Chapter 3 Gambler Meets Gambler
In summer, the days are long and the nights are short, and the sun rises early. The dim street lights are soon robbed of their original brightness by the dim light of the sky. Tan Xuan, who was wandering aimlessly on the street, saw the morning sun already showing its edge in the sky and turned his car around. It is better to go home early, otherwise it will be difficult to return home when the whole city wakes up completely. Time can be spent on the road, but it should not be wasted in traffic jams, which is one of the reasons why Tan Xuan does not like to take orders during the day.
Those who go to bed late are not necessarily busy people, but those who get up early are mostly hard-working people. When Tan Xuan returned to the neighborhood, the breakfast stalls on the street had already set up tables and chairs.
"Xiao Tan is back, still the same as before?"
The owner of the breakfast stall greeted Tan Xuan warmly.
"Good morning, Uncle Wang. Still the same as usual." Tan Xuan responded politely.
As soon as Tan Xuan sat down, the food was brought up: a bowl of plain sugar-free soy milk, two fried dough sticks, two tea eggs, and a plate of pickled vegetables drizzled with a few drops of chili oil. Tan Xuan had settled here for two years and had long been a regular customer. The boss was already very familiar with the few dishes he ate every day.
"If the soy milk is not enough, get more for yourself."
"Thank you, Uncle Wang."
One could tell that Tan Xuan was popular just by looking at the food served. Whether it was fried dough sticks or eggs, they were all much bigger than others. Even the bowl of soy milk was full and a lot of it would spill if one was not careful.
"Lao Wang, give me two fried dough cakes and a bowl of tofu pudding. Put more sauce and less cilantro."
A middle-aged man in his thirties came staggering down the street with a briefcase tucked under his arm. He came to the stall, greeted him, and sat down next to Tan Xuan in a casual manner.
"Tan Zi, are you parking?" The middle-aged man was not shy at all. After greeting him, he picked up the tea egg in front of Tan Xuan, peeled it, and took a bite of most of it.
"Yeah, I just got back." Tan Xuan and the man nodded, and there was no intention to stop him. The man next to him was called Qian Bo. He would always work all night every weekend. He had roughly the same working hours as Tan Xuan, who also worked at night and slept during the day. Therefore, they had met many times, and occasionally he would take care of Tan Xuan's business a few times, so they naturally became familiar with each other.
Qian Bo is a well-known gambler in the neighborhood. His gambling skills are not very good, but his gambling character is good. He loses nine out of ten times but never complains, and never owes money. He is recognized as the most popular money-spending boy in the nearby Q-card rooms. The gamblers in the neighborhood are more friendly to him than to their own parents, and they want to play with him every weekend. If it weren't for his lucrative job, he would have lost everything long ago.
Seeing that his face was greasy, as if he hadn't slept all night, and there was a strong smell of cigarettes on his body, this smell of mixed tobacco really made Tan Xuan feel uncomfortable. He frowned and asked, "Why, did you go out to play cards again?"
Qian Bo stuffed the remaining eggs into his mouth, swallowed them hard, and said vaguely: "Well, I played a few rounds and was so excited that I forgot the time. If one of us hadn't lost, we could have continued playing."
"It seems like you won?" Tan Xiao said politely with a smile.
"Of course." The man said with his hands dancing. Of course, even if he didn't answer, anyone with eyes could tell that he must have gained a lot last night, because it was written on his face. He was not usually in this state today.
The man was in a good mood and called out to the stall owner, "Old Wang, give Tanzi another half pound of beef buns and put them all on my bill."
"No, Brother Qian." Tan Xuan quickly refused, "I'm full, I should go back and rest, you can eat slowly."
The man stopped Tan Xuan, frowned, and said, "Wait a minute, why are you in such a hurry? If you can't finish it, take it back and eat it. I still have something to tell you."
"What are you doing?" Tan Xuan pushed Qian Bo's hand away and asked. They were familiar with each other, but not to the point of pulling each other like this.
"Don't run away tonight, take me out." Qian Bo whispered, mysteriously, as if he was afraid of being heard. However, there were not many people buying breakfast at this time, so his action was completely unnecessary.
Tan Xuan didn't say anything, but just looked at Qian Bo, waiting for him to explain clearly before deciding whether to agree or not. He was a good citizen and never got involved in inappropriate matters.
Qian Bo understood what Tan Xuan meant and explained with a smile: "I met a friend last night. Seeing that I didn't have a good time last night, he wanted to take me to another place to play. You know, I am a man of honor and I can't lose face. When the time comes, you can say that I am your driver. Don't worry, I won't let you work in vain. It will only take a few hours to send you back and forth, and you don't have to work too hard. I will give you three hundred."
Tan Xuan nodded, "Okay, just call me before you go out. But I have to say this first, Brother Qian, don't mess with those messy people, otherwise I won't support you."
