Kisen Group

The Kisen Group, the largest gambling industry leader in Neon, had nearly monopolized the entire gambling sector of the country.

Legal, illegal, overt, covert, even outright criminal—the Kisen Group had a hand in basically everything.

Horse racing, boat racing, car racing, sports, Pachinko, Pachislot, casinos, underground arenas, loan shark operations, and fraud—in short, they had it all.

If there was one industry that could provide the most tax revenue, it was probably gambling. The fact that society as a whole just turned a blind eye to the Kisen Group's actions was enough to prove the point. They could bend the underworld to their will, had an umbrella woven from Neon's police force, and were even slowly infiltrating the political sphere.

The Kisen Group... if your own family had a happy and harmonious relationship, you'd probably never get involved with them in your lifetime...

At this moment, Star Color's small body erupted with an aura that didn't match its size. His gaze coiled around Zhou Changqing's neck like a venomous snake. He was very familiar with that feeling—it was the aura of something called [death].

Just a brat... why?

Cold sweat broke out on Zhou Changqing. In the rainy night of a distant memory, that suffocating sense of despair. Blood and burlap sacks, people holding knives, people in suits, his heart pounding wildly. Meeting those people's eyes felt like being trapped in an ice cellar.

"Now now, Dark Guard sir, no need to be nervous."

Zhou Changqing had only one thought: how did this brat know about the Dark Guard profession? Was this guy a professional player? Or a cheat gambler? This brat was dangerous.

"Who the hell are you? A student with skills like this? You're not an ordinary student, are you?!"

"Huh? Me? I'm just a student. But I have a master named Ginbachi Kenji, also known as Mr. Ginbachi~."

Star Color scratched his cheek.

"Ginbachi... Mr. Ginbachi? Don't joke around!"

If he was that guy's apprentice, then it would explain the existence of this outrageous playstyle.

"I'm not joking, hehe. Don't believe me? If that's the case, I'll show you something."

Star Color pulled out a Green Card.

"If I show this card, I guess I'd have to trouble your store manager to come over, right?"

[A Green Card from the Kisen Group] Being able to show this card meant the brat in front of him was a [Gambling Officer]!

A [Gambling Officer] was equivalent to a supervisory position. Except for headquarters, anywhere related to the Kisen Group's business, showing a Green Card meant the highest-ranking person in charge had to receive you. The guys who could climb to the [Gambling Officer] position were basically monsters who had mastered some field. They were responsible for crushing gamblers who came prepared and exceeded the casino's ability to handle. For some reason, every so often, abnormally skilled gamblers would appear. But those gamblers' final fate was only to be dealt with by the [Gambling Officer].

"May I inspect it?"

"Please."

Star Color politely handed over the Green Card.

"Um, is there anything you need, Gambling Officer sir? Should I notify the store manager to come over?"

Zhou Changqing immediately put on a respectful face.

"Nothing needed. I've had my fun. After this, make sure the machines are calibrated. Don't let unnecessary errors like this happen. Otherwise, it's easy for people to exploit loopholes."

"Yes, yes, Gambling Officer sir, I understand."

Only monsters on the level of Ginbachi or the Gambling Officer in front of him could exploit loopholes like that. Zhou Changqing complained inwardly.

"Also, don't slack off in your free time. Thinking you only need to be alert when it's crowded is a mistake. Skilled cheat gamblers don't care if it's crowded or not."

"Understood!"

"Relax, I'm just here to play around. Mr. Zhou, I've heard of your exploits too. Coming up with the fake card strategy and meticulously selling and circulating them, leaving behind only hard-to-trace trails—pretty impressive."

Star Color realized his expression had probably been too serious just now and switched back to a relaxed, slightly obedient face.

"Not at all, not at all. This humble one was just lucky."

"How about we exchange contact info? If I'm short on points in the future, I'll come play. And if something comes up you can't handle, come find me."

When he left, the store clerk automatically helped Star Color load the steel balls onto a cart, and the front desk exchanged them for Gold Balls. Then the process was the same: a pawn shop about 100 meters away would buy those Gold Balls.

Looking at the 480,000 points credited to his phone, Star Color stretched. He bought some snacks. Sure enough, gambling was always the fastest way to make money.

Suddenly, Star Color had a bold idea. Maybe he could set up a legal [gambling] venue at school? That seemed like it could rake in a fortune, right? Squeezing the lard out of these snot-nosed little piglets—wouldn't that be just perfect?

Tearing open a bag of preserved plums with his teeth, he pondered the feasibility of the plan.

"Seems like it has potential. Interesting. Really, really interesting."

Star Color hadn't spent much time with people his own age in a long while. The so-called resumes he submitted were all forged. Even if the school investigated, they couldn't find any clues. That was the power of a big corporation—their ability to create something from nothing was top-notch.

He had also studied systematically, but he just couldn't muster any interest in learning.

Star Color's life had already set on a path of no return. Anyway, in outsiders' eyes, his skills were considered crooked and heretical. So what? Who cares?

Strolling through the campus, his thoughts recovered. The sweat he shed carried different meanings, all mixed together into meaninglessness.

"Going to school... boring."

He recalled the old Kappa sitting in a luxurious leather chair, trying to persuade him.

"Once you're out, don't regret it."

Star Color made a playful face.

"It's fine. I won't regret it."

(This segment is a parody of Akutagawa Ryunosuke's Kappa.)

Back in the dormitory, Star Color took off his black windbreaker and mask. He had specifically chosen a weekday morning to submit that leave request, so it was worth it. If it were evening, he could easily run into classmates—though the odds were slim, Star Color didn't dare gamble on it. He had no desire to earn the label of a gambler.

Looking at the various flower cards on the table, oddly shaped dice, and chips of different colors, the rest were games he had designed and perfected himself. What if he disguised them as board games? After all, board games also involve competition and strategy. In today's world, where even esports can be used for gambling, this shouldn't be strange, right?

(Author's Note)

How do you like that? I bet on the T1 vs. BLG finals at 3:2 and made over four thousand bucks (lol).

(Please don't follow the author's example—the author is just messing around. Gamblers deserve to die! That's the message this book wants to convey!)