Chapter 359: Schemes and Strategies

“Three-five-six, fourteen points, Miss Ah-Li wins.”

When the bunny girl dealer announced the outcome of the gambling game, the middle-aged man sitting opposite Jiang Li, dressed in sportswear and sporting a Taoist priest’s hairstyle, slumped dejectedly into the carved wooden chair, staring blankly at the dice in the cup.

The location of the gambling game, the stakes, and the content were all his choices. He gambled three rounds, betting on dice, his specialty, yet he lost in the end.

Throughout the three rounds, he and Jiang Li both bet on the size correctly, but the only difference was that he failed to bet on the dice points in the second round, while Jiang Li hit them all, winning by a narrow margin.

Although the difficulty of winning was much lower than defeating the Big Boss, the legendary Miss Ah-Li was indeed not easy to defeat!

The man collected his thoughts, stood up, and cupped his hands towards Jiang Li, “I lost, your skills are superior!”

After speaking, he left the chips behind and gracefully exited the private room.

Jiang Li stayed in the room, waiting for the bunny girl to count the chips and report the numbers to her. Only then did she realize that Lu Yibei, who had been observing in the room, was nowhere to be found. She quickly got up and left the room.

The sounds of arguments, cheers, and the clatter of various gambling tools filled the opulent space adorned with gold and jewels. The marble walls, like mirrors, vaguely reflected the chaotic and fiery atmosphere of the casino.

Glamorous bunny girls in provocative outfits walked through the upper three floors of the Entertainment City hall, surrounded by countless gamblers, either ecstatic, twisted, or in pain, forming a grand tableau before their eyes.

This place was like a labyrinth filled with the complete spectrum of human desires, with deadly temptations awaiting at every step.

Lu Yibei stood on the corridor, leaning on the railing, gazing down at a corner of the hall.

“…”

Perhaps it was an illusion, but Lu Yibei vaguely felt that over the past couple of days, the guests in the Entertainment City seemed more irritable and impulsive than before.

It was as if some mysterious force was affecting their emotions, making them more combative than when she first arrived.

But why was this happening?

Could it be because…

Lu Yibei pondered, raising her head to look at the white spiral staircase leading to the No Return Place.

Without asking anyone, as if guided by some invisible force, Jiang Li quickly found Lu Yibei, her efficiency surprising even herself.

When she found Lu Yibei, Lu Yibei was standing on the corridor, staring blankly at the entrance to the No Return Place, and her usually inscrutable face showed a hint of fatigue.

“Are you tired? Do you want to rest for a while?”

Hearing Jiang Li’s voice behind her, Lu Yibei paused, turned around, and said, “Is it over? Was my judgment correct?”

As she spoke, she instinctively rubbed her slightly sore and dry eyes.

Over the past day, Lu Yibei had been using her predictive abilities intensively while communicating with Jiang Li through eye contact, and her eyes were already overworked.

“Yes, as impressive as always,” Jiang Li replied, noticing Lu Yibei’s small gesture, she added, “But I think you should rest for a while.”

Lu Yibei pouted, “Now is not the time to rest, you only have one day left, right? So, treat me like a racehorse or ox, whip me as you please.”

Jiang Li crossed her arms, glanced sideways at Lu Yibei, and calmly teased, “So, did I lose in the previous gambling game? Since you’re willing to be a horse or ox, even if I win, it seems I didn’t gain anything.”

“It’s different,” Lu Yibei waved her hand, “If you win, I’m reluctantly whipped; if you lose, I’m willingly whipped. One is exploitation and oppression, the other is pain and pleasure.”

“Lu… Wang Buliuxing…”

“Hey, hey! Shouldn’t you call me master!?” Lu Yibei interrupted.

“After all, your current persona is that of a gambler who got carried away and accidentally lost everything, becoming a former gambling king working for others. Be mindful of the impression, okay? If someone hears, it could be bad.”

“…” Jiang Li was silent for a moment, then slightly bowed, gritting her teeth, “Yes, master.”

“Alright, little Li, when does our next gambling game start?” Lu Yibei asked contentedly.

