In the middle of the room were a few plastic buckets, catching water that dripped from the rain outside. Broken glass was patched up with plastic bags. Yet, despite all this, everyone was enjoying themselves, packed so tightly that they could barely move.
In the midst of the crowd was a lady, heavily made up with styled hair, smoking and playing mahjong. My appearance didn't attract anyone's attention; a few glanced at me and then ignored me.
Rubbing my wet hair, I positioned myself near the window where the air was slightly better. Most importantly, I had a spot to stand. I noticed four people sitting here, playing mahjong. It seemed lively as they chat and played mahjong.
Mahjong was a China national treasure. My uncle used to say that the reason mahjong was considered a China national treasure was due to its spirit. No matter when someone called, players would come. They didn't mind playing late into the night. Regardless of the hand they were dealt, they would strive to arrange the tiles in the best possible way. If they lost, they'd start anew from the beginning, never admitting defeat. If they didn't win, they wouldn't stop trying!
If one could have the spirit of mahjong in their life, then no matter what they did, they could achieve something. In simple terms, it meant putting the same effort and determination into studying and working as one did into playing mahjong, tirelessly and relentlessly.
After watching for a while, I found it quite interesting. Although mahjong appeared to be luck-based, there was a lot of skill involved. Observing a skilled player in action, I saw that even though he had two useless tiles in his hand, he didn't play them. I wondered what he was planning.
From my perspective, arranging the tiles in a way that leads to a winning hand is the correct strategy. However, he had two useless tiles and didn't play them. Watching him closely, I realized he was waiting for a specific scenario. Across the table, the previous player had discarded a tile, which meant the player beside him needed that tile to win. Moreover, he had the exact tile he needed in his hand. In an instant, I was in awe of his strategy.
"Hey, why did you come again? Why come out in such heavy rain?" I looked up to see Dirk, bare-chested and smoking. His style was as impressive as ever. I hurried over to greet him.
"Hi, Dirk uncle . There's no go to school today, my uncle asked me to come..."
"Damn it! Following your uncle won't make you any better. Next time you come, remember to bring money. Not paying tuition fees, You won't learn anything for free here."
"Huh?" I was a bit puzzled.
Everyone burst into laughter. People said all kinds of things, from inviting me to come daily and enjoy free air conditioning to suggesting that I join them for fun. I quickly waved my hands to decline, standing obediently on the side to watch people play mahjong.
I stood behind a large man, his belly larger than that of a pregnant woman. Sitting here, he looked like Maitreya Buddha. I had been watching him play mahjong earlier, thinking he seemed alright, so I intended to observe him a bit more.
Honestly, I had no intention of learning how to play mahjong. I just wanted to get to know a couple of guys who could help me deal with the troubles at school.
To be honest, although Dirk seemed fierce on the surface, he appeared to be loyal and righteous. However, he was a bit too influential. Regular folks probably wouldn't be able to persuade him, and besides, dealing with school troubles wouldn't require his intervention.
I decided to handle things on my own. I'd first establish some connections and, if necessary, approach Dirk with a thick skin. By then, he could arrange a couple of guys to assist me. At the very least, I had my uncle's reputation to rely on.
I bought a pack of Soft Zhonghua cigarettes from the bar counter and started to survey the gambling den. My primary target was the guys who had been teasing me earlier. They seemed more approachable, and the other guys who looked sour from losing money were best avoided.
I noticed something interesting. A quick glance revealed who was winning and who was losing. The winners were composed, their expressions calm and collected. The losers, however, were different. Their faces reddened slightly, showing frustration and impatience.
In the end, I returned to the large man's vicinity. Perhaps it was because he seemed friendlier, and the other three guys also appeared more approachable. More importantly, none of them had the gloomy look of someone losing money.
"Would the big brothers like a cigarette?" During their downtime while starting the game, I handed out cigarettes to each of them. To be honest, I didn't even want to smoke one myself. But to handle the school troubles, I was willing to spend a bit of money!
"You kid, do you want to learn how to play?" one of them said.
"Yeah, he's right. Your uncle is way better than us at this. He's admirable with his mahjong skills," another added.
As soon as I heard this, I quickly waved my hands and explained, "No, no, no. I'm not here to learn how to play. It's just that my idiot uncle..."
I stopped halfway because the large man was glaring at me fiercely...
In an instant, his gaze scared the wits out of me. I didn't know what I had done wrong or maybe said the wrong thing, but his look was too... Wait a minute, he didn't seem to be looking at me.
I turned around to look, and a man had entered through the door. He was in his forties, with a refined appearance, carrying a briefcase under his arm and wearing a gold watch on his wrist. He seemed to have come in to escape the rain, as his dress shirt was drenched.
While it poured outside, the gambling den was comfortably air-conditioned. People played cards and mahjong, and the atmosphere was lively. It was indeed a wise choice to seek shelter from the rain here.
The middle-aged man appeared somewhat reserved. Initially, he stood at the door, adjusting his wet clothes, and then began to look around. The gambling den was packed with people, and no one seemed to have noticed his arrival.
However, someone immediately stood up beside the large man, stretched lazily, and walked over, complaining as they went. A mahjong table of four players suddenly became three, and a skinny guy approached the middle-aged man and handed him a cigarette, striking up a conversation.
I wasn't sure what the skinny guy said to the middle-aged man, but he gestured toward the vacant seat here. Clearly, he was inviting the man to sit down. With four players needed for mahjong, I was pretty sure that a scam was unfolding before my eyes. However, this scam wasn't particularly sophisticated.
If it were me, I wouldn't casually join a game with strangers. But this was a gambling den, so it was common for people to play cards together. I patiently continued watching, observing if the middle-aged man would fall for it.
I had heard my uncle talk about all sorts of scams in the underworld. My favorite stories were about cunning tactics and cons. However, this was the first time I was witnessing it firsthand, and it made me a bit nervous.