madnovel Chapter 10 A Turning Point on Christmas Eve
Chapter 10 A Turning Point on Christmas Eve
As Zeke pushed open the door, a warm atmosphere instantly enveloped him, a mixture of the aroma of tomato meat sauce, the sweetness of toasted bread, and the subtle scent of pine from Christmas decorations.
Cheap plastic fairy lights hung in the living room, twinkling on and off. In the corner stood a small Christmas tree, but it was decorated with paper stars that Joey and his two nieces and nephews had made by hand.
His family was already gathered at the kitchen door, busy preparing Christmas dinner. The atmosphere was noisy and warm. This crowded yet cozy little house was the only place in this chaotic neighborhood where he could let his guard down.
"Zike, you're back!" His mother hurried over, took the paper bag from his hand, and touched his cheek. "Are you freezing? Come and warm yourself by the fire."
Mary was sitting at the dining table, picking vegetables and talking animatedly about funny things that happened at school. She laughed so hard she almost fell over when she talked about how her classmates almost got into a fight over a copy of the soundtrack to "Saturday Night Fever".
Joey was squatting in the foyer, looking at the secondhand bicycle that kept breaking down. When she saw Zeke return, her eyes lit up: "Zike, come and take a look! This lousy bike is broken again. I want to ride it to Vincent's house tomorrow."
Zik smiled, took off his jacket and hung it on the hanger, then squatted down to check the bicycle chain. He fiddled with it for a few moments, then found some tools to tighten the screws, and quickly fixed it.
"Alright, next time it breaks down, try to fix it yourself, don't always wait for someone else to help." He ruffled Joey's hair.
His two little nephews and nieces rushed over and hugged his legs. Qi Ke bent down and gently patted their heads, his heart softening.
He went to the kitchen to help his mother, chopping vegetables while smiling and assuring her, "Mom, everything's fine in Manhattan. My work is going well, and I'll go back to school once I'm settled."
The mother nodded with a smile, her eyes full of satisfaction.
Dinner was exceptionally lavish, with roasted lamb chops, fried cod, pasta, tomato meat sauce, toast, and Christmas pudding on the table.
The family sat around the dining table, chatting and laughing. Joey kept pestering Zeke to tell him funny stories about Manhattan, while Mary shared gossip about school. The two little kids clumsily ate pudding with their forks, their faces covered in cream, which made the whole family burst into laughter.
Old Rossi, unusually, didn't lecture; he simply drank and watched the children, a long-lost smile appearing on his face.
After dinner, the family gathered in the living room to watch the Christmas special. Zidane pulled old Rossi along and quietly went into the kitchen.
As night deepened, the snow continued to fall, and the distant streetlights cast a warm yellow glow through the snow and mist.
"Dad, there's something I want to ask you." Zik lowered his voice, his tone serious, "Have any people from the music industry ever come to your restaurant? Like publishers, agents, or record company executives, anything."
Old Rossi paused, looking at him with a puzzled expression: "Why are you asking this? Aren't you going back to school? Why are you suddenly interested in people in the music industry?"
"I've been working at a record store these past few days, and I've learned some music knowledge on my own. I wrote a song and want to try my hand at music," Zike said, humming a few lines of the chorus from "YMCA".
Old Rossi's eyes lit up, a satisfied smile spread across his face, and he patted Zik on the shoulder, gesturing as he spoke:
"You little rascal, your voice is amazing! It's exactly like mine when I was young! How come I've never heard you sing before? Back then, I charmed countless girls with my amazing voice, and even your mother was swayed by my singing!"
Zik rolled his eyes inwardly. Why didn't he ramble on about how disco was a terrible thing? But he didn't dare interrupt old Rossi and could only listen patiently.
After old Rossi finished his rambling, Zeke coughed lightly and reminded him, "Dad, let's get down to business. Do you actually have someone like that in your restaurant?"
