Chapter 12 Chapter Twelve
In the guest room of that hotel, besides Tony Rezzoli and Victor Colonsis, there were four other people.
"I want you to meet my friend Otto Dalton," Rizzoli introduced. "Victor Colonsis."
They shook hands, and Rezzoli looked at those next to him with an inquiring look. "I don't think I've seen these gentlemen before."
So Otto Dalton introduced him.
"Perry Breslau from Detroit...Marvin Seymour from Houston...Shal Parrissy from New York."
Victor Koronsis nodded at them and said nothing.
Otto Dalton, about 60 years old, looks very thin, with gray hair, giving people an amiable feeling.Perry Breslau was younger, but his elongated face was lined.Marvin Seymour was a lean, middle-aged man, and Sal Parrissy was a tall man, strong as an oak, with well-muscled limbs.He has a pair of evil little eyes, and there are horizontal and vertical scars all over his face.
Before coming here, Rezzoli briefly explained to Colonsis.These guys have a lot of money, and they can afford to lose no matter how much they have.Seymour owned an insurance company of his own; Breslau was a car dealer with operations all over the United States, and Sal Parrissy was the head of a large union in New York.
Otto Dalton looked at everyone and said, "Okay, gentlemen. Shall we start? The white chips are $5, the blue chips are $10, the red chips are $35, and the black chips are $50." .Now look at the money in your pockets."
Koronsis pulled the $500 Tony had lent him from his pocket.No, he told himself, not borrowed, but given.He smiled back at Rizzoli.What a generous friend Rizzoli was!
Several other people also showed a lot of tickets at the same time.
Coronsis suddenly felt a pang of worry.What if things go wrong and you lose the $500?He just shrugged his shoulders and left it alone for the time being.His friend Tony would arrange everything anyway.But if he could win, Kronsis was too excited to think of it.
They sat down around the card table.
The gameplay is determined by the owner.As for bets, they generally start small.There are many ways to play: five-card games and seven-card games; there are supplementary cards, and cards are dealt in order. At first, there was no clear win or loss between them.But it didn't take long for the situation to change. Victor Colonsis and Tony Rezzoli win almost every fight.If the cards in their hands are fair, the opponent's cards are worse than theirs.If the opponent has a good hand, then their cards are even better than theirs. Victor Colonsis couldn't believe his luck: he won two thousand dollars in one night.It's a miracle. "You two are very lucky," said Marvin Seymour, incredulously. "I said," Breslau echoed. "How about giving us another chance tomorrow night?" "I'll let you know," Rizzoli said.
When they left, Colonsis exclaimed excitedly, "I won two thousand dollars. This is unbelievable." Rezzoli smiled and said to him: "This money is only enough to feed the chickens. Let me tell you, Otto is a real expert in this kind of thing. Those guys will definitely ask us to try them again." luck. Are you interested in doing it again?" "You bet." Koronsis smiled happily. "I'm just kidding."
The next night, Victor Colonsis won another three thousand dollars. "It's kind of hard to imagine!" he asked Rizzoli: "Don't they have any doubts?" "Of course not. I'll bet they're going to ask for an increase tomorrow. They think they'll get their money back. Do you believe that?" "Of course, Tony. I do."
As soon as they sat down at the poker table that day, Charles Parrissy said, "You know we've been losers so far. How about raising the stakes?" Tony Rezzoli blinked knowingly at Coronsis. "I'm fine," Rezzoli immediately agreed, "How are you?" All present agreed. Otto Dalton distributed the chips. "The white chip is $50, the blue chip is $100, the red chip is $500, and the black chip is $1,000." Victor Koronsis gave Rizzoli a nervous look, because he didn't expect these guys to raise the stakes so high. Rezzoli nodded to reassure him. The cards are dealt. Still like the previous few times, Victor Koronsis's hand seemed to have a magical power.Every deck he was dealt was always exactly one better than the other.But the number of wins is not too great. "Damn cards!" Palissy complained. "Let's change the deck." Otto Dalton took the initiative to take a deck of cards from his pocket. Koronsis glanced at Tony Rezzoli and smiled.He knew in his heart that nothing could change their luck. They played until midnight.Someone brought supper, sandwiches.So the players decided to take a 15-minute break. Tony took this opportunity to call Kronsis aside and whispered to him, "I already told Otto to give them a sweet treat." "I do not quite understand what you mean." "It's time to put some bait down. If they keep losing like this, these guys will give up because they don't want to play." "Oh, I see. That's a great move." "When they get hotheaded, we raise the stakes and then we let them bleed." Victor Koronsis was still a little hesitant. "I've won so much money, Tony. You don't think we should let it go..." Tony looked him in the eyes and asked, "Victor, would you like to leave here tonight with fifty thousand dollars in your pocket?"
