Chapter 3 The Third Day After Stopping Running The third day after stopping running...
"Fatty, aren't you bored staying here?"
In the courtyard, Wen Chan sat on a small stool, bored out of her mind. Fatty was peeling ginger next to her. After peeling a large bucket of ginger, he put it in a small bucket to store it. This was a job at a nearby food processing plant.
I don't know how Fatty managed to persuade his neighbor to give him a bucket of ginger to process. Although he could only earn 50 cents from that bucket of ginger, Fatty didn't mind the small amount of money.
"I'm not bored at all, I'm busy here. Sister-in-law, if you're really bored, why don't you come over and lend me a hand?" The fat man's eyes lit up, and he handed a small knife to Wen Chan: "I'll go ask the neighbor for another bucket, maybe we can make two yuan today!"
Wen Chan looked at the huge bucket of ginger, her lips twitching.
Most men wouldn't want to do such delicate work, finding it shameful, but the fat man was quite open-minded about it.
"Don't talk nonsense. Is your brother Zheng a good gambler?"
The fat man put down the ginger he was holding, scratched his head, and said, "I guess Zheng is pretty good at it."
"Can you guarantee a win?" Wen Chan glanced at the fat man and asked.
The fat man chuckled: "Who can guarantee that? If I had that ability, I would have already gone to Macau to make a fortune. Why would I need to come all the way to Shenzhen to do wholesale?"
"I can guarantee I'll win." Wen Chan cracked her knuckles, twisted her neck, and stared at the fat man. "Do you believe me?"
The fat man smiled憨厚ly. "Sister-in-law, don't joke with me. If you had that ability, as for stealing... cough cough, anyway, don't worry. You're sick, and if something bad happens to you, I won't be able to explain it to Brother Zheng."
Wen Chan was both annoyed and amused.
She pulled a ten-yuan note from her pocket. "Here's the deal, it's just the two of us here, let's make a bet, how about it? If I win, you do as I say and take me to Chen Bozheng. If you win, the money is yours, and I won't tell anyone about this."
The fat man stared at the ten-yuan note, hesitated for a long time, and rubbed his thick hands on his trouser leg. "Really?"
What to play?
"Let's play blackjack." Wen Chan looked at the sun. She didn't have a watch, but judging from the sun, it was probably already past eleven.
Chen Bozheng should be careful, lest they arrive and have already lost everything.
The cicadas chirped incessantly.
The fan was whirring in the factory manager's office, but the heat was still intense.
Inside the office, Boss Ye, a cigar dangling from his lips, stared at Chen Bozheng across from him. "Kid, if you want to play blackjack with me, aren't you afraid of losing everything?"
Chen Bozheng had a calm smile on his face. "If I lose to you, it would be my honor. However, I am confident that I won't lose too badly."
"Haha, young people are indeed full of vigor. Alright, then I'll play blackjack with you."
Boss Ye pressed a button on the phone, called someone in, and then raised his heavy chin, "How many people are you sending?"
Chen Bozheng pointed to himself and Lin Qingfeng, "Just the two of us."
Boss Ye shrugged. "Alright, our rules here are that the minimum bet is 100, and you win whatever you bet, with no upper limit. But it has to be cash. I'll be the bookmaker. A draw means no winner. Little Chen, don't blame me for not reminding you, we don't allow anyone to cheat here."
"Is that so? Then we can rest assured."
Chen Bo said with a smile, but a hint of unease flashed across his handsome face.
Boss Ye called in another person, making a total of four people including himself.
In the first round, Chen Bozheng got 19, but he didn't take any cards. Lin Qingfeng got an Ace and a King, and Boss Ye got 18 points. Chen Bozheng and Lin Qingfeng won. They each bet 100 yuan, which means they won 200 yuan.
The monk standing to the side looked very nervous.
He knew that winning the first game wasn't a big deal.
This is just the beginning. To truly defeat Boss Ye, they must win big. Only then will people look at them with new respect.
In the second hand, Lin Qingfeng busted, scoring 22 points. Chen Bozheng neither won nor lost, but Boss Ye, the dealer, won everything.
Lin Qingfeng broke out in a cold sweat. He hadn't lost by much this time, but he was already getting nervous.
In the third hand, Boss Ye's face-up card was an Ace, Chen Bozheng also had an Ace, and the other card was a 7.
His heart was pounding.
Boss Ye asked with a smile, "Little Chen, would you like to add more cards? This 100-100 bet is a bit boring, let's just go for a big one."
Upon hearing Boss Ye's words, Chen Bo's eyelids twitched.
