A day had passed, and the time for the underground casino event was only two hours away. Mei hurried to fill an empty briefcase with all her savings, scraping up anything she could find. High risk, high return. That was the basic rule of gambling. Wearing her most regal hanfu, she settled in her carriage towards the destination written on the card.

Mei was anxious about how the casino was going to be, if even the source of information was correct or not. Questions rose in her mind as she traveled, she had to save up some money and not use it all. She left an emergency stack at home because she knew she would end up spending everything she brought.

The carriage made swift turns within the narrow alleys, barely able to arrive at the destination. A small teahouse was seen in front of them, Mei opened the door and stepped out into the alley, her heart pounding in her chest. “I’ll be waiting outside the alleys, Courtesan Mei,” the driver informed, starting the carriage.

Mei nodded and walked in the dimly lit alley toward the teahouse entrance, but she hesitated. Her mind racing if this was the right place or if she could trust the information she was given. Hesitantly, she arrived at the entrance, but she met the cold eyes of the doorman. He shot her a glance, and Mei readily handed over the card, swallowing nervously.

The doorman scanned Mei up and down and slid open the door for her. “Thank you,” Mei murmured, stepping inside and heaving a sigh of relief. The doorman, with a flick of his wrist, burned the card he had received, returning to his spot. He clicked his tongue, shaking his head, “What a pitiful girl.”

Inside, Mei was in awe observing the interior; it was elegant, with wood and green accents all over the place, giving a refined atmosphere. There was another man with a similar uniform as the doorman who sat at the receptionist's table. His expression was unreadable, and he pointed at the staircase, catching the sight of Mei. “Down the stairs,” he instructed.

Mei nodded and followed the directions heading to the staircase. She descended the spiral staircase; the noises became clearer as she went deeper. Then, the muffled sounds disappeared as she saw the underground casino open in front of her. She glanced around, noticing the atmosphere filled with tobacco, incense, expensive liquor, and blood. Golden lanterns hung from the ceiling. Low tables were placed with silk, making sure the clients were relaxed.

Mei chuckled. “This place is almost like the Pavilion,” she whispered. As she walked around the place, she found unfamiliar games where everyone was betting outrageous amounts. She also observed the clientele, and as expected, there were prominent figures from the martial arts world here, such as people from the sects that ordinary people could never dare to approach.

I should show this place to Aika; she would owe me. As she was about to approach the cards game table, screams were heard, catching her attention. Then she spotted the ring where everyone was getting brutally beaten up using martial arts. Mei almost made eye contact with one of the martial artists, but she turned her head right away, a shiver running down her spine. She felt at home here, and the ecstasy could be seen on her face. She wasn’t the only one with a bad gambling addiction. But this time around, Mei was going to play Go instead of a card game, which relied on luck, unlike Go, which relied on her intelligence. She approached the next table of Go, and with a maniac grin on her face as if possessed by the atmosphere, she gambled away.

The table had an old man who seemed like a prominent figure from a sect, considering his clothing. The black and white stones stared at Mei, and she couldn’t wait to start. The match began, and Mei started planning out her strategy, a way to win against the elder. She tried her best, pulling out all her tricks. The elder wasn’t bad either he would avoid some traps but get caught in some.

The game reached its climax, and people started gathering around their table, murmuring and discussing who would win. But eventually, as the elder continued playing his moves, Mei started hesitating as she wasn’t sure anymore. The pressure was getting to her.

The elder scoffed. “What’s the matter? Losing your nerve?” he asked with mockery.

Mei, frustrated, clenched her jaw. The elder’s knowing smiles only fueled her frustration. She forced herself to concentrate, but Mei carelessly moved her stone into a trap. The elder chuckled and made his move, he immediately encircled Mei and blocked off all her options. Mei panicked, grabbing her hair.

Mei tried her best to recover, but it was too late. The game was nearing its end, and she couldn’t do anything. Sweat appeared on her forehead as she stared in disbelief. Were her calculations wrong? Was Go too complicated for her? It felt like her intelligence was trampled on. How did the elder see right through her moves?

