The Kisen Group

The Kisen Group, the biggest gambling and lottery conglomerate in Neon, had nearly monopolized the entire gambling industry there.

Legal or illegal, aboveboard or underhanded—even outright criminal—the Kisen Group had a hand in just about everything.

Horse racing, boat racing, car racing, sports betting, Pachinko, Pachislot, casinos, underground fight clubs, loan-sharking, and scams. In short, they had it all.

If any industry could generate the most tax revenue, it was probably gambling. The fact that society turned a blind eye to everything the Kisen Group did was proof enough. They could put the underworld's power to work for themselves, had a protective umbrella woven by the Neon police force, and were even slowly extending their influence into politics.

The Kisen Group... If you had a happy, loving family, you'd probably never have anything to do with them in your whole life...

At that moment, Star Color's small body radiated an aura far greater than it should have. His gaze coiled around Zhou Changqing's neck like a venomous snake. He knew that feeling well. It was the aura of [death].

He was just a kid... Why?

Cold sweat broke out on Zhou Changqing's skin. The rain-soaked night from his distant memories returned: that suffocating despair, the blood and the sack, the person holding a knife, the person in a suit, his heart pounding wildly. Meeting those people's eyes had felt like standing in an ice cellar.

"Now, now, Mr. Bodyguard. No need to be nervous."

Zhou Changqing had only one thought: why did this kid know about bodyguards? Was he a professional gambler? Or a Cheat Gambler? This kid was dangerous.

"Who are you, exactly? You're a student, but you've got skills like these. You're not an ordinary student, are you?!"

"Huh? Me? I'm just a student. But I have a master. His name is Ginbachi Kenji—Mr. Ginbachi, that is~"

Star Color scratched his cheek.

"Ginbachi... Mr. Ginbachi? Are you kidding me?!"

If this kid really was that man's apprentice, then it would explain how he could pull off such an outrageous way of playing.

"I'm not kidding, hehe. You don't believe me? Then let me show you something."

Star Color pulled out a Green Card.

"If I show you this card, I'm guessing you'll have to get your manager over here?"

[The Kisen Group's Green Card] Being able to show this card meant the kid in front of him was a 'Gambling Officer'!

A [Gambling Officer] held a position equivalent to an inspector. Outside of Headquarters, if someone showed a Green Card at any Kisen Group establishment, the person in charge had to receive them. Those who rose to the rank of [Gambling Officer] were generally Monsters with deep expertise in some field. They were responsible for defeating gamblers who came prepared and were beyond the casino's ability to handle. For some reason, every so often, an exceptionally skilled gambler would show up. But those gamblers always ended up being dealt with by a [Gambling Officer].

"May I examine it?"

"Please."

Star Color handed over the Green Card politely.

"Um, is there anything you need, Mr. Gambling Officer? Should I notify the manager?"

Zhou Changqing immediately put on a deferential expression.

"I don't need anything. I've had my fun, too. Make sure the machines are properly calibrated afterward. Don't let this kind of needless discrepancy happen again. It'd be easy for someone to take advantage of it."

"Of course, Mr. Gambling Officer. I understand."

Only Monsters on the level of Ginbachi or the Gambling Officer in front of me could exploit a loophole like that, Zhou Changqing thought.

"Also, don't slack off during quiet hours. Thinking you only need to stay alert when it's busy is a mistake. Skilled Cheat Gamblers don't care whether it's crowded or quiet."

"Understood!"

"Relax. I'm just here to have some fun. Mr. Zhou, I've heard about you, too. Coming up with the fake-card strategy and arranging its careful circulation while leaving behind a trail that's difficult to investigate... That was impressive."

Star Color realized he'd probably looked too stern just then, so he switched back to a relaxed, slightly sweet expression.

"Not at all. I was just lucky."

"Why don't we exchange contact information? If I'm ever short on points, I'll come by and play. And if anything comes up that you can't handle, come find me."

As he left, the staff member obligingly loaded all his Steel Balls onto a cart, and the cashier exchanged them for Gold Balls. The rest of the process was much the same: there was a pawnshop nearby, about a hundred meters away, that bought them.

Looking at the 480,000 points deposited into his phone, Star Color stretched. He bought a few snacks. Gambling really was the fastest way to make money.

Suddenly, Star Color had a bold idea. Maybe he could open a legal [gambling] venue at school? That seemed like a great way to rake in cash. Squeeze the pig fat out of those snot-nosed little piglets—wouldn't that be just perfect?

He ripped open the wrapper of a preserved plum with his teeth, thinking over whether the plan was feasible.

"Looks like there might be something to it. Interesting. This is really interesting."

Star Color hadn't spent much time with people his own age in a long while. The résumés he'd supposedly submitted were all fake. Even if the school investigated, they wouldn't find anything suspicious. That was the power of a large conglomerate: it was first-rate at making something out of nothing.

He did study systematically, but he couldn't get interested in studying at all.

Star Color's life had gone down a path with no turning back. To outsiders, his skills were nothing but wicked, crooked tricks. So what? It didn't matter.

He wandered around campus, his thoughts gradually settling. The sweat running down him carried all sorts of different meanings. Mixed together, they became meaningless.

"School, huh? Boring."

He remembered the old Kappa sitting in a luxurious leather chair, trying to talk him out of it.

"Once you leave, don't regret it."

Star Color made a playful face.

"Don't worry. I won't regret it."

(This scene is a reference to Akutagawa Ryunosuke's Kappa.)

Back in his dorm, Star Color took off his black windbreaker and mask. He'd deliberately picked a weekday morning, so the sick note had been worth it. If he'd gone in the evening, there was a good chance one of his classmates would have seen him. The odds were small, but Star Color didn't dare gamble on it. He didn't want to be labeled a gambling addict.

He looked at the various hanafuda cards, oddly shaped dice, and chips in different colors on his desk. The rest were games he'd designed and refined himself. What if he disguised them as board games? Board games involved competition and strategy, after all. And now that even esports games could be used for gambling, this sort of thing wouldn't be strange, would it?

(Author's note)

How did you know I bet on T1 vs. BLG in the finals? I picked 3:2 and made over four thousand yuan, lol.

(Please don't imitate the author. The author was just playing around. Gambling addicts deserve to die! That's the message this book wants to convey!)