Controlled Experiment Chapter 15

Controlled Experiment – 15

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Du Yusheng was wondering whether he really sent the message to the wrong person as he watched Li Yao walking towards him step by step.

The weather had been getting colder recently, especially at night. Li Yao was wearing a black crew-neck jumper. His skin was very fair, and of course, black suited him well. In fact, the two of them had clearly seen each other just last night, yet Du Yusheng felt as if he hadn't seen him for several days. Looking at that smiling face, it was as though all his earlier worries instantly vanished into thin air.

"You texted me to come over."

Li Yao frowned slightly and carefully looked at the message on his phone again.

Du Yusheng craned his neck and took a glance at Li Yao's phone as well.

"Come find me at xx in half an hour."

The words were indeed written by him, but he had sent them to the wrong person.

He had meant to send it to Qin Yan but had sent it to the one person he most definitely shouldn't have. Du Yusheng sighed inwardly.

"I sent it to the wrong person," Du Yusheng had no choice but to admit the truth and apologise, "Sorry about that, Dr Li, I sent it to the wrong person."

Li Yao looked at Du Yusheng without saying anything.

Du Yusheng subconsciously took a step back, putting a little distance between them. Du Yusheng knew he'd smoked quite a few cigarettes in the car just now, and since the space inside was small, the smell of smoke must have clung to him, so he was worried it might bother Li Yao. Lowering his head, he zipped up his jacket.

"I'm really sorry to have made Dr Li come all the way out here, especially this late."

Li Yao shook his head. "It's okay." Then he suddenly looked up at Du Yusheng and said, "So, who were you trying to send the message to?"

Du Yusheng didn't quite understand the meaning of his words, blinking at Li Yao in confusion. The way he spoke was like someone who'd just caught their partner on a secret date and was demanding an explanation. Du Yusheng knew he was probably overthinking it, but still, his ears turned red and he immediately lowered his head, staring at his slightly dusty shoes.

"I wasn't trying to send it to anyone in particular," Du Yusheng muttered. "It was just work."

In the darkness of the night, Li Yao frowned slightly as he looked at the reddened ears in front of him. He then turned his head to glance at the place with the large neon sign that read "Clothing".

Of course, Li Yao knew exactly what Du Yusheng was trying to do.

"... You really didn't have any other reason for asking me here?"

Du Yusheng sniffed and nodded. "Mm, just, sent it to the wrong person."

"Then I'll be off?"

"......"

Du Yusheng wanted to stop him, but the words caught in his throat.

He didn't know what he could possibly say to stop Li Yao from leaving. Or rather, he didn't know what Li Yao could even do for him here. He could only watch as the man in the black jumper got into his car, started the engine, and drove away, the vehicle gradually disappearing from view.

Du Yusheng stared after the figure and the car and sighed. There was no more time to dwell on such things. Once Luo Yang's case is settled, he thought to himself, I'll have a proper talk with Dr Li. Lifting the flimsy green cotton curtain, he turned and stepped into the building with the large "Clothing" sign.

As he'd suspected, the bold letters outside were just a front. The real, high-value business took place underground.

Near the only path leading to the underground casino was a small room, which clearly served as a kind of security checkpoint. Fortunately, Li Sidian was a regular here. With his head lowered, Du Yusheng told the people inside that he was a friend of Li Sidian's. They seemed sceptical but sent a message, and only once they received a reply from Li Sidian's side did they let Du Yusheng through.

The heavy, soundproof iron door creaked open, and Du Yusheng ducked slightly as he stepped into the casino.

Du Yusheng always felt that there were two kinds of people who were truly frightening.

One kind was drug addicts, the other was those who were addicted to, and deeply consumed by, gambling.

Du Yusheng's eyes swept back and forth across the people around him. They didn't seem to care who came or who left, all that mattered to them were the cards in their hands, the chips on the table, and the cash in their pockets. The deafening noise filling Du Yusheng's ears made him feel a little uncomfortable.

A small gamble adds spice to life, but heavy gambling ruins the body.

But in Du Yusheng's view, gambling was gambling, no matter the scale. Those who won wanted to keep winning, and those who lost always hoped to claw their way back. Once you sat at the table, regardless of your worth, no one walked away without losing everything. That was why people said: gamble long enough, and you're bound to lose.

