When the young constable arrived at the gambling den, he easily found Bai Lixin and the others in the crowd.
There weren’t many people at the other tables, but this particular table was surrounded by a crowd inside and out.
The young constable in his official uniform managed to squeeze in effortlessly. He saw two people facing each other across the narrow table.
On their side was Bai Lixin, and on the opposite side was the proprietress of the Xu Family Gambling Den, who was often called the “Gambling Goddess.”
Beside the proprietress, two burly men were holding a man with a face beaten blue and purple.
The man wasn’t dressed in official yamen clothing, and his face was so swollen it was almost unrecognizable, but he still recognized Constable Li Gouzi.
On their side, Zhang Biao, wearing a constable’s uniform, stood next to Bai Lixin.
The reason Zhang Biao asked him to find Bai Lixin was because it was inconvenient for him to personally intervene at the moment.
If he were in plain clothes, a beating would be just that. But they were currently wearing yamen uniforms. If they acted in the gambling den like this, they would disgrace their yamen.
Originally, the young constable thought they couldn’t save Li Gouzi today so the boss sent him to find Bai Lixin.
The proprietress on the opposite side spoke, “You want him to leave? Do you know how much silver he owes us? Just one word from you and he’s released? Sir, we’re running a legitimate business here. If everyone acted like you, we wouldn’t be able to do business anymore.”
Zhang Biao asked, “How much does he owe you?”
The proprietress replied, “If you want to pay his debt, you can. It’s not much, just five hundred taels of silver.”
Zhang Biao widened his eyes, “Five hundred taels? Why don’t you just rob him? Our annual salary is only four taels of silver.”
“In that case, it’s not my concern. If you don’t have money, then don’t gamble. He who gambles must pay his debts.” The proprietress sneered, “Let me tell you, sir, there’s no need to save him. Even if you do, he’ll do it again next time. He knows the risks of the gambling game he’s playing, but he’s greedy, greedily reaching for more than he can handle. Why bother saving such a person? It’ll only bring you trouble.”
Zhang Biao: “But he’s my brother!”
“Well, seeing how sincere you are, I’m moved by your sincerity,” the proprietress shook the dice and smiled, “we’ll play the same gambling game he played just now. If I win, you take him away; if I lose, you have to pay me the gambling debt. But I can see you’re good people, I won’t ask for the full amount, just half. How about it?”
Bai Lixin asked, “Tell me, how did you play just now?”
The proprietress said, “It’s very simple, three dice, compare sizes.”
“You roll three dice, I roll three dice. Let’s see whose total points are the smallest. The winner gets 200× their bet, the loser pays a 100×. Fair, right? Look, the winning amount is even greater. Do you want to try?”
Bai Lixin asked, “How much capital did he use in his previous game?”
The proprietress glanced at the steward beside her, and the steward immediately answered, “He originally just came with a few silver coins, trying his luck. But he had a good streak and won over twenty taels. But then his luck turned, and he lost over forty taels, leaving him owing us over twenty taels. He begged us desperately, saying he didn’t have the money. Our proprietress took pity on him and gave him a chance. She lent him five taels of silver as capital for another round of gambling.”
“He thought his chances were high, so he agreed.”
“But as you saw, he lost, and now owes our gambling den a total of over five hundred taels of silver.”
Bai Lixin glanced at the pitiful man trembling with fear, then turned to Zhang Biao, “The proprietress is right. If you save him now, he will gamble again. Do you really want to save someone like him?”
“Save!” Zhang Biao gritted his teeth, his expression fierce, “He’s not worth saving, but he has an eighty-year-old mother above him, a two-year-old child below him, a wife at home. He’s not worth saving, but his family did nothing wrong. If he can’t repay the money, his wife and child will be taken away for debt, and his elderly mother will probably be driven to death.”
Zhang Biao’s eyes were fixed on the young man who had been beaten into a pig’s head, his fierce expression resembling a ferocious beast, as if he wanted to devour the other person.
The man cowered and trembled, too scared to speak.
“Help me out, I know you have some skills. If you can save him, I, Zhang Biao, will definitely repay you,” Zhang Biao said.
Bai Lixin sighed, “Fine.”
With that, he looked at the proprietress across the table, “Is it a single round to determine the win or best out of three?”
The proprietress revealed a confident smile, “A single round to determine the win.”
