However, the middle-aged man waved his hand in refusal, glanced at the group of people playing Poker at the nearby table, and the skinny guy didn't say anything more. He casually looked in our direction, and it was actually the chubby guy who spoke up, " Who wants to join for a game of Paigow Poker?"
The Mahjong tiles on the table were taken away by the people nearby, and they were immediately replaced with black Paigow tiles, neatly arranged on the table like building blocks. I understood right away that these people were working together, and their intention was clearly to get the middle-aged man to sit down and play.
However, to my surprise, as soon as the Paigow tiles were set up, someone from the nearby table stood up. It was a guy with long hair, and he started laughing heartily, drawing the attention of many.
"Haha, Fatso, you can't even count how many Paigow tiles you have. Are you really going to play Paigow Poker ? Aren't you afraid of losing your pants again?"
Fatso didn't reply in a friendly manner, "I'll play whatever I want to play. None of your damn business!"
"Alright then, I'll play a couple of rounds with you." The guy called "Two Bits" got up with a smile, but Fatso immediately retorted, "Get lost! I won't play with you or let you win a cent from me in the future!"
Fatso's expression even showed a hint of gritted teeth. It seemed like Fatso and Two Bits knew each other, and their conversation appeared casual. At this moment, the skinny guy approached the middle-aged man again.
"Boss, do you know how to play Paigow? There's an empty table over there, short one for a game. And those guys don't seem to be very good at it." The last sentence was clearly spoken in a hushed tone, and the middle-aged man still hesitated. Maybe when he entered the place, he hadn't planned on playing cards.
I thought to myself, please don't come over. If he did, he would be falling into someone else's trap. It was so openly set up right here in the gambling den. Wasn't Dirk going to do anything about it?
I saw Dirk sitting by the bar drinking tea, occasionally glancing over here. He must be aware of this situation, and he probably even approved of it. Could this be a hidden rule within the gambling den?
"I'll wait a bit longer, just observe for a while." The middle-aged man didn't seem to have the intention to play. I felt he must have noticed something was off as well. Secretly, I breathed a sigh of relief for him; he seemed like he was spared from getting entangled.
From the beginning till now, I felt like these people were actor, just like a play. I had been watching the whole time, but the others playing cards seemed unaffected and completely indifferent to what was happening.
This middle-aged man came in later, and he seemed awkward and nervous, just like I did when I first came. It was easy to see he was unfamiliar and uncomfortable with this kind of place. I even had a worry at the back of my mind—afraid that he might fall into a trap.
I couldn't quite explain my feelings. Maybe it was a sense of justice or a bit of conscience. I couldn't stand the idea of cheating and deception happening right in front of me...
After a dozen minutes or so, suddenly a bald guy jumped up and burst into laughter. He was holding a considerable amount of money in his hand, apparently having won a lot. As he passed by the middle-aged man, intentionally or not, he bumped into him and gave him a contemptuous look.
"Didn't you see that I won money? If you see me, shouldn't you steer clear?" The bald guy looked quite menacing, covered in tattoos from his arms to his wrists, like he was wearing a tattooed shirt.
The middle-aged man didn't say anything, but I had a feeling he might leave. This place, the gambling den, really wasn't suitable for him. Moreover, the people here weren't decent. However, what surprised me beyond measure was that he didn't leave. Instead, he started walking over towards Fatso.
"Could you gentlemen need another player? Short one for the table?" The middle-aged man asked politely. Fatso raised his head, glanced at him, and said, "yes, but we're playing small stakes—fifty bucks per game, maximum of five hundred."
From Fatso's tone, it seemed like he wasn't exactly welcoming the middle-aged man to join, especially when the adjacent table was betting several hundred dollars per round of Paigow. I was getting confused; had I misunderstood something?
If Fatso's group had purposely invited the middle-aged man to play, they would surely choose higher stakes to win more. It was baffling to see them playing so low now. I recalled that Fatso had been playing Mahjong for two hundred bucks per game!
"Sure, why not? Let's play a couple of rounds together." The middle-aged man actively wanted to play, and Fatso nodded in agreement. No one else refused.
In this moment when the middle-aged man sat down, a thought suddenly crossed my mind – could it be that the things big fatty said earlier were intentional deceptions?
However, I didn't dare to jump to conclusions before the situation played out completely. So, I patiently continued observing, finding it increasingly intriguing.
The middle-aged man's luck was decent at first – he won a few rounds. But as time went on, he would lose a few rounds for every one he won. Towards the end, he needed to lose a dozen or more rounds to finally win one. Though they weren't playing for high stakes, the pattern of wins and losses was apparent.
Yet, he wasn't the only one losing money. Big fatty was also losing continuously. The other two were winning, but big fatty maintained an unchanged expression on his face. It seemed as if he didn't care about losing money at all. I suspected that big fatty and the other two were working together.
As time ticked away, the middle-aged man smoked one cigarette after another, his face gradually becoming worse. His wallet became thinner, until only a couple of colorful bank cards remained.
In less than an hour, the middle-aged man's expression underwent a tremendous change. I watched it all happen before my eyes, seeing his face turn red due to anxiety. A complex mix of emotions welled up in me. I knew that he had fallen into a trap.