As a Magnate, I Started Checking in at a Convenience Store

Chapter 415: Meeting an Old Friend in Monte Carlo

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

The next day, Zhou Chao, accompanied by Kailin and others, boarded his private plane, which inevitably led to sighs and astonishment once again.

Morocco was not very far from Switzerland. In just over an hour, Zhou Chao’s aircraft landed at the airport in Monte Carlo.

Monte Carlo was a city in Morocco, but it occupied a significant portion of Morocco’s territory, essentially supporting the entire country.

It was known as one of the four major gambling cities, but it was different from Macau, which Zhou Chao had visited before. The casinos in Monte Carlo were all officially operated and catered only to foreigners, as there were laws prohibiting Moroccans from gambling.

As soon as they landed, there were seven or eight off-road vehicles waiting on the runway. Todd approached the leader and negotiated for a while before returning.

“Boss, it’s all arranged!”

“Good!”

These people who came to pick them up were from the GS Morocco branch. Due to the developed gambling industry locally, many people hired bodyguards for their own safety, leading to the branch’s larger scale compared to other cities.

Kailin looked curiously at these men in black. With his keen eye, he could tell that they were all involved in special security. Each of them was equipped with weapons, and for a moment, Kailin was filled with curiosity about his own big boss.

“Kailin, let’s go back to the hotel to rest for a while, and we’ll go out later!” Zhou Chao suggested.

“Sure, no problem!”

With that, they all got into the car and headed to the pre-booked hotel.

Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the Mediterranean Sea not far away, the deep blue sea was mesmerizing.

After half an hour of rest, Zhou Chao called Kailin and arranged to meet at the hotel entrance.

Zhou Chao, accompanied by Lin Wu and Todd, waited at the entrance for two minutes and saw Kailin rushing out with his bodyguards.

Then, the five of them headed towards the casino. Under the guidance of the reception staff, Zhou Chao exchanged 2 million euros in chips. He gave Lin Wu and Todd 500,000 chips each, while Kailin exchanged 1 million euros in chips.

Let’s split up and play, it’s not as fun to stay together!” Zhou Chao suggested.

Kailin nodded and left with his bodyguards, while Lin Wu and Todd held their chips, looking a bit anxious.

“Boss, isn’t this too much? What if we lose it all…” Lin Wu looked at Zhou Chao, feeling embarrassed.

“Play casually. If you win, it’s yours. If you lose it all, you’re not allowed to play anymore, understand?”

“Understood!” Lin Wu nodded, then took his chips and started playing.

Lin Wu and Todd exchanged glances, both seeing the helplessness in each other’s eyes. They both sighed and started gambling with the realization that these chips might represent half a lifetime of struggle for them.

Zhou Chao wandered from one gambling table to another, and in no time, his chips had multiplied several times. He had already won 6 million euros from the original 1 million. However, he found it less enjoyable since most of it was the casino’s money, lacking the thrill of real gameplay.

During this time, Zhou Chao ran into Kailin, but it seemed like he had won quite a bit. He was smiling, but Zhou Chao didn’t have high hopes for his final outcome, as he could see that the dealers were already paying attention to him.

“Hello, is there a private VIP room here, where I can play?” Zhou Chao stopped a staff member and spoke in fluent French, surprising the staff.

Seeing the hundreds of thousands of euros in chips in Zhou Chao’s hand, the staff member smiled and said, “Yes, please wait for a moment. I’ll contact the manager for you.”

In less than a minute, a manager-like man approached Zhou Chao. After a brief exchange with the staff member, he smiled and said to Zhou Chao, “Sir, please follow me.”

The manager led Zhou Chao to a private VIP room. Inside, Zhou Chao noticed a familiar face—it was Abdullah, the man he had befriended on Lanai Island.

“Hey, my friend, how have you been lately?” Abdullah warmly approached Zhou Chao.

“I didn’t expect to meet you here, my friend!” Zhou Chao replied warmly.

Abdullah then led Zhou Chao to the empty seat next to him. Zhou Chao took a look at the other people at the table.

Besides him and Abdullah, there were six other people, none of whom looked familiar. They all appeared to be foreigners, and as Zhou Chao glanced at the chips in front of them, he couldn’t help but smile.

The game being played on the gambling table was Texas Hold’em, which could be said to be the most common and popular game in the casino.

As the game began, Zhou Chao continued with his usual strategy of observing and folding, mainly keeping an eye on the actions of the other players at the table. He quickly figured out that most of them were gambling enthusiasts who relied on their own cards to place bets.

“Zhou, what brought you to Monte Carlo?” Abdullah threw his cards and asked Zhou Chao, who had been watching the game.

“I just flew in from Switzerland today. I went to the company for an inspection, and one of the shareholders invited me to play, so here I am. By the way, how did you end up here?”

“Hehe, I had some business to attend to in London, so I decided to play here for a couple of days. 1 never expected to run into you!”