Bai Lixin: “Alright, give me the dice. Are we betting on big or small?”
Three dice and a black cover were placed in front of Bai Lixin.
The proprietress picked up one die, “Let’s both roll a die casually first. Whoever gets the higher number decides whether to bet on big or small.”
Bai Lixin agreed, “Okay.”
He picked up a die, and as he tossed it, his fingers paused for a moment.
The two dice rolled on the table for a few times, Bai Lixin’s was 3, and the proprietress’s was 6.
The proprietress: “I win so I won’t be polite. Let’s bet on small.”
Bai Lixin held the three dice in his palm, contemplating, “I haven’t asked about this yet. I want to confirm our game rules. Do we place the three dice inside, cover them, shake, put them on the table, and then open the cover? Then the one with the lowest total wins?”
There was an uproar around them.
“He hasn’t played this before and dares to play now? Is he crazy?”
“This really is a case of the newborn calf not fearing tigers. Let him experience the power of the Gambling Goddess today.”
“I’m afraid this newborn calf will be sent to the slaughterhouse soon. Poor little lamb, I can’t bear to watch.”
The proprietress’s eyes widened with a smile, “You said a lot, but there’s one more thing: once the cover falls on the table, it can’t be moved anymore. This is a rule on all gambling tables.”
Bai Lixin nodded seriously, “Oh, I see.”
“One more question,” Bai Lixin continued, “Is there a monetary limit for the betting capital? He owes you five hundred taels. Can I clear the debt between you two if I earn five hundred taels?”
The proprietress: “That’s right. As long as you have the money, you can bet any amount you want.”
The young man seemed to finally understand the rules. He smiled, dug into his sleeve and pulled out a pile of gleaming gold cards.
“I don’t have anything else here, only gold. You recognize gold, right? Help me weigh this, see how much gold I have.”
Thanks to the horror game lobby, it provided them with gold prop cards.
The proprietress was momentarily stunned, then suspiciously assessed the young man across from her.
She had been in this business for many years and had encountered many who pretended to be pigs to eat the tiger.
At first, this man claimed ignorance, but then he could produce so much money. Could he be trying to deceive her?
Her scrutinizing gaze landed on the young man’s face. He was rolling the dice with an utterly clueless expression, seeming entirely ignorant of the world. He did not look like the kind of person who would pretend to be a pig and eat the tiger.
Was he really just an innocent rich young master?
Haha, their gambling den was truly blessed today. What luck!
Her expression briefly twisted with joy, then she quickly suppressed that joy. She called over her steward and had the gold weighed.
“Madam, it’s eight taels of gold in total,” the steward reported promptly.
Eight taels of gold. If the other party lost, it meant eight hundred taels of gold. What a profitable day!
The proprietress tried hard to control her lips from curving upward, “Understood. We’ll also bet eight taels of gold. Go and get the gold.”
“Just a moment, I have more.” When the steward was about to leave, the young man on the opposite side spoke again. He reached into his sleeve, pulled out a large luminous pearl, and asked, “How much is this worth?”
The proprietress’s eyes instantly lit up, “A top-quality night pearl?! This is an invaluable treasure. Are you betting with this? We don’t have that much money.”
“Is this really so valuable? I thought it was just a piece of glass, then forget it,” With that, he began to put away the Night Pearl.
The proprietress was stunned once again.
Is there any reason to take back the treasure you took out? !
That is the Night Pearl, an invaluable treasure.
He doesn’t recognize its worth?
Damn it, if she had known, she wouldn’t have spoken so hastily earlier, she could have just named a low price.
It seems the young man across is truly an ignorant rich young master. If only she could win the Night Pearl over… But what does their gambling den have that can compare to this Night Pearl?
Got it!
“Wait!” the proprietress suddenly stopped Bai Lixin’s action. “How about my gambling den? What do you think of it?”
The young man frowned, speaking disdainfully, “What do I need your gambling den for? It’s full of unsavory people.”
“It’s precisely because it’s bustling that our gambling den makes money. Don’t be deceived by its size, as long as you manage it well, this place is a goldmine.”
The young man pondered for a moment, then shook his head, “No, I still don’t like it here.”
“In that case, I’ll add all our debts to you, how about that? There are many people in this town who owe us money. When you add up those debts, it’s a substantial income.”
