Forces of Temptation

Counting chips.

Note the odds.

Deal.

Roll the dice.

Jiang Fang completed every job to perfection.

Except for a little trembling when she first came to the table and dealt cards, Jiang Fang's quick thinking, adaptability and perfectionism are enough to handle everything.

In the hundreds of late nights when he just entered the casino, at home, he often frees up one hand to practice one-handed cutting cards, turning cards, changing cards, dropping cards, and thumb fans.

The other hand is cooking, washing dishes, and cleaning broken wine bottles.

At the same time, he listened to his mother's drunken dreams, and listened to her thousands of times pouring out her love and longing for her father.

Occasionally, one or two words of his mother's dreams were said to him.

She sang lullabies indistinctly, coaxing her imaginary young son.

And Jiang Fang is no longer a child.

Jiang Fang always smiles before he speaks.

This gentleman's elegant appearance was cultivated by his father.

The beauty of the East combines the Ukrainian blood and has a style of its own. It is a scene worth stopping in the casino.

However, people who come to casinos pay attention to their fortunes, and most of them hold a deformed concept of incompleteness.

For example, the only time Jiang Fang was beaten was not because of the wrong chip count, but because of the tattoo on his neck.

—The gambler who dealt the cards suffered a disastrous defeat, and the big five and three rough people rushed up and slapped Jiang Fang.

The reason is very simple: the tattoo on his neck looks unsightly, thus bringing bad luck to the guests.

However, this is a low probability event.

After Jiang Fang bought a pair of choker and put it on, the situation improved a lot.

Once Jiang Fang dealt a good card, some blushing gamblers would cheer and stuff a handful of chips into the pocket of his overalls.

Jiang Fang has watched tens of thousands of Texas Holdem Poker and thousands of slot machines.

Every day, up to tens of millions of chips flow through his fingertips.

The dice that rolls flexibly at his fingertips easily decide a person's life.

Jiang Fang coldly watched the world in the most materialistic underground world.

The disheveled pole dancer took off her lace **** on the high platform, tied her hair in her panties, swayed to the gambler with the best fortune today, kissed his wine-smelling lips, Good for a nice tip.

The proud gambler who had won tens of thousands of dollars just now lost millions in an instant, beating the machine that devoured his life's efforts, roaring and crying.

The old gambler, holding a title certificate, tried to sell his only real estate to other gamblers in exchange for the last chance to turn over.

The kind-hearted loan shark smiled and looked at the young man kneeling on the ground like a dog, shook his head and sighed, then waved to the person behind him, howling like a pig, "Give me more Time" gambler dragged into the closed cubby.

The gamblers looked curiously at the room that was said to be the execution room, pricked up their ears, and tried to taste and chew the sufferings of others.

Jiang Fang buried his head in sorting out the cards, his face expressionless.

As a staff member, he went on duty to clean the execution room specially used for thousands and debtors.

He swiped the severed fingers in the corner.

He also wiped off the remaining blood on the table.

Jiang Fang could feel that his heart was hardening unknowingly.

The next second, the corner of his mouth smirked, and he pulled a beautiful hand of cards, attracting the attention of the runners.

He was greeted with applause.

The applause drowned out the hoarse screams in the execution room.

Under the crazy neon of the casino, the bright pink in the corner of Jiang Fang's eyes flashed with bright light.

Like sultry eyes, like small tears.

Jiang Fang's fixed income is $30 per hour.

Tips are endless.

Soon, he made enough money to pay for the exorbitant costs of alcohol and drug rehab.

The day my mother was forcibly sent to the alcohol rehab center, she said a lot of pleading and unpleasant words.

Jiang Fang did not take it seriously.

He just sat alone for a long time on the steps under the apartment after his mother got in the car.

After sitting until his legs were a little numb, he got up and went back to the empty apartment, packed up and stacked clothes.

After six o'clock in the afternoon, the street lights came on on time, and came in through the window, illuminating the bright, dark, and everything in the house.

Together with the humming of the streetlights, was the playing of a destitute violinist in the attic.

My father loved books, novels, magazines, illustration collections, comics, and scientific newspapers, occupying an entire wall.

Jiang Fang lay down on his back on the cleaned bed, letting the sharp reflections of the windows and bookcases fall on his cheeks and silver hair.