After the restart, Breslau, Palisi and Seymour began to gain the upper hand.Koronsis's luck is not bad, but several other cards are more beautiful than his. This Otto Dalton was an absolute genius.Koronsis secretly admired in his heart.He watched his dealings carefully, but could not find any flaws. Koronsis lost game after game to the opponent.But he was not in a hurry.In a little while, when they'd fed those... what did Tony call it—oh, the bait, he and Rizzoli and Dalton could start reaping the benefits. Charles Parrissy gleefully stabbed at him: "Hey, man, you don't seem to be up to it." Tony Rizzoli shook his head dejectedly. "Yeah, that's true, isn't it?" At the same time, he winked at Koronsis. "It's impossible for you to be lucky forever." Marvin Seymour interjected triumphantly. Perry Breslau also spoke at this time: "Now what if I raise the stakes a little bit more? Let's say you give us a real chance to make money." Tony Rezzoli pretended to be serious about his proposal. "I don't know either," he replied cautiously.Then he turned to Coronsis and asked, "What do you think, Victor?" Would you like to walk out of here tonight with fifty thousand dollars in your pocket?With this money, I will be able to buy myself a house, a new car, and I can take my whole family on vacation... Kronsis was almost trembling with excitement.He smiled and replied, "Why not?" "Very well then," said Charles Parrissy. "Now we can guarantee all the chips on the table at once, and there is no cap." They are now playing five cards with draws, and the host first deals two cards to each. "Now it's my turn to bet first," Breslau said. "Then let's start with five thousand dollars." Everyone followed suit. The two cards dealt to Victor Koronsis by the host happened to be a pair of "Queens".Then one of the three cards he added himself was "Queen". Rezzoli looked at the cards in his hand, "Add one thousand." Marvin Seymour looked carefully at his cards. "Follow up. But I'll add another two thousand to you." Otto closed his cards. "I can't bear it." Charles Parrissy said, "I'll follow up." As a result, Marvin Seymour's "straights" were all taken by Marvin Seymour in this hand. In the next game, Victor Kronsis drew four good cards in a row: "8", "9", "10" and "Jack" of hearts.Only one card away is a "straight flush". "My name is Thousand," Dalton said. "Follow up, add another thousand." Shar is not to be outdone. "Then just add another thousand." It was the turn of Coronsis.He already has a plan in mind, because his "straight flush" can eat all other opponents.Now it's just the last card. "I follow." Then he made up the last card.He was so nervous that he didn't dare to turn over the card and take a look at it right away. Breslau showed his cards first. "A pair of '4's and a pair of '10's." Palissy followed suit and showed his cards. "Three '7's." Together they turned their gazes to Kronsis.He took a breath nervously, then picked up the spleen and took a look: it was a black card. "It's over." He closed the cards in his hand in frustration.
The stakes are getting bigger and bigger. The chips in front of Victor Koronsis are running out.He glanced anxiously at Tony Rizzoli. Rezzoli just gave him a relaxed smile.This smile seemed to be telling him: Don't worry about it. So Rizzoli went on to play the next game. The cards were dealt again. "I'll call one thousand first." Perry Breslau: "Another thousand." Marvin Seymour: "I'll add another two thousand." Sal Parrissy: "Maybe you don't know my card yet? Who is this to frighten? I'll add another five thousand!" Coronsis hadn't looked at his cards yet.How long does it take to feed this damn bait? "Victor?" Victor Koronsis slowly grabbed the cards on the table and unfolded them one by one.It was an "A", another "A", and then a third "A".There is also a "K" and a "10".He felt the blood in his veins rushing violently. "Are you following?" He smiled smugly.The bait was gone.He knew he would get a "K" again, and that would be a "full house".So he gave up the "10" and said casually, "I'm close. I want a spleen." Otto Dalton said, "I want two." He looked at the spleen in his hand. "I'll add another thousand." Marvin Seymour closed his cards. "I quit." Now it was left for Coronthus to confront Charles Parrisi. "Are you going to look at the cards?" asked Palissy. "Now I have to add another five thousand, how about it?" Victor Koronsis looked at the remaining chips on his table.It all adds up to only about 5,000 yuan.But if I win this hand... He weighed the pros and cons in his heart.He looked at the cards in his hand again.This is a winning card.He finally pushed the rest of the stack into the middle of the table and drew a card.I picked it up and saw that it was a "5".But he still has three "Aces" after all.He showed his cards to his opponent. "Three 'Aces'." Palissy showed his cards. "Four '2's." Koronsis sat there dumbfounded, watching the other party take his pile of chips with a sick look.He always felt like he had failed Tony.If only I could have held on until we started winning. This time it was the turn of Diolixi to be the banker. "Let's play seven," he announced. "Bet one thousand first." Everyone else followed suit. Victor Kronsis looked at Thore Rezzoli in embarrassment. "I no longer have..." "No problem," Rizzoli said.Then he turned to the players and said, "Look, guys. Victor just didn't have a lot of money tonight. But I can assure you folks, he's going to have no trouble with his credit. I see, Let him settle the bill first. Let’s settle the bill together after we’re done.” Palissy immediately objected. "Well, are we a fraternity or something? We don't know him at all, who knows what his credit is like." "You should trust me to vouch for him," Tony tried hard to convince them. "As for me, I think Otto can vouch for me here." At this time, Otto Dalton also interceded. "If Tony says there's nothing wrong with Mr. Colonsis, it's all right." So Charles Parisy shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, that's it." "I'm fine," Perry Breslau agreed. Otto asked Victor Colonsis: "How much do you want?" "Give him ten thousand chips," Tony said. Koronsis looked at Tony in surprise.Ten thousand dollars was more than his income in two years.But Rizzoli must have his arrangements. A bunch of chips were placed in front of Koronsis.
