The Years I Was The Gambling God

Having observed Su Mei's silence, Ranulph shifted the conversation.

"It should have been an 800 USD fine. But Lupan's persistent absence makes his misconduct severe. Therefore, I suggest the supervisors and managers double Lupan's fine to prevent other employees from following suit..."

Double the fine?

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

We, as service staff, earned a monthly wage of 1,000 USD.

Ranulph's proposal would dock one and a half months' worth of my salary.

Luckily, I had some savings tucked away.

Otherwise, I'd be scraping by for the next two months.

Most individuals might simply resign under such circumstances.

Yet, I remained silent, gazing out of the window as if the current situation didn't concern me.

After Ranulph finished, he turned to Su Mei respectfully and inquired, "May I proceed, Mei?"

Instead of directly responding to him, Su Mei turned her attention towards me and asked, "Lupan, do you have any objections?"

Once again, all eyes in the hall turned to me.

Everyone anticipated that I would surely defend myself or offer some response.

However, I simply shook my head faintly and uttered two words, "I have none."

Last night, Su Mei had taken me to the casino. She should have explained on my behalf, yet she deliberately chose not to.

I knew she was still upset.

As a high-ranking professional manager, Su Mei was hailed as a celestial beauty, captivating in every aspect.

Many men regarded her as a goddess.

However, this extraordinary woman had let go of her dignity in front of me, removing her skirt as a form of apology.

Yet I refused her request to be an undercover spy.

Therefore, she made no effort to intervene as Ranulph challenged me.

And as for Ranulph, I couldn't care less.

If we likened the Blue Faction of gambling techniques to a pack of wolves, then I must be the lone wolf aspiring to become the king.

How could I, aiming to become the king, pay heed to the barks of mere pups?

Believing I was intimidated by the situation, Ranulph, emboldened, gestured contemptuously towards me, "No objections, pay the fine now..."

As I turned to look at Ranulph, our gazes locked.

In his eyes, there was a sense of defiance, provocation, and arrogance that presumed my compliance.

Just as I was about to speak, a woman's voice cut through the crowd, "I'll pay for him!"

This single statement surprised everyone present.

All eyes converged on the speaker, including Su Mei, albeit with a touch of disdain and disgust in her gaze.

That woman was Filla.

Filla appeared to revel in the attention this outburst garnered.

Clutching her handbag, teetering in high heels, with her slender figure swathed in black stockings, she strode confidently towards Ranulph.

Opening her bag, she swiftly withdrew a stack of cash totalling 1,600 USD and handed it to Ranulph.

"I'll cover Lupan's fine, 1,600. Just tally it up..."

Observing Filla, Ranulph's expression shifted from surprise to anger.

Despite their breakup, it was evident that Ranulph still harboured feelings for Filla.

As the former girlfriend everyone knew, that her public gesture of paying a fine for another man was a humiliation he couldn't bear.

"Filla, what do you mean by this?"

Filla appeared nonchalant, saying, "Oh, nothing much. Lupan doesn't earn much, so I'm helping him out with the fine. We're all colleagues here, helping each other out, right?"

Filla's words were astute.

Onlookers would likely admire her generosity while alleviating my public embarrassment and earning a favour in return.

She knew I would repay this debt, and when I did, it would be repaid twofold.

Ranulph trembled with anger, his face pale.

He glared at me and accused, "Lupan, are you trying to be a gigolo, living off a woman's money?"

The term gigolo referred to a man who sponged off women based on his looks, a widely scorned role in Haibei.

Before I could respond, Filla scoffed, "Calling others gigolos for spending a woman's money. Ranulph, have you spent any less of my money?"

As her voice fell, a ripple of subdued chuckles spread through the crowd.

The details of their relationship were common knowledge among the bathhouse staff.

While Filla posed as a technician, she occasionally accompanied men outside of work.

She earned considerably more than Ranulph.

Rumours whispered behind the scenes claimed that Ranulph was a kept man by Filla.

Attempting to slight me, Ranulph ended up humiliating himself.

Trembling with fury, he even clenched his fists, contemplating a slap directed at Filla.

However, in the setting of a staff meeting, he lacked the courage to act on his impulses.

The atmosphere grew awkward for a moment.

Su Mei, who had remained stoic and silent, suddenly turned her gaze towards me, inquiring, "Lupan, are you sure you want Filla to pay the fine for you?"

Without a word, I stepped out from the line of staff.

Passing by Filla, I calmly stated, "Thanks, I'll handle the payment myself. But Manager, aren't you indebted to me as well?"

My tone, though seemingly respectful, carried a hint of indifference.

Once the words left my lips, everyone in the room gasped in astonishment.

I, a mere service staff at Tianxiang, and Su Mei, the authoritative figure second only to the owner—how could she owe me money?

Unfolding before their eyes was a perplexing scenario.

"What debt do I owe you?" Su Mei asked, puzzled.

"The ten thousand USD from last night!"

Last night at the casino, I had used my ten thousand USD to buy chips.

After winning two million in chips, I handed them back to Su Mei.

Following our fallout, she hadn't returned the initial ten thousand.

Although it was a gift from Su Mei, if given, it belonged to me.

Therefore, it was rightfully mine.

"Ah, you have a good memory," Su Mei remarked sarcastically.

Nonetheless, she reached into her bag and retrieved a wad of cash, along with the previous ten thousand USD.

With a crisp slap, she handed it to me, coolly stating, "Here is the ten thousand USD. Is that enough?"

Inspecting Su Mei, I did not accept the money but instead shook my head slowly.

"Not enough."

My words left Su Mei momentarily bewildered.

Having mentioned ten thousand USD, why did I suddenly claim it wasn't enough?

Su Mei's expression turned even icier.

She lowered her voice, speaking sternly, "Lupan, are you hoping to claim last night's winnings? I've already explained that last night was merely a test for you. And that test was conducted in good faith..."

As she spoke, she fixed me with a steely gaze, interjecting a hint of threat into her tone.

"Lupan, those who are never satisfied are akin to serpents devouring elephants. Forget about last night's money. Stirring up trouble over this matter will only lead you into a predicament you can't navigate."

Perhaps in Su Mei's eyes, I was merely a skilful cheat with insatiable greed.

I had no interest in explaining myself to her.

"Not that money," I clarified.

"What other money?" Su Mei inquired, perplexed.

Our financial exchanges amounted to just these two incidents.

Perplexed, Su Mei couldn't fathom what more she could owe me.

"The cab fare! I spent 87 USD on the ride back from the establishment you took me to. That money should come from you..."

Su Mei was momentarily speechless.

My request struck her as ludicrous.

I could win two million with a flick of my wrist and dismiss her offer of a million-dollar salary with ease.

Yet, here I was meticulously demanding reimbursement for an inconspicuous sum of 87 USD from her.

Of course, Su Mei couldn't comprehend.

In the world of gambling techniques, what's rightfully yours remains yours.

The benefactor must fulfil their financial obligations.

It wasn't about my lack of understanding of social niceties but rather about adhering to the etiquette of a seasoned gambler.

Otherwise, any benefactor would regard you as merely a tool with a skill.

Su Mei retrieved a hundred-dollar bill from her purse, along with the earlier ten thousand.

With a soft thud, she slapped the money into my hand.

"Is this enough for you? Oh, and there's 13 USD left. You needn't bother with change; consider it your tip..."

As Su Mei stormed off, she paid no heed to the bewildered staff still gathered in the hall.

Nobody knew precisely what had occurred.

Yet, they could surmise that something unique existed between Su Mei and me.

More accurately, a connection of sorts.

However, the nature of this connection remained a mystery to them.