Jiang Li rolled her eyes, straightened up, and looked at Lu Yibei expressionlessly, “In about ten minutes!”

“Good,” Lu Yibei nodded, “That’s enough time for me to visit the arbitration room.”

“What are you going there for? Planning to modify the gambling game rules?” Jiang Li asked.

The so-called arbitration room was a place in the Entertainment City that provided services for guests wanting to organize large gambling games. Its main function was to organize the games on behalf of the guests, charge service fees, and ensure fairness.

“Secret,” Lu Yibei winked at Jiang Li, “You’ll find out soon enough.”

With that, she jogged away.

Three minutes later.

Dream Come True Entertainment City, upper three floors arbitration room, in a simply decorated private office.

The golden-clad bunny girl sitting behind the desk was continuously stirring her coffee, a hint of anxiety between her brows.

Just now, she received a notice that the notorious Wang Buliuxing girl, who had been stirring up trouble in the Entertainment City, was coming again, and she was to receive her.

The previous two times Wang Buliuxing appeared, she brought them a large order that they wanted to refuse but couldn’t.

Who knows what tricks she’ll pull this time.

“Squeak-!”

The soft sound of the door being pushed open made the bunny girl’s hand tremble slightly, and she looked up to see Lu Yibei with a furrowed brow.

“Please, have a seat,” the bunny girl gestured invitingly, guiding Lu Yibei to sit opposite her, then smiled and asked, “Hello, Miss Wang, how can I assist you today?”

Lu Yibei looked at the bunny girl with a blank expression, clutching her chest tightly, and said with a heartbroken tone, “I am very heartbroken right now, extremely heartbroken. I originally thought your Entertainment City was very fair and just, but I didn’t expect you to turn a blind eye to fraudulent activities!”

“Uh…” The bunny girl was stunned for a moment, then weakly said, “S-Sorry, what do you mean?”

“There are some things I didn’t want to say, but as a haunting that loves fairness and justice, I cannot tolerate even a speck of sand in my eyes,” Lu Yibei said. “Today, I discovered some people organizing fraudulent gambling games. Do you think I should report them?”

“Of course, you should!” the bunny girl replied, still in shock. “But you need to provide sufficient evidence.”

“Alright, no problem, just wait a moment,” Lu Yibei said seriously. Although her expression didn’t change, the heartbroken look in her eyes was instantly replaced by a severe and murderous aura.

“Here are the flyers for the gambling games organized by the Ximen Gang… This is proof that they are still conducting gambling games… And here is the chip ranking I just got from your colleague…”

Lu Yibei pulled out documents and photos one by one, leaving the bunny girl staring in a daze.

Although she had already squeezed them out of the competition, she couldn’t rest easy without completely eradicating them! Lu Yibei thought to herself.

There is an old saying in the martial world-cutting off someone’s financial path is like killing their parents, a hatred that cannot coexist.

Now that Lu Yibei had cut off the Ximen Gang’s financial path, the only reason they hadn’t retaliated was that Jiang Li had not yet conducted the bell-ringing ceremony, and they hadn’t realized the change in their chip ranking.

If they realized it and came to their senses, it would surely lead to fierce retaliation.

To avoid being retaliated against by the Ximen Gang, Lu Yibei chose to strike first.

After slaying the monster, how could she not finish the job?

“After comparison, the chip ranking of the gambling game organizers is fourth, which does not qualify them to challenge the Big Boss. However, their flyers claim that winning the gambling game allows them to replace the winner to challenge the Big Boss, which is inconsistent with the truth and constitutes fraud. You will handle this, right?”

Bunny girl, “…”

This Wang Buliuxing girl looks quite cute, but why is she so terrifying?

Could it be that all the lolis in this world are dark inside?

In the upper three floors’ hall corridor.

After Lu Yibei left, Jiang Li stood in the corridor observing the movements in the hall for a moment. Finding it somewhat uninteresting, she withdrew her gaze and was about to return to the private room to prepare for the next gambling game.

At that moment, a commotion caught her attention.

