You sure know how to stir up trouble. I bet Qiao Jiang won’t forgive you in the future."
Liou Qingcheng rolled her eyes at Lin Tian in exasperation.
This guy just can’t keep out of trouble, can he? Wherever he goes, trouble follows.
But truth be told, Liou Qingcheng rather enjoyed seeing Lin Tian’s jealous face.
"I won’t take the blame for this. This trouble seems to be coming for you. I’m merely helping you out." Lin Tian said with a playful smile. "Women sure bring trouble."
Liou Qingcheng opened her crimson lips, but in the end said nothing, as it seemed to be true. However, she wouldn’t give in so easily and let out a heavy "hmph."
The reservation call ended quickly, and Qiao Jiang came back with a cheerful smile, saying, "The private room is booked. Shall we head over now?"
Lin Tian glanced at the time on his watch and gently shook his head. "It’s still early. Let’s play for a while longer; the reservation is set, no rush."
Hearing Lin Tian’s suggestion, Qiao Jiang raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Then let’s play a bit more. You are Lin Tian, right? Do you play basketball?"
"Just a little. My shooting’s not very accurate." Lin Tian said a bit sheepishly, his act of pretending to be weak leaving Liou Qingcheng speechless.
His acting skills are already honed to perfection, easily outperforming those wildly popular young actors, surely a few Oscars for Best Actor wouldn’t be out of reach?
Qiao Jiang’s expression remained unchanged, still sporting that warm, spring-like smile. Yet inside, he was overjoyed. It’s better if you’re not skilled. You’ve cost me a lot; it’s time for you to lose a little!
Qiao Jiang already had a plan, intending to play some tricks on Lin Tian during the game. He was confident the Liou Family wouldn’t notice, and he’d act as though he was severely injured.
Who can’t act, anyway?
"No worries, I’m not great at shooting either. Since fate brought us together today, why don’t we have a one-on-one challenge, play some one-on-one?"
Qiao Jiang proposed, a well-crafted pretext leaving Lin Tian without reason to refuse, so he nodded in agreement, "I’m not great at one-on-one. How about we do a 3v3? I’ll bring two more people, you get three as well."
Hearing Lin Tian’s suggestion, Qiao Jiang’s smile widened, "Sure, we’ll do it your way."
Qiao Jiang turned around, pointed at two tall guys, and said, "Little Blind, Little Deaf, let’s team up."
The Blind-Deaf duo had no objections, eagerly agreeing with a flurry of flattery.
"Dad, Qingcheng, shall we team up?" Lin Tian asked.
"Lin Tian... how about letting your mom join instead? I might not be much help."
Liou Zhengming waved his hands repeatedly, not out of fear of causing trouble for Lin Tian, but dreading the exhaustion, a real workout would be utterly exhausting.
"Dad, it’s just for fun. Don’t try to slack off. We’re here to exercise with you today, you can’t opt-out." Liou Qingcheng patted Liou’s shoulder, her eyes squinting with laughter for reasons unknown.
Liou Qingcheng had seen Lin Tian play; surely he could single-handedly make those three bleed?
"Alright..."
Liou couldn’t resist his precious daughter.
Six players formed two teams, standing face to face in the center of the court.
"Just playing for nothing is boring. How about we add a little wager?" Qiao Jiang suggested with a smile.
"Sure, what should we bet?" Lin Tian asked.
Qiao Jiang didn’t even glance at Lin Tian, speaking directly to Liou Zhengming, "Uncle, I heard you’re bidding for the ’Chunxu Park’ project, and so is our family. How about we bet on that? The loser withdraws from the bidding!"
Chunxu Park is a major new project in Kanyue City, an international class amusement park in the third ring, raking in potential profits isn’t trivial.
Liou Zhengming furrowed his brows slightly, not expecting such a term.
For this project, Liou Zhengming was determined to win, for the profits were substantial.
Of course, winning the bid isn’t easy; the pie is large, attracting many competitors, all business sharks, not easy to contend with.
"Can you make such a big decision?"
"Yes, I just returned from abroad, and my father entrusted this entirely to me." Qiao Jiang finished, casting a disdainful glance at Lin Tian. Wondering which eye of Liou Qingcheng was blind to fancy such a broke guy, besides being handsome, what else is he good at?
This gamble was Qiao Jiang’s all-or-nothing. Returning from abroad, the extent of his authority stemmed from his father.
If he successfully lands the bid, his status in the company would definitely soar. If he fails, he’d be out of the loop regarding any significant deals in the company.
Thus, Qiao Jiang aimed to eliminate targets one by one; Liou Zhengming, being the most formidable competitor, was first!
This streetball match was the perfect opportunity.
Liou Qingcheng noticed his look, immediately displeased, "Bring it on, scared of you."
"Qingcheng, don’t speak recklessly; such matters require careful consideration," Liou admonished sternly.
From Liou’s perspective, it’s a losing deal. With their lineup, how can they compete against the other team... this gamble would clearly lead to a severe defeat.
Liou Qingcheng was anxious, hurriedly whispering into Liou’s ear, "Dad. Trust me; let’s take the gamble. The three of them together don’t measure up to Lin Tian. You have to trust him."
Liou Zhengming furrowed his brows even deeper, glancing back at Lin Tian, observing his relaxed demeanor, recalling his unstoppable prowess in games before, maybe Qingcheng was right?
After much contemplation, Liou eventually nodded, saying, "Alright, the loser withdraws from the bidding."
"Magnificent!" Qiao Jiang’s smile grew broader, adding, "Let’s play to 30 points; the first team to reach wins, okay?"
"No problem." Liou Zhengming agreed.
"Great, then you guys can have the ball first; no need to fight over it."
With those words, Qiao Jiang tossed the ball to Liou Zhengming.
At this point, Liou stood at the center position, taking the ball and dribbling, searching for an opening.
Qiao Jiang’s team began to defend, Little Blind shadowing Lin Tian closely, ready to intercept if Liou Zhengming passed...