Zhou Lin

The gambling venue that Masako chose is located underground in this luxury hotel and can be reached directly by taking the hotel elevator.

But that floor is not open to everyone, and even hotel staff cannot go there at will; if you want to get to "that floor", you must first use a door card or employee ID card with "special permissions" Swipe on the swipe card of the elevator. After the elevator door is completely closed, press the five specific floor keys in a fixed sequence, and finally press the emergency button.

After completing the above operation, the elevator will go directly to the secret underground floor without any further stops on the way, and the external floor display will also become a false number.

Simply put, if you want to go down to that secret floor, you must first obtain permission in some way, or have a regular customer take you in.

Sakaki also knew very well that the places he entered in this way were most likely illegal casinos, illegal auctions, illegal private clubs, etc. He had also been there before when he was in Kagetsu Town. This kind of place, of course... compared to the place he was about to go to now, the places in Kagetsu Town seemed a bit low.

…………

After getting out of the elevator, Sakaki and Solid followed Masako and a group of bodyguards in black through a bustling underground casino.

When Masako and the others passed by, many casino staff had their hands free to nod to Masako, and some came forward to bow. Obviously, this casino...like the entire hotel above, is also a "Shenwukai" " industry.

If there is any difference between this place and those casinos on the ground, it may be that there are fewer restrictions on bets: from beautiful girls, to young children, from fresh organs, to smuggled cultural relics... those who possess People with a lot of money and social resources are here wantonly chasing the greatest excitement that gambling can bring. They seem to use their actions to show the world that if a group of people are allowed to live on the corrupt soil for too long, the expansion of human beings will What sick and ugly fruits lust can bear.

…………

Silently, the group of people came straight to a very spacious private room.

Luxurious decoration and furniture are quite common in this place, so I won’t go into details here. When Sakaki, Solid and Masako sat down on both sides of a round table, several bodyguards in black had also arrived. Close the door to the room and guard the only exit.

"Do you two want something to drink?" When Masako asked this question, he raised his hand casually and waved it twice at the bodyguard Sanada standing behind him. I don't know how the blind man noticed it, let alone How did he interpret the information from this simple waving gesture... Anyway, after Masako waved her hand, he immediately turned around to the bar on the side of the room and brought over a bottle of ice-cold blueberry juice.

"I don't need it, thank you." On the other side, Solid refused the other party's kindness.

But Sakaki's answer was: "A pot of sake should be cooked for about a year and warmed to 35 degrees." I thought that his words would be over here, but unexpectedly, "I also need half a white chicken, cut it vertically, and it must be warmed to 35 degrees." The wings have legs, and the dipping sauce should be a high-end soy sauce with scallions and a dash of mustard. In addition, make me a plate of cold tofu. I want soft tofu, use a bamboo kitchen knife to cut it, and don't dip it. Add the iron flavor, the knife skills should be delicate, sprinkle with bonito flakes, um... don’t season it with soy sauce, just use miso and grated radish to make a sauce."

If it were anyone else or in other places, when the host heard this kind of request at the gaming table, he would most likely say back: "I'm just asking you what to drink. Why do you think this is ordering food in a restaurant?" And you still have so many demands?"

However, Masako would not be like this; the high-end casino of the Kambukai would not treat guests like this.

"I can't tell... you are quite particular." Masako said, turning to look at the man in black clothes next to him, "You heard everything, go and make arrangements."

"Yes." The man in black didn't have any objection. After receiving the instruction, he immediately responded, nodded slightly to Masako, and then left the room.

"Is this considered particular?" A few seconds later, Sakaki continued in a tone that was scornful, "This is already very casual, okay?"

"Oh? Then what do you think is exquisite?" Masako asked with interest.

"If I really want to be particular, I have to have requirements on the origin and production process of each ingredient and condiment." Sakaki added.

"You can rest assured, I have already taken care of this." Masako replied.

"Huh...how to control it? Just buy the most expensive one?" Sakaki said with a smile.

"Sakaki-kun, do you think I am the kind of person who judges things by their price?" Masako took another sip of blueberry juice and continued, "Clothing, food, medicine, jewelry, skin care products, real estate, Cars, shell companies that don't live up to their name... all these things that can be called 'commodities' and can be 'traded', their value is nothing more than the greed of the businessman and the feeling they can bring to consumers.

“We call this game full of ‘falseness’ the law of the market, but in fact, it is just a model for the powerful and oligarchic capitalists who control the rules of the game to eat away at the people.

"All most people see is the underlying reflection, like... the price of something is outrageous, and they say, 'Only a fool would buy something that expensive. That's just not worth it'.

"What's interesting is that this sentence itself is correct, but when it is said by a person who wants to buy it but can't afford it, it means completely different things than when it is said by me..."

Masako's tone when she said this did not reveal the slightest arrogance, but it was this attitude, coupled with the content of what she said, that could easily cause discomfort to many people.

