8: The eldest brother was set up at the town's casino.
Under the cover of night...
Screech—
Long Wu braked, and the old-fashioned bicycle came to a steady stop in the shadows outside the Lin family's courtyard wall.
Lin Chuan rubbed his backside, which felt like it had been shaken into eight pieces, and was about to say that the road really needed fixing.
But then he heard a quiet conversation coming from the courtyard gate.
His heart stirred, and he signaled to Long Wu.
The two of them silently slipped behind the old elm tree at the base of the wall.
Through the crack of the half-open wooden door, light from the courtyard leaked out.
He saw his eldest brother, Lin Jiang, squatting on the threshold, a cheap Da Shengchan cigarette between his fingers.
The cigarette tip flickered, and his brows were knitted tightly together.
He looked very troubled.
Beside him stood three thuggish-looking men.
The leader, wearing a floral shirt and a buzz cut, was a coworker from Big Brother's factory, nicknamed Pockmark.
In the past, Lin Chuan had even called him Brother Pockmark, thinking the man was quite warm-hearted.
Only later did he realize that this bastard was a wolf in sheep's clothing.
"Jiang, don't be too upset."
Pockmark exhaled a smoke ring, wearing a look of fake concern as he reached out to pat Lin Jiang on the shoulder.
"Victory and defeat are common in war!
Besides, you saw it too; we were just one card short just now!
Just one card!
If that 'Fa Cai' card had come, it would have been a Pure Flush Straight!
Forget about not losing that thousand-odd yuan; wouldn't the ten thousand-plus on the table all be yours?"
Another man nearby, who looked like a Skinny Monkey, quickly chimed in.
"Exactly, Brother Jiang!
Don't blame yourself too much.
You're doing this for Sister-in-law's illness.
Her illness is a bottomless pit.
You work yourself to death on the construction site every day; how much is that measly fixed salary of yours a month?
Even if you didn't eat or drink for years, would you save enough for the surgery fee?
What happened just now was such a pity!
Really, my heart aches for you!
That ten thousand yuan was right there for the taking, and it slipped away!"
"Ten thousand yuan..."
Lin Jiang's hand trembled; he didn't even react when cigarette ash fell and burned a hole in his trouser leg.
"If I had ten thousand yuan, Xiulan's surgery fee would be covered."
He murmured to himself, his voice dry and raspy.
Lin Chuan, listening outside the wall, felt a surge of anger.
These animals!
That was money to save his sister-in-law's life!
It was his big brother's hard-earned money!
They were manipulating his brother's greatest weakness, pushing him toward a dead end.
In his past life, it was this Pockmark, colluding with that 'Skinny Monkey,' who set his brother up.
They claimed they would help him make money and fleece other 'fat sheep' together.
In reality, Big Brother was the fat sheep they had targeted.
They made him lose everything and sink into massive debt.
In the end, his brother was driven to despair and committed suicide by drinking pesticide.
And their family's ancestral home was snatched away by this gang.
"Sigh! My head hurts!"
Lin Jiang held his head, clutching his hair in agony.
"I really can't go back there."
"Oh, Jiang! Why are you so stubborn!
Think about it, how smoothly things went for you at the start today; you won over three thousand yuan.
That's as much as you'd earn from a year of hard labor.
It was just that last bit where things went wrong.
What you need to do now is strike while the iron is hot, keep up the momentum, and win back the money you lost."
Pockmark grew a bit impatient, his tone becoming urgent as he began to goad him.
"Besides, money is something you can't take with you when you die.
You've lost a bit now, but it only takes one hand to win it all back."
The other man said, "Exactly! Look at that fool Li Er; he's a total klutz. He's no match for us."
"Right! Jiang!
Don't you want your wife to stay in a good hospital?
Don't you want your nursing child to have good milk powder?
If you quit now, all your previous efforts will be for nothing!
Wouldn't that thousand-odd yuan just be thrown away?
Take my advice; our luck is good right now, and I saw the situation in that den.
A few more 'big pigeons' just arrived, looking like useless fools here to give away money!
If we go, we can definitely win back everything, principal and interest!"
