The next morning. Two players stood on the court: Jung Ho in a black basketball uniform with the number ten on his chest, and Ming You in an equally dark kit, but with the number forty-four. Their gazes met for a moment before Ming You, feigning friendliness, spoke with a fake smile:
"Hi-hi, Jung Ho."
"Why did you call me here? Do you want to let me have a rematch?"
"We don't have time for rematches, but don't worry, I'm not asking you to be my slave over some loss, so you can refuse any request I make."
Jung Ho crossed his arms over his chest.
"Thank you, but as the loser, I should face punishment. That's just my principle."
"All I wanted to prove to you in that game is that victory is everything. I see you understood that, so now all that's left is to get that through to the whole team."
"Are you planning to play for stakes against every player on our team?"
"No, our task is to make them stronger."
"And what do you suggest?"
Ming You, raising his index finger, continued:
"We need to organize a game. But not just a regular streetball game. I want us to play a stakes game."
"A stakes game? Are you serious? We're supposed to be focusing on our game, not on money."
"This isn't just a game; it's a chance to test our strength and gain profit. You yourself said you want the team to get stronger, right?" Ming You spoke confidently, grinning slyly.
Jung Ho thought it over; his doubts began to dissipate.
"Alright, if you insist. But I don't want this to become a problem for us."
"A problem?" Ming You sneered. "We'll just be playing, and if we win, we get money. It's extra motivation, and besides, we all need to get used to the pressure from spectators."
"The money part is debatable, but you're right about the spectator pressure."
"Then gather the team, and I'll arrange things with the organizers."
As Jung Ho turned and resolutely strode towards the exit from the streetball court, Ming You unhesitatingly moved in the opposite direction. His gaze was fixed on a group of thugs standing on the street corner, lazily smoking. The distance to them was no more than a dozen meters.
"Hey, guys," he began, winking as he stood in front of them. "I have a plan. We're going to run an interesting stakes game, and my team will become the debtors."
The thugs in black leather jackets, hearing this, burst into laughter.
"Have you completely lost your mind?" said one of them, Taek Jung, laughing heartily. "You're going to turn your own team into debtors? That's shameless!"
"Yes, but it will be interesting," replied Ming You, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "We'll set up a real game, and they'll get into debt themselves. I want them to feel like they're losing, and that will give me a chance to control them."
"Then please, tell us your plan," Taek Jung inquired, pulling another cigarette from the pack.
Ming You spread his arms.
"The game is a shooting competition. There are two hoops and two players. The first three shots are from the free-throw line, the last decisive one from the three-point line, and an extra one from half-court. The first shot - the referee sets the stake, for example, ten thousand won for a make, but the second player - the first one's opponent - can raise the stake, for example, say 'I bet twenty thousand won.' If the first player refuses to take the risk and declines the twenty thousand won bet, he must give half of the declined stake amount to the second player, and the other half goes into the game's common pot."
Taek Jung and his comrades gave a light chuckle.
"Sounds interesting, your plan is really impressive, but the point of the game pot isn't clear."
"I haven't finished yet, so listen up. Here's how it will work for the spectators - someone from the audience might want to bet, say, two thousand won on a make, but they could also bet the same two thousand on a miss. A spectator can bet on both players. And this way, the game pot accumulates, which the referee announces. For example, if the spectators have bet one hundred thousand won, that sum is the spectators' game pot. There are two pots in total - the spectators' pot, which has real money, and the players' pot - there's no money there, for the players it's just empty hope, but for you, the organizers, it's the sum of their debts. But the referee must tell everyone that the pot is common, and he must come up with some starting sum for this pot, for example, one hundred thousand won. This common pot is necessary to create the illusion of real money. But there's a nuance: the referee can say that the common pot is two hundred thousand won, and in this case, the player falls into one hundred percent debt."
Taek Jung and the other thugs laughed even louder.
"Hahaha! Didn't think you could come up with such profitable games on the fly! But how do we explain this to the spectators and your players?"
Ming You gave a slight smile, adopting a persuasive tone:
"Here's what needs to be said: spectators can place a bet on one, or on both players at once. The bet is this - will the player make the shot or miss. Now the rules of the game: the player is given ten seconds to shoot, but if he has already made a shot and has winnings behind him, in exchange for them, he can increase the time by another ten seconds. The rest of the rules, like not stepping over the line and so on, should be clear, however, standing further back from the line is allowed, but it's pointless because there are no bonuses for that. Now, the game pot - when the referee announces the sum for the shot, the two players can agree and start the competition, but one of the players can raise the amount. A player has the right to accept the stake, raise it, or refuse. If a player refuses the stake, a miss is automatically recorded for him, and a win for the second player."
"You're a real actor! Even I, knowing the real essence of the game, got caught up in such rules."
"There's one more thing that will be very profitable and interesting for you."
"Go on."
Ming You smirked cunningly.
"Who do you think will be the winner of this game, not counting you, the organizers?"
"If you consider that two players are competing in shooting, then one of them will definitely be the loser, and the second will get the winnings. So there can only be one winner among the players," Taek Jung said in a thoughtful tone, but Ming You chuckled at his answer:
"That's exactly how people are supposed to think, heh-heh."
"What do you mean?"
"The losers will actually be two. They will all leave with debts."
"Huh?" The thugs exclaimed loudly, one of them accidentally dropping his cigarette on the asphalt.
"You're forgetting the fact that they'll be playing at a relaxed pace. We'll say that only a spectator can lose, while a player can either leave with extra winnings or leave without any losses," Ming You continued, eliciting a laugh from Taek Jung:
"Hahaha! Does your conscience bother you even a little? Although I don't think you have one at all."
"So, will you set up my game?"
Taek Jung grinned greedily.
"Thanks for the idea, but the most I can give you is one percent of all the bets, and that's only because you surprised me."
"I don't need money; I have a different condition."
"And what's that?" asked Taek Jung, stubbing his cigarette out on the brick wall. Ming You tilted his head to the side, answering emotionlessly:
"You will act out a scene that I'll ask for after the game, and another one that needs to be acted out before the game. But don't worry, the scene will be simple and in your favor."
"Alright, a couple of scenes in exchange for such a profitable game is a very good deal for us. But since you're only asking for a scene, that means it must be much more beneficial for you, right?"
Ming You smirked greedily.
"Heh-heh, that's right."
"What will the pre-game scene be?"
"You need to make it so that I don't play, but my support for the team is still visible," he said, pointing a finger at himself. Taek Jung asked in surprise:
"And how will you arrange that?"
"The game is only designed for two players, and there are four of them in total, not counting me. And here's what you need to do: say that because of my debts to you, I can't play."
"Ha-ha, seriously? When a player gets into debt, we force them to play!"
"But not in this game, right?"
"Heh-heh, right. Fine, from now on, you have a fictitious debt. It's only a matter of time before it becomes real."
Ming You arrogantly raised his head, smiling:
"Don't even dream about that."
"Your audacity knows no bounds."
"So, do we have a deal?" He extended his hand. Taek Jung shook it and said in a low tone:
"Deal."