Rabbit - chapter five "the real winner"

Lucky players bet on the lowest odds and win. Unlucky players bet on the highest odds and still lose. But the similarity is that both players keep playing. Until they completely lose and disappear. Until they fall into the hands of those tiny percentage odds. The unlucky person might leave the game before seeing this because their money might run out by then; for them, the end comes sooner. This bad luck becomes their fortune. The lucky person, however, is about to see the misfortune brought by their luck. Those tiny odds seem harmless at first; they appear that way. No one notices or cares about them during the game. But at some point, those tiny odds show themselves, at the most unlikely time. No matter how lucky the lucky person is, they can't escape their grip. And the end is the same for both sides. Being lucky is certainly a privilege to be the ultimate winner, but it is quite insufficient. The real ultimate winners will always be the gods who manage these odds, and those gods don't need to be lucky or unlucky. Because they create and control the rules. They always ensure that they win in the end...

"Yes, Mr. Churl, today must really be your lucky day. You came here with $10,000 and now you have EXACTLY $500,000." Everything was perfect. Henry had achieved his goal. He had attracted a lot of people to the bar with the game he created. He had made the money he wanted by making some people rich and leaving others poor. This way, he was continuing his game. In an endless vicious cycle. Someone would come and multiply their money and leave the bar, another would come and lose all their money at this bar, some would win huge amounts at first but lose everything due to their greed.

"Hahahaa! Josh, set up all the tables. All drinks are on me today!"

"Yes, Mr. Churl." Josh was also happy with this situation. He had attracted more customers to his bar than ever before. He already felt that he would have to expand the bar one day. He wasn't even sure if it could remain just a bar. The game Henry created was going to turn this bar into something entirely different.

"Do you want to continue, Mr. Churl?" Churl smiled, showing all 32 of his teeth through his thick beard, and started cleaning his teeth with a toothpick. There were women sitting on both sides of him. He was displaying his authority like a king. Thanks to the new systems Henry developed, players were getting even more hooked on the game, and Mr. Churl was the best example of this. In the new system, bets weren't made directly with money. Players would go to the counters and get plastic betting tokens called "chips." This way, the tables were minimally cluttered, and there was no mess. Another thing was the girls. Female assistants definitely attracted more men here. They would sit next to those who won significant amounts of money. This increased the competitive atmosphere even more. No matter how much winners won, they felt the need to keep playing because of these women. In fact, it wasn't a need, it was an obligation. The sense of superiority created by the women led to the compulsion to play.

"Hahahaa! Do you think I'll stop, kid? My goal is a million. That means I'm going to cause you a heavy loss and leave here with these two beauties." Churl put his arms around the two women next to him. "Put ten 10,000 chips on the pass line for me." He was so confident in his authority that he offloaded the task onto Henry. "Alright." But this wasn't a problem for Henry. He'd do it gladly. He took ten chips labeled "10k" and placed them next to the pass line. "Then let's start the game."

"Watch closely, girls. We're going to leave here rich, and I'll take care of you both separately." Both girls laughed loudly. "HAHAHAA! Throw the dice." Henry nodded and placed the dice into the mechanism. "And we begin." As the dice were shaking inside the mechanism, Churl's eyes sparkled with fire. In his mind, he had already proven his wealth, and taking these two women with him would make his life heaven.

The dice rolled out of the mechanism and started spinning on the table. Churl leaned on the table. "Bring on the money!" Henry smiled slightly at his behavior. The game was over.

"And it's five, sir. Do you want to continue, or would you like to change your bet?"

Churl stroked his beard. This wasn't ideal, but he was going to win. His instincts had never deceived him so far, and they couldn't start now. "Continue," he said in a firm voice. The two girls moved closer to him and started flirting. The feeling of winning was now certain.

"Four."

"Six."

"Six."

"Twelve."

That 100,000 dollars was already going to become 200,000 dollars. There was no need to mess up his luck by changing his bet. All he had to do was wait to win with the two women beside him.

"Four."

But patience had its limits. "Come on, how many times have four and six come up, but not a single damn five? Are you mocking me?" he pounded his fists on the table in anger. The two girls quickly started doing their job. "Calm down, handsome..." those long, delicate fingers with their red nails and the seductive soft voices, from two women. "Ohh..." Churl leaned back in his chair. "I apologize if I scared you, girls." He put his hands on both women's legs. "I'm usually calm, hehehee!" The women interlocked their fingers with his. "Hıhıhıı! I'm sure you are, you big monster..."

"Hahaa! Yes, I am a gentle monster! If you permit, one day I'd like to show you that monster." One of the women traced Churl's cheek with her long fingernail. "You naughty... do you think we should talk about this now? I don't think this is the place..."

