"Ahem—ahem—let's focus on business first, we can talk about all that stuff later!" Shawn Young said, flustered, to Leon Longhair.
"Hehe—sure! But Mr. Young, if you're ever in the mood for some female company, I can always hook you up with top-notch beauties. If you're lucky, maybe even a virgin—now that's something you shouldn't pass up! A man isn't living if he isn't a little wild in his youth! Especially someone like you, Mr. Young: young, talented, and so handsome! Women will just throw themselves at you, probably for free! Haha—" Leon Longhair found it quite entertaining to act as Shawn Young's matchmaker.
"Ahem—ahem—let's talk about that later! Let's eat first!" Shawn Young tried to cover up his embarrassment, holding the stack of business cards given to him by the ladies. He glanced at them and was shocked—the cards were incredibly explicit!
The first card read: "Northeast beauty at your service—sing, play, double the fun with sisters, p, guaranteed satisfaction, Luck Cleansing Ritual, wishing you fame and fortune, one explosive night. Phone: 5xxxxxxxx"
The second card: "Shanghai glamorous beauty, dedicated to serving you. If you can imagine it, we can do it. Guaranteed satisfaction! Best for Luck Cleansing Ritual, three hundred per session, six hundred for the night—Phone—"
The third card: "Hunan naughty girl, big bust, tender flesh, juicy and delicious, expert in hip-grinding, massage, body rubs, open to all kinds of fun, Luck Cleansing Ritual for your fortune! Three hundred per session, five hundred for the night—Phone—"
The fourth card was even more outrageous: "Shanxi little clam, opens and closes, pink and tender, silky smooth, juicy and flavorful, everything for sale—quality guaranteed, top-notch service, extra naughty sounds, soft and welcoming, Luck Cleansing Ritual guaranteed, only overnight, price six hundred—Phone—"
Shawn Young was surprised to find that nearly every card featured the words "Luck Cleansing Ritual." He turned to Leon Longhair and asked, "What does this Luck Cleansing Ritual mean, anyway?"
"Oh! Luck Cleansing Ritual? Well, gamblers here are superstitious. They believe that if their luck is bad, hiring an escort for sex will help them vent their bad vibes, and their luck will turn around! These ladies mainly target the high-rollers who come here to gamble," Leon Longhair explained.
"Oh! So that's what the Luck Cleansing Ritual means! Haha—" Shawn Young said, flipping through the cards. The descriptions were enough to make anyone's blood boil, and some cards even had photos—though he wondered if those photos were real.
Seeing Shawn Young flipping through the cards, Leon Longhair chuckled, "Mr. Young, I was just joking earlier, but you should be careful. Most of the beauties here have some issues—don't get yourself infected. If you really want to sleep with them, at least use protection!"
"Oh? Why's that?" Shawn Young asked, puzzled.
Leon Longhair laughed, "These girls come from all over the country just for the money, so they really let loose. They see tons of clients every day, and some guys don't like to use condoms or even keep their clothes on. Plus, their services are... thorough: blowjobs, p, anal, you name it. So they catch stuff, and cross-infection is easy. Most of them end up with some kind of disease. When they finally make enough money and go home, they have to spend a fortune on treatment. If they're really unlucky and catch AIDS, well, that's game over!"
"Oh, I see—" Shawn Young was secretly shocked. He couldn't help but feel sorry for those girls; even though he'd never actually been with any of them, seeing such young and pretty women getting diseases just for money was a real shame. The power of money's temptation over people was terrifying.
The food at the restaurant came out pretty fast. In less than fifteen minutes, the table was loaded with seven or eight dishes and a few bottles of beer. Leon Longhair and Shawn Young chatted and drank, though Shawn wasn't much of a drinker, so most of the beer went to Leon Longhair.
"By the way, you mentioned casinos cheat—how do they actually do it?" Shawn Young remembered to ask.
"Uh—take Dragon Tiger, the game most people love to play. You see that Dealer's Shoe the pretty female dealer uses? There's a trick to it. International casinos have a rule: the dealer must deal cards with one hand, the other hand kept behind their back. That hidden hand either holds a remote or is used to manipulate the Dealer's Shoe. So, when they're dealing, they can actually see the cards. If the next card is bad for the house, they pull a Dealer's Sleight and deal a different card instead!" Leon Longhair glanced around before explaining quietly.
"Hmm? Dealer's Sleight? Can they really pull that off in front of everyone? Aren't there any experts who catch them?" Shawn Young asked, curious.
"Oh, that kind of trick takes tons of training, plus crazy hand skills and nerves of steel. Dealer's Sleight is just beginner-level stuff—you need high-tech gear and perfect teamwork to make sure the house wins most of the time! Even if there are pros, they know the rules of the game, so they don't win too much. In big casinos, pros usually cash out after winning a few million dollars, and the casino will even send someone to respectfully escort them out!" Leon Longhair explained.
"Whoa—a few million dollars! In US dollars! Letting a pro walk away with that much—wouldn't the casino lose a ton? Why would they send someone to escort the expert out?" Shawn Young asked, completely baffled.
"Oh! Even though the casino loses a lot of money, some of it comes from other gamblers, and compared to their daily income, it's not a big deal—just a few extra days of work. But by doing this, the casino gets a special effect: first, word spreads that you can really win big money here, so gamblers flock in. Second, those gambling experts have serious connections and backgrounds—so the casino treats the loss as 'networking expenses.' The experts won't give the casino trouble, and might even do business together later! After all, if someone can beat the house and its top experts, their skills are next-level. If they share a trick or work together, the casino could make a killing! It's all about having a sharp eye and the right mindset in this business! Haha—I'm just a rough guy, hearing these stories from casino staff, so that's all I understand. If I had those skills, I'd be rich by now—" Leon Longhair laughed awkwardly.
"Oh! So those legendary gambling skills from the movies really exist, huh? Haha—you already understand a lot!" Shawn Young smiled.
"Honestly, I've only heard about it—never seen it myself! If I really had those skills, I'd make a killing and then retire!" Leon Longhair said wistfully.
"Oh? Why's that?" Shawn Young asked.
"Uh—I'm just daydreaming, haha—" Leon Longhair shook his head with an awkward laugh, then added, "But seriously, most gamblers in the casino are loaded. Some of their money comes from embezzling public funds or shady deals. If I had real gambling skills, I'd target those guys specifically—their money's dirty, so winning it doesn't even count! Nobody cares where it came from! Hehe—"
"Oh, yeah, that's true—sigh—this world really is... hard to describe." Shawn Young sighed deeply, his mind racing. He felt like he'd just learned another harsh reality about life. He suddenly remembered a philosopher once said, "Ideals are usually the opposite of reality!" Sure enough, that's exactly how it is—makes you feel like reality just kicked you in the balls.