The elder grinned smugly and requested the money. Mei bit her lip, took out the stacks from her briefcase, and threw them on the table. The elder collected his winnings and walked away to the next table for another challenge. As Mei was rethinking why she had lost in her strategies, a man with medium-length, silky black hair and piercing blue eyes approached her. Somehow, the aura was familiar, catching her off guard.

Mei looked up. “May I help you?” she asked, a bit taken aback. The man was so handsome…

He smiled. “Ah, apologies for the intrusion, but I was impressed by the game you played. I admire and am envious of your sharp mind, my lady. I would love to see your next game—I’ll be betting on you.”, the man said, cheering with his glass of wine.

“I…I don’t know what to say. Unfortunately, I might not be able to pay for the next game. The bets here are too high”, Mei replied surprised.

The man’s smile did not falter. “Oh, that is no problem, my lady. I wish to see your brilliance those moves were perfection. I'll fill you in on a secret. The elder that just left has been playing here for almost ten years. The reason you couldn’t beat him, he’s a tough opponent. But with a little support, I believe you can defeat him”, the man said.

“What do you mean?” Mei asked.

“I’m offering to sponsor you. You can play as many games as possible without worrying about the stakes”, the man offered smoothly.

“I couldn’t possibly. It’s a bit shameful, but I already have a high debt. I won’t be able to pay you back”, Mei said hesitantly.

The man leaned in slightly. “That’s fine. I’m not like the others you owe”, the man says, narrowing his eyes. “I don’t expect immediate repayment. I won’t have any interest rates, and I simply want to allow you to use your skills to prove everyone wrong. I can see the talent you have. All you need is a bit of luck”, he continued.

Mei was desperate, no doubt, but the no-interest rates offer was so tempting she couldn’t refuse it. It was too good to be true. She couldn’t let a good deal out of her hands. And having a handsome man admire her talents was extremely flattering.

“Alright, I’ll play another game, but put it in writing. I want a contract”, Mei said, trying to seal the deal.

The man nodded as if he’d been expecting this. “Sure, there’s a contract. I have them on hand for my other sponsors”, he added.

Mei’s heart sank a bit after finding out the man had other sponsors, but she quickly pushed it aside. “By the way, what’s your name?” she asked.

“Yoshio. Yoshio Uno”, the man repeated politely.

“Looking forward to working with you. Yoshio-sama”, Mei said, smiling.

Yoshio nodded with a skeptical glint in his eyes. “As am I”.

Mei signed the contract immediately and handed it over.  Their fingers brushed against each other for a moment. “How about another game?” Yoshio said.

Mei nodded and started playing against the next individual who sat at her table. And just like that, as if the lady luck had shone on Mei brightly, she won her first game. Mei got up, cheering for herself and clapping, and Yoshio smiled at her success with an approving nod. Feeling like she had gotten the hand of the game, Go. She played another round hoping for a win, this time more focused, and her streak continued, winning again, doubling the amount of money she had just earned.

People started whispering at the rise of a new Go player.

“I knew you hand it in you,” Yoshio celebrated. “You see”.

Mei smiled. She started to feel as if Yoshio was her lucky coin. She won whenever he was by her side. She decided to continue and challenged another player, winning again. She created a streak of three wins for the first time.

Yoshio congratulated her, his smile broadening. “A streak of three wins. That contract is worthwhile. Use this money to pay back your debts”.

“One last game,” Mei whispered, diving deeper into the game. An elder came to her table as everyone else was afraid of challenging a winning player. Then the game started, and as it progressed, Mei could feel something was different. Mei’s strategies were seen through completely. None of the newly developed traps that won her the previous rounds worked. What was happening?

The elder was making an impossible play. Then, with the last move, Mei lost, ending her streak. Her mood turned sour she was having a great time. Should she stop? It was hurting her head. She handed over one win worth of earnings to the winner. “I’ll stop for today,” Mei said, exhausted.

Mei stood up but was held back by Yoshio. “Hear me out. Don’t give up yet. You were so close to winning…maybe just one more round. The 5^th round, make it even”, he urged.

Mei sighed deeply and blindly trusted Yoshio, who was her lucky coin. She continued playing, unable to walk away. But Yoshio couldn’t help but grin sinisterly as Mei sat back down at her table.