Looking in the direction of the noise, she saw a group of sturdy men in black leather jackets with Mohawk hairstyles being subdued by the black-clad guards of the Entertainment City and dragged out of the hall, their bodies pierced with light pillars formed by sealing spell formations.

“Let go of me, let go of me, our boss is a VIP here, you can’t… mmm!”

A psychic shouted at the top of his lungs, but before he could finish, a spell formation sealed his mouth.

Just moments ago, when he was pinned to the gambling table by the black-clad guards, declaring that they were organizing fraudulent gambling games, he and his companions immediately revealed their fierce nature.

Violence was their usual method in the cities surrounding the Entertainment City.

However, this was not their territory, and before they could resort to violence, the cold expulsion of the Entertainment City descended upon them.

“They’re from the Ximen Gang…” Jiang Li frowned, then looked up in the direction of the arbitration room, a sense of understanding dawning in her heart.

It seems that Lu Yibei reported them, didn’t she?

That indeed seems like something she would do, Jiang Li thought.

That night, as the city lights began to shine.

Liu Seer stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window wearing a dragon robe-style pajama, gazing at the specks of light in the city shrouded in gray mist, gently swirling the 1982 beer in his goblet, and all the words in his heart condensed into one, “Refreshing!”

Not long ago, when he divined that he would have a benefactor’s help, he thought it would only slightly improve his living conditions, never expecting it to reach this level.

It gave him a sense of reclaiming lost territories and an urge to accomplish great things.

This was the second time he had so many chips on hand; the last time was five years ago.

However…

Back then, to seize a chance to challenge the Big Boss, he lost all his chips to his opponent in a gambling game.

“That matter is hopeless now, isn’t it?” Liu Seer muttered to himself, his eyebrows drooping, sighing silently, then raised his glass and drank it all, turning to walk towards the bedroom.

Entering the bedroom, he didn’t turn on the light but walked straight to the bed, “Whoosh,” pulling back the covers, and the dark room was instantly illuminated by the golden glow emitted by the pile of chips.

Exaggerated? Yes, very exaggerated!

But when a person has no aspirations, only through such an exaggerated way can they immerse themselves in desire, forgetting their troubles, right?

Liu Seer thought, performing a backflip jump into the pile of chips.

“Clatter-!”

Accompanied by the soft sound of chips scattering, a groan of pain echoed in the room.

“Hiss-! Ouch, ouch, my old waist!”

And so, in this painful yet joyful experience, Liu Seer squirmed and twitched like an old maggot for a while, then lay on the pile of “money” and fell into a deep sleep.

…

As consciousness gradually faded and breathing became steady, Liu Seer felt as if he had truly fallen asleep.

Yet, immersed in the Dream, the pain from those hard, cold chips still lingered in his mind and body, tormenting his old back.

Countless fragmented Dream scenes were so vivid. In a daze, he felt as if something had pierced through his body, pinning him to the desolate ground. The blazing sun in the sky seemed about to fall, emitting an astonishing heat that scorched his body until his skin split open. Scalding molten iron poured from the Void, seeping into his body through hideous scars. Pain solidified in this form, and his consciousness was constantly ravaged by it.

In the end, in his stupor, he heard countless solemn voices ringing in his ears. He couldn’t make out what they were saying, but he could clearly feel the stern rebuke in their words.

Then…

He opened his dry, cracked lips and struggled to utter a sentence.

He said, “I admit my sins, but…”

“Boom-!”

A loud noise drowned out his words, and dazzling lightning flashed across the sky, striking his broken body like the whip of a god.

As if to tell him in this extreme way, “Sin is sin, there’s no need for excuses, no redemption.”

Thus, the charred flesh transformed into sparkling coins, raining down on the earth like a storm.

On the ground, people emerged like ants from the shadow of that colossal body, bathing in the rain of coins, driven to madness.

And he, watching those figures, smiled.

…

“Clatter-!”

Liu Seer flailed his limbs, struggling to wake from the pile of chips, his chest heaving violently. Once he realized where he was, he calmed down a bit.

“Ding-!”

