Near the public elevator, there was a counter. The woman accompanying me smiled and gave me ten chips. Then, she glanced at me and suddenly asked with a smile, "Mr. Chen, what kind of girl do you like?"
"Huh?" I was taken aback, and I vaguely guessed what was going on.
Seeing that I didn't speak, the woman lightly snapped her fingers, and seemingly immediately three or four beautiful women, each with their own unique charm, walked over from the surrounding area. I must admit, they were all very pretty; some were sexy, some looked innocent, some were aloof, and some were seductive.
I immediately realized what was going on.
It turns out that most of the beautiful women in evening gowns I saw in the casino were actually hostesses!
Damn, she's a mommy! I glanced at the woman next to me.
Personally, I've always admired girls with a pure and innocent look. But I shook my head, not even glancing at the girl who was looking at me with such a pitiful expression.
Innocent? What a joke!
I'm not that kind of virgin. I've practically worked my way up in these kinds of places!
In brothels, to satisfy the diverse needs of customers, there will be girls of all styles: innocent, sexy, flirtatious, aloof...
But all of this was a disguise! A professional disguise!
It seems that the seemingly innocent young ladies are always the most popular, but to me, this situation is really ridiculous!
Innocent? How could a girl who's willing to go into this line of work be associated with the word "innocent"?
As for being aloof and glamorous… Hmph! That's just an act for you! Men are all like that; the more a woman puts on airs, the more it seems to evoke a man's sense of conquest… Aloof and glamorous… just throw her a wad of cash, and she'll strip naked in a minute and strike you in over a hundred different poses! Aloof and glamorous?!
To be honest, the four women standing in front of me are all stunning beauties. Each of them is at least an 80 out of 100 in terms of figure and appearance. With their deliberate dressing up and makeup, each of them could rival the top girls in our nightclub.
Unfortunately, I'm not interested.
I glanced at them only once, then turned to look at the woman beside me: "No need, you can walk with me."
Upon hearing my words, the woman's expression remained unchanged, but a hint of curiosity flickered in her eyes. She seemed to glance at me, then waved her hand to dismiss the girls before smiling at me and saying, "Mr. Chen, you're quite special, aren't you? Or are your standards too high, and you look down on them?"
I shook my head: "I'm just not interested in this right now. I just want to take a walk. You can come with me." Then I asked her, "What, are you not available?"
She immediately shook her head, maintaining a faint smile on her face: "Of course not, you are Huan-ge's VIP, it is my honor to accompany you." After a pause, she smiled and said: "My name is Cang Yu, everyone here calls me Sister Yu, you can just call me Xiao Yu."
I laughed. Facing a woman older than me, I simply couldn't bring myself to call her "Xiaoyu." In nightclubs, I always added "Sister" after Mary and Xiaofeng's names.
This isn't a term of respect; it's more of a professional habit.
It's like how prostitutes call their customers "Big Brother" or "Boss".
"Sister Yu, this is my first time here. I just wanted to wander around." I glanced at her, meaning, "You lead the way."
I first went to the slot machine, took out a plastic chip at random, and immediately a waiter came over with a tray, gave me a lot of change, and also gave me a few small chips of different colors.
After inserting a few coins, I focused intently on the numbers spinning on the machine's screen, unaware of the curiosity in Cang Yu's eyes as she looked at me.
Five minutes later, I ran out of coins, stood up and smiled: "Looks like my luck is so-so tonight."
Cang Yu covered her mouth and chuckled: "Mr. Chen, you're really funny."
"interesting?"
"Hmm." Cang Yu nodded, smiling calmly: "The customers who come here are all wealthy people. They are rarely interested in coin-operated machines. They usually prefer to gamble at the tables and play for big stakes."
I looked around and sure enough, the slot machines here seemed to be doing a rather slow business.
I shrugged: "I'm not rich."
Cang Yu smiled and said, "You're joking. You're a guest personally brought by Brother Huan. He rarely brings guests himself. The elevator you came in is only used by five or six people a year at most, besides Brother Huan himself."
I knew she didn't believe me, but I didn't explain. I just walked straight to a table where people were playing Russian roulette.
Gambling is illegal in China. Although I know there are small, illegal casinos in many places, I've never actually been to a large, well-organized casino like this one. As for Russian roulette, I've only ever seen it on TV.
The odds of winning this kind of gambling are extremely low. A small steel ball rolls, and if it lands on the number you bet on, you win. I had no interest in something that relied entirely on luck and had no skill involved. I only played one round symbolically, then stood aside and watched for ten minutes. I shook my head at Cangyu to indicate that I wasn't interested, and Cangyu immediately understood and led me away.
Next up was a card table, playing "Stay-at-Loop," a game I'm very familiar with. I know how to play Stay-at-Loop; anyone who's watched Hong Kong gambling movies is basically familiar with this game.
