Casino consolidation led to a sharp drop in daily revenue.
After settlement, Yang Jian’s share of profits plus tips amounted to only six thousand five hundred yuan. After distributing twelve hundred yuan to Biao Biao and the others, he was left with five thousand three hundred, less than half of what he earned before the fifteenth.
This left Yang Jian feeling rather dejected. The prospect of earning forty thousand yuan in the remaining three days seemed impossible.
“Xiao Yang, wait a moment. I have something to discuss with you.”
After distributing the money, Yang Jian was about to head home when Song Jianhao called out to him before he could leave the ancestral hall.
San Pang and Liu Chao also stopped in their tracks.
“Brother Hao, is there something else?”
“San Pang, Liu Chao, you two wait outside for a moment. I need to speak with Xiao Yang privately.”
Song Jianhao was being rather mysterious.
San Pang and Liu Chao didn’t say anything and obediently exited the ancestral hall.
Song Jianhao led Yang Jian into a side room, where Wu Changshun was surprisingly present.
Yang Jian smiled and asked, “Brother Hao, what’s going on? Why all the secrecy?”
“Xiao Yang, the casino can only operate for two more days. Judging by today’s performance, fewer people will come to gamble in the final two days. Do you want to make some money during these last two days?”
Song Jianhao’s voice was kept very low, as if he were concerned about being overheard.
“How do we do that?”
“I propose that we ourselves act as the dealers for the last two days, and then we ‘fluff the cotton’ to make some money before heading to Hancheng.”
“Fluffing the cotton” was a slang term for cheating, which Yang Jian was familiar with, but he had no idea how it was done.
“Brother Hao, I don’t understand this. Could you explain it to me?”
“You don’t need to understand it. Old Wu is here, and he’ll arrange everything. All you need to do is maintain order. If anyone discovers what’s happening, you’ll have to step in and handle it forcefully, preventing any prolonged arguments.”
“Is it easy to get caught?”
“It’s not particularly easy, but we can’t rule out the possibility of other knowledgeable individuals or meticulous gamblers noticing something amiss. If they cause a scene, it could be difficult to resolve.”
Yang Jian thought for a moment and said, “Old Wu, could you briefly explain how it works? Otherwise, if something goes wrong, I won’t know how to react. I can’t just beat people up without understanding the situation, can I?”
Old Wu nodded. “You should know. It’s actually quite simple. After we start dealing tomorrow, we’ll introduce two remote-controlled dice. These dice will change according to my will. If I want them to be even, they’ll be even; if I want them to be odd, they’ll become odd.”
“You mean, after all the gamblers have placed their bets, you’ll alter the dice based on the amount of cash on the table?”
“Precisely. This is the common method used in casinos to cheat gamblers.”
This was Yang Jian’s first encounter with cheating techniques, and he was very curious. “What’s the loophole here? How can gamblers discover it?”
Wu Changshun took out a teacup, saucer, and two dice that he had prepared earlier and began shaking the dice using a standard technique.
“Listen. Do you hear a sound when I alter the dice?”
As Old Wu finished speaking, a faint sound indeed came from inside the teacup covering the dice – the sound of the dice colliding with the saucer.
Yang Jian asked, puzzled, “Yes, that sound is quite noticeable. People sitting next to and opposite the dealer can hear it. This seems like a significant loophole.”
Old Wu smiled. “It is a loophole, but we have ways to conceal it. One method is to coat the saucer with a layer of transparent glue, which can reduce the sound of the dice hitting the saucer. However, this can easily be detected by experienced gamblers, as the sound is different from normal shaking.
The second method is to mask the sound with the dealer’s voice. Listen again.”
Old Wu covered the dice again and asked Yang Jian to listen intently. Then, as he reached for the teacup with his right hand, he shouted, “Place your bets, last call. The dealer is opening the dice.”
When he lifted the teacup again, the dice inside had indeed changed.
“Xiao Yang, did you hear the dice rattling just now?”
“No, it was covered by your voice. This method seems more reliable, but the dealer has to time their shouts perfectly, completing the dice alteration simultaneously with the shout. Otherwise, it’s easily noticed.”
“Exactly. That’s why the person shaking the dice needs to have strong psychological fortitude. I’ll operate it myself for an hour tomorrow, and then someone else will take over. I’m afraid of being recognized. Although I’ve been out of the game for over twenty years, some people still remember me.”
Old Wu was clearly reluctant to personally engage in cheating. He was getting older and didn’t want any trouble.
“Brother Hao, I recommend San Pang to be the one to handle it. He dealt cards for me in Xichuan for over a month, and his psychological fortitude has been well-honed. He’s also Brother Mao’s apprentice.”
Yang Jian immediately made his decision. He was willing to participate in this cheating scheme, as he was in dire need of money, and Song Jianhao’s proposal was a godsend.
Song Jianhao didn’t immediately agree but sought Wu Changshun’s opinion.
“Xiao Yang, you mentioned earlier that you would arrange for someone to learn from me as an apprentice. Was that San Pang?”
Wu Changshun hadn’t forgotten about that.
“Yes, although he’s Brother Mao’s apprentice, he’s my childhood friend. Under Brother Mao’s instructions, he once defrauded twenty thousand yuan. He later admitted his mistake and has now completely sided with me. Don’t worry, he wouldn’t dare betray me again.”
Yang Jian knew that Wu Changshun was concerned about San Pang’s background. Rivals in the same profession were often wary of each other, and he had to guard against Brother Mao.
Wu Changshun nodded. “Since you’ve made such a promise, I can teach him a few tricks, but I won’t take him as a formal disciple.”
“Learning a few tricks from you would be incredible. When should we start?”
“Tomorrow morning. Have him come to my place. I’ll train him for the entire morning. How much he learns will depend on his aptitude.”
“Alright, I’ll bring him to your house tomorrow morning.”
Wu Changshun then gave Yang Jian his address.
“Xiao Yang, since we’ve decided to cheat, we must maintain strict secrecy. Other than the three of us and San Pang, no one else can be told. Otherwise, it could lead to serious trouble. If we’re discovered, the police can be called. In criminal law, this is considered malicious fraud, which carries a heavier penalty than organizing gambling.”
Song Jianhao cautioned him very seriously.
Yang Jian nodded. “Yes, don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. Do I need to invest any money?”
“No, I’ll put in twenty thousand yuan as capital tomorrow, which should be enough. This operation involves four people: myself, you, Old Wu, and Jianmin. We’ll split it equally. Two thousand yuan should be a decent amount for San Pang, right?”
“It’s quite a bit. By the way, I have another question for Old Wu. I remember that at the end of every gambling session, the dealer has to break open the dice used in front of everyone, to show that the dice are genuine and the game is fair and just. If we follow this procedure, won’t it expose us?”
Yang Jian suddenly thought of another loophole.
“Yes, that’s also a loophole, but we can use sleight of hand to switch the dice. I’ll teach this trick to San Pang. However, he probably won’t be able to learn it quickly. In that case, I’ll have to step in to finish the job at the end. In the final few rounds, I’ll switch the dice with real ones. It’s a basic yet difficult technique in dice manipulation.”
Wu Changshun was confident, having considered all potential loopholes.