Chapter 356: Happiness on the Left, Singleness on the Right

The bunny girls in the Entertainment City all seemed to possess graceful figures, clad in outfits not quite convenient for movement. They were polite to all guests yet maintained a certain distance, leaving no worry that they might suddenly pull out a crowbar from somewhere.

However, these vase-like characters were surprisingly efficient. Within ten minutes of Jiang Li requesting a private room to engage in a gambling game with Lu Yibei, a luxurious suite was prepared.

The room, decorated with an antique style, had a gambling table covered in velvet placed at its center, illuminated by a hanging ornate palace lamp. A bunny girl dealer stood at one corner of the table, surrounded by various common discard cards and gambling tools.

In the bar corner, a bunny girl bartender waited, ready to serve meticulously prepared drinks to the guests.

Jiang Li, seated at the gambling table, wore a deep V-back black dress, her exquisite face lightly adorned with makeup, as if meticulously prepared for a date.

Yet, after everything was ready, Lu Yibei was nowhere to be seen.

After Jiang Li finished her third cup of strong tea, a bunny girl approached with a delicate kettle, ready to refill her tea. She waved her hand to stop the bunny girl.

“No, thank you.”

It had been over two hours already. What on earth was Lu Yibei up to?

Could it be that she’s chickening out at this moment, fleeing the scene?

Or perhaps she knows my time is limited and is deliberately stalling?

Jiang Li pondered, pacing to the suite’s floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the bustling hall.

Soon, she spotted Lu Yibei amidst the reveling crowd.

She stood out too much, completely out of place with the other guests immersed in drinks, food, and dancing.

In her hands was a thick stack of flyers, and regardless of whether the other guests paid attention to her, she kept stuffing the flyers into their hands. Afterward, she would tirelessly chatter with them until they were about to lash out, then she would slip away.

Jiang Li, “…”

What exactly is she doing?

It looks just like the Miracle Order promoting their Heavenly Father…

Does this have anything to do with our gambling game?

“It does, it has everything to do with it!”

Lu Yibei divided half of the flyers in her hand and stuffed them into Ah-Hua’s hands. “If I don’t do this, how will anyone know about the gambling game between me and your miss?”

“If they don’t know, how am I supposed to open an outside betting pool? I just asked those bunny girls, and the Entertainment City allows outside betting pools, even providing basic security, all for just 5% of the gambling amount within the pool.”

“Think about it, a gambling game involving billions of chips, these gamblers will surely be very interested, right?” Lu Yibei whispered in a voice only she and Ah-Hua could hear.

As she spoke, she squinted her eyes, scanning the reveling guests in the hall one by one, like a hungry wolf eyeing a herd of well-fed cattle.

After surveying the scene, Lu Yibei withdrew her gaze and continued, “There are at least two thousand guests on the upper three floors, with more than half participating. With a minimum bet of a hundred thousand chips, that’s over a billion.”

“But I believe they won’t just bet the minimum. Conservatively estimated, we could rake in billions of chips this time.”

Adding the chips Jiang Li has, we definitely qualify to challenge the Big Boss at the No Return Place, and then we can proceed to the second phase of the plan.

If the second phase goes smoothly… Hmph! Who says the only way to take down this casino is by winning against the Big Boss?

As long as that so-called Big Boss doesn’t fly into a rage and forcibly change the outcome with his terrifying power, it’ll be fine. Lu Yibei thought, looking up at the white spiral staircase in the center of the hall.

That staircase, seemingly descending from heaven, extended upward until it disappeared into the pitch-black abyss.

And beyond that endlessly rotating abyss, it seemed a pair of eyes were observing everything in the Entertainment City.

Ah-Hua glanced at the flyers in her hand, then at Lu Yibei, her expression anxious. “I know this can earn a lot of chips, but what does it have to do with saving my miss?”

“It has a lot to do with it!” Lu Yibei patted Ah-Hua’s shoulder, reassuring her. “From what I understand, to save her, not only do I need to win the gambling game with her, but I also need a lot of chips.”

“But…” Ah-Hua hesitated.

