A Mysterious Encounter

The noisy casino was filled with indistinguishable smells. Elin took a deep breath and looked around, his mind gradually becoming clear. After all, this used to be a familiar environment for him, only after joining the Military Intelligence Section 7, he had not been to such places for a long time. He touched the few chips in his left pocket that were pitifully few. Just now, the guards at the door had stopped him, saying that people without chips were not allowed in. In order to stay in the casino for some time without arousing suspicion, Elin played roulette twice and cautiously placed outside bets. He won. When he was about to make the third bet, he suddenly remembered what he was here for and threw the extra chips back into his pocket.

This casino was located at the junction of the middle and lower levels of Booty Bay, the most prominent of the huge underground gambling networks and one of the main betting stations for the Arena gambling. Naturally, the residents of the upper levels would not come here. This was also the reason why Elin decided to start his investigation here. Jorgen believed that Idoli was involved in gambling for the reason: even five hundred gold coins would not be enough to repay his debts. If he hid the gold coins and fled abroad, no matter how many years later he returned, his situation would not improve because of these five hundred gold coins. The only way to earn enough money in a short time, even within days, was to put them into gambling.

However, Elin thought that Idoli's money might not have been put into the arena gambling. Jorgen's insistence on this was obviously a mistake. Although Idoli was a fool, as a relatively successful scam, he liked to keep control of his money. Placing it in the arena gambling where he had no way to influence the outcome was obviously not something Idoli would do. Perhaps the arena was too conspicuous, and Jorgen had little experience as a gambler, which led him to misjudgement. As long as you want to gamble, the methods are endless.

In other words, the lines of investigation were endless. Jorgen, you gave me a good job!

Elin intended to consider how to start the investigation properly.

Grab a casino staff member directly and ask: Hey, kid, have you seen a guy named Idoli come here? What does he look like? Well, more worthless than you.

At some stage, this approach would not work. But to do so at first was tantamount to seeking death. The first thing to do was to confirm the groups that Idoli might approach. According to the intelligence Jorgen shared, Idoli was born in the lower levels, neurotic, weak-hearted, greedy for small profits, and extremely afraid of violence—it seemed that starting with people similar to him would be the most effective. In underground casinos, such people would gather together, believing that they would not be harmed, and then tremblingly devour each other's bone marrow.

Elin's gaze turned to the edge of the casino. Anyone who did not have much gambling funds or did not dare to invest too much gambling funds but still wanted to experience excitement gathered in these places. Underground casinos rooted in the lower classes would not embarrass these people. After setting a relatively low betting limit, they allowed them to buy luxurious dreams with little cost in the dimly lit places.

Many tables were empty. It seemed that after the unprecedented grand gambling at the arena was over, those who made a profit would not come here again, and those who failed had no strength to step into this place.

Elin noticed a lone woman sitting at the gaming table waiting for an opponent. First of all, it was unusual for a woman to sit alone on the edge of the casino; secondly, she was actually wearing light makeup. Women from the lower levels often used heavy makeup to conceal their fatigue, but she wore light makeup that showed her self-confidence—but who would notice in the dim casino edge? Even stranger was that the tables around her were empty, as if those dirtier and less energetic people were avoiding her.

Elin tidied his hair and cuffs and sat down across from her.

"Hello, ma'am. How long have you been waiting here?"

"I don't know, probably about an hour."

"That's quite unusual. I mean, tourists like me are always eager to see what kind of card skills an attractive lady like you has."

"Do you really think so?" The woman tapped the ashes from her cigarette holder. "So, are you planning to sit here and flatter me, or come to play a game?"

"Play what?"

"Howdeh."

"Howdeh?" Elin concealed his mocking smile. Howdeh, usually played by upper-class residents with no betting limit, would lose its thrill and charm in a small-stakes game between only two people with five common cards and two hidden cards.

"What? If you don't have the sincerity to play cards with me, leave as soon as possible."