"Ah... you're right, sweetheart." He looked up at Henry. "Continue!" There was no trace of the soft tone he used with the women. Henry was filled with inner delight, eagerly waiting for that expression on Churl's face. "Very well, sir," he said calmly, placing the dice back into the mechanism.

"And it's seven." Henry spread his arms and pulled all the 10,000 chips towards him. Churl's eyes twitched at the sight. 100,000 dollars had simply slipped through his fingers. This was unacceptable. "Do you want to continue?" asked Henry. His tone was unchanged, his demeanor the same. But for Churl, it was a breaking point.

"YOU WRINKLE-FACED WHORE!" he jumped up in rage, glaring at Henry threateningly. He had knocked the two women next to him to the ground in his fury. "You cheated! This game is rigged!"

"Our game is fair, sir," said Henry, showing no sign of fear. "So, would you like to continue the game?"

"HE'S MOCKING ME NOW!" Churl clenched his fist and raised it. Henry's only response was to wag his finger, indicating that this was not the right approach. "No, no, sir, I never intended to mock you, and I wouldn't recommend doing that."

"Hey big monster... you hurt both of us..." The soft and soothing voices brought him back to his senses. He looked at the two women he had knocked to the ground. "I-I'm sorry, ladies..." He offered his hand to each of them, helping them to their feet. "You forgive me, don't you?" The factors that would calm his earlier rage were now in play. "Maybe if you buy us a drink..." said one of the women. "R-right away. HEY! BARTENDER, FILL THREE MORE GLASSES HERE."

"Hahaa! Certainly, sir." Josh quickly did his job and placed the glasses before them.

"Now... are we at peace?" Churl asked desperately. "Yes, but... please don't hurt us again," said both women. "O-okay," he said, swallowing hard. "Promise?.." Both women were professionals. They had calmed him down perfectly. "Promise!" said Churl with conviction. He wanted these two women, so he adjusted his behavior accordingly. The women smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"Shall we continue, sir?"

"Let's continue... li...ttle... monster..." One of the women traced her hand over Churl's lips. Churl couldn't stop now. This was just a minor setback. He still had 400,000. He could make it a million. He would get back the 500,000 he had lost. "100,000 on the pass line again." He would reclaim his lost money. "Grr! Brave monster," said the woman, mimicking a claw with her hand. This brought Churl's confidence back. "I'm starting, sir."

"Start."

And seven came up. He had regained his money in the first round. "Your luck is holding, sir." Henry pushed the 10,000 chips he had just taken back to Churl. "Shall we continue, sir?"

Now was the time for indecision. The women had to handle it. "Little monster, let's finish this..."

"Yes... let's get rich, Churl..." Hands from two different people wandered over his trousers, arousing his excitement. But Churl couldn't realize it now.

With the excitement swelling, he took the step towards his million-dollar goal. "Again, and for the last time! 500,000 on the pass line."

"At your service, sir." Henry moved all the chips to the pass line area. "Good luck to you."

"Hahaa! You're going to lose all your money. I feel sorry for you."

"It's not a problem, sir. The important thing is for you to enjoy yourself and leave here happy."

"Hahahaa! You liar." He kicked his feet up onto the table and wrapped his arms around the women. "Come on, girls, let's get rich!"

"Let's do it, honey..." The two girls clung to him, watching what would unfold. "Come on, we're not going to wait three hours for you, you poor thing! Roll those dice." He had only lost once and had quickly regained it. Today, he was extraordinarily lucky. He had been sitting at this table for hours. He was going to hit the million with the last shred of his luck.

Henry nodded and placed the dice in the mechanism for rolling. The dice began their roll.

"Eight. Would you like to change your bet type, sir?"

"No!" This time, there would be no unlucky outcome. He would be the only winner here.

"Six."

"Three."

"Two."

"Five."

But with each passing moment, his belief in his luck was dwindling. Was he going to lose again? No, no, no, this couldn't be happening. He had bet everything this time.

"Four."

"Two."

"Twelve."

He started to tremble, but he couldn't lose. No, he couldn't. All his money was on the line. The two women clung to him, but he couldn't show his fear. He was going to win.

Finally, the dice landed. Henry looked at the dice and then smiled at Churl. "You should see this, sir." From Henry's expression, Churl couldn't tell if he had won or lost, but he had to look. Trembling, he stood up and fearfully looked at the top face of the dice.

The three and five dots were smiling back at him. "Th-th-this c-can't be..." As Henry pulled all the chips towards himself, Churl couldn't accept it. This couldn't be real. He stared at those three and five dots for minutes.

"Sir... unfortunately, the game is over," the voice broke his trance, and with an even greater fury than before, he roared, "YOU CHEATED! YOU PLANNED THIS FROM THE BEGINNING, YOU BASTARD!" He overturned the table and grabbed Henry by the collar.