Casinos mostly work at night.

After taking care of her mother without distraction, Jiang Fang has a spare time for herself.

Jiang Fang's student status has been cancelled.

And when he returns to school, he will not be allowed to work.

Jiang Fang began to explore and find his own way of balance in his life and work.

At night, he works for the casino.

During the day, he wore the "inspector's certificate" made by himself and the elegant suit made by the casino for him. , sit down in a corner of the classroom.

At that time, Kyiv Prefecture was strictly investigating education, and there were often school inspectors who came to each school from time to time to inspect the teaching situation.

Jiang Fang is tall and slender, with a calm and elegant temperament.

Even if her face is still a little green, but after carefully taking care of her hairstyle and clothes, she puts on a pair of cold-looking Crowley square glasses, Jiang Fang's image as a civil servant is still very important of.

He even met a physics teacher who had come to the casino to gamble and owe a lot of debt in one of his high school classes.

The teacher not only did not recognize Jiang Fanglai, but also took off his hat and bowed to the young inspector.

Jiang Fang bowed slightly.

He thought it was funny.

But that didn't stop him from taking notes under his fake "patrol record".

In addition, Jiang Fang will also sign in for some college students who are not good at school, listen to lectures, take notes, and write papers for them.

When it was not his turn to work at the casino, he went to the theater as a ranger.

Jiang Fang often enjoys "Salome" with his arms crossed, while thinking about the thesis assignments for a certain music student.

At the age of 16, dealer Jiang Fang had his own name in the underground casino because of his excellent skills.

Joker.

Like his double-sided portraits over the years.

At the age of 17, he received a business.

There is an international student studying in Ukraine, and his family is very rich.

He was so rich that he almost kept a full C grade in high school and barely finished it. He still relied on the donation of his parents and a fake athlete certificate to enter a very good local university.

To celebrate being accepted, he got carried away abroad.

When he realized something was wrong, there was only half a day left before his university registration deadline.

No way, he urgently contacted his friends and found Jiang Fang with the best reputation among the local substitutes.

Fu Erdai asked him to take his spare key, get his registration materials, check in for him, and help him take classes for a few days.

About half a month later, he kissed the hot beauty goodbye, patted his **** contentedly, and returned to Kyiv from sunny Hawaii.

But when he came back, he realized that he had become the leader of the study group, the member of the accordion club, and the enhancer of the ice hockey team of the school without knowing it.

He turned pale in shock, and hurriedly found Jiang Fangxing to ask him the guilt.

In the coffee shop, Jiang Fang picked up the cup without hesitation, looked at the young man who was two years older than him, and asked, "Is this bad?"

"What you want is an academic degree and a bright resume, and four years of studying abroad. As for what you have learned, it doesn't matter."

Jiang Fang said: "I am the opposite. I want to go to school, and what I want is this experience."

He rested his chin lightly on the back of his crossed hands: "We each take what we need. This will be a good deal for you and me."

Fu Erdai swallowed his saliva.

This is undoubtedly a huge temptation.

After making up his mind, he called Jiang Fang.

The Jiang Fang over there had already expected it.

He sat in the library, the corners of his mouth curled up beautifully.

"Then, Mr. Carbine, wish us a happy long-term cooperation."

Jiang Fang obtained a large and stable customer at the cost of temporarily losing the right to use his name.

It doesn't matter though.

In the past four years, Jiang Fang has been conscientious and dutiful, lingering in schools, ice hockey teams, accordion clubs and underground casinos, disguised perfectly.

His mysterious and gentle temperament, his beautiful accordion, his occasional magic tricks, his deep understanding and tasting ability of all kinds of wines in the world, make him at any time, Every place looks so charming.

Especially when he is an adult, the men and women who are willing to flirt with him go one after another, like a crucian carp crossing the river.

In the ice hockey team, there was a cheerleader who confessed to him in public.

In the casino, there is no shortage of men and women whistling obscenely at him.

It stands to reason that Jiang Fang should not feel lonely.

He can indulge.

But he likes no one, and no one comes near.

The point is, he never feels alienated and cold.

Anyone around him will feel joy and comfort from the heart, even if Jiang Fang rejects him, he feels that he can still be a good friend for the rest of his life.

It will take a long, long time for these people to realize that they and Jiang Fang are not even friends.

