Chapter 157.1 The Horror Club
There weren’t many vehicles passing by the City Lord’s residence, so the three of them had to walk.
Wen Shi found it easiest since he was currently in his black cat form. The other two took turns carrying him forward.
Xiao Hua shook her head. “If we’re picking the laziest person in the Golden City, it would be you…”
On her shoulder, the black cat had innocent, pitch-black fur even darker than the night.
“……” You win. Who informed you that you have the capital to eat soft rice?
While others tread the night path, Wen Shi had different things to do.
He took a plum blossom bud from his backpack. The bud slyly attached itself to his triangular ear. Wen Shi shook his ear and caught it with his claw. “I’ll make a bet.”
The bud instantly turned unreal, and as it disappeared, Wen Shi’s mind slowly saw the same bud blooming. He closed his eyes and saw a small balance scale, with one side labeled “Game” in red letters and the other side filled with floating darkness, representing the Lord of Terror.
Wen Shi carefully controlled the flower with his consciousness and placed it on the tray that belonged to the Lord of Terror.
Inside the entirely dark tray, the sole hint of brightness amid the blend surprisingly exudes a remarkable sense of harmony.
At that moment, Wen Shi felt an indescribable sense of relief, unrelated to completing the bet. Ever since he joined Boss Mei’s betting game, that constant feeling of being under surveillance had weakened. He had no idea about Boss Mei’s true origin, but she was unexpectedly formidable.
After completing the bet, the small balance scale in Wen Shi’s mind quickly disappeared.
“As long as there’s a shadow of the Lord of Terror as a chip, there’s a possibility of revival.” A hint of worry reflected in the black cat’s eyes. “I just don’t know if Jian Qingrong will be affected if the main body dies.”
Xiao Hua: “Most likely not… You don’t need to worry too much. There might be a trace of the Lord of Terror’s soul in the chip, so the main body isn’t truly extinct.”
One human and one cat discussed the plot based on winning the game seriously. Li Nan didn’t join in, as he remained focused on surveillance.
Twenty minutes later, they finally spotted a passing car and successfully hitched a ride back to the casino.
The Golden Plum Casino was even livelier than when they had left. The cacophony of various dice rolling sounds gathered together, sounding more captivating to gamblers’ ears than a symphony.
They walked steadily into the elevator. Wen Shi was thinking earnestly about how to earn the remaining billion. Players had a limited time to stay in the Golden City, and once that time was exceeded, they couldn’t leave the city anymore.
【1】,【2】…… On the way up the floors, nearing the level where Wen Shi lived, Xiao Hua suddenly changed the topic from their previous discussion and said softly, “Don’t make the same mistake as it did.”
Ding!
The sound of the elevator door opening overlapped with the last few words.
Although Xiao Hua didn’t stay on this floor, she still accompanied him to the door. Wen Shi stood on her shoulder, swiped open the hotel room door, and fell into deep thought alone.
“See you tomorrow,” Xiao Hua said as she flipped her ponytail and left.
Using the nightstand as leverage, Wen Shi agilely jumped onto the bed in just a few moves.
He knew Xiao Hua’s words were a reminder not to be like the game, habitually overlooking emotional factors and always thinking about how to win. Wen Shi was also aware that in certain matters, he had unconventional avoidance tactics, like his consistent attitude toward Jian Qingrong: actively provoking, not refusing, not taking responsibility.
Dealing with instances fraught with crises had already drained his energy. Wen Shi didn’t want to delve into the significance of having a 100% favorability rating with Jian Qingrong, nor did he want to ponder why his treatment of him was different from others.
Now, this question was brought to the forefront.
Whether it was the gouged eyeball or the shadow, they inherited strong emotions from the original. This was not something a simple friend could easily define.
On the soft, large bed, the black cat lay motionless in a dark corner, hanging its head low and completely devoid of sleepiness.
Wen Shi didn’t summon the demon.
The demon didn’t voluntarily reveal its identity, indicating it, like the City Lord, needed to play their roles. Exposing them personally wouldn’t benefit either side. Before the betting game began, it was best for both of them to meet as few times as possible.
