Chapter 31: Look in the Mirror

Brother Leopard grew even more smug, grabbing two hundred yuan directly and saying, "Let's go with these two; no more betting limits."

I looked at the pile of money in front of me and said, "I don't have that much left. Cousin, lend me a hundred."

Chen Jianjun was already extremely worried, but he couldn't afford to lose face in front of his cousin at this moment. He handed me a hundred and said, "Call it, stop arguing. You can't scare anyone away now anyway."

I felt it was enough. My goal wasn't just to win money, even though the cash on the table was more than two months of my wages.

I tossed in two hundred and said, "Brother Leopard, show your hand."

Brother Leopard flicked his cards over: a pair of eights.

It wasn't a high hand, yet he had chased the pot for several hundred, which only confirmed that he had known my hole cards.

I flipped my cards.

The outcome was predictable.

How could a pair of eights beat a flush?

In this round, I won over seven hundred yuan.

Even though Brother Cai had lost money, seeing me win made him burst into laughter.

Brother Leopard’s face turned pale with anger.

He found it inconceivable, but he couldn't speak of it; he had to swallow this bitter pill in silence.

By the afternoon, the news that I had won seven hundred yuan had spread throughout the restaurant. Everyone clamored for me to treat them to a meal. I didn't refuse, telling them I would arrange it for the evening.

It was while I was collecting the money that I suddenly thought of my Senior Apprentice Brother.

I suddenly felt he was right.

Although I kept telling myself I wasn't gambling for the sake of gambling—that I was only trying to get closer to Brother Cai to advance myself, or perhaps using my meager sleight-of-hand skills to attract attention—a poor kid, seeing seven hundred yuan in cash for the first time, still feels nervous and excited. One can't help but think: if I win this much tomorrow, that’s three months' wages! If I win this much every day, I’ll have ten thousand yuan in no time!

If my resolve wavered over such a small amount of money, what about my Senior Apprentice Brother, who had mastered top-tier gambling techniques? Each hand he faced likely involved thousands or tens of thousands!

I spent the entire afternoon reflecting on myself.

After work, I hosted the dinner as promised. Brother Leopard and his crowd didn't show, but Brother Cai came to support me, along with a dozen men and women. We chose Old Hai’s street food stall again. Brother Cai remained ecstatic, saying that the sight of Brother Leopard’s pale, stunned face was incredibly satisfying—he hadn't felt that good in a long time.

The atmosphere was lively. I hesitated several times, wanting to tell Brother Cai how I had won, but I held back. I knew that if I told him, I could become his sworn brother, but for now, I only felt he was slightly more agreeable than Brother Leopard; there was no need to put all my chips on him yet.

More importantly, I felt that his habit of taking money from the bar's ledger was a major taboo. Regardless of the amount, no boss likes others touching their accounts. He would eventually get into trouble for this.

The meal cost one hundred and thirty yuan.

Afterward, I went to the store and bought a pack of cigarettes for each man and a pack of gum for each woman.

I became a young man who "knew how to handle things" in their eyes. A tipsy Brother Cai put his arm around my shoulder and said, "A-Cheng, keep working hard. Don't worry, as long as Brother Cai is here, no one at Wang Restaurant will dare to give you any trouble!"

Alcohol is a good thing. A good thing for closing the distance between people.

Glasses were raised and toasts exchanged at the table.

Everyone was buzzed and high-spirited, spilling secrets that should have been kept, and that is how friendships are forged.

After the meal, I split the remaining money and gave half to Wang Chuyi. He didn't refuse too firmly and accepted it with a mix of reluctance and gratitude.

Back home, I gave my cousin one hundred and fifty yuan—one hundred to repay the loan and fifty for the rent. There wasn't much left.

I was still a bit tipsy, and at this age, alcohol makes a man think of women. I went to find Xiao Wen. She was in her room reading, and when she saw me, reeking of alcohol, she frowned. She didn't lash out, however, just brewed me a cup of tea. In front of the girl I liked, the alcohol made me talkative. I told her about my plans and arrangements, partly to show off my "meticulous thinking" and partly to hear her guidance.

But after listening, the woman remained indifferent, offering neither praise nor criticism, nor any opinion.

She only asked coolly, "When will you finish copying that book for me?"

"In a couple of days," I said, feeling a bit awkward, like a child denied the praise he was fishing for.

Xiao Wen nodded, looked back at me, and tucked her hair behind her ear.

It was her signature gesture—not only did it look beautiful and sharp, but it also signaled that she was about to start lecturing me.

I don't know if there's something wrong with me, but I really liked it when this girl scolded me.

The harsher she was, the more excited I became.

I took a sip of tea and thought to myself, "Let the storm rage even harder."

"Why are you partnering with that Wang Chuyi instead of your cousin, Chen Jianjun?" Xiao Wen asked me.

I never expected her to ask such a question.

I opened my mouth, momentarily speechless.

"He has a better relationship with Brother Cai, and I wanted to start with the interpersonal connections in the hotel, so I didn't ask him for help," I explained.

Of course, another reason was that Wang Chuyi was perhaps a bit more steady and reliable.

"I haven't read your book yet and don't know much about the 'Eight Generals' of the Thousand Sects, but from your brief explanation, I can guess that a team needs different people responsible for different jobs. If you are the 'General' who plans the strategy, you must divide work based on each person's ability and character. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. You must have the capacity to tolerate others before you can appoint people according to their talents. But the prerequisite for all of this is loyalty. I can't guess if Wang Chuyi is loyal to you, but with the blood ties you have with your cousin, he would never abandon you."

"I was watching a show about the Chu-Han Contention the other day. Liu Bang succeeded by relying on a group of fellow villagers, relatives, and poor friends. When the King of Chu refused to cross the Wujiang River, he said he couldn't face his people in Jiangdong. Do you know why? Because the soldiers who fought to the death to carve a path for him were his own kin and old acquaintances."

"Of course, I know you must have your own considerations, and I don't mean to imply you look down on your cousin. I'm just thinking, if you keep this partnership with Wang Chuyi a secret from your cousin from the start, and he finds out through other channels later, what will he think? If it were you, what would you think? He might not say anything to your face, but once a rift forms in the heart, it's very hard to repair."

Xiao Wen’s "lectures" were always delivered in a calm, soft tone. She would say a lot at once, but every single word was worth pondering.

If that book was my bible, Xiao Wen was the best commentary on it.

"I understand. I didn't think it through," I said.

"I'd rather hope I'm just overthinking it; after all, women tend to be more sensitive to these things. Also, you are too fragile right now—so fragile that you have to use every resource at your disposal and cannot afford a single mistake. What I fear is that Wang Chuyi might sell you out for something else, knowing that Uncle Yong is backing you," she said.

"I'll keep that in mind," I said. I wasn't saying it out of impatience, but with genuine admiration for her "lesson."

After she finished, I looked at Xiao Wen through the haze of the alcohol—a direct, burning gaze.

Even this cool, detached woman felt flustered. Still, she retorted, "What? Trying to use the liquor to build up some Dutch courage?"

"Are you secretly in love with me? I know I'm not bad-looking," I said, thick-skinned.

She grabbed the plastic mirror from her vanity and handed it to me.

"What's this for?" I asked.

"Take a look at your own ugly mug and tell me how you have the nerve to say you're good-looking," she laughed.