Du Yusheng's eyes scanned the small casino several times. Just as Li Sidian said, there was indeed a back door. And if the rest of what he'd said was also true, then behind that back door there should be a courtyard, and in that courtyard, a few rooms. Luo Yang had once stayed in one of them. In his mind, Du Yusheng sketched out a map. Once the mental map was done, there was something else he wanted to do, find the person in charge of the place. This person was both easy and difficult to spot. Soon enough, Du Yusheng found the slightly chubby boss at one of the tables. Everyone else at the table was focused on the game, their eyes glued to the cards. Only the chubby man kept scanning every person who came in or went out.

Du Yusheng wasn't in a rush. He stood near a table for a while, shouting and cheering aimlessly with the crowd for a few rounds.

Then, bit by bit, he joined in properly.

In the first round, he bet on the player.

Banker six, player zero, the banker wins.

Second round, he bet on the banker.

Banker five, player nine, the player wins.

Third round, he bet on the banker again, the player won.

It was difficult to win consistently at the table, but it wasn't exactly easy to keep losing either. Du Yusheng felt he was doing reasonably well.

After repeating this a few more times, for the first time, he truly understood what people meant by losing everything.

"If you can't pay up, you can borrow from us," the slightly chubby boss said as he walked over and gave Du Yusheng's shoulder a perfunctory pat. "We can lend you money to win it back, eighty per cent interest."

"Eighty per cent interest?" Du Yusheng sneered. "You've got some nerve."

The boss didn't respond, he simply smiled.

Du Yusheng suddenly realised two burly men had appeared by his side, seemingly out of nowhere. Each of them grabbed one of his arms and pinned Du Yusheng down on the gaming table. Their grips were tight and merciless. In their pockets, they each carried something Du Yusheng recognised, a finger breaker.

"You have two choices now, either borrow money from me and keep playing," the boss scratched his eyebrow, "or call someone to bring cash. Interest starts at eighty per cent, calculated every five minutes. If you go with the first option, I might even give you a better rate."

The casino was still buzzing, lively and chaotic. It wasn't so much that no one noticed what was happening, but rather, no one had the time to care.

Du Yusheng tilted his chin up and looked at the boss's round face.

That face really fucking deserved a beating.

"And what if I choose neither?" Du Yusheng twisted his neck a little and said, "What can you do to me?"

The boss stepped down from the platform and gestured for the people at the table to move to another one.

"Each finger takes off zero point one," the boss whispered into Du Yusheng's ear. "Ten fingers make a whole one. If that's not enough, we'll take your organs to make up for it. If that's still not enough, we'll take your wife and children's organs. We'll always find a way to make it work."

The boss spoke with such ease, as if it weren't fingers he was talking about but strands of hair. The casual menace in his tone made Du Yusheng's skin crawl.

But no matter how disgusted he felt, he had to bear it, Du Yusheng still had a job to do.

"Alright, alright, you win," Du Yusheng shrugged. "I give in, I'll get someone to bring the money, eighty per cent it is."

The boss suddenly smiled, his eyes landing on the expensive watch on Du Yusheng's wrist.

"I've changed my mind, ninety per cent."

Du Yusheng licked his molars and nodded. "Alright, whatever you say. Hand me my phone, I'll call someone to bring..."

"Don't let 'someone' come," a voice suddenly interrupted Du Yusheng.

The phrasing was a bit odd, and Du Yusheng turned to look at the speaker, only for his eyes to widen in shock.

He saw Li Yao standing not far from him, leaning back slightly against a gaming table, facing Du Yusheng's direction.

"Don't let your 'someone' come," Li Yao repeated, walking over step by step. He was half a head taller than the slightly chubby boss, looking down at him with an air of quiet authority. "However much he owes, I'll pay it."

Originally, Du Yusheng's plan had been to use the excuse of owing money to get himself locked up in the back courtyard. Then, once inside, he would find a way to get close to the room where Luo Yang had lived and see if there was anything of value left behind. Before coming, he had also considered simply sending in officers to reveal their identity and search the place directly, but he feared someone inside might be working with Luo Yang. If they destroyed the evidence, there would be nothing left to find. After weighing it all up, going in himself to sound things out first seemed the safest route.

But now, this plan had been thrown off by someone else. This man had just met him by chance earlier, after receiving a wrongly sent message. He'd only just driven off under Du Yusheng's watch, and now he was standing right in front of him.

Du Yusheng's gaze fell on Li Yao's throat. All of a sudden, he thought Li Yao looked sexy as hell like this.

"The money he owes, I'll pay it back," his voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for the boss to hear.

After he'd spoken, Li Yao turned to look at Du Yusheng and suddenly smiled.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

This has to be Jing Mo, right? Right??

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: May 19, 2025 by Angel

Edited: June 5, 2025 by Angel