Cheating

At the same time, a hint of surprise and uncertainty flickered across Nonō's slightly stiff face. Watching the young Konoha ninja re-enter the crowd, she quickly regained her composure and continued her surveillance work as if nothing had happened.

No one noticed that Yakushi Nonō, her face now calm again, naturally slipped a small, tightly folded paper ball into her sleeve.

Xing Ran was not one to procrastinate, and he never missed an opportunity. Once his chakra sensing and super hearing confirmed the footsteps following him, he immediately planned his next move. He swiftly entered the room and, the moment the target's line of sight disappeared, hid behind the door. Then, as soon as the target reappeared, he stepped forward to transfer the paper ball. Afterward, he began to tour the entertainment venue like any other customer.

The biggest challenge in Xing Ran's plan was Nonō's lack of coordination. If Nonō had been a stronger fighter, even with his super speed and chakra-enhanced speed, which reached elite Chunin levels, he might have made a mistake due to Nonō's resistance when he suddenly appeared.

Xing Ran had already analyzed this problem. In the original story, Kabuto, at less than 10 years old, was able to kill Nonō with a surprise Chakra Scalpel attack. This suggested that Nonō was truly unsuited for combat, and her roles as an orphanage director and intelligence spy were much more fitting.

Another challenge was Nonō's reaction. If she didn't remain silent after receiving the paper ball, there was a possibility of exposure.

However, this had already been tested with Kabuto. As fellow spies, they would not make a scene if a Konoha ninja secretly slipped them a paper ball.

This was why Xing Ran had been cautious and hidden behind the stone carvings when interacting with Kabuto, but dared to be so bold in a crowded environment when dealing with Nonō.

"One-one-four, small!"

"Damn it, lost again. My luck's terrible today. Gotta go."

"Yellow Teeth, keep playing! If you're out of money, borrow some from Scarface. I'm not done yet, hahaha."

"Dealer, hurry up with the next round. Grandpa's got a hot hand today and is going to win back all his losses."

"..."

Having accomplished his good deed without seeking recognition, Xing Ran's attention was finally drawn to the noisy environment. It was a rare opportunity, and also a way to make his previous actions seem more plausible, so Xing Ran naturally found an empty gambling table and sat down.

Superman's neural reflexes were incredibly fast, and his ability to absorb new things was beyond that of ordinary people. Even someone like Xing Ran, whose superhuman development was severely hindered by the sun, possessed enviable computational abilities.

In just a few breaths, while walking a few steps and finding a seat, Xing Ran had already figured out the rules and gameplay of this entertainment venue.

Large casinos, due to their well-developed scale and network, typically don't participate directly. Instead, they operate by taking a cut. In each round, the winner takes all, with the losers bearing the financial burden. The casino profits from a commission as an operating fee, making it a sure thing.

Smaller gambling dens, however, have a variety of operating models. Some have their own dealers, which is the fastest way for the casino to make money. Others only offer high-interest loans, with players managing their own games. Some even follow the model of larger establishments by taking a commission, but this model, due to its limited scale, usually yields the lowest profits.

Of course, most are very greedy, acting as dealers, taking commissions, and offering high-interest loans. However, such gambling dens usually only operate for a short period before people stop coming.

The establishment Xing Ran was currently in was a gambling den that had its own dealer and also offered high-interest loans. The reason business was good even in broad daylight was that this establishment did not take a commission, allowing winners to earn more.

Xing Ran did not bet on the first round. He wanted to observe the gameplay. This was a dice game for high or low. However, since the house was the dealer, there were many variations. Similar to his previous life, there was also a way to bet on specific numbers for higher odds.

In such situations, the dealer's methods were often not entirely clean.

Indeed, in this round, the dice under the cup clearly showed a total of 13 (4-4-5) to Xing Ran. However, since more people had bet on high, the moment the dealer opened the cup, the dice showed a triple four, a "leopard," which won for the house.

Xing Ran's mouth twitched. He had been using his X-ray vision all along. The gambling tools were made of chakra-insulating materials. The dealer was completely relying on skillful manipulation to cheat. This was a bit too advanced and not a game suited for his abilities.

However, just because it wasn't suitable didn't mean he couldn't play, nor did it mean his own formidable cheating methods were useless.

In the second round, Xing Ran placed a bet. The dealer's dice roll was quite a spectacle, and the numbers were quickly set: 1-2-4. Not only was the total low, but even with hidden vibration techniques, it was difficult to alter the numbers too drastically.

Xing Ran bet 200 taels on low. It wasn't that he was avoiding risk, but rather that he didn't have much pocket money. He had been doing D and C-rank missions, and the rewards were not high, especially after splitting them with the other three members of his squad. As the captain, the Chunin leader had to take more. To satisfy his nutritional needs during daily training, Xing Ran's savings were never substantial. This was also why Xing Ran, after awakening his superhuman abilities, still readily accepted missions. Without money, how could he afford to go into seclusion for training?

The saying "poverty breeds scholarship, wealth breeds martial arts" was universal in any world.

"Bets placed, opened! One-two-three, a straight, small." The dealer shouted in his unique voice, which sounded very much like a crosstalk performer singing dish names in his previous life.

However, upon seeing the dice, Xing Ran's mouth twitched again. This establishment probably wouldn't last long. The dealer's greed was a bit too obvious (PS: A word of advice to all students, gambling nine times out of ten leads to loss; the author advocates for the rejection of yellow, gambling, and drugs).

Xing Ran made money, but not much. The lion's share went to the house. Although a straight was considered small, it was first and foremost a straight. If no one bet on it, the house took half the wagers, and the rest was distributed to other players who bet on small according to their stakes.

Today, he could only get a small taste.

Xing Ran thought to himself when a strong hand suddenly patted his shoulder.

"Kid, what are you doing in a place like this again? If Mr. Ryuzan hadn't reminded us, we wouldn't have found you. You disappeared in the blink of an eye." Yamaki Atsushi appeared behind Xing Ran with a dark expression, and as he spoke, he reached out to pull Xing Ran away.