Chapter 154.1 The Horror Club
Both sides invested a lot of chips one after the other, but neither Bank President nor Wen Shi felt that these chips could satisfy the balance scale.
Bank President, wearing a calm expression, asked Boss Mei in a different way, “What conditions do we need to meet to figure out the standard for the quantity change?”
Xiao Hua making a move alone didn’t scare him much. Bank President had a 70% chance of persuading the incoming players to invest. However, after Li Nan placed a large bet, it became almost impossible for any more players to follow suit and take the risk. Even the bank employees began to ponder and hesitate.
If a qualitative change had already happened, he would promptly give up the first move. In any case, in a state of qualitative change, everyone’s chances were even.
Boss Mei stared at the embroidery on her red robe as if she hadn’t heard anything.
She had already shown through her attitude that she wouldn’t reveal the exact value of the qualitative change, regardless of the cost.
Before Bank President made his decision, Xiao Hua casually threw a few chips with a curious smile on her face. “Even though I don’t really get the rules yet, let’s say, even if you lose, you’ll only be losing the chips you’ve put in earlier. That amount isn’t much for you. Why not cut your losses?”
Bank President said coldly, “I don’t like being on the losing side.”
Wen Shi, who had been silent all along, finally lifted his head from deep thought. He suspected that under the burden of debt, if Bank President lost big once, the godly weapon would change hands immediately.
The validity of this conclusion would become clear by observing whether the others would follow suit.
Half a minute passed, just as Boss Mei was about to urge, chips fell like snowflakes. Bank President chose to bet. When it came to wealth accumulation, the ten major guilds couldn’t compare to Wangcai Bank.
The key to betting was to overwhelm others with momentum. Bank President doubled his chips, successfully furrowing Xiao Hua’s brows.
He returned Li Nan’s original question, “Guild Leader Li, are you still in?”
Li Nan, unlike the assertive Bank President, stood quietly on the side, seemingly with no intention to continue betting.
He had already helped solve the biggest challenge: making the players brought by Bank President to stop betting. Smart people didn’t need someone to spoon-feed them. If Pei Wenwei couldn’t handle what was left, it would be somewhat disappointing.
Wen Shi, of course, understood that he needed to take control manually from here on.
Suddenly, he spoke up, “Can I have three minutes alone?”
Wen Shi didn’t immediately contact the host as originally planned. It seemed he was preparing to adopt a more effective strategy.
Boss Mei was quite polite. “As long as the final investment in chips is substantial.”
Her intention was quite straightforward: under the condition of expanding the gambling stakes, anything could be negotiated.
After receiving a clear response, Wen Shi moved to the other side, hidden behind the Money Scale. He found himself conveniently in the blind spot of everyone’s vision. Others could only vaguely observe Wen Shi seemingly talking to himself at first, but not long after, an eerie black mist began to emanate from the corner.
This strange behavior made Bank President feel quite hesitant.
After a moment, surprisingly, Wen Shi started making a phone call. The call lasted less than thirty seconds. He briskly returned and handed the phone to Boss Mei.
Everyone was watching this scene closely. Whatever was said on the phone was unknown, but Boss Mei smiled broadly and said, “Materialistic money means nothing to me, it doesn’t make chips. From what I can see at present, you* can only offer something valuable.”
[T/N: you*: she was using the respectful form of “you”]
The respectful address caused a change in the expressions of those present.
After a couple more sentences on the other end of the call, Boss Mei lightly shook her leg and said, “It seems you* understand this as well. Well, this is also a way out for you*.”
No one could understand what Boss Mei was saying, but confirmation could be sought from someone else.
Bank President cast a sidelong glance at Wen Shi and was quite surprised to find that Wen Shi’s expression also carried a lingering sense of astonishment.
Soon, there was only the sound of a beeping signal from the phone’s other end. Boss Mei casually tossed a plum blossom branch, and a single chip landed accurately in Wen Shi’s tray.
Everyone’s attention was fixed on this single chip. Xiao Hua brought out protective goggles, slowing down the descent of the chip’s reflection in the lens to examine it more closely.
This was a distinct chip with a coin value partly obscured by natural mosaic. The moment it touched the tray, the entire balance tilted drastically.
Boss Mei impartially inquired of Bank President, “He’s brought in external assistance. Would you like to do the same?”
On the side, Wen Shi chimed in earnestly, “If you’d like, I can make the introduction for a mediation fee of just ten thousand points, guaranteed to be useful.”
He even raised his hand. “I swear.”
Bank President paid no heed to his words. The significant tilt of the balance indicated that the chip with the unclear coin value was substantial, perhaps enough to trigger a qualitative change.
He fell silent for a moment, a hint of calculation in his eyes. When he lifted his eyelids decisively, he spoke two words, “I abstain.”
By his words, it meant he wouldn’t continue.
He had invested quite a bit earlier, and going further would be like pouring money into a bottomless pit, impractical.
Bank President had a faint premonition. The last chip was extraordinarily huge, and unless he emptied the entire bank’s reserves, it might not be enough to match.
Boss Mei stood up on the grading dial. “Today’s first move has already…”
Before he could finish speaking, a plum blossom suddenly bloomed on its own, falling and hitting her head. Boss Mei exaggeratedly exclaimed in pain until she read the message conveyed by the plum blossom, then her smile returned. “Wow, two unexpected bettors have joined the game.”