"But 'gamble' is different..." She continued, "Two people bet on a 'value item' that each other agrees on, whether that thing is priceless or worthless to the world... In the end, the winner The winner takes everything from the loser, even if it may not be useful to him/her... There is no game more exciting, more absurd, and more realistic than this.”

When Sakaki heard this, he put on an indifferent expression: "Sister Masako, I'm just talking to you about food... I don't care about your understanding of gambling; every gambler has his own uniqueness." The 'view on gambling' is that we seek common ground while reserving differences."

"Okay." Masako also shrugged and continued, "Since you only want to know that... then I will use the miso you asked to add to the tofu as an example: the miso I use here is all made by myself in Hokkaido. After harvesting the soybeans cultivated on the farm, a specialist will select them one by one. Those with defects in any aspect, such as shape, size, color, etc., will not be used. They will be screened in this way for more than three times, and then the most traditional ancient methods will be used. Production means soaking the soybeans in a large wooden basin filled with hot spring water on a winter morning, and having someone wash your feet and put on straw sandals to make them. During the process, you will stir them by hand while adding other raw materials and then ferment... Oh, By the way, when I say 'special person', I am referring to a female high school student with a good face, a slim figure, and who has never had sex with a man.

"What I said...'there are food controls' is roughly what I mean."

When he finished speaking, Sakaki's expression became a little subtle. He always felt that he knew something that might be better if he didn't know it, but he was also a little excited for no reason.

"So particular..." Two seconds later, Sakaki said again, "How about... give me another plate of snacks?"

"Okay, there are ready-made snacks." Masako waved again, and behind her, Sanada quickly ran to the bar, took out a plate of dry snacks from the refrigerator and delivered it to Sakaki.

"Hey, this peanut cake looks good." Sakaki said as he eagerly took a big bite, "emmm... the taste is really different."

"That's right." Masako continued, "Every peanut used in this meal is put into the mouth and peeled by the old lady who has lost all her teeth. It is much cleaner than machine peeling."

Her words made Sakaki almost choke to death on the spot.

"You're probably overreacting." Solid looked at his companions with a rather cold look, and added with schadenfreude, "When I was in prison, I saw other people drinking fruit wine brewed from toilets, but they weren't as exaggerated as you."

"Okay! Enough nonsense! What are we betting on?" Sakaki finally swallowed the peanut cake in his mouth, and then started talking about the topic with an unhappy look on his face.

Masako smiled mysteriously, put down the blueberry juice in his hand, and then glanced at a man in black clothes standing against the wall. The latter understood, turned around, walked to a cabinet, and took out a suitcase.

The man in black clothes took the suitcase over, placed it flat on the round table between Sakaki and Masako, and then retreated to the wall.

"Is this gambling equipment?" Sakaki asked upon seeing this, "So... is it Mahjong? Poker? Or Pai Gow?"

"Ha..." Masako smiled, "Sakaki-kun, I know your methods well. I must admit that I have no chance of winning on those projects with you. Even if you don't make a fortune... I'm afraid I'm not your opponent. .”

"That is to say... what we want to play does not require 'gambling skills' in the general sense." Sakaki continued.

"That's right." When Masako said this, Sanada had already stepped forward and opened the suitcase.

The inside of the box was solid, with a set of inserts inside. There were only two things embedded in the mold - a pistol and a bullet.

The gun is an Uberti Cutlerman revolver, with a rare bright silver body and a dark red wooden handle. The gun body is also carved with detailed patterns, and the wooden handle has a hint of vegetable oil aroma, which is obviously... It has regular maintenance, and it's not a mass-produced product at first glance.

The bullet is a .45 caliber bullet matching this gun.

"Hey...are you trying to play Russian roulette?" As soon as Sakaki saw those two things, he sneered, "We have to cooperate in the future. Is it really okay to play this kind of life-betting game?"

"What does it matter?" Masako responded calmly, "If I win, then the Shenwuhui will not have to cooperate with you, and your death will not affect the living me who will take over your bet - Sakura Mansion in the future; And if you win, my death will not affect your cooperation with the Shenwu Association. Accepting defeat is an iron rule of the Shenwu Association, and no one will seek revenge from you or refuse to fulfill the joint bet."

"It makes sense." The next second, Solid added, "Ms. Masako, you can rest assured that we can also guarantee that if Sakaki dies in the gambling game, Inverse Cross will never let him go. Bet or take revenge on you.”

"Brother...are you here to protect me?" Hearing this, Sakaki couldn't help but look at Solid with empty eyes and complained.

"Who told you to tell others that you can gamble on anything? Besides... aren't you confident that you can win on anything? If you win, you won't die, right?" Solid's response was very reasonable and surprising. Can't refute.

"You two... don't rush to plan your funeral. I haven't mentioned the rules of this game yet." Masako interrupted the two people and continued with a smile, "The original Russian roulette is actually a very boring game. The game is just a competition of courage and luck, without any skills at all... We might as well play something more complicated."

