Chapter 129: Young Sheldon: This Life is Unbearable
The IRS's reputation is incredibly useful.
Chuck easily obtained the videotape.
"Agent Greene, Dr. Wolfe, the target's bodyguard has called and passed the news back to the Gambino family,"
Jane's supervisor reported.
"Excellent,"
Susan nodded. "Continue monitoring. Now we'll see if the Gambino family trusts him as much as he thinks they do."
"What is this?"
Jane wanted to interrupt, but remembering her supervisor's previous advice to listen more and talk less, and she didn't really want to talk to Susan, who had been keeping an eye on Chuck, she held back again and again, but finally spoke up.
"The videotape,"
Chuck said succinctly.
"Oh,"
Jane nodded, and then made conversation: "Do you think Deborah Vance really knows your friend's parent?"
"Most likely,"
Chuck said.
"Why?"
Jane asked.
"Because this Helena is performing a drag show next door,"
Chuck said.
"What?"
Jane was stunned.
The most bizarre of the bizarre protagonists—well, one of the protagonists, to be honest—was so close to her.
"Agent Banner, if you're interested, you can go check it out,"
Susan teased.
"I'm not interested!"
Jane shook her head repeatedly.
Coming from a conservative state in the Midwest, her relatively traditional upbringing wasn't particularly receptive to such things.
"How unfortunate."
After Jane's shock, she expressed sympathy for Chuck's friend.
"Agent Banner, do you know what that videotape in Chuck's hand is for?"
Susan smiled mischievously.
When Jane learned the reason, she somewhat reluctantly advised, "Chuck, come on, he's your friend after all."
"He's a fan of Deborah Vance,"
Chuck said. "He'll love it."
Jane: "..."
"The target has entered the VIP gaming room."
Jane's supervisor wanted to remain invisible, but he was busy with his work, so he could only provide real-time updates.
"He never gambles."
Susan's expression shifted. "Is he going to discuss something? Is there any video footage?"
The main casino floor was a place for tourists and casual players to engage in small-stakes games, while the VIP rooms were the true high-stakes gambling dens for the wealthy.
Well-organized criminals like these possess some counter-surveillance capabilities, and monitoring only audio often results in missing crucial information.
"Only audio. There's no video in the VIP room. Wait!"
Jane's supervisor said this, then uttered a sudden exclamation.
"What's happening?"
Susan asked.
"Technical personnel detected surveillance equipment in another room,"
Jane's supervisor explained.
"Can you access it?"
Susan pressed.
"It might take a while,"
Jane's supervisor hesitated.
"Lock onto the source and go straight to it,"
Chuck reminded.
The IRS and FBI were working together on the case; there was no need for such bureaucratic delays.
"Can you do that?"
Susan looked at Jane's supervisor.
"That's simple enough."
Jane's supervisor pressed the earpiece, nodded, and provided the room number.
"Let's go,"
Susan said.
The four of them rushed to the specified room. At Jane's supervisor's signal, they attempted to kick down the door.
Then, the recoil sent them back, their legs numb, and they felt incredibly embarrassed.
Apparently, unlike what's shown on TV, kicking down a door requires skill, not just brute force.
As Susan and Jane glanced over, Chuck stepped forward and kicked the door open.
Inside the room,
a screen displayed the gambling game in the VIP room. A small figure wearing headphones sat in front of the screen. Hearing the noise, he turned around and stared in astonishment as Chuck and his group burst through the door.
"Hey, isn't that your classmate?"
Susan was astonished when she saw that the stunned, speechless child was none other than the genius classmate she'd met earlier who'd been made to cry by Chuck's words.
"This is an IRS and FBI operation. Don't cry, don't talk,"
Chuck warned, then walked over to stand beside young Sheldon and watch the surveillance screen together.
Young Sheldon froze there, not daring to move. When Chuck reached him, it was as if a storm cloud had descended, completely obscuring his vision, both literally and metaphorically, a darkness that covered his entire world.
Time goes back to more than an hour ago.
After separating from Chuck, young Sheldon's family settled into the hotel with the welcome of his uncle and aunt.
Young Sheldon's aunt led the others away, and young Sheldon's uncle couldn't wait to ask young Sheldon for help.
"I told my mother that I won't help with gambling."
No matter how he persuaded, young Sheldon just shook his head and refused.
Young Sheldon's uncle got anxious and suddenly had an inspiration: "Is it that she won't let you, or that you can't do it?"
"Of course I can do it. Gambling is just applied mathematics."
Young Sheldon said arrogantly: "You don't need to use reverse psychology on me, I won't fall for it."
"You're so smart, how could I manipulate you."
