Second update,

...

Only those who truly care will show such concern.

If faced with a stranger on the street, no matter what ordeal he goes through, no one would bother with his well-being.

The main issue was the incredibly rapid rise of Qin Fang, who, in just half a year, managed to own such a large sum of money. The speed was simply startling.

No wonder Uncle Four was worried about the origins of Qin Fang's wealth... The fastest way to acquire money would naturally be through illegal and underhanded business.

Those who came from the countryside, being simple and honest farmers, feared such crooked thoughts and ideas the most.

"Uncle Four, I grew up under your watchful eye. You should know what kind of person I am. My money is all earned by myself through legitimate means. Let me put it this way... I can afford a car now primarily because I partnered with a college classmate to open a large restaurant called Fang Feixue, located on Nanhu Road in Ninghai City District... If you have time, you should definitely come and see..."

Qin Fang naturally also cared about those who were concerned for him. Fortunately, most of his money came from very normal sources, and even if someone were to audit him, they wouldn't find any discrepancies.

If there was any money that came from questionable sources, it would be the nearly forty million in cash he had snatched from Li Rui's hands, but Qin Fang had already planned to launder that money before distributing it to Chen Da and the others. He had never intended to keep a cent for himself.

And Fang Feixue was Qin Fang's only physical business at the moment, with a fairly substantial scale. The money earned was sufficient for his current expenses and was the best cover to throw off any suspicion.

Moreover, Qin Fang's reputation in Ninghai was now so strong that ordinary people wouldn't dare to mess with him, so there shouldn't be any problems for the foreseeable future.

"A large restaurant?"

The people present were all slightly surprised, obviously not having anticipated this.

Qin Fang was just a university student. Like others from their village who had moved to the city, there were those who opened restaurants after learning culinary skills and gathering some capital to start a small eatery.

But even if a small eatery did well, earning a few hundred thousand in a year was considered quite an achievement. However, earning millions in half a year would require a much larger restaurant...

"Heh, I guess you don't believe me. You'll know once you visit..."

Qin Fang didn't wish to elaborate further; some things lost their meaning if talked about too much.

"Definitely, we will visit... definitely,"

Several of them nodded, Qin Fang achieving success and opening a large restaurant in the city was something they had to see for themselves. They all nodded eagerly, and even Uncle Four's face was glowing as he spoke; he seemed to be looking forward to it.

"Pillar, I hear you've been lucky recently, won quite a bit of money, eh? When will you take your Uncle Three with you to check it out..."

The man Qin Fang referred to as Uncle Three immediately started muttering to Qin Fang's Big Pillar Brother beside him in a low voice. The volume was not too loud, but it was enough for Qin Fang to hear.

Qin Fang, however, didn't seem to care and chatted casually with Uncle Four and Tao Renjun.

"Uncle Three, you really shouldn't go there; it's a place that devours people without spitting out bones... I did win quite a bit a few days ago, a good few tens of thousands, but the day before yesterday and yesterday, I had really bad luck. Whatever I played, I lost, and the money I won was all gone. I even ended up in debt for several tens of thousands... Xiang Qin has been nagging me about it these past two days; I'm really at my wit's end..."

Upon hearing this, Big Pillar Brother's face immediately turned bitter.

"That's how it goes with gambling; you were foolish. You should have stopped when you won. You can't expect to win every day... Pillar, just take Uncle Three for a visit. I only play small, win or lose, and leave when it's time..."

Uncle Three couldn't help but snort a couple of times, though he still seemed fixated on that place.

Qin Fang, for his part, knew that Uncle Three had no other vices; he smoked and drank in moderation, but gambling was his greatest passion.

Like when there was a game of cards at home, he was always involved.

"Uncle Three, I'm serious, you really shouldn't go there. Basically, no one who goes comes out on top, and if you lose, they immediately offer to loan you money at high interest rates, as much as you want... I... I saw with my own eyes someone who couldn't pay, and they chopped off one of his hands..."

Big Pillar Brother shook his head vigorously, evidently very fearful of the place.

"Big Pillar Brother, what place did you just mention?"

Qin Fang's interest was piqued and he quickly asked.

From the sound of it, it seemed like a gambling den, hidden yet preying on the hard-earned money of the rural folks.

"Xiao Fang, better not ask. Now that you have money, you should definitely stay away from places like that..."

Big Pillar Brother still shook his head, unwilling to share what he knew...

But even if he wasn't willing to talk, Qin Fang had a way of finding out; he immediately used the Mind Reading Technique on Big Pillar Brother and soon located the position of the place in question.

Just as Qin Fang had guessed, that place was an underground gambling den hidden in the countryside, attracting many people from the surrounding area to gamble, even drawing in numerous individuals from the county towns who came because of its reputation.

