Chapter Fifty-Four: The Devil’s Temptation

Pan Lun first met Song Xin at the gaming table in his own casino. At the time, Song Xin was nothing more than a beautiful golden canary in Pan Lun’s eyes.

Pan Lun had invited the director of the Mingtan precinct, Xu Wei, while Song Xin appeared at the casino merely as an accessory. Naturally, Pan Lun looked down on minor characters like Xu Wei and had no interest in associating with him. However, he happened to have a piece of land in Mingtan slated for real estate development, and such local serpents needed to be fed before anything else.

At their first meeting, Pan Lun found the precinct director to be tight-lipped and cold-eyed, exuding a certain arrogance. Even though Pan Lun had been introduced by someone of a higher status, Xu Wei seemed unimpressed, maintaining a stance of upright officialdom and rejecting any notion of collusion between businessmen and officials. He even put on airs and spoke in bureaucratic jargon.

Pan Lun was not intimidated by Xu Wei’s posture, because he knew there were only two types of people who acted this way. One type was truly upright and incorruptible; in that case, Pan Lun would have no reason to risk trouble and could only try to smooth relations with other departments to ensure his development proceeded smoothly. As for the police side, it was best to avoid them; with such a director, they would neither abuse their power nor make things difficult, as long as his operations remained legitimate and his tricks stayed hidden.

The other type was the hypocrite—outwardly impartial and unapproachable, but once you found the right approach, you could make him your dog, ready to do anything you asked.

Pan Lun concluded that Xu Wei was of the second kind. His reasoning was simple: when he visited Xu Wei’s office for a business discussion, he noticed Xu Wei had a lounge with a shower. The average person wouldn’t see anything unusual—a precinct director having a lounge with a shower in the building seemed perfectly normal. But Pan Lun’s years of experience told him that such a shower was impossible for those who actually lived or frequently worked there, and the other officers didn’t even have a small communal shower.

This detail was a major clue. It made Pan Lun realize clearly that Xu Wei was merely a pretender, and as long as he found the right path, he could bring Xu Wei to heel.

Pan Lun did indeed find that path. Specifically, he found a key figure—Qiu Luan.

Qiu Luan sought out Pan Lun himself, having learned that Pan Lun had acquired extensive land in Mingtan for real estate development and hoping to secure a portion of the earthwork contract.

Pan Lun knew that anyone bold enough to recommend himself for an earthwork job must have backing, but Qiu Luan seemed to have no one behind him, which puzzled Pan Lun—could he be just a naive youth?

Pan Lun neither agreed nor refused Qiu Luan’s request; he waited for Qiu Luan’s patron to reveal himself. When Xu Wei called Pan Lun to invite him to dinner, Pan Lun knew this door was about to open.

The dinner was held at a hotel in Mingnan, far from Mingtan. The Xu Wei he met this time was quite different—no longer stoic and silent, but jovial and lively, blending seamlessly with Pan Lun and his group, drinking heartily, even calling Pan Lun “brother.”

During the meal, Xu Wei assured Pan Lun that he would look after his business in Mingtan, and he made a minor request: he wanted Pan Lun to give his “little brother” Qiu Luan a job and hand over the earthwork contract for the real estate project to him.

Pan Lun was happy to oblige, letting Qiu Luan take over the earthwork, thus cementing his relationship with Xu Wei. Not long after, Pan Lun invited Xu Wei to visit his casino. At first, Pan Lun doubted Xu Wei could make it, since as a police director, traveling abroad was complicated and required numerous organizational procedures.

Surprisingly, Xu Wei agreed readily and arrived at the casino in no time. This visit made Pan Lun even more certain of Xu Wei’s hypocrisy. He discovered that Xu Wei had another passport under the name Xu Wei, which allowed him to travel freely across borders.

It was during this encounter that Pan Lun met Xu Wei’s stunning companion, who would later become his most important partner—Song Xin. Of course, Pan Lun didn’t know if that was her real name; since Xu Wei had a fake identity, he likely had more false identities for himself and his golden canary.

At that time, Xu Wei was happily playing cards at the gaming table, while Song Xin approached Pan Lun, who was drinking nearby. Seeing this alluring woman, Pan Lun couldn’t help but feel a stir of emotion and even envied Xu Wei for capturing such a peerless beauty.

Song Xin sat beside Pan Lun and began directly, “Mr. Pan, your business is truly impressive—not only do you have vast enterprises in the country, but you even own such a splendid place abroad. You really are a titan of the business world!”

Pan Lun laughed, “Miss Song, you flatter me. The Pan Group is a family enterprise, not mine alone. This place is just for making a little money and for friends to gather and build relationships.”

Song Xin replied, “Mr. Pan, you’re far too modest. Gambling is a huge business; you can’t call it small change. Not to mention all these glamorous stars—their appearance fees must be quite exorbitant!”

Pan Lun said, “Men always have their dreams. I’m just helping them fulfill their fantasies.”

Song Xin continued, “But why don’t you consider doing business domestically? Why only operate here in Manchiga? There aren’t nearly as many people here as in the homeland, are there?”

