Underworld Chronicles: Qiao Si's Strategist, Xiao Ke, and Wang Weifan

Xiao Ke was not discouraged after being turned away for the first time. This was the result he had expected. It's no wonder that people would not pay attention to a young man like you who comes to visit so suddenly.

It's alright. Practice makes perfect. People are all made of flesh and blood. If once doesn't work, try twice. If twice doesn't work, try three times. I don't believe I can't influence him.

A few days later, Xiao Ke, carrying two bottles of good wine, knocked on Hu Yitian's door again.

Hu Yitian opened the door, leaning on his cane, and saw Xiao Ke. "Young man, it's you again. Oh, right, I'll get you the two bottles of wine you left at the door last time." Hu Yitian said, turning around and going back inside to get the wine.

Xiao Ke put down the wine in his hand and ran away. By the time Hu Yitian returned to the door with the wine, Xiao Ke had already disappeared, leaving two more bottles of wine at the door.

This young man, he's losing all interest in learning. Hu Yitian shook his head and took the wine back inside.

Who knew that Xiao Ke was quite persistent? He went to Hu Yitian's house and knocked on the door for half a year. Every time he went, he would bring something, such as fruit or drinks.

Xiao Ke saves every penny she has, and aside from giving some to her family, she spends almost all of it on gifts for Hu Yitian.

As the saying goes, "He who takes a man's gift is bound to be obliging, and he who eats a man's food is bound to be obliging." The wine that Xiao Ke brought for Hu Yitian could be stored away, and Hu Yitian could choose not to drink it. But the fruit and other things that Xiao Ke bought would spoil if not eaten. Although Hu Yitian was not short of money, he was not the type to waste things, so he had no choice but to eat them.

Having eaten the young man's food for half a year, Hu Yitian felt a little guilty and was completely moved by Xiao Ke.

Finally, one day, Xiao Ke bought some things again and knocked on Hu Yitian's door. Just as Xiao Ke was about to put down the things and leave, Hu Yitian stopped him and asked, "Kid, can you drink?"

"Yes, I will," Xiao Ke nodded.

"Go buy some snacks to go with your drinks, and have a drink with me," Hu Yitian said.

Okay, I'll go right now. Little Ke was overjoyed and turned to go to the market to buy wine and food.

Xiao Ke returned with a bag of snacks to go with the drinks in no time. Hu Yitian led Xiao Ke into his home for the first time, set out the snacks and drinks, and prepared to have a drink with this familiar stranger.

"Kid, you're quite persistent. What's your name?" Hu Yitian poured Xiao Ke a glass of wine and asked.

Holding the wine glass with both hands, Xiao Ke replied with a flattered expression, "Ah, my name is Wang Weifan, Uncle Hu, you can just call me Xiao Ke."

"Come on, Xiao Ke, you've been buying me food for a year now, this is a toast to you." Hu Yitian raised his glass.

"No, no, I wouldn't dare. Let me toast you, sir." Xiao Ke said, standing up and raising his glass with both hands, deliberately making his glass half a head shorter than Hu Yitian's. He clinked glasses with him, tilted his head back, and downed the glass in one gulp.

Hu Yitian noticed that the kid was quite thoughtful, even knowing that the wine glass should be lower when clinking glasses, and he was full of energy.

Hu Yitian, putting down his wine glass, said, "Xiao Ke, I know you want to learn something from me. I've never had anything of value in my life except for gambling skills, but that's not a proper skill. You're so young, learn something else instead of wasting your time here."

"Uncle Hu, I've now learned a skill, and I dare say that in our Ice City, I, Xiao Ke, am second to none in the bathhouse scrubbing industry," Xiao Ke boasted.

Xiao Ke's words left Hu Yitian speechless. Scrubbing a body is such a trivial skill, yet he still used it to brag.

"Look at my hands, my feet, they're all ruined by gambling. Nine out of ten gamblers are cheating; not gambling is the only way to win. As for prostitution, gambling, and drugs, a little bit of prostitution is fine for a man—you can't do that every day—but gambling and drugs are different. Once a man gets involved, he's doomed. Come on, let's finish this drink, then you can go. While you're still young, learn something useful." Hu Yitian held up his hand, which had three fingers missing, and said earnestly to Xiao Ke.

"Uncle Hu, let me speak from the heart. I come from the countryside, and it's so hard for kids from rural areas to make a name for themselves. They have to learn what others can't and endure what others can't, just to get by. Although I'm a master at scrubbing bathhouses, I know in my heart that this job will only get me a living, and I'll never amount to anything in my life," Xiao Ke said, taking a sip of his drink.

So you want to learn to gamble? Do you know what the consequences are if you get caught cheating? I'm lucky; although I'm left with a lifelong disability, I survived. Do you know how many people have lost everything and their families because of gambling? There are far too many.

"Uncle Hu, I don't want to live an ordinary life. Even if I die at 30, living a spectacular life for more than ten years would be better than living an ordinary life to 100," Xiao Ke said, taking another sip of wine.

"Sigh, you may not be very tall, but you're full of energy and quite clever. If it were a few years ago, I might have taken you as my apprentice. I swore I would never take on an apprentice again," Hu Yitian said with a sigh.

"Uncle Hu, how about this? You don't need to teach me. Just show me a few techniques and I'll watch. Whether I can learn them or not depends on my own fate. I'll come and give you a bath and have a drink with you to relieve your boredom. What do you think?" Xiao Ke said sincerely.

This isn't really a good idea.

"What's good or bad about it, Uncle Hu? Come on, I see you have a shower at home. I'll give you a scrub today. See if you feel comfortable, and then you can decide." Xiao Ke said, pulling Hu Yitian towards his shower room.

Xiao Ke used all his skills to give Hu Yitian a bath and a back massage. This guy made Hu Yitian feel so comfortable. You could say that Hu Yitian had taken baths all his life, and this was the most comfortable bath Xiao Ke had ever given him.

"Come again next time. We agreed beforehand that I won't take you on as an apprentice. How much you can learn and see depends on your own understanding." Hu Yitian finally relented.

Thank you, teacher! No, thank you, Uncle Hu. I'll come over when I have time. Before leaving, Xiao Ke cleaned up Hu Yitian's dining table spotlessly and took all the trash with him. You see how thoughtful he is; it's hard not to admire him.

In this way, Hu Yitian reluctantly accepted Xiao Ke. Every time Xiao Ke came to Hu Yitian's house, she would bring a gift. After arriving, she would first drink and chat with Hu Yitian to relieve his boredom.

Hu Yitian got divorced when he was young and is now all alone. With a shrewd young man like Xiao Ke keeping him company and relieving his boredom, how could he not be happy?

After drinking with Hu Yitian, Xiao Ke had to give him a bath and a back massage. After this, Hu Yitian felt comfortable and began to show Xiao Ke his unique skills, various cheating techniques.

Don't underestimate Xiao Ke just because he's not good at studying. It's not that he's not smart, it's that he doesn't like to study.

While watching Hu Yitian show off his skills, Xiao Ke stared intently at his hands without blinking, afraid of missing a single move. His seriousness was so great that it could move heaven and earth, and even make the gods want to farm.

Will Xiao Ke be able to learn the true essence of gambling from Hu Yitian? Stay tuned for the next episode.