Chapter One: The Last Coin

Whoever collected the most won; anyone choosing an empty cup was eliminated. It was a test of desire wearing luck as a mask. Six players knew one another. A bald man called Brother Biao commanded the room. A woman in gold-rimmed glasses twisted her wedding ring. A thin boy in a delivery uniform had a split shoe and three thousand yuan before him. Zhou Lin sat and placed the silver coin on the table. In round one, Zhao Biao wagered all one hundred, the woman wagered fifty, and the boy wagered nothing. The boy selected Biao and won a hundred. Biao selected the woman. The woman selected the boy's empty cup and was eliminated. Before round two, Biao leaned toward the boy. “Touch my money again and I break your hand.” The boy went pale.