As Shen Mengqing finished explaining everything, I immediately realized… there was a major setup tonight!
And it was a setup to catch a thousand, a "picking a game and catching a thousand" kind of setup!
The so-called "picking a game and catching a thousand" is a specific type of game targeting "traveling thousand groups."
As I mentioned earlier, traveling thousand groups make a living by traveling around, picking fights, and swindling money.
Among them, the stronger traveling thousand groups would openly set up games in casinos to swindle money.
Generally, after selecting a casino, the "positive player" in the traveling thousand group would have the "negative player" contact the casino's management in advance, using various pretexts like threats and enticements to lure the casino into the game.
If the casino chose to show weakness, there would be only one outcome: paying money for peace!
However, casinos targeted by high-end traveling thousand groups are not small establishments; they have no reason to willingly pay a hefty sum to be fleeced.
So, in most cases, they would choose to accept the challenge from the traveling thousand group.
Once the game is set, the next step for the casino is to gather their people, pick the game, and catch the thousand.
For such major setups, if there's no absolute certainty of exposing the opponent and catching them red-handed, the casino would signal the "dark lights" to prioritize picking the game.
Traveling thousand groups that dare to set up games in major casinos are usually composed of members who are all skilled in their own right.
To put it without exaggeration, compared to the "dark lights" in the casino, these individuals' skills are arguably on par, if not superior.
Therefore, without complete confidence in successfully catching a thousand, finding ways to win the gambling game itself becomes the top priority.
After all, why would these people dare to cause trouble in casinos if not to openly win more money through a "public scheme"?
As long as they win back all the gambling funds raised by the traveling thousand group, does catching a thousand even matter?
Winning signifies that the casino has the strength to pick games, which can effectively deter and intimidate the hidden "ghosts and monsters" lurking in the shadows.
No wonder Qi Bin and Lu Yong looked so excited. According to the salary structure Shen Mengqing told me about earlier, tasks like catching a thousand and picking games come with extra commissions and dividends.
For instance, in tonight's setup, as long as the game is successfully picked, the casino will pay the "dark lights" a commission of 20% of the setup party's gambling funds.
While 20% might not seem like much, for such major setups, the gambling funds prepared by the traveling thousand group as the setup party would definitely not be less than one million.
A successful game pick means the "dark lights" team can at least receive a 200,000 commission.
Including myself, there are only four people in the second echelon of the Ruichi "dark lights" team tonight.
This means if the game is successfully picked, each of us can receive fifty thousand yuan!
And to receive this fifty thousand yuan, there's no need to worry about the risk of failing to catch a thousand.
All we need to do is roll up our sleeves and go all out!
After all, the home ground… is on our own turf!
We can cheat and use tricks, but the prerequisite is that we must not be exposed by the opponent first!
...
After spending a few hours in the lounge, time unknowingly passed into the evening.
During this period, perhaps to prepare in advance, Li Sheng, Qi Bin, and Lu Yong were all called away by Shen Mengqing one after another.
As for me, I took this opportunity to call Cheng Minglang and Han Jinlun.
I briefly explained the situation, telling them to sort out their own dinner and nightlife, and not to wait for me, as I had to work tonight…
When Shen Mengqing finally came to call me, I glanced at the wall clock in the lounge; it was already ten-thirty in the evening.
Following Shen Mengqing to the first floor of the casino, I immediately turned my gaze to the lobby.
As expected, Li Sheng and Qi Bin were both in the lobby, and behind them stood a group of "dark lights."
However, the expressions on these people's faces were all very stern.
Not only that, but the entire first-floor lobby of Ruichi had been cleared, with only one table of people still gambling.
Through the dense crowd, I saw Lu Yong sitting at one end of the gambling table, directly opposite my line of sight.
Without needing to guess, I knew that the person sitting opposite Lu Yong must be one of the traveling thousand group members who came to pick a fight tonight.
This scene immediately reminded me of something Uncle Tuo once said.
If a casino chooses to clear the area for a game pick, there's only one reason, and one reason only!
Wealth should not be flaunted, and the stakes of the game are extremely high!
It seems these people are definitely not simple!
Just as this thought crossed my mind, the traveling thousand group member opposite Lu Yong, whose appearance I couldn't quite make out, suddenly spoke, "Excuse me, four Aces!"
"I win!"
As these three words, carrying immense penetration, echoed out, all the "dark lights" gathered behind Li Sheng and Qi Bin immediately fell silent.
The entire second-floor lobby instantly became deathly quiet, the tranquil atmosphere akin to being in Haojiang, the graveyard of cheaters.
"Chen Xiang, after contacting Zhang Qiang, I had planned for you to observe tonight's game and learn.
"But now this bastard has suddenly become unreachable! So, if it really doesn't work out later… you might truly have to step in.
"I'm giving you this heads-up in advance! Wait here for a moment, I'm going to see what's going on!"
After whispering, Shen Mengqing began to walk towards the highly anticipated gambling table.
As Shen Mengqing's footsteps in high heels receded, my expression also became somewhat solemn.
Although Shen Mengqing didn't elaborate, and her emotional management was very thorough throughout, the hint of worry in her eyes at the moment she turned and stepped away was clearly captured by me.
It seems that even Shen Mengqing finds this group of traveling thousand members troublesome, which is enough to prove their formidable strength!
Tonight's setup, I fear…
Just as the four words appeared in my mind, my thought was instantly halted.
For no other reason than that Uncle Tuo had repeatedly warned me.
Before the battle, never be the first to falter!
With this in mind, I shifted my gaze back to the gambling table.
I saw that both Li Sheng and Qi Bin were standing aside with gloomy expressions.
Moreover, their gazes were all fixed on the traveling thousand group member who was gambling against Lu Yong.
It's clear that Li Sheng and Qi Bin should know how the opponent won, but they couldn't discern any issues.
Judging by this posture, the traveling thousand group that brought ample chips to Ruichi to pick a fight indeed has members with very formidable cheating skills.
Even seasoned players like Li Sheng and Qi Bin couldn't spot any flaws.
But it makes sense when you think about it!
If these people could be easily seen through and exposed, they probably wouldn't have made it to Ruichi at all; they would have been caught on the way!
Unknowingly, the atmosphere in the entire first-floor lobby became very oppressive. All the members representing both Ruichi and the traveling thousand group surrounded the gambling table so tightly that not even water could pass through.