Twenty-Three Bets, Twenty-Three Losses

His reaction speed is pretty good. It's no wonder he was the one who discovered the enemy and used ninja birds to track them before I did.

But I didn't get to gamble at the Aicao Market in the Land of Grass before. Now that the mission is over and my safety is relatively guaranteed, is it too much for him to stop me from playing?

"Captain Yamaki, a small bet is just for fun. The meager mission money each month isn't enough," Xing Ran said helplessly, pushing away Yamaki Atsushi's hand. At this moment, the dealer had already put down the shaken dice cup. Xing Ran was about to place his bet.

"Xing Ran-kun, listen to my advice. Nine out of ten bets lose. Cherish your life and stay away from gambling. You said you don't have enough money, and gambling more will only make it worse," Junpei chimed in, joining the effort to guide the lost lamb. He grabbed one of Xing Ran's arms, looking as if he would drag him away by force if he didn't leave.

"I'm only betting 300 ryo. It's a small bet for fun. Once I lose these 300 ryo, we'll leave." Xing Ran wasn't a compulsive gambler, but he saw the numbers in the cup: three, three, and two. Based on the dealer's usual tricks, this guy would definitely roll a triple to win it all.

Don't ask why the dealer dared to play like this. He had seen scenarios where triples and straights were rolled seventeen times in a row in three rounds.

With such a great opportunity to pick up money, Xing Ran, who had lived a peaceful life for over a year, didn't want to miss it.

With excitement, he divided his gambling chips, which he had just won a small profit to reach 300 ryo, into two parts. He bet 100 ryo on triple threes, 100 ryo on a straight of two, three, and four, and the remaining 100 ryo on small.

If the triples or the straight won, it would be a jackpot. If he won betting on small, he would get paid according to the odds. Either way, he would profit, and definitely more than the previous round.

At this moment, Xing Ran was so excited, he looked like a degenerate gambler. Yamaki Atsushi and Junpei's faces turned grim. The intelligence clearly stated that this kid had no history of gambling. Damn it, it really is a post-war trauma.

Whether he had violent tendencies was still uncertain, and now they've confirmed his gambling problem. The Hokage would surely be very disappointed. What a shame for young Xing Ran's excellent sensory talent.

Xing Ran didn't notice the two Konoha Anbu members adding drama in their minds. The dealer didn't keep them waiting long and quickly opened the cup, glancing at Xing Ran intentionally or unintentionally.

"Triple two, small." The dice game continued, and the gamblers at the table let out a collective groan. However, a few who had bet on small were overjoyed, perfectly portraying the scene of a few happy and a few sad.

"Damn it!" Xing Ran cursed under his breath. Of two evils, choose the lesser. Xing Ran was speechless. Was this the true meaning of "nine out of ten bets lose"? It's so realistic. Even when cheating, he could only win this much. What's the difference between ordinary people gambling and giving away money?

Cherish life and stay away from gambling. A true saying.

"Oh, you lost. Xing Ran-kun, let's go, while the loss isn't too big yet," Yamaki Atsushi said, no longer elaborating. Junpei wanted to make one last attempt to save him and advised, "It's okay. It's rare to travel abroad. I'm not betting big. I'll leave once I lose these 300 ryo." Xing Ran smiled and refused Junpei's good intentions. Today, he was determined to go head-to-head with this gambling house. He did win by betting on small this time, but he only bet 100 ryo, losing the other 200 ryo. The 300 ryo became a little over 200.

One more round.

This time it was three, five, six, big.

However, Xing Ran didn't rush to bet. He quickly calculated in his mind. With this combination, the dealer would most likely roll a straight of four, five, and six. However, if someone bet on a straight, the dealer might just keep the numbers the same, earning a little less, but not risking a triple to win it all.

Triples and straights winning it all also had limits. Triples paid 10 times, and straights paid 5 times, and that was the cap (according to the rules here). Betting on small here, the money on the table was often not enough for just a triple to win.

Xing Ran now had 230 ryo. He bet 200 ryo on big and 30 ryo on a straight. This way, unlike the last round, he wouldn't lose all his chips. Betting on big would also protect his stake and allow him to win a small profit again. This betting strategy was like snatching meat from the dealer's mouth, reversing the roles of those drinking soup and eating meat.

Xing Ran wasn't worried about the dealer only rolling big, because that would mean more people splitting the winnings, and he would earn less in one round.

As expected, Xing Ran guessed correctly this time: a straight of four, five, and six.

The gamblers at the table cried out that it was uncanny, but their enthusiasm didn't wane; rather, it intensified. Those who had lost their shirts wouldn't easily give up and urged the dealer to start the next round.

Meanwhile, Xing Ran had a look of having successfully pulled off a trick, grinning slyly.

Straights paid 5 times, earning him 150 ryo. Betting 200 ryo on big also earned him 100 ryo. Including his principal, Xing Ran now had 480 ryo in gambling chips.

As his principal increased, Xing Ran's earning speed also became quicker.

He bet small amounts on triples and straights, and large amounts on big or small. The amounts were always calculated instantly based on the total chips on the table. Each time the dealer opened the cup, he seemed to be in great discomfort.

(PS: The gambling plot is necessary. There's a big shot coming later, so I can't just skim over it.)

After two instances where the dealer forcefully didn't make money and didn't let the opponent have an easy time, the dealer realized that because Xing Ran bet so much on big or small, without the split from triples or straights, he was still earning a good amount.

This guy is an expert!

The dealer quickly made a judgment. When Xing Ran's chips reached 6,000 ryo, he announced that he needed a break to go to the restroom.

Watching the dealer hurry away, Xing Ran suddenly realized he had been a bit too reckless. Many people at the table were now following his bets. The dealer must be going to find the boss.

"I had a lot of fun today. Let's go back," Xing Ran said after the dealer left, pulling the two Konoha Anbu members, who had been stunned since the third round, to leave.

After lecturing the civilians of the Land of Earth on the harmfulness of gambling to body and mind, as they would lose money regardless of luck, the three were stopped at the entrance by Ryuzan, a Stone Ninja. With a wry smile, he explained, "Lord Yamanaka, if I didn't know you were just here for sightseeing and happened to stop by, I would suspect you came here specifically to cause trouble. The boss will be here soon, so it's best to clarify things before we leave, to avoid any incidents."

As Xing Ran had expected, things unfolded as he anticipated. Although he had never encountered such a situation before, there were many such plots in novels. It wasn't easy to leave peacefully after winning money.

He didn't know what Ryuzan said to the guy with the huge scar on his forehead. Xing Ran couldn't be bothered to eavesdrop. He just heard Ryuzan repeatedly apologizing to the big-scarred man and talking for a good while before it was over.

On the way back to the inn, Ryuzan told everyone that they couldn't go to that gambling house anymore, as they were not welcome there.

Xing Ran now felt some sympathy for the Tsuchikage. Ryuzan was one of the Tsuchikage's people. From today's events, it could be seen that the Tsuchikage's influence in Iwagakure was not as great as it used to be. Even a gambling house owner could make a foreign affairs official humble himself.