The Scam

Vaguely, I also started to perceive that the hefty man and his group were undoubtedly cheating, manipulating the outcomes as if they could control the wins and losses. However, I couldn't fathom how they were manipulating the cards, as my uncle had never taught me the mechanics of playing hard card games like mahjong and paigow.

Watching as the middle-aged man's wallet ran dry, he awkwardly mumbled, "I didn't bring much money with me today. Could I owe you for a round?"

"There's no concept of owing at this table. If you owe him, you owe us all. How can you continue playing?" responded the guy who had been winning, his expression icy and unyielding.

The middle-aged man seemed somewhat unwilling to accept this reality. I wondered if he had realized the trap he was in. With no money left, he reluctantly stood up to leave.

Out of nowhere, the hefty man suddenly placed five hundred bucks in front of him and said, "Use this for now. Today, both of us are having bad luck. We must win the money back!"

This sudden change caught me off guard. I thought to myself, was the hefty man being naive? After all, they had seemingly tricked the middle-aged man out of his money. Why would he now give him more money? What was the reasoning behind this?

The middle-aged man was equally puzzled. Hesitating for a moment, he decided to continue playing. With an embarrassed smile, he said, "I'm really sorry about this. Could you write an IOU for me?"

The middle-aged man began rummaging through his briefcase, but the hefty man casually interrupted, "No need for that. What's the point of an IOU? We're here to relax and have fun. We're all people who understand the scene. A few hundred or a thousand dollar bucks isn't a big deal."

I was quite shocked. I hadn't expected the hefty man to be so magnanimous. The middle-aged man resumed playing cards, engaging in conversation with the hefty man. Their conversation became more frequent, one sentence after another, and they seemed to be getting along well.

I witnessed, with my own eyes, the middle-aged man walking step by step into this deceitful trap, completely oblivious to the situation...

Within the entire gambling den, the middle-aged man wearing the gold watch was undoubtedly an anomaly. Few others had wristwatches; in contrast, gold necklaces were more common, resembling dog leashes in their thickness.

I remembered my uncle often saying that the poor play with cars, the wealthy play with watches, and idiots compare their mobile phones...

The middle-aged man and the hefty man engaged in conversation, overturning my preconceived notions in an instant!

From my perspective, anyone who could sit in a gambling den all day had to be someone of dubious character. Yet, I now found myself thinking that they were all successful individuals. I couldn't fathom where their confidence came from, making me feel like the more money they lost, the more they were proving their strength.

After more than an hour, the middle-aged man had lost several thousand dollars, and the hefty man had also lost a substantial sum. The other two were winning, outpacing profits from other business endeavors. I also recalled my uncle's past success here, winning a substantial sum...

Although my uncle had been a swindler, now it appeared that this hefty man's group was cheating too. I just couldn't see it. I wondered if the middle-aged man would eventually catch on.

One thing was clear – the middle-aged man and the hefty man had become friends. This realization sent shivers down my spine, as I could predict that the middle-aged man would be the only one left losing money in the end, potentially accumulating a massive debt.

I suddenly understood why my uncle insisted on me coming to the gambling den. He didn't really want me to learn gambling; he wanted me to gain real-world experience!

If my uncle wanted to teach me gambling, as Big Fatty put it, he could have taught me himself without any reservations. But what he couldn't teach me was precisely what was happening right in front of me—the unfolding scam.

Less than half an hour later, the middle-aged man had lost the $500 as well, and this time, Big Fatty didn't offer him money right away. The atmosphere grew awkward.

If there had been a mirror, the middle-aged man would have been shocked by his appearance. From the moment he entered until now, his expression had undergone a significant change. He looked like someone who had lost money and was upset about it.

"Do you still want to play? If not, get out of the way." The flat-headed guy who had been winning was now rolling his eyes at him with disdain.

The middle-aged man looked at Big Fatty with mixed emotions. But now, Big Fatty had run out of money too. The middle-aged man hesitated but eventually stood up. Just then, the flat-headed guy said, "This gold watch of yours looks pretty nice. It must be worth some money, right?"

The middle-aged man's expression turned sour. He probably didn't want to lose his watch. Suddenly, Big Fatty slammed the table and retorted, "What business is it of yours how much the watch is worth? This gold watch is worth at least five figures. If you've got the money, why don't you go buy one yourself!"

The flat-headed guy didn't say anything more, and the middle-aged man's expression eased a bit. At least he could save face. My uncle used to say that when you're out in the world, maintaining face is crucial.

"Let's call it a day. When luck is bad, it's better to lay low. Let's meet again when our fortunes turn!" Big Fatty grumbled as he stood up, seemingly unwilling to accept his losses.

The middle-aged man left as well, his face reflecting his frustration. I didn't know if he would come back, but if he did, he'd only lose more money. He wasn't losing to luck but to this scam.

From the moment the middle-aged man entered, Little Skinny approached him, helping him find a place to play cards. Big Fatty's group immediately vacated a spot, creating the impression of an available game. However, the middle-aged man wasn't falling for it right away because he didn't like playing cards.

Then Big Fatty's group swapped the mahjong tiles for Pai Gow Poker. They made fun of Big Fatty for not being good at mahjong and always losing money, creating an illusion that Pai Gow Poker was easier to win at. Still, the middle-aged man didn't seem interested in playing. It wasn't until the bald guy shoved him aggressively that he finally joined the Pai Gow Poker game.

I guessed that Little Skinny might be trying to coax people into gambling, and the guy who left from Big Fatty's group had cleared the way. The guy mocking Big Fatty's long hair had been a diversion, and the bald guy was provoking the middle-aged man. Ultimately, Big Fatty's group was responsible for winning money.

In this series of schemes, what puzzled me the most was why Big Fatty gave money to the middle-aged man and deliberately befriended him. Could it be a long-term strategy to lure in a bigger fish?

Suddenly, someone tapped my shoulder, and I got so startled that I almost jumped. When I looked, I felt relieved—it was Sophie. Today, she was wearing tight black leather pants that accentuated every curve of her legs. The shiny material made it hard to look away.

She gave me a once-over and curiously asked, "What are you doing standing here? Why are you here again? Are students this free nowadays?"

Only then did I remember that someone from school was supposed to confront me today. Originally, I came to the gambling den to find a few tough guys for assistance, but after witnessing a scam unfold just now, I almost forgot about it!

"No, there's no class today. I actually came here to..." I struggled to find the right words. Although Sophie had been kind to me, I didn't think she could help with this situation. It was better to seek advice from the guys with smarts tough guys .