Chapter 40: Conspiracy and Strategy
“Three, five, six, fourteen – A Li wins.”
After the Bunny Girl dealer announced the outcome of the bet, the middle-aged man sitting opposite Jiang Li, dressed in sportswear and sporting a Daoist hairstyle, slumped dejectedly in his ornate wooden chair, staring blankly at the dice in the throwing cup.
The location of the gamble, the size of the bet, and the content of the game were all chosen by him. He even wagered three rounds, betting on the dice game he was most skilled at, yet he still lost.
In three rounds, he, like Jiang Li, had everything correctly bet, but the only difference was that in the second round, he failed to guess the dice numbers while Jiang Li won all three rounds, slightly outperforming him.
Although the difficulty of winning was much lower compared to defeating the Big Boss, the legendary A Li was indeed not so easy to overcome!
Lost in thought, the man collected himself, stood up, and cupped his hands toward Jiang Li. “I am outmatched; I lost!”
After saying that, he left his chips behind and exited the private room in a stylish manner.
Jiang Li remained in the room, waiting for the Bunny Girl to finish counting the chips. Upon reporting the numbers to her, she noticed that Lu Yibei, who had been observing in the room, had suddenly disappeared, prompting her to hurriedly leave the private room.
———
Voices of argument, cheers, and the clatter of various gambling tools filled the opulent space adorned with gold and gems, the large marble walls reflecting the chaos and fervor of the casino like a mirror.
The stunning Bunny Girl, clad in alluring outfits, walked through the third-floor hall of the Entertainment City, surrounded by innumerable gamblers who were either ecstatic, twisted, or in pain, akin to a grand painting unfurling before her eyes.
It was like a labyrinth filled with human desires, with every step taken revealing deadly temptations lying ahead.
Lu Yibei stood on the corridor, leaning against the railing, overlooking a corner of the hall.
“……”
Uncertain if it was just her imagination, Lu Yibei vaguely felt that over the past day or two, the guests in the Entertainment City seemed more irritable and impulsive than before.
As if some mysterious force was influencing their emotions, making them more aggressive than when she first arrived.
But why was that?
Could it be because…
As Lu Yibei pondered, she looked up at the white spiral staircase leading directly to Nowhere Land.
Without asking anyone, as if guided by some unseen force, Jiang Li quickly found Lu Yibei, impressively efficient to the point that it surprised even her.
When she found Lu Yibei, the latter was standing in the corridor, staring blankly at the entrance to Nowhere Land, and the usually inscrutable expression on her face betrayed a hint of fatigue.
“Are you tired? Want to take a short break?”
Upon hearing Jiang Li’s voice from behind, Lu Yibei paused for a moment, turned around, and said, “Is it over? My judgment was correct, right?”
While speaking, she unconsciously rubbed her somewhat sore and dry eyes.
Over the past day, Lu Yibei had been intensely using her precognitive abilities while trying to communicate with Jiang Li through eye contact, and her eyes had long been operating beyond their limit.
“That’s right, as impressive as ever,” Jiang Li said, noticing Lu Yibei’s small movements. She added, “However, I think you should take a short break.”
Lu Yibei pouted, “This isn’t the time to rest. You only have one day left, right? So, treat me like a workhorse, whip me with a little whip.”
Jiang Li crossed her arms and looked at Lu Yibei with a calm expression, teasingly remarked, “So, does that mean I lost in the previous betting game? Since you’re willing to be a workhorse, even if I won the bet, it seems I didn’t actually gain anything.”
“Not the same,” Lu Yibei waved her hand. “When you win, I am forced to take the beating, but when I lose, I willingly accept it—one’s exploitation and oppression, while the other is pain mixed with joy.”
“Lu… Wang Buliu…”
“Hey hey! Shouldn’t you be calling me ‘Master!’?” Lu Yibei interrupted.
“After all, your current persona is that of a gambler who lost herself and devolved into a laborer, perhaps you should pay a little attention to your image? If someone overhears, it will be problematic.”
“……” Jiang Li was silent for a moment, slightly bowing, and gritted her teeth, “Yes, Master.”
