Chapter 712: Chapter 714: The Bet
Nian Shutong wandered around the casino for a while before she ran out of the few chips she had exchanged. Lian Qing, who had been following her, breathed a sigh of relief. Having lost all, surely they would leave now?
Although Lian Qing was adept at understanding human nature and could handle matters transparently, he genuinely did not gamble.
His father had forbid it.
"Lian Qing, go exchange for ten million in chips—we are starting to play for real now."
Ten million?
Starting to play for real?
Lian Qing couldn’t help but gasp, but still calmly went to make the exchange.
When he returned, carrying a tray of chips to where Nian Shutong had positioned herself, she had already picked out a spot and walked over with him.
Her initial walk around was not aimless—it had a specific purpose.
Nian Shutong had gambled a few times within the Cultivation World, but those were gambling sessions set up by cultivators themselves, each with its unique flair.
However, she recognized one thing—when it came to gambling, there were major arenas which ordinary small-time gambling could not compare to. In such big scenes, what was gambled might not necessarily be money.
Upon her arrival at Floating Star, she glanced at the final level of Moshi mines with her Divine Sense and noticed several marked areas with serial numbers, which piqued her interest.
Thus, she checked up on information about Moshi, a type of mineral that grows rapidly but requires very harsh conditions.
Generally, Moshi is found only at the top layer, with a high probability of other minerals lying beneath it.
Yet, the extraction of these minerals is extremely difficult, with no technology capable of viewing the minerals inside.
Nian Shutong had some speculations, but having just arrived here, she definitely wouldn’t come into contact with them, so winning a certain amount would certainly attract attention.
As long as someone wanted to gamble, the house would not turn them away but instead invite them to better and bigger games.
What Nian Shutong needed to do now was win.
Nian Shutong chose the simplest gambling table—one for dice betting on high or low.
As she sat down, she smiled slightly at the person across, lounged back comfortably in her chair, casually grabbed a handful of chips, and tossed them on the "low."
"I bet on low."
"Sorry, madam, I haven’t rolled the dice yet."
Nian Shutong relaxed against the back of her chair, not even looking at the table, and said, "No matter, let’s try our luck."
The experienced operator behind the table could only nod, then started shaking the dice, saying towards Nian Shutong’s direction before opening the dice cup, "I am rolling the dice now."
"Four, five, six, high."
Sitting nonchalantly, Nian Shutong, with the same gesture and tone, again extended her hand.
"Betting on low."
The dice on the table were picked up again and shaken,
"Five, five, six, high."
Nian Shutong felt indifferent, and so did Lian Qing standing behind her. He wasn’t concerned about the money, nor other things; he only worried about Nian Shutong getting addicted.
What really worried him was that if she got frustrated after becoming addicted, she might destroy this place, and he completely believed that Nian Shutong had that capability.
However, after observing Nian Shutong’s consistent actions three times, Lian Qing could see a hint of a strategy in her mind.
Knowing this, Lian Qing’s heart settled, and he quietly logged off of Fu Yunhe’s Light Computer.
At this point, Nian Shutong had already lost ten consecutive rounds, yet she still continued to bet on low.
The person shaking the dice was beginning to sweat because a few times, she intended to roll low, but for some reason, the dice continued to show high.
The dice rattled once more, the woman put down the dice cup, her expression somewhat premonition, then lifted the lid.
"One, two, three, small."
Nian Shutong seemed quite surprised and shook her head, patting her hands and saying, "Luck has arrived."
When luck arrives, it means someone is about to win.
The woman promptly pressed a button and said to Nian Shutong, "Sorry, my time is up. Another dice shaker will serve you."
"Okay."
Nian Shutong didn’t mind at all and leaned back in her chair. The woman across from her stepped down while a familiar figure approached, the same woman from the starship who had watched over Lian Qing.
The woman stepped up onto a small podium and said to Nian Shutong, "Hello, I am Ye Zi."
Nian Shutong just nodded, not saying anything. She found the woman odd as she kept staring at her mole.
She had been interested in Lian Qing, but ever since she arrived, she hadn’t given him a single glance.
"Let’s begin."
Ye Zi hadn’t gotten a name, but still, she started her service with a smile.
Following that, one phrase kept being repeated at the table.
"One, two, three, small."
"One, two, three, small."
"One, two, three, small."
...
Within a few rounds, Nian Shutong had won back everything she lost, and the numbers continued to climb. The tray that Lian Qing was holding was almost overflowing with chips.
Ye Zi knew she was dealing with an expert, she wasn’t a match, so there was no need to gamble further.
"Do you have any interest in trying a higher stakes project?" Ye Zi asked.
"Oh? What kind of project?"
Nian Shutong’s response let Ye Zi know that she was here for the big stakes, and if she wasn’t allowed to participate, she would just sit here and keep winning all day.
Ye Zi respectfully descended the podium and said to Nian Shutong, "This way, please. I will personally take you to find out more."
Nian Shutong stood up and said to Ye Zi, "It’s good to deal with intelligent people."
Her frankness made Ye Zi even more curious about the person, she wanted to ask several times but dared not.
After all, there were many people with moles in this world.
Ye Zi didn’t ask, and naturally, Nian Shutong wouldn’t say anything either. She followed Ye Zi with Lian Qing for a while, eventually entering a door. The corridor behind the door was somewhat dark. After about two minutes, they reached another door.
Ye Zi swiped something to prove, and the door opened.
The enclosed environment was dimly lit, but the space was large, filled with many well-dressed people. If it weren’t for the casino setting, one might mistake it for an upscale banquet.
"Please come in, this is our casino’s VIP area. The betting minimum is a hundred million. You can participate in various projects here after paying a certain amount as a deposit," Ye Zi briefly introduced before turning away and leaving, not engaging in much conversation.
Nian Shutong’s purpose was simple, she wanted to know if there were mining bets and how they were gambled.
She walked around the area with Lian Qing, who had gathered up the chips. Finally, she found what she was looking for, and indeed there was.
Nian Shutong stepped forward unhesitatingly and asked, "How can I participate in this mining bet?"
Her question drew many looks. A strange woman coming to bet on mining?
"Madam, mining betting requires a ten billion deposit. You select a piece of mining land, and everything vertical down to three hundred meters is yours. You need to mine the stones on the spot, and the outcome will be determined based on what you obtain."
"The mined stones will be yours, and you will also receive a share of other people’s bets."
"Oh... I understand. Let’s pay."