The Years I Was The Gambling God

Indeed, I detested him.

However, hating him wasn't the real reason I wanted to change the person opening the dice cup.

A master of dice games can often manipulate the dice using fingers, cups, fine threads, or even hair to alter the numbers.

And evidently, this thin man was indeed a dice expert.

He could pull it off.

"No!"

The thin man's face turned cold as he outright refused.

"Why not? Afraid your 'devil's sixth finger' won't work?"

The moment those words left my lips, the thin man's expression shifted drastically.

His gaze towards me turned angry.

Of course, there was a hint of confusion as well.

He had no idea how I had discerned that he was about to employ the devil's sixth finger.

The so-called "devil's sixth finger" was the quintessential technique of the Qilu gambling faction.

It involved using enigmatic methods to alter the dice's numbers, giving the impression that unseen forces were at play, activating the sixth finger.

Legend had it that the underground gambling king of Qilu, Maxence, had secured his family's fortune using this skill.

Though the thin man was furious, he fell silent.

Meanwhile, I pointed towards the previous dealer.

"You shall open the dice cup!"

The dealer glanced at the thin man.

With a dark expression, the thin man remained silent.

It was Su Mei who suddenly spoke up.

"Just let him do it; why the fuss over changing the dice opener? Are you planning to cheat?"

The thin man relented.

Reluctantly, the dealer stepped forward and gingerly opened the dice cup.

The entire room fell into an extreme silence.

All eyes fixated on the black dice cup.

The cup was opened.

Another murmur rippled through the crowd.

Three dice, displaying 3, 5, and 6.

Fourteen points, a large win for me again.

"I never expected to find someone skilled in dice manipulation in this small town of Haibei..."

The emaciated man stared at me, murmuring to himself.

I inwardly smirked.

It seemed he had pigeonholed me as part of the Southern Guangdong faction of dice experts.

But I had no intention of engaging in conversation with him.

Taking the chips for my winnings, I rose.

Immediately, the thin man's rough voice sounded behind me.

"Wait, you can't leave!"

I hesitated for a moment.

Could it be that winnings couldn't be cashed out here?

I turned to him and asked calmly, "Why?"

"I want to gamble with you once more!"

I shook my head.

"I am content with my winnings for today; I am not greedy."

With that, I handed the chips to Su Mei.

"Go settle the debts..."

Su Mei wore a face full of surprise, tinged with a hint of mystery.

"Aren't we playing two more rounds? I lost 2.97 million..."

"One should be content with paying off debts; that is sufficient."

I replied calmly.

My purpose in accompanying Su Mei to the gambling den was to assist her in repaying debts, not to win money for her.

The loss of 970,000 was also meant as a lesson for Su Mei.

She shouldn't have gambled, and she shouldn't gamble.

This was a warning to all gamblers worldwide.

Nine out of ten times, gambling involves deceit; and in gambling, there is no victory.

"Alright, shall we go together then?"

Passing through a dim corridor, Su Mei pushed open a door.

The room was empty, containing only sofas, a desk, several crooked chairs, and a gambling table.

This was likely a temporary office.

I sat on the sofa, while Su Mei stood before me.

Excited and slightly coquettish, she raised her thumb towards me.

"Lupan, you truly are skilled!"

I remained silent.

Patiently, I awaited Su Mei to continue speaking.

"That day in my office, playing mahjong with Aunt Hua, I had a feeling you might be a gambling expert..."

Su Mei spoke cheerfully.

However, my mood wasn't pleasant, and my gaze even turned cold.

"Yet you denied it, and I couldn't be sure. Later, when I heard about your game with Ranulph in Three Card Poker - one hand with 235, winning against his three Aces and even taking away his girlfriend - I was ninety-nine per cent convinced you were a gambling expert. But I thought, even if I asked you directly, you wouldn't admit it."

I lit a cigarette and took a slow drag, listening calmly to Su Mei's words.

"And these last two rounds, the victories were too spectacular. Even if you don't admit it now, it's undeniable. Not only are you a gambling expert, but you're also a master of gambling techniques. Am I right?"

