Chapter 4: Bringing a Wolf into the House
Diamonds brought an unknown youth back to the Poker Bar.
An air of astonishment filled the establishment. Madame Spades, Hearts, and Snow Leopard gathered on the first floor, sizing up the youth. He was tall, with a clean and handsome face, his gray eyes brimming with confusion. He stood there like a slab of granite, completely silent.
“Where did you pick up this handsome lad?” Madame Spades asked Diamonds.
“The junkyard.”
The youth stood in a daze. No matter how the others questioned him, he only shook his head blankly. Diamonds had previously taken him to the ‘Affordable Clinic’, but the goatee doctor told him that the youth’s head had sustained a heavy blow, damaging his neural chip and erasing all his memories. Performing an open-skull surgery would be highly expensive and risky. Seeing that the youth could move without issue, Diamonds decided to let him remain in his muddled state for the time being.
Hearts pulled Diamonds aside, lowering his voice, “Hey, Diamonds, this guy’s background is a bit suspicious…”
Diamonds blinked and said, “Brother, are you trying to say he looks like that Time Cleaner? His build is similar, and the timing of his appearance is too much of a coincidence.”
Without waiting for Hearts to press further, he continued, “But his head was smashed by a light sign. Could the Chief Cleaner of the Chrono-Entropy Corporation really be turned into a fool by a mere light sign?”
Hearts fell into deep thought. As someone who had crossed paths with a Cleaner before, the youth in front of him indeed possessed the exact same physical build and eyes as a Cleaner, but he lacked even a shred of bloodlust, as docile as a sheep.
“True. If his head was broken just like that, I think it would be too bizarre. Rumor has it that Cleaners possess iron skulls and copper arms, capable of lifting a car with one hand and smashing through steel plates with their heads.”
Diamonds suddenly felt a tug on his sleeve. Looking up, he saw the youth standing beside him, asking in a low voice:
“Do you know… the old me?”
“I do. You’re an employee of our bar. You’ve been lingering in the decadent world outside, staying out at night for ten years. If I hadn’t gone out to find you, you’d still be out indulging yourself on the streets today,” Diamonds lied through his teeth.
Snow Leopard scratched him with a claw, “Drop it, Diamonds. Aren’t you just trying to get out of doing the cleanup work? What’s wrong with catching a few light signs? Was it really necessary to abduct someone back?”
“But it’s still too dangerous,” Hearts whispered into Diamonds’ ear. “Even if this person isn’t a Cleaner, if he’s a spy trying to pry into the secrets of ‘Clepsydra’, keeping him by our side will eventually become a major hazard.”
Diamonds, however, looked completely indifferent. “Brother, you’re being an old fogey. The headquarters of ‘Clepsydra’ isn’t even here; we are clean and have no secrets whatsoever. So what if he is a Cleaner? We can just use him as a hostage, or slowly win him over and turn him against them.” Hearts was left speechless.
Amidst the silence, Madame Spades clapped her hands, making the final decision, “Alright, let him stay. We are short-handed in the Lower District right now, and we just happen to lack a waiter. Who told Diamonds to fish for three days and dry the nets for two, never doing his job properly at the bar?”
“Then give him a name, otherwise it’s quite inconvenient.”
“Let’s call him Diamonds 9.”
“No way, that sounds like he’s your exclusive shrimp.”
With his hands in his pockets, Diamonds said casually, “I picked him up, so why can’t he be my little lackey? Our bar already has Spades, Hearts, Clubs, and Diamonds. How about he becomes the Joker?”
Before his voice could even fade, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his face as a punch connected. Diamonds flew sideways, knocking over a row of tables and chairs. The person who delivered the punch was the amnesiac youth. Clutching his face, Diamonds jumped up, shedding his lazy demeanor and shouting:
“What are you doing!”
The youth replied expressionlessly, “You lied to me. You don’t even know my name. You aren’t my master at all, and you’re mocking me.”
Diamonds looked around, only to see the others wearing amused expressions. He barked, “How can you all stay unmoved in the face of such violence?”
“Because you usually deserve a lesson.”
