Ch 469- You’re Cheating

Everyone laughed. No one could believe the bad luck that Alex had experienced that evening, yet he still potentially wanted to gamble more.

Alex ignored the woman's question about whether he wanted more chips. Instead, he slapped his hand on the table and stood up.

Everyone was a little shocked, including the croupier. The portly man who had been talking to Alex was also concerned. He was worried that they boy was being a poor loser and was going to start making trouble. All he had said to him was in vain. He looked away, unable to watch the boy getting on the wrong side of the casino managers.

Alex asked the croupier coldly, "Is the casino cheating? I've played ten games and I've lost them all. That can't be right. How can I lose every round, and the casino always win?

"Everyone says it's all about luck, but how can your luck be so good and mine so bad?" he continued.

"That's sometimes what happens in casinos, sir. Of course, no one's been cheating. You've just been very unlucky." The croupier grimaced. He knew what was really going on and he felt very uncomfortable.

"I know that you cheated, and you didn't even do it very well. You really should have let me win once or twice, right?" Alex pointed out.

"Sir, I really must ask you to keep your voice down or leave. There are thousands of guests here. What will they think if they hear what you're saying? I'm afraid you won't be able to fight against the power of the casino." His tone was very threatening, and there was no trace of his smile on his face.

At that moment, a man dressed completely in white walked down the stairs and approached Alex. He said, "Sir, you just lost five million dollars. We understand why you are feeling angry, but you cannot blame us for your bad luck or try to tarnish the reputation of the casino."

The man in white looked around at the other gamblers and continued, "If you apologize now, we can put this incident behind us, and I won't embarrass you in front of everyone."

He leaned in and whispered menacingly, "If you're not quiet, you will suffer the consequences."

The worst crime that a casino could be accused of is cheating. Once a casino gained a reputation for cheating, they were finished. They therefore had to deal with Alex immediately and effectively.

The hall became quiet. The guests looked from the man in white to Alex. Then, they looked around at the rest of the casino staff. 

Some started thinking, I didn't win one of the ten games I played either. It might be due to bad luck, but it's more likely that the casino was cheating. Why do the customers lose so much more than they win? I really want to know. Maybe there is something going on.

Alex laughed and said, "Sir, you cheat and if any clients catch you out, you threaten them? I really can't imagine worse way to treat your customers.

"Now what are you going to do?" he asked.

"Well, sir, if you refuse to be quiet, you'll have to face the consequences. That's our rules." The man in white turned and said to the croupier, "Break both his hands and throw him into the sea."

A bearded man walked over carrying a hammer in one hand. His face was devoid of any expression.

"Please put your arms on the table, sir," the bearded man said in a hoarse voice. A few onlookers shivered.

"Wait a minute," Alex said. "Let's play another ten games, what do you think?" he asked. He wasn't sure why he had suggested it. He had already played enough to know what was going on.

A deep male voice came from the balcony. "Yes, good idea. How many chips do you want to buy this time?" asked the voice. It was the man with the cigar.

Thirty million was not a lot of money for the man with the cigar, but if someone accused his casino of cheating in front of so many customers, he had no choice but to deal with it personally.

He was the director of the casino onboard the Paradise and he answered to the Chamber of Commerce members the portly man had mentioned before.

"I haven't finished gambling yet. What's wrong with you?" Alex said to the staff. The aggressive tone of his voice surprised everyone.

"This time, one of your clients is going to spin the wheel. If I still keep losing, no matter how much I lose, it will prove that I am wrong and that I am guilty of slandering you," he continued.

"If that happens, not only will I kneel down to apologize, but I will also allow you to break my hands and feet, okay?" he concluded.

Although Alex spoke very quietly, everyone could sense his self-confidence. He really must have suspected the casino of cheating.

The man picked up his cigar and chewed on the end of it. He thought, This young must be crazy to want to make such a deal. But now some of the other guests are having their doubts. The reputation of the Paradise cruise ship is at stake.

"Okay, if that's what you wish. We'll ask one of our clients to spin the wheel," he said. "Young man, I don't intend to take advantage of you, only to protect the reputation of the casino against your slander. If you win more than three out of ten games, we will give you an extra five million dollars on top of your winnings. But if you don't win three games, then we will break your hands and throw you into the sea for slandering us. Do you accept?"

The crowd shook their heads. With Alex's bad luck, there was no way he could win three out of ten games. They feared for the polite young man.

"Allow me to make a suggestion," the portly man said as he stepped forward.

"The staff should not be the ones to pick who will spin the wheel. The young man could still have doubts that the person picked was a plant. Allow the young man himself to pick who is to spin the wheel. Also, it would be a good idea to purchase a brand-new roulette wheel from a manufacturer of gambling equipment."

"That's a good idea," someone in the crowd stated.

"That proposal is fair to everyone. If the casino wins, its reputation will be fully restored," agreed his friend.

"Yes, I agree," said another.

All the customers thought that the proposal sounded fair.

It would take some effort to put the man's suggestion into place, but it did seem to be a fair way of settling the situation. No matter who won or lost, everyone would be convinced that the outcome was correct.

The director of the casino narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at the portly man, and then said, "Okay, thank you for your suggestion. We can do that."

In less than an hour, a new roulette wheel had been delivered to the casino. When he saw that it had arrived, the director walked down to the gambling hall holding a cigar in his hand. He said to Alex, "Now you choose who you want to spin the wheel."

Then, he nodded to the man in white, who immediately stepped aside.