When I arrived, the three "pigs" were still dressed as bosses, in suits with slicked-back hair.
What's more, all three of them were sitting at the same mahjong table, creating a perfect "three players short of a full set" scenario.
I had to admit, these three gamblers, who had been fleeced by the casino, were clever.
They knew full well that if they operated individually, relying on some low-level "high-tech" cheating devices, the sum of their efforts would be far greater than three. But...
If even one of them slipped up, it would undoubtedly lead to a complete downfall for all of them.
Therefore, they had openly joined forces, waiting for someone to fall into their trap. They preferred to earn money slowly and steadily rather than risk going it alone.
After all, subtly manipulating the game, like letting someone win a hand, left no evidence, especially at a mahjong table.
It wasn't as if someone could just claim they intentionally let another player win a hand just because they were the one who lost.
The line between intentionally losing a hand and unintentionally losing one was incredibly difficult to define and control.
Sitting down at a game that was short one player meant you had to consider the consequences beforehand...
It was no wonder Zhang Chengxiang was so eager for me to come; it seemed the situation had truly become desperate.
Upon entering, to avoid alerting them, I didn't rush to the table. Instead, I stood to the side and observed.
Since I was here, I intended to resolve the problem once and for all.
From the perspective of an outsider, I could carefully observe the three individuals' every word, action, and even the slightest of movements, ensuring I knew my enemy as well as myself.
As I observed them from the shadows, I noticed that many gamblers in the vicinity of their mahjong table were subtly, or not so subtly, directing their gaze towards them.
Even though they knew these three were working together, many gamblers' eyes still held a fervent gleam.
The reason for this was that the chips in front of each of these three men started at over twenty thousand yuan.
Typically, gambling tables with an average of ten thousand yuan in chips per player only appeared in the private rooms upstairs; it was rarely seen in the main hall.
In a grassroots, rural card room like the one managed by Zhang Chengxiang, most of the gamblers sitting in the main hall would bet their entire month's salary, which was around two thousand yuan.
But these three men each had twenty thousand, a tenfold difference!
Who wouldn't be envious? Who wouldn't be tempted?
As it happened, after a round of Golden Flower gambling at the next table concluded, two gamblers who had been on a winning streak, not only felt envious and tempted but also decided to act.
After a brief discussion, these two pooled their chips together, amassing about ten thousand yuan. They then approached the mahjong table and inquired about joining the game.
From their gestures and conversations, it seemed these two intended to take turns challenging the three "pigs."
With ten thousand yuan in chips combined, they black-heartedly aimed to win the more than sixty thousand yuan that the three men had on the table... Heh!
I didn't need to watch any further to know what fate awaited them.
As you all should know, Mahjong is a treasured cultural heritage of our country, with a long history.
Playing mahjong is a skill, and generally, people are reluctant to compete with strangers at the same table.
Casinos also have specialized mahjong machines and tables, but few people play them.
This is because you have no idea whether the person sitting at the table is human or a ghost.
After all, with proper coordination, mahjong players can easily cheat and win without resorting to any visible tricks.
Coupled with various winning hands and multipliers, you can be cleaned out in minutes!
Within an hour, the two gamblers who had been dominating the Golden Flower table and winning money had, in turn, lost it all at the mahjong table.
At a rate of ten thousand yuan per hour, it was entirely possible to win a hundred thousand or more in a single night. At this rate, it wouldn't take a month; perhaps in a week or two, at least half of the genuine gamblers hidden in Zhang Chengxiang's card room would be gone!
By then, even with many decoys, it wouldn't be enough, as the card room would already be operating at a loss!
...
After the two gamblers who tried to win big with a small stake left dejectedly, the three men posing as bosses remained composed, smoking and chatting.
At the same time, their eyes constantly scanned the surroundings, and they occasionally waved to lone customers, enticing them to join their table.
Seeing this, I immediately came up with a plan to break the stalemate.
I sent Han Jinlun to the counter to exchange chips with Zhang Chengxiang. After obtaining the chips, I didn't immediately join the game. Instead, I sat down at an adjacent table with only two players.
This two-player table was playing Blackjack, a one-on-one dealer-versus-player game.
I was waiting for these two stubborn gamblers, who were unwilling to let outsiders interfere, to reject me.
During the past hour, I had repeatedly confirmed that every lone customer who tried to join was rejected by these two.
As soon as someone was refused, the three fake bosses would unhesitatingly invite them over to play mahjong at their table.
For a cheat, entering a game requires skill and strategy.
Different games require different entry methods because the opponents are different.
Take these three gamblers posing as bosses, for instance. Although they weren't cheats themselves, their vigilance and defensive mindset were no less than that of a cheat.
If I had actively joined their game, they might not have suspected me at first. But as soon as I started winning, they would definitely suspect me of cheating or being a con artist.
What's more, they might even decide to end the game prematurely.
Therefore, before revealing my hand, I had to conceal my true intentions.
As expected, after seeing that I was rejected by the Blackjack table, one of the three old hands immediately greeted me.
"Hey friend, want to play mahjong? We're short one!"
Upon hearing this, I repeatedly shook my head and said, "No, I'm just starting out with mahjong, I don't really know how to play yet!"
Showing weakness is the key to anticipating the enemy's moves!
Hearing that I had only just learned to play mahjong, the three men with ulterior motives all chuckled inexplicably.
"It's okay, we're not exactly experts either. We just enjoy the feeling of drawing tiles and winning!"
"Exactly, exactly! Brother, we're in a bind, come play a couple of rounds. If you want to leave after two rounds, we absolutely won't stop you!" another old hand stood up, smiling at me with an entirely harmless demeanor.
After feigning hesitation and thinking for a moment, I deliberately let my gaze linger on the chips in front of the three of them, my eyes flickering.
"Alright then! Let's just say, only two rounds."