"But we can't just let it go. Make him treat us to drinks!" Sonia persisted. I was dumbfounded – I had just used up my money for the internet fee, and now...
My uncle often said that a man with money was respected, but a man without money was in trouble.In that moment, I truly understood the hardships of having no money.
Monica gave me a knowing look, then turned and left with her group. I felt the heat rise to my face. I didn't even have money to treat them to drinks – it was so embarrassing!
Before I could even recover from the embarrassment, two figures passed by the door of the private room, then abruptly turned back to scrutinize me. They had tattoos on their arms. My heart sank – I had a bad feeling about this.
"What's going on, buddy?" I asked cautiously, fearing they might be Gary's friends. Even though I wasn't afraid of Gary, I couldn't take on a group of people by myself!
"Are you Jim? Do you know that everyone is looking for you now? Danny wants to see you!"
Relief washed over me upon hearing their words. They weren't Gary's friends. But why would my uncle be looking for me?
I settled my bill, left the internet cafe, and saw a black Santana parked outside. Someone in the car made a call to my uncle, saying they had found me and were bringing me over immediately.
After the call, a few people in the car glanced at me simultaneously, wearing faint smiles. But I suddenly felt that something was off.
With my hurried departure earlier, I hadn't asked enough questions. What if these people weren't my uncle's friends? What would I do then?
As the car journey continued, my heart raced. It was only when we arrived at a gambling den that I started to feel on edge. My heart remained suspended in my chest.
However, when I saw the white BMW parked outside the gambling den, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. I recognized the license plate – it was the same one my uncle had driven last time.
Led into the gambling den, the smoke inside stung my eyes. The air was thick with the smell of tobacco, almost making me gag. Many people were seated below a few broken fans, and their tattoos suggested they weren't the most savory characters.
There were also a few women with dyed hair, their faces heavily made up and their appearance somewhat sloppy.
My uncle used to say that you could tell a lot about a man by looking at the women around him. Looking around, I couldn't find my uncle's presence. It wasn't until I was taken to the second floor that the air conditioning cooled the atmosphere. It felt like a different world compared to downstairs.
Near the bar at the second-floor entrance, I spotted a woman in a red miniskirt with a pair of flesh-colored stockings and long legs.
In almost an instant, I couldn't take my eyes off her. She was busy on her phone, not particularly pretty, but she had an impressive figure. Much better than the girls at school!
Two individuals referred to her as Sophie. and asked where Danny was. She pointed to the farthest room at the end of the corridor. Her gaze lingered on me for a moment, sizing me up.
Her eyes were long and narrow, slightly upturned at the corners. She wore a cool tank top that revealed even her cleavage. I sneaked a glance but didn't dare to stare.
"Go ahead by yourself, kid." One person told me without looking back, then turned away.
Walking down the corridor, I overheard a flirtatious conversation behind me. " Sophie, you look so beautiful today. How about we have dinner tonight?"
"Get lost! Stay wherever it's cooler. Tonight, I have to have dinner with Danny..."
Arriving at the door of the room where my uncle was, I knocked for a while before it was opened. A bald man with a face full of muscles looked intimidating.
"Who are you looking for?"
I said I was looking for Danny, my uncle. He yelled inside, then allowed me in.
As soon as I entered, I was wide-eyed at the sight of a pile of red banknotes on the table. I had never seen so much money in my life – from childhood to adulthood! My uncle was smoking and playing cards with a few people.
He waved his hand at me without looking up, so I stood behind him. The entire table was covered in money, a sight that was impossible to ignore. My uncle held a few playing cards in his hand, ignoring me.
I had seen gambling before, but I had never seen a game this big. Back in my hometown, people would gamble with one or two hundred dollars at most, sometimes not even reaching a thousand dollars. But the money on the table now was simply beyond comprehension...
"Several people were gambling together, and they didn't seem like the kind-hearted type. They stared at their cards with fierce determination, clutching them as if they were in the midst of a battle.
However, I knew that most gamblers ended up losing more often than not. How did my uncle get involved in gambling?
It was my first time seeing my uncle gamble, let alone gamble so much. I felt an indescribable nervousness. What if he lost all this money? Would he leave me behind as collateral?
The thought of being left behind as collateral in this situation made me even more anxious. My uncle was capable of doing things that no one else could even imagine doing, and not in a good way!
I anxiously watched the gambling table, even though I couldn't understand much. But aside from watching, I didn't know what else to do. I just hoped my uncle would finish soon and take me away.
They kept putting money on the table until finally, everyone stopped. The moment of revealing the cards was coming. My palms were sweaty, and I hoped my uncle wouldn't lose. If he lost all this money in one go, what would happen?