Madame Spades took a slow sip of her drink, “Young man, please forgive him. This kid is just a smooth-talking liar. However, if you have nowhere else to go, you can treat this place as a temporary home for now. As you can see, the Lower District is crawling with bad seeds like Diamonds; some will eye your organs, while others will want to sell you into slavery. Wandering outside makes you a fat sheep in their eyes. Though we aren’t completely clean here, we hold some authority in the Lower District, and we can afford to pay a proper salary.”
Madame Spades spoke in a refined and gentle manner, her voice warmed as if by the sun, making one involuntarily feel at peace. The youth lowered his head, and after a long silence, nodded hesitantly.
“Diamonds, it’s getting late. Take this newcomer back to your room to settle down,” Madame Spades instructed.
Diamonds’ expression froze.
“There are no extra empty rooms here. Hearts and Clubs the cat are already squeezed into one, and I’m getting on in years; I can’t tolerate your constant chatter. We can’t let the new employee make do on a chair on the first floor for the night, can we?”
Diamonds sneered, “My room doesn’t have much space either, nothing compared to everyone else’s spaciousness.”
“What does it matter? He’s the person you brought back, so naturally he’s close to you. Sleeping in the same room with you won’t hurt. Don’t talk back, slippery boy, or I’ll throw you out of the bar.”
Under Madame Spades’ threat, Diamonds ultimately led the youth up to his room in a daze. The youth surveyed the room and offered a brief critique:
“Cramped.”
“You really push your luck, kid. It’s already good enough that we’re taking you in, yet you still want to ride over my head.” Diamonds fetched a large cardboard box, placed it in the corner, and decorated it slightly. “You can sleep here tonight. This is your supreme Italian silk bed.”
Before his words could land, he was punched into the cardboard box by the youth once again. Diamonds crawled up with a bruised black eye, “What kind of madness are you throwing now?”
“You are abusing your employee.”
“Where am I abusing you? Right now, it’s clearly the employee abusing the boss.”
“I am fighting for the legitimate rights of an employee, black-hearted boss.”
“I am neither black-hearted nor red-hearted—I am Diamonds. As you can see, my room is only the size of a piece of tofu. Where else do you want to sleep, the ceiling or under the bed?” Diamonds shrugged. “Fine, to show a spirit of equality, we’ll take turns sleeping on the bed and in the cardboard box from now on.”
Only then did the youth let it rest, saying in a flat tone, “Thank you, Boss.”
He looked around the room—the Mauser pistol, scattered bullets, old newspapers on the wall, and a calendar reading ‘2026’. Every single one of these objects triggered a headache, feeling strangely familiar. Who exactly was he, and why did he appear in the junkyard? Quicksand’s gaze drifted, landing on Diamonds’ face.
Diamonds sat on the edge of the bed, wiping gun oil with one hand, a bandage supporting his fractured arm still hanging from his neck. He had a pair of upturned phoenix eyes, his mouth always carrying a smile that masked mysterious emotions. His handsome features looked like a painting sketched with free strokes.
Memories of fighting this man flashed through Quicksand’s mind in an instant. It felt as if a small awl was piercing his temples, making him groan aloud.
“What’s wrong?” Diamonds looked up.
“I want to ask… why did you bring me here?”
“As you can see, I’ve sustained some injuries lately and can’t do much work, but the repair jobs in the Lower District have piled up like a mountain. So, I went out to find a helper. Actually, I originally wanted to find a random kid, but when I saw you, I chose you. You’re much stronger and healthier than them.” Diamonds touched his bruised eye, grinning through his teeth.
Quicksand’s gaze turned to the photo frame by the bed, “What is that?”
The frame held a yellowed group photo depicting an old woman wearing a black veil, a burly giant of a man, a sleek snow leopard, and a youth dressed in a white suit, his hand pressing down on his top hat, the brim pulled very low—looking like a miniature version of Diamonds. Everyone was smiling happily. Looking at the photograph, Diamonds said reminiscently:
“It’s a group photo of the bar’s staff.”
Quicksand’s gaze lingered on the face of the youth in the photo. Time was truly a wondrous thing; such a bright and innocent youth could actually be scrubbed and washed by time into the smooth-talking liar before him. With his mind in utter chaos, he didn’t know who Diamonds truly was—a swindler who abducted him to do heavy physical labor? The moment he saw Diamonds in the junkyard, he felt his entire body tense up and his spirit surge, a voice clamoring in his brain: Go with him! Yet, that voice would subsequently become chaotic and terrifying, finally turning into: Tear him apart! Kill him!