The whole evening the cards seemed to be against Coronthus.As the bet continued to increase, the pile of chips he had just got was almost lost again.Things didn't look too good for Rezzoli either. At two o'clock in the morning, they decided to take a break.Koronsis hurriedly called Tony aside secretly. "What's going on?" Kronsis asked Tony anxiously in a low voice. "My God, do you know how many bills I've paid?" "Don't worry, Victor. Me too. I've spoken to Otto, and when it's his turn to deal the cards, we'll be lucky. By then, it's going to be hard for them to go around. " They sat down again in their seats. "Lend another twenty-five thousand chips to my friend." Rezzoli said. Marvin Seymour frowned. "Are you sure he wants to keep playing?" Rezzoli turned to Colonsis and asked, "Then what do you mean by yourself?" Coronsis hesitated.I have already greeted Otto.Then the time will come. "I would like to keep playing." "Ok." They gave him another twenty-five thousand dollars in chips.Koronsis looked at the pile of chips in front of him, and suddenly felt that he was lucky enough. At last it was Otto Dalton's turn to deal the cards. "Come on, gentlemen. Now let's play five-card deal. Start at a thousand." The players all bet their chips. Dalton dealt five cards to each.Koronsis didn't even glance at the cards on the table.I just have to sit and wait for the cards to be drawn, he thought happily.Just wait and see. "I want you to bet." Marvin Seymour, seated to Dalton's right, looked carefully at the cards in his hand and announced, "I quit." He put away his cards. It was time for Charles Parrissy to be next. "I'll follow up. Add one thousand." He immediately released the chips. Tony Rezzoli just shrugged after looking at the cards. "I quit too." He closed the cards in his hand. Perry Breslau looked at his cards and grinned. "Follow up, I'll add another five thousand." Now for Victor Colonsis, it would cost another six thousand dollars to follow.He picked up the cards in his hand and unfolded them. He really couldn't believe his eyes: a beautiful "straight flush"-hearts "5", "6", "7", "8", "9".This card is absolutely amazing!Tony is right.my Lord!Kronsis tried desperately to hide his excitement. "Follow up. Now I'll add another five thousand." This hand will change his life from now on. Dalton closed his cards. "I fold. Next." "It's my turn," said Charles Parrissy. "Who are you scaring? I will follow up. I will add another five thousand." Viktor Koronsis felt a surge of excitement go through his body.This was the only hand he had ever done in his life, and it was going to be the biggest hand of the night. Perry Breslau thought about the cards in his hand. "Okay, I'll follow. But I'll add another five thousand, man." It was the turn of Coronsis again.He took a deep breath. "I'll follow up. I'll add another five thousand." He was already trembling with excitement.The only thing he needs to do now is to desperately restrain the excitement in his heart, lest he can't help but rush to grab the enviable pile of chips on the table because of being too excited. Perry Breslau showed his cards.He looked smug, "Three 'K's." I won!Victor Koronsis cried out inwardly. "Look at mine," he told him, smiling.So he put the cards on the table. "'Straight Flush'." Then he hastily reached for the bet. "Slow down!" Charles Palissy put down the cards in his hand slowly. "'Royal Flush,' man you lost. From spade '10' to spade 'A'." Victor Koronsis' face turned pale.He suddenly felt dizzy and his heart throbbed violently. "My God!" said Tony Rezzoli, "two bloody 'straight flushes'?" He turned to Coronsis and said, "I'm so sorry, Victor. I... I don't know what to say. " Otto Dalton said, "I think that's it for tonight!" He picked up the note, examined it, then turned to Victor Colonsis and said, "You owe sixty-five thousand dollars. " Victor Koronsis stared at Tony Rezzoli, who was opposite him, stunned, and Rezzoli shrugged helplessly.Koronsis took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead. "How would you like to pay for this?" Dalton asked. "Cash or check?" "I don't want a check," said Palissy. He looked at Victor Corgis. "I want cash." "I...I..." He found himself shaking and unable to speak. "I... I... don't have that much money." Charles Parrissy lowered his face and roared, "What did you say?" Tony Rezzoli said hastily, "Wait a minute, Victor means he doesn't have the money with him. I told you, he's more than capable." "That doesn't work for me, Rizzoli. I don't count until I see his money." "You'll see," Rizzoli assured. "You'll get the money in a few days." Charles Parrissy jumped to his feet. "Fuck you. I'm not a philanthropist. I want the money tomorrow." "Don't worry, he'll pay for it." Victor Koronsis has fallen into a dire situation with no way out.He sat there, unable to move, oblivious to the fact that everyone else had left but him and Tony. Coronsis was at a loss. "I... I could never afford such a sum," he moaned. "Never." Rezzoli put his hand on Koronsis' shoulder and said, "I don't know what to say to you, Victor. I have no way of knowing what the problem is. I lost almost as much as you tonight." Victor Colonsis wiped his eyes and said, "But...but you can afford it, Tony. I...I can't. I'm going to explain to them that I can't afford to pay." Tony Rezobe said, "If I were you, I'd have to think about it, Victor. Sal Parrissy is the head of the East Coast Sailors' Guild, and I hear those guys are rough." "I can't help it. If I can't afford the money, I can't. What can they do to me?" "Let me tell you what he will do to you." Rezzoli said seriously. "He told his brethren to knock your kneecaps out. You'd never be able to walk again. He'd tell them to throw hydrochloric acid in your eyes and you'd be blind for the rest of your life. If you could handle all this pain Come on, he still has to think about whether to let you live like that, or simply kill you." Victor Koronsis stared at him blankly, his face ashen. "You... you're kidding." "I wish I was joking. That's my fault, Victor. I shouldn't have let you gamble with a man like Charles Parrissy, he's a killer." "Oh! My God. What am I supposed to do?" "Is there any other way you can get the money?" Kronsis laughed hysterically. "Tony... I can barely support my family with this job I do!" "Very well, then. The only advice I can give you is to leave the city, or perhaps the country, and flee to a place where Lisi cannot find you." "I can't do it," Victor Colonsis cried bitterly. "I have a wife and four children." He looked at Tony Rezzoli with a reproachful look. It's prearranged, we won't lose. You also said..." "I know, so I'm terribly sorry. It's always worked before. I think it's Dialisi's cheating." Koronsis's face was full of hope. "Well, then! If he cheats, I don't have to pay him." "About this matter, there is such a question, Victor." Rezzoli said patiently, "If you say he cheated, he will kill you, and if you don't pay him, he will kill you too .” "Oh, my God," moaned Kronsis, "I'm doomed." "I'm afraid of such things, too. Do you think there's really no other way of getting money..." "Even in a few hundred lifetimes, I won't be able to get this money. All my assets are mortgaged, where can I get the money?..." At this moment, Tony Rezzoli had a sudden inspiration. "Wait a minute, Victor? Didn't you say that those ancient artifacts in the museum are worth a lot of money?" "Yes, but what does that have to do with this matter? . . . " "Let me set the record straight. You said that the copies were exactly the same as the originals." "Of course, but they won't be exactly the same. Any expert can tell the difference..." "Stop! Stop, what if one of those original artifacts is lost and a replica is put back in its place? I mean, when I was last in the museum, there was only There are crowds of tourists, can they tell the difference?" "Not the difference, but . . . I . . . I see what you mean. No, I can never do that." Rizzoli said soothingly, "I understand, Victor, I just thought you might be able to pull a small exhibit from the museum, since they already have so many exhibits." Victor Koronsis shook his head and said, "I have been a curator in this museum for twenty years, and I have never thought of such a thing." "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have suggested that. The only reason I thought of it was because it might save your life." Rizzoli stood up and stretched. "Well, it's getting late. I think your wife will wonder where you've been." Victor Colonsis watched him intently. "Would it save my life? Why?" "It's simple, if you take one of those antiques..." "antique?" "...is an antique...and give it to me, and I can get it out of the country, sell it for you, and pay the money you owe Palissy. I think I can convince Palissy , put it off until then. Then you'll be out of danger. I don't need to tell you that I'm doing this at a great risk for you. Because, if I get caught, my That's going to be a lot of trouble. But I'm willing to do it because I feel in debt to you. It's all my fault that you're in the bad situation you're in." "You're a friend enough," said Victor Colonsis. "I can't blame you. I shouldn't have taken part in this gamble. You've been trying to help me." "I know. I was hoping things would turn out quite differently. Well, let's go to sleep. We'll talk tomorrow. Good night, Victor."