Mr. Ye has an Ace in his hand. Does his statement mean that he also has a 10 or JKQ in his hand?
Chen Bo looked at Lin Qingfeng, who looked visibly nervous, indicating that his hand wasn't looking too good.
Chen Bozheng shook his head, "No more cards."
Boss Ye clicked his tongue in regret and looked at Lin Qingfeng and another person. These two people also didn't want any cards, obviously everyone was worried that Boss Ye had 21 in his hand.
"Nobody wants it, so you're offering it to me for such a low price."
Boss Ye revealed his cards: an Ace and an 8.
Everyone's expression changed drastically.
In blackjack, besides getting 21 points, the player whose hand is closest to 21 wins.
Chen Bozheng's time is 6 PM, while Lin Qingfeng's and another person's time is 1 PM and 3 PM respectively.
"Oh dear, why isn't Xiao Lin playing his cards? He's so timid. Even if he took one more card, it wouldn't be so easy for him to win big." Boss Ye clicked his tongue and shook his head as he took the gambling stakes from the table.
"Brother Zheng!"
Just as Chen Bo was hesitating about whether to take a break, the fat man's voice suddenly rang out.
Chen Bo and Lin Qingfeng turned around and saw the fat man leading Wen Chan in.
Wen Chan was still wearing a hat, which she took off after entering.
She glanced at the situation on the card table and raised an eyebrow.
"Why are you all here?" Chen Bo said to Boss Ye and the others, and then pulled Wen Chan out.
The fat man was about to speak impatiently when Chen Bo glared at him. "Don't say anything. This is how you did what I told you to do. Didn't I tell you to stay home with Wen Chan and not come over?"
"Brother Zheng, I didn't want to come, but Wen Chan is really good at cards. She almost won my underwear," the fat man said pitifully, rubbing his neck.
Wen Chan immediately protested, "Don't talk nonsense! Didn't I give it all back to you after I won? Besides, who wants your underwear!"
"What happened?"
Chen Bo frowned and asked.
Wen Chan glanced at his, Lin Qingfeng's, and the monk's faces and said, "If I'm not mistaken, you guys have suffered a pretty bad defeat."
The monk said frankly, "We've already lost over three hundred, and we don't have much money left. We only have a little over two hundred left."
"Monk, why are you being so nosy!" Lin Qingfeng said, embarrassed and annoyed.
Wen Chan looked at Chen Bozheng and said, "There are only two hundred left. Why don't you give it to me? Otherwise, you won't even have enough money to buy train tickets back to Beijing."
Her eyes were resolute.
For some reason, Chen Bozheng began to waver.
The fat man next to him shouted even louder, "Brother Zheng, let your wife go down! This time, no one can win back their losses except her!"
"You bastards, weren't you guys playing blackjack? How come you all just disappeared?"
The proprietress washed some fruit and brought it over for everyone to eat. But when she entered the office, she found that there was no one else there except her husband and the accountant, Lao Wu.
Boss Ye picked up a piece of watermelon, took a bite, and said, "Those guys are probably scared of losing and are about to run away. I could tell a long time ago that they definitely didn't have much money on them, otherwise they wouldn't be so hesitant to bet even a few hundred yuan."
"If that's the case, then don't play with them, lest they lose everything and become depressed."
"That's what the proprietress said."
Boss Ye waved his hand, "Alright, alright, I got it."
As the couple were talking, they saw Chen Bo leading the girl and her group of people in.
"So, Xiao Chen, are you still going to fight? If you ask me, forget it. You've come to place your order, so just give me the payment, and I'll arrange production for you as soon as possible," Boss Ye said cheerfully, looking extremely amiable.
Chen Bo looked at Wen Chan, who smiled and said, "Boss Ye, right? No rush, let's fight, but this time I'll fight you."
"You?" Boss Ye looked like he had seen a ghost. He looked Wen Chan up and down and shook his head. "Little girl, don't be silly. It would be a miracle if you knew how to play cards."
"How will we know if we don't try?" Wen Chan pulled out Chen Bozheng's chair and sat down. "Or are you afraid we can't afford to lose? Don't worry."
She gave Chen Bozheng a look, and Chen Bozheng took out all the remaining two hundred yuan from his pocket.
Lin Qingfeng was sweating profusely. If they lost this round, none of them would have dinner tonight.
Boss Ye looked them over suspiciously, then shrugged. "Fine, if you want to play, then keep playing."
He returned to the card table and picked up the cards he had just played.
Wen Chan said, "Wait a minute, can I see the cards that were just used?"