"And then?"

Through the smoke I exhaled, I gazed at Su Mei's beautiful face.

"Then I'm elated, excited. I wasn't mistaken. I just didn't expect your cheating methods to be so exquisite..."

Suddenly, Su Mei changed the subject and asked me, "Do you know the first and second floors of our Tianxiang basement are under renovation?"

I nodded.

The renovation of the Tianxiang basement was no secret; all the staff were aware.

It had been under renovation for over three months now.

However, the specifics of the renovation were unknown to me.

Company regulations prohibited anyone from visiting or inquiring about it.

"In reality, our Tianxiang basement is being transformed into a casino. The space is vast, offering a variety of gambling options. It will open soon. And all the gambling paraphernalia you saw outside, including those people, they aren't gamblers; they are employees preparing for our new casino. They are here every day, simulating real casino scenarios to ready for the opening. The thin man who just gambled with you is called Brenden. He is our casino's undercover lookout, responsible for training these employees..."

As Su Mei spoke, her eyes remained fixed on me.

She expected surprise or even anger from me.

After all, she had deceived me.

But I remained indifferent.

I knew Su Mei's debt was fake.

Her collection attempts were a ruse.

And this casino was a sham.

I was a gambling expert.

A gambling expert who deemed himself skilled.

And now, I had been deceived.

And the deceiver before me was the charming Su Mei.

Of course, I also understood why Brenden, the thin man, had reacted so strongly earlier.

Why he had dared to challenge me without any regard for the casino's reputation?

It was because I had dismantled his gambling tools.

And also because everything here was fake, merely a ruse.

"What's next?"

My demeanour was as calm as a still pond, unruffled.

Su Mei maintained her coquettish smile, seemingly unfazed by my aloofness.

"What comes next is this: I genuinely invite you to be an undercover lookout in our establishment!"

The term "undercover lookout" was a term from the gambling world jargon.

In casinos, there were distinctions between overt and covert lookouts.

Both were skilled gambling experts hired by the casino.

The difference was, overt lookouts operated openly, dressed in casino uniforms, and patrolled the casino floor.

They dealt with sudden incidents in the casino and could intimidate skilled gamblers who caused trouble.

Covert lookouts operated differently.

They hid among the crowd.

Externally, they seemed no different from regular gamblers.

But in reality, they were like venomous snakes in the dark, silently watching from unnoticed corners.

At the first sign of cheating, they sprang into action.

Even before you realized what was happening, you would already be caught.

Of course, when facing skilled players, both overt and covert lookouts would be deployed.

Being a covert lookout was the dream of many gambling experts.

After all, there's always someone better out there, and even with superior cheating methods, there was always a fear of slipping up externally.

A single mistake could be irreparable.

However, as a covert lookout, there was no risk involved.

Plus, there were generous financial rewards.

"Lupan, I won't treat you unfairly. If you come, there's no probation. An annual salary of 600,000, not including bonuses. The establishment will cover your living expenses and provide you with a car worth no less than 500,000. You get to choose the make and model. In total, your income won't be less than one million. How does this sound? In Haibei, you won't find a better offer elsewhere, right?"

I nodded slightly, saying, "The benefits are quite decent."

My words seemed to please Su Mei.

Recruiting top-notch talents requires one thing - spending money.

"Does that mean you've agreed?"

Su Mei asked, her voice coquettish.

Looking at Su Mei, I slowly shook my head.

"I haven't agreed."

"Why?"

Su Mei's tone grew higher.

Her eyes held a mix of confusion and disbelief.

"Though I am a gambling expert, I don't enjoy being toyed with. And today, you deceived me, taking advantage of your supposed kindness."

Su Mei managed an awkward smile.

But she quickly regained her composure.

With a hint of coquettishness, she said to me, "Oh, Lupan, don't be angry. Mei just wanted to see how skilled your cheating methods truly are. How about this, Mei apologizes to you, alright?"

Saying this, she even put on an appearance of being slightly wronged.

"How should I apologize?"

"However you want me to, alright?"

The coquettish beauty.

How many men in this world could resist?