The Beauty CEO's Personal Expert
Chapter 388 - 384: Secret Place

Chapter 388: Chapter 384: Secret Place

At this moment, what presented itself before Ling Chen was a warehouse spanning thousands of square feet. However, it was no longer accurate to describe it merely as a warehouse.

The walls around the warehouse were covered with golden striped wallpaper, and the floor was laid with pure white ceramic tiles, the gaps between each filled with copper wire, creating a visually grand and upscale impression. Hanging from the top of the warehouse were several ring-shaped crystal chandeliers, layer upon layer, the bright lights dazzling, illuminating every corner of the warehouse.

With just simple decorations, the overall grade of the old warehouse was instantly elevated.

Inside the spacious warehouse, over fifty gambling tables were lined up, offering all sorts of games, with a row of slot machines against the wall. Even though it was just past eight o’clock, the casino was already packed with people, men and women alike crowded around the tables, their faces flushed and expressions excited.

Ling Chen, who was observant, noticed that those who came here to gamble were not very wealthy, and judging by their clothing and attire, they were not much different from him and Wei Jun, merely ordinary folks.

"Hey! Brother Wei, these underground casinos are illegal operations, aren’t you afraid of getting caught by the police?" Ling Chen asked in a low voice.

Wei Jun gestured for silence with a ’shush’ and said with a smile, "Why worry so much? They have connections and don’t fear the police showing up. Just play boldly and without worry, if something really happens, I’ll be here with you."

Ling Chen asked with curiosity, "Do you know who’s behind this casino?"

"I’m not sure about that. As far as I know, this casino hasn’t been open for long, not even a month. It was a friend who told me about this place," Wei Jun said, then added with pride, "I’ve been quite lucky recently, played a few times and made what I’d earn in two years’ wages. Brother Ling, why don’t you try your luck later, maybe you can win some pocket money."

"Forget it, I’m not interested in gambling. Brother Wei, don’t get too addicted."

"Don’t worry, a little gamble for fun won’t make me go bankrupt. Eh, if you’re not playing, I’ll go try my luck. If I’m on a winning streak tonight, no matter what you want to do, I’ll cover all expenses." With that, without waiting for Ling Chen to say more, Wei Jun eagerly moved towards the gambling table.

Ling Chen stood behind Wei Jun and watched for a couple of rounds; Wei Jun was indeed having good luck, getting several good hands in a row. In no time, he had pocketed over three thousand, equivalent to a month’s salary for Ling Chen.

After watching for a few minutes, Ling Chen soon lost interest. He wasn’t into gambling. Had he known Wei Jun was bringing him here, he would have rather stayed at home, spending time with Nanrong Wanqing, talking about love.

"Brother Wei, you keep playing, I’ll take a walk around."

Without turning his head, Wei Jun replied, "Alright! Don’t go too far, this place offers free food and drinks, don’t be shy."

Leaving the gambling table, Ling Chen with hands in his pockets, aimlessly wandered around. But it was just a casino, and no matter how much he roamed, he couldn’t stir up any interest. Checking the time, it wasn’t even nine o’clock yet. Well, he thought, he’d endure a little longer; Wei Jun asked him out, so he ought to give him some face.

As he idled about, Ling Chen’s peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a curtain hanging in the northeastern corner of the casino, concealing the corner.

In less than half a minute, seven or eight people emerged from behind the curtain, entering the casino.

The space behind that curtain could at most accommodate two or three people. The fact that seven or eight came out in succession indicated something unusual. Driven by curiosity, the already bored Ling Chen felt his interest piqued. After scanning his surroundings and seeing no one taking notice of him, he walked toward the corner.

Lifting the curtain, Ling Chen found that behind it was a wall covered with wallpaper, with nothing else. Seeing this, the corner of Ling Chen’s mouth lifted slightly, as he looked with interest at the wall. Then, he pressed his hand against the wall and gently pushed inward.

As expected, there was a secret door hidden in the wall.

Entering the secret door, the lighting inside was quite dim, but his vision was clear.

Ling Chen walked a few meters away and saw a staircase leading straight down. According to the warehouse’s layout, there should be an underground room below.

Following the stairs all the way to the bottom, the vast underground room had dim lighting, casting a hazy ambiance. Unlike the gambling den, the underground room was set up with many separate booths, each enclosed by screens, allowing for privacy from the view of others.

At this moment, there were not many people in the underground room, mostly staff members preparing for something.

Seeing someone approaching, Ling Chen, afraid of being discovered, quickly hid in a nearby tea room.

Casting a glance at the wall where waitstaff uniforms hung, an idea struck Ling Chen, and he immediately changed out of his casual clothes and into the uniform of a waiter. After that, he straightened his collar, puffed out his chest, and walked out carrying a tray of drinks.

As it turned out, after Ling Chen put on the uniform, the people around only glanced at him and said nothing, not a single one suspected his identity.

After wandering around for a bit, it was almost nine o’clock.

At this time, the underground room was fully set up, all the waitstaff stood lined up against the wall, neat and orderly. Each of them took out a masquerade mask— the kind with butterfly eyepieces— from their pockets, covering the area above their noses.

Seeing their actions, Ling Chen mentally cursed, not expecting such a rule, as he was completely unprepared. Just as Ling Chen was at a loss, a male waiter next to him gently nudged his arm and passed him a mask, signaling him to hurry and put it on.

Ling Chen glanced at the waiter gratefully and hastily put on the butterfly mask, covering half of his face. In doing so, he no longer had to worry about his identity being exposed.

At nine o’clock, on the other side of the underground room, a group of men in suits came in single file or in groups of threes and fives. As though it was a mutual agreement, they all remained silent, not uttering a word, each finding their own seats without interaction. Moreover, like Ling Chen, these men all concealed their faces with various masks, seemingly fearing recognition.

This mysterious atmosphere increasingly piqued Ling Chen’s curiosity, making him want to discover what was truly happening.

Once everyone was in place, the side door was immediately shut. At the same time, the lighting in the underground room instantaneously dimmed, limiting the range of vision to less than three meters.

Following the arrival of the guests, the waitstaff standing against the wall also began their work, diligently offering champagne and fine wines to the guests.

Ling Chen, carrying a tray of drinks, moved through the crowd, and while bending to serve drinks, he stealthily observed the customers. Unfortunately, everyone was wearing masks, making it impossible to identify anyone.

However, based on Ling Chen’s many years of experience, he could tell from their attire that all the guests present were wealthy individuals.

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