The auction ended on a high note.
Ling Chu exchanged her remaining 552 Chips for 55,200 Sea Coins.
When she stepped off the Golden Finger Gambling Ship, dawn had just broken, and the first light of morning showed on the horizon.
With her wallet bulging, Ling Chu returned to her ship laden with winnings.
The Golden Finger crew had even taken Stay Away From Gambling, Drugs, and Vice's ship to settle her debt. Homeless, she naturally came aboard Ling Chu's ship.
"Captain, you're finally back!"
A crowd of skeletons clattered toward her.
They nearly scared Stay Away From Gambling, Drugs, and Vice into falling flat on her backside.
Hearing them call Ling Chu "Captain," she asked in disbelief, "Are they all your servants?"
Ling Chu nodded.
"Captain, how did it go? You didn't lose, did you?"
Titch couldn't wait to hear how she had done last night.
Hemlock flew out of her Ring. "The Captain lost all of you. In a little while, you'll be hauling sandbags on the Golden Finger Gambling Ship."
"What?!"
At the sight of the Ghost Fire flickering wildly in the skeletons' eye sockets, Hemlock burst out laughing. "As if! Our Captain's a gambling god. She even beat the captain of the Golden Finger Gambling Ship and wiped the floor with those swine!"
Hemlock launched into an exaggerated account of her exploits aboard the gambling ship, and the Skeleton Henchmen crowded around to hear every detail.
There were ghosts on this ship as well as skeletons!
Stay Away From Gambling, Drugs, and Vice rubbed the goosebumps on her arms and asked Ling Chu, "Doesn't sleeping on this ship at night give you the creeps?"
"No. Don't you think they're rather cute?"
Ling Chu tilted her head. Besides, she had memorized all their names now: Big Gold