Quicksand closed his eyes, steadying his emotions. He sat idly in the cardboard box for a while, gradually finding it utterly boring, and pulled up his sleeveless undershirt.
Diamonds glanced sideways at him, “What are you doing? Showing off your abs to me?”
The faint light from the window streamed in like running water over the youth’s body. Diamonds beheld a well-built, robust torso crisscrossed with pale scars resembling mysterious Sanskrit characters—a testament to having braved a hundred battles. Diamonds narrowed his eyes but didn’t make a sound.
Quicksand said, “I’m going to sleep. Please give me employee pajamas.”
Diamonds replied, “Arranging a uniform for you is one thing, but I’ve never heard of providing pajamas.”
“I was in the junkyard earlier. You wouldn’t want to see me lying on your bed tomorrow wearing these clothes, either.”
Diamonds sneered, “How can you be such a demanding employee?”
Quicksand spoke, his tone completely flat, sounding exactly like a vocalizing machine, “I am neither black-hearted nor red-hearted—I am the Joker.”
Diamonds buried his face in his hands, sighing deeply. He felt some regret over picking this person up. When he first met the youth, he only thought the guy was young and physically fit, a good asset for labor, not expecting him to be so demanding. He rummaged through the wardrobe for a while, but almost all the pajamas he found were a size smaller than Quicksand. Having no other choice, he knocked on Hearts’ door.
Hearts answered the door. He wore a tight white T-shirt featuring a stick-figure drawing of a girl wearing a flower garland, paired with cat-patterned pajama pants—highly mismatched with his rugged appearance. “What is it, Diamonds?”
Diamonds explained his purpose. Hearts burst into a hearty laugh and brought him over to his own wardrobe. Diamonds opened the closet, only to find it filled with pink bubble skirts, polka-dot aprons, and bow-tied ruffled pants—it was practically a children’s clothing display cabinet. In the end, he reluctantly picked a pair of star-patterned pajamas with lace edges, returned to his room, and tossed them to Quicksand.
“Wear this, troublesome employee.”
Without a word, Quicksand picked them up and put them on. Hearts possessed a burly build, so these pajamas actually appeared loose on him. After changing clothes, he folded his old garments into a neat, square block like a block of tofu, placed it in the corner, and then lay down, curling up inside the cardboard box, plunging into dreamland the moment his eyes closed.
Diamonds gazed at his peaceful sleeping face with a complex expression. He had thought he was picking up a stray dog, but looking at him now, this person resembled a white-eyed wolf that could bite him back at any moment. He let out a sigh, turned off the light, and allowed the darkness to envelop him.
Early the next morning, Madame Spades handed a waiter’s outfit to Quicksand. The gray shirt, suspender apron, and leather boots accentuated the youth’s lean and sharp figure; standing in the shop, he was a living signboard for drawing in customers.
On this night, visitors streamed into the bar continuously. The female patrons were like bees seeing a source of honey, surrounding Quicksand to tease him. Quicksand possessed soft gray hair and light gray eyes that resembled clear glass, shimmering with brilliance. Quite a few people shifted and rubbed against him, yet Quicksand stood motionless, as expressionless as an unresponsive stone monument. Someone smiled at Madame Spades, “Madame, where did you find such a handsome guy? Will we still be able to see him here in the future?”
Madame Spades smiled, “He’s our newly recruited employee. If you all like him, we’ll have him work the night shift.”
Sitting by the bar counter, Diamonds smiled at several regular female patrons, “Big sisters, you’re truly heartless. Do you forget the old love the moment you have a new one? Is it that my looks are too unbearable to meet your eyes? Usually, I don’t see you all flocking to find me with such devotion.”
A female patron covered her mouth, giggling, “You’re not bad either, but you only know how to use sweet words. When we look at men now, we look at their inner depth.”
Diamonds thought to himself, This guy’s brain is completely blank. Where would he get any inner depth?
But aside from acting as a signboard, Quicksand’s movements were highly efficient—greeting customers, serving meals, and wiping tables and chairs like a gust of wind. After he worked for over ten consecutive days, Madame Spades was highly satisfied, saying to Diamonds, “Look at this newcomer—one of him is worth ten of you. You, the veteran employee, don’t need to work your shift tomorrow; just pack your bags and leave.”
