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墨書 Inktalez
Zheng's Father asked me if the Spirit Child was really useful. I told him, "The Amulet is all about belief; it is the blessing bestowed upon you by the Buddha. What is the Buddha? If you believe, the streets are filled with Buddhas; if you don't believe, even if you reach the Pure Land, you'll only see the Crimson Skull. So, do not have any doubts; be sincere. Sincerity brings spirit; it can turn stone into gold!"
This nonsense made Zheng's Father cheer repeatedly, saying, "Makes sense, makes sense! You can tell you've seen the world! Alright, today I will put everything down and become a Buddha right here! I won't think of anything else!"
If one only heard the last few sentences, they might think His Father had seen through worldly attachments and planned to become a monk. In reality, he meant he would no longer doubt and would wholeheartedly gamble. I pondered whether the Buddha would directly turn us into Crimson Skull upon hearing this.
This gambling den located in a rural area was indeed as Taxi Driver described—heavily guarded. A hundred meters away, several burly men covered in tattoos stood watch. Anyone entering that area had to be questioned by them. Only after confirming that you were a reliable gambler would they let you pass.
Zheng's Father had been here many times and was considered a regular, so he naturally didn't need verification. As for me and Zheng Xuezhang, we looked like inexperienced kids who had never been in society, so there was no need for further scrutiny.
The casino was set up in a large open tent. I wondered why they went through the trouble of building a tent when there were so many houses with yards; it would be much more comfortable to play cards inside. Zheng Xuezhang explained that it was for convenience in escaping. If it were in a yard and the police came to raid, they would have to climb over walls; if caught inside a house, it would be even more troublesome.
I nodded, thinking that it was indeed clever for a professional gambling establishment. Surrounding the tent were muscular men stationed every few meters, closely monitoring all movements around them. Compared to those guards a hundred meters away, they appeared even more menacing, each wielding knives or clubs. Their blatant presence deterred even dogs from approaching.
Under the watchful eyes of these casino enforcers, we entered the tent, which was filled with smoke and shouts. Gambling is like this—some are happy while others are sorrowful. I even saw a gambler crying with his head in his hands; he probably lost everything he had.
Inside were several tables with not much variety—only Pai Gow and Sic Bo. However, wherever there were players at the tables, piles of money were stacked high; some players had so much money that they either stuffed it into bags or placed it directly on the ground without fear of being stolen amidst the chaos.
Watching those people place heavy bets of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands made me dazed. Although I had never lacked money growing up, this chaotic underground casino was a first for me, and I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the atmosphere.
Zheng's Father asked me, "Where should we start?"
I snapped back to reality and said, "I'm just here to join in on the fun; you can start wherever you like."
After thinking for a moment, Zheng's Father looked toward the Pai Gow table. He spat into his hand, rubbed it together, and then walked over with his bag. Inside was their family's last possession—130,000 yuan. I remembered this clearly because this gambling session's dramatic twists really tested one's psychological endurance.
Additionally, I didn't understand why some people would spit into their palms while gambling. It made sense for those doing rough work to do that for better grip. Was there also such a practice in gambling?
Both Pai Gow and Sic Bo allowed for an unlimited number of players. As long as you were willing to join in, someone would deal cards for you. Zheng's Father squeezed into the crowd and found a spot. However, he didn't dare place a bet immediately but instead looked at me first. Zheng Xuezhang did the same; I knew that coming here was truly inviting trouble for myself. After considering it for a moment, I suggested, "How about we start small and test our luck first?"
Zheng Xuezhang nodded, went over to speak with his father, and then stood by holding a bag.
Soon, the cards were dealt. The minimum bet was five thousand, with a minimum raise of five thousand for each round. If someone wanted to see another player's cards, there was no limit on the raise. Aside from that, there were no other rules. Zheng's Father followed my advice and only placed the minimum bet at the start, then raised according to the cards he had.
In fact, he was more nervous than I was. In this kind of game, losing the minimum meant losing five thousand at a time; if one got a bit impulsive, tens of thousands could be lost in an instant. He brought a total of one hundred thirty thousand, which might seem like a lot in everyday life, but in this setting, it really wasn't much.
