Deep in Hell's Kitchen, a massive club stood in one of the neighborhood's most remote blocks.
It was one of the Maggia's core businesses, raking in an astonishing fortune for them day and night.
Even in the early hours of the morning, the place was still brightly lit and bustling with people.
A dozen or so gangsters brazenly guarded the club's entrance, the outlines of the guns bulging at their waists clearly visible.
Du Mu had barely approached the door when two of them stepped forward and stopped him.
"Routine check."
"Sure."
Du Mu didn't resist. He let the gangsters sweep him from head to toe with a metal detector.
After all, he'd stored all his gear and items in his Game Inventory.
"You're clear. Go on in."
Du Mu nodded and stepped into the roar of the crowd.
The club was enormous, with every kind of entertainment area imaginable.
Du Mu glanced around, then headed straight for the bustling casino.
Behind every table stood a sexy dealer, dealing cards online. Her cleavage looked ready to spill out of her top, and the gamblers around her stared wide-eyed. It was hard to tell whether they were watching the cards or her curves.
Du Mu found an empty seat. The dealer behind the table immediately flashed him a professional, alluring smile.
"Sir, what would you like to play?"
"Fight the Landlord."
"..."
The dealer's smile stiffened. "Sorry, we don't offer that game."
"How about Big Two?"
"No."
"Surely you have Tractor?"
"No!"
The dealer was so furious she felt like she was getting breast cancer. Was he picking a fight on purpose?
Du Mu pursed his lips. "What a bore. Then let's play high or low."
"Certainly, sir."
At last, she'd heard a familiar game. The dealer's service smile instantly returned as she picked up the dice cup and began shaking it rapidly.
Du Mu's eyes widened at once, his gaze fixed on the swaying woman's... dice cup.
So bouncy—no, what fast hands!
After more than ten seconds, the dealer stopped shaking and set down the cup. "How many chips would you like to bet, sir?"
"Obviously, I'm going all in! High!"
With a swagger, Du Mu tossed out a single chip!
The dealer: "..."
He was calling one chip an all-in?
Du Mu had swiped the chip from another gambler. The sucker hadn't objected at the time, so presumably he didn't mind.
The sexy dealer lifted the dice cup. The three dice inside showed five, five, and six.
Sixteen. High!
The dealer kept her expression neutral, assuming Du Mu had just gotten lucky. It wasn't unusual in a casino.
She promptly pushed two chips over to him.
"Congratulations, sir. Would you like to keep playing?"
"Of course!"
Ten minutes later.
"Deh-deh-deh-deh-deh-deh-deh-deh-deh-deh..."
Du Mu hummed a jaunty little tune as he sipped his cappuccino.
A small mountain of chips had piled up in front of him, worth at least several hundred thousand dollars.
[Skill: Blessing of the God of Gamblers' Apprentice] [Description: Your gambling skills have reached perfection. You're nearly unbeatable in a casino.] [Evaluation: Back in the day, Chan Daozai turned 20 bucks into 25 million. Turning 200,000 into 5 million will be no problem for you. But remember, you can't spend the money you win. You can only use it for charity, or you'll be cursed with bad luck.]
With this skill, Du Mu's gambling skills were second only to the God of Gamblers.
Too bad it came with a powerful debuff. Otherwise, tomorrow's rich list would probably need a new name at the top.
"...Sir... are you... going to keep playing?"
The dealer's voice trembled, cold sweat streaming down her temples.
Fifty wins in a row couldn't be explained by luck. They were dealing with an expert!
"Of course!"
Du Mu nodded.
The sexy dealer took a deep breath and began shaking the dice cup like mad.
To distract Du Mu, she even deliberately lowered her neckline a little more.
She kept shaking for a full five minutes, until Du Mu's eyes were aching, and only then finally stopped.
"All in! Three of a kind!"
Without a second thought, Du Mu shoved every chip in front of him across the table.
The dealer swallowed with difficulty. Her fingers trembling, she slowly lifted the cup.
Six, six, six!
Three of a kind!
His chips multiplied dozens of times over!
Instead, a look of relief crossed the dealer's face as she gave a bitter smile. She silently took out her phone and began choosing her favorite coffin color.
She'd lost tens of millions of dollars in one night. The Maggia would be merciful if they didn't chop her to pieces and feed her to the dogs.
Just then, a brawny man in a black suit came over to the table and stared at Du Mu with a cold expression.
"Sir, could you come with me for a moment?"
"What? You're trying to stiff me because I won?"
Du Mu wasn't intimidated in the slightest. He suddenly raised his voice, instantly drawing the attention of the gamblers around him.
The brawny man's mouth twitched.
They were gangsters, sure, but they still had to maintain the club's reputation for fair play. Otherwise, who would dare come here again?
He kept his temper in check and lowered his voice. "You've misunderstood. The amount at this table has gotten too high. Why not move to the VIP room, where they play for bigger stakes?"
Once they got Du Mu alone, they could do whatever they wanted with him.
"No need."
Du Mu waved a hand, a playful smile on his face. "If you don't want me to keep playing, that's fine. Just pay me a hundred million dollars in one lump sum right now, and I'll quit. How about it?"
The brawny man stared at him in disbelief. "Why don't you just go rob someone?"
Du Mu feigned surprise. "How did you know I was going to rob you?"
The brawny man: "???"
Before he could respond, Du Mu suddenly pulled out an extravagantly designed Golden Desert Eagle. The corner of his mouth curled into a reckless grin.
"Everybody, hands up!"
"This is a robbery!"
Deep inside the club, in a secluded private room.
The massive Russian bruiser known as Hammerhead lounged comfortably on the sofa, his enormous head impossible to miss. His huge, hairy hands groped two dealers without a care in the world.
"So, what do you think of the terms I proposed, Hammerhead?"
Sitting opposite him was a man in black-rimmed glasses. He frowned slightly as he watched Hammerhead's shameless behavior.
Hammerhead didn't even lift his eyelids. His tone was full of disdain. "Wesley, tell Kingpin to come talk to me himself."
"Mr. Kingpin is very busy, but he's authorized me to handle everything..."
"Then there's nothing to discuss!"
Hammerhead was brazenly arrogant, showing no regard for Wesley or the Kingpin behind him.
Wesley narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. "I hear a new gang called the Demon Gang has been causing trouble lately, ruining several of your operations. If we reach an agreement, we'd be happy to offer our help."
"You don't need to worry about it!" Hammerhead cut him off viciously. "I'll deal with that damned Demon Gang myself!"
"Their leader seems pretty capable. If you're relying on your own people, I'm afraid..."
"So what!"
Hammerhead smacked his huge head, the blow making a dull thud. He grinned viciously. "Bullets can't even pierce me! You think some little Demon Gang can bring down the Maggia? That's a huge joke!"
"I'm telling you, nobody dares mess with the Maggia in Hell's Kitchen!"
"And nobody can afford to mess with the Maggia!"
"Nobody!!"
Bang—!
The private room door burst open!
One of Hammerhead's men rushed in, flustered, and shouted, "Boss! We've got trouble! Someone's robbing the place outside!"
Hammerhead: "???"