“Madame, that’s not fair. I’m different from that kid; I handle big business, and I can also provide emotional value to everyone,” Diamonds said, intimately clinking glasses with Madame Spades.
“Yes, you provide everyone with the emotion of anger.” Madame Spades turned around coldly, “Since you have injuries, just rest in the bar for the time being. I’m going out to check on the repair situation, and Hearts isn’t here either, so I’ll trouble you and the newcomer to watch over the place.”
Diamonds gave an acknowledging nod, lowering his head to drink.
Not many customers came during the day; most were idle drunkards who would slump over the tables and mumble once they were inebriated. Quicksand was wiping a table with his head lowered when he suddenly heard a sharp sound of shattering glass.
Turning his head around, he saw a drunk man swinging a punch at another, shouting and yelling, flipping tables, and breaking glasses.
Before the punch could land, Quicksand had already flashed to the man’s side like a shadow, grabbing his wrist and asking expressionlessly:
“Sir, what is wrong?”
“He… he cheated while shuffling the cards!”
Quicksand glanced at the objects scattered on the floor, which didn’t include playing cards. “Sir is a master indeed. Were you playing Blackjack using coasters?”
The drunkard scrambled up, glaring at him with wide eyes, “Y-you’re covering for… him! You’re in cahoots!” He fished a sharp knife out from his coat, clutching it in his hand.
The Lower District was chaotic, and people frequently carried weapons with them. Seeing this, the other patrons practically lost their minds, crying out in alarm as they fled. Wielding the sharp knife, the drunkard lunged at Quicksand. Right at that moment, an ice bucket slammed heavily into his face.
The drunkard collapsed to the floor, his nose bruised and bleeding. He scrambled up and yelled, “What did you do that for!”
Quicksand looked down at him from above, “Providing you with a premium iced service to help you sober up.”
Although this blow helped the drunkard sober up halfway, feelings of resentment surged up within him. Groping around for the sharp knife that had fallen to the side, he let out a furious roar and lunged forward again.
Quicksand’s gaze turned sharp, and suddenly, a piercing bloodlust enveloped his body. Even though he had lost his memory, the instinct to slaughter was like a wild beast clamoring within his frame. Using his hand as a blade, he chopped toward the man’s carotid sinus.
His strike was as fast as a flash of lightning. Although the drunkard couldn’t react in time, he instinctively felt his hair stand on end from sheer terror.
Just as blood was about to splatter across the room, someone suddenly cut right in between them.
The sharp knife swung by the drunkard struck a splint, while Quicksand’s wrist was also firmly held back. Startled, the two turned their heads to look, only to see a youth with platinum-blonde hair standing beside them with a smile, saying:
“Stop fighting. Fighting like this can kill someone. Since you two have so much energy, why don’t you have a dance-off in the bar tonight? A pole dancing battle.”
Quicksand was shocked.
He knew his own speed and strength; ordinary people could barely see his movements, and rashly trying to block him would result in broken bones and severed tendons. Yet, Diamonds had easily defused his assault. This seemingly idle youth possessed extraordinary skills.
“Are… are you… in cahoots with them too? All cheating bastards?” Oblivious to the danger he had just been in, the drunkard continued to pester them relentlessly.
“Sir, I don’t understand your words. Do I need to get as dead drunk as you before I can understand them?” Diamonds shook his head with a sigh, “Troublemaking here isn’t a very good idea. Look above your head.”
The drunkard looked up, only to see an ice pick hanging right above his head, its sharp tip suspended in midair by a time-stagnation bubble. Once the bubble burst, the sharp weapon would drop, piercing right through a person’s head.
Diamonds revealed a successful grin, “If you continue to make trouble, the Sword of Damocles will fall.”
The drunkard ultimately fled in a wretched state. After sobering up, he seemed to finally recall what kind of dragon’s den and tiger’s lair the Poker Bar was, where everyone inside was a freak not to be trifled with.
After everything concluded, Diamonds comforted the patron who had been beaten, and then painstakingly tidied up the overturned tables and glass shards.