Early the next morning a call came to the museum. "Is it Coronsis?" "What's up?" "I'm Charles Parrissy." "Good morning, Mr. Parrissy." "I called you about the trivial matter of 65,000 yuan. When can I get this pot?" Victor Colonsis began to sweat. "I . . . I have no money at the moment, Mr. Percy." At this moment, there was a terrible silence on the other end of the phone. "What the hell are you up to with me?" "Trust me, I'm not playing tricks. I..." "Then you just give me your fucking money. Got it?" "Yes, sir." "What time does your museum close?" "Six...the door closes at six." "I'll come to you, you have the money ready, otherwise, I'll slap your face, and then I'll give you the real deal and make you suffer physically." There was a dead silence on the phone. Victor Koronsis sat there in great pain.He wanted to hide, but where could he hide?Swallowed by a sense of utter hopelessness, he is caught in a vortex of what-ifs: If only I hadn't been to the nightclub that night! If only I had never met Tony Rizzoli! If only I could keep my promise to my wife and stop gambling! He shook his head to clear his head.Now, I have to do some things. Just then, Tony Rezzoli walked into his office. "Good morning, Victor."
At 6:30, the staff have all gone home.The museum had been closed for about half an hour.Both Victor Colonsis and Tony Rezzoli were watching the gate of the museum. Lironsis looked increasingly disturbed. "What if he won't? What if he wants me to hand over the money tonight?" "I'll deal with him," Tony Rizzoli said. "Just let me talk." "What if he doesn't show up tonight? What if he just... you know... send someone to kill me? Do you think he'd do that?" "As long as he has a chance to get the money, he won't do that," Rezzoli said confidently. At seven o'clock Charles Parrissy finally appeared. Koronsis hurried to open the gate. "Good evening," he said. Palissie glanced at Rezzoli. "What the hell are you doing here?" he said, turning to Victor Koronsis. "It's just between you and me." "Don't worry!" Rizzoli said, "I'm here to help." "I don't need your help." Palissy turned to Colonsis and said, "Where is the money I want?" "I...I haven't, but..." Palissie grabbed him by the neck. "Listen to me. You little dick. You have to give me the money tonight, or I'll feed you to the fish. Got it?" Tony Rizzoli said, "Oh, calm down. You'll get your money." Palissy turned to him and said, "I told you to stay out of it. It's none of your business." "I'll take care of this matter. I'm Victor's friend. I didn't have any cash with Victor before, but he has a way to give you money." "Is he rich or not?" "He has money and he doesn't have money," Rizzoli said. "What the hell kind of answer is that!" Tony Rezzoli waved his arms around the room and said, "That's where the money is." Charles Parisi glanced around the room. "Where?" "Those boxes are full of antiques..." "Ancient artifacts." Kronsis added unconsciously. "...they're worth a fortune. I mean millions..." "Is that so?" Palissy turned to look at the boxes. "What good are they to me if they're locked up in the museum? I want cash." "You'll get the cash," Rizzoli reassured. "Twice as much as my friend owes you. You just have to bear with it. Victor is not a gambler. He just needs a little more time. Let me tell you about his plan, Victor Going to pick one of these exhibits...an ancient artifact...and sell it. He'll pay you as soon as he gets the money." Charles Parisi shook his head. "I don't like it. I don't know anything about junk like antiques." "You don't need to understand this. Victor is one of the greatest experts in the world." Tony Rezzoli walked over, pointed to a marble head and said, "Victor, tell me, how much is this worth?" ?” Victor Korensis swallowed his saliva and said, "That's the goddess Hygeia, a cultural relic from the 14th century BC. Any collector would be willing to pay two or three million dollars for it." Rizzoli turned to Charles Parisi and said, "Did you hear that? Do you understand me now?" Palissy frowned. "I don't know. So how long should I wait?" "In a month you can get double the money." Palissy thought for a while, nodded and said, "That's good. If I have to wait a month, I'll ask you to pay an extra fee—let's say two hundred thousand." Tony Rezzoli glanced at Victor Colonsis. Kronsis was nodding eagerly. "Okay." Rezzoli said. "Even if you have a deal." Charles Parrissie walked over to the little caretaker, "I'll give you thirty days. If I can't get the fruit by then, I'll feed you to the dogs. Do you understand?" Koronsis swallowed his breath and said, "Yes, sir." "Remember... thirty days." He stared sternly at Tony Rizzoli for a moment. "I don't like you." They watched Charles Parisi turn and go out the gate. Koronsis sat down on the chair and wiped his forehead with his hands. "Oh! my God," he said, "I thought he'd kill me. Think we'll give him the money in thirty days?" "Of course you can," Tony Rizzoli assured. "All you have to do is take one of those things and put the replica in its place." "Then how do you get him out of the country? If you catch him, you'll go to jail." "I understand," said Tony Rezzoli fearlessly, "but this is an opportunity I have to take. I owe you so much, Victor."