Jiang Fang has an extensive social circle and knows the situation of every friend.

He can tell the truth about everyone's situation.

But correspondingly, no one knows what kind of person he is.

…No one knows how he felt when he got home and looked at his mother who was drunk in the frozen vomit at the door.

Ms. Jiang herself may not know.

Long-term alcohol dependence had destroyed her sanity and brain.

In the past few years, she has repeatedly appeared in major alcohol and drug rehabilitation centers.

Out and in again.

It's nothing more than quit drinking.

Even if Jiang Fang personally sent her to the AA and supervises her, she could escape halfway through the toilet and drink heavily in an unknown tavern drunk.

Over time, Jiang Fang stopped restraining her.

, said softly good night to her.

Then, he dialed the alcohol center again.

After he communicated with the staff and hung up, he heard his mother muttering in Ukrainian.

"I, am I... am I sorry?"

Jiang Fang stroked her prematurely dry and white hair and the deep lines at the corners of her eyes.

He did not answer directly, but said softly, as he did when he was a child: "My angel. Go to sleep."

However, the introspection and remorse of alcoholics are often short-lived.

Jiang Fang will no longer believe anything easily.

He coaxed his mother like any "friend", so that she could at least be drunk tonight.

Fortunately, he still has ice hockey.

Ice hockey is a gentle and violent sport.

You can choose to be a rose poet waving a bat and dancing on the ice, or you can choose to be a flower of blood blooming on the ice.

Jiang Fang vented all the depression that he had accumulated under the elegance and gentleness on this ice hockey field, which was his father's favorite.

—"Joker is a born fighter."

A Russian veteran who works as a security guard in the underground casino where Jiang Fang works.

He commented on Jiang Fang.

Jiang Fang is light in weight and soft in muscles, combining the brute strength of Eastern Europeans and the flexibility of Asians.

On the ice, the protective gear is heavy and wide, and it is not easy to exert strength. The fights in the ice hockey game are often only you come and go, punch and punch, as cumbersome and rough as a black bear smash each other.

Jiang Fang is different.

go up.

He once smashed half of the opponent's face shield with such a punch.

Of course, it is inevitable to be injured in the bump.

If Jiang Fang's fingers are injured and swollen to the point where he can't bend or stretch, he will ask the casino for a day off.

The next day, he would cover the wound with a one-time rose tattoo, and play a hand of flying cards in front of guests to the point of screeching and whistling.

In his junior year, Jiang Fang's brave performance in a game was chosen by the Kyiv State Cavalry Ice Hockey Team.

Jiang Fang signed a one-year contract with them.

Because of the good pay.

Jiang Fang didn't know why he wanted to make money.

He just thought his mother might need it.

So, he wants more.

Ice hockey teams from other schools and communities in Kyiv have long heard of "Mr. Carbine".

They all know that this is a crazy, aggressive beauty enhancer.

No one dares to provoke him easily.

Because he fights, it seems that his life is not his own.

The road to the cavalry's championship is not that difficult.

On the day the competition ended, Jiang Fang received a large sum of money as promised.

However, in the afternoon, when he returned home with a golf bag, Jiang Fang saw the staff of the alcohol treatment center who had dealt with him many times at the door of the apartment.

When he saw himself, he took off his hat, his nose was red, and he wiped the tip of his nose awkwardly.

…Jiang Fang stopped.

A shadow that he had imagined for a long time, but had not yet arrived, slowly enveloped him.

As he expected.

Mother passed away.

Because of a sudden brain hemorrhage in my sleep.

Fortunately no pain.

In that year, Jiang Fang was 21 years old.

Although no one in the community knows Jiang Fang's real occupation, they all know that Jiang Fang has been working for his mother.

However, in the eyes of others, this young man who was gentle, filial, and devoted himself to his mother for several years, did not shed a single tear at the funeral.

Jiang Fang used all the warmth he experienced in his childhood to heal and compensate for his scarred youth.

Now, his last bit of light has burned out.

…Jiang Fang thought, he is free.

After that, Jiang Fang completed his graduation thesis for Mr. Carbin and handed in almost all A grades.

After that, Jiang Fang sold their house, quit his job in the casino, and embarked on his long solo journey.

Jiang Fang’s footsteps are all over the corners of Ukraine.