Qian Bo also knew what Tan Xuan meant and replied, "There is no one else but me. I am afraid of being looked down upon by others. If your sister-in-law had not forbidden me to play cards, I would have asked her to send me there."
"Hehe..." Tan Xuan smiled perfunctorily, which was considered as agreement. He neither supported nor opposed this kind of situation. Illegal things were handled by law enforcement personnel. He just wanted to make some money and not cause trouble. Besides, if he didn't pull him, he would find someone else. Who would be willing to give away the fat meat that was right in front of their mouths?
After confirming the time again, Tan Xuan drove home. He did not use Qian Bo's treat, nor did he take his half pound of beef buns. One thing is to be fair, he gets paid for his work, and it is better for him to take care of his own business occasionally.
The community where Tan Xuan lives is quite old, at least not much younger than Tan Xuan, but it does not look old or dilapidated at all. The quiet and leisurely environment is incomparable to the newly built communities nowadays. After all, this used to be the staff housing of a certain government agency, and now some former leaders of the city who have become accustomed to living here still live in it. The community's supporting facilities are quite mature, and the market, school, and hospital are not far away.
Tan Xuan lives in a three-bedroom, one-living-room house in a building near the inner part of the community. He doesn't rent the house, but bought it himself. He lives here not because he has a deep background or a distinguished family that others admire, but because the previous mistress of the house committed suicide in the house, so this "haunted house" in the eyes of others is cheap for Tan Xuan. Not only is the transaction price of the house very down-to-earth, all the furniture in the house was left to Tan Xuan for free, and the garage on the first floor was also given for free. In order to prevent Tan Xuan from regretting, the transfer was carried out very quickly. So Tan Xuan moved in directly with his luggage. The decoration of the house is not outdated at all, and the furniture is all high-end. Except for simply replacing some things and adding some personal items, the house still maintains the appearance when it was bought .
Tan Xuan returned home, washed up, sat quietly in the study for a while, and then went to the bedroom to rest. There are two bedrooms, one to the south and the other to the north, facing each other. Tan Xuan lives in the north one, not because the former hostess took sleeping pills in the master bedroom on the south side, but because he doesn’t like the sun to be too glaring when he is resting. Rest, you must rest well. As for the "haunted house" that others keep talking about, Tan Xuan doesn't care at all. He bought the house himself and it is under his name. Everyone who lived here before must move out, no matter if they are people or ghosts, there is no difference in treatment. Only when he first moved in, the neighbors always looked at him with a sense of watching a show, but the good show never happened. Over time, he got used to it, and so did his neighbors.
It was already afternoon when he woke up. Tan Xuan went to the market to buy some vegetables and made a meal for himself. One meat and one vegetable. They were not bad. With rice, it was not only delicious but also filling. Although Tan Xuan was only in his early twenties, he had been a cook for nearly twenty years. Because the master who raised him and was called Mr. Guan by others could deceive people and ghosts, but he could never deceive his own stomach. He could bake sweet potatoes like charcoal and cook dumplings like a mess. It was really hard to eat, so Tan Xuan, who had just learned a little, was entrusted with an important task by his master.
Have you ever seen someone standing on the stove to cook? Tan Xuan had never seen one , because he was the one who stood on the stove to cook since he was a child. Over the years, he has developed good cooking skills.
As soon as it got dark, Qian Bo impatiently called Tan Xuan to urge him to leave. After all, he was his customer, so Tan Xuan was very obedient. When Tan Xuan drove to Qian Bo's house, Qian Bo was already waiting there, dressed neatly, holding a briefcase as if he was going to work.
According to the location given by Qian Bo, they were going to a place called "Shuya" Apartment. It was not close to their residential area, located at the junction of the new urban area and the old urban area, in a dilapidated shantytown that was not sure when it would be relocated. There were no buildings higher than six stories high nearby, and there were many illegally built bungalows. All the buildings were very old. Driving here was like walking in a maze, and it was difficult to find it even with the navigation.
Finally we arrived at the place, but Qian Bo's friend had not arrived yet, because they had agreed to meet at 9 o'clock in the evening, and it was just after 8 o'clock. There were still many people on the roadside who were out for a walk to digest their food after dinner.
Qian Bo asked Tan Xuan to park the car in a pile of cars on the roadside opposite the "Shu Ya" apartment. After all, what they did was not a good thing, so they couldn't be too blatant. After turning off the engine, the two of them sat quietly in the car, with the front of the car facing the wall and a small gap in the window. In addition, the light nearby was poor, so even if people or cars passed by from time to time on the road, no one noticed them.