“Alright, Xiao Li’er, when shall we begin our next bet?” Lu Yibei asked with satisfaction.
Jiang Li rolled her eyes, straightened up, and looked at Lu Yibei with a poker face, “In about ten minutes!”
“Very well.” Lu Yibei nodded. “That time is enough for me to pay a visit to the Arbitration Room.”
“What are you going there for? Planning to modify the gambling rules?” Jiang Li asked.
The Arbitration Room was a service provided by the Entertainment City for guests wishing to organize large bets, mainly working to organize matches for customers, collect service fees, and ensure fairness in gambling.
“Secret.” Lu Yibei winked at Jiang Li. “You’ll find out shortly.”
With that, she jogged away.
———
Three minutes later.
In the Dream Come True Entertainment City, on the third-floor Arbitration Room, within a minimally decorated independent office.
The Bunny Girl in golden clothes behind the desk was stirring her coffee, showing hints of anxiety on her face.
Just moments ago, she received a notification that the troublemaker Wang Buliu was coming again, and she would be responsible for the reception.
The last two appearances of Wang Buliu brought large orders that they wanted to refuse but couldn’t.
She wondered what kind of tricks this time would be pulled.
“Creak—!”
A slight sound came as the door was pushed open, causing the Bunny Girl to tremble slightly and look up, only to see Lu Yibei with a furrowed brow.
“Please, take a seat.” The Bunny Girl gestured for her to sit down opposite, then smiled and asked, “Hello, Miss Wang, how may I assist you?”
Lu Yibei stared blankly at the Bunny Girl, one hand clutching her clothing at her chest, and mournfully said, “I’m in great pain, very, very pained. I originally thought that your Entertainment City was very fair and just, but didn’t expect you to turn a blind eye to fraudulent activities!”
“Uh…” The Bunny Girl was taken aback, weakly replied, “S-Sorry, what do you mean?”
“There are some things I didn’t want to say, but as a monster tale enthusiast who loves fairness and justice, I cannot tolerate any injustice.” Lu Yibei continued, “I discovered today that someone is organizing fraudulent betting games; do you think I should report them?”
“Of course you should!” The Bunny Girl stammered. “However, you need to provide sufficient evidence.”
“Sure, no problem, please wait a moment.” Lu Yibei solemnly replied. Although her expression showed no change, the painful look in her eyes was instantly replaced by a fierce and solemn gaze.
“This is a flyer for a gambling game organized by the Ximen Gang… This is proof that they are still conducting gambling… And this is the ranking of their chips I just obtained from your colleague…”
Lu Yibei pulled out documents and photos one by one, leaving the Bunny Girl in a daze.
Although they had already lost their qualifications, unless they were completely eradicated, she would not feel at ease! Lu Yibei thought privately.
There has always been a saying in the martial world—cutting off someone’s financial path is like killing their parents, a grudge that cannot be shared.
Now that Lu Yibei had cut off the Ximen Gang’s financial path, they hadn’t reacted yet solely because Jiang Li had not conducted the bell-ringing ceremony; they had not sensed the change in their chip rankings.
If they realized it and started to connect the dots, they would undoubtedly retaliate fiercely.
To avoid retaliation from the Ximen Gang, Lu Yibei decided to strike first.
After slaying the monster, how could she not stab it again?
“After comparison, the ranking of the game organizers is fourth, and they don’t qualify to challenge the Big Boss. However, they claim that winning the game allows the victor to challenge the Big Boss, which is inconsistent with the reality, thus constituting fraud; you will take care of this, right?”
The Bunny Girl, “…”
This Wang Buliu seemed cute, but why was she so terrifying?
Could it be that all the lolis in the world really have dark hearts underneath?
———
On the third-floor corridor of the hall.
After Lu Yibei left, Jiang Li stood in the corridor observing the movements in the hall for a moment, feeling somewhat bored, and withdrew her gaze, intending to return to the private room to prepare for the next gambling game.
Just then, a commotion drew her attention.
Following the sound, she saw a group of muscular men in black leather jackets and mohawk hairstyles being subdued by the black-clad guards of the Entertainment City, dragged out towards the exit, their bodies filled with light beams formed by the prohibition-type spell formulas.