"No, I just haven't had a chance to play Howdeh for a long time... It's my luck to play a game with you today. Let's start."

"Small blind of ten copper coins, limit of twenty silver coins. Do both parties accept?" the dealer asked. According to the gamblers' dress to determine the bet amount was a special service for gamblers on the edge of the casino provided by the dealers. Judging from the average level, such a small blind was still reasonable, but the upper limit was somewhat unrealistic.

"Accepted."

"Yes, accepted."

The first round started. Elin looked at the two hidden cards in his hand: 4-8, meaningless. The woman flipped over her hidden cards, covered them back on the table, and flicked the small blind of ten copper coins into the center of the table with her forefinger and middle finger. Elin followed up with the big blind of twenty copper coins. The dealer revealed the first three common cards: 3-6-Q. Elin still had no chance, but he followed the bet. The advantage of small bets was that you could take time to test the water. If he got 4-8 in unlimited betting, he might have folded in the first three rounds of betting.

The fourth common card was 5, and the bet increased to one silver coin. Now Elin had a chance to make a straight, and the woman seemed hesitant. In the end, she decided to raise. The last common card was 8. She raised the bet to four silver coins.

With only a pair of 8s in his hand, Elin still followed the bet. The woman revealed a pair of hidden Ks and took away all eight silver coins.

"Oh, you play very boldly." Elin said.

"This is just the first game."

The woman seemed to have a bold strategy: relying on a pair of hidden Ks to force Elin to fold. In an unlimited betting game, such an approach would either be reckless or desperate, but in this case, it was just an unnecessary and poorly considered skill. Elin smiled. He had mastered this childish strategy when he was eleven years old.

In the following games, Elin confirmed: she could be said to be an aggressive beginner. She had no problem defeating other beginners, but facing an old hand like him, she could only leave. She abused too many unstable techniques, and her emotions were too obvious. Her actions to conceal emotions were even more obvious.

In the second game, the woman continued to attack, but when the bet reached eight silver coins, her pair of 2s and pair of Js lost to Elin's three Js. In the third game, Elin used the woman's technique in the first game, combined with a more reasonable and stable betting method, relying on a pair of hidden As to force the woman to fold her straight. After that, Elin only lost a few games. The woman's most spectacular game was to make a flush with the final diamond A to defeat Elin's full house, but she herself seemed surprised at this victory.

An hour later, Elin had 5-6 hidden cards, and the first three common cards were 4-8-10. The woman bet all her remaining chips because there was no possibility of further betting. The two had to show their cards now.

After Elin revealed his hidden cards, the woman widened her eyes. Her hidden cards were two 10s, making three of a kind with the common cards. Elin's only chance was to make a straight 4-5-6-7-8, and even so, the woman was likely to defeat him with three 10s and two 4s or two 8s full house.

The fourth common card was revealed—7. The woman fell back, her lips pursed. When she saw that the last card was irrelevant K, she sighed deeply, her shoulders relaxed. She took a puff from her cigarette holder and tapped the ashes that fell. Although Elin's last win was purely due to luck, the aggressive beginner in front of him finally realized that even if she escaped this catastrophe, she would not be able to turn the tables.

"You play very interestingly." Elin said truthfully.

"Oh, I have to go." She left her seat.

"Wait." As she approached Elin's seat, he stood up. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"Why?" The woman glared at him. "Just because you won all my money?"

"Because I was rude. I am a tourist from out of town, and you are a local lady... It seems that luck was on my side today. I should have proposed a split pot plan, but I didn't. This was very rude, and I want to apologize."

The split pot plan refers to the winner who takes all the chips at the end of the game giving a small amount of money to all losers to reduce psychological pressure and retain some property. If the obvious superior proposes this plan, it will be a very notable courtesy.

"Split pot?" The woman laughed. A moment later, she continued, "You play Howdeh with a limit of twenty silver coins here and want to split the pot? You are actually from the upper class, bored and disguised to come here for fun, right?"

