The colossal gambling ship, like a mighty giant, was docked at the pier. After boarding, a steward offered to escort them to a cabin, but Pu Suying declined.
"You're busy, go ahead. We can find our way ourselves."
After the steward left, Pu Suying said, "I'm warning you, don't even think about escaping. Otherwise, I'll find you no matter where you go."
Long Xiao reluctantly followed Pu Suying to the ship's bow and found a spot to sit and wait for departure.
The gambling games only commenced once the ship reached international waters. All levels of the ship offered entertainment, but Long Xiao wasn't interested, nor was Pu Suying.
The two sat at the bow, the slightly chilly, salty sea breeze blowing around them.
Amidst the blare of the ship's horn, the gambling ship slowly set sail. As Long Xiao watched the lights on the pier recede, he was about to say something when Ruan Jinxiang approached.
"Elder Long, the sea breeze is a bit chilly. How about we go inside the cabin for a drink to liven ourselves up?"
Long Xiao glanced at Pu Suying. She had already stood up, and he quickly followed suit.
The three entered the bar, where many people greeted Pu Suying and Ruan Jinxiang. Long Xiao scanned the crowd, but recognized no one.
They ordered three glasses of red wine and sat down to chat and drink. Long Xiao knew nothing about the gambling ship, so Ruan Jinxiang gave him a detailed explanation.
The owner of the gambling ship was Zheng Tai, a young playboy in his early twenties. People speculated he had someone backing him, but no one knew who it was.
The entire gambling ship was peaceful and orderly, with armed guards occasionally patrolling. No one dared to cause trouble on board.
After finishing their wine, Ruan Jinxiang suggested they go to the third floor to take a look. The main gambling event of the night was to be held in the third-floor hall, which was now open.
Long Xiao followed the two beauties to the third floor. The hall was bustling with people, and various gambling games were in full swing. In the center of the hall, a large gambling table was being set up by the staff.
Long Xiao didn't know how to play, so he could only watch from the sidelines. Ruan Jinxiang and Pu Suying quickly got into the game, exchanged their chips, and started playing on the machines.
At 8:30 PM, ticket checks began, and the area was cleared. Only those with special tickets were allowed to stay; everyone else had to watch the game on a large screen outside.
The staff checked tickets, and most of the people in the hall were escorted out. All the machines were shut down, and the staff brought in chairs and arranged them.
Long Xiao and the others found seats, and soon groups of people began to enter. Many cast surprised glances at Long Xiao, Ruan Jinxiang, and Pu Suying.
Soon, the scions of the major families of Hong Kong City and celebrities from various circles began to take their seats.
Long Xiao rested with his legs crossed, his eyes closed. These people were beneath his notice. In his eyes, they paled in comparison to the scions of prominent families in China, in terms of both strength and culture.
"Elder Hu, hello."
A voice sounded by Long Xiao's ear. He opened his eyes and saw Qian Luo. He quickly smiled and said, "President Qian, please find a seat."
They waited until the event was about to start, but still, no one from South Korea appeared. Long Xiao asked in a low voice, "Suying, why don't I see any of your South Korean people?"
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? The people from our South Korean association have all been injured by you and sent to the hospital."
Long Xiao gave an awkward laugh. "I didn't do it on purpose. I forgot about it."
At 9 PM, a group of Japanese people entered, escorting a portly Japanese man.
The portly Japanese man, dressed in a light green suit, walked with a swagger, exuding arrogance.
Kameida Kyuji and his subordinates followed the胖子, appearing extremely arrogant and conceited, as if invincible.
The胖子 didn't greet the notaries or the referee. He directly sat down at the central gambling table, at the seat reserved for him.
The Gambling King of Hong Kong City entered alone, smiling broadly. He greeted people as he walked, appearing very approachable.
"Thank you, esteemed notaries and Uncle Xiao," the Gambling King of Hong Kong City said, cupping his fists to the notaries and referee.
Although Uncle Xiao was over eighty years old, he was full of vigor. Seeing that both parties had arrived, he looked at the Gambling King of Hong Kong City and said, "Mr. Long, according to the rules, you can bring two assistants."
The Gambling King of Hong Kong City smiled. "I came in a hurry and forgot to bring them. Can I pick two from the audience?"
"That should be acceptable. I'll ask the Japanese Gambling King, and if he agrees, then it's fine."
The referee, Uncle Xiao, asked, and then nodded at the Gambling King, "Mr. Long, you may choose two assistants from the audience."
The Gambling King of Hong Kong City stood up and scanned the audience. When he saw Long Xiao, his face lit up with a smile. He beckoned to Long Xiao and said, "Brother Hu, can you do me a favor?"
Long Xiao suspected that this was all arranged by Nodano Kemono, so he stood up without hesitation.
Seeing Long Xiao stand, Pu Suying also stood up and said, "I'm going too."
"You shouldn't get involved in this sort of thing. You don't know how to gamble."
"You don't know how to gamble either?" Pu Suying retorted, giving Long Xiao a glare.
Long Xiao was rendered speechless by Pu Suying's retort and hesitated. The Gambling King of Hong Kong City said, "It's alright, let the little princess come along."
Long Xiao and Pu Suying walked up and sat beside the Gambling King of Hong Kong City. The Gambling King of Hong Kong City smiled and said, "Little Princess, I thought you were returning to your country. You haven't left yet?"
Pu Suying pointed at Long Xiao and said, "It's all because of this fellow. He broke my brother's leg. My brother can't leave, so I have to stay with him in Hong Kong for a few more days."
After a few pleasantries, the referee announced the start of the game. Long Xiao had no idea how to gamble and could only sit and watch.
The first round was a dice game. As the Japanese Gambling King prepared to shake the dice, Long Xiao spread his vital energy, intending to observe the movement of the dice within the cup.
As soon as his vital energy spread out, he detected two different vital energies also spreading out simultaneously. The three vital energies intertwined and converged on the dice cup.
Long Xiao finally understood. The so-called Gambling King competition was not about gambling skills, but about the control of vital energy.
The Japanese Gambling King and the Gambling King of Hong Kong City both looked at Long Xiao. They sensed that their vital energy was far inferior to Long Xiao's, and they were no match for him.
The Japanese Gambling King's hand remained on the dice cup, unmoving. He turned to look at his two assistants beside him and said, "Which of you will shake for the first round?"
Kameida Kyuji couldn't resist and said, "My lord Gambling King, I will."
The Japanese Gambling King smiled, moved his hand away, and Kameida Kyuji's hand reached for the dice cup.
The Gambling King of Hong Kong City looked at Long Xiao and said, "Brother Hu, they're letting their assistants take over. Why don't you shake for me this time?"
Long Xiao nodded in agreement and casually asked, "How does one win?"
"The one with the higher number wins."
The Gambling King of Hong Kong City withdrew his vital energy. Suddenly, another vital energy emanated from the Japanese Gambling King's body. One vital energy was directed at Long Xiao, while the other controlled the dice within the cup.
Kameida Kyuji looked at the Japanese Gambling King, who nodded. He smiled, and without any hesitation, began to shake the dice cup.