Old Rossi's smile faded. He thought for a moment, glanced at his family watching TV in the living room, and lowered his voice again:
"You know, my restaurant is just a small, run-down eatery, frequented mostly by local acquaintances. I don't have any city musicians here. But..." He paused, his tone softening, "you know about those underground gambling dens run by the Wario family, right?"
Zik nodded. He knew all too well that Westerners were prone to gambling, especially those of Italian descent.
These days, it's not easy to fly to Las Vegas or drive to Atlantic City or Atlanta for a night of fun, so illegal underground casinos controlled by Paulie Wario have sprung up everywhere.
The candy stores, funeral homes, and grocery stores along the street may seem ordinary, but they are often places for gambling activities, where people borrow money and place bets.
In Brownsville, the Mafia was not only accepted but also protected. Even respectable members of the community were careful to protect them: small business owners, teachers, repairmen, garbage collectors, bus dispatchers, housewives, and even the elderly sunbathing in front of the drain lanes were concerned about their safety.
Even if they are not related to the gang members by blood or marriage, they are familiar with the local thugs and villains. They went to school together, have mutual friends, and see each other all the time. When they encounter trouble, they trust these people far more than the police.
Even when buying high-value goods, they don't go to stores in the city, but instead trade through the open back door of a van, which is both discreet and convenient.
"Some of the more upscale establishments are located in apartments, and all sorts of people go there," Old Rossi said with a hint of mystery in his voice. "There are big bosses of clothing centers, business people from all walks of life, restaurant owners, publishers, union leaders, doctors, dentists, and even Wall Street bankers. They all go there for the seclusion and security; after all, it's Poly Group's territory, and nobody dares to cause trouble."
Upon hearing this, Qi Ke's heart stirred, and his eyes lit up.
Old Rossi had clearly frequented those gambling dens, and at this point, he quickly added, "But you mustn't participate in gambling. I'm glad you're willing to walk the straight path and not be led astray by those crooked ways."
"Dad, don't worry, I have no interest in gambling." Qi Ke nodded solemnly, his tone urgent. "Do you know the addresses of those high-end casinos? I want to try my luck and see if I can meet some people in the music industry."
"Those places change locations several times a week. They're all run by Poly's men; outsiders can't find them at all." Old Rossi gestured with his chin toward the street corner. "You can ask at that parking lot over there. Poly's brother, Tadi Valio, is in charge there. He also oversees some of the gambling and loan sharking business. Doesn't 'The Dentist' work there too? He'll definitely know."
Zeke understood. He knew that the parking lot, ostensibly a car rental and dispatch center with taxis and luxury cars, was actually a stronghold of the Wario family. "The Dentist" was usually on standby there, responsible for driving people around.
The Christmas holidays are not only a time for family reunions, but also the peak season for gambling. People often like to gamble a few rounds to pass the time when they have free time, and Zeke guessed that those casinos must be open all the time.
He thanked old Rossi and quietly slipped out the back door. At the public phone booth on the street corner, he dropped in a few coins and dialed the "dentist's" number.
On the other end of the phone, the "dentist's" voice sounded somewhat languid: "Feeding? Who is it?"
"It's me, Zeke." Zeke lowered his voice. "I want to go to the big boss's high-end casino to broaden my horizons and meet some people in the city. Can you take me?"
"Hey, Zeke! You finally called!" The "dentist's" voice instantly perked up. "I just finished dinner at my parents' house and I'm so bored. I've been wanting to gamble for ages, but I'm broke. Have you run out of money? Lend me 100 to try and win it back. If I win, I'll split it 30% with you, how about it?"
Zik chuckled inwardly. Just as he had expected, this guy must have squandered the $300 he received in the past few days.
He hesitated for a moment, then said, "I still have some money, but I can only lend you 50 yuan. Also, I have a new business opportunity that requires me to get to know a few people in the music industry. Could you keep an eye out for me? If you can help me find someone, you'll definitely benefit from it later."
He didn't say he wanted to sell the song; he was being cautious.