An hour later, Tony Rizzoli, Charl Parrissy, Otto Dalton, Perry Breslau, and Marvin Seymour were drinking in Dalton's hotel suite. "It went perfectly," Rizzoli boasted. "That bastard pissed his pants." Charles Parrissy grinned. "I scared him, eh?" "You scare the hell out of me," Rizzoli said. "You're a fucking actor." "How's the deal going now?" asked Marvin Seymour. Rezzoli replied, "Here's the deal. He's giving me one of those antiques, and I'll try to smuggle it out of the country and sell it, and I'll give each of you a share of it." .” "Beautiful," said Perry Breslau. "That's how I like it." It was like finding a gold mine.Rizzoli thought to himself.Once Koronsis hits the road, he's hooked.He had no choice but to retreat.I'm going to wipe out the whole damn museum. Marvin Seymour asked, "How are you going to get this thing out of the country?" "I'll find a way," Tony Rizzoli said, "I'll find a way." He had to, and he did so quickly.
Notes:
The gameplay is determined by the owner.As for bets, they generally start small.There are many ways to play: five-card games and seven-card games; there are supplementary cards, and cards are dealt in order. At first, there was no clear win or loss between them.But it didn't take long for the situation to change. Victor Colonsis and Tony Rezzoli win almost every fight.If the cards in their hands are fair, the opponent's cards are worse than theirs.If the opponent has a good hand, then their cards are even better than theirs. Victor Colonsis couldn't believe his luck: he won two thousand dollars in one night.It's a miracle. "You two are very lucky," said Marvin Seymour, incredulously. "I said," Breslau echoed. "How about giving us another chance tomorrow night?" "I'll let you know," Rizzoli said.
When they left, Colonsis exclaimed excitedly, "I won two thousand dollars. This is unbelievable." Rezzoli smiled and said to him: "This money is only enough to feed the chickens. Let me tell you, Otto is a real expert in this kind of thing. Those guys will definitely ask us to try them again." luck. Are you interested in doing it again?" "You bet." Koronsis smiled happily. "I'm just kidding."
The next night, Victor Colonsis won another three thousand dollars. "It's kind of hard to imagine!" he asked Rizzoli: "Don't they have any doubts?" "Of course not. I'll bet they're going to ask for an increase tomorrow. They think they'll get their money back. Do you believe that?" "Of course, Tony. I do."
As soon as they sat down at the poker table that day, Charles Parrissy said, "You know we've been losers so far. How about raising the stakes?" Tony Rezzoli blinked knowingly at Coronsis. "I'm fine," Rezzoli immediately agreed, "How are you?" All present agreed. Otto Dalton distributed the chips. "The white chip is $50, the blue chip is $100, the red chip is $500, and the black chip is $1,000." Victor Koronsis gave Rizzoli a nervous look, because he didn't expect these guys to raise the stakes so high. Rezzoli nodded to reassure him. The cards are dealt. Still like the previous few times, Victor Koronsis's hand seemed to have a magical power.Every deck he was dealt was always exactly one better than the other.But the number of wins is not too great. "Damn cards!" Palissy complained. "Let's change the deck." Otto Dalton took the initiative to take a deck of cards from his pocket. Koronsis glanced at Tony Rezzoli and smiled.He knew in his heart that nothing could change their luck. They played until midnight.Someone brought supper, sandwiches.So the players decided to take a 15-minute break. Tony took this opportunity to call Kronsis aside and whispered to him, "I already told Otto to give them a sweet treat." "I do not quite understand what you mean." "It's time to put some bait down. If they keep losing like this, these guys will give up because they don't want to play." "Oh, I see. That's a great move." "When they get hotheaded, we raise the stakes and then we let them bleed." Victor Koronsis was still a little hesitant. "I've won so much money, Tony. You don't think we should let it go..." Tony looked him in the eyes and asked, "Victor, would you like to leave here tonight with fifty thousand dollars in your pocket?"
After the restart, Breslau, Palisi and Seymour began to gain the upper hand.Koronsis's luck is not bad, but several other cards are more beautiful than his. This Otto Dalton was an absolute genius.Koronsis secretly admired in his heart.He watched his dealings carefully, but could not find any flaws. Koronsis lost game after game to the opponent.But he was not in a hurry.In a little while, when they'd fed those... what did Tony call it—oh, the bait, he and Rizzoli and Dalton could start reaping the benefits. Charles Parrissy gleefully stabbed at him: "Hey, man, you don't seem to be up to it." Tony Rizzoli shook his head dejectedly. "Yeah, that's true, isn't it?" At the same time, he winked at Koronsis. "It's impossible for you to be lucky forever." Marvin Seymour interjected triumphantly. Perry Breslau also spoke at this time: "Now what if I raise the stakes a little bit more? Let's say you give us a real chance to make money." Tony Rezzoli pretended to be serious about his proposal. "I don't know either," he replied cautiously.Then he turned to Coronsis and asked, "What do you think, Victor?" Would you like to walk out of here tonight with fifty thousand dollars in your pocket?With this money, I will be able to buy myself a house, a new car, and I can take my whole family on vacation... Kronsis was almost trembling with excitement.He smiled and replied, "Why not?" "Very well then," said Charles Parrissy. "Now we can guarantee all the chips on the table at once, and there is no cap." They are now playing five cards with draws, and the host first deals two cards to each. "Now it's my turn to bet first," Breslau said. "Then let's start with five thousand dollars." Everyone followed suit. The two cards dealt to Victor Koronsis by the host happened to be a pair of "Queens".Then one of the three cards he added himself was "Queen". Rezzoli looked at the cards in his hand, "Add one thousand." Marvin Seymour looked carefully at his cards. "Follow up. But I'll add another two thousand to you." Otto closed his cards. "I can't bear it." Charles Parrissy said, "I'll follow up." As a result, Marvin Seymour's "straights" were all taken by Marvin Seymour in this hand. In the next game, Victor Kronsis drew four good cards in a row: "8", "9", "10" and "Jack" of hearts.Only one card away is a "straight flush". "My name is Thousand," Dalton said. "Follow up, add another thousand." Shar is not to be outdone. "Then just add another thousand." It was the turn of Coronsis.He already has a plan in mind, because his "straight flush" can eat all other opponents.Now it's just the last card. "I follow." Then he made up the last card.He was so nervous that he didn't dare to turn over the card and take a look at it right away. Breslau showed his cards first. "A pair of '4's and a pair of '10's." Palissy followed suit and showed his cards. "Three '7's." Together they turned their gazes to Kronsis.He took a breath nervously, then picked up the spleen and took a look: it was a black card. "It's over." He closed the cards in his hand in frustration.