Young Sheldon's uncle shook his head and said: "I'm just curious if you can perform at the same level as your classmate."
"Are you talking about Chuck Wolfe?"
Young Sheldon frowned unhappily when he heard the name.
"Yeah,"
young Sheldon's uncle chuckled inwardly, but remained composed on the surface. "Do you know why he's a Supreme VIP? I've looked into it, and he's earned that respect through his own abilities..."
He recounted Chuck's fame at the casino, then added casually, "You're the pride of our Cooper family. I initially thought you might be able to match that level..."
"Of course I can!"
young Sheldon exclaimed.
"Okay, I believe you,"
young Sheldon's uncle shrugged, his expression conveying, 'I'm your uncle, so even if you can't prove it, I'm willing to trust you.'
"I can do it!"
young Sheldon insisted anxiously.
He loved demonstrating his intelligence and hated when others outshone him. The mention of Chuck heightened this displeasure, and he desperately needed others to acknowledge his abilities.
"Sure."
Young Sheldon's uncle was secretly pleased, but he continued to act reluctant.
In the end, although young Sheldon still suspected that his uncle was manipulating him, when faced with the opportunity to compete with Chuck, he chose to ignore the feeling that he was being played.
"How can I prove my ability?"
"It's simple. You're too young to enter the casino floor, but that's okay. Your aunt's father is the manager of this casino, and I'm a professional player, specializing in the VIP rooms."
Young Sheldon's uncle, embellishing his reputation of "chasing easy money and targeting wealthy marks" into the title "professional," began explaining the process to young Sheldon: "All you have to do is stay in this room, watch the screen, and then tell me your calculations through the headset. It's easy, isn't it?"
"Of course!"
Young Sheldon raised his chin when he heard that he wouldn't have to do anything physical, just be a different kind of strategic advisor.
When it came to strategic analysis, he'd never been inferior to anyone.
Then young Sheldon's uncle brought young Sheldon here and had him practice using old game recordings. The results delighted him.
Young Sheldon's calculations were incredibly accurate; using them as his guide would definitely make him a fortune.
All the winnings, minus the house cut, would be his!
So he couldn't wait to put young Sheldon to work.
It went just as he'd expected. With the help of his mathematically gifted nephew, young Sheldon, he felt like he had divine assistance tonight, always knowing when to fold and when to raise. Soon, he had a mountain of chips in front of him.
Those were assets that could be exchanged for cash!
He'd have to trade them for a $100,000 chip and show it to his father-in-law.
That's right!
Although his wife supported him, just like his brother was looked down upon by his wife's family, he was dismissed by his father-in-law, the casino manager. He constantly criticized him as a professional gambler, calling him a degenerate.
He wasn't a degenerate gambler!
They both made their living in the casino, so who was superior?
So, just because his father-in-law wore a commemorative $100,000 chip given by the casino every day, he was considered respectable, while he, who could win $100,000 through skill, was considered lowly?
What nonsense!
This time, he was going to show his father-in-law that times change, and don't underestimate the underdog!
Just when he was feeling triumphant, he suddenly realized something was wrong. The earpiece hadn't carried young Sheldon's incessant complaints for quite some time.
Yes!
It wasn't that Sheldon didn't contribute useful information. His nephew was simply a master of verbose commentary and sharp criticism. Before hearing a useful piece of information, he would endure countless complaints about the players and completely irrelevant trivia, which was simply maddening.
But now he was the big winner of the night. Everyone was watching him. It wasn't convenient for him to leave temporarily to check what had happened. He could only force a smile to maintain his composure.
Monitoring room.
Young Sheldon was surrounded by people, all staring at the screen.
"He doesn't look like he's conveying information to anyone."
Jane observed for a long time and asked in confusion.
"No, there's definitely something suspicious."
Susan stared at the screen. "Having managed the Gambino family's books for over forty years, there's no way he could have been involved in any gambling, loan sharking, or drug trafficking operations himself. If he were, it would mean he couldn't be trusted, and the money of those who hired him would be at risk. It wouldn't just be financial ruin."
"Chuck?"
Jane pursed her lips and looked at Chuck.
"She's right,"
Chuck nodded.
Susan couldn't help but glance at Jane.
This made Jane's expression harden.
"Continue, don't worry about us,"
Chuck said expressionlessly, seeing young Sheldon stiffen and repeatedly look at him with deep anguish.
"..."
Young Sheldon paused.
He could barely concentrate in this situation, how could he continue?
This was unbearable.
"Hurry up, your uncle is getting impatient,"
Chuck warned.
Young Sheldon followed Chuck's gaze and saw his uncle repeatedly touching his wedding ring, a secret signal they had agreed on, urging him to report the results.
(End of Chapter)
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