“Don’t worry! Would I harm your miss? She’s my dear and lovely leader, my comrade Meow Meow-chan, we’ve shared meals from the same bowl and slept on the same bed!”

“…” Ah-Hua opened her mouth to say something, but was pushed by Lu Yibei towards the nearby guests drinking together.

“Go on, go on, hurry and help me distribute the flyers!”

Just as Lu Yibei sent Ah-Hua off, she saw Liu Seer approaching. He carefully squeezed through the crowd, slowly climbed over two tables piled with wine glasses, and stood before Lu Yibei.

“Girl, I’ve taken care of what you asked me to do!”

Lu Yibei’s eyes lit up slightly, surprised, “So quickly?”

“Of course quickly!” Liu Seer straightened his back proudly. “Do you think I’ve been hanging around here for years for nothing?”

Liu Seer indeed had spent a long time mingling on the upper three floors of the Entertainment City, familiar with many people or hauntings here. If not for the recent months of bad luck, he wouldn’t have left.

However, Lu Yibei didn’t expect that someone who looked like a fortune-teller would be so familiar with astrology and divination. It could only be said that his business scope was truly extensive.

“Go and ask around, how many of them here haven’t lent me money, and how many haven’t been beaten by me? They’re all familiar with me! Guiding them on what to drink is a piece of cake,” Liu Seer continued.

“Besides, it’s not like they’re paying this time.”

Lu Yibei, “…”

Why do you sound so proud about this?

Anyone who didn’t know better would think you beat them up and they owe you money!

After boasting about his “connections” for a while, Liu Seer glanced at the flyer in Lu Yibei’s hand and raised an eyebrow, “So, girl, do you need me to help you distribute the flyers next?”

“No, no,” Lu Yibei quickly refused, “Ah-Hua and I can handle this. You should go rest now. You’ve worked hard.”

“Just wait for the game to start later and place your bets as we discussed!”

Lu Yibei knew Liu Seer’s mouth well enough to know he was completely unsuitable for “sales.” Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so down-and-out on Mudan Street back then.

After sending Liu Seer off, Lu Yibei stood by the corridor on the second floor of the hall, resting her hands on the railing, looking down at the entire hall with a hint of joy in her eyes.

At this moment, the casino seemed to transform into a giant wine vat, with the rich aroma of alcohol wafting through the lavishly decorated hall. The enticing scent filled the air, stimulating the senses as if it had a life of its own. Amidst the clinking of glasses, a flush gradually appeared on the faces of the guests, their eyes slightly dazed.

“The wine Liu Seer recommended is really something! No wonder it’s nicknamed the ‘Knockout Dragon’ vintage,” Lu Yibei couldn’t help but exclaim, “The boss’s wallet is going to take a hit.”

Although most psychics and hauntings wouldn’t get drunk with the limited selection of drinks provided by the Entertainment City, as long as the choice was right, getting them slightly tipsy was enough.

If they were completely sober, these cunning folks wouldn’t put all their eggs in one basket, and the odds of betting everything on Jiang Li winning the off-the-table gambling game would be very low.

But now, under the influence of the psychic energy-infused alcohol, a significant portion of them would likely place more bets on Jiang Li.

Although in ninety-nine percent of gambling games, the house ends up profiting, I still want to win as much as possible.

With that thought, Lu Yibei tossed the remaining dozen flyers into the hall and turned to head towards the private room prepared for Jiang Li.

Inside the luxurious private room.

Jiang Li held the flyer that the bunny girl had helped find, her brow furrowed.

On one side of the flyer, in bold letters, was the subtitle of the match: [Legendary Gambler Ah-Li VS Unknown Miss Wang]. Below it, in smaller print, were the time and place of the game.

On the back of the flyer, a detailed comparison of the two’s past records was provided. On one side was the legendary figure who had challenged the Big Boss of the Entertainment City over a dozen times, and on the other was a newcomer who had won millions of chips on the middle three floors. The contrast was stark.

Just a few million chips; at least half of the guests on the upper three floors had won equivalent amounts.

