Hearing this, I finally understood everything.
Because of a single sentence from Yu Shuang, I was drawn into this gambling match, which was supposed to be "baseless."
In this gambling match specifically set up for me, everyone had a distinct identity and was engaged in an unconvincing performance.
The real purpose was to test me, to test my skills, my mastery of the con.
They wanted to see if I could be of use to Yu Shuang.
And the result was obvious.
On the surface, I lost the card game, but in reality, I had won Yu Shuang's approval.
This incredibly beautiful woman... wanted to recruit me!
Unfortunately, she used the wrong method.
I'm someone who responds to kindness, not coercion. If you had been upfront with me, if we had cleared the air face-to-face, perhaps I might have had a tiny chance of agreeing.
But with this approach, I'm sorry! No way!
"I'm sorry! I once promised someone that I would never work for any casino."
As I said this, my demeanor and tone were very cold.
Seemingly anticipating my refusal, Yu Shuang did not get angry. Her eyes still held a seductive smile, and she said softly, "Don't be so quick to refuse me. You can hear my terms first, and then consider it carefully."
Upon hearing this, I remained silent, just staring coldly at Yu Shuang.
To be honest, if I hadn't been worried about provoking her anger by refusing directly again, I would have already lost my temper.
This was the first time I had seen someone act so convincingly that they would knock someone out with a real blow, only to then save them, all to draw them in.
With such acting skills, why were they working in the underworld? They should have become actors!
The thought of the slightly swollen lump on the back of my head made me furious!
Acting is one thing, but you could have just acted a little, but...
Just then, a word suddenly flashed in my mind.
Could this Yu Shuang be from the Yan Sect?
As mentioned earlier, the eight sects of the underworld were: Feng, Ma, Yan, Que, Hua, Lan, Rong, and Ge.
Yu Shuang was very likely from the Yan Sect.
This was because most members of the Yan Sect were young, beautiful women who made a living by swindling.
To cheat people out of money, they would stop at nothing! Their con artistry was superb.
Moreover, after swindling wealthy individuals, they would often retire from the underworld and live the life of wealthy wives.
I found it hard to believe that such a meticulously planned and realistic con could have been orchestrated by the seemingly dim-witted Shi Jianguo, or the taciturn middle-aged man, Ah Yao.
They lacked the intelligence for it!
As for Cao Jie, Yang Wei, and the muscular man, who had minor roles, they certainly didn't have the brains for it either.
That left Leng Meng and Yu Shuang.
Compared to the former, I had a strong feeling that the con was the work of the latter.
If Yu Shuang was indeed the mastermind behind the con, and if she was from the Yan Sect, then I needed to stay as far away from her as possible!
This was because Uncle Tuo had told me that among the eight sects, the words of those from the Yan Sect were not to be trusted, not even a single word!
If you got involved with someone from the Yan Sect, you'd be sold off and still foolishly help them count their money!
...
As if sensing my distraction, Yu Shuang suddenly cleared her throat, bringing my thoughts back, and then slowly began to speak, "A casino is essentially a larger version of a card room."
"Those who frequent casinos are not only gamblers but also various skilled con artists."
"Because Hua Du is a newly established casino, they are short-handed, especially in the 'dark light' department... they lack someone who can command respect!"
"Ah Yao, who you just matched wits with, is one of Hua Du Casino's dark lights."
"I've seen your technique, and it's much better than Ah Yao's! Moreover, you don't seem to have used your full strength!"
"So, I sincerely want to invite you to be a dark light at Hua Du!"
"As for the compensation... as long as it's not excessive, you name your price!"
Friends who have watched Hong Kong films like the "God of Gamblers," "God of Gamblers II," and "All for the Winner" series know that a "dark light" is a con artist employed by a casino.
However, unlike in the movies, in a small 18th-tier county like Anhai, finding skilled dark lights is not easy.
Setting aside other factors, the con artists who operate in various casinos and cheat them out of money possess genuine skills.
Catching them cheating is very difficult!
I had to admit, this woman was a good judge of character! I hadn't exerted much effort in the previous games, which was why she approached me.
As soon as Yu Shuang finished speaking, I chuckled.
A classic case of hitting someone and then offering them a sweet treat!
"You hit me, and now you're coming to appease me, even asking me to name my price?"
"Do you truly believe that money can buy everything, including dignity, or do you genuinely think your sincerity is sufficient?" I extinguished the cigarette butt in my hand with a forceful pinch and sneered.
After hearing my words, Yu Shuang remained unperturbed and calmly replied, "For a newcomer like you, just starting out in the con artistry world, being a dark light is the most suitable."
"Firstly, your face is unfamiliar, so you don't have to worry about anyone recognizing you."
"Secondly, this job is completely safe, and you won't have to live in fear!"
"Thirdly, when you're out in the world... the ability to bend and flex is the true way to survive!"
"Do you know? Dignity is utterly worthless in the face of survival!"
"Although your skills are excellent, you are clearly a novice. Your experience in dealing with people is severely lacking!"
"Therefore, even if you've been deceived by me today and might start being wary of others, if you change environments, change people, and change your story, you will still be deceived by others!"
"If that day comes, can you guarantee... that their intention in deceiving you will be the same as mine? Or perhaps, they are meticulously plotting to gain even greater benefits?"
"After all, a high-level con artist is undoubtedly equivalent to a money-making tree!"
"If you are deceived by such people and then become entangled with them, your life will be ruined!"
"But with me, that won't happen!"
"I only need you for one year!"
"Hua Du is indeed stretched thin in terms of dark light personnel. But I believe this situation will soon become a thing of the past."
"Therefore, I will only sign a one-year contract with you. After one year, the decision to stay or leave is yours."
"And during this year, I will not mistreat you in any way! As long as you are willing to come to Hua Du, your daily wage will start at one thousand, with other bonuses calculated separately."
"If you can catch those who cheat and bring fame to Hua Du, I will give you a share of the profits at the end of the year!"
"This is all my sincerity, and my bottom line. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, I first nodded slightly, then shook my head and smiled, "This compensation is indeed very tempting! But..."
"I refuse!"
My words caused Yu Shuang to freeze for a moment.