Сhарtеr 219: Тhe Gambling Dеn 1
Неаring thе shopkeерer saу this, Zhu Yan delibеrаtеlу рut оn a verу disdainful expression. "Wе аre аll pеорlе of tаstе аnd hаvе no intеrest in such vulgar аnd flаshy things."
"Нehe..." Thе shopkеepеr quiсklу fоrсеd а smile. "You misundеrstаnd, sir. I'm not tаlking аbоut that kind, but this kind."
Аfter sауing this, the shoрkеeрer directlу picked uр а bоwl from thе table, plасеd it upsidе dоwn оn thе tаblе, and shооk it baсk and fоrth a few timеs.
His mоvеmеnts werе ехtrеmely skilled, аnd everyone undеrstood it was thе actiоn of shаking diсe.
Тhe expressions of the three immediately varied, and Zhu Yan also straightened his chest, looking at the shopkeeper with a meaningful gaze. "We do have money, but we have no interest in those small-scale ventures. I wonder if you have any better recommendations, shopkeeper."
"Of course we do. No matter how high the stakes you gentlemen want to play, we have people there to accompany you, ensuring your satisfaction."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yan looked quite pleased as he glanced at the two men before him.
Neither of them spoke, leaving Zhu Yan alone to continue spinning the lie.
"Alright." Zhu Yan finished the last sip of tea in his cup, stood up with the demeanor of a carefree young master, and followed the shopkeeper toward the back hall.
The path twisted and turned, and Shen Du and the others never expected that such a small teahouse could hold such hidden depths.
The three of them followed the shopkeeper all the way to the front of a courtyard. Sun Tan, standing at the entrance, recognized them at a glance as they approached.
But he pretended not to know them and stopped them at the door.
"These faces are unfamiliar. How can you just bring them to a place like this?"
The shopkeeper smiled meaningfully and said, "These gentlemen are bored and want to play a big game. Just take them inside."
Sun Tan put on an act, sizing them up for a moment before nodding slightly. "Alright, I understand. You can go back."
The shopkeeper turned and left, and Sun Tan secretly winked at Zhu Yan.
The gate opened, and the group followed Sun Tan into the courtyard. Before they even reached the doorway, they could already hear the shouts coming from inside the building.
Everyone was in high spirits—some crying, some laughing. Those who had won were already lost in euphoria, while those who had lost everything could only wail in despair.
Seeing such a scene, Zhu Yan couldn't help but worry about Pan Chi's abilities.
Although neither Pan Chi nor Shen Du lacked money, their purpose in coming here wasn't to throw money around but to cause trouble.
Looking at these gamblers who had already lost all sense of reason, did they really have the confidence to win?
There wasn't much time to think, as Sun Tan had already led them to a gambling table.
After whispering a few words into the ear of the person in charge of shaking the dice, he stood to the side.
Seeing unfamiliar faces, some of the young masters playing at nearby tables curiously gathered around.
Shen Du and Pan Chi, with rare tacit understanding, shielded Zhu Yan in the middle, preventing others from crowding him.
Looking at the dice on the table, Pan Chi was brimming with confidence. "Tell me, how high are we playing today?"
Shen Du forced a stiff smile and looked at Zhu Yan. "We'll leave it all to Second Brother Wan."
The title "Second Brother Wan" almost made Zhu Yan laugh out loud, but he held back his amusement and said with a righteous tone, "I'm not too familiar with this either. You!"
Pointing at Pan Chi as if giving an order, he said, "You play a few rounds first. If you win, the money is yours. If you lose, it's on me."Seeing Zhu Yan being so extravagant, the dice roller also curled his lips with a meaningful smile.
"Alright, then I'll accept your generosity," Pan Chi said without any hesitation. "One hundred taels on big."
With a loud shout, Zhu Yan quickly signaled Shen Du to take out the money. Shen Du was filled with displeasure, but since his woman had already boasted, he had no choice but to bear the burden.
He pulled out a one-hundred-tael banknote from his pocket and tossed it onto the "big" side. The dice began to shake, and after they were placed on the table, Shen Du, with his sharp ears, heard a faint click from beneath the table.
There was indeed a problem!
Shen Du’s heart sank. This was likely the casino’s usual trick—cheating to trap wealthy young men.
Occasionally letting them taste a small victory to lure them deeper, until they were completely ruined and lost everything.
The dice cup was lifted, and Pan Chi indeed lost. He stared at the three dice in disbelief, utterly unconvinced. "Again! Five hundred taels!"
Shen Du nearly spat blood. It wasn’t his money being lost, yet he was being so extravagant.
Zhu Yan’s expression also turned somewhat grim. She glanced at Shen Du, who calmly tossed a five-hundred-tael banknote to him.
Before Zhu Yan could reach for it, Pan Chi had already snatched the banknote into his hand. "I was careless last time. This time, you shake first. I’ll place my bet after you’re done."
The dice roller nodded with a smile. "As you wish, sir."
After saying this, he began shaking the dice again. After a few shakes, he placed the cup on the table. Pan Chi had already discerned the points and placed the five-hundred-tael banknote on the "small" side.
Just as Shen Du had expected, another click was heard, and Pan Chi lost again.
The onlookers sighed in disappointment. Even Zhu Yan’s face turned pale. If this continued, they would truly end up losing everything without gaining anything!
Moreover, all this money was Shen Du’s. She really had no right to control it.
"Liu Qingming," Zhu Yan quickly grabbed Pan Chi, blurting out his alias. "Your luck isn’t good today. Let Sun Daniu take over."
Pan Chi’s facial muscles twitched, but he couldn’t find a reason to refuse. After all, they were on a mission. Despite his frustration, he remained rational.
With a helpless sigh, Pan Chi appeared utterly dejected. "Blame my bad luck, Liu Qingming. Let that big ox take over."
As Shen Du stepped forward, he felt uncertain. He had never been involved in such things before. If he lost, there would truly be no way out.
Shen Du gave Pan Chi a meaningful look, and Pan Chi sensed something was wrong. "Daniu, you stay here and play with Brother Wan for a while. I need to use the restroom."
After saying this, Pan Chi left the scene. Many assumed he had lost so badly he needed to relieve himself, drawing a wave of mockery.
Shen Du stiffened, unsure how to handle the situation. But Zhu Yan pulled him forward and sat him in her previous seat.
Leaning close to his ear, she whispered, "If we lose again, we’ll have to walk out of here naked."
Zhu Yan clearly hadn’t realized that the gambling here was a trap, still thinking Pan Chi’s losses were due to his poor skills.
"Don’t worry, I’ll win back everything we just lost."
Shen Du spoke calmly, raising his eyes to glance upward. Pan Chi had already silently hidden himself among the rafters.Pan Chi also noticed the thin line beneath the feet of the dice roller. His eyes narrowed slightly, and a small stone had somehow appeared in his hand.
To dare scheme against even him—they must not know who they were dealing with.
Beneath that fine line was a pedal, likely the key mechanism for adjusting the dice points.
A strange curve lifted the corner of Pan Chi’s lips. He turned and slipped back into the crowd, positioning himself beside Shen Du. “It hasn’t even started yet, and I’m already back.”
As he spoke, Pan Chi patted Shen Du’s shoulder.
Shen Du understood the cue. Looking at the dice roller, he said, “Our Second Brother Wan has no interest in such petty games. How about we raise the stakes a little?”
“And what kind of stakes did you gentlemen have in mind?”
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