Branded By You

“We are here, boss.” A young man said. His eyes peered into the mirror to meet the vision of the person he was speaking to. In the back seat, a man sat alone in a black suit. His face was stern, no emotion ever crossed it. He stared intently at the screen in front of him as if to bear a hole into it. Even after the words of his assistant graced his ears, his expression remained unchanged. “… Everyone is here already. The den operates as a regular poker club, but the meeting will be held with the partners in a VIP room upstairs.” The assistant continued. He had mastered his boss’s demeanor so well that his cold disposition no longer bothered him. The man in the back slowly raised his head, leisurely he nodded in consent. The nod was all the instruction his assistant needed. Immediately, he got out of the car and opened the door for his boss, then he followed behind him with a briefcase. Inside the building, there was a lot of commotion. The old poker club made up of old men was suddenly bustling with excitement. “President He, you are welcome. Come right in. The boys are a bit busy. I'll rally them, and we can start the meeting in 5 minutes.” An old man came greeting once he saw the man at the entrance. The man was in his late 50's if not 60's. The boys he spoke of were men about his age. In front of the young man who had walked in, they had to be submissive and work cooperatively. He had recently taken over this end of his family's business. These men were the connections his grandfather had worked hard to create. Now, as he introduced himself to them, he needed to gain their respect and get them to submit to him without any conflict. “Secretary Mu, have you been well?” he spoke out. His voice was cold and no feeling could be detected from it. “This old assistant has been fine. Since retiring, I have spent my days here. It's the best settlement I could ever ask for. Thanks to the old chairman, I can live quietly and play poker all day, it is worth all the sleepless nights I spent with him. And now my son works by your side, ha, I can rest in peace knowing that he will live well. What more can I ask for? Come, come, I will show you around before the meeting starts, hehe!” the old man Mu said enthusiastically. Both young men followed him in to the large entertainment hall. There were over 10 poker tables as well as a bar, several pool tables and a magnificent stairway leading upstairs to the private rooms. The entire hall seemed to be empty. In a small corner, the men who were said to be busy had congregated. The atmosphere was one of anticipation and several men bent over, forming a circle to watch what seemed to be the most nerve-wracking match of their lives. “Hehe, the boys seem to have found a worthy opponent. It's like this every Thursday night when the poker lady comes. Eh, let's go up first. This round will be over in a second.” “How do you know?” the assistant, Mu Feiyu asked. The ambiance in that corner didn't seem to be one that would dissipate soon. He was beginning to worry because his boss’s temper was truly wild. If this continued for too long, and he felt disrespected, there was no guaranty that even his father, the old secretary, could walk out of here with his head connected to the rest of his body. “She only plays for exactly 2 hours. The clock will hit 9pm in about 2 minutes. When it does, she will untie her hair and leave immediately. This is the last game, so she is giving him chances to win. In reality, she is just stalling so she doesn't have to play another game. Each match with her only lasts about 2 minutes. No matter what game you choose, she'll be done with you in 2 minutes” Old Mu said to reassure the boss. “Such a disciplined person exists in a place like this?” president He, asked, his voice as icy as glacier, not happy not mad, just indifferent. A bit of curiosity was enough to compel him. He wanted to know who this poker lady was. What did she look like? How good was she that she could get all those old foxes to watch her so intently. With that, he walked towards the table, followed by the two generations of secretaries. The sole of his leather shoes made absolutely no sound as he stalked towards the crowd. Everyone stayed focused, the game was at a climax. “Old Song, play already. Just make a move Brother, it's better than forfeiting.” One if the men in the crowd pressured the old man sitting across the board from the poker lady. “Ma, shut up. I am trying to think.” The old man called song cursed at his friend Ma. He was practically sweating in his seat. “I suggest you listen to him. When the clock hits 9 you will have lost by forfeit since it's your move.” A voice came from the little corner. The sound gracing everyone's ears was that of a woman. But nothing like what you would expect an experienced gambler to sound like. It sounded refined, polished. The woman spoke with poise, her words were few and straight to the point. Her voice was pleasing to the ears, no wild talk, no loud badgering. It was elegant and enchanting. It egged He Muyang on. Driven by the pleasant sound, he approached the little table on which the ground-shattering match was held. A small board covered in white and black squares was on the table along with two bowls, one containing circular, flat-faced stones; black in one bowl, white in the other. It was go. They were playing go. In a casino? Slowly, he looked up to see the 'poker lady',as she was called. One look was all it took. He really could not believe his eyes.