In the early morning, the East Fourth Ring Road of Nanjin was rare in its lack of congestion. Little Lin was driving, with Yang Yi in the passenger seat.
"I told you, that game isn't for you. The stakes are high, and the skill level is top-tier. You just wouldn't listen and insisted on going. So, what now? Did you really want to sign that blood-sucking contract?" Little Lin grumbled while driving. "I was just about to sleep when I got a call saying you were stuck in the Cage and needed me to bail you out."
"Well, who told the board game cafe to be empty yesterday? I really wanted to play today and had nowhere else to go."
The board game cafe Yang Yi mentioned was a place called 'Wufang' in the Tianbei District. Little Lin was a local, and a few local friends who were close to him often gathered there to play games and pass the time.
Except, in the beginning, everyone played 'The Night is Dark, Please Close Your Eyes' (Mafia). That was where Yang Yi had met Little Lin.
"Bro, those people have been playing cards for seven or eight years. They've been playing since Texas Hold'em first hit Nanjin. They're old-school pros. Why do you think he's called Brother 'Hei' (Black)?" Little Lin had slight night blindness; he drove cautiously, his body leaning forward.
"Black Jack, right? The name isn't just for show."
"I thought it was like us, playing for a couple hundred for a long time. Who knew they'd tell me only after I got there that it takes at least 1,000 just to get on the table." Yang Yi was also quite helpless. Then, he squinted provocatively at Little Lin. "How did they know I work at an advertising agency?"
"What? I said it. If I'm introducing you to a game, don't I have to tell them a bit about your background? In case some 'bandit' shows up, loses money, and then snitches on the game to the cops, they don't want to take that risk."
"Don't even mention it. When I was sitting in that back room, I really thought about how if they dared to do anything to me, I'd come back and knife them later," Yang Yi said with a lingering bitterness.
"Look at you and your big talk. An Aggressive Mafia play? If you really did that, I'd be out of the game too," Little Lin replied. "Listen to me, stop going out there to donate your money. Just stay at the board game cafe. The swings aren't big, and it's just for fun."
Yang Yi rubbed the red ink on his right index finger. "Today was just bad luck. I'll win it back sooner or later. Who am I, right?"
"Weak! Ling! I see you winning every day at the cafe, so how come you can't handle it when you meet real experts today?" Little Lin stared at the road ahead, speaking through gritted teeth. "You played the cards, but I'm the one holding the debt. You really know how to play people."
"Don't worry, I'll pay Brother Hei back by the end of the month. Is there a game at Wufang tonight?"
"Same crowd. But today Mazi—the guy with the brown freckles all over his face—brought a newcomer. Incredibly~~ rich, and incredibly~~ stupid."
"Why is it that all the stupid people have money? Hahaha," Yang Yi laughed.
"That's why you don't have money, right?" Before Yang Yi could finish his laugh, Little Lin turned with a serious face to look at him.
"There's really nothing left in the card, but I have cash at home. I'll break even tonight." Yang Yi was too obsessed with face; he knew full well whether there was cash at home.
"That's not even an issue. Once CEO Yang steps up, he'll take them down in minutes," Little Lin said, emphasizing every word.
Little Lin truly believed Yang Yi had money; Yang Yi was always the fastest to pull out his wallet at dinner. But who would have guessed that Yang Yi was actually broke? He was just an SAE at an advertising firm. In the two years he'd been in Nanjin, he had only managed to scramble into that position. His monthly salary, after taxes, was only about four or five thousand. As a bored, single office worker, his only post-work routine was to go to the board game cafe, order a pot of lemon tea, and wait for people to arrive to play games and kill time.
Among those people was Mazi, whom Little Lin had just mentioned. In Yang Yi's eyes, Mazi was a man with genuine superpowers. When this guy played Mafia, he could figure out everyone's hidden identity. He was almost never wrong. During one game, Mazi took off his blindfold, looked around, and said:
"I'm a Villager. Numbers 1, 7, and 9 are the three Detectives. Make the kills clean and quick so we can move to the next round. Numbers 11, 12, and 13 are the three consecutive Mafia. Did you hear me? Be fast, accurate, and ruthless with the knife."
But the Detectives still won that round because they verified the right people. After three rounds of voting, the three consecutive Mafia were eliminated one by one.
That wasn't the point. The point was Mazi's "legendary battle" in Yang Yi's mind that happened later. That time, Mazi, Little Lin, and Yang Yi all drew the Mafia cards. On the first night, when the Mafia opened their eyes, Yang Yi and Little Lin were both snickering quietly.
Mazi's expression was solemn, and he made five gestures:
He put his index finger to his lips in a "shush" motion. (Keep it down, don't let them hear our identities.)
He pointed to himself and made a throat-slitting motion across his own neck with his palm. (I'll commit suicide.)
He mimicked a student sitting at a desk, left hand flat, right hand raised as if to speak. (I'll pose as a Detective and leave a 'will'.)
He pointed at Yang Yi and Little Lin. (You two.)
He put his thumbs together and bowed them up and down. (A life-or-death showdown.)
The next morning during the voting phase, not only Yang Yi and Little Lin, but even the Moderator was stunned by Mazi's series of maneuvers. The Moderator said: "Mafia, please commit your murder quickly." Mazi pointed to himself. "The Mafia is committing suicide. Are you sure?" Mazi nodded.
In the subsequent first morning round, the Moderator announced that Mazi had been 'knifed' during the night. Mazi took off his blindfold and slammed it on the table:
"Every single time, I'm the one killed in the first round. Then I have to wait outside for you guys to finish before I can come back. Zero game experience... But this time the Mafia were very accurate. I was indeed a Detective... Last night I verified Number 9 as a Mafia. Everyone, vote him out this round... Number 5 (Yang Yi) and Number 10 (Little Lin) are on our police suspect list. A life-or-death PK... Number 2 and Number 12 are also suspicious... I'm out. Going home."
After leaving his 'will,' Mazi walked out angrily. Obviously, besides Number 9, Number 2 and Number 12 were the other two real Detectives that Mazi had flagged for Yang Yi and Little Lin to eliminate. As for that Detective, Number 9... well, it was tragic. Defenses, anger, even shouting his true identity was useless. In the eyes of the Villagers, it was just a Mafia's survival instinct.
Yang Yi and Little Lin didn't let Mazi down. A game that should have ended in three rounds miraculously went for six. Because in the eyes of the real Detectives, they were definitely "Villagers" who refused to side with Mazi. Under the protection of the Detectives, the two of them knifed all the Villagers. That round was a total wipeout...
"Hey, what are you smirking at?" Little Lin pulled the car over.
"Just thinking about that legendary play Mazi made."
"Right? Mazi is a riot. Later he came back in all smiles saying he wanted to keep playing." Little Lin pulled the handbrake. "Alright, we're here."
The car stopped in front of a residential gate. When Yang Yi stood up, he felt a dull ache in his waist. The exhaustion of an all-nighter was finally catching up to him.
"Bye. See you tonight."
"Got it. Get some good rest."