“Let go of me, let go! Our boss is a VIP here; you can’t… woo woo woo!”
A spiritual ability user shouted desperately, but before he could finish, his mouth was sealed by a spell.
Just moments ago, when he was pinned to the table by the black-clad guards, claiming they were running a fraudulent operation, he and his companions revealed their true aggressive nature.
Violence was their usual tactic in the cities surrounding the Entertainment City.
However, this was not their territory; before their violent actions could be put into action, the cold expulsion of the Entertainment City fell upon them.
“It’s Ximen Gang members…” Jiang Li frowned, then raised her head toward the Arbitration Room, suddenly understanding.
It seems Lu Yibei reported them, right?
That does seem like something she could do, Jiang Li thought.
———
Later that night, as the lights lit up.
Liu Banxian stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window wearing pajamas similar to a dragon robe, gazing at the city shrouded in gray mist with its twinkling lights, gently swirling the 1982 vintage liquor in his goblet, feeling overwhelmed with exhilaration.
Not long ago, he had predicted with divination that he would have a benefactor, expecting only to change his living conditions somewhat, he never anticipated it would reach such heights.
He felt an impulse to reclaim lost glory and aspire to achieve something grand.
This was the second time he had amassed so many chips; the last time was five years ago.
However…
Back then, in a bet for a chance to challenge the Big Boss, he had lost all his chips to an opponent.
“That matter is now hopeless, right?” He muttered to himself, his eyebrows lowering in silent sighing, then raised his goblet and downed it, turning toward the bedroom.
Entering the bedroom, he did not turn on the light but walked straight to the bed, pulling off the covers with a whoosh, illuminating the pitch-black room with the dim light emitted by the golden chips spread around.
After drinking to his fill with Lu Yibei, he had first exchanged all his chips for ten-thousand-dollar golden chips and piled them in his room.
Flashy? Yes, very flashy!
But when one has lost all desires, it is only through these ostentatious means that one can immerse themselves in the indulgence of desire and forget troubles, isn’t it?
Liu Banxian thought, performing a backward jump into the pile of chips.
“Clatter—!”
Accompanied by the soft sound of scattering chips, the room was suddenly filled with a sound of pained groans.
“Hiss—! Ouch, my old back!”
Thus, in this painful yet joyous experience, Liu Banxian twitched and squirmed like an old maggot for a moment before laying on the mound of “money” and drifting into a deep sleep.
……
As consciousness gradually faded and breathing steadied, Liu Banxian felt as if he truly fell asleep.
But immersed in the dream, the hard, cold chips still haunted his old back, lingering painfully in his mind and body.
Countless broken dream fragments were so clear; in a daze, he felt as if his body was penetrated by something, nailed to the barren earth, while the scorching sun in the sky seemed about to fall, radiating an astonishing heat that seared his body until his skin split open.
Boiling iron water poured down from the void, drilling into his body along the ghastly scars, and pain was manifested in this form, his consciousness endlessly tormented.
In the end, amidst the heaviness, he heard countless solemn voices resonating in his ears, unable to discern what they said but clearly feeling the harsh reprimands underlying the words.
Then……
He cracked his dry, cracked lips and struggled to utter a phrase.
He said, “I admit my sins, but…”
“Boom—!”
A loud bang drowned out his words, dazzling lightning streaking across the sky, striking down upon his broken body like a divine whip.
As if to tell him in this extreme way, “A sin is a sin, no need for excuses, there is no redemption.”
Thus, charred flesh transformed into brilliant gold coins, pouring down upon the earth like a torrential rain.
On the earth, some emerged like ants from the shadow of that massive form, bathing in the rain of gold coins, falling into madness.
And he, watching those figures, smiled.
……
“Clatter—!”
Liu Banxian flailed his limbs, waking up from the teetering pile of chips, his chest heaving violently. After realizing where he was, he slowly calmed down a bit.
“Ding—!”