Waiting is painful. Qian Bo sat in the back seat and looked out of the car window from time to time, like a young wife who was looking forward to her husband coming home after being away for some time. At first, he sat upright and dignified, but gradually, his sitting posture became unimportant, and he became half-leaning, and the expression on his face changed from expectation to anxiety. Many people had entered the apartment one after another, but he had not seen the one he was waiting for. It was not until nearly nine o'clock that a person walked from the corner of the street, and Qian Bo's face showed joy again, and then he quickly sat up straight.
Under the dim street lights, the man's walking posture was a bit strange. His body seemed a bit hunched, leaning forward, with one shoulder higher than the other. He walked slowly, and his steps were a bit unsteady.
Qian Bo couldn't help but said excitedly: "Tan Zi, my friend is here, I'll get off first. You rest in the car, take a nap if you feel tired, I'll call you when you come out."
Hearing Qian Bo say that his friend was coming, Tan Xuan stretched himself. He had been waiting for so long that he almost fell asleep. Tan Xuan turned his head and looked through the rearview mirror at the man who was getting closer and closer on the road. His eyes suddenly became cold, and then he turned around and looked at the man carefully. He reached out and grabbed Qian Bo who was about to push the door and get out of the car, and whispered, "Brother Qian, how did you know this friend?"
"Didn't I tell you this morning? We met while playing cards last night." Qian Bo didn't know why Tan Xuan asked this question, so he answered truthfully.
Tan Xuan glanced again at the man who was getting closer and closer. He could already see the man's general appearance, but Tan Xuan's gaze was more focused on the man's shoulder.
Tan Xuan frowned slightly, looked at Qian Bo and said, "Brother Qian, you have only known each other for one day, and you followed him here without knowing anything about him. There are many bad people in society now, so don't let them trick you."
When Qian Bo heard that this was what Tan Xuan was worried about, he patted Tan Xuan's shoulder and said with a smile, "Haha, no, Lao Sun is not that kind of person. This person's character can be seen from his gambling habits. After playing a few rounds of mahjong yesterday, I knew that his character would not be bad."
"Let me tell you, this friend of mine is extraordinary. I was able to kill so many enemies last night just by listening to his guidance. He is not only my friend, but also my lucky star."
Seeing Qian Bo's smug look, Tan Xuan still tried to persuade him kindly: "No one has a good or bad person written on his face. Brother Qian, nine out of ten gambling cases are frauds. I advise you to go back. Small gambling is fun, but big gambling hurts your body. If you really fall into the trap of a bad guy, it will be too late."
Qian Bo looked at Tan Xuan who had a serious face, smiled and shook his head, "Haha, thank you, brother. But your worries will not come true. I am not a child anymore. I can't say that I have other abilities after working for so many years, but I still have some vision in judging people. I can tell whether they are good or bad."
Seeing Tan Xuan's worried look, Qian Bo was probably afraid of disappointing Tan Xuan's kindness, so he tried to make amends, "Brother, don't worry. If something really happens, I will get out of here in advance. Besides, I'm not alone. You are here to support me. If you are worried, you can bring the car over so that we can leave easily."
As soon as he finished speaking, the man had already walked to the car. Qian Bo did not give Tan Xuan any chance to persuade him and directly pushed the door and got out of the car. He walked quickly to his friend who "hit it off at first sight". After a brief greeting, the two of them walked into the apartment hand in hand. Qian Bo had no intention of introducing the man to Tan Xuan. It was not known whether he was in a hurry to go to the battlefield or he thought it was unnecessary.
"You can look at people, but can you look at non-people?"
Watching Qian Bo and the man walk into the apartment, Tan Xuan sighed helplessly. Good words can't persuade a damned ghost. Some of those who were deceived were fools, and most of them were people who thought they were very smart. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many fools in the world for the scammers to play with. Qian Bo was determined to go, and Tan Xuan couldn't persuade him with just a few words, not to mention that there was a person who was bewitched by a ghost.
That's right, the reason why Tan Xuan suddenly persuaded Qian Bo to go back was because he found that Qian Bo's poker friend was not alone. There was a real gambler riding on his shoulders. The man walked in a weird posture because he was pressed by the gambler. Others couldn't see it, but Tan Xuan could see it clearly. Its greedy face was very real in Tan Xuan's eyes.
Qian Bo wanted to go, and Tan Xuan couldn't stop him. Tan Xuan knew that if he told Qian Bo directly, Qian Bo would not only not believe him, but would also regard him as a mental patient. Now Tan Xuan was not sure why the other party called Qian Bo here. If it was just to make him lose money, there would be no need to go through so much trouble. There are too many easy ways for gamblers to make people lose money. If a gambler does not want money, he is not a gambler. If he not only wants money but also wants to kill people, or his purpose is more vicious, and he wants to destroy Qian Bo's family, then Tan Xuan can't continue to pretend to be blind. Even if he has been released from the Good Man Bureau, he can't ignore the safety of his neighbors and customers. But now the other party hasn't harmed anyone, he can only wait. After all, he can't just catch people who haven't broken the law, and he can't just get rid of ghosts who haven't hurt anyone. Every line has its own trajectory, and he must have a legitimate reason.
