Silence fell across the room, leaving the man speechless.
“Just kidding, just kidding!” Luo Tianchen burst out laughing, shattering the sudden quiet. “This is reality; who would actually bet their life? My apologies, I just found you rather amusing, so I couldn’t resist playing a little prank. Besides, someone wouldn’t allow such a wager to stand, would they?”
“Ah, indeed. You are all my esteemed guests, and I couldn’t possibly bear the responsibility for any losses.” The Clown spread his hands, feigning helplessness. “Small wagers bring joy, large wagers bring ruin. If possible, it’s best not to gamble with your own life, wouldn’t you agree?”
“So, everything but a life can be wagered, then?” The Girl in the Cat Mask, standing beside Luo Tianchen, suddenly spoke.
“Ah, if you insist on interpreting it that way.”
“So, Uncle, you understand what you need to do now, don’t you? My Lord of Gamblers?” She gazed at the man, her voice carrying an icy edge.
“If you’re a man, accept it!”
“If you’re so timid, why even gamble?”
“Is this fellow really the legendary ‘Asian God of Gamblers’? Seriously? He can’t even beat a youngster; can he still be called a God of Gamblers?”
‘This girl is truly ruthless,’ Luo Tianchen thought, clicking his tongue. If the man were to back down now, it would undoubtedly shatter his reputation. Yet, if he pressed on, he risked losing everything.
Regardless, he had no retreat.
Luo Tianchen couldn’t help but glance sideways at the girl, feeling a flicker of apprehension towards her for the first time. She returned his gaze with an innocent smile, her thoughts inscrutable.
The onlookers buzzed with chatter as the man’s face turned ashen. The consequences of his earlier actions toward Bingying had finally come full circle, but this time, the audience was no longer his ally. He had become the oppressed.
“I understand,” he uttered slowly, his voice raspy as if he had aged a decade. “I accept.”
“However!” he suddenly bellowed, “This time, I’ll decide what we play!”
“Hey, hey, Uncle, do you have no shame? You’re the challenger, aren’t you?” The girl’s single remark left him utterly speechless.
“It doesn’t matter,” Luo Tianchen said, shrugging. “Let him have his way.”
“Then! This time we’ll play… Odd or Even!”
“The rules are quite simple. There are four dice here, and for fairness, they will be rolled within four separate machines. Once rolled, both parties will write their guess—odd or even—on paper in advance. A staff member will then unveil the cloth to display the answers. In the event of a tie, we’ll simply play another round.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, this feels a bit ominous. This is his signature gambling method, you know. Can you handle this?” The girl whispered, leaning close to Luo Tianchen’s ear.
“It’s just a game of luck anyway. By the way, aren’t participants forbidden from interfering? Why are you able to get so close?” Luo Tianchen casually scrawled “Even” on a piece of white paper and handed it to a staff member. The man nodded, and after waiting for the other gambler to submit his own, he drew back the cloth.
3, 5, 6, 4—a total of 18 points, an even number.
No announcement of the game’s end was made, indicating that the man had also guessed correctly. Luo Tianchen had underestimated him slightly.
This was currently the ninth round, with the odds of winning reaching 1/512.
“Then, let us begin the tenth round.”
“Because I’m a VIP here, you see.” The girl puffed out her chest proudly.
“Don’t show off if it’s fake,” Luo Tianchen retorted indifferently. This time, he once again wrote ‘Even’ on the paper.
Luo Tianchen’s remark momentarily choked the girl, and it took her a while to regain her breath. “Alright, alright, you’re really pushing it now. But for something that purely relies on luck, statistically speaking, everyone has a fifty-fifty chance of winning. You seem so relaxed right now, but you could win or lose. How about I help you cheat?” she suggested.
“Cheat? How would you cheat?”
“By manipulating the machines, of course. Don’t be fooled by their seemingly fair appearance; these casino machines are actually modified and can be manually controlled. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?”
“No need.”
“Tsk, tsk. You seem awfully confident. Just don’t come crying if you lose, alright?”
“It’s meaningless,” Luo Tianchen murmured. “For me, probabilities don’t exist. In my world, there is only 100% or 0%.”
“Don’t you think that sounds incredibly arrogant? Talk like that, and you might just get punched.”
“I’m simply stating the truth. On a related note, perhaps you could tell me who you truly are?”
“Hmm? What’s that? I’m just an ordinary girl, you know?” She feigned ignorance of Luo Tianchen’s meaning.
“You know that man, don’t you?”
“Many people know him, not just me.”
“It’s different. How should I put it? Your relationship with him feels more like… a subordinate and a superior.”
“…Why do you say that?”
“Because that man was originally going to give up. While he might be lustful, he’s certainly not desperate enough to trade everything away. On the surface, it seemed like he was provoked by the crowd, but in reality, his change of mind happened only after you spoke.
“I found it strange from the very beginning; you’re definitely not just an ordinary guest. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have blanched the moment he saw you. And ‘everything but a life can be wagered’—that was your subtle hint that he had to accept this gamble, wasn’t it?”
“…Honestly, what a boring man,” the girl chuckled softly, effectively admitting her role as the mastermind. “That man is indeed one of my subordinates. His biggest flaw is his lustfulness, which has offended many. Aside from his luck, he’s utterly useless.
“But now, he’s even lost his only strength—luck—to you. If he can’t prove himself, he’s finished. So, what will you do? Why don’t we team up and get rid of him together?”
