I sighed again and then answered calmly with a small smile "My pockets are in front of you. Take what you want. But what do you think of a little game that will earn you more money than what I and you have right now?"
Carl and Ralph looked at each other in surprise. Then Ralph said, "What game, kid? give us your money now or we'll sell your organs on the black market."
I continued to be stubborn, smiling innocently and adding, "No, sir. This is scary for an innocent little boy like me, but I'm serious about this. Just think about it. You'll win the double of money if you win this game. And the game is very easy, if you're not afraid to pass it. You are too smart and can easily win, right?"
Carl sighed and said confidently, "A game then? Here's your game, boy. I'm neither scared nor stupid. One night I won 15 bets in a row. I have nothing to fear."
I smiled more innocently and said, "Okay.. This is a game I used to play with my friends when I was young and I used to win. It involves you predicting the number of fingers the other person has. And to make sure there is no cheating, we'll include a third party as an arbiter and a winner at the same time, so that every time I win the arbiter will win a point while every time I lose my opponent will win a point."
Carl looked at Ralph and a look of understanding appeared on his face. "I see. If I beat the boy, I'll have a point, and if the boy beats me, the point will be yours, Ralph. The opposite is true for a wrong guess, right?"
I said happily, "Yes.. Also the total rounds will be five. And to be precise, I currently have $100 in my pocket. So let each of you share $100 so I can be fair between you and show you how to win this game. With this, the total will be $300 so every point you win will be worth $60."
Carl stepped back and looked at me with a look of disapproval, "We have to pay $200? Why?"
I let out a light, innocent chuckle and said, "Didn't you say that you are smart and fearless, sir? why do you look scared now?"
Carl stiffened in his place and looked at me with a defeated glance, so I added saying "you want to learn how to steal from people with a game without them noticing right?. Plus, I just wanted to make things a little exciting. And believe me, the game will attract you and you will enjoy defrauding a lot of people. Don't you want a new profitable way to earn money instead of these silly traditional methods? You have to develop guys."
Ralph looked at Carl with conviction and enthusiasm as he struck Carl's shoulder in encouragement, saying, "Oh right.. Come on, man, you said you're good at gambling, so I'll pay and rely on you.. And also, this is an enticing offer.. This boy is strange and has a real con artist's mind bro."
Carl sighed in surrender, nodding in agreement, saying, "Okay, okay.. I'm in."
Then I immediately added, in a sweet and innocent tone, "You guys are smart men and know money well, and a childish game like this can be won easily without hesitation or difficulty, just focus."
Then I raised three of my fingers, saying in a serious tone, "Oh, there are three additional rules I forgot to mention.. The first rule states that if one of the players loses the first four rounds and wins the fifth round, all the $300 will be theirs.. The second rule states that any numbers that were incorrectly pronounced and guessed wrong will not be reused until the end of the game, and naturally, the numbers are limited from 1 to 10.. Anyone who reuses a used number will have $30 deducted from them.. The third rule states that any external interference from an outside element or any oversight from the arbitre will end the game with a tie, understand?"
Ralph and Carl looked at each other scornfully, and Carl nod his head again, saying, "Okay, okay... we'll go along with you as far as you want, boy."
How foolish people become when they are blinded by the pleasure of anticipated victory and their intense desire for material gain... And just as I thought that the one playing against me would be Carl, the king of gambling, which would make that foolish Ralph the arbitre... that is perfectly fine and suitable for me.
I took the guessing role in the first round, and thus Carl's turn would be first and fifth by forming the numbers. So Carl hid his hands behind his back to form a number with his fingers while I had to guess it correctly, while Ralph watched Carl to ensure the game's honesty...
Honestly, I don't trust thieves and greedy people like them, but as long as that foolish bald one is the arbitre, my victory will be easy...
I didn't mention to them that I might win this game, did I? People love to hear beautiful things about themselves only. So once they are praised in a group or someone relies on them, they forget anything else, and all they will feel is pride and vanity. You all are open books to me!
I can also observe the hesitation in the eyes of that big fool, and I can understand what is going on inside his massive skull. He is torn between selfishness and loyalty to his friend.
There are two hypotheses here: either that rock-headed will choose to be loyal to his friend and let me lose on purpose so that his friend can win the money and the game ends, or he will let me win on purpose just so he can win the money for himself.
If Ralph chooses to let Carl win all the money, he won't get any money himself since Carl is the controlling and dominant onein in their relationship, while Ralph appears to be the subordinate. And if he chooses to be selfish, Ralph will lose his master. If we assume that there are many like Ralph under Carl's command, there's a possibility they might bully Ralph, especially since he might be involved with his friend's crazy sister.