The first round went well; he drew three Queens, which is considered a strong hand. Even so, Zheng's Father still raised cautiously by five thousand each time. This was because his biggest loss came when he had three Kings and went all in against someone who had three Aces, resulting in a loss of over seven hundred thousand in one go.
This round had no suspense; no one could beat him. In the end, after the community cards were revealed, he won eighty thousand. I was a bit stunned—was it really that easy to win eighty thousand? It felt faster than robbing someone!
With a good start, both Zheng Xuezhang and his father were very happy, and their gazes toward me held more trust.
In the following rounds, their luck continued to be good; they kept drawing strong hands and won from start to finish. In less than an hour, they had won nearly seven hundred thousand. This delighted the father and son duo as they stuffed the money into their bag and squeezed through the crowd. I thought they were satisfied and ready to leave. However, this father and son were not easily satisfied.
They came over to thank me. Zheng's Father even pulled out two bundles of cash from his bag and stuffed them into my hands, saying joyfully, "Thanks to you, it looks like today Old Zheng is really going to turn things around!"
Holding those twenty thousand in my hands, I grinned foolishly for quite some time. When I came back to my senses, I noticed they had gone off to play dice.
Playing dice was much faster than Pai Gow; after all, Pai Gow required consideration of others' hands while Sic Bo was much simpler—it was either big or small or a triple that could wipe out the dealer.
When I got over there, I just caught sight of Zheng's Father slapping his thigh hard with a sigh of regret on his face. Zheng Xuezhang beside him said somewhat discontentedly, "I told you to bet small; look how many big ones came out."
After sighing, his father immediately pulled out several bundles of cash and placed them on the table with bravado saying, "Alright, I'll listen to my son—bet small!"
As a result, this round came out big and five thousand vanished instantly.
His Father was taken aback for a moment as if he couldn't believe it and pulled out another fifty thousand: "Bet small! I really don't believe it!"
This round also came out big; another fifty thousand disappeared without a sound into someone else's pocket.
His Father glanced at me, seemingly asking what was going on. I knew I couldn't avoid it, so I approached and said, "It's just a few losses; even the gods can't guarantee a win every time. Weren't you doing well earlier? Remember, sincerity brings results, so stay determined!"
I was also saying this to myself.
After hearing this, His Father nodded, turned around, and immediately pulled out one hundred thousand yuan, shouting, "Bet small!"
From his tone, it was clear he was quite resolute, and Zheng Xuezhang was getting excited watching from the side.
However, reality doesn't always unfold as you imagine. In this round, it still came out big, and the one hundred thousand yuan vanished into thin air.
One thing to clarify is that when I mention "big" or "small," I'm just speaking casually. It's been too long to remember the exact sequence; all I recall is that whenever His Father bet big, it came out small, and when he bet small, it came out big. In the end, when he bet big, everyone else bet small—it was all contrary to him.
In no time at all, the hundreds of thousands he had just won disappeared in the blink of an eye. Zheng Xuezhang looked at his bag with a sorrowful face and said to His Father, "There's still ninety thousand left."
The father and son immediately became anxious. They turned to glare at me, gritting their teeth as if I were the culprit. I felt a bit uneasy and placed two thousand yuan on the table, saying, "You should take this money; I don't want it anymore."
His Father stared at me for a moment before suddenly turning around and snatching the bag from Zheng Xuezhang. He then dumped all the money onto the table, pushing my two thousand yuan along with it: "One hundred eleven thousand! Bet small!"
A heaviness settled in my heart; I knew this was a last-ditch effort—if they lost, they would have nothing left. At that moment, Zheng Xuezhang glanced back at me; his gaze was even more terrifying than His Father's. Although I believed I had nothing to do with this matter, I didn't dare meet his eyes and could only look elsewhere.
People around us laughed and whispered among themselves, implying that yet another person was about to lose everything. No one had faith in His Father, as after a series of bets—regardless of what or how much he wagered—he lost them all. How unlucky could one be?
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