On the other side, after helping Wen Shi inside, Xiao Hua reentered the elevator.
She pretended to be distressed, as she said, “Making a little cat worry, I’m really heartless.”
When she straightened up again, Xiao Hua calmly pressed the elevator button once more. To completely avoid arousing suspicion in the game, mere talk wouldn’t be enough. Every aspect had to be carefully managed.
Players wouldn’t find enjoyment in a game, especially from Pei Wenwei’s viewpoint, where even with a guaranteed victory, a trace of discontent might persist despite consciously concealing genuine emotions. Based on observations on the way back, this cat seemed to be playing the part of someone worried, but its tail was starting to rise towards the sky.
This wasn’t Wen Shi’s fault. He had been subtly targeted by the game multiple times. Just the thought of You Fushang taking a big setback, not setting off fireworks was already quite dignified.
To immerse Wen Shi fully in the role, Xiao Hua brought up the ever-troubling topic of emotions.
Confusion, insomnia, loss of appetite… It was believed that when the game captured these pieces of information, it wouldn’t raise any extra suspicions.
Xiao Hua’s strategy was highly effective. The next day when Wen Shi reappeared, he had dark circles under his eyes.
During this time frame in the casino’s lounge area, it was easy to find a spot. Wen Shi’s eyes showed signs of fatigue as he approached and greeted with a simple “Morning.”
“Taking a job?” Xiao Hua asked him.
Wen Shi shook his head.
Since successfully protecting the City Lord, the smart machine received a large number of job offers every day. The highest-paying one offered two million, requiring a week of protecting the employer. Taking these jobs wouldn’t be enough to gather one billion within the set time.
Glancing at Li Nan, who had already started the morning shift, Wen Shi gradually formed an idea. “With Guild Leader Li’s keen observation, he probably has a basic understanding of the frequent gamblers by now.”
Li Nan must have information about which customers were well-off and who was more generous.
Raising an eyebrow, Xiao Hua asked, “What devious plan are you brewing?”
“In the Golden City, there’s no limit to lending, especially in the casinos,” Wen Shi said while sipping his coffee. “Some gamblers who have a bad night aren’t willing to walk away halfway through the game, and that’s when they need a fresh gambling fund. For well-off customers, it can be as short as a day or as long as several days, but they can certainly pay it back.”
Xiao Hua: “What if they can’t pay it back?”
Wen Shi laughed. “Then it’ll be your job to collect the debt in person.”
It was only fair to repay debts.
As Li Nan had mentioned, this short story had a relatively low death rate but still fell under the category of niche. This was because players here could make money through some common means, and the game didn’t pose many obstacles, resulting in fewer exciting moments.
It was about time for him to play it safe.
Xiao Hua may look down on Li Nan but couldn’t escape the shared fate of plain boiled water. After some thought, she said, “Let’s just transfer the money to Li Nan, give him a commission, and let Li Nan handle the lending.”
They exchanged glances. Wen Shi lowered his head to sip his coffee, trying to inquire about Li Nan’s intentions. “He wouldn’t put all the money into stocks, would he?”
Xiao Hua thought it was quite possible. After a moment of silence, they both said in unison, “Whatever.”
Love it or leave it. As long as they could get the money.
With few customers around, Li Nan was busy organizing the gambling tables. After hearing the two’s request, he calmly agreed. “Sure.”
With a major issue resolved, Wen Shi saw there was still some time left and decided to call A’Yu, asking if she wanted to go shopping.
“Are you trying to see how the Golden City is being governed under the City Lord’s rule?” Xiao Hua, who overheard, emphasized the word “lord” and teased, “Oh, it’s about love, isn’t it?”
“……”
One sentence suddenly plunged Wen Shi back into deep contemplation as he tried to unravel the tangled mess of emotions.
Seeing that he was engrossed in his thoughts again, Xiao Hua nodded in satisfaction. It not only deceived the game but also helped him sort out personal issues. What could one have against it?
While Wen Shi was lost in thought, an unexpected voice suddenly reached his ears.
“Are we leaving now?”
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