Based on the naive thinking that giant has, every choice will be worse than the other for him. So if we combine both scenarios, we arrive at a single hypothesis: he will be both selfish and loyal at the same time. Ralph will be a fair arbitre to satisfy himself and his conscience!
To be honest, I'm bad at guessing. My grandfather always won against me even though he was worse than me at guessing! It seems that his wins were simply due to my agreeing to play against him every time.. Because this game is not primarily about guessing, but about the rules..
The game started.. Carl formed the number 5 behind his back while I guess the number 1, and my guess was wrong as I expected So Carl won a point worth 60 dollars.
We moved on to the second round where I held the number 7 behind my back while Carl's guess was 9, which was wrong, meaning a point for Ralph.
I see that these two friends are gradually getting into the spirit of the game. They really want to learn how to win money by deceiving people. I will provide them with an unforgettable lesson in this..
In the third round, Carl formed the number 6 and my guess was the number 2, which means an additional point for Carl, causing Ralph to laugh. But, I don't think it was a real laugh. Even Carl's eyes and the way he stared at Ralph seem to urge him to do something.. fools..
How cowardly and maliciously it is for a hypocrite to show exaggerated kindness to those around him to gain acceptance, and then end up exploiting others for his own goals and personal interest while making the victim feel proud, victorious and accomplished after helping him to ensure the extension of the relationship and benefit. That's what makes me believe more that humans are just a selfish being.
We started the fourth round and that prostitute came back and leaned her back on the wall opposite me as she watched us, but why are her eyes fixed on me specifically for the sake of the Creator of hell?
It doesn't matter. It's time to play on their nerves a little. Adding the fairer sex to the equation will make my unfluence quick and effective. That will turn the game from a guessing game into a real competition for those two fools. How nice it is to be surrounded by idiots..
I was a little late in forming the number with my fingers behind my back to add some tension and more anticipation in the air. In the end, I chose to form number 4, and Carl's guess was number 6. Is this really the gambling king?
I said, as a look of astonishment overtaking my face, "Six? You've used number 6 before, and now you've mentioned it again."
Ralph nodded his head in response, "That's right. the boy is right, what does that mean?"
I said with a serious look, "$30 will be deducted from Carl. And you, Mr. Muscles, will win $60 because your friend guessed wrong and lost this round."
Ralph laughed, wrapping his left arm around Carl and leaning on him, while Carl tried to move away, saying, "So you're saying I won $90 in this round?"
I said to Ralph, a forced smile appearing on my face, "No, whoever wins the next round between you two will get $90, which means either Carl will reclaim his $30 defending his honor as the gambling king and win another $60, bringing his total to $180 while you stay at $120. Or Carl will lose and remain with $90, and you will win $210. Meaning Carl will lose $10 from his initial amount that he participated with, which will become yours."
A look of understanding appeared on Ralph while Carl immediately protested, a look of rejection and disbelief settling on his face as he said, "What?! How is this possible?! This is impossible! How did this turn against me??!"
I said in a serious tone while pointing my finger at Ralph, "Don't ask me. Ask your friend. He is the arbitre, and he is the one who will win if you lose. Am I wrong?"
What a beautiful scene. This will teach them not to mess with anyone else or steal their money. Here I'm standing, watching them argue over money, and it seems Ralph is gaining the upper hand in the conversation since he has gained high confidence from his victory and secured his win just by being present as the judge.
While Carl's self-confidence has shaken, and he will lose 10 dollars, all he is doing now is trying to silence happy Ralph and complain. Seriously, if he loses 10 dollars from the amount he initially paid, that would be devastating for a gambling king like him. But the surprise hasn't shown up yet, the game is not over.
And now, after they finished their pointless arguments and calculations, they both seem extremely anxious, each wanting to win more than the other. What fools they are...
that fool puffs out his chest in front of his friend's sister while the other pushes his friend's chest to defend his dignity in front of his sister. It is time to put an end to this game.
We have started the fifth round. Ralph will do anything to win, just as Carl will do the same, even though his chances of winning are very slim. Tension and anxiety fill his face, and I won't deny that his mind is now locked in a room with four walls of naivety, arrogance, pride, and deception.
Now that the tension in the air has increased, their focus on the game will decrease and anything trivial will distract them. Therefore, it is time for my grandfather's usual trick.
I turned quickly towards the alley exit, looking surprised, which made the others look directly in the direction I was looking at.
Carl said, with wide eyes and a kind of alertness tone, "What? What's going on?"
