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"Hehe—Mr. Young, those moves of yours were really impressive just now. Acheng and the others are totally scared of you now!" Leon Longhair laughed as he spoke to Shawn Young, who was sitting in the back.
"Oh, are those guys also from China? Judging by their looks, they've done time, haven't they?" Shawn Young asked Leon Longhair.
"Yeah, that's right. They're some of the toughest fighters in the Tiger Mafia—every one of them has committed assault or robbery back home. But they're just part of the casino's external security team, so technically, they're under me." Leon Longhair replied.
"Oh, so the casino security team is split into external and internal staff? What do each of them do?" Shawn Young asked curiously.
"Yeah. Anything can happen in a casino, so security is super important. The external team usually handles picking up guests, watching what happens outside, or escorting winners who want to leave and head back home. It's not that dangerous, and the pay is way better than working in China. Acheng and those young guys are all on the external team.
But the internal team is different. Even though the pay and benefits are about the same, they're responsible for security inside the casino. It's a special gig—guests often tip, and sometimes the tips are way more than the salary! Plus, you don't have to be out in the sun and rain, and you get to flirt with pretty waitresses and dealers. So everyone in the external team is dying to get into the internal team! But the internal team is way pickier when it comes to hiring—they need people who are not just tough and smart, but also trustworthy. Usually, you need someone to recommend you, like if I introduce you, then it's no problem, because I'm the deputy chief of security! I have a say in everything that happens in the casino security department!" Leon Longhair explained.
"Oh, I see! So you're the deputy chief—who's the chief then?" Shawn Young asked, still curious.
"Uh—actually, the chief is Goldtooth himself! He's a retired soldier, knows his stuff, and he owns this big casino here in Myanmar, in partnership with Howard Kay. Now he's planning an even bigger casino with Nick Carter, the drug lord, and they're going all in together. Myanmar's pretty chaotic, and Nick Carter holds a lot of power, so teaming up with him is the only way to keep things going. Goldtooth is the chief of security and has the final say, but most of the work falls to me as deputy—unless something major happens, Goldtooth doesn't bother with the day-to-day stuff! Haha—" Leon Longhair laughed as he explained.
As the two chatted, their tuk-tuk rolled forward. In less than half an hour, they entered a small town. Leon Longhair turned to Shawn Young and said, "Oh, this is the Mai Zayan Special Economic Zone. We're almost at the casino!"
Shawn Young looked around curiously. He'd always imagined Myanmar's special zones to be bustling and full of skyscrapers, but all he saw were two-story buildings and old concrete roads. It was pretty much like a small town in rural China.
Leon Longhair laughed and said to Shawn Young, "Hehe—feeling a bit let down? I felt the same when I first came here. But you wouldn't believe it, just two years ago, this place was full of thatched huts. All these buildings and streets have gone up in the past couple of years!"
"Oh—really!" Shawn Young realized just how fast the place had developed in only a couple of years. He figured he shouldn't complain about how backward it seemed.
He saw Chinese signs everywhere—phone booths, fruit stands, small restaurants, cheap hotels. The people on the street were all Chinese, totally different from the locals. Burmese men were easy to spot—dark, skinny, and they had a strange smell, probably from their cooking spices, kind of like if you sprinkled cumin or cilantro all over yourself. Honestly, it was pretty unpleasant.
Leon Longhair led Shawn Young forward, and from a distance pointed to a fancy building at the street corner, "Look, that's the famous New Orient Casino, run by Hong Kong investors. But since it moved here, it's only second-tier. The best casino in Mai Zayan now is Goldtooth's Golden Mountain Casino—"
As Leon Longhair kept introducing things, he turned left down the street. Suddenly, things got lively—at least three big casinos, several pawn shops, tons of hotels. Of course, 'lively' was just by Mai Zayan standards; compared to China, it was like the busiest street in a fast-growing county town.
Leon Longhair parked the tuk-tuk in front of the fanciest casino and led Shawn Young out. Shawn looked up and saw the sign: four glittering Chinese characters—Golden Mountain Casino. He noticed, on top of the right-hand beam above the entrance, a dark red jade Pixiu (Fortune Beast) statue with its mouth wide open facing the door! (Note: Pixiu is a legendary feng shui beast said to bring wealth and luck, and is a favorite in Chinese and Southeast Asian casinos. Supposedly, it guarantees a steady flow of money!)
Two security guards stood at the entrance, dressed in black uniforms with batons at their waists. They were tall and burly. When they saw Leon Longhair and Shawn Young approaching, they nodded respectfully, "Longhair! Welcome."
"So, nothing's happened at the casino lately?" Leon Longhair asked casually.
"Nope! All good, Longhair—don't worry," the two guards replied respectfully.
"Alright, where's Goldtooth?" Leon Longhair asked them.
"Oh, Goldtooth went out early this morning with General Nick Carter. He probably won't be back until tomorrow or the day after," one guard replied.
"Oh! Really? Do you know where they went?" Leon Longhair asked, acting casual.
"Uh, we...we don't know. Probably out doing business with General Nick Carter!" the guard replied.
"Got it!" Leon Longhair nodded, then led Shawn Young into the Golden Mountain Casino.