"Hello, sir, welcome to Raindinners. How many Berries would you like to exchange for chips?" The waiter's smile was perfect and his tone was humble, but his sharp eyes had already scanned Kyle from head to toe. This outfit… that expression… A surge of glee filled the waiter's heart.
Like a country bumpkin on his first trip to the big city, Kyle looked around with wide-eyed curiosity before slowly pulling a crumpled banknote from his pocket. It was for 100,000 Berries.
The smile on the waiter's face froze for a second, and his eye twitched. That's it? he thought with contempt. I thought he was some rich young master, but he's just a poor fool pretending to be wealthy.
Despite his inner thoughts, his professional training took over. He quickly adjusted his expression, and his smile became warm once more. "Of course, sir. One hundred thousand Berries. Please wait just a moment."
Amid the quiet sneers of nearby gamblers, the waiter smoothly handed a small pile of chips to Kyle and led him to one of the most ordinary tables. "Sir, this is our most popular game, 'Desert Flower.' The rules are very simple…"
A beautiful female dealer with a sweet voice began to explain the game. Each player drew three cards, raised the stakes, and then revealed their hands to see who had the higher value.
Kyle nodded along with a look of dawning comprehension. Isn't this just Golden Flower? he thought. Back in the day, some guys could turn 20 Berries into 37,000,000. It should be no problem for me to turn 100,000 into, say, 4,900,000,000.
A smirk played on his lips as he pushed a small stack of chips forward.
In the first round, Kyle won.
In the second round, Kyle won again.
In the third round, Kyle still won.
After just three rounds, the pile of chips in front of him had doubled. A flush of barely suppressed excitement appeared on Kyle's face at just the right moment. His breathing grew a little heavier, and his eyes gleamed as he stared at the cards, looking exactly like a gambler who had just gotten his first taste of victory.
"Yes! I won again!" he let out a low, excited cheer, just loud enough for those around him to hear.
A few old-timers at the next table glanced over, a knowing smirk on their faces. Another one, they thought. Every fool who fell into this bottomless pit started out believing Lady Luck was on their side. Even after losing nine out of ten hands, they'd stubbornly believe, Next time! I'll definitely win it all back on the next hand! People like that could lose their entire fortune in a single night.
The beautiful dealer's eyes lit up. She winked at Kyle, and as she tucked the next set of cards into her cleavage for a moment before dealing, her voice became even sweeter. "Sir, your luck is incredible! It seems the God of Wealth has decided to stay with you tonight!"
Such perfectly timed flattery was the best way to get a gambler hooked.
"Of course!" Kyle puffed out his chest and waved his hand grandly, shouting to a nearby waiter, "You! Get me 3,000,000 more Berries in chips! Tonight, I'm going to win this whole casino!"
The waiter's eyes lit up with joy. Here we go! he thought. This is how a real fish is supposed to act! He practically ran over, respectfully taking the gold card Kyle handed him. At the same time, he subtly winked at another colleague. Get this guest to the 'Deep Sea' table, and tell Fen Suiji it's time to go to work!
Soon, a man who looked like a manager walked over with a wide smile, personally leading Kyle to a quieter, more luxurious private room on the second floor. This was the "Deep Sea" table, a special room for high rollers, and a slaughterhouse designed to crush rich fools who didn't know their place.
A man was already seated across the table. He was thin, with an ordinary face, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, holding a coldness that came from years of living in a world of schemes and gambles. This was one of Raindinners' ace gamblers, a man nicknamed Fen Suiji. He had personally driven nearly a hundred wealthy nobles and businessmen to bankruptcy.
Seeing Kyle enter, he gave a faint nod but his expression didn't change. In his eyes, this was just another lamb being led to the slaughter.
The new game began.
Fifth round. The chips in front of Kyle doubled again. Fen Suiji snorted internally, his face a mask of calm. Beginner's luck. It'll run out soon enough.
Seventh round. The chips in front of Kyle had piled up into a small mountain. The nonchalant look on Fen Suiji's face was gone. He watched Kyle silently, his gaze now focused. A little interesting.
Ninth round. The chips in front of Kyle had surpassed 30,000,000 Berries. Fen Suiji slowly exhaled and clenched his fist, making his knuckles crack loudly. He remained silent, but the air around him felt heavy. A bit of a challenge, but still under control.
Eleventh round. The chips in front of Kyle broke through the 50,000,000 mark. A vein on Fen Suiji's temple began to throb. He couldn't help but glance at the beautiful dealer, his eyes asking a silent question. Her movements were still smooth, but a thin layer of sweat had appeared on her forehead. She gave him a subtle look back, indicating that everything was normal. He's getting nervous, Kyle thought with a hidden smile. He's getting very nervous.
Thirteenth round. "Call," Kyle said lazily, pushing his entire mountain of chips forward. The colorful pile shimmered under the lights. It was a bet of 200,000,000 Berries!
Fen Suiji's face went pale. Sweat trickled down his cheeks, soaking his collar. The chips in front of him were nothing compared to Kyle's pile. Even if he sold himself, he couldn't cover that debt. The surrounding waiters and guards were stunned. How was this possible? Fen Suiji had never lost this badly. Could this flashy fool actually be possessed by the God of Gamblers?
"What's wrong? Out of money?" Kyle asked with an innocent tilt of his head. "If you don't have any money, then what the hell are you playing for?"
Fen Suiji stared at Kyle, his chest heaving. He had lost, but he couldn't admit it. This was Crocodile's territory. If he lost this much money, he'd be turned into a mummy. Suddenly, an idea came to him. The despair in his eyes was replaced by a cold, desperate madness. It's impossible for me to lose the next round!
He abruptly stood up, slamming his remaining chips, along with an IOU representing the casino, onto the table. "This hand, I'm betting everything!" His voice was hoarse and ruthless.
The beautiful dealer's body trembled slightly. Fen Suiji was about to use his final trick.
Kyle's foolish grin widened. He clapped his hands. "Good, good! I'll call!"
The dealer took a deep breath and began the most important deal of her career. Her fingertips slid subtly across the backs of the cards, using a technique no one could see to deliver three specific cards into Fen Suiji's hand.
The cards were dealt. Fen Suiji's hands trembled as he slowly peeled back a corner of his first card. Ace of Spades. He peeled back the second. Ace of Hearts. He flipped over the third card. Ace of Diamonds!
Three Aces! The best possible hand in the game! He had won! He had definitely won!
A wave of wild joy rushed to his head. The muscles on Fen Suiji's face twisted into a cruel and triumphant smile. He looked up at Kyle as if he were looking at a dead man.
However, Kyle didn't even glance at his own cards. He just leaned back lazily in his chair, his golden pupils reflecting Fen Suiji's joyful, distorted face. A faint red glow flashed in his eyes for an instant.
He looked at the gambler across from him and spoke softly, his voice echoing clearly throughout the private room.
"Your future has no chance of success!"
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