I sighed and looked at them with a slight smile, saying, "I think it's just a black cat... Also, arbitre, taking your eyes off the game is a violation of the integrity and fairness of the game, which ends the round in a tie."
Dala sighed and then headed to the entrance of the building across from me, then turned and said, "This is boring... All this talk and calculation, and in the end, you end up in a tie? Bro, why did you pick number 8? Did you forget that it is a number that brings bad luck in our family?"
I said, still wearing the same smile on my face, "The intervention of a fourth party in the game, which is an external party merely observing... such intervention ends the game in a certain tie!"
Ralph and Carl looked at Dala in shock as she stood there surprised by the sudden change in atmosphere, saying, "What? What's wrong with you? Is there something on my clothes?"
I form a wide smile at Dala and said, "We could have overlooked the distraction that occurred if the other parties in the game had been in agreement. Therefore, after that girl's intervention, the last round ended in a tie, and that's the end of the game."
After a person spends all their nerves on stress, that stress turns into anger, and with a little sprinkle of pride, it transforms into blame directed at others to escape the feeling of inadequacy due to failure and loss. Lose your dignity with everyone except yourself.
Carl kicked an empty box lying on the ground and shouted angrily, "Damn you, Ralph... Couldn't you make me win?! I lost because of you and that idiot!"
Dala looked at her brother with a sharp gaze reflecting her feelings of provocation and said with a sense of annoyance and arrogance, "What do I have to do with that? Don't pin your failure on me, you fool." Then she entered the building after tossing her hair with her hand as an expression of anger and discontent.
Ralph realized what Carl had said earlier, so he placed his hand on his chest defensively and said in a tone closer to a shout, "What do you mean by making you win? And what about me? I paid 100$ from my pocket, Carl... Enough with your greed."
Carl replied with fire of anger consuming his eyes, "That doesn't matter because I was going to win and then we would split the money, you fool!"
Ralph sighed and scrath his back head and said, "I hadn't thought of it that way... And if money is what matters most, then why are you angery and shouting? We both won the money, so we will get back what we had and then share the rest between us."
Carl's pride weakened, then he looked at the ground and let out a loud sigh. Then he raised his eyes and said, "I'm the idiot who relied on you, Ralph, and allowed that stupid bitch to be with us... now let's split the money."
Ralph searched his pockets and asked, "Speaking of that... I don't have the money. Don't you have it?"
Carl replied, surprised, "Wait... you don't have the money? You were supposed to have it, you fool! Don't tell me you lost it!.... Or wait a minute... we gave it to him."
Ralph looked from his pockets at Carl, asking, "Who are you talking about?"
I stood at the end of the alley, holding the 300$ and said with a light laugh, "Your selfishness seduced you and your overconfidence blinded you, humans... the girl's impatience, that giant's ego, and your arrogance, Mr king of gambling, are the reasons we ended up in a draw, which means my win!"
Carl replied, astonished and angry, "What do you mean by a draw, huh? What do you mean by all this?"
I said to Carl with a wide smile, sarcastically, "If you score a point, you win $60. If I score a point, the arbitre win $60. And if the round ends in a tie, I take $60. And since I've lost the first four rounds and won in the last one, that means I'm the winner of the whole game. This means I've stolen your money without needing to threaten you, which is entirely legitimate for me. HAHAHAHAHAHA"
I added sarcastically "What's wrong with you? I see looks of astonishment and bewilderment on your faces. Don't tell me you've forgotten this rule?!"
Carl shouted, clenching his fists, anger and hatred flooding his eyes, "But you didn't tell us that you could win!"
Due to their childish fury, I placed my hands on my face and smiled arrogantly and mockingly as I looked at them through the gaps of my fingers, "Oh, do you really care if others win? What a person with a kind heart you are, and what a sportsman spirit... I thought all you cared about was yourself? am I right?"
Carl shouted loudly and rushed towards me, "I will kill you, you damn little dwarf!"
After Carl's attack, I hurriedly fled from the alley to the main street and blended into a crowd of people so that fool would lose me. How foolish they are.. They got what they deserve by attempting to deceive and rob an innocent young teenager like me..
One of the most prominent manifestations of God's justice towards His servants is that every person possesses a type of strength that distinguishes and suits them.. Some have physical strength. Others have mental strength. And some possess spiritual strength. All are blessings bestowed by God on people, and each person should know how to exploit and use these blessings to the best of their ability.
And now I have to hurry back home to avoid getting caught by those two fools. I don't know why I feel like this is the second to last moment of peace in my life....