Сhарtеr 220: Тhe Gambling Dеn 2
Раn Сhi hаd alreadу lоst two rounds. Тhe dicе rоllеr wаs brimming with соnfidencе about the next bet, соmplеtelу unаwаrе that thе mесhаnism undеr his feеt had been tаmрerеd with by Pan Сhi.
Shen Du glanсed baсk аt Zhu Yаn, whо nоddеd аt him, though inwardlу shе was а nеrvоus wreсk. Hоw сould she роssibly mаke the deсisions? She was mеrеlу a figurеhead.
Shen Du tооk оut all thе silvеr nоtеs hе hаd on him аnd сountеd them—а full one hundrеd thousаnd tаеls.
This wаs а sum thаt sоme of the gаmblers present might not рossess evеn if they lоst evеrуthing theу owned. Yet Shen Du carried such an amount with him—truly a rare and extravagant gentleman.
The dice roller’s eyes nearly popped out of his head, while Sun Tan, standing nearby, also wore an unpleasant expression.
They were here to investigate a case, not to gamble for real. And the Great Pavilion Commander was carrying so much silver with him—could it be they intended to win the entire gambling den?
“What’s the matter? Too scared?” Shen Du tapped the table, seeing the dice roller hesitate.
The man snapped back to attention. He couldn’t let such a foolish, fat fish slip away.
“How would you like to bet, sir?”
“One round decides the outcome,” Zhu Yan spoke up first. Shen Du nodded in agreement—truly a couple united in heart, thinking as one.
“Very well.” The dice roller’s lips curled into a smile. No matter how high the stakes, they were bound to lose.
Just as they were about to begin, Pan Chi suddenly spoke up. “With such high stakes, shouldn’t we change the payout odds?”
“One to two.”
At this, the entire room erupted in excitement. In a gambling den, such high odds were unheard of.
Even if they had plenty of money, betting a hundred taels would typically yield a payout of only nine points—ninety taels on top of the principal. But with odds of one to two, betting a hundred taels meant winning two hundred taels on top of the principal.
This was truly an unprecedented wager. The gamblers and young masters around them began to stir, eager to seize such a rare opportunity.
Pan Chi saw through their thoughts and quickly called out, “Come on, come on! These are rare odds. Anyone who wants to try, hurry up and place your bets!”
At his shout, everyone present took out their silver notes—some a hundred taels, some five hundred, and the highest even produced a thousand taels.
The dice roller’s smile grew wider and wider. He knew the more people followed the bet, the greater their earnings would be.
After a round of shaking, the dice cup was placed on the table, and everyone began placing their bets.
Shen Du discerned the outcome from the sound and placed his one hundred thousand taels on “big.”
The others followed suit, piling up stacks of gleaming silver notes until it was enough to make one’s eyes bulge.
Zhu Yan’s heart tightened with anxiety. Shen Du had never gambled before, and on his first try, he was placing such a huge bet. Could he really win?
Seeing everyone pile their silver notes on “big,” the dice roller’s eyes suddenly flashed with a strange light. He stepped on the mechanism under his foot but was shocked to find it wouldn’t budge.
His eyes widened in disbelief. Shen Du looked at him with a meaningful expression. “What are you waiting for? Open it.”
The man’s face turned grim, while the onlookers grew impatient, shouting, “Open it! Open it!”Pan Chi's lips curled into a meaningful smile. "I just lost six hundred taels to you, and you opened the dice cup faster than anyone. What's the matter now? With such a large bet, shouldn't you open it right away?"
"That's right, that's right, open it."
"Open it, open it."
The crowd around them began to clamor again, and the man's face couldn't hold up any longer. Slowly, he lifted the dice cup.
As soon as the numbers were revealed, everyone present erupted in excitement. Zhu Yan, overjoyed, threw her arms around Shen Du's neck and shouted happily, "We won! We won!"
This was the first time Zhu Yan had taken the initiative to get close to him. Although it was out of excitement, Shen Du still felt a wave of delight in his heart.
Pan Chi, standing nearby, was stunned. If he had known that winning would lead to such treatment, he would have taken the bet himself.
Everyone was dividing the winnings. Zhu Yan, beaming with joy, leaned over the table, counting the silver notes. In her excitement, she even tossed some of the notes into the air for others to pick up.
This scene delighted all the gamblers present, while simultaneously infuriating the casino staff.
This wasn't gambling—it was clearly a disruption!
The dice roller shot a meaningful glance at Sun Tan beside him. Understanding the signal, Sun Tan turned and left.
Shen Du and the others noticed this as well. While helping Zhu Yan count the silver, Shen Du muttered, "The fish has taken the bait."
Zhu Yan's hands, busy counting the silver notes, suddenly paused. Then, a foolish grin spread across her face. "Da Niu, I never knew you were so amazing."
"I was betting on behalf of Brother Wan. It's all thanks to Brother Wan's luck," Shen Du quickly added.
Just as the group was about to leave with their winnings, the dice roller suddenly called out to them, "Gentlemen, your luck is truly remarkable today. Why not ride this wave and place another bet? Our boss would like to meet you personally."
"No more bets, no more bets. Tell your boss that the money we've won today is enough," Zhu Yan said with a foolish tone.
Her foolish expression was utterly convincing at first glance, making her look exactly like the dim-witted son of a wealthy family.
Seeing Zhu Yan act so foolishly, the dice roller hatched a plan. "Gentlemen, please don't be hasty. We have even bigger bets here. I wonder if you'd dare to give it a try?"
What bigger bets? It was simply that they couldn't leave after winning.
The three of them naturally understood the implication and insisted on leaving. Suddenly, Ji Dafu appeared before them.
Their disguises were so effective that even their own mothers wouldn't recognize them. Ji Dafu found their faces entirely unfamiliar.
The reason they weren't allowed to leave wasn't because they had won money, but because their winnings interfered with the casino's money laundering.
Part of the interest they collected was laundered through this method. Moreover, with so many gamblers following their lead and winning today, who would still borrow money?
This severely impacted their business. How could they simply let them leave?
Sun Tan's role here was that of a small gang leader. He managed some small-scale businesses while helping maintain order in the casino. It was precisely this humble position that allowed him to uncover the inside information that Ji Dafu might be connected to the Fire Moth Party.
"I heard that a few distinguished guests arrived at the casino today. I assume it's you gentlemen," Ji Dafu said, looking at them with disdain. "Our casino has a rule: everyone who enters either doesn't play or plays three rounds. You've only played one round and are already leaving. That doesn't follow the rules.""A few of us are in this together. I lost two rounds, he won one, making exactly three rounds in total," Pan Chi quickly stepped forward to explain.
"Your two losses don't count. This gentleman's win marks the true start, and now he must continue for two more rounds to finish," Ji Dafu argued vividly, but Zhu Yan pouted, unappreciative. "He was gambling on my behalf, and I don't want to continue now. What, must I keep gambling with you?"
Zhu Yan's tone was naive and blunt, causing Ji Dafu to frown.
"This gentleman is..."
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