The stakes are getting bigger and bigger. The chips in front of Victor Koronsis are running out.He glanced anxiously at Tony Rizzoli. Rezzoli just gave him a relaxed smile.This smile seemed to be telling him: Don't worry about it. So Rizzoli went on to play the next game. The cards were dealt again. "I'll call one thousand first." Perry Breslau: "Another thousand." Marvin Seymour: "I'll add another two thousand." Sal Parrissy: "Maybe you don't know my card yet? Who is this to frighten? I'll add another five thousand!" Coronsis hadn't looked at his cards yet.How long does it take to feed this damn bait? "Victor?" Victor Koronsis slowly grabbed the cards on the table and unfolded them one by one.It was an "A", another "A", and then a third "A".There is also a "K" and a "10".He felt the blood in his veins rushing violently. "Are you following?" He smiled smugly.The bait was gone.He knew he would get a "K" again, and that would be a "full house".So he gave up the "10" and said casually, "I'm close. I want a spleen." Otto Dalton said, "I want two." He looked at the spleen in his hand. "I'll add another thousand." Marvin Seymour closed his cards. "I quit." Now it was left for Coronthus to confront Charles Parrisi. "Are you going to look at the cards?" asked Palissy. "Now I have to add another five thousand, how about it?" Victor Koronsis looked at the remaining chips on his table.It all adds up to only about 5,000 yuan.But if I win this hand... He weighed the pros and cons in his heart.He looked at the cards in his hand again.This is a winning card.He finally pushed the rest of the stack into the middle of the table and drew a card.I picked it up and saw that it was a "5".But he still has three "Aces" after all.He showed his cards to his opponent. "Three 'Aces'." Palissy showed his cards. "Four '2's." Koronsis sat there dumbfounded, watching the other party take his pile of chips with a sick look.He always felt like he had failed Tony.If only I could have held on until we started winning. This time it was the turn of Diolixi to be the banker. "Let's play seven," he announced. "Bet one thousand first." Everyone else followed suit. Victor Kronsis looked at Thore Rezzoli in embarrassment. "I no longer have..." "No problem," Rizzoli said.Then he turned to the players and said, "Look, guys. Victor just didn't have a lot of money tonight. But I can assure you folks, he's going to have no trouble with his credit. I see, Let him settle the bill first. Let’s settle the bill together after we’re done.” Palissy immediately objected. "Well, are we a fraternity or something? We don't know him at all, who knows what his credit is like." "You should trust me to vouch for him," Tony tried hard to convince them. "As for me, I think Otto can vouch for me here." At this time, Otto Dalton also interceded. "If Tony says there's nothing wrong with Mr. Colonsis, it's all right." So Charles Parisy shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, that's it." "I'm fine," Perry Breslau agreed. Otto asked Victor Colonsis: "How much do you want?" "Give him ten thousand chips," Tony said. Koronsis looked at Tony in surprise.Ten thousand dollars was more than his income in two years.But Rizzoli must have his arrangements. A bunch of chips were placed in front of Koronsis.
The whole evening the cards seemed to be against Coronthus.As the bet continued to increase, the pile of chips he had just got was almost lost again.Things didn't look too good for Rezzoli either. At two o'clock in the morning, they decided to take a break.Koronsis hurriedly called Tony aside secretly. "What's going on?" Kronsis asked Tony anxiously in a low voice. "My God, do you know how many bills I've paid?" "Don't worry, Victor. Me too. I've spoken to Otto, and when it's his turn to deal the cards, we'll be lucky. By then, it's going to be hard for them to go around. " They sat down again in their seats. "Lend another twenty-five thousand chips to my friend." Rezzoli said. Marvin Seymour frowned. "Are you sure he wants to keep playing?" Rezzoli turned to Colonsis and asked, "Then what do you mean by yourself?" Coronsis hesitated.I have already greeted Otto.Then the time will come. "I would like to keep playing." "Ok." They gave him another twenty-five thousand dollars in chips.Koronsis looked at the pile of chips in front of him, and suddenly felt that he was lucky enough. At last it was Otto Dalton's turn to deal the cards. "Come on, gentlemen. Now let's play five-card deal. Start at a thousand." The players all bet their chips. Dalton dealt five cards to each.Koronsis didn't even glance at the cards on the table.I just have to sit and wait for the cards to be drawn, he thought happily.Just wait and see. "I want you to bet." Marvin Seymour, seated to Dalton's right, looked carefully at the cards in his hand and announced, "I quit." He put away his cards. It was time for Charles Parrissy to be next. "I'll follow up. Add one thousand." He immediately released the chips. Tony Rezzoli just shrugged after looking at the cards. "I quit too." He closed the cards in his hand. Perry Breslau looked at his cards and grinned. "Follow up, I'll add another five thousand." Now for Victor Colonsis, it would cost another six thousand dollars to follow.He picked up the cards in his hand and unfolded them. He really couldn't believe his eyes: a beautiful "straight flush"-hearts "5", "6", "7", "8", "9".This card is absolutely amazing!Tony is right.my Lord!Kronsis tried desperately to hide his excitement. "Follow up. Now I'll add another five thousand." This hand will change his life from now on. Dalton closed his cards. "I fold. Next." "It's my turn," said Charles Parrissy. "Who are you scaring? I will follow up. I will add another five thousand." Viktor Koronsis felt a surge of excitement go through his body.This was the only hand he had ever done in his life, and it was going to be the biggest hand of the night. Perry Breslau thought about the cards in his hand. "Okay, I'll follow. But I'll add another five thousand, man." It was the turn of Coronsis again.He took a deep breath. "I'll follow up. I'll add another five thousand." He was already trembling with excitement.The only thing he needs to do now is to desperately restrain the excitement in his heart, lest he can't help but rush to grab the enviable pile of chips on the table