After sitting dazed for a moment, accompanied by the soft sound of a chip rolling, Liu Seer suddenly jumped up, scrambling to a corner of the room, eyes wide with terror as he stared at the heaps of chips, sweat pouring down like rain.

It was as if overnight, these chips had transformed from a treasure to relieve worries into the most terrifying demons in the world.

For many, Dreams might just be a little amusement that comes with sleep, forgotten soon after waking.

However, for someone like Liu Seer, skilled in Feng Shui, divination, and fortune-telling, Dreams were a premonition, a powerful tool for seeking fortune and avoiding disaster.

Therefore, after briefly recalling that Dream and conducting a simple calculation, Liu Seer suddenly realized the peril of these chips.

From the obscure and profound calculation results, he deduced a conclusion.

These chips were very likely the flesh and blood of the “sinner” in his Dream.

In his thoughts, Liu Seer suddenly remembered something, abruptly looking towards the direction of the No Return Place, which was beyond his current line of sight, gaining a moment of clarity.

“So that’s how it is, so that’s how it is… Damn, this is a conspiracy!”

After cursing fiercely, he suddenly felt a bit fortunate that he hadn’t fulfilled his wish at Dream Come True Entertainment City.

Because, fulfilling a wish here required a price…

Liu Seer looked at the chips on the ground, frowning, “Damn, I can’t keep these chips, I must get rid of them immediately!”

“I’ll go to the exchange counter right away, exchange them all for gold and gems, and then leave this damned place…”

“No, no, wait, wait, I can’t leave yet, I have to tell that girl this secret first!”

Liu Seer muttered to himself, tightening the belt of his robe, and hurriedly ran out of the room.

However, as soon as he opened the door, a sharp pain struck the back of his neck. Someone had hit him hard on the nape, and even with his “battle-hardened” body, he couldn’t withstand such force, feeling as if his spine was about to shatter.

Immediately after, his vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground.

Meanwhile, the bell-ringing ceremony was underway.

On the stage in the upper three floors’ hall, Jiang Li gazed down, expressionless, as she spoke. She wore the Qipao dress Lu Yibei had worn the day before, fitting her perfectly.

“…Ladies and gentlemen, the above is the new plan my master has launched, and I hope you all seize the opportunity to participate.”

Limited-time offer, participation threshold at 68% discount?

Bet ten times, get one free challenge?

Bring a friend, recommend newcomers to the gambling game, and get one free challenge for every ten referrals?

After listening to Jiang Li’s presentation, the guests in the casino hesitated.

“Wow, where’s that strong smell of leeks coming from? Did you have leek dumplings this morning?” a psychic asked the haunting beside him sarcastically.

“No, I had durian and black garlic pan-fried buns,” the haunting replied.

The psychic, “???”

Durian and black garlic… What kind of bizarre dish is that?

Do people really eat such things?

Jiang Li stepped off the stage, suddenly feeling dizzy, her face turning pale. She leaned against the wall to steady herself before continuing to the backstage.

As soon as she pushed open the dressing room door, she caught a strange smell. Following the scent, she saw Lu Yibei with a pan-fried bun in her mouth.

“What are you eating, that smell…”

Lu Yibei grabbed a pan-fried bun and waved it at Jiang Li, “Durian and black garlic pan-fried buns, a specialty breakfast of the Entertainment City. Want one?”

“No, thanks, I can’t handle it.” Jiang Li covered her nose with disdain, stepping back, and said seriously, “Let’s talk business. I told the gamblers what you said, but they seem to sense something’s off. Will it…”

“It won’t, it won’t! Don’t worry!” Lu Yibei waved her hand dismissively, “This is an open strategy. If it affected revenue, those mobile game companies would have gone bankrupt long ago.”

“Besides, guests with over ten million chips have almost all participated in the gambling game. Without this, how can we continue to harvest those with less than ten million?”

“Aren’t you a descendant of capitalists? You should understand this better than I do!”

Jiang Li, “…”

Is this harvesting leeks?

You’re trying to uproot the leeks, aren’t you?

Forget it, let’s hope this method works…