After speaking, Earth Monkey walked straight to the round table and looked at the middle-aged man still sitting there.
“What’s the verdict?” Earth Monkey smiled, his wrinkled cheeks making him appear even more aged.
It was unclear whether this particular “monkey” was naturally wrinkled or if he was simply too old, but every move he made exuded an air of weariness.
“I’m done gambling,” the middle-aged man said in a low voice. “I’ve won enough for today.”
He picked out ten “Dao” from the pile in front of him and pushed them toward Earth Monkey, then pocketed the rest.
Chen Junnan glanced over—this guy had tucked away at least a dozen “Dao.”
Turning two “Dao” into over a dozen was an impressive haul, no matter which “Earth-level” game you were playing.
“No problem,” Earth Monkey nodded. “I run an honest business here. As long as you pay the price for your life, anyone can leave.”
With that, he lit another cigarette, swept all the “Dao” on the table into a cloth bag, and sat down to the side.
The onlookers around them began to disperse, but instead of leaving, they moved to the mahjong tables or returned to the round tables, organizing new rounds of gambling among themselves.
By now, Chen Junnan understood how Earth Monkey turned a profit: anyone who walked through that door had to leave behind either ten “Dao” or their life.
For Earth Monkey, it was a guaranteed win. And since he also gambled himself, winning meant even more “Dao.”
So his “game” wasn’t just dice—it was the entire casino.
From the moment you entered to the moment you left, it was all one “Earth-level game.”
If you couldn’t turn two “Dao” into at least ten, you were nothing but cannon fodder here.
Qiao Jiajin surveyed the surroundings and noticed, hidden in a corner, a custom-made slot machine and a pinball table—both with “Dao” as prizes.
Though the casino wasn’t large, it had everything you’d expect, covering all the common gambling games found in the outside world.
And this modest-sized casino was enough to lure men and women of the “Endgame” to willingly throw their lives away. After all, for some, “gambling” was far easier to pick up—and far more addictive—than any “Earth-level game.”
The only catch? The more people who participated, the higher the chances of dying.
“You two,” Earth Monkey called lazily from across the room. “If you want to play, you’ll need to pay the entry fee first. After that, you can play as much as you like.”
“Handsome lad… what do you think?” Qiao Jiajin asked. “You feel like gambling?”
“There are two things holding me back right now…” Chen Junnan’s expression turned serious.
“What things?”
“First, I only know how to play ‘Landlord,’” Chen Junnan said gravely. “No idea how high the stakes are for that here…”
“What’s ‘Landlord’?” Qiao Jiajin blinked in confusion. “Is that mahjong or pai gow?”
“It’s…” Chen Junnan sighed and looked at him. “I just called you a gambling god, and you don’t even know ‘Landlord’?”
“Uh…” Qiao Jiajin rubbed his head. “What’s the second thing?”
“The second thing is even worse…” Chen Junnan patted his pockets and asked very seriously, “Old Qiao… do we even have any money?”
Qiao Jiajin nodded solemnly. “Handsome lad, you’re absolutely right. We’re not cut out for this game.”
“Exactly,” Chen Junnan agreed. “Old Qiao, our top priority now is to head back. You can teach me the basics of gambling, and we’ll need to borrow some ‘Dao’ from someone.”
“Huh…?” Qiao Jiajin frowned. “Borrowing ‘Dao’ is one thing… but you’re seriously planning to come back and play?”
“What’s there to be afraid of? I’m a quick learner,” Chen Junnan clapped him on the shoulder. “I’ll pick up gambling in no time.”
“But weren’t you supposed to figure out how to befriend this monkey…?” Qiao Jiajin was puzzled. “Why the sudden urge to gamble?”
“What, you hate gambling?” Chen Junnan grinned. “I figure the best way to deal with a ‘gambler’ is to beat him at his own game. If we can win against him at the table, we can probably talk things out properly.”
“Handsome lad, why does that sound so familiar?”
“Yeah, Old Qiao,” Chen Junnan nodded seriously. “Isn’t that how it always goes in those Hong Kong movies of yours?”
As they spoke, Earth Monkey noticed them. He took a sip from an old teacup and said, “You two look new here. Short on cash?”
Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin froze, then turned to him.
“No money? No problem,” Earth Monkey said flatly, blowing on the tea leaves floating in his cup. “First-timers don’t need to pay entry. Sit down and play as much as you like.”
“This old bastard thinks we’re idiots,” Chen Junnan muttered under his breath. “No entry fee, but we’d still have to pay with our lives.”
“Right,” Qiao Jiajin agreed. “Besides, it’s already late. Even if we went on a winning streak, we wouldn’t make twenty ‘Dao’ before he closes up.”
“Yeah, let’s save our lives for another day.” Chen Junnan nodded, then waved at Earth Monkey. “Bit late today, Monkey Bro. We’ll come back bright and early tomorrow.”
“Fine,” Earth Monkey lifted an eyelid. “But tomorrow, you’ll be regulars. Regulars pay entry.”
“Don’t worry, I wouldn’t stiff you over pocket change,” Chen Junnan waved him off before turning away, his expression instantly cooling as he and Qiao Jiajin left the building.
They found a relatively clean building opposite Earth Monkey’s place, unpacked the backpack they’d gotten from “Cat” earlier that day, and ate some flatbread with water. Then Qiao Jiajin began schooling Chen Junnan in the basics of gambling.
To Qiao Jiajin’s surprise, despite Chen Junnan’s roguish demeanor, he genuinely knew nothing about mahjong or card games—let alone more obscure ones like pai gow.
After an intense crash course, Chen Junnan declared himself at least a “Gambling Saint,” if not a full-fledged “Gambling God.”
While he was still fired up, he taught Qiao Jiajin how to play “Landlord,” a game so fresh and innovative that it turned poker into a head-to-head battle.
By the time the sky had fully darkened, they finally called it a day, collapsing onto their makeshift beds and falling asleep almost instantly, their snores soon filling the room.
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