because of being too excited. Perry Breslau showed his cards.He looked smug, "Three 'K's." I won!Victor Koronsis cried out inwardly. "Look at mine," he told him, smiling.So he put the cards on the table. "'Straight Flush'." Then he hastily reached for the bet. "Slow down!" Charles Palissy put down the cards in his hand slowly. "'Royal Flush,' man you lost. From spade '10' to spade 'A'." Victor Koronsis' face turned pale.He suddenly felt dizzy and his heart throbbed violently. "My God!" said Tony Rezzoli, "two bloody 'straight flushes'?" He turned to Coronsis and said, "I'm so sorry, Victor. I... I don't know what to say. " Otto Dalton said, "I think that's it for tonight!" He picked up the note, examined it, then turned to Victor Colonsis and said, "You owe sixty-five thousand dollars. " Victor Koronsis stared at Tony Rezzoli, who was opposite him, stunned, and Rezzoli shrugged helplessly.Koronsis took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead. "How would you like to pay for this?" Dalton asked. "Cash or check?" "I don't want a check," said Palissy. He looked at Victor Corgis. "I want cash." "I...I..." He found himself shaking and unable to speak. "I... I... don't have that much money." Charles Parrissy lowered his face and roared, "What did you say?" Tony Rezzoli said hastily, "Wait a minute, Victor means he doesn't have the money with him. I told you, he's more than capable." "That doesn't work for me, Rizzoli. I don't count until I see his money." "You'll see," Rizzoli assured. "You'll get the money in a few days." Charles Parrissy jumped to his feet. "Fuck you. I'm not a philanthropist. I want the money tomorrow." "Don't worry, he'll pay for it." Victor Koronsis has fallen into a dire situation with no way out.He sat there, unable to move, oblivious to the fact that everyone else had left but him and Tony. Coronsis was at a loss. "I... I could never afford such a sum," he moaned. "Never." Rezzoli put his hand on Koronsis' shoulder and said, "I don't know what to say to you, Victor. I have no way of knowing what the problem is. I lost almost as much as you tonight." Victor Colonsis wiped his eyes and said, "But...but you can afford it, Tony. I...I can't. I'm going to explain to them that I can't afford to pay." Tony Rezobe said, "If I were you, I'd have to think about it, Victor. Sal Parrissy is the head of the East Coast Sailors' Guild, and I hear those guys are rough." "I can't help it. If I can't afford the money, I can't. What can they do to me?" "Let me tell you what he will do to you." Rezzoli said seriously. "He told his brethren to knock your kneecaps out. You'd never be able to walk again. He'd tell them to throw hydrochloric acid in your eyes and you'd be blind for the rest of your life. If you could handle all this pain Come on, he still has to think about whether to let you live like that, or simply kill you." Victor Koronsis stared at him blankly, his face ashen. "You... you're kidding." "I wish I was joking. That's my fault, Victor. I shouldn't have let you gamble with a man like Charles Parrissy, he's a killer." "Oh! My God. What am I supposed to do?" "Is there any other way you can get the money?" Kronsis laughed hysterically. "Tony... I can barely support my family with this job I do!" "Very well, then. The only advice I can give you is to leave the city, or perhaps the country, and flee to a place where Lisi cannot find you." "I can't do it," Victor Colonsis cried bitterly. "I have a wife and four children." He looked at Tony Rezzoli with a reproachful look. It's prearranged, we won't lose. You also said..." "I know, so I'm terribly sorry. It's always worked before. I think it's Dialisi's cheating." Koronsis's face was full of hope. "Well, then! If he cheats, I don't have to pay him." "About this matter, there is such a question, Victor." Rezzoli said patiently, "If you say he cheated, he will kill you, and if you don't pay him, he will kill you too .” "Oh, my God," moaned Kronsis, "I'm doomed." "I'm afraid of such things, too. Do you think there's really no other way of getting money..." "Even in a few hundred lifetimes, I won't be able to get this money. All my assets are mortgaged, where can I get the money?..." At this moment, Tony Rezzoli had a sudden inspiration. "Wait a minute, Victor? Didn't you say that those ancient artifacts in the museum are worth a lot of money?" "Yes, but what does that have to do with this matter? . . . " "Let me set the record straight. You said that the copies were exactly the same as the originals." "Of course, but they won't be exactly the same. Any expert can tell the difference..." "Stop! Stop, what if one of those original artifacts is lost and a replica is put back in its place? I mean, when I was last in the museum, there was only There are crowds of tourists, can they tell the difference?" "Not the difference, but . . . I . . . I see what you mean. No, I can never do that." Rizzoli said soothingly, "I understand, Victor, I just thought you might be able to pull a small exhibit from the museum, since they already have so many exhibits." Victor Koronsis shook his head and said, "I have been a curator in this museum for twenty years, and I have never thought of such a thing." "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have suggested that. The only reason I thought of it was because it might save your life." Rizzoli stood up and stretched. "Well, it's getting late. I think your wife will wonder where you've been." Victor Colonsis watched him intently. "Would it save my life? Why?" "It's simple, if you take one of those antiques..." "antique?" "...is an antique...and give it to me, and I can get it out of the country, sell it for you, and pay the money you owe Palissy. I think I can convince Palissy , put it off until then. Then you'll be out of danger. I don't need to tell you that I'm doing this at a great risk for you. Because, if I get caught, my That's going to be a lot of trouble. But I'm willing to do it because I feel in debt to you. It's all my fault that you're in the bad situation you're in." "You're a friend enough," said Victor Colonsis. "I can't blame you. I shouldn't have taken part in this gamble. You've been trying to help me." "I know. I was hoping things would turn out quite differently. Well, let's go to sleep. We'll talk tomorrow. Good night, Victor."