As for the reason behind this lopsided gambling game…

Jiang Li glanced at the bold text on the back of the flyer, her mouth twitching.

Both fell in love with a man named Lu Yibei? An unending emotional entanglement?

Lu Yibei, you really have the nerve to say such things!

Once I win this game, I must correct these improper behaviors of yours!

Jiang Li thought fiercely. Just then, the door to the private room opened, and Lu Yibei walked in, wearing a mink coat that transformed from a jacket, holding The Flower of Chaotic Parallel Timelines figurine in her left hand and a lacquer box in her right. She wore tea-colored sunglasses on her nose and had a half-eaten spicy strip in her mouth.

She walked over to a chair, sat down, and fiddled with the half-human-sized figurine, then frowned and waved to the bunny girl nearby, “Could you… bring a chair for my wife?”

Taking the figurine handed over by Lu Yibei, the bunny girl was stunned, “Okay, sure, miss. Would you like something to drink?”

Lu Yibei thought for a moment and replied seriously, “Wahaha AD calcium milk (classic Chinese kids’ drink)!”

The bunny girl looked at Lu Yibei’s petite and cute appearance and figure, nodded thoughtfully, and found her request quite reasonable.

Jiang Li sat down directly opposite Lu Yibei, watching her silently, and said calmly, “Miss Wang, you’re quite late! Have you decided what to gamble on?”

“Dice? Mahjong or chess? Or any card game, really, I’m prepared for all.”

“Bang-!”

Lu Yibei forcefully placed the lacquer box on the table and pouted, “Miss Jiang, don’t be so rigid in your thinking! Does gambling have to be those things?”

“In ancient times, there were cockfights, horse races, and cricket fights. Nowadays, there’s football, basketball, and table tennis…”

“Uh, sorry, we can’t bet on table tennis if Country Z is participating. Let’s change it to e-sports. Even e-sports are all about gambling. Can’t we play something new?”

“You want to play games with me?” Jiang Li raised an eyebrow, then slowly relaxed, her chin slightly raised, casting a look of disdain and pity at Lu Yibei.

“Don’t think I haven’t practiced games.”

“Let me tell you, during my seventh and ninth challenges against the Big Boss, I chose MOBA games and shooting games, respectively.”

“Wow! You can play games?” Lu Yibei completely ignored Jiang Li’s death glare and exclaimed, “You never mentioned it before. Shall we play together when we get back?”

“I’m telling you, it’s so boring playing games alone at home on the couch. I’ve been wanting to find someone to play with for ages! You can even stay over at my place if we get tired; my bed is quite big!”

Who wouldn’t want a skilled teammate to play games with? And if that teammate is a pretty girl, even better! Lu Yibei thought.

“…” Jiang Li opened her mouth, resisting the urge to agree, and raised an eyebrow, “We should think this over carefully and discuss it when we get back.”

“So, are you planning to give up on the gamble with the Big Boss and come back with me?” Lu Yibei asked.

It seemed her resolve was starting to waver!

“…”

After a few seconds of silence, Jiang Li looked at the lacquer box in Lu Yibei’s hand and said seriously, “Shall we get back to business? Is what’s in that box what you want to bet with me?”

“That’s right!” Lu Yibei confirmed, “Let’s bet on this. Do you agree?”

Jiang Li scrutinized the lacquer box in Lu Yibei’s hand. The exquisite and ornate exterior gave nothing away, and she asked in confusion, “What is it?”

Lu Yibei rolled her eyes, “Don’t worry about what it is. Just tell me if you’re in or not.”

“I don’t even know what it is…”

“Tsk tsk tsk, my dear legendary gambler, the top ten outstanding operator who has slain countless hauntings, the strong and independent modern woman, Miss Jiang Li, are you scared?” Lu Yibei taunted with a sarcastic tone.

As she spoke, her eyebrows wiggled provocatively, and combined with her expressionless face, she looked extremely punchable.

“If you’re really scared, I can make it easier for you. Guess what’s in the box, and if you get it right, you win!”