Cangyu, who was sitting next to me, dutifully explained the rules of the game to me. I understood all the rules of the game, but the only thing I learned from her was that the maximum amount that could be wagered at the outdoor tables was one thousand US dollars. If I wanted to play for a larger amount, I had to go to the VIP room inside.
I initially stood aside watching the three guests play. After the second round of cards, the old man sitting to my left had an Ace, the highest card. However, in the second round, he unfortunately received an 8, so he chose to pass, shook his head, and left. The remaining two guests played until the final round. I wasn't particularly interested in their game, but something one of the guests to my right said really surprised me!
He held the cards in his hand with sharp eyes. Although I didn't know his identity, judging from his demeanor, he must be a person of high status, because only someone who is used to being in a position of power can have such an aura!
"You think I'm afraid to call? Humph! I'm going to see your cards anyway! Consider it a thousand dollars to see your cards! I'm showing hand!"
Then he threw a chip onto the table, and I glanced at it—it was exactly the same as the chip I had in my hand!
I just "claimed" ten of these chips!
Huan-ge actually just casually tossed me $10,000 to "play around" with?
The two guests seemed to be getting heated, and the other guest demanded a raise. After discussing it, they decided to sue and then moved to the VIP room inside. A new dealer from the casino started the game at the table.
I finally calmed down from my shock. Cang Yu, who was next to me, saw me frowning and mistakenly thought I wasn't interested in this place. She was about to take me away, but I waved my hand and slowly sat down at the counter. I looked at the pretty female dealer and said calmly, "Deal the cards."
In the first round, I casually lost a few hundred dollars. In the second round, I had a great hand, but unfortunately the dealer didn't call. After playing for ten minutes, I had already put down two chips, leaving me with only seven large chips worth a thousand dollars, but with a few smaller chips of other colors.
I checked the time, stood up, and said to Cangyu with a smile, "Come on, take me to see the other gambling tables."
The next few minutes, I played Blackjack at another table. I was lucky at first and even won a thousand dollars, but unfortunately, I lost it all later. My face was expressionless; I showed no joy when I won, nor any regret when I lost, as if I were holding pieces of paper instead of chips representing a thousand dollars.
I went to several tables and tried various games, including dice and baccarat. I would consciously stay at each table for ten minutes, but I only allowed myself to lose a thousand dollars. If I won, I would play longer; if I lost a thousand dollars, I would stand up and watch from the side until ten minutes later before leaving.
In just over an hour, I had tried all the different types of games in the casino, and then I looked at my hand and realized that I only had a few hundred dollars left out of my $10,000 chips.
Seeing that I had no expression on my face, Cang Yu probably thought I was unhappy because I had lost money, and chuckled in a low voice, "Mr. Chen, would you like to exchange some more chips and try your luck?"
I shook my head, indicating that I wanted to rest for a bit. Cang Yu led me to a rest area on one side of the casino, where there was a small bar. I ordered a beer and then looked at Cang Yu with a smile, saying, "Thank you for keeping me company for so long." Then I handed her the few hundred dollars worth of chips I had left.
I've already figured out the rules here from my observation. Many male customers are accompanied by casino hostesses. If a customer wins money, he'll casually toss a few chips to these hostesses as a tip. However, some customers who lose too much get upset and drag the hostesses directly to the back of the casino... Through Cangyu's explanation, I learned that those are individual lounges.
Cang Yu smiled and pushed the chips back in front of me. Seeing the confusion on my face, she smiled and said, "Mr. Chen, you are Brother Huan's VIP. It is my honor to accompany you. I dare not accept your tip." Then she smiled and said, her expression still very calm: "Besides, I think you have misunderstood. I am not... I do not do this kind of work. I am the manager here."
"Oh?" I paused, an awkward expression on my face.
director?
No wonder! I was wondering why. Such an elegant woman didn't seem like the type to work as a madam or a hostess. From what I know, most madams have worked their way up from hostesses, carrying a strong air of worldliness. But Cang Yu is different. Her expression is calm and composed, with an indescribable air of detachment. Her tone is always so light and airy; she doesn't seem like someone who works in this line of work at all.
"Sorry," I said, trying to hide my embarrassment with a smile.
"It's alright." Cang Yu shook his head, then suddenly said, "If you really want to thank me, you can buy me a drink."
"OK." I snapped my fingers. "What would you like to drink?"
Cangyu ordered a glass of tequila from the bartender, who then took a small chip from the bar in front of me.
“Mr. Chen, I’ve been observing you for an hour, and you seem quite strange,” Cang Yu said with a smile after a moment’s hesitation.
"Oh? What's strange about me?"