These words completely shattered Lin Jiang's final line of rational defense.
True!
The money lost must be won back!
Today he had the chance to win three thousand.
With enough capital!
He would have the chance to win ten thousand!
Once he won ten thousand, he would stop.
Just ten thousand yuan.
All the difficulties he faced would be solved.
His wife wouldn't have to suffer anymore, and his child wouldn't have to endure hardship.
"Fine! A real man takes risks!
I don't believe I'm worse than them!
I'll go get the money right now!"
Lin Jiang slammed the cigarette butt onto the ground and crushed it fiercely with his foot.
He stood up like a gambler possessed.
He turned and rushed into the west wing of the house.
A moment later, he came out clutching a small cloth bundle wrapped in a red handkerchief.
That was the small nest egg he and his wife had saved for years.
A full two thousand yuan.
In an era where 'Ten-Thousand-Yuan Households' were rare, this was a true fortune.
"Let's go!"
Lin Jiang gritted his teeth, his eyes frighteningly bloodshot as he stuffed the money into his coat. That desperate aura made it seem like he was going to fight for his life.
"Hey! That's the spirit!"
Pockmark and Skinny Monkey exchanged a glance, both wearing sinister grins.
To them, Lin Jiang was a fat sheep walking right into the net.
"Don't worry, Jiang. Tonight we'll definitely back you up and let you sweep the board!"
The group put their arms around Lin Jiang's shoulders and walked out of the village together.
Lin Chuan stood in the shadows, his hands clenched into fists so tightly his knuckles turned white.
He wanted to rush out right now to stop his brother, or simply give each of those scumbags a brick to the head.
But he didn't move.
He knew his brother.
His brother was an honest man, but also stubborn.
Right now, his brother was blinded by the fantasy of winning money, like a drowning man clutching at a straw.
Even if he went to persuade or pull him back now, he wouldn't listen.
On the contrary, he might feel Lin Chuan was blocking his path to wealth.
A gambler's inner demon cannot be broken by mere persuasion.
He had to feel the pain!
Pain that pierced the heart!
He had to see with his own eyes how dark the abyss was that would destroy his family!
Only after experiencing total despair can one find life in death.
Furthermore...
A cold glint flashed in Lin Chuan's eyes.
If he just gave those black sheep a beating, it would be too easy on them.
Since they liked to gamble, and since they liked to set people up...
Then tonight...
I'll play along with you!
I'll show you what God-level Gambling Techniques look like!
"Boss, should we move?"
Long Wu stood behind him, his voice low.
With just one word from his boss, he could make sure those people wouldn't see tomorrow's sun.
"No rush."
Lin Chuan relaxed his fists.
"That is a tribulation my brother must go through."
"Come on, follow them."
"Tonight, let's go see the 'big scene' in this town."
The two followed Lin Jiang's group silently, one behind the other.
They crossed the village paths and bypassed several crop fields.
Soon, they arrived in town.
The group entered a large courtyard.
This place was originally the town's guesthouse; business had always been poor, yet it remained open.
To his surprise, there was a hidden world inside.
People entering and leaving this guesthouse were all driving cars.
The world never lacked rich people. Even in this era, where an ordinary person's monthly income topped out at two or three hundred...
...on the Shanghai Bund, there were still people who could spend ten thousand yuan on a single meal.
Even in this northern town, there were hidden dragons and crouching tigers.
Every time a vehicle passed, the two large guard dogs at the gate would bark and howl.
Pockmark skillfully threw over two bones; with food to eat, the dogs immediately stopped barking.
Clearly, this was an underground casino that had been operating for quite some time.
Lin Jiang was ushered inside by the others.
Lin Chuan waited until his brother had entered before approaching the gate.
He exhaled a breath of turbid air.
"Lao Wu, are you ready?"
Long Wu gave a faint smile.
"Boss."
"Just say the word, and I can level this place."
Long Wu now felt that his boss was truly legendary.
Look at how much he had done in a single day.
Buying him, beating up Li Hu, and then taking over the Canned Food Factory.
Now, he was bringing him to this town's black casino to do battle.
Such an unsettled life was, to him, truly refreshing.