“This is my job, of course. Please follow me, both of you, and let’s handle the card registration procedures. After that, I’ll slowly introduce everything to you.” The female attendant, beaming with a smile, led Emily Thompson and David Brooks to the service desk in the northwest corner of the lobby.

This private club, named Jin Yu Man Tang, offers four types of membership, ranked from highest to lowest as S-level, A-level, B-level, and C-level. C-level members only need to pay a 500,000 yuan membership fee, and their spending is limited to the first and second floors. B-level members must pay a 1,000,000 yuan membership fee, with spending allowed between the first and third floors. A-level membership isn’t something you can simply buy with money; you need a guarantor who is a tycoon with assets over 50 million yuan and must pay a 2,000,000 yuan membership fee, with spending permitted from the first to the fourth floor. As for the top-tier S-level membership, the requirement is actually simple: no membership fee is needed, as long as your assets reach 100 million US dollars. However, according to the receptionist, there are currently only three S-level members at Jin Yu Man Tang.

When the receptionist informed David Brooks that the A-level membership card in his hand had been activated for spending, Emily Thompson immediately provided a bank account number and transferred two million yuan to the card. Since all the money was provided by Emily Thompson, when registering the card, David Brooks insisted on having it issued under Emily Thompson’s name. Naturally, Emily Thompson had to fill out a detailed personal information form as well. After hearing the attendant’s explanation, Emily Thompson didn’t want to embarrass himself or David Brooks here. After all, money is just money—if you spend it all, you can always earn more. Enjoy life while you can. Besides, Emily Thompson didn’t feel the slightest pain spending money now, since there was still a pile of medicinal herbs at home; worst case, he could just sell more for cash.

After completing the transfer, the female attendant beside Emily Thompson began to introduce the facilities: the first floor has a bar, Chinese and Western restaurants, KTV private rooms, and other entertainment options; the second floor is a gambling venue designed to fully emulate the famous Mirage casino hotel in Las Vegas, with no limits on bets and a full range of gaming equipment; the third floor has sixty-six VIP private rooms, and of course, where there are private rooms, there are also hostesses, offering a variety of special services—the implications are self-evident; the fourth floor is an auction hall, where various auctions are held from time to time, including precious artworks, rare antiques, and even national treasure-level animals—there’s no end to the variety. As for what’s on the fifth floor, the attendant didn’t mention a word.

Pulling five 100-yuan bills from his briefcase as a tip for the attendant, Emily Thompson sent her away, and then he and David Brooks entered the Chinese restaurant in the southeast corner of the first-floor lobby.

After sitting down, David Brooks apologized, “Emily, I really didn’t know it would cost so much here. I’ve caused you—”

Emily Thompson interrupted him, “What are you saying? Money is just money, and leaving it unspent is even more pointless. As long as it’s worth it, even if I spend five million today, I’ll be happy. Enough talk, let’s order some food. After we eat, we’ll have some real fun.”

David Brooks was also an easygoing person. Seeing that Emily Thompson didn’t mind at all, he didn’t say anything else to spoil the mood. He ordered about ten dishes and a bottle of Moutai. The two of them devoured the feast in front of them, the food was top-notch, and if their stomachs hadn’t been completely full, they probably would have kept going.

Emily Thompson called over the restaurant attendant, handed over the membership card to settle the bill, and when the attendant returned the card, Emily Thompson gave him a 200-yuan tip. Then he and David Brooks left the restaurant together.

“What’s next?” David Brooks put his arm around Emily Thompson’s shoulder. Under the influence of alcohol, David Brooks’s cheeks were tinged with a flush, while Emily Thompson showed no signs of drunkenness at all—it was as if he’d just drunk half a bottle of cold water. Even Emily Thompson himself found this odd. Although he could hold his liquor, he’d never been able to drink half a bottle of baijiu without feeling a thing. Maybe it was because he’d been practicing the Tiandao Foundation Establishment Technique.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Emily Thompson pointed to the sightseeing elevator not far away. “We’ve eaten and drunk our fill, so next up is gambling. We’re men—if we don’t gamble, can we really call ourselves men? Let’s go.”

Taking the elevator to the second floor, Emily Thompson and David Brooks were stunned by the scale of the casino before them. In the more than 800-square-meter space, about thirty gaming tables were arranged in an orderly fashion, with all kinds of gaming equipment you’d only ever seen in movies. Around the perimeter were at least a hundred slot machines, and hostesses dressed as Playboy bunnies weaved through the crowd, occasionally satisfying some guests’ desires for a little touch—of course, tips were a must.

Chapter 7: Jin Yu Man Tang (Part 2)

In Shanghai, a major international metropolis under strict national supervision, the existence of such a large-scale casino was simply inconceivable—at least, that’s what Emily Thompson and David Brooks thought at the moment.

“Gambling” seems to be one of humanity’s inherent weaknesses. Regardless of age or gender, few people dislike it. Even a child under ten often says, “I bet you…” Although this kind of bet isn’t the same as gambling, it still reflects humanity’s innate fondness for taking risks.