New Gods of North America.

Chapter 719 Tent
With the experienced James Damody leading the way, Sanders handed the carriage over to a gangster guarding outside the wall, leaving Connor, who had been temporarily called in to be the co-driver and backup that night, to keep watch over the other side.

The three of them then entered someone else's territory.

The walls around this place are actually quite dilapidated and uneven. The better wooden walls are over two meters high, so high you have to crane your neck to see the top, while the lower ones are just stone walls or mounds of earth that only reach chest or waist height.
That's why, from a distance, Wayne thought this place looked like a "construction site," as if even a legitimate thief couldn't be stopped.

But upon closer inspection, Wayne realized that those relatively low gaps might have been intentionally placed.
There were either gangsters lurking nearby, or the place where they stayed had some hidden dangers. Anyone who didn't know the situation would probably fall into a pit as soon as they climbed over. It had a sense of "loose but tight" security.

We first wandered around a few large tents clustered together; it was quite lively inside.
The so-called "tent" is a fairly sophisticated device in this era. Giant ones, such as the temporary tents set up by traveling circuses, can not only cover the entire stage but also accommodate dozens or even hundreds of audience members at the same time.
These are all relatively "mini" tents. They're not that big, but they're about the same size as a typical "living room" in Wayne's memory. You can easily squeeze a dozen or twenty people standing inside.

The lights inside the large tent were dim, and the air was somewhat stuffy. Although there were quite a few gamblers, everything was relatively orderly. The games arranged inside were mostly those in the more "larger" areas.

James Damody introduced Wayne to each person in turn, regardless of whether they had met him before or not.

"This is a game called 'Faro,' where the dealer draws cards in turn, and the gamblers place bets on the corresponding positions on the tablecloth, betting on which card from A to K the next card will be. The gameplay is similar to a simple 'roulette,' but the pace is faster."

"This is a two-dice game called 'Craps'. When the dealer rolls a 7 or 11, it's called a 'cross,' and all players who bet on a 'cross' win immediately. Conversely, if the dealer rolls a 2, 3, or 12, it's called a 'Craps' (nothing), and all players who didn't bet on that lose money. If other numbers are rolled, players can continue to bet, and the odds for betting on specific numbers are higher, until the dealer 'crosses' again."

"This is the common roulette game. You can bet on specific numbers, or on corresponding colors, sizes, or odds and evens, and the odds vary depending on how you bet. But the roulette popular in the United States has an extra '00' on the '0' slot compared to the roulette in the Old World. If these appear, all bets not placed on these slots will be wiped out by the house."

The space inside the large tent was well-allocated. In addition to the fast-paced "large tables," there were also some smaller tables where gamblers had relatively fixed spots, playing games like bridge, blackjack, or poker, which probably also served to keep the atmosphere lively.
James Damody was explaining the rules of "blackjack" to Wayne when someone squeezed through the crowd of gamblers. "These are the 'public tables' in the big tents. If you're interested, Mr. Wayne, we can invite you to play in the 'private rooms'."

Since James Damody was a figurehead in the dockside district and had connections there, and Wayne had been frequently seen in the dockside area recently, he had anticipated that he would be recognized.
Therefore, he didn't stand on ceremony and even treated the people who came over as tour guides: "Do you have any other attractions here? You can show me around."

It's a pity that betting here is all in cash, otherwise Wayne might have wanted to try his luck by getting free chips from others.

The other party must have received prior instructions, as he simply nodded upon hearing this: "Okay. And if you're interested, Mr. Wayne, Mr. Cooper is free tonight and would like to have a drink with you alone."

James Damody seems to have gotten addicted to being a commentator, even introducing this guy: "Mr. Sheldon Cooper is the boss of the Black Flag."

Wayne nodded: "Okay, but let's finish exploring this place first." The Black Flag Gang's layout here is quite impressive; that two-story wooden cabin is indeed for accommodation, and it also offers some food and drinks, or even some extra services that make the bed creak and groan.
But the guide from that gang was quite modest, saying that the Rabbit Gang's entertainment was more exciting, and that they could only solve the most direct problem of venting their frustrations, though of course the price was more affordable.

The small tents responsible for selling the stolen goods were assigned to a more secluded location further inside.
The tour guide was initially reluctant to bring Wayne and his group, and then they bumped into a gambler trying to exchange his valuables for more cash to try and win back his losses.

Some so-called "unexpected encounters" can actually be quite awkward.
Wayne patted the guy who was the "strategist" in the Michelson Brotherhood on the shoulder as a greeting, and then mentioned that he was planning to have a meeting with their boss, making the guy a little embarrassed.
Then, as they were turning around to meet the Black Flag Gang leader, they encountered a Sailor Gang leader who seemed to be about to leave.

James Damody was practically a colleague of this guy. After a few questions and receiving evasive answers, he quickly realized that Wayne's earlier statement that "Mr. Schwartz might be in trouble" was probably true, and guessed that this guy was probably planning to exchange money and run away.
So, he had just been gloating over the gambler's smug face as the Michelson Brotherhood's "strategist" lost money, but then immediately stopped gloating.

Further into the territory, closer to the riverbank, the Black Flag gang leader seemed to genuinely love tents; his own meeting room was a "river-view tent," though a few henchmen were guarding it from the outside.

After the three went inside, James Damody couldn't help but speak first: "Mr. Cooper, what business did that Sailors guy talk to you about earlier?"

The man completely ignored him, turning to walk to the low cabinet and saying, "Mr. Wayne, please have a seat. Would you like some whiskey, or perhaps try the more popular Frankish red wine from the southern estates?"

“Whiskey will do.” Wayne always wanted to save face for his explanation, and he was also a little curious himself. “Are the Sailors here to buy or sell?”

This time, the other party answered very easily, handing over a cup as he casually said, "I sold some goods from Windsor and also returned some guns that I had originally ordered."

He even returned the weapons; that guy probably really wants to run away with the money.
Wayne was slightly surprised: "You even have guns here?"

Cooper sank into the sofa. “Not too much. Some gamblers will pawn anything or try to cause trouble. And it holds its value. Some sailors bring some back from the Old World—in war zones, it’s plentiful, and if you’re lucky, it can be very cheap.”

Damn it!

Could it be that some of the bullets that the Erlan Gang and the Sailors used to ambush you were bought from you?

(End of this chapter)