He practiced longboard alone on an abandoned highway, behind an extinct volcano that could no longer erupt.

He was wearing black sports gloves, and his fingertips tapped lightly on the rough ground when he bent over.

The temperature of the high-speed friction made him feel a brief stimulation.

But the excitement is fleeting.

A few months later, Jiang Fang took the test for the truck driver's license.

Because he heard that there is a certain road in a company's shipping route, and the scenery there is very good, and it will not get tired of watching it for ten years.

But within a few months, he resigned.

Ukrainian he had enough.

So Jiang Fang applied for a passport and left the place where he grew up.

He was profligate and unrestrained on eating, playing and living.

When he ran out of money, he would step into the local casino, no matter how big or small, and make a few bets.

Sometimes, Jiang Fang will be targeted for winning too much.

In less than a quarter of an hour, someone will invite him to wait in the VIP room of the casino.

The little manager of the casino will politely hand him a sum of money.

The implication is, make a friend and accept it when you see it.

This is the unspoken rule of the industry.

Once the casino encounters someone who has the ability, it will not easily tear their face. The common method is to give a little money and then see off the guest peacefully.

This is what Jiang Fang wants to earn.

Jiang Fang flicked the banknotes in his palm and stepped out of the noisy casino with the manager's hypocritical smile.

Standing under the huge and wide dark blue sky, he felt lonely.

But he also felt that loneliness was not the same thing.

Jiang Fang seems to have many things and dreams.

But only he knows that he is just a game of life.

…

Jiang Fang gently said to Nan Zhou: "My name is Jiang Fang. 'Fang' means 'a boat that is not tied', and it means seclusion."

"It seems that a name is a wish after all. It is a wish that cannot be fulfilled."

Nan Zhou opened his mouth and wanted to say something: "I..."

Jiang Fang smiled at him beautifully, and with a soft shush, he lightly blocked what Nan Zhou wanted to say.

“Everyone has their own story…”

Jiang Fang put his hand on Nan Zhou's shoulder.

His fingers roamed around the tooth marks on the back of his neck with a force that Nanzhou could not perceive.

"When to say it is up to you."

"For example, I think the moonlight is very good today, so I want to tell you about myself."

"Whenever you think the time is up, you can also tell me about you."

"Whenever...I'd love to hear it."

Nan Zhou blinked, looking at Jiang Fang's face dipped in the darkness, his eyes were novel and serious, as if he had known him for the first time in his life.

Jiang Fang asked: "What are you looking at?"

Nan Zhou: "Bedtime stories are good. I want to sleep."

Jiang Fang smiled freely: "It's an honor to help our teacher Nan—"

The next moment, his body froze suddenly.

Because Nan Zhou hugged him without warning, he took his shoulder without any shame.

After discovering that his height and body shape could not wrap Jiang Fang well, Nan Zhou put his head on his shoulder, a hand naturally passed under his arm, and hugged Jiang Fang. hold his waist.

Jiang Fang's blood lost the ability to circulate.

He asked in a low voice, "What are you doing?"

Nan Zhou calmly said: "Sleep."

Speaking, he raised his head, two silver bright cold stars in his cold eyes: "When I was a child, if I felt lonely, I would think, if I can be held like this, Enough."

Nanzhou solicited his opinion fairly and openly: "Do you want to be held by me like this?"

Jiang Fang: “…”

Nan Zhou: "You can push me away if you are not happy."

Jiang Fang: “…”

Nanzhou put her pillow on his shoulder: "Then, good night."

Jiang Fang's "good night" didn't whisper in his ear until Nan Zhou fell asleep.

Jiang Fang's fingertips brushed Nan Zhou's hair lightly.

He stroked down and down, neither light nor heavy.

He spoke very softly, like a whisper, for fear of awakening Nanzhou.

In that case, Jiang Fang may lose the courage to speak his heart.

"I hate the feeling of being in love with someone, it usually means I'm losing control of myself."

"I was terrified."

"I'm afraid I'll be like my mother."

"Loving someone madly and terribly is a dangerous thing."

"I saw that madness firsthand, so I thought I wouldn't do it again."

Jiang Fang paused.

"But I seem to be wrong. The power of heredity is great."

"So... Mr. Nan, I'm probably crazy to like you."