"So, do you accept or not?"

"Okay, you're interesting. To be honest, because I played this round with you, I'll have a headache about living expenses next month."

The two came to the bar in the casino and sat down. Even for Elin, who was not exactly an aristocrat, the wine here could only be endured. Of course, their price was enough for Elin, who only had eighty silver coins in his pocket, to drink until dawn. He instructed the bartender to make two drinks according to his method and served them in front of the two.

"Where exactly are you from?" After sipping the dark amber liquid, she asked.

"In fact, I have been traveling everywhere. As for where I was born...it's better not to say. I haven't been back for more than ten years."

"Why, are you being mysterious?"

"Not at all. Wandering around for a long time, once I feel that my hometown is no longer important, I don't want to mention it. On the other hand, Booty Bay is still a mysterious place to me."

"The mystery here, you definitely don't want to know too much."

"Such as?"

"Such as...do you want to know why I waited at the table for an hour? If you didn't come, I might wait all night."

"Oh, I'm very eager to know. Waiting for someone?"

"No."

"Then why?"

"They're afraid."

"I don't understand."

"They're afraid." The woman closed her eyes and drank half of the wine.

Elin was greatly interested in this remark. When he wanted to ask indirectly, the woman said, "So, what do you live on, traveler?"

"When I was a child, I dreamed of becoming a wandering poet," Elin deliberately cleared his throat. "I know it sounds ridiculous. But when I grew up, I found that the job was not as romantic and free as I imagined. Most people in this line can only stay in places with a fixed audience for a long time. But I have never given up the dream of traveling and living. So I do everything to pay for travel: copying letters, bodyguards, horse herders, everything. And...playing cards."

If Jorgen heard these words, I wonder what expression he would show. But...after all, this is far from my most unrealistic pick-up lie, Elin thought.

"Oh, you rolled away my living expenses for your travel expenses."

"So now I'm making up for it, aren't I? By the way, what do you think of the two drinks I asked the bartender to make?"

"I don't know."

"Oh, come on. I'm eager to know your evaluation."

"But I really don't know." She seemed helpless. "It tastes like it should, I guess."

For the next half hour, Elin kept reminding himself that he was here to investigate the case, but his mind kept focusing on the woman in front of him. From the first sight of her sitting alone at the gaming table, Elin felt that she was a complex contradiction. She wore light makeup, but her perfume was too heavy, as if to conceal some smell; her fingers were slender, but her fingertips were full of small scars, and her nails were blunt; she smoked heavily, but she didn't seem to really enjoy the lingering smoke in her throat.

"I have to say, now I feel like you're another mystery of Booty Bay." Elin told the truth. "Can I know your name?"

"Glocara. You?"

"Elin."

"Okay, traveler Elin." She looked into his eyes. "I have another name. Do you want to know?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"I can't tell you now. Or rather... just telling you with my mouth, you won't believe it."

"Ah, this is really torturous. What can I do to understand?"

"Do you know where Night Herring Alley is?"

"Of course I know. As a traveler, I have walked almost all the streets of Booty Bay in a week."

"There is a white house at the entrance of Night Herring Alley, which is my home. Come there at nine o'clock tonight, and I'll tell you."

"This is really a classic... invitation."

"So will you come?"

"It's my honor, Miss Glocara."

"Don't stand me up, or you'll lose forever the secret you want to know. Elin."

She put down her glass, smiled meaningfully, and left.

Glocara, Glocara. Elin pondered. This was perhaps the strangest of his many similar experiences. From sitting at the gaming table, he had always been in control, but without realizing it, he had slowly lost it. His lies did not seem to have much effect on her; she was more interested in part of his truth but did not want to expose his lies. Her mystery and contradiction attracted him deeply. Although the investigation did not make progress in reality, Elin was convinced that he would have an unusual gain today. After all, there was always time, he thought.