Quicksand stood silently to the side, his gaze resting on Diamonds. Since there was no need to go out for work and swindling today, Diamonds wasn’t wearing his flashy outfit; he merely wore a red shirt, the bandage supporting his fractured arm still hanging from his neck, his figure appearing thin. The diamond stud gracing the corner of his eye looked like a drop of blood, adding a touch of mystery to him. His smile was also superficial—neither false nor sincere, acting as a mask-like decoration. Quicksand opened his mouth to ask:
“Who are you? How were you able to block my attack just now?”
Diamonds straightened his posture, arching an eyebrow, “Then who are you? Why shouldn’t I be able to block your attack?”
Quicksand fell silent; he himself didn’t know the answer to that question yet.
Diamonds said, “As for me, I’m your black-hearted boss. This is your daily wage.”
He pulled out his phone and walked up to Quicksand. Quicksand felt his wristwatch vibrate slightly. This watch was a temporary terminal given to him by Madame Spades. When Quicksand was picked up, he possessed absolutely nothing, not even remembering his own time account. Fortunately, Madame Spades had encountered many undocumented individuals in the Lower District and knew how to handle it, opening a temporary account for Quicksand to use for the time being.
Looking at his wristwatch now, Diamonds had transferred a lifespan of 2 hours to him—this was his wage for the day.
Quicksand fell silent, and after a long while, he said, “There must be a mistake.”
Diamonds patted his shoulder, “No mistake. Work is just like that—wasting your life to earn meager, life-sustaining resources. In essence, it’s still wasting your life.”
“This bit of time isn’t even enough for me to survive until tomorrow.”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t know where my tomorrow is either; life is a stretch of absolute darkness.”
Quicksand suddenly choked him, threatening icily, “If you dare withhold wages, I’ll make sure you have no tomorrow.”
Although Diamonds continued to smile, his chin tilted upward, revealing a shred of toughness, “Inviting you back was like picking up a bed of sharp nails to roll on myself. Who’s afraid of whom? At worst, we’ll perish together!”
Just as the two were bickering, Madame Spades entered the door. Glancing at the mess on the floor, she had already pieced together seventy to eighty percent of the truth in her mind. She sighed, “You two give it a rest. Diamonds, why are you making a fuss with the newcomer? If you’re free, come over and drink your medicine.”
These words acted like a tightening hoop spell, instantly silencing Diamonds. Letting out a soft huff, he turned around and walked up the stairs. Madame Spades waved her hand, signaling Quicksand to come over, and transferred 48 hours of time to him.
Quicksand stared blankly at the remaining time balance on his watch. 48 hours wasn’t a lot, but it wasn’t a small amount either. It allowed a different kind of emotion to breed in his heart—perhaps delight. This was the fruit of his labor, and it felt like a proof of being accepted by the Poker Bar.
Madame Spades had already stood back behind the bar counter, gently mixing vodka and rum. She spoke, “Newcomer, you’ve worked hard during this period, working consecutive night shifts. You must be exhausted. Take a holiday for today and tomorrow. Wander around the Lower District and see if you can remember anything.”
Quicksand stood there uncomprehendingly; he didn’t understand the meaning of a holiday. ‘Wandering around’ sounded like a patrol mission. Seeing his bewildered eyes, like those of a newborn fawn, Madame Spades let out a sigh, feeling a surge of endless affection in her heart. She turned her head and shouted:
“Diamonds, accompany him tomorrow.”
“What?”
Diamonds stopped his footsteps on the stairs, looking down in disbelief, as if he had just heard a catastrophic piece of news.
“You’re also on holiday tomorrow.” Madame Spades’ eyes behind the veil revealed a teasing smile. “Don’t go out tricking people and fishing for big fish. I specially permit you to take the shrimp around. What’s there to fear? Isn’t he the person you brought back? You ought to find the leisure to care for him a bit.”
Maintaining an unchanging expression, Quicksand chimed in, “Did you hear that? The Madame wants you to care for me.”
Diamonds retorted, “What care do you need!” He walked up the stairs, calculating in his mind how many times he had been beaten by Quicksand during this period. If it was said that he had encountered the most troublesome enemy in history some days ago, then this kid was undoubtedly the most difficult and ferocious shrimp he had ever hooked.