Time passed by, the night was getting darker, the dirty streets outside the car gradually became quiet, and the pedestrians on the road returned to their own homes. Tan Xuan turned the front of the car to the outside, which was not only convenient for running, but also for observing the situation nearby. He could see anyone coming out of the apartment at the first time. Unfortunately, he looked for a long time and found that no one was going in or out of the apartment. Although the lights were on at the door of the apartment, it was the quietest place on this broken street.
Tan Xuan sat in the car, constantly fiddling with the sandalwood beads hanging around his neck, and occasionally glanced at the door of the apartment not far away, wondering whether Qian Bo would run out naked after losing money or be forced to sign an IOU and be driven out. He also imagined how he should show up and how to be brave and righteous, and even thought about whether he should find some helpers if the other side had more people, or just call the police if that didn't work. Tan Xuan was not afraid of ghosts, but was afraid that the other side had too many people.
Tan Xuan was well prepared, but unfortunately, all his efforts were in vain, and the plot did not develop as he expected. At nearly eleven o'clock in the middle of the night, the originally deserted apartment suddenly became lively. Accompanied by a burst of noisy laughter, a group of people came out of the door of the apartment one after another, some cursing, some smiling.
Tan Bo and his friend were also in the crowd, and judging by Qian Bo's expression, he was the one smiling the brightest in the crowd, holding his "fatter" briefcase in his hand, as if he had just finished a celebratory drinking party. As for Qian Bo's friend, he didn't smile too much, or rather, he didn't have much expression on his face, not as much as the one on his shoulder, and only occasionally agreed with Qian Bo.
After everyone came out, they scattered and left. There was nothing worth lingering here. Qian Bo and his friend also chatted for a few words before waving goodbye. Only then did Tan Xuan understand why Qian Bo asked him to drive him here, because after those people left, more than half of the cars parked on the roadside nearby were gone, and not only here, but also in several nearby alleys.
Qian Bo got into the car with a smile on his face. He looked at Tan Xuan with an even more proud smile than before, boasting: "Old Sun is worthy of being my lucky star. Today I got the limelight again. Tan Zi, you didn't see the scene just now. You didn't see how majestic I, your brother Qian, was at that time. Tsk tsk, that's really your loss..."
Looking at Qian Bo, who was laughing and talking incoherently, Tan Xuan was a little confused and asked, "You won?"
Qian Bo glared at Tan Xuan in dissatisfaction, "It's unnecessary for you to ask this question!"
Qian Bo patted the bag in his hand and continued to say with a beaming face: "I haven't lost a single game tonight. My luck is so good. No matter what I play, I am a big winner. You see, if it weren't for the time limit here, your brother and I can win back all the money I lost over the years. My goodness, it's almost full. It seems that I have to change to a bigger bag tomorrow."
Looking at the "plump" leather bag, Tan Xuan became even more confused. This was too different from what he had imagined. This shouldn't be the case. How could Qian Bo win with that kind of thing following him? I've never heard that even a gambler can turn over a new leaf. The more he thought about it, the more confused he became.
Qian Bo didn't notice Tan Xuan's strangeness, patted Tan Xuan on the shoulder and said generously: "Let's go, don't stand here, I'm too glorious today, be careful that someone is jealous secretly, find a place, I'll take you out to have fun."
"Forget about being so cool, it's only what time it is. I have to send you back and continue to take work." Tan Xuan started the car and drove out of the street steadily.
"Why are you still running? Isn't it enough for you to pull me along? Don't try too hard when you are young. Your health is the most important thing."
Tan Xuan chuckled, "If you don't work hard when you are young, you won't be able to work hard when you are old. Now you must work hard to save some money for a wife."
"I don't want to tell you, you are destined to be a hard worker." Qian Bo opened the briefcase on his knees, took out a few hundred-dollar bills and handed them to Tan Xuan, "Here."
Tan Xuan took the fare but immediately felt that the amount was not right. After taking a look, he said to Qian Bo, "Brother Qian, the amount is not right. Didn't we agree on 300? You gave 700 or 800."
Qian Bo patted his wallet and said proudly, "The extra money is from me. I won money today, and I'm happy. Just keep it . If you're polite to me, I'll get mad at you. Don't be busy today. Let's go find a bigger bathhouse and relax. I've been sweating and smelling of cigarettes today, so you must have a good bath. You have to drive me here tomorrow night."
Tan Xuan was not polite, he took what he should take and stuffed the money directly under the sun visor, "Well, let's make a deal in advance, today's money is today's, and tomorrow's money will be paid tomorrow."
Qian Bo smiled, "I didn't realize you were such a cunning kid. Am I the one doing that job? Just wait, I'll make better arrangements for you tomorrow if I win."