“It’s just IOUs; your group can’t even collect money from them. If I, a weak scholar, try, they’ll be even less afraid. Your addition doesn’t make a difference.”
Seeing Bai Lixin reject her three times, the proprietress became desperate.
The item was right in front of her; the more she couldn’t have it, the more she wanted it. It was like standing in an apple orchard where the trees were full of golden apples. A little more effort, and she could have them, she just needed to step on a few more stones beneath her feet.
The proprietress gritted her teeth, “I’ll add all the money from our stock, totaling fifty thousand silver coins and one thousand gold coins!”
There were gasps from the onlookers.
This proprietress was determined to obtain the Night Pearl.
Finally, the young man sighed lightly, “Do you love this bead so much? Since you love it that much…”
This time, the proprietress held her breath.
‘Since I love it so much…
What will you do? Could it be that you’re going to give it to me directly?
Sure enough, my charm hasn’t diminished over the years.
If he agrees to give me the bead, I’ll owe him a favor and just let this idiot loser of theirs go.’
Bai Lixin placed the Night Pearl on the table, “I’ll respectfully add it to my capital.”
He had picked this bead during the previous copy, he didn’t expect it to be so valuable.
In fact, he had many valuable items in his backpack, like the tons of diamonds. However, it seemed this era didn’t recognize diamonds.
The proprietress turned red instantly, “Let’s gamble!”
‘Bah, I knew it; there isn’t a decent man in the world; they’re all scoundrels who deceive women!’
———————————
In the live broadcast room
[Hahaha, I’m dying of laughter. Since you love it so much, let’s gamble. What kind of fish is God Xin trying to catch?]
[I don’t know what fish he’s trying to catch, but this fish has already bitten the bait firmly.]
[ God Xin’s strategy of luring enemies into the open is timeless.]
[God Xin has mastered this move perfectly; it never fails. He used the same trick in the shooting range before, and tricked the little Overlord.]
[The simpler the move, the more miraculous its effect.]
[Hunters always approach the prey as if they’re the prey themselves. Until the last moment, you never know who the real prey is.]
[I’m ready to watch the show.]
[“Knowing Nothing About Bai Lixin”]
[“You Don’t Really Understand Bai Lixin”]
[Hahahaha.]
When the young constable arrived at the gambling den, he easily found Bai Lixin and the others in the crowd.
There weren’t many people at the other tables, but this particular table was surrounded by a crowd inside and out.
The young constable in his official uniform managed to squeeze in effortlessly. He saw two people facing each other across the narrow table.
On their side was Bai Lixin, and on the opposite side was the proprietress of the Xu Family Gambling Den, who was often called the “Gambling Goddess.”
Beside the proprietress, two burly men were holding a man with a face beaten blue and purple.
The man wasn’t dressed in official yamen clothing, and his face was so swollen it was almost unrecognizable, but he still recognized Constable Li Gouzi.
On their side, Zhang Biao, wearing a constable’s uniform, stood next to Bai Lixin.
The reason Zhang Biao asked him to find Bai Lixin was because it was inconvenient for him to personally intervene at the moment.
If he were in plain clothes, a beating would be just that. But they were currently wearing yamen uniforms. If they acted in the gambling den like this, they would disgrace their yamen.
Originally, the young constable thought they couldn’t save Li Gouzi today so the boss sent him to find Bai Lixin.
The proprietress on the opposite side spoke, “You want him to leave? Do you know how much silver he owes us? Just one word from you and he’s released? Sir, we’re running a legitimate business here. If everyone acted like you, we wouldn’t be able to do business anymore.”
Zhang Biao asked, “How much does he owe you?”
The proprietress replied, “If you want to pay his debt, you can. It’s not much, just five hundred taels of silver.”
Zhang Biao widened his eyes, “Five hundred taels? Why don’t you just rob him? Our annual salary is only four taels of silver.”
“In that case, it’s not my concern. If you don’t have money, then don’t gamble. He who gambles must pay his debts.” The proprietress sneered, “Let me tell you, sir, there’s no need to save him. Even if you do, he’ll do it again next time. He knows the risks of the gambling game he’s playing, but he’s greedy, greedily reaching for more than he can handle. Why bother saving such a person? It’ll only bring you trouble.”
Zhang Biao: “But he’s my brother!”