Pan Lun answered, “Gambling is illegal in the country. I’m an honest businessman; I wouldn’t dare break the law.”

Song Xin smiled and said, “You don’t seem like an honest man. Honest men don’t do business on this scale. Have you ever thought about running an online gambling operation? In Manchiga, you can still do domestic business and earn at least a hundred times more!”

Pan Lun didn’t take her words seriously, joking, “Without a proper channel for money flow, there’s no way to get the earnings in hand. What’s the difference between earning and not earning?”

Song Xin lowered her gaze to her wine glass, swirling it as she spoke in a calm tone, “Money channels aren’t a problem nowadays; with the internet so developed, it’s easy for you to transfer money to Manchiga or keep it at home. But you’d surely prefer to move it back legally, wouldn’t you? After all, you still live in the country.”

Pan Lun caught the implication in Song Xin’s words; she was not as simple as he’d imagined. He probed, “Miss Song, do you have a way to transfer money legally?”

Song Xin replied, “If you’re willing, you won’t have to worry about money. I’d be glad to work with a boss like you. If you don’t trust me, you can test my capabilities first—you’ll see what I can do.”

Pan Lun laughed, “Then let’s start by cashing out Director Xu’s chips today!”

Song Xin smiled, “Such a small amount—I could just give it directly to Director Xu. Does that even require any skill?”

Pan Lun laughed heartily and said, “True, such a small sum hardly proves anything. How about this—just transfer today’s casino revenue back home.”

Song Xin looked at Pan Lun and said, “That’s simple. Once the revenue is tallied, deposit the money in the bank, and I’ll tell you what to do next.”

After closing that night, Pan Lun had his people deposit the money in the bank. The next morning at breakfast, Pan Lun said to Song Xin, “Miss Song, I’ve deposited the money. Now let’s see your performance!”

Song Xin smiled, took out her phone, and said, “Mr. Pan, you use Zhibao Pay, right? Give me your Zhibao Pay account.”

Pan Lun smiled and said, “Miss Song, you must be joking! You’re not suggesting I use Zhibao Pay to transfer gambling profits, are you? That would be walking right into a trap!”

Song Xin replied, “Of course not. I have an app here—use it to transfer the money. The fee is ten percent, fourth-party payment, perfect for gambling businesses. You won’t find a better deal.”

Pan Lun watched Song Xin, half skeptical, but he transferred the money via the app. Soon, his Zhibao Pay showed a transfer record; as Song Xin said, ten percent was deducted, and the remaining funds arrived in full.

Pan Lun glanced at the statement, suppressed his excitement, and said to Song Xin, lightly, “Large transfers are impressive, but is that really worth a ten percent cut?”

Song Xin smiled, “Now that money is Mr. Pan’s legitimate income. No matter how thoroughly they investigate, there’ll be no problem. Is that not worth the ten percent?” She then explained how the money had become Pan Lun’s lawful earnings.

Pan Lun had thought Song Xin was just a pretty ornament, but she won his recognition through her actions. He had never imagined Song Xin possessed such skills.

Pan Lun knew a bit about money laundering—most places charged thirty percent, twenty-five if you were lucky, and fifteen was a huge favor. Yet Song Xin asked for only ten and completed the task so swiftly. Pan Lun couldn’t help but regard her differently.

Pan Lun said, “Miss Song, you truly have some tricks. I wonder if a real partnership could achieve this result?”

Song Xin smiled, “Absolutely, no problem.”

Pan Lun extended his hand to Song Xin, saying, “I believe you. Let’s work together!”

Thereafter, Pan Lun’s casino opened up its online front. He gave his gambling website a clever name—Spinach Web. Thousands of gamblers flocked there, indulging in the thrill of betting. But beneath the mask of pleasure lay darkness and pain.

Some romance scam rings began to partner with Pan Lun’s casino, sending emotionally lonely and isolated single men and women into the online casino to be slaughtered; PUA artists also approached, squeezing every last bit of value from their prey. Pan Lun’s proudest collaborator was a man named Sun Zhengtao, who supplied him with a steady stream of victims.

Even high-interest loan companies came knocking, sending their debtors to Spinach Web as sales agents in order to repay their debts. The prestigious Qian Group in Tanghua also became a reliable partner.

Unlike the fraudulent gambling sites that closed at will and made withdrawals impossible, Pan Lun’s Spinach Web allowed prompt cash-outs at any time, earning it a sterling reputation. Combined with tricks like star dealers and other gimmicks, Spinach Web expanded rapidly, its business booming, soon becoming a famed gambling site.

Countless people were ruined here, countless families destroyed, while Pan Lun amassed a vast fortune through his gambling website.

With Song Xin laundering the money, Sun Zhengtao bringing in customers, and companies like the Qian Group recruiting staff, Spinach Web thrived, and the Pan Group’s business gradually improved. In Pan Lun’s eyes, Song Xin’s arrival had ushered in another spring.

Pan Lun basked in his success, seeing Song Xin as his angelic benefactor; he failed to realize that angels are often devils in disguise, and delicious apples are frequently poisonous.

Until the day arrived…