After sitting dazed for a moment, accompanied by the light sound of a chip rolling away, Liu Banxian suddenly jumped up, scrambling to the corner of the room, wide-eyed and horrified, looking at the heaps of chips, sweating profusely.
As if overnight, these chips had turned from treasures that brought relief to the most terrifying demons in the world.
For many, dreams might just be a small amusement that comes with sleeping, easily forgotten shortly after waking.
However, for Liu Banxian, a master well-versed in Feng Shui, divination, and fortune-telling, dreams were omens, a powerful tool for seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune.
Thus, after briefly recalling that segment of the dream and conducting some quick calculations, Liu Banxian suddenly became aware of the perilous nature of these chips.
He untangled the obscure mystical calculations and reached a conclusion.
These chips were very likely the flesh and bl**d of that “guilty person” from his dream.
In thought, Liu Banxian suddenly remembered something and looked up sharply in the direction of Nowhere Land, where his vision could not reach, gaining a glimmer of understanding.
“So that’s it, so that’s it… This is too sinister! This is a conspiracy!”
After cursing vehemently, he suddenly felt grateful that he hadn’t realized his wish in the Dream Come True Entertainment City.
Because fulfilling wishes here comes at a cost…
Liu Banxian looked at the chips scattered on the floor, frowned, “d*mn it, I can’t take these chips anymore; they must be disposed of immediately!”
“I’m going to the exchange, convert them all into gold and gems, then swiftly leave this hellhole…”
“No, wait, wait, I can’t leave yet; I have to tell that girl about this secret!”
Muttering to himself, Liu Banxian tightened his robe belt and hurriedly ran toward the exit.
However, as soon as he pushed open the door, a sharp pain shot through his neck as someone struck him from behind. Even with his “battle-hardened” physique, he could not withstand that force, feeling as if his spine might be shattered.
Immediately after, his vision faded to black, and he collapsed onto the ground.
———
Meanwhile, the bell-ringing ceremony was underway.
On the stage in the third-floor hall, Jiang Li gazed down, expression emotionless as she recounted something, wearing the cheongsam gown Lu Yibei had worn yesterday, which fit her perfectly.
“…Ladies and gentlemen, this is my master’s new plan; I hope everyone participates promptly.”
Time-limited special offer, participation threshold at 68% discount?
Bet ten times for one free challenge qualification?
Bring in new participants, and for every ten, one free challenge qualification?
After listening to Jiang Li’s narrative, the guests in the casino exchanged glances.
“Good heavens, where did this overwhelming scent of chives come from? Did you have chive boxes for breakfast?” a spiritual ability user asked the monster tale enthusiast next to him in a strange tone.
“I didn’t; I had durian black garlic pan-fried buns,” the monster tale enthusiast replied.
The spiritual ability user, “？？？”
Durian black garlic… What on earth is this dark cuisine!?
Would anyone really eat such a thing?
———
Jiang Li stepped off the stage, suddenly feeling a wave of dizziness, her face turned pale, and she leaned against the wall to recuperate before continuing toward the backstage.
As soon as she opened the door to the makeup room, she caught a strange odor in the air, and following the scent, she saw Lu Yibei with a bun in her mouth.
“What are you eating? That smells…”
Lu Yibei held up a bun to Jiang Li, “Durian black garlic pan-fried buns, a specialty breakfast of the Entertainment City; want one?”
“No, thanks. I can’t handle the taste,” Jiang Li said, wrinkling her nose in disgust, stepping back slightly, and added seriously, “Let’s talk about business. I followed your instructions and talked to those gamblers, but they seem to sense something is off. Will that be…”
“It won’t; don’t worry!” Lu Yibei waved her hand. “This is strategy. If this affects income, those money-grabbing mobile game companies would have already gone bankrupt.”
“Moreover, guests with over ten million chips have mostly participated in betting already. If we don’t do this, how can we continue to fleece those under ten million chips?”
“Aren’t you the offspring of capitalists? You should understand this better than I do!”
Jiang Li, “…”
You call this fleecing chives?
It sounds more like you’re trying to uproot them!
Forget it, I hope this method works…
(EMMM, I spent the day playing out for my birthday, update came a bit late, everyone please forgive me~)