In front of everyone, she tossed two consecutive chips into Wen Shi’s tray and happily stomped her feet. “Big business, big business!”
Suddenly receiving support from an unknown source, Wen Shi didn’t display any signs of being pleasantly surprised.
Their extravagant action that could even make Boss Mei exclaim in amazement, coupled with their ability to convey messages remotely made it easy to guess.
True spirits.
Wen Shi contemplated the reason for their bet.
The true spirits bet after the Money Scale had tilted completely. What interested them was likely the new game that would follow the qualitative change.
Many thoughts flashed through Wen Shi’s mind in an instant. It seemed that the true spirits had already guessed what kind of game the Money Scale would offer.
“The first move is set,” Boss Mei said, smiling, and in the next moment, the tray rose again.
She waved her large sleeves, and two plum blossom seals flew out, automatically sticking to the top of the tray, decisively freezing all the chips. “The game is about to begin. Only those who have placed bets can see the game’s content. Remember to keep your eyes peeled!”
With that, a line of blood-red text rose from above the balance, like the rising sun. Unlike the pleasant scent of plum blossoms, this text emitted a foul odor with every stroke.
The game’s content was just a short sentence, but not a single person in the room could immediately look away after reading it.
【There is an unparalleled determination to hunt down the Lord of Terror. Can you tell if it succeeded?】
Boss Mei first looked at Wen Shi and asked, “Priority goes to the first mover. Are you in?”
Xiao Hua came directly behind Wen Shi, opened his mouth, and after a long pause, finally said, “Isn’t the Lord of Terror something that only exists in legends?”
Bank President and the group of players behind him were all watching this side, but there was nothing discernible on Wen Shi’s face.
Wen Shi: “……”
“You’re quite the actor,” Bank President sneered harshly, the first time he failed to control his expression.
Every time he managed to put on a more surprised look than anyone else, he wondered if it was this acting that convinced the two major guilds to step in.
Wen Shi was at a loss for words. He was genuinely shocked!
The game was generated based on the first-mover’s information, and the “unparalleled determination” undoubtedly referred to the game. So, where did the Lord of Terror come from?
After a while, Wen Shi felt an indescribable chill. Despite his resistance to incorporating an element of uncertainty, the only person around him who fit the criteria was Jian Qingrong. Before, Wen Shi had subconsciously fit Jian Qingrong into Song Yan’s mold, considering him one of a true spirit’s incarnations. After all, the Lord of Terror only existed in legends, far removed from him.
Now, it seemed that the real connection with the Lord of Terror lay with Jian Qingrong.
Unlike Wen Shi, who hadn’t unfolded his brows for a long time, Bank President, while mocking, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
More than why he was connected to the Lord of Terror, Bank President was concerned about real-world gains. In a game of this magnitude, no one could give a definite answer.
Whether he made the first move or not seemed like a trivial matter.
Despite saying so, he carried a faint unease.
Currently, the most lively place was the live chat:
【Ghostly: I’m so impatient! Did the Mirror God and others place bets too? What’s the game about?】
【Patient 109: I hate having limited abilities. If I could bet across space, I’d be willing to go bankrupt just to know the game’s content.】
【Patient 233: Curiosity is making my mental illness worse!】
……
Wen Shi glanced at the latest number of viewers, which had already exceeded ten thousand. Besides the virtual numbers brought by monster hunting, Boss Mei and the true spirits’ appearance had completely boosted the popularity to a new level.
As the number rose from【49999】to【50000】, a system notification sounded in his ear:
“Thanks to your relentless efforts, ‘Golden City’ has become a hit chapter.”
“Please earn two billion as soon as possible. As the main savior of this story chapter, you will receive unexpected benefits.”
Earning two billion wasn’t difficult. Wen Shi had already completed half of it. Now, the real challenge lay right before him.
“The bigger the gamble, the longer the betting time. No need to rush.” Boss Mei’s attitude remained pleasant. She held the plum blossom tighter. “You still have twelve hours to decide. As for the outcome of this game, if you’re lucky, you’ll see it before you leave the Golden City.”
The second half of her statement left everyone looking at each other. Normally, a game between two top entities would take some time. Who could have expected results so quickly, perhaps even before they left the game?
The once lively casino was now eerily quiet, with a sense of unease slowly spreading.
It was an age-old truth that when gods fought, mortals suffered. No one could guarantee that the clash between the game and the Lord of Terror wouldn’t involve the players. The worst-case scenario was a violent conflict, the virtual world collapsing, and the players becoming casualties.
“Why think so much? If you can’t decide, you might as well go back now.” Xiao Hua was the first to break the silence. She stretched lazily. “Continuing to wait here is just a waste of time.”
Wen Shi remained silent for a moment, agreeing with what she said.
After exchanging a nod with Boss Mei, Wen Shi gestured in the direction of the elevator. “Shall I leave then?”
Boss Mei showed no intention of stopping him. She tapped the plum blossom, and a soft plum bud appeared in Wen Shi’s hand, something he could stow away in his backpack.
“Within twelve hours, you must place a bet, understand?” Boss Mei emphasized the last word slightly, carrying a subtle warning.
Wen Shi nodded.
He turned around and had only taken a couple of steps when he stumbled over the monster corpses on the ground. Countless monster heads also blocked his path.
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