Boss Ye didn't care. He waved his fat hand, and Wen Chan gathered the used cards in front of him, glanced at them briefly, and then pushed them aside.
Her gaze swept over Chen Bozheng's cards almost imperceptibly.
In the first hand, Wen Chan got two eights. Fatty was still happy, but Lin Qingfeng and Chen Bo's expressions changed.
Anyone who's played blackjack knows that it's not the small cards you're afraid of, it's the big cards you're afraid of. Two eights add up to sixteen, but sixteen is a very awkward number. It's easy to bust. If you draw a card that's 6/7/8/9/10, you're done for.
But if you don't want the cards, the points are too small.
"Split the cards," Wen Chan said calmly, splitting the two 81s in half.
She looked at Boss Ye's face-up card, which was a 7. "The bet is the same on both sides, one hundred each, and then each of you needs to take one more card."
Boss Ye glanced at Wen Chan and raised his eyebrows. "Young lady, if you lose, you'll lose double."
Wen Chan tapped the table. "I know, deal the cards."
Boss Ye pursed his lips and dealt her two cards.
One is 2, and the other is 4.
Judging from the cards, the situation is neither good nor bad; one set adds up to 10, and the other set adds up to 12.
Wen Chan immediately asked for another card.
Boss Ye still didn't take the cards; he just glanced at Wen Chan warily.
Wen Chan flipped over the cards; the two cards were 4 and 5, bringing the total to 14 and 17 respectively.
The group 17 is neither good nor bad. Judging from the ranking, it has a high probability of tying with Boss Ye, because Boss Ye's hidden card can only be one of two possibilities: either 10 or A.
"Continue." Wen Chan tapped the table.
Accountant Wu glanced at Wen Chan in surprise.
Lin Qingfeng was breathing heavily and wanted to persuade Wen Chan to stop, since at least one team could draw!
"Three cards already, are you still going to continue?" Boss Ye asked rhetorically.
Wen Chan shrugged. "Continue."
Mr. Ye paused, looking somewhat helpless. He felt that his worries were unnecessary; this young girl was clearly just fooling around.
Experienced players know that having more than three cards can easily lead to a bust.
The other two cards came down. Wen Chan took them, pressed one side with her hand, and slowly opened them. When she saw the numbers on the cards, her eyes lit up. The two cards were 6 and 3!
Wen Chan turned over the cards. The first set of cards was (8/2, 4/6), and the second set of cards was (8/4/5/3).
Boss Ye stared at her cards. "Two 20s, young lady, you've got some skills."
"Your cards are 7 and 10, right?" Wen Chan said calmly.
Boss Ye revealed his hand, and sure enough, it was the Queen of Hearts.
The values of JKQ are both 10.
"We won! We won!" The fat man grabbed Lin Qingfeng's hand, unable to contain his excitement, and stamped his foot as he spoke.
Wen Chan won 200 yuan in this round, which means she recovered two-thirds of her initial investment.
She looked at Boss Ye and smiled slightly, "Boss Ye, how about we make a big bet?"
Boss Ye raised an eyebrow. "Young lady, you've only won one round. It's best not to be too impulsive. I advise you to quit while you're ahead."
He took a puff of his cigar, exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, and spoke in a very nonchalant tone.
Wen Chan counted the large bills in front of her with a clattering sound and said lazily, "Boss Ye, everyone says you're a bold person. How come you're making excuses just because it's a gamble? Are you afraid we'll bankrupt you if you gamble a few hundred yuan?"
Mr. Ye was so angry he laughed. He stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray and said to Wen Chan, "Fine, just for what you said, how much are you betting?!"
"Double the bet! If we win, you pay double; if we lose, we pay double!"
Wen Chan said, "In addition, I heard that you have a rule that if someone can win your heart and respect, you are willing to do them a favor."
Boss Ye finally understood. These Beijingers hadn't intended to gamble with him before, so why did they suddenly want to play blackjack with him? He lit a cigarette and said, "That's right. If you win this round, what help do you need? No problem."
Mr. Ye gestured for Accountant Wu to leave, leaving only Mr. Ye and Wen Chan at the card table.
Wen Chan had just won 400 yuan and put it all on the table. If they had won, they could have taken 1200 yuan with them. If they had lost, they would have owed the other party 400 yuan.
Both monk Lin Qingfeng and Chen Bozheng were so nervous that they broke out in a sweat.
"Wife, you deal the cards." Boss Ye glanced at his wife.
The proprietress came over in high heels and took the remaining cards.