“Well, seeing how sincere you are, I’m moved by your sincerity,” the proprietress shook the dice and smiled, “we’ll play the same gambling game he played just now. If I win, you take him away; if I lose, you have to pay me the gambling debt. But I can see you’re good people, I won’t ask for the full amount, just half. How about it?”
Bai Lixin asked, “Tell me, how did you play just now?”
The proprietress said, “It’s very simple, three dice, compare sizes.”
“You roll three dice, I roll three dice. Let’s see whose total points are the smallest. The winner gets 200× their bet, the loser pays a 100×. Fair, right? Look, the winning amount is even greater. Do you want to try?”
Bai Lixin asked, “How much capital did he use in his previous game?”
The proprietress glanced at the steward beside her, and the steward immediately answered, “He originally just came with a few silver coins, trying his luck. But he had a good streak and won over twenty taels. But then his luck turned, and he lost over forty taels, leaving him owing us over twenty taels. He begged us desperately, saying he didn’t have the money. Our proprietress took pity on him and gave him a chance. She lent him five taels of silver as capital for another round of gambling.”
“He thought his chances were high, so he agreed.”
“But as you saw, he lost, and now owes our gambling den a total of over five hundred taels of silver.”
Bai Lixin glanced at the pitiful man trembling with fear, then turned to Zhang Biao, “The proprietress is right. If you save him now, he will gamble again. Do you really want to save someone like him?”
“Save!” Zhang Biao gritted his teeth, his expression fierce, “He’s not worth saving, but he has an eighty-year-old mother above him, a two-year-old child below him, a wife at home. He’s not worth saving, but his family did nothing wrong. If he can’t repay the money, his wife and child will be taken away for debt, and his elderly mother will probably be driven to death.”
Zhang Biao’s eyes were fixed on the young man who had been beaten into a pig’s head, his fierce expression resembling a ferocious beast, as if he wanted to devour the other person.
The man cowered and trembled, too scared to speak.
“Help me out, I know you have some skills. If you can save him, I, Zhang Biao, will definitely repay you,” Zhang Biao said.
Bai Lixin sighed, “Fine.”
With that, he looked at the proprietress across the table, “Is it a single round to determine the win or best out of three?”
The proprietress revealed a confident smile, “A single round to determine the win.”
Bai Lixin: “Alright, give me the dice. Are we betting on big or small?”
Three dice and a black cover were placed in front of Bai Lixin.
The proprietress picked up one die, “Let’s both roll a die casually first. Whoever gets the higher number decides whether to bet on big or small.”
Bai Lixin agreed, “Okay.”
He picked up a die, and as he tossed it, his fingers paused for a moment.
The two dice rolled on the table for a few times, Bai Lixin’s was 3, and the proprietress’s was 6.
The proprietress: “I win so I won’t be polite. Let’s bet on small.”
Bai Lixin held the three dice in his palm, contemplating, “I haven’t asked about this yet. I want to confirm our game rules. Do we place the three dice inside, cover them, shake, put them on the table, and then open the cover? Then the one with the lowest total wins?”
There was an uproar around them.
“He hasn’t played this before and dares to play now? Is he crazy?”
“This really is a case of the newborn calf not fearing tigers. Let him experience the power of the Gambling Goddess today.”
“I’m afraid this newborn calf will be sent to the slaughterhouse soon. Poor little lamb, I can’t bear to watch.”
The proprietress’s eyes widened with a smile, “You said a lot, but there’s one more thing: once the cover falls on the table, it can’t be moved anymore. This is a rule on all gambling tables.”
Bai Lixin nodded seriously, “Oh, I see.”
“One more question,” Bai Lixin continued, “Is there a monetary limit for the betting capital? He owes you five hundred taels. Can I clear the debt between you two if I earn five hundred taels?”
The proprietress: “That’s right. As long as you have the money, you can bet any amount you want.”
The young man seemed to finally understand the rules. He smiled, dug into his sleeve and pulled out a pile of gleaming gold cards.
“I don’t have anything else here, only gold. You recognize gold, right? Help me weigh this, see how much gold I have.”
Thanks to the horror game lobby, it provided them with gold prop cards.
The proprietress was momentarily stunned, then suspiciously assessed the young man across from her.
She had been in this business for many years and had encountered many who pretended to be pigs to eat the tiger.
At first, this man claimed ignorance, but then he could produce so much money. Could he be trying to deceive her?