Big Pillar Brother didn't know about it at first, but after accompanying his boss there once, he became a "regular." Otherwise, they wouldn't even let you through the door…

Such underground gambling dens were different from the likes of Elite Salon and Bihai Pavilion. Those places were designed to "fish" for gamblers; many of the house dealers were masters at cheating. The likelihood of winning money there was truly slim.

Even if they let you win, it'd just be a small amount, tempting you to gamble again, only to lose miserably next time… Especially those high-interest loan sharks, they were like bloodsucking vampires, one by one.

"Uncle Three, it's 'nine loses out of ten bets,' especially in those kinds of underground dens. If you win money, they won't let you leave. If you lose, they'll offer you high-interest loans, but in the end, you'll just keep losing more and more…"

Though such gambling dens were not of much concern to Qin Fang, he had very little interest in gambling to begin with.

"Three, what Xiao Fang says is true. It's fine to have a little fun at our doorstep, but going to those places to gamble, how much money do you have to lose…"

Uncle Four, who was in high spirits, also couldn't help but agree with Qin Fang's words. Although he had never been to such a place, having lived for so many years, he had heard plenty.

"Uncle Four, you don't understand…"

Uncle Three pursed his lips, obviously not taking it to heart, as he was about to retort.

"Uncle Four, Uncle Four, there's trouble…"

Just then, someone came rushing over in a panic, looking for Uncle Four.

"What's all the fuss about? Speak quickly if there's something wrong…"

This panicked arrival was, naturally, someone Qin Fang knew: Tao Yilong, a blood relative of Uncle Four. Though his usual relationship with Uncle Four was average, there was still some degree of kinship.

"Yi Hai's home has been invaded by over a dozen people; they're moving his stuff out… It seems like… it seems like Renjun has racked up a huge debt outside, and they've come to collect… They also said if the money isn't returned, they'll make Xiao Juan sell herself to pay the debt…"

Tao Yilong, gasping for breath, relayed the news with a panic-stricken face.

Everyone was slightly taken aback, Uncle Three in particular, who appeared incredibly shocked.

Rural villagers were all honest folks, as unrelated to high-interest loan sharks as parallel lines; ordinarily, they would never seek out these people to borrow money.

High-interest loans were like bloodsucking vampires, with interest rates so high they could extract thirteen for every nine lent out. No villager could withstand such exploitation.

If the money could not be repaid, these bloodsuckers would raid the village like Japanese soldiers had decades before, plundering everything that could be taken to settle the debt. If that wasn't enough, they would simply take away wives and daughters to sell them off to recoup the debt…

Slap~~

"How dare they!"

Uncle Four slammed the table with such force that his hair and beard bristled; the old man was angry, "Yilong, go round up some people; I refuse to believe these individuals would dare to cause trouble in our Tao Family Village…"

With such trouble arising, no one was in the mood for drinking anymore. Uncle Four stood up directly, ready to confront these people.

The village where Qin Fang lived was called Tao Family Village, inhabited entirely by people bearing the surname Tao. There were connections between every household. Though the kinship thinned over many years and generations, everyone still shared the Tao surname; any trouble was a matter for the whole village.

The person in trouble, Tao Yihai, was Uncle Four's blood relative, the son of Uncle Four's elder brother. However, since his parents had passed away early, it was Uncle Four who usually took care of him. Now that something had occurred, Uncle Four naturally had to step up.

"Uncle Four, let me go with you…"

After thinking it over, Qin Fang felt that since the trouble involved high-interest loans and over a dozen people had come, Uncle Four was getting on in years and it wouldn't be good if something happened. With him present, it would be much safer.

"You…"

Uncle Four stared at Qin Fang, clearly surprised.

"Uncle Yi Hai has always been kind to me, and I've always treated Xiao Juan as if she were my own sister. I can't just sit idly by and watch… These people are merely after money, if it really comes to it, I can pay off the debt…"

Qin Fang said with a smile.

Tao Yihai was from the generation above Qin Fang, while Qin Fang and Tao Renjun were of the same generation, so referring to Tao Yihai as uncle was fitting. As for Tao Yihai's daughter, Tao Xiaojuan, she was only a year younger than Qin Fang and had also grown up together with him; she was the little girl who used to trail behind him with a runny nose.

Now that such a situation had arisen, Tao Yihai's family was probably very frightened. With Tao Xiaojuan being young and threatened in such a manner, Qin Fang, who had always been like a brother, naturally had to step forward to help.

And the loan sharks were ultimately only interested in the money; Qin Fang could help settle the debt for Tao Yihai's family, as he had the means to do so.

"Alright, let's go together…"

Uncle Four nodded; he was naturally pleased with Qin Fang's willingness to help. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it, recommend and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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