“I didn’t expect to meet you here either. Let’s find a place to sit down later!”

“Sure, no problem!”

The game continued, and while Zhou Chao chatted with Abdullah, he also played Texas Hold’em. As the games progressed, Zhou Chao began to put more effort into it. He mostly won more than he lost, occasionally letting up a bit to avoid scaring everyone away.

After playing for four or five hours, most of the other players at the table had lost their chips, including Abdullah, who only lost a few million with Zhou Chao’s assistance.

The rest of the players shook their heads in frustration and left the VIP room. Zhou Chao began to calculate how much he had won.

“Zhou, 1 didn’t expect your card skills to be so good. How much did you win this time?” Abdullah looked at the table full of chips in front of Zhou Chao and exclaimed.

After all, the amount Abdullah lost didn’t even catch his attention, and he could easily spend more on other things.

“About 200 million or so,” Zhou Chao said, beckoning the manager over to exchange all the chips for cash to be deposited into his account.

“Let’s go, Abdullah. I’ll treat you to dinner!”

“No, no, Zhou. You treated me last time, so let me treat you this time!” Abdullah quickly shook his head.

“I insist on treating you. The person who wins at cards pays, and that’s an unchanging rule in Huaxia!”

“But this is Europe, and it’s quite far from Huaxia!”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chao was momentarily speechless.

“It’s the same everywhere. Since I won, I get to decide. Besides, you lost money, so I feel a bit awkward if you treat me!”

“Alright then,” Abdullah conceded, realizing that Zhou Chao was quite persistent.

Soon, the casino manager returned with Zhou Chao’s black card and respectfully handed it back to him.

After checking the message on his phone, Zhou Chao nodded and walked out of the VIP room with Abdullah.

At this moment, Kailin, Lin Wu, and the others were sitting at the casino entrance, sipping their drinks and enjoying the sea breeze.

“Boss!” As they walked out of the casino, Lin Wu and Todd quickly approached.

Lin Wu also noticed Abdullah, who was walking alongside Zhou Chao, and politely greeted him.

“Abdullah, you’re a bit familiar with this place. Can you recommend a restaurant?”

Abdullah immediately recommended a famous local halal restaurant in Monte Carlo.

The group of people boarded their respective vehicles, and Abdullah noticed that Zhou Chao’s security team was even more formidable than his own, with both of them having seven or eight bodyguards accompanying them.

Following Abdullah’s car, they quickly arrived at the restaurant he had recommended.

Zhou Chao, Abdullah, and Kailin sat at one table, while Lin Wu and Todd sat at another.

As the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, Kailin could confidently face many people, even Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.

Though Zhou Chao was the one treating, Abdullah was in charge of ordering the dishes since Zhou Chao wasn’t familiar with the cuisine.

The dishes arrived promptly, and just as they were about to start their meal, Zhou Chao’s phone rang.

H

Hello, Miles, what’s up?”

“Boss, I’ve found a suitable team, but there’s a little issue now,”

“What’s the matter with that team?”

“It’s Liverpool. From what I’ve gathered, it seems like someone else is competing with us, and it looks like they’re from Saudi Arabia,” ATiles reported, surprising Zhou Chao.

“Alright, I understand. Keep an eye on it. I’ll fly over as soon as possible.”

“Understood, boss!”

Zhou Chao hung up the phone and looked at Abdullah with a somewhat amused expression.

“Zhou, why are you looking at me like that? I’m only interested in beautiful women!”

“Hmph, same here. By the way, Abdullah, you mentioned earlier that you were going to London for some business. Is it related to acquiring a football club?”

“How did you know? I’ve already sent my people to negotiate!” Abdullah replied.

“Because my people bumped into yours!” Zhou Chao revealed with a smile.

“Are you thinking about acquiring Liverpool too, Zhou? I’ve already sent my people to negotiate!” Abdullah stopped eating and looked at Zhou Chao nervously.

“I didn’t expect it to be such a coincidence. How about this, you go ahead first, and if it doesn’t work out for you, I’ll step in. That should be fair, right?” Zhou Chao said, feeling somewhat helpless. However, it didn’t matter much since there were other football clubs to consider.

“Alright, it’s a deal!” Abdullah agreed with a smile.

“It’s a deal!”

They both burst into laughter.

After finishing their meal, Abdullah invited Zhou Chao and the others to his private yacht. Zhou Chao didn’t decline the offer because who could resist the temptation of the azure ocean?

So, Zhou Chao and Abdullah spent two days in Monte Carlo. During that time, they visited the casino again. In total, Zhou Chao won 400 million euros, leaving Abdullah quite envious.

“Are you leaving for London tomorrow?” Zhou Chao asked Abdullah.

“Yes, I want to resolve the team’s matters as soon as possible. If the acquisition falls through, it’ll be your turn!”

“Alright, let’s go to London together tomorrow,” Zhou Chao decided after some contemplation.

After all, he wasn’t here just for leisure..