bookbashuk Chapter 541 The Choice of Sacrifice
Chapter 541 The Choice of Sacrifice
On the third day after Lui's surgery, the three of us went to the hospital to visit him, as usual.
Unlike the crowded ward a few days ago, Stanley Ho's ward is now relatively quiet, with only three people: his fourth wife, Zhu Minghua, and nurse Shishi.
"Sister Ling, what about the people from the other two households?" I asked curiously.
"Once they realized the boss couldn't be cured, they all left, busy fighting for power and profit!" Fourth Wife said with a cold snort.
"Alright, let's not talk about them anymore!"
Fourth Wife turned and glanced at Gambling King Lui, saying, "Shishi, take good care of the boss!"
After saying that, he gave us a wink and said, "Let's talk outside!"
After exiting, they found themselves in a suite. Fourth Wife and Zhu Minghua exchanged a glance and said, "Xiao Lin, Thirteen, and Ni'er, given the boss's current situation, I'll be kicked out of the group within six months at most. We must take action!"
"My casino's contract is about to be renewed!" Zhu Minghua added.
Fourth Wife and Zhu Minghua have a relationship where they share both prosperity and adversity.
Zhu Minghua's rise to prominence, even earning her the title of "Queen of Financing," was not due to anything else but the gambling halls she leased from Lu the Gambling King.
Every gambling hall is a goose that lays golden eggs. As long as there are gambling halls, there is money; and as long as there is money, there is credibility.
Those people gave the money to Zhu Minghua not because of her amazing skills, but because they believed that even if she lost the money, Zhu Minghua could repay it through the gambling hall.
But once the casino closes down and is leased to someone else, will those people still give her money?
Without Lui's endorsement, many things cannot proceed. Putting aside other things, can the Wei family's money laundering business continue smoothly?
It should be understood that the Wei family are not benevolent people; they are warlords in Shan State, and they themselves are unaware of how much blood is on their hands.
Given their ruthlessness, if the plan falls apart, goes wrong, or the money is lost, do you think they'll let Zhu Minghua off the hook?
Not only them, but the second wife's family also wouldn't let her off the hook.
It's worth noting that Fourth Wife's success today is entirely due to the recommendation of her old best friend, Zhu Minghua.
It was Zhu Minghua's repeated recommendations that made Lu the gambling king see the fourth wife's abilities, which led him to bring the fourth wife into the group as a tool to counterbalance the second wife's family.
Otherwise, the fourth wife will most likely end up like the third wife, a mere decorative figure.
As for why the third wife became just a pretty face, it's not that she didn't try to compete with the second wife, but she ended up being completely outmaneuvered by her.
If the third wife hadn't sensed something was wrong and fled to Australia, it's uncertain whether her children would have survived.
The second wife not only wielded considerable power within the group, but she also came from a triad family. The marriage between Stanley Ho and his second wife was a union of the underworld and the legitimate world, a cooperative relationship.
After becoming the gambling king, Lui did not turn his back on his people, but he first had a third wife, and later a fourth wife. If it weren't for the three wives joining forces to force Lidonna out, he would have had a fifth wife.
The second wife's family may hate the fourth wife, but I think they probably hate Zhu Minghua the most. Without Zhu Minghua's recommendation, the fourth wife would be just like the third wife, a mere figurehead.
That's why I said that Zhu Minghua is probably even more anxious than Fourth Madam at this moment.
"Sister Ling, what do you want us to do?"
Thinking of this, I asked.
"Thirteen, what I need you to do is very simple: you must protect the boss during this period and ensure he gets through this safely!" Fourth Wife said.
"Sister Ling, are you still going to perform the Seven Star Life-Extending Formation?" I asked.
The last time Gambling King Lui suffered a stroke, he was cured by the Seven Star Life-Sustaining Formation.
Judging from the way Fourth Wife is acting, she plans to do the same this time as well.
Before Stanley Ho underwent surgery, his fourth wife called Wang Sanmu and asked him to come see her.
For the past ten days, I've been busy with Lui's surgery and care, and haven't had time to ask or see Wang Sanmu. Now it seems that Fourth Wife has made up her mind.
"If we don't do it, neither I nor your sister Hua will survive!" Fourth Wife said.
This statement is somewhat exaggerated, but it's not far off.
The fourth wife might survive thanks to the gambling king's legacy, but Zhu Minghua's chances are uncertain. With the second wife's methods, she could easily use a borrowed knife to kill, letting the Wei family deal with her. If it develops to that point, death might be the best outcome for her.
"Sister Ling, who are you planning to sacrifice this time?" I asked.
Fourth Wife didn't speak, but looked towards the ward.
"Shishi?" I asked.
"She can't do it!"
Fourth Aunt shook her head and said, "Shishi's life is too fragile, and her vitality is too weak. Even a sacrifice wouldn't cure the boss!"
"Then who should be sacrificed?" I asked.
"Her child!" Fourth Wife said.
"Is she pregnant?" I asked.
"Not pregnant!"
Fourth Aunt shook her head.
"How can you offer a sacrifice if you're not pregnant?" I was a little confused.
"test tube!"
The fourth wife uttered two words.
"You saved the boss's..." I suddenly realized.
"Um!"
Fourth Aunt nodded and said, "This was at the boss's request; he's afraid something might happen to him one day!"
Fourth Wife didn't elaborate, but I understand what she meant.
As expected of Gambler Lü, he's caught up with the US server's progress.
If IVF technology had matured ten years earlier, he might have mass-produced a bunch of children to be sacrificed for him.
"Sister Ling, I have a question!" Long Nier spoke up at this moment.
"You said, Ni'er!" Fourth Aunt said.
"Why do we have to use Shishi's child?" Long Nier asked.
"It's very simple, the boss's favorite person right now is Shishi!" Fourth Wife said.
"Master Wang said that using the child of the person the boss cares about most and is most attached to as a sacrifice would be highly effective and yield twice the result with half the effort!"
That's true, and indeed, Stanley Ho regarded Shi Shi as his spiritual support in his later years.
These three wives, living in luxury, were all unwilling to lower themselves to take care of Lui, the gambling king, in every detail.
Over the past few years, Shishi has taken meticulous care of Lu the gambling king.
Lui, the gambling king, once considered taking Shi Shi as his fifth wife. If it weren't for the unanimous opposition and obstruction from the second, third, and fourth wives, it might have actually happened.
The last time these three families were so united was when they were dealing with Li Feihong's wife, Li Danna.
After driving Li Danna away from Lui, the three families immediately returned to their original state.
This time was much the same. If it weren't for the fact that Gambling King Lu really couldn't live without Shishi, and that the three families each had their own ulterior motives and wanted to recruit Shishi as an undercover agent, Shishi would have died long ago.
"Did Shishi agree?"
I asked.
"That's not up to her!"
Fourth Wife snorted and said, "Besides, I won't mistreat her. I plan to give her fifty million. Given her greed, she'll definitely agree!"
I get it, this is a two-pronged approach: using a stick on one hand and a carrot on the other!
"Sister Ling, I have another question. Even with IVF, it still takes ten months of pregnancy. Can the boss wait that long?" I said.
Actually, I wasn't asking about Gambling King Lui. Gambling King Lui's life isn't in immediate danger. Judging from his current condition, he should be able to live for another two or three years without any problem.
My question is, are Fourth Wife and Zhu Minghua able to wait?