The gamble began. In front of Emperor Wu Wangchun sat thirty thousand yuan. The two young men he brought also sat on either side of the gambling table, each with some money in front of them, a mix of small bills and larger notes. They were the croupiers responsible for payouts.
Song Jianmin was a croupier for the gambling company, tasked with collecting the house's commission. A money-counting machine sat before him.
After two rounds, Yang Jian understood the game. It was a bet on odd or even. The sum of the two dice would be either odd or even. Gamblers had a fifty percent chance of winning or losing. No wonder so many people enjoyed it; it seemed to offer a better chance of making money than stock trading.
The start was a bit slow, with not many people betting and the amounts wagered being small. Apart from Xiao Wu and the two young men he brought, who were betting two or three hundred yuan to liven things up, everyone else was betting twenty or thirty yuan, with some even betting ten.
Both odd and even bets were placed. The Emperor's wins and losses weren't significant. However, any money the Emperor won was placed in front of Song Jianmin, while losses were paid out by the croupier from his own money.
Yang Jian didn't understand. "Biaobiao, what's the meaning of Jianmin holding the money the Emperor wins?"
"That's the commission, the 'shui zi'. Once he has ten thousand yuan, seven hundred yuan is taken as commission, and the rest is returned to the Emperor. This is called a seven percent commission. In larger establishments, it's five hundred yuan for ten thousand, meaning a five percent commission."
"Who decides the percentage of commission?"
"The Emperor's company and the gambling company negotiate it. Generally, larger establishments with bigger wins and losses have smaller commissions. If we charged a five percent commission in this black money operation, we wouldn't make much, and might even lose money."
Yang Jian understood. The expenses for running a gambling establishment were indeed substantial. If the commission wasn't enough, they might not even be able to pay the wages of the regulars.
"Biaobiao, according to you, our gambling company wants the Emperor's company to win money, so we can collect more commission?"
"No, the gambling company wants the Emperor's money and the gamblers' money to circulate back and forth. We don't take a commission based on the total amount the Emperor wins. Naturally, we hope he wins and then loses, loses and then wins, so we can repeatedly collect commission."
"Right, you make sense. That's exactly how it works."
Yang Jian finally grasped the profit model of the gambling company.
Biaobiao continued, "The gambling company actually doesn't want the Emperor's company to win too much money, because if they win too much, gamblers will decrease, and the establishment won't be popular. But if the Emperor's company loses too much, they won't want to sit as the banker anymore. So, it's best for the Emperor's company to have both wins and losses."
"Is this establishment always run by President Wu and his team as the Emperor?"
"No, there are many Emperor companies. If President Wu and his team lose several games in a row, they will switch establishments, and Brother Hao will have to invite other Emperor companies to be the banker."
"Are there many establishments in the provincial capital?"
"Very many. There are several hundred, if not a thousand, in the provincial capital. President Wu and his team are professional bankers. They're not just these few people; they're bankers in multiple establishments simultaneously. They are quite financially strong."
Yang Jian was somewhat surprised. "Why does it feel like being the Emperor carries a lot of risk? It's not a stable way to make money, especially since they have a fifty percent chance of losing, and they also have to pay commission to the gambling company."
Biaobiao chuckled. "You don't understand this. The Emperor's chance of winning is much higher than fifty percent. Firstly, he has a familiar advantage with the dice rolls. For example, today's three and five. If these numbers appear more often, their profit is considerable, isn't it?"
"Yes, that dice roll is an advantage."
"Then there's the comparison of mentality. The mentality of gamblers and Emperors is completely different. Most gamblers will stop when they win, not winning too much each time. But if they lose, they become restless, lose their rationality, and increase their bets. Even if they win ten times, they might lose everything in one go and even incur losses."
Yang Jian nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, yes, I've had this experience playing Golden Flower. When I win, I'm satisfied with a few thousand or a hundred. But when I lose, I'm unwilling to stop even after losing ten or twenty thousand, always hoping to win back the lost money, and eventually losing more and more."
"This is called 'even gods lose in the long run.' No matter who it is, as long as they don't quit gambling, their ultimate fate is to lose everything. Therefore, not gambling is winning."
Yang Jian deeply agreed with this statement. He couldn't believe that Biaobiao, despite his young age, could summarize such profound wisdom.
"Then what is the Emperor's mentality?"
As the establishment was not bustling, Yang Jian continued to discuss with Biaobiao.
"The Emperor's mentality is much more stable. First, their money is pooled from several people. Even if they lose money, the individual share is not too large, and they can bear it.
Second, when they are the banker, they are passive. Regardless of winning or losing, they must open each round. Winning or losing money is not something they can control. Therefore, their mentality and emotions do not become irrational due to losses, nor can they change the game. So, in the end, their probability of winning money is much higher."
Biaobiao had clearly worked in the establishment for a long time and had thoroughly analyzed the psychological states of various roles in the casino.
"Biaobiao, since you think the Emperor has a higher chance of winning money, why don't you participate?"
"My self-control isn't strong enough. I've made quite a bit of money following Brother Hao, but I've spent it all on 'dà kēng' and consuming 'mágǔó'."
As he said this, Biaobiao's face clearly flushed.
"Since you know that taking drugs is both expensive and bad for your health, why don't you quit?"
"It's too difficult. Drug addiction is a known thing, and we are often exposed to these things in our line of work. It's impossible to quit completely."
Yang Jian was now curious. "Is there a necessary connection between gambling and drug use?"
Biaobiao gave a wry smile. "Prostitution, gambling, and drugs are all connected. You'll know in time. Entering our circle is like entering a great dye vat. Those who can remain pure are rare. You've practiced martial arts and have strong self-discipline. I hope you can hold onto your original intentions, remain untainted by the mud, and not change your colors in this dye vat."
"Damn, Biaobiao, I didn't realize you spoke so eloquently. What's your educational background?"
"I graduated from high school. I was actually admitted to a third-tier university, but my family was too poor at the time, and my father's health was poor, preventing him from working. My twin brother's grades were even better, and he was admitted to a key university. My family couldn't afford two university students, so I chose to give up my studies to earn money quickly and came out to follow Brother Hao. I didn't expect to become addicted to drugs."
"Don't your family know? Don't you need to give money to your family from the money you earn?"
"My drug addiction isn't very severe. Most of the time, I rely on others' 'guǒ zi' to satisfy my cravings. Only when I can't bear it anymore do I spend my own money to buy a couple to resolve it. My family knows I'm not doing legitimate work, but since I send over a thousand yuan home each month, they tacitly approve. They don't know about the drug use."
As he said this, a hint of pain flashed across Biaobiao's face.
Yang Jian sighed with emotion. Getting into a third-tier university in a rural area was not easy. He had chosen to give it up due to poverty and had gone down the wrong path. He must take this as a warning.