"Fifty dollars it is!" the "dentist" readily agreed. "Don't worry, I've got it covered! You've finally figured things out, you're finally doing some legitimate business!"
He seemed to have become accustomed to the airport robbery and the subsequent murder, not mentioning a single word about it, as if it were just a trivial matter.
Less than ten minutes after hanging up the phone, the "dentist's" car pulled up in front of Zeke. It was freezing cold, and Zeke rubbed his red, frostbitten hands as he quickly got into the car.
The car was well-heated and filled with a faint smell of tobacco. As the "dentist" started the car, he kept muttering to himself that he had to win big money tonight and get rid of his bad luck.
The car wound its way through the snow-covered streets before finally stopping in front of an unremarkable apartment building. A tall man in a black coat stood at the entrance, his eyes wary; he was a familiar face from the parking lot, a member of the Wario family.
"Dentist, Zeke." The gatekeeper nodded when he saw them, his tone indifferent. "You know the rules." After a quick search of the two men to make sure they weren't carrying any weapons, he stepped aside to let them in.
Zik followed the "dentist" upstairs, and as soon as he opened the apartment door, a noisy commotion hit him.
The place is set up just like a casino in a movie:
Several gambling tables were set up in the living room, and several people in suits were sitting in front of the poker games, with a professional dealer dealing the cards;
On the other side, a dice-rolling game was surrounded by a large crowd, with cheers and sighs rising and falling. There were also dedicated game supervisors and chip managers standing by.
There was a makeshift bar in the corner, where the bartender was busy mixing and pouring drinks, and the air was filled with the smells of cigarettes, alcohol, and money.
The dentist's eyes lit up. He went straight to a low-stakes poker game, took $50 from Zeke, exchanged it for chips, and eagerly joined the game.
Instead of gambling, Zeke walked to the bar and said to the bartender, "A beer, please."
Here, no one cares whether the people buying alcohol are minors or not; chaos and indulgence are the norm.
He held his beer, leaned against the bar, and silently observed the people around him. Many of them were dressed in suits and ties, spoke politely, and were clearly respectable people from the city. They seemed out of place in this simple apartment, yet they were squandering their money and time here.
He secretly observed the gambling games and, when he saw gamblers exchanging chips, he calculated in his mind that the casino took a cut of 5%-6% from each game. It didn't seem like much, but with such huge bets, he could make a fortune every day.
All the gambling funds were controlled by familiar faces in the Wario family, with each layer of control leaving no room for error.
A moment later, the "dentist" gestured to the bartender, ordered two drinks, one for himself and the other for the man sitting next to him.
The man was in his forties, wearing a wrinkled suit, with thinning hair and a tired look in his eyes. He looked somewhat down on his luck. The two huddled together and started talking in hushed tones.
Before long, the bald man lost all his chips. Frustrated, he slammed his hand on the table, got up, and went to the bar to rest.
Seeing Zeke, he walked over, picked up the drink the bartender had just mixed, and said with a smile, "You're Zeke? The dentist said you had a business opportunity you wanted to try?"
A thought struck Zik. He put down his beer glass and looked directly at him: "You've worked in the record industry?"
"Ha," the man shook his head self-deprecatingly, turned to the bartender, and joked, "Can you believe it? This young guy doesn't even recognize me."
As the bartender wiped the glasses, he introduced with a smile, "Zick, don't underestimate him. This is Tino Balzi, he used to be quite the big shot, he was Frank Sinatra Jr.'s tour manager."
"Frank Sinatra Jr.?" Zeke's eyes lit up, instantly filled with respect. "The son of the legendary singer Frank Sinatra?"
Tino Barzi smiled, a hint of melancholy on his face, and took a small sip of his drink: "That's all in the past. I used to be incredibly successful, but now? I can only gamble here and drift through life."
Zeke felt a surge of hope. He never expected to run into Frank Sinatra Jr.'s former tour manager here, a true industry insider.
Frank Sinatra is considered a source of pride for Italian-Americans.