Jiang Li gripped the edge of the gambling table until her knuckles turned slightly white, then sighed silently, “No need, let’s just start!”

Once I win, I’ll have to fix those eyebrows… Jiang Li thought to herself.

She suddenly had a feeling that she wasn’t facing a prince or a monk, but an Indian monk, otherwise why would her eyebrows be dancing?

“In that case…” Lu Yibei lifted the lid of the lacquer box, and with a “whoosh,” dumped all the Jenga blocks onto the table. Jiang Li and the bunny girl present were instantly stunned.

What was she planning to bet on?

“Let’s start! We’re betting on Jenga!”

Jiang Li, bunny girl, “…”

Who bets on Jenga in Dream Come True Entertainment City?

It felt as absurd as a group of black-clad gangsters trading in an abandoned underground tunnel, only for the traded goods to be baby formula.

The bunny girl dealer had never helped a guest set up Jenga before. As she followed the instructions Lu Yibei provided and stacked the blocks one by one, her mouth twitched occasionally. It took three minutes to set up the Jenga tower.

“The two guests may begin.”

With the bunny girl’s signal to start the gambling game, Lu Yibei and Jiang Li got up from their seats and gathered around the Jenga tower to begin their duel.

“Please, Miss Jiang, you first!” Lu Yibei gestured invitingly.

Jiang Li glanced at Lu Yibei, stepped forward silently, and bent down to examine the rectangular tower of blocks.

Although this game wasn’t in Jiang Li’s repertoire, most people had at least seen others play it, even if they hadn’t played it themselves.

The rules of Jenga are simple: roll the dice to determine the number, then players take turns removing the same number of blocks from the tower until it collapses.

Jiang Li rolled the dice, and it landed on three. Her eyes locked onto the tower, her mind racing as she studied it for a while before swiftly pulling out three blocks from different positions-top, middle, and bottom-with lightning speed.

These three blocks should have some load-bearing effect. If another block with the same leverage is removed, it should collapse quickly.

Lu Yibei, you miscalculated this time. Some games can be quickly mastered without practice!

Jiang Li thought confidently, but then she saw Lu Yibei had already rolled the dice and, with a single finger, flicked five blocks off the tower at five-second intervals.

[This block removed, no reaction from the tower], [This block removed, no reaction from the tower], [This block…]…

The thought of preemptive judgment kept flashing through Lu Yibei’s mind, each interval also about five seconds.

Watching Lu Yibei perfectly avoid blocks that might cause a collapse, Jiang Li’s expression became serious.

Damn, it seems Lu Yibei came prepared.

She seems really good at this game…

Jiang Li thought, rolling the dice silently, and began removing blocks according to the number four. However, when she reached the fourth block, she suddenly paused.

This block… and this one… both carry some risk. I need to think more…

As she pondered, a sudden warm, moist breath with a faint fragrance brushed into her ear, causing her to shiver slightly.

Instinctively turning her head, she found Lu Yibei’s face almost touching hers.

In a daze, that youthful, fair face seemed to blur, and another delicate, youthful face slowly emerged, the two gradually overlapping, causing Jiang Li’s heart to race.

Jiang Li took a deep breath, adjusted her emotions, and said coldly, “What are you doing?”

“I’m just looking!” Lu Yibei replied indifferently.

“I suspect you’re interfering with me.”

Lu Yibei frowned, innocently saying, “How am I interfering? Can’t I even look?”

Jiang Li said nothing, just stared at Lu Yibei expressionlessly until she wisely stepped aside. Only then did Jiang Li turn around and pull out the last block.

“Whoosh-!”

Jiang Li harnessed the power of the Spirit Pattern, swiftly pulling out a block from the Jenga pile. Watching the pile wobble twice without collapsing, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at Lu Yibei and said calmly, “Your turn!”

Lu Yibei finished rolling the dice, leaned over the gambling table, and suddenly remembered something. She turned to Jiang Li and patted the empty seat beside her, saying, “Do you want to watch? I won’t say you’re interfering with me.”

