"Mr. Su, according to our records, you also ca to the Horse Club last season, gambled on horses, and won forty million Hong Kong dollars."
After entering the room, Shen Jiayi was very polite in asking Suming to sit down and made him a cup of strong black coffee, but she didn't start with the hundred million dollar prize. Instead, she brought up a seemingly unrelated topic.
"What, doesn't the Horse Club allow a guest to win twice?" Suming asked with a smile.
He had anticipated that the Horse Club would pull such a move.
It couldn't be blad on the Horse Club for being 'stingy'; any institution would react if the sa person repeatedly won large amounts of money within a short period.
As for collecting custor information, especially that of important custors, it was to be expected.
Not to ntion others, even the Taoyuan Group had such a departnt.
The technology division that Shen Yan looked after had a very important business function, which was to collect information from custors who spent significant amounts on live-streaming platforms. Based on what tis they appeared, the reasons and amounts of tips they gave, they would analyze preferences and even have targeted policies aid at these high rollers. They would slightly tailor the live streams according to their tastes.
Why were there so many live-streaming platforms nationwide, and why, amongst the more than twenty zoo live-streaming platforms, was Yangchuan City Zoo the most successful, the most attractive, with revenue far exceeding others by several levels? There were reasons for this.
By capturing the hearts of the people, one could dominate the market.
This kind of 'big data' analysis and surveillance was not just present in live-streaming platforms but was also being piloted in various companies including the film and television industry.
As a gambling institution with governnt backing, this was even more the case. The fact that they could invite Suming here for a chat so politely was already quite decent. Suming estimated that if he were in Las Vegas and had won over a billion, he probably would have been taken out by gunn and left in the desert for the vultures already.
Of course, whether the casinos in Las Vegas had the capability to take him out was another matter.
Getting back on track, Shen Jiayi pushed up her glasses and revealed a very formulaic smile, saying, "Of course not, and please don't misunderstand. Since you're an important custor of the Horse Club, we'd like to understand more. Of course, if you're unwilling, we have no right to force you to say anything."
Suming ran a finger lightly over the warm coffee cup, his tone slightly mocking as he said, "I see in movies, the Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Comrcial Cri Bureau, they also invite people for coffee. But I suppose that kind of place doesn't serve coffee as good as the Horse Club's. Being an outsider, whatever the Horse Club asks, of course, I can only speak."
"You really misunderstand, Mr. Su," Shen Jiayi said seriously. "I'm just having a chat. The Horse Club is a legitimate gambling institution, protecting any earnings through legal ans."
…
anwhile, in two smaller offices on the sa floor of the Horse Club building, Cui Bijia and Hou Longtao were separated and accompanied by a mid-level executive of the Horse Club in their respective rooms, casually chatting over coffee.
To call it 'accompanint' was a stretch; between the lines, they were prodded with questions about Suming.
Hou Longtao hadn't noticed at first, but when the female manager accompanying him asked about Suming's line of business in the mainland and how much he made in a year, he imdiately beca suspicious.
"If I don't talk, will you have the police arrest ?" Hou Longtao asked in all seriousness.
The female manager was taken aback, and then said, "Mr. Hou, you misunderstand, it's rely small talk."
"Then I don't want to talk about this topic," Hou Longtao waved his hand, then holding his coffee, promptly adopted an uncooperative attitude.
It was different with Cui Bijia.
After all, Hou Longtao and Suming were mainlanders, especially Suming, who had a multitude of laurels above his head. Without solid evidence, even the Xiangjiang Police wouldn't be able to investigate him, and the Jockey Club had even less authority to inconvenience him.
On the other hand, Cui Bijia was a bona fide local of Xiangjiang, and also mixed in the entertainnt industry.
In comparison to the entertainnt industry, the Xiangjiang Jockey Club was a giant; when the total annual output of Xiangjiang's entertainnt industry of movies and records was around thirty billion, the Jockey Club's annual revenue reached a staggering one hundred billion, not even on the sa level.
Heavyweights in the entertainnt industry took pride in owning a mbership at the Jockey Club; the Xiangjiang Jockey Club could be said to be composed of Xiangjiang's top echelons.
In front of the Jockey Club, a second-tier star really wasn't worth ntioning, as easy to crush as an ant.
They didn't beat around the bush with Cui Bijia, but asked directly.
"Miss Cui, the Mr. Su with you has won close to two billion Hong Kong dollars at our club this year. We have a few questions and hope for your cooperation," the supervisor receiving Cui Bijia said emotionlessly.
Cui Bijia nodded calmly, "Of course, I'm willing to provide what I know, as long as it doesn't involve privacy."
How did she co to know Suming? What did she know about him? Throughout the horse betting process, how had Suming perford... They asked her ticulously, covering every detail of Cui Bijia and Suming's acquaintance.
"Do you think he doesn't understand horses, and it's just good luck?" asked the supervisor doubtfully in the end.
"It's not what I think," Cui Bijia answered still calm, said, "The Jockey Club can look into his betting records and should know that I'm not lying. As for not understanding horses, that's what you said, sir, but of course, I agree with you."
The supervisor's brow furrowed slightly.
To say that a person who completely didn't understand horses had co to the casino twice and both tis won huge sums of money seed too coincidental.
But to suggest he did understand horses, from Cui Bijia's words, as well as the Jockey Club's surveillance and data record analysis, Mr. Su had indeed lost many tis. If he wanted to rack up money, there was no need to lose on purpose... Hmm? Losing on purpose - was that a strategy to feign ignorance, to deliberately create the false impression of not understanding horses?
Seeing the confused look on the supervisor's face, Cui Bijia thought for a mont and still ntioned calmly, "I rember the highest single winning record at the Jockey Club is one hundred and fifty million. Since the Jockey Club is a formal gambling establishnt, luck certainly exists."
The odds might be small, but they were there nonetheless. If the gambling industry didn't acknowledge the existence of luck, it would be tantamount to telling everyone that there was manipulation behind the scenes, that soone was controlling the big picture.
This was a consequence that no legitimate gambling institution could afford to face, let alone the Xiangjiang Jockey Club, which almost represented Xiangjiang. If such rumors were to spread, the Xiangjiang Jockey Club would be facing a major catastrophe.
...
Speaking of coincidences, in Shen Jiayi's office, after Suming had been asked a barrage of questions by Shen Jiayi, he also slightly furrowed his brows and expressed a statent almost identical to Cui Bijia's.
Although Shen Jiayi's deanor remained normal, the undercurrents within her were much more intense than those of the supervisor who had spoken with Cui Bijia.
Suming was from the mainland, where private gambling operations are not allowed, and the Xiangjiang Jockey Club, while officially sanctioned, is a civilian institution... ******** ...
Considering this, Shen Jiayi suddenly felt a chill, even breaking out into a cold sweat on her back. This matter might be far more complicated than it seed on the surface, with alarmingly deep waters.
Seeing the once articulate and strong woman fall silent, looking at him with a strange new scrutiny, Suming inwardly laughed, knowing he had achieved his purpose of bluffing.
It was ti to quit while ahead. The degree needed to be managed carefully; bluffing was fine, but actually startling the tiger would really be unfortunate.
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