Henry remained composed as he spoke. "I told you, sir, there is no cheating in our game. I swear. Please, I ask you to let go of me..."

Churl was breathing heavily, like an enraged bull. There were only two people who could stop him now.

The women quickly clung to Churl from either side, trying to calm him down. "Come on, Churl... we're still here, don't get angry, little beast..."

"Yes, you still have to play with us..."

Churl's fingers slowly began to relax at the sound of their soft voices. "O-okay, ladies, whatever you want..." His anger, though intense, was easy to quell. The women soothed him and gently led him back to his chair. Henry straightened his collar and set the table back in order.

Inside, Churl was groaning with pain. God... I am so sorry... you are right to punish me... I am a greedy bastard. I am so sorry, God... I gambled away all my family's money here... I flirted with these girls... I cheated on my wife... and you punished me for it... I am so sorry, God, please forgive me... At least he could seek forgiveness from God to find some inner peace.

"Mr. Churl... Mr. Churl..." Fingers snapped in front of his face, bringing him back to reality. "Ahh... what do you want now?" This time, there was no anger, just a faint, trembling voice.

"I feel very sorry for you, sir. That's why I want to give you these chips. With these, we can play one more game. This way, you can win back some of your money." Henry spoke in a calm and simple tone. In that moment of despair, a glimmer of hope appeared before Churl. He could win back his family's money. He could gain the forgiveness of both God and his family. His wife wouldn't even question his behavior with this money.

"Let's play, handsome..." Encouraged by the women, Churl returned to the game. "L-let's start." This time, he wanted to start without the women's distractions. "Very well, sir." The dice were placed in the mechanism. "Your bet, please."

What could it be? What could it be? That unlucky pass line wouldn't win this time, right? It had cost him all his money. "Don't pass line," he said with a faint voice. "Very well."

And the dice were rolled. These dice were Churl's last hope. He could win. He could hold 200,000 dollars in his hand. That way, everyone would be happy.

But it hadn't worked out; the pass line had won, and the don't pass line had lost. "Seven... I'm sorry, sir." Churl collapsed to the ground, leaning on the table, crying. "I-it's okay," he muttered to himself. After all, Henry had given him that money. Slowly, he got up and began to walk outside, stumbling along the way.

"Wait, sir." He stopped. What could Henry possibly say to him? Another game and hope? He didn't want that. Turning around, he looked Henry in the face. Henry smiled without changing his expression. "When will you pay your $100,000 debt to us, sir?"

"What?" What was happening? What nonsense was Henry spouting? "Why are you talking about $100,000 in chips? You gave them to me!" This couldn't be real. "Sir, nobody does anything without expecting something in return. Yes, if you had won, I would have given you $200,000, but you lost. You lost the money I gave you. It has been counted as a debt."

"Y-you never mentioned anything like that to me..." No, no, no... he couldn't lose his family's money and put his family in debt. "Our game has rules, sir, and in such situations, these rules apply. In fact, I offered you an extension of the rules, but you didn't take advantage of it. Normally, you borrow from us and play, and if you win, you repay the amount borrowed, but I offered you double the normal prize, and yet you lost. This puts you in debt."

"Oh, damn it!" He punched the door, but his fist had no effect. Lifelessly, he left through the door. He could hear the voices of those two devilish women waving and laughing behind him. "We'll wait for you again." He thought it was so funny. He couldn't even understand how low he had sunk. He walked away, disappeared, never to return to that bar again.

"Wasn't that a bit harsh, Henry?" Josh approached Henry. "Don't worry, Josh. I won't ask that man for that debt. It was just a game."

"What are you talking about, Henry? You're really scary."

"You'll see," Henry said with a smile. Feeling his insides trembling at that smile, Josh returned to his work. "Whatever you do... just don't lose yourself too much." As he rinsed the glasses, he thought, I shouldn't have let this happen.

After a few days, the outcome of Henry's game revealed itself. Churl had committed suicide, and his funeral was being prepared. His family hadn't come to his funeral. "At least you were brave," Henry said, looking at his grave. He must have told his family all the truths and must have had an argument with them. Eventually, as his relationship with his family deteriorated, he accepted everything and took his own life. That was Henry's theorem. Leaving a rose on the grave, he said, "I won." His eyes were burning like fire as he walked away from the grave towards the bar.

"$500,000? Did we have that much money? Maybe we did, but he didn't try to convert those $500,000 chips into cash. He played a $500,000 game on top of that. If he had won, we wouldn't have had $1 million. We couldn't have given it to him. That's why there are upper money limits. But in some special exceptions, these upper limits are lifted. If the player's fate is sealed, they can play a $100 billion game if they want. After all, we would never have given him that money." Another lucky person had been buried in the ground with that guaranteed defeat. Henry, on the other hand, had won his usual guaranteed victory. He was the real winner.