“Hey, it’s your turn.”
The man beside him gave him a shove.
Qin Jin slowly drew back his gaze.
They were playing nine-ball chase, a variation derived from American nine-ball rules, though the rules here had been slightly altered to add a gambling edge.
There was no limit on the number of players. They could set the order before starting. Nine balls were racked on the table, and players took turns hitting balls in order from 1 to 9. If someone missed halfway through and failed to pot a ball, the next person took over.
Whoever potted the 9-ball won money from everyone who had missed before them.
If everyone kept missing and no one could gradually pot all nine balls in order, the turns would just keep going around.
When someone finally potted the 9-ball, it was possible to earn over 1,000 yuan.
The person who broke was at a disadvantage, but if they potted the 9-ball on the break alone, they won money from everyone.
How much money was involved depended on how big everyone was willing to play.
Qin Jin scanned the room.
Three balls remained on the table, all in nasty positions, every one frozen to the rail. The key was that they still had to be hit in order from 7 to 9.
He was just thinking about which position would be best to hit from.
Then someone beside him suddenly called toward the sofa, “Aren’t you three coming to play?”
Three people sat on the long U-shaped sofa.
Xiao Muyu was resting with his eyes closed. Beside him, Ri Tinglong was drinking, expressionless.
Across from them sat Shao Gaoyuan, who looked furious.
The mood was downright gloomy.
The men at the pool table drank while playing, all thrilled, but compared to them, the scene was a little stiff.
Finally someone couldn’t hold back. “You three, don’t make the mood so awkward, okay? We’re all here to have fun.”
No sooner had he spoken than a “bang” sounded in the air.
Qin Jin was standing right beside the balls. He went straight into a high-cue jump shot with side spin, potting the 7-ball while controlling the cue ball’s spin back to the perfect position for sinking the 8-ball.
Then, without any delay, the 8-ball and 9-ball were potted in turn.
Before anyone could even react, Qin Jin had already collected the money the others had put down.
The smile on his face was sincere. “Thank you, everyone. You’re too kind.”
They were playing for 10 yuan.
Everyone ahead of him in the order was a companion. There were five of them, so he won 50 yuan.
The companions’ expressions all turned sour.
But the customers’ eyes lit up.
“Damn, he’s that good?!”
Yang Biandu was shocked too. He looked at Qin Jin, then back at the three people behind them.
“Did you see that? That shot just now!”
The pool table was up on the raised platform, while the sofa was below, so of course they couldn’t see it.
Ri Tinglong sat on the sofa, bored, looking at his phone. Hearing Yang Biandu’s excited tone, he raised an eyebrow slightly.
“How much are you playing for?”
“10 yuan.”
10 yuan. Ri Tinglong instantly lost interest in joining.
“Tinglong, want to play? You set the order?”
If he joined, it would just be a slaughter. Boring. “Fine, I’ll arrange it. You go first.”
The breaker was at a disadvantage; the later you went, the easier it was. Yang Biandu shook his head quickly. “I’m not going first.”
Shao Gaoyuan cut in. “Then that settles it. You already have your answer.”
“…”
“Ugh, forget it. Winner, you go first.”
Qin Jin was pushed to the front.
There were seven companions in total. Five were playing pool, and the rest acted as waiters, racking the balls and calling out “Nice shot!” for them.
The 9 balls were racked in a diamond.
It happened in the time it took everyone to take a drink.
There was a huge crash. The 9 balls scattered, a perfect break, and he even sank two balls at once.
Qin Jin looked a little shocked too.
Oh, he hadn’t meant to win against the whole table.
The one that went in happened to be the 9-ball.
One of the companions who had been force-fed liquor suddenly spat out what was in his mouth, spraying it all over a customer’s hands.
“Fuck.” Someone couldn’t help but slap the companion.
The air suddenly went quiet.
The slapped companion resentfully glanced at Qin Jin a few times, then could only cover his face and grovel to the customer. “Sorry, sorry, it was my fault.”
The liquor had soaked the coat badly.
Qin Jin had gotten splashed too.
After several rounds, seeing him win more and more money, the customers got serious too. They stopped drinking altogether and stared hard at the balls.
The game went back and forth. Except for Qin Jin, all the companions were losing money.
By the end, they had lost even the cash meant to keep the mood going.
“If you sink this ball, then get the hell out!” One customer missed and failed to sink the last 9-ball. He actually put down his cue and grabbed Qin Jin by the collar.
Without realizing it, Qin Jin, who had gotten carried away, gradually came back to himself.
How had he gotten so carried away while playing? He had won too much earlier and forgotten he was a companion now.
“Calm down. How about this: if I pot this ball, it counts as yours.” Qin Jin said soothingly.
With his collar still gripped, Qin Jin’s hair was slightly disheveled. Light fell from the ceiling, making him look indescribably fair and holy.
He clearly looked like an ordinary person…
At those words, Yang Biandu grew displeased. He growled, “What are you grabbing him for?”
Then he pulled Qin Jin against himself.
The moment he was pulled into the embrace, goosebumps rose all over Qin Jin’s body, and his mind snapped alert.
“From now on, he’s Yang Biandu’s personal companion!”
The smell of liquor hit his nose, and Qin Jin frowned.
Yang Biandu. He seemed to be the supporting character in the book who played matchmaker.
He often played matchmaker for Ri and Xiao, and later provided funds for the protagonist to make a comeback.
“You shoot this ball. If it counts, it’s mine too!!” The drunk Yang Biandu shouted, completely unaware of how suggestive his current posture was.
The thing was, he was also surprisingly strong.
He could break free, but then this person would fall off the raised platform.
“Fine, then it counts as yours.” Qin Jin tried patting the other man’s hand.
He quickly got out of the embrace.
The game ended when the 9-ball was potted, and he earned a little over 2,000.
Good heavens.
After all that fuss, dawn had broken.
Eight in the morning.
“Brother Bian, can you still walk by yourself?” Qin Jin had no intention of letting him leave alone. He called a designated driver, then pocketed the man’s lighter and cigarettes.
He pocketed them for later, for their next meeting.
If he couldn’t get on good terms with the protagonist, could he really not get on good terms with a supporting character?
“Brother Bian, give me an address.”
He needed an address to call the designated driver. He helped the man to the parking lot, coaxed him endlessly, and finally sent him off.
He still had half a pack of Golden Leaf in his hand, and the lighter was titanium alloy, with a nice feel.
Watching the luxury car leave, Qin Jin was just about to put the lighter and cigarettes into his pocket.
A pair of white sneakers suddenly appeared in his view.
“I want to talk to you.”
The voice was soft yet firm, brooking no doubt.
Following the sneakers, he slowly raised his gaze to those eyes.
It was the protagonist, Xiao Muyu.
Those big, round eyes were bloodshot and full of wariness.
Had the protagonist just gone out?
“Talk about what?” Qin Jin deliberately played dumb.
That expression only made Xiao Muyu’s face turn gloomier.
“You don’t know what I want to talk about?”
“No.”
Xiao Muyu was at a loss for words. “Get in the car first.”
That inconspicuous little car really couldn’t compare to the luxury car from before.