Early the next morning a call came to the museum. "Is it Coronsis?" "What's up?" "I'm Charles Parrissy." "Good morning, Mr. Parrissy." "I called you about the trivial matter of 65,000 yuan. When can I get this pot?" Victor Colonsis began to sweat. "I . . . I have no money at the moment, Mr. Percy." At this moment, there was a terrible silence on the other end of the phone. "What the hell are you up to with me?" "Trust me, I'm not playing tricks. I..." "Then you just give me your fucking money. Got it?" "Yes, sir." "What time does your museum close?" "Six...the door closes at six." "I'll come to you, you have the money ready, otherwise, I'll slap your face, and then I'll give you the real deal and make you suffer physically." There was a dead silence on the phone. Victor Koronsis sat there in great pain.He wanted to hide, but where could he hide?Swallowed by a sense of utter hopelessness, he is caught in a vortex of what-ifs: If only I hadn't been to the nightclub that night! If only I had never met Tony Rizzoli! If only I could keep my promise to my wife and stop gambling! He shook his head to clear his head.Now, I have to do some things. Just then, Tony Rezzoli walked into his office. "Good morning, Victor."
At 6:30, the staff have all gone home.The museum had been closed for about half an hour.Both Victor Colonsis and Tony Rezzoli were watching the gate of the museum. Lironsis looked increasingly disturbed. "What if he won't? What if he wants me to hand over the money tonight?" "I'll deal with him," Tony Rizzoli said. "Just let me talk." "What if he doesn't show up tonight? What if he just... you know... send someone to kill me? Do you think he'd do that?" "As long as he has a chance to get the money, he won't do that," Rezzoli said confidently. At seven o'clock Charles Parrissy finally appeared. Koronsis hurried to open the gate. "Good evening," he said. Palissie glanced at Rezzoli. "What the hell are you doing here?" he said, turning to Victor Koronsis. "It's just between you and me." "Don't worry!" Rizzoli said, "I'm here to help." "I don't need your help." Palissy turned to Colonsis and said, "Where is the money I want?" "I...I haven't, but..." Palissie grabbed him by the neck. "Listen to me. You little dick. You have to give me the money tonight, or I'll feed you to the fish. Got it?" Tony Rizzoli said, "Oh, calm down. You'll get your money." Palissy turned to him and said, "I told you to stay out of it. It's none of your business." "I'll take care of this matter. I'm Victor's friend. I didn't have any cash with Victor before, but he has a way to give you money." "Is he rich or not?" "He has money and he doesn't have money," Rizzoli said. "What the hell kind of answer is that!" Tony Rezzoli waved his arms around the room and said, "That's where the money is." Charles Parisi glanced around the room. "Where?" "Those boxes are full of antiques..." "Ancient artifacts." Kronsis added unconsciously. "...they're worth a fortune. I mean millions..." "Is that so?" Palissy turned to look at the boxes. "What good are they to me if they're locked up in the museum? I want cash." "You'll get the cash," Rizzoli reassured. "Twice as much as my friend owes you. You just have to bear with it. Victor is not a gambler. He just needs a little more time. Let me tell you about his plan, Victor Going to pick one of these exhibits...an ancient artifact...and sell it. He'll pay you as soon as he gets the money." Charles Parisi shook his head. "I don't like it. I don't know anything about junk like antiques." "You don't need to understand this. Victor is one of the greatest experts in the world." Tony Rezzoli walked over, pointed to a marble head and said, "Victor, tell me, how much is this worth?" ?” Victor Korensis swallowed his saliva and said, "That's the goddess Hygeia, a cultural relic from the 14th century BC. Any collector would be willing to pay two or three million dollars for it." Rizzoli turned to Charles Parisi and said, "Did you hear that? Do you understand me now?" Palissy frowned. "I don't know. So how long should I wait?" "In a month you can get double the money." Palissy thought for a while, nodded and said, "That's good. If I have to wait a month, I'll ask you to pay an extra fee—let's say two hundred thousand." Tony Rezzoli glanced at Victor Colonsis. Kronsis was nodding eagerly. "Okay." Rezzoli said. "Even if you have a deal." Charles Parrissie walked over to the little caretaker, "I'll give you thirty days. If I can't get the fruit by then, I'll feed you to the dogs. Do you understand?" Koronsis swallowed his breath and said, "Yes, sir." "Remember... thirty days." He stared sternly at Tony Rizzoli for a moment. "I don't like you." They watched Charles Parisi turn and go out the gate. Koronsis sat down on the chair and wiped his forehead with his hands. "Oh! my God," he said, "I thought he'd kill me. Think we'll give him the money in thirty days?" "Of course you can," Tony Rizzoli assured. "All you have to do is take one of those things and put the replica in its place." "Then how do you get him out of the country? If you catch him, you'll go to jail." "I understand," said Tony Rezzoli fearlessly, "but this is an opportunity I have to take. I owe you so much, Victor."
An hour later, Tony Rizzoli, Charl Parrissy, Otto Dalton, Perry Breslau, and Marvin Seymour were drinking in Dalton's hotel suite. "It went perfectly," Rizzoli boasted. "That bastard pissed his pants." Charles Parrissy grinned. "I scared him, eh?" "You scare the hell out of me," Rizzoli said. "You're a fucking actor." "How's the deal going now?" asked Marvin Seymour. Rezzoli replied, "Here's the deal. He's giving me one of those antiques, and I'll try to smuggle it out of the country and sell it, and I'll give each of you a share of it." .” "Beautiful," said Perry Breslau. "That's how I like it." It was like finding a gold mine.Rizzoli thought to himself.Once Koronsis hits the road, he's hooked.He had no choice but to retreat.I'm going to wipe out the whole damn museum. Marvin Seymour asked, "How are you going to get this thing out of the country?" "I'll find a way," Tony Rizzoli said, "I'll find a way." He had to, and he did so quickly.
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