In the next few minutes, Masako began to personally explain the rules of this gambling game. This was a game designed by herself, called "Guessing Roulette."

As the name suggests, this is a highly strategic game that combines word guessing and Russian roulette.

First, let the two parties be A and B. In the preparation stage of the game, A and B each write a noun on a piece of paper - the noun cannot be a person's name, but can be the name of a special creature or individual, such as "King Kong", "God" and so on.

After finishing writing, both parties rolled up the note and put it into the suitcase (you can put it in the pistol-shaped groove). Then, both parties agreed on "attack first" and "attack last", and then the party "attack first" went to Load bullets into the gun chamber, "rotate the chamber", and then the game officially begins.

Assuming A attacks first, A has four options:

1. Shoot yourself in the head. If you are not dead, ask the other party a question (the question must be about the noun written by the other party, and the question format must be "yes" or "no", otherwise the other party can refuse to answer ).

Second, end your turn without shooting, and let the opponent ask you a question.

Third, re-rotate the chamber, then shoot yourself twice in the head. If you are not dead, ask the other party two questions.

Fourth, push out the wheel to check the position of the bullet, and then push it back intact, allowing the opponent to ask themselves two questions, and can only choose "one" or "three" when it is your next turn.

When A's turn ends, it enters B's turn, with the same four choices, and so on.

When the content of the "question" has been specific to a certain word, such as "Is the word you wrote 'slippers'?" such a question, it is regarded as "guessing the answer". If you guess the answer incorrectly, you need to Immediately shoot oneself in the head (regardless of whose turn it is at that time). If the guess is correct, you can immediately shoot four shots at the opponent. If the opponent is still alive at this time, both parties need to rewrite the words and start a new round from the beginning. .

Of course, there is one last rule that does not need special explanation - if any player is shot and dies during the game, the game will be over.

…………

When Masako finished explaining the rules, the dishes Sakaki ordered had also been delivered. They were all cold dishes, so they were served quickly.

To be fair, the chicken and tofu were really delicious. Even without Masako's explanation, Sakaki understood that these were high-end flavors that could not be eaten anywhere else. He only hoped... that this would not become his "last supper."

"Before we start, in order to show fairness, you can check all the props you need, including guns, bullets, boxes, and paper and pens. If you have any questions, you can ask them." Masako still seemed very leisurely and seemed ...the victory is certain.

Sakaki was not polite to the other party. He checked every prop very carefully, and finally said: "I hope to use the paper and pen we brought ourselves."

He did not explain the reason, but there was no need to explain. Masako naturally knew that there was a kind of "remote rubbing paper" on the market (black market). It looked no different from ordinary paper, but there were extremely tiny electronic components hidden inside. When you When writing on it, even if the force used is very light, it will be sensed and displayed on the screen of the receiver corresponding to the piece of paper.

In the underground world, there are all kinds of cheating props specially invented for gambling, many of which are even more advanced than those used by government agents, and they are completely cost-effective.

Many of these props are far beyond the common sense and imagination of ordinary people. Even if the gamblers at the bottom lose and die on them, they will not know the secrets, so they deserve to die...

"Okay, but I also want to check the paper and pen you brought out." Masako's request was also reasonable.

To make a long story short, after both parties have done all the preparations (both have finished writing the words and put them in the box), it’s time for the first game point of the "Word Guessing Roulette"...

"So... now it's time to decide who will attack first and who will attack last?" Sakaki asked while eating tofu.

"I am the host and you are the guest, so I will let you get ready first." Masako answered this sentence quickly, obviously he had already planned to attack from behind.

"No, no, no, ladies first, you go first." Sakaki is not someone who is easily taken advantage of.

"Equality between men and women has been advocated for many years. Isn't it a bit discriminatory for you to do this?" Masako began to use the moral grill.

"That's right...even if you put aside the gender issue, you are still a princess, so there is nothing wrong with you." Sakaki didn't accept this trick. He could make excuses like this for a whole day.

"You are wrong. It is precisely because you are a princess that you have to set an example. I am so close to the people, how can I use my status to bully you and force you to give in to me?" Masako said again.

This time, before Sakaki could reply, Solid interjected first: "Okay, you go first...it will be dawn by now." He looked at Sakaki and said, "If you die in the first round , it can only be said that the God of Gambling has abandoned you."

"I don't know if the God of Gambling has abandoned you. I just want to abandon you now." Sakaki said back to Solid with his dead eyes.

"This won't work. If you die, I'll have to collect your body." Solid also had something to say, clearly showing that he didn't know how to chat and didn't care.

"Tch! Okay, I'll go first!" Sakaki looked like he was angry. As soon as he said it, he picked up the gun, stuffed the bullet into the wheel, and then spun the wheel. Shoot, then he pointed the muzzle of the gun at his temple and decisively pulled the trigger.