“Hey, hey, no matter what, he’s still your subordinate, isn’t he? Normally, shouldn’t you be helping him get rid of me?”
“Because I’m quite annoyed with him too. He used to be somewhat useful, but now I have you, don’t I?” She leaned gently on Luo Tianchen’s shoulder, exhaling a soft breath onto his neck. “Come work for me, won’t you? I can give you everything you desire.”
“Are you suggesting I become your kept man?”
The girl paused, then smiled alluringly. “If that’s what you wish, it’s not entirely out of the question.”
“A truly tempting offer. However, let me resolve this round first.”
The man finally finished writing his answer. Unlike Luo Tianchen, he was drenched in sweat, and the slip of paper he handed over was visibly damp. He stared at the girl behind Luo Tianchen, his gaze filled with both dread and loathing.
On stage, the Clown accepted both their slips of paper. After a quick glance, he flashed a wide smile. “Oh dear, oh dear, it seems our gamble for tonight is about to draw its curtain.”
‘So, their answers are finally different?’
“You might lose, you know? I’ll give you one last chance. If you come work for me, I can guarantee your victory.” The girl spoke with unwavering confidence, yet Luo Tianchen easily detected the tension coiling within her.
“In that case, I’d merely be a subordinate for the rest of my life, wouldn’t I?”
“Oh my, oh my, what a greedy man you are.”
“And now, it’s time to reveal the answer…” The Clown deliberately drew out his words. Everyone present held their breath, including the girl, who fixed her gaze intently on the screen. The man was even more dramatic, his grip almost crushing the cup in his hand.
“Ta-da!”
2, 3, 4—a total of 9 points, an odd number.
“Hahahaha! I won! I won! You saw that, didn’t you?! You little brat, I told you not to be so cocky! Hahahaha! Just a little kid pretending to be so confident! Hahahaha! You’re finished! And that b*tch! You’re mine now! Hahahaha! I’m going to take you right here! Let your man watch your vile display! Hahahaha!” The man erupted into a grating, sinister laugh, advancing towards Bingying.
“Ah, I told you so. It seems your luck isn’t always reliable after all.” The girl shrugged and sighed. “How about it? I can still give you one last chance, you know? Otherwise, your little girlfriend is going to be defiled by another man.”
“Are you a pig?” Luo Tianchen asked, pointing at the screen with a hint of exasperation. “That man being an idiot is one thing, but haven’t you noticed that only three screens have lit up so far?”
“…Eh? Eh?!!!!”
By this point, the man had reached Bingying, his lecherous grin widening as he moved to tear at her clothes. However, he seemed to have forgotten one crucial detail.
Currently, Bingying was unrestrained.
A minute later, the man, now entirely pixelated from head to toe, was casually tossed into a corner by Bingying. The Clown watched the entire spectacle unfold with an air of calm detachment, making no move to intervene.
Only after Bingying had finished her “lesson” did he resume speaking. “Oh dear, oh dear, my sincerest apologies. It seems one screen had yet to be revealed. Very well, let us now look at the true answer… 2, 3, 4, 5—a total of 14 points, an even number! Congratulations to our Mr. Ultraman on his victory!”
‘Mr. Ultraman, my ass.’
Nevertheless, Luo Tianchen walked up to Bingying and offered a faint smile. “I won.”
“Mm.”
“My apologies. I used you as a bargaining chip without asking for your opinion beforehand.”
“It’s alright. If it’s for you… using me as your chip is perfectly fine.”
‘Hmm? What does she mean by that?’
Unable to discern her expression beneath the mask, Luo Tianchen couldn’t deduce the true meaning behind her words.
“Well then, let’s go. It’s a shame we didn’t find Yao Xinchang, but perhaps I was mistaken. After all, the dead cannot be brought back to life.”
“I’m sorry, it’s all because of me…” she apologized.
“It has nothing to do with you; it was all that man’s fault.” Luo Tianchen glanced again at the pixelated figure in the corner. No one paid him any mind anymore, for reality was indeed that cruel: winners commanded everything, while losers forfeited all. “Let’s go…”
“Ah, just a moment,” the Clown called out, stopping them. “As our luckiest guests tonight, I shall personally present you with a special gift. Should you refuse, I’d be rather troubled.”
“What?” A sense of unease welled up within Luo Tianchen.
“That would be… a one-night stay voucher for the Presidential Suite at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, and a lifetime free entry pass to this nightclub! Congratulations to them!”
A thunderous applause erupted throughout the room, indirectly highlighting the prestige of this particular gift.
‘But… Luo Tianchen didn’t want any of this! What in the world was a lifetime free entry pass to a nightclub? Coming to this kind of place once was enough; did they want his sister to break his legs?’
‘And a presidential suite… could he choose to cash it out instead?’
“Alright, tonight’s activities conclude here! Please return to your rooms to rest early, and I shall not delay your precious moments.” The Clown chuckled, bowed, and then, just as he had suddenly appeared, he vanished in a puff of smoke. The remaining guests followed their respective attendants to different rooms.
Luo Tianchen looked back in the direction they had come; the main door was already locked. It seemed they had no intention of letting anyone leave.
“Please follow me, both of you.” Finally, a female attendant in a cheongsam approached them. Luo Tianchen and Bingying exchanged glances, both unsure of what to say.
‘So… were they expected to spend a night together in the same room, in a place like this?’