Chapter 155: WIN
"I see," said the boss as he reached for the medium-sized silver platter that had cigarettes on it and a lighter. He picked up the lighter and brought out another pack of cigarettes. He brought out a cigarette and placed it in his mouth before he readied the lighter and flicked it so that the cigarette would consume the fire. He puffed up a huge amount of smoke from his mouth before he continued, "But I’m still not convinced enough to let you be part of this game. I don’t even know you. What if you rat out to the police what you see in here, I can’t trust you."
Adrian and Mr Gilbert exchanged a glance before the older man suggested,
"But boss, you never really know if he’s good unless you test him. I know that he is still a newcomer but let’s test him first."
The underground gambling had always been known for its constant gambling wins. Those who played until they almost bet their underwear in the game would meet the boss to borrow money so that they could continue gambling and when it’s time to pay up, that’s only when they realize the amount of money that they owe the boss.
If they refused to pay up, their families and businesses would be the price for their betting addiction. That was the case of Mr Gilbert which was the reason he had hurried to gather the money he owed so that he wouldn’t lose his wife and kids.
In other cases, the gamblers don’t have a family that would be used to threaten them or any businesses of their own and they try to escape, as soon as they are found, it’s the end for them.
The boss released another puff of smoke before he replied,
"I will give your first game as a test. If you can win it, then you can continue to gamble here."
Adrian jubilated internally for the chance that he had gotten. If he can make his first win, then he could start getting more money and possibly be the right-hand man of the boss since the man seems to hold some power there.
"Okay boss, I’m in," Adrian immediately agreed and the boss hummed in response.
Mamba came back with the briefcase that he had left with to count to money and he reported,
"The money is complete boss."
"Are you sure?" The boss asked him.
"Yes sir, I counted it two times so I am very sure," he replied.
He placed the briefcase back on the desk in front of the boss and waited for his next order.
"If that’s the case, go untie those people," the boss ordered. Mamba bowed and went towards the mother and children who were already shivering from fear and untied their hands.
Immediately, Mr Gilbert went to hug his family. If he had not sold his house, then he wouldn’t have been able to come up with the money that he owed the boss.
"I don’t want to see you here anymore," the boss declared.
"B-but," Mr Gilbert was about to protest but was pulled by his wife.
"Let’s go, you are not going to play this game ever again and endanger the life of our kids," she said and pulled him away from there.
When Mr Gilbert had already left the room completely, Adrian waited for the boss to lead him to the game but the man seemed to be enjoying his cigarette.
After releasing several puffs later, he finally spoke,
"Come Adrain, let’s go test your skill."
Mamba opened the door for the both of them and they left to walk into the same room that Adrain and Mr Gilbert came out from.
"You see, Adrian. This is where the whole thing happens. You win, you win. You screw you," he turned to face Adrian and completed, "You die." With a devious smile on his face, he walked over to a table where a game had just finished and announced, "Make a new game, I want to test this newcomer of mine."
The others didn’t need to directly hear from the boss that he wanted them to clear some space for him to sit.
Everyone scouted and created space while they judged the man beside him with their eyes.
A new game started and Adrian made his bet. He wasn’t an expert when it came to gambling but he had tried it a few times in the past so he knew how to play.
The challenger also made his bet and the game began. With the dice rolled and everything winning chips while others lost theirs, Adrian ended up winning.
The others at the table were stunned to see the amount of chips that this newcomer had gathered but simply kept their mouth shut.
The boss was quite impressed by Adrian’s winning and acknowledged him.
"Welcome to the underworld gambling, Adrian," he said.
"Thank you, boss," he replied.
Adrain continued to play his game and won hundreds of thousands of dollars before he retired for the night.
The next day, he stood in front of the Anderson’s corporation building and waited to see Erika but unfortunately, when Ethan retired for the day after work, he was alone.
Sighing, he went back to the club and took the elevator that went to the underground gambling. The bodyguards from the previous day didn’t stop him nor request for him to wear the blindfold since they had already been informed that he was a new member.
When the elevator dinged and he got out, he saw only a few people at each gambling table. He checked the time and realized that it was just 6 p.m., it was mostly at night and there was more action.
He took a seat beside the group of people who were playing and requested, "Can I join in the next round?" he asked.
"Adrian right?" a man who seemed to be in his early forties asked.
"Yes," he nodded
"Quite a luck you had there yesterday. You didn’t lose a single game," the man said.
With a slight chuckle, Adrain replied,
"Thank you," he appreciated. He was only able to win hundreds of thousands of dollars the previous day but they were calling it luck which made him wonder how much they would usually win in a day.
Adrain joined the next game and played.
In California prison, Felicia was in front of her brother, and so was Madam Laura and Mary.
"So you’ve decided to leave this place?" Tobias asked with a hushed tone, not wanting to be heard by the other people around. He had received a call from Felicia, requesting him to come to the prison so that they could plan how they would escape.
"Yes and also, she would be joining us," she said as she pointed at Madam Laura.
"But why would you want to escape from here in the first place? Isn’t your lawyer already processing your appeal?" He asked her with confusion. Although he had accepted to help them, he still didn’t understand why she was rushing everything.
"That lawyer? Huh"," she scoffed. "He is telling me that I should stay here and wait until I have given birth then I can wait for a pardon in case my appeal isn’t accepted," she added.
"Isn’t that better? At least you will become a free person and you won’t," when he noticed that his voice was becoming slightly louder, he toned it down and continued, "At least you won’t be chased after you escape."
"I can’t wait for that long," she snapped. "I would have already grown white hair by the time I leave here. And besides, he wasn’t even sure if I would get that pardon so this is just a backup plan."
Madam Laura who was sitting beside them and listening to their conversation butted in.
"If she wants to leave from here then let her. My lawyer once told me that I could be given a pardon as well but look at me, I’ve been in here for 7 long years and I don’t see my lawyer anymore so if I were you Felicia, I would go ahead and escape."
"Wait, why are you even in this conversation? You are probably still here because you are carrying drugs, an offense that should not be easily pardoned. Don’t compare yourself with Felicia," Tobias snapped at Madam Laura with a glare.
"Alright now, let’s not argue," Mary finally spoke. "We have already decided to do this and we will do it so it’s either you help us or not," she said to Tobias.
The man could only grab his head in frustration.
"I already said I would help so just get ready on that day and let me know," he said.
He wanted to give up on convincing his sister that what she was doing was wrong but he considered what she said. It was possible for her to never get acquitted of her crimes.
