Chapter 34: Hearing the Convergence of the Three Primes Once More

He was right. I had never heard of the "Three Origins Converging at the Peak" physiognomy reading that my grandfather—or rather, his third maternal uncle's comrade-in-arms—had given me.

I only knew the term because senior Liu Qingshan had mentioned it. Before today, I never believed that physiognomy was real. In his books, Liu Qingshan provided a detailed introduction to the Jiangxiang School, viewing all these so-called tricks as nothing more than shady, unorthodox folk practices. As for his compliment regarding my "Three Origins Converging at the Peak," it was likely just a pleasantry offered to a young man who looked determined enough to set out and find work. Its primary purpose was psychological suggestion and comfort, making me feel special so I would have more drive in my endeavors.

Yet, when I thought about it again, if he didn't believe the "Three Origins Converging at the Peak" was real, why would he gift me this handwritten manual? And why charge me only one yuan for it?

I couldn't help but wonder: what kind of sect was the Shentiao Gate, anyway? Why was there not a single mention of it in his notes? And why was Uncle Yong so shocked when he saw the "hand-pressing" technique of the Shentiao Gate? It seemed I would have to ask Uncle Yong about this.

However, the most pressing matter was to comfort my cousin. The fact that he had suddenly opened up to me like this was clearly due to the knot in his heart caused by my collaboration with Wang Chuyi.

I sat up and said to him sincerely, "Cousin, I'm sorry. I let you down."

Chen Jianjun waved his hand. "To hell with that. I'm just saying, make sure you include me when there's money to be made."

With that, he turned over and prepared to sleep.

"Do you know that there's a casino on the third floor of our hotel? The stakes are huge," I asked.

Chen Jianjun sat up abruptly. "What? Are you serious? Isn't the third floor just a reception hall?"

"You've worked here for three years and didn't know that? You can imagine how tightly they keep it under wraps. We play cards with a one-yuan base and a ten-yuan cap, but the people who gamble on the third floor carry their money in sacks. You only make the big money if you can get into that third floor. That is my goal."

Chen Jianjun’s eyes lit up. "Damn, cousin, you really are something else. I knew my instincts were right. Should I ask Brother Cai?"

I shook my head. "Brother Cai definitely doesn't know. If he had any connection to the third floor, he wouldn't be so blind to such obvious card-cheating tricks. I think that Leopard might know a little, but not much. We’ll have another game tomorrow. I broke Leopard’s setup today; if he comes back tomorrow and uses other tricks to win my money, that will prove my hypothesis is correct."

"And then what? Suck up to Leopard? That won't work. You got this job through Brother Cai's connections, and we drank with him tonight. That Leopard isn't worth getting close to. Brother Cai might have his flaws, but he treats his friends well. He's the type to use people when they're in front of him and ignore them when they're behind him, though—I don't like that about him," my cousin said.

"Cousin, we want money. Getting into the third floor to make the big bucks is just the first step. Doing this might make you enemies with Brother Cai. Are you still willing to do it?" I asked.

My cousin was stunned. He hesitated.

"Brother Cai is a decent guy, really," he said.

He looked at me, and we locked eyes for two minutes.

Gritting his teeth, he said, "How much damage are we talking? Are we going to ruin him?"

I smiled. "Not necessarily. I've thought about it. Our only chance is to borrow authority. Whose? Not Brother Cai's, and not Leopard's. The only person who can decide whether we get into the third floor is the owner, Ah Wang. We need to become his trusted confidants. But how? That’s the hard part. I asked around today; the waitstaff rarely even see Ah Wang."

"True, I've only seen him three times myself," Chen Jianjun admitted.

"He has family conflicts. And his family conflicts are exactly the conflict between Brother Cai and Leopard. I think we can make something of that," I said.

"Cousin, honestly, I don't think you need to go through all this trouble," Chen Jianjun said.

"You have a better way?" I asked.

"You probably don't know the influence Uncle Yong has. Don't look at him like he's just some old man wearing flip-flops and a tank top. That old guy has serious power. Forget about this Jinji Village; he could shake the entire development zone with a single stomp. If you just ask him to put in a word with Boss Wang, he’d hand over the management of the third floor to you immediately. Why struggle so much?"

"Why would he help me? Because I’m a high school dropout from the countryside? Because I can spout a few pieces of underworld jargon and have been in two fights?" I replied.

"Doesn't he think highly of you? Why else would he support you?" Chen Jianjun asked, surprised.

"He only has the slightest bit of interest in me. Cousin, I believe that when you meet a benefactor, you should let them see your capability; if they see an opportunity, they won't be stingy about helping you. But if you beg for a favor, you'll only be looked down upon. Besides, taking the third floor is our 'tribute'—we have to let Uncle Yong see what we’re capable of."

Chen Jianjun nodded. He was excited now. He pulled a deck of cards from the bedside table and said, "Do you have any other cheating tricks? Just watch me win back everything from that dog Leopard. I've lost thousands to him over the last two years."

"I don't know any cheating tricks. Even if I did, I wouldn't teach you. Cousin, cards should be for entertainment. Once you become addicted to gambling, even the gods can't save you."

"You underestimate me. I’m just going to win back what I lost, and then I'll stop," Chen Jianjun said defiantly.

"Everyone’s gambling habit starts small and grows until they’re in too deep," I said.

He didn't seem pleased, so I didn't say anything more. He was a broad-minded person; though he could be meticulous at times, it was rare. Before long, he was fast asleep, snoring.

I wasn't sleepy. I got up, went to the balcony, moved a small stool, and squatted down to start copying my notes. It was partly because I had promised Xiao Wen, and partly because I needed to review what I had learned to gain new insights. I had no other resources to rely on, so I had to make the most of what I had.

I worked until two in the morning, and when sleepiness finally took over, I crept back to bed.

On the way to work the next morning, I bought another bottle of liquor for Wu Dahai. I had wanted to treat him to a meal after winning money yesterday, but he couldn't make it. This time, I bought a bottle of Yubingshao from Foshan, which is brewed by soaking a large piece of pork fat in white spirits. Wu Dahai felt even more embarrassed when he took the bottle. "Xiao Zhang, you... look at you... why are you being so polite?"

"I won it playing cards. Easy come, easy go. If I keep this money, I’ll probably just lose it anyway," I said.

"I'll treat you to a meal tonight. I can't keep taking advantage of you. What do you like to eat?" Wu Dahai asked.

"We can have a drink. The food doesn't matter, a plate of peanuts is fine. Don't be so formal. If you hadn't taught me the ropes, who knows what mistakes I might have made after I started working," I said.

Wu Dahai nodded. He looked at the bottle for a moment, then looked up and said in a low voice, "Xiao Zhang, don't play cards with them anymore. You might have won yesterday because of luck, or maybe they wanted to let you win to bait the hook. No one can win against Leopard and his crew."

"What do you mean? Do they know some kind of trick?" I asked.

"How could anyone be lucky enough to win all the time? Don't ask—just keep it in mind," Wu Dahai said.