Cooperation

"This kid's already an adult. No idea where this greenhorn came from, but I saw he brought quite a bit." The burly man pulled the crew-cut man into a corner and quietly told him what he had learned.

The crew-cut man frowned at once. "Did you check him out? Don't let him be a plant." As he spoke, he took out a cigarette and lit it.

"Absolutely. I already looked into him. There's nothing suspicious about the kid," the burly man assured him.

"Then let him in." The crew-cut man nodded, and the burly man pushed open the private room door. "Let the kid in."

Xue Chen knew they had finally let down their guard and followed him inside. The instant the door shut behind him, the noise outside was completely cut off.

"Kid, since you know about this place, you should know the rules. No matter how much you win, you hand over twenty percent. Here's your number tag." With a cigarette dangling from his lips, the crew-cut man pushed aside a painting, revealing a man-high passageway. Xue Chen walked in without the slightest hesitation.

The passage was not long, only around ten meters. Xue Chen could see its end at a glance. Beyond the door at the end was another world: all kinds of gambling tables, gambling equipment, and every variety of gaming tools were laid out inside.

Xue Chen went straight to a table where they were playing high-low dice. The dealer had just finished shaking the dice, and Xue Chen took ten thousand yuan from his bag and placed it on the 3-4-6 betting spot.

The others found it strange that such a refined-looking young man, someone who did not seem like he belonged in a casino, had appeared here. But when they saw the ten thousand yuan in front of him, greed filled every one of their eyes.

"Open! 3-4-6, high." The dealer lifted the dice cup. He was somewhat surprised when he saw the result, but he said nothing and took out a portion of the chips, placing them before Xue Chen. "Sir, these are your winnings."

The crowd beside him was immediately surprised, but most thought he had merely gotten lucky and did not keep paying attention to him.

"Clatter, clatter!" He Guang covered the dice cup again. "Bets are final. Begin."

This time, Xue Chen again pushed all the money he had just won onto triple threes without any hesitation. The people nearby finally noticed him, though most looked down on him. Young people these days won a little money and really thought they were gambling gods. "Kid, I'd advise you to keep some capital for yourself. Otherwise, you'll lose so badly you won't even have underwear left."

Everyone around them burst into laughter. They waited eagerly to see a show, amused by Xue Chen's naive idea. They were already imagining the look on the young man's face after he lost all his money—utterly dejected and miserable.

Xue Chen ignored them. He merely looked at the dealer in front of him, his expression as calm as ever as he waited for him to open the cup.

"Triple sixes..." The dealer's expression turned serious when he saw the dice. He covered the dice cup again, then stared straight into Xue Chen's eyes. This time, his movements were far flashier than before, leaving the bettors around him unsure how to place their wagers.

"Please place your bets." This time, the dealer focused his attention on Xue Chen, seemingly trying to find some sign that he was cheating. Yet Xue Chen's expression remained utterly unruffled.

Under the dealer's expectant gaze, Xue Chen unhurriedly placed all the money before him on 4-5-6, without even a trace of hesitation.

"4-5-6, high. The player wins." The dealer revealed a bitter smile and pushed all the chips toward Xue Chen. Then he smiled at the crowd. "My shift is over now. My colleague will take over, so please wait a moment."

Xue Chen simply turned the chips in his hand, with no intention of leaving. He completely ignored the strange looks and mocking tones around him.

"Kid, don't say I didn't warn you. Leave while you've won this much. Otherwise, no matter how much money you have, I'm afraid you won't be walking out that door."

Xue Chen raised his head and looked at the man glaring at him with jealous eyes. "A man like you, who sells his daughter to fund his gambling, is giving others kind advice?"

It was as though Xue Chen had hit the mark. The man's face flushed red, and he unconsciously took several steps back. Then, humiliated and enraged, he lunged forward to grab Xue Chen by the collar. "You little bastard, you're talking nonsense... Argh!" Before his hand could touch Xue Chen, he was kicked away.

"I'm not here to fight. He was the one who started it." Xue Chen spoke calmly when he saw two large men approaching from the side of the casino.

The two men exchanged a glance, then dragged the man out. Naturally, they gagged him before taking him away.

"You're pretty arrogant, kid." At that moment, the "colleague" replacing the previous dealer had arrived.

"Whether I'm arrogant or not, we'll find out at the table." The corners of Xue Chen's lips lifted slightly when he saw the man before him. He finally took the bait?

"I especially admire people like you, people who dare to stand up to me face-to-face. Then I won't hold back." The man had not expected this young-looking kid to be completely unfazed by his imposing presence, and he could not help feeling a little admiration for him.

"Begin." The man sat down at the gambling table and began shaking the dice.

His technique was highly practiced, not as flashy as the previous dealer's. After only a couple of shakes, he stopped and covered the dice cup. Then he flipped it over and slammed it onto the table with a bang. "Your turn to bet."

"Triple ones!" Xue Chen said calmly, then placed all the money before him on it.

Cooperation

"Bang!" The man set the dice cup down on the table again, this time with far more force than before. Looking at Xue Chen, whose front was piled high with chips, sweat now covered his temples. "Your turn to bet—!"

"Low. All the chips again," Xue Chen replied with a smile, though a sly glint flashed through his eyes.

Looking at the mountain of chips piled before him, the man's expression turned grave. "You win! Everything here, including the operation upstairs, is yours."