Her scrutinizing gaze landed on the young man’s face. He was rolling the dice with an utterly clueless expression, seeming entirely ignorant of the world. He did not look like the kind of person who would pretend to be a pig and eat the tiger.
Was he really just an innocent rich young master?
Haha, their gambling den was truly blessed today. What luck!
Her expression briefly twisted with joy, then she quickly suppressed that joy. She called over her steward and had the gold weighed.
“Madam, it’s eight taels of gold in total,” the steward reported promptly.
Eight taels of gold. If the other party lost, it meant eight hundred taels of gold. What a profitable day!
The proprietress tried hard to control her lips from curving upward, “Understood. We’ll also bet eight taels of gold. Go and get the gold.”
“Just a moment, I have more.” When the steward was about to leave, the young man on the opposite side spoke again. He reached into his sleeve, pulled out a large luminous pearl, and asked, “How much is this worth?”
The proprietress’s eyes instantly lit up, “A top-quality night pearl?! This is an invaluable treasure. Are you betting with this? We don’t have that much money.”
“Is this really so valuable? I thought it was just a piece of glass, then forget it,” With that, he began to put away the Night Pearl.
The proprietress was stunned once again.
Is there any reason to take back the treasure you took out? !
That is the Night Pearl, an invaluable treasure.
He doesn’t recognize its worth?
Damn it, if she had known, she wouldn’t have spoken so hastily earlier, she could have just named a low price.
It seems the young man across is truly an ignorant rich young master. If only she could win the Night Pearl over… But what does their gambling den have that can compare to this Night Pearl?
Got it!
“Wait!” the proprietress suddenly stopped Bai Lixin’s action. “How about my gambling den? What do you think of it?”
The young man frowned, speaking disdainfully, “What do I need your gambling den for? It’s full of unsavory people.”
“It’s precisely because it’s bustling that our gambling den makes money. Don’t be deceived by its size, as long as you manage it well, this place is a goldmine.”
The young man pondered for a moment, then shook his head, “No, I still don’t like it here.”
“In that case, I’ll add all our debts to you, how about that? There are many people in this town who owe us money. When you add up those debts, it’s a substantial income.”
“It’s just IOUs; your group can’t even collect money from them. If I, a weak scholar, try, they’ll be even less afraid. Your addition doesn’t make a difference.”
Seeing Bai Lixin reject her three times, the proprietress became desperate.
The item was right in front of her; the more she couldn’t have it, the more she wanted it. It was like standing in an apple orchard where the trees were full of golden apples. A little more effort, and she could have them, she just needed to step on a few more stones beneath her feet.
The proprietress gritted her teeth, “I’ll add all the money from our stock, totaling fifty thousand silver coins and one thousand gold coins!”
There were gasps from the onlookers.
This proprietress was determined to obtain the Night Pearl.
Finally, the young man sighed lightly, “Do you love this bead so much? Since you love it that much…”
This time, the proprietress held her breath.
‘Since I love it so much…
What will you do? Could it be that you’re going to give it to me directly?
Sure enough, my charm hasn’t diminished over the years.
If he agrees to give me the bead, I’ll owe him a favor and just let this idiot loser of theirs go.’
Bai Lixin placed the Night Pearl on the table, “I’ll respectfully add it to my capital.”
He had picked this bead during the previous copy, he didn’t expect it to be so valuable.
In fact, he had many valuable items in his backpack, like the tons of diamonds. However, it seemed this era didn’t recognize diamonds.
The proprietress turned red instantly, “Let’s gamble!”
‘Bah, I knew it; there isn’t a decent man in the world; they’re all scoundrels who deceive women!’
———————————
In the live broadcast room
[Hahaha, I’m dying of laughter. Since you love it so much, let’s gamble. What kind of fish is God Xin trying to catch?]
[I don’t know what fish he’s trying to catch, but this fish has already bitten the bait firmly.]
[ God Xin’s strategy of luring enemies into the open is timeless.]
[God Xin has mastered this move perfectly; it never fails. He used the same trick in the shooting range before, and tricked the little Overlord.]
[The simpler the move, the more miraculous its effect.]
[Hunters always approach the prey as if they’re the prey themselves. Until the last moment, you never know who the real prey is.]
[I’m ready to watch the show.]
[“Knowing Nothing About Bai Lixin”]
[“You Don’t Really Understand Bai Lixin”]
[Hahahaha.]