“You don’t seem to like it here.” Cang Yu took the glass of wine handed to him by the bartender and took a small sip. “Judging from your appearance, it seems to be your first time in a place like this… How should I put it, you seem a little uncomfortable in this environment, as if you don’t fit in. I think you are very approachable and down-to-earth, not at all like a rich person.”
"I was never a rich person to begin with," I said casually.
However, Cang Yu didn't seem to believe me. She smiled slightly and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ask about anything. It's just that, as you know, for my job, I need to communicate and interact with my customers as much as possible to build relationships."
I smiled, indicating my understanding. Then I frowned, patted my pockets, and couldn't help but ask, "Do you have any cigarettes on you?"
Cang Yu smiled, then took out a pack of cigarettes from a small handbag, handed me one, and then took out a silver Givenchy lighter to light one for me, before lighting one for himself as well.
Her smoking posture was quite elegant, with slender fingers holding a thin cigarette, her little finger slightly upturned, and delicate lips slowly exhaling bluish smoke, her face bearing a calm and composed expression.
I have never seen such a mature and elegant woman before; she seemed to exude a calm and composed aura.
“Mr. Chen Yang, forgive my bluntness, but you don’t seem to have much interest in gambling.” She smiled. “Just now you seemed to spend more time observing others.”
I smiled and spread my hands, saying, "That's because I'm poor and I can't bear to lose all my chips at once. If I lose them all, I won't have any money to buy more chips."
“You’re joking again.” Cang Yu shook her head, then she seemed to move a little closer without making a sound, her eyes carrying a faint scrutiny, but this scrutiny was not aggressive at all, her gaze was very gentle: “You’re very strange… guests of your age rarely refuse to have a beautiful woman as a companion.”
I shook my head, then smiled and complimented her, "Who says I don't like beautiful women? Didn't I ask you to keep me company?"
Cang Yu smiled. Her eyes were alluring, but they were completely different from the kind of worldly allure I usually saw. It was a kind of sexiness that came from the very core of her being.
There is a type of woman in this world who, no matter how many clothes she wears, even if she covers her entire body completely, can still exude a very sexy aura.
Undoubtedly, Cang Yu is this kind of woman.
Her features weren't exactly stunning, but they were incredibly refined—not the kind of refinement achieved through makeup, but rather natural. Moreover, the proportions were perfectly harmonious, making her the kind of beauty that grows on you. At first glance, such a woman might not seem particularly special, but the longer you look at her, the more captivating she becomes!
She glanced at me and said, "Mr. Chen Yang, may I take your words as a compliment?"
I smiled and said, "Of course not! This isn't a compliment; I'm just stating a fact." After a pause, I said sincerely, "Cangyu, you are the most elegant woman I have ever met."
Cang Yu took a drag of her cigarette and slowly exhaled. She shook her head, seemingly sighing, "I'm getting old."
"Old?" I smiled. "But I've been wandering around here for over an hour tonight, and you're the most charming woman here."
Cang Yu smiled, a hint of cunning flashing in her eyes: "Do you know how old I am this year?"
"How many?"
Cang Yu smiled and said, "Mr. Chen Yang, it's not very polite to ask a lady's age like that."
I'm speechless...
However, her smile faded, and she said softly, "Thank you for your compliment. I can see from your eyes that your words come from the heart."
Then she paused, and said quickly in an even lower voice, "I'm already thirty-three years old."
I was stunned!
Then he looked her up and down a few more times with a scrutinizing gaze.
Thirty-three years old?
Honestly, judging from her appearance, she looked almost exactly like a girl in her twenties! Moreover, her skin was very delicate and smooth, but it wasn't the fair skin type; rather, it was a light wheat color with an ivory-like sheen.
Her figure showed no signs of being a woman in her thirties. She was full-figured, but in a well-proportioned way, and her waist was particularly slender. I had just observed that when she walked, her waist would sway gently... It wasn't the kind of swaying that women usually do to show off their charm, but rather a completely natural walking posture with a subtle rhythm.
Of course, what attracts me most are her calves.
To be honest, I've never seen a woman with such beautiful legs. Her calves were full yet not bulky at all; they were slender, long, and straight, and the thin strap perfectly outlined their graceful lines. Her feet were even more exquisite, with rounded ankles and delicate toes peeking out from under her high-heeled sandals, as if carved from ivory…
Cang Yu noticed that I was observing her, but she didn't seem to care. She just smiled slightly, took a sip of her drink, and said with a smile, "Mr. Chen Yang, Brother Huan's men are here to see you."
I looked away and saw Jinhe walking towards me.
I sighed and smiled at Cang Yu, "Alright, it seems I have to go now. It was nice meeting you."
“Me too.” Cang Yu stood up. I was hesitating whether to shake her hand, but she had already extended her hand.