Before long, the housekeeper returned, much more respectful in attitude: "Sir, our boss invites you."
Chen Yi was led through the smoke-filled gambling hall to a more spacious and elegantly furnished quiet room at the far end of the second floor.
A short and stout middle-aged man, dressed in a satin robe with rings on all his fingers, was leisurely smoking a water pipe while reclining on a tiger skin-covered grand chair. His face was dark, with puffy bags under his eyes, but his narrow, elongated eyes sparkled with a sharp gleam.
The man was none other than the owner of this gambling establishment, and a powerful leader in several nearby villages—Yan Kan.
It was only someone like him, a local bigwig, who could successfully run this money-spinning casino along the ancient road bustling with people from all walks of life, while managing relations with various parties. Without such background, even desperate gamblers might claim his life.
