KyokaSuigetsu
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Chapter 15: “Fishing”
🕑 Added 2025-04-21 07:19:17 +0000 UTC[Although you wanted to teach her a lesson she wouldn't forget, you exercised caution and didn't approach right away. Instead, you stood quietly nearby like a curious bystander.]
[From listening to the conversation at the table, you learned that this tile-based gambling game, similar to mahjong, was called Imperial Jade of Dihuan—and the one who invented it was none other than the green-robed girl across the table: Qingque.]
[Such genius, wasted on crooked paths! Instead of putting her intellect to good use, she came up with a whole new gambling variant!]
[Though it was your first time meeting, your impression of Qingque couldn't have been worse. You swore silently: you'd make sure she learned the harshness of reality.]
[Imperial Jade was similar to mahjong. Just watching a few rounds, you fully grasped the rules—and you had absolute confidence you could dominate.]
[Your opportunity came quickly. One player lost too much and excused themselves.]
["Mind if I join?" you asked casually. The remaining three, still riding the high, agreed without hesitation.]
[You took your seat. The game resumed.]
[Two hours later, the match ended.]
[Qingque couldn't suppress the smile on her face. Though wins and losses came and went, once tallied up, she had made nearly a million credit points—most of them off you.]
[The other two players stared at her pile of winnings with pure envy.]
"You better treat us, Qingque!"
"Yeah! With that haul, don't you dare take us somewhere cheap!"
"Of course! No problem!" Qingque replied grandly, putting on airs.]
[You, on the other hand, wore a face of fury.]
"Tch! My luck just sucked today! Same time tomorrow—let's go another round! Don't run if I win!"
[You were the biggest loser in that match. Most of Qingque's winnings came from your pocket.]
["No problem at all!" Qingque grinned. Anyone giving away credits this freely would be a fool to turn down.]
[Once Qingque left, the anger on your face vanished in an instant. You became calm, composed—like the person who just lost a small fortune wasn't you.]
[In truth, everything had gone exactly as planned.]
[If Qingque had sat down and carefully analyzed the data from all the rounds, she would've realized something terrifying.]
[Across four full sets, totaling 16 games, a shocking pattern emerged.]
[Excluding you and Qingque, the two other players made a net profit of zero. Not a single credit gained or lost.]
[Over 16 games, they won hands, lost hands, served as dealer, got hit by discards—yet in the end, their gains and losses canceled out perfectly.]
Solon couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath as he read.
The gold God of Gambling Trait was terrifying.
Even a legendary point-control gambler would only be able to control their own score.
But this?
This was something else. The God of Gambling didn't just control themselves—it controlled the entire board.
"If I let you win, you win. If I don't, you leave with nothing."
That was the power of a true king of the table.
Realizing this, Solon understood the simulation's strategy clearly.
It was a classic "fishing" scheme.
A well-worn trick in underground casinos: let the target win small at first. Hook them, get them addicted, then strip them clean—win it back, and more.
It worked because it preyed on human nature.
99% of gamblers couldn't resist the trap. Win once? They wanted more. Lose once? They chased recovery. Bit by bit, they'd sink into the abyss.
[Sure enough, the next day you arrived on time. Qingque showed up as well, as promised.]
[Two hours later, Qingque had won big again—this time over two million credits.]
[The two other players, still under your subtle control, once again broke even.]
[You glared at the table, eyes bloodshot with "rage," playing the role of a gambler on tilt.]
"Damn it! Tomorrow again! I refuse to believe this luck will hold!"
["Gladly! Let's go again!" Qingque laughed. Free credits? She was already planning a second bank account.]
[Once again, away from the others' eyes, your expression faded to stone.]
[After 200 years in the gambling world, acting was second nature. The bluff and deceit of the gambling table outshined even the theater—because here, the stakes were real. Money. Limbs. Lives.]
[To deceive opponents, your skills rivaled the finest actors.]
[Neither Qingque nor the two players—both winless for two days—noticed a thing.]
[On the third day, you arrived on schedule. Qingque was already at the table, giddy with anticipation.]
[Jealousy or envy—whatever it was, the original two players refused to join again. You and Qingque recruited two replacements from the parlor.]
[Two hours later, the game ended.]
[This time, you "lost" four million credits to Qingque. The new players looked ready to explode from envy, pestering her for red envelopes.]
[You shot Qingque a venomous glare.]
"Tomorrow—again!"
[Then stormed off.]
[Qingque pouted, but wasn't bothered. Easy credits were easy credits. She was already dreaming about putting a down payment on a new home.]
[Too distracted by her chattering companions, Qingque didn't notice the sly smile creeping onto your face the moment you turned your back.]
["Time to reel it in…" you thought silently.]
[On the fourth day, you arrived on time. Qingque was already seated, daydreaming—probably about spacious rooms and luxury apartments.]
[Two hours later, the match concluded. Qingque sat frozen at the table, staring blankly at the Imperial Jade tiles in front of her.]
[Today, everything changed. Your luck flipped like destiny itself. Heaven-drawn hands, miracle combinations—one after another.]
[In just two hours, Qingque not only lost the nearly ten million credits she'd won over the past few days—she even ended up owing you an extra million.]
"Looks like my luck's finally turned. Tomorrow—still playing?"
[You grinned like a smug villain, basking in her despair.]