“…”

Jiang Li remained silent, hesitating for a few seconds. Taking advantage of Lu Yibei’s focus on the Jenga game, she quietly walked over and squatted beside her.

But…

Her peripheral vision caught Lu Yibei’s profile, and the blocks seemed to evaporate, disappearing from view…

Meanwhile, in the hall.

At a gambling table, a bunny girl responsible for organizing off-table bets for Lu Yibei waved her hands, conducting the final round of betting.

“Ladies and gentlemen, only five minutes left to place your bets! Interested guests, please hurry!”

“Though this gambling game is somewhat interesting, what are we betting on? Jenga? Never heard of it, only fools would bet,” a standard-looking Jiangshi gentleman mocked.

“What do you know, you old monster? At the Lanruo Inn Customs Shop, my favorite is playing this with the girls, losing a round and taking off a piece of clothing, it’s thrilling!” a chubby psychic sneered. “Two beautiful girls betting on this, it fits their personas! I’m betting ten million on Ah-Li to win!”

The Jiangshi gentleman seemed at odds with the chubby psychic, glaring at him fiercely before placing twenty million chips, “I’m betting too, Ah-Li to win!”

“Old monster, if you don’t like me, shouldn’t you bet on that Wang girl?”

“Bah! I’m not an idiot! Have you ever seen Miss Ah-Li lose?” the Jiangshi gentleman cursed under his breath, “I can’t let you win alone!”

…

As time passed, more and more chips piled up on the gambling table, most of them betting on Jiang Li, though there were some on Lu Yibei, but significantly fewer.

At this moment, Liu Seer stealthily approached and placed all his chips on Lu Yibei…

Nearby, the bunny girl dealer, who had initially dismissed the gambling game as child’s play, watched the two girls leaning closer over the table, the situation growing increasingly tense, and couldn’t help but feel nervous.

At this moment, of the forty-eight blocks, only twenty-one remained. The originally square Jenga tower had transformed into a twisted shape, teetering on the brink of collapse.

“Whoosh-!”

After Jiang Li pulled out the last block of this round, she let out a long breath and then turned to Lu Yibei, a hint of teasing in her eyes.

Through her meticulous calculations, among the remaining twenty blocks, only two could be removed without causing a collapse.

Next, whether Lu Yibei drew the wrong block or rolled a dice number greater than two, she would lose the gambling game.

Considering everything, it was an extremely low-probability event. Throughout the gambling game, Lu Yibei hadn’t shown any signs of using psychic energy. If she had no other means, it was almost certain she would lose.

After all, if she had any special methods, why hadn’t she used them earlier?

Once I win the gambling game, I must correct her behavior. If she continues like this, she’ll end up on The Midnight Watchers Society’s Wanted List sooner or later.

Oh, and I need to ask her why she became a haunting and find a way to cure her.

I remember there are several methods within The Midnight Watchers Society to reverse the core entity of a haunting into a Spirit Pattern.

As Jiang Li secretly planned how to deal with Lu Yibei, the sound of a block falling on the gambling table interrupted her thoughts.

She paused, looked at the table, and her heart tightened.

Lu Yibei had rolled a two and successfully removed a block. If she removed the last block that wouldn’t cause a collapse, Jiang Li would undoubtedly lose.

But…

Jiang Li frowned, bit her finger, and watched Lu Yibei, holding her breath, silently chanting in her heart, “Draw wrong, draw wrong, draw wrong!”

She didn’t want to lose.

However…

After removing one block, Lu Yibei stopped, not making another move for a long time.

Jiang Li thought, “…” What is she waiting for? Could it be she can’t find the last block that can be removed?

Lu Yibei focused on the Jenga tower, feeling the predictive thoughts flashing through her mind, her mood chaotic.

She had already found the last block through predictive thoughts, but…

[Removing this block will leave you lonely for life]

Lu Yibei moved her gaze from the last block to a block on the right that would cause the Jenga tower to collapse.

[Removing this block will bring you happiness]

Lu Yibei thought, “…”

What the hell is this!

Aren’t we playing Jenga? How did it involve lifelong matters?

Can we still play or not?