The Years I Was The Gambling God

Although Dark's punches were heavy, they merely left superficial bruises. After a week of recuperation at home, I was fully healed. During these days, I neither went to work nor requested leave, as I resigned myself to the belief that I had likely lost my job. I rejected Manager Su Mei's arrangements and won over Ranulph's girlfriend in a gamble. In Tianxiang Bathhouse, I had lost my foothold.

That morning, shortly after having breakfast, my phone rang with an unfamiliar number. Upon answering, a woman's voice came through, unmistakably that of Su Mei.

"Lupan, you must be feeling better now. Isn't it time you returned to work?"

I was taken aback; I had not previously had her number and did not expect her to call me about returning to work, let alone know about my injury.

"If you don't come in today, I'll have to mark you as absent, and I'll deduct your entire salary for the month..."

There was a hint of jest in her tone. In our line of work, taking leave or resigning was not an uncommon affair at a large establishment like Tianxiang. Typically, such matters didn't warrant personal attention from someone like Mei. The fact that she was not only aware but also reaching out to me could only indicate one thing: she was watching my actions closely, likely due to my reputation as a skilled gambler.

Heeding her words, I decided to return to work. Despite my absence of just a week, I could feel the altered gaze of my colleagues upon me. In the male bathing area, not a single person greeted me, and even those who had previously been friendly now hesitated to approach.

One of my close acquaintances, Luis, discreetly sent me a text message. He conveyed that nearly everyone at Tianxiang was aware of how I had won Ranulph's girlfriend and that Filla had not returned home that night. The following day, Filla ended her relationship with Ranulph, leading him to declare that anyone who dared to associate with me would face his wrath, vowing he would not spare me.

Reading the text, I couldn't help but sneer internally. Filla had certainly not divulged that nothing had transpired between us, and perhaps she had sought solace with another man. That was of no concern to me. As for Ranulph's threats, I dismissed them entirely; he was merely an insignificant figure.

My shift that day consisted of day and night duty. Just as I was preparing to head to the cafeteria for a meal, a fellow server informed me that Mei wanted to see me in her office. I had not seen her all day.

Upon knocking and entering her office, I found her arranging items on her desk. After a week apart, she seemed significantly more haggard, her eyes bloodshot.

"Lupan, I heard that you won Ranulph's girlfriend," she stated.

I remained silent, effectively confirming her suspicion.

"What did you do with her?"

"Nothing happened…"

Mei finally glanced up at me, her tone laced with disdain.

"You have no standards, do you? You'll take any woman."

"Do you believe I am lying when I say nothing happened?"

Mei rolled her eyes dismissively.

"Please! A man's words cannot be trusted…"

I didn't bother to clarify; her belief or disbelief was inconsequential. As she spoke, Mei placed four packs of Chunghwa cigarettes and several boxes of tea on the desk.

"Lupan, we've shared a working relationship, and I've come to hold you in good regard. So here, take these cigarettes and tea; I have no use for them anymore…"

I raised an eyebrow in surprise. Why was she suddenly giving me gifts? Her tone felt like a farewell. Despite my usual indifference, I asked, "Mei, are you resigning or considering a job change?"

In the service industry, turnover was high, and professionals like Su Mei were often prime targets for recruitment by competitors.

She smiled wistfully.

"My boss has been good to me; why would I want to leave? It's just that I cannot continue working here…"

I looked at her in confusion. What could have compelled her to make such a decision?

"During the week you were recuperating at home, I, too, took a hiatus from work. I spent the week at a small casino, gambling and losing significantly. But let's not dwell on that…"

"How much did you lose?"

Though Mei was reluctant to answer, I pressed further.

With a mournful sigh, she replied, "I had savings of nine hundred seventy thousand! Additionally, I borrowed two million from the casino. I can't pay it back now; I'll essentially have to go with them…"

Nearly three million! My breath caught in my throat. While Varg may have been wealthy, I was not; three million was a sum I could scarcely fathom, let alone possess. The fact that Mei had lost so much in just a week left me perplexed, and I inquired, "But your friend runs a casino; why gamble elsewhere?"

Mei shot me a glance.

"Even if one owns a restaurant, one doesn't eat every meal there, do they?"

That reasoning made sense, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that someone with her experience should have known better than to make such poor choices.

"Enough of this. Take the cigarettes and tea; I must be going…"

"I'll walk you out!"

I accompanied Mei downstairs. In the parking lot, two burly men stood by her car, smoking. They wore tight black shirts and sported crew cuts, their arms adorned with tattoos of dragons and tigers, their demeanour far from welcoming.

As we approached, Mei handed over the car keys.

"Here are the keys; the registration and title are inside the car. You can take it, but could you give me a few more days for the remaining money?"

One of the men extinguished his cigarette underfoot.

"Su Mei, we're just following orders. Your agreement with the boss stipulates a week for repayment, and that time is now up. If you can't pay up, we'll have to take you with us…"

The second man added, "Exactly, Su Mei, don't make this difficult for us; we're just workers, too. Besides, your debt isn't that substantial—just two million. With your appearance, if you spend a little time with our boss and keep him entertained, he might even let you off the hook."

Mei sighed in resignation. She was out of options and had no choice but to comply. Glancing back at me with a sorrowful expression, she said, "Lupan, you should head home. Perhaps we'll cross paths again someday!"

With that, she prepared to get into the car and leave with the men.

"Wait!"

I suddenly spoke up.

The three of them stopped, looking back at me.

"Brother, are you looking to help Su Mei pay off her debt?" One of the men regarded me with a hint of mockery.

"Not a chance."

"If you can't pay, why are you even speaking? Do you want to fight?"

I shook my head, addressing the two men, "She owes you money, but the time limit hasn't expired yet. Tonight at midnight marks the end of the week."

The two men exchanged glances and then asked me, "What do you mean by that?"