The first two cards were: Mr. Ye's face-up card was 10, and his face-down card was unknown, but Mr. Ye did not take the card. Wen Chan's cards were K and 5.
Everyone couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
"So, want to play cards?" Boss Ye seemed to have noticed the change in everyone's expressions and realized that Wen Chan's cards were not good. He said with a smile, "Let me tell you, my cards are extraordinary. I'm sure to win this time."
Is victory assured?
Could it be A?!
Lin Qingfeng's face turned pale. If Boss Ye gets 21 points, is there any point in playing this game?
"I need the cards." Wen Chan seemed not to hear anything and tapped the table.
The proprietress hesitated for a moment before dealing her a card.
Once the cards are in your hand, slowly flip them over.
Fatty and Lin Qingfeng were sweating profusely, their hearts pounding in their throats.
"Six of Diamonds!"
The fat man screamed.
Wen Chan flipped over the card: a six of diamonds, 21 points, exactly!
Boss Ye's facial muscles twitched. He sat up abruptly, leaning against the table. "Six of Diamonds?!"
"Boss Ye, it's time for you to turn over your card. If I'm not mistaken, that card of yours should be the Seven of Clubs."
Wen Chan curled her fingers, tapped the table, and tilted her head in thought.
Boss Ye's pupils contracted, and the card he was holding turned over revealed to be the 7 of Clubs.
"How...how did you do that? Did you cheat?!" The proprietress looked at Wen Chan suspiciously.
Wen Chan spread her arms wide. "From the moment I left until now, I've just been sitting here. You were the ones dealing the cards. How could I have cheated?"
"Wife, she didn't cheat." Boss Ye waved his hand, stared at Wen Chan intently for a long time, and then counted out eight hundred yuan and handed it to Wen Chan.
"You're pretty good. If you tell me how you did it, I'll give you an extra two hundred."
"Sorry, this is confidential." Wen Chan waved her hand and gave Chen Bozheng a look.
Chen Bozheng realized what was happening and quickly explained his purpose.
Boss Ye lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and said, "Payment after delivery is not an option, there's no such rule. But I'm a man of my word. Here's what we'll do: I'll have someone make your order first. It'll take at least a month for this batch to be ready. You can pay and pick up the goods then, and that won't be breaking the rules. How about that?"
Chen Bozheng had already inquired about the rules in Shenzhen. He knew that at least half of the deposit had to be paid when placing an order, and the full amount had to be paid for spot goods.
Now that Boss Ye is willing to forgo the deposit and let them raise the money, it can be said that he is very generous.
"Could you give us a further discount? Mr. Ye, please do so for the sake of our card-playing friendship."
Boss Ye said irritably, "Fine, I'll give you a 20% discount, the biggest discount I can offer. Others only get this discount when they place an order worth over a million, but you only get 80,000. It's a bargain for you. But don't tell anyone about this, or I won't be able to explain it to anyone!"
Chen Bozheng and the others all had joy on their faces.
With a 20% discount, they can get at least 10% more goods than expected.
Chen Bozheng signed the order. Wen Chan glanced at the style he wanted and found it rather jarring. She wondered if she was out of touch with the trends of the 1990s. Why were these clothes so bright red and green? The styles seemed outdated to her.
The fat man said she didn't understand, "Sister-in-law, these styles are the best-selling at Xiushui Street right now. Girls and aunties in Beijing all wear them. How are they old-fashioned?"
"I just think it's tacky," Wen Chan said disdainfully.
But she didn't say much. After all, this was Chen Bozheng's business, and since it was a popular style in Beijing, it meant there was still a market for it.
As Chen Bo came out of the garment factory, he looked at Wen Chan and his lips moved slightly. "Thank you. I'm so grateful to you for today."
Wen Chan waved her hand, "It's nothing, don't thank me, thank Fatty instead. Without him bringing me here, I wouldn't have been able to help."
The fat man chuckled and said, "Brother Zheng, we've made a fortune, we're quite well-off now, how about we treat ourselves to something nice tonight?"
“No problem.” Chen Bozheng agreed, then looked at Wen Chan: “But how can you be so sure you could win the card game just now?”
Wen Chan glanced at the small shop next door, stopped, and said, "I want to drink a Coke."
"You're sick," Chen Bozheng refused. "Drink Wahaha instead."
Wen Chan snorted and walked away.
“…I’ll buy you Arctic Ocean soda!” Chen Bo was backing down.
Wen Chan didn't even turn her head, and even pulled her hat up. Treating a meritorious person like that, she wouldn't even give her a bottle of Coke, and you still expect her to reveal the secret? Dream on.
A note from the author:
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