Chapter 1412: A Man's Paradise
"Is this the trading place you were talking about?" Standing in front of the building, Xu Huo watched two men being dragged out by robots, nearly having lost even their pants, and raised his voice slightly. "A casino?"
"Don't judge a book by its cover. Sure, Star Moon Radiance is a casino, but that doesn't mean there aren't people here who know their stuff." Li Kun pushed Xu Huo forward, skillfully pressing the elevator button, and added, "Besides, coming to Platinum Eye without visiting a man's paradise would be a wasted trip, wouldn't it?"
With a *ding*, the elevator doors opened, revealing a scene of extravagant indulgence. Handsome dealers with lewd attire, their words dripping with honeyed poison urging bets; half-dreaming guests flushed and red-faced at the tables, throwing down fortunes; and various role-playing hostesses weaving through the crowd, serving drinks and chips while fending off wandering hands—this seamless spectacle seemed to carry a special allure, the very air thick with a seductive pull toward depravity.
"This is the mid-tier hall. Everyone's just here for a good time." Li Kun took two glasses of wine from a fox-eared hostess. "Want me to have someone get you some chips to play with?"
"No need." Xu Huo accepted the glass he offered. "Go find your contact."
Li Kun was eager to get things done too. He downed his drink in one gulp, casually groped the fox-eared hostess's waist, and asked, "Is Brother Yan around?"
The fox-eared hostess twisted her body with a charming smile. "Brother Yan went upstairs. Why don't you wait in his office?"
Li Kun jerked his chin toward Xu Huo. The fox-eared hostess nodded knowingly. After he left, she pulled Xu Huo to sit down and called over a few other hostesses, who surrounded him just enough to be pleasant without being rude enough to press against him.
"Is this your first time here, sir? What would you like to play?"
"Want us sisters to explain the table rules to you?"
"Oh, telling the rules ahead of time takes the fun out of it! Better grab some chips—you'll learn in no time!"
"A friend of Brother Kun's—we'll quietly tell the dealer to go easy on you..."
The hostesses giggled in varying tones. Seeing Xu Huo remain silent, one of them boldly linked her arm through his. "Is sir not happy?"
"Not at all," Xu Huo set down his glass and spread his right hand. "See this? I've never had any luck with gambling."
"Does sir lose every bet?" The fox-eared hostess gasped, covering her mouth. "I've heard that some people's traits evolve to make their luck terrible, but this is the first time I've seen it in person!"
The hostesses all chimed in, eager to witness it, but Xu Huo had no intention of actually hitting the tables. He took out a few chips and handed one to each of the five hostesses. "There are five of you. Each take one. I'll only pick one to play for me. Want to bet that no matter who I choose, they'll lose all their chips?"
"No way!" The bunny-eared hostess giggled and took a chip. "I've always had good luck—I'm sure I'll win... But if I do, do the chips count as yours or mine?"
"If you lose, it's on me. If you win, they're yours." Xu Huo smiled. "Deal?"
The hostesses scattered with laughter, and their antics drew the attention of nearby guests. One raised a glass to Xu Huo.
Xu Huo raised his own in return, acknowledging the gesture, then glanced at a door in the corner of the casino.
Before long, Li Kun opened the door and waved him over.
Behind the door was an office as large as the casino floor outside. A prop was placed at the entrance, blocking any view from outside, though from inside, every move on the casino floor was visible.
Only three players were in the office: one seated behind a desk, and two acting as bodyguards flanking him.
"I've already checked the goods," said the man with a long knife scar on his face, Brother Yan, sizing up Xu Huo. "It's genuine high-quality stuff. Li Kun said the casing and some parts are with you."
At Li Kun's nod, Xu Huo produced the remaining components. Brother Yan glanced at them and nodded. "Good. A complete water maker. I can offer a round number on behalf of Star Moon Radiance."
Li Kun's face lit up with excitement. "I knew coming to Brother Yan for business wouldn't be a loss!"
The two bodyguards wheeled over two large chests, opened them in front of both parties, and after counting, handed them over to Li Kun.
Following their agreed 60-40 split, Li Kun didn't bother hiding it from others and directly took forty million White Notes. Brother Yan, noticing the extra portion in the chest, gave Xu Huo a meaningful look, then pulled two identity badges engraved with silver stars from his drawer.
"I can see your friend isn't into the usual tables. Take him up to the twentieth floor for some fun."
"Brother Yan, you're generous!" Li Kun accepted without hesitation, then turned to Xu Huo. "The twentieth floor is way more fun. I'll show you the ropes!"
The two of them walked out arm in arm, passing a group of hostesses. The bunny-eared hostess was beaming, clutching her chips. "I told you my luck was good!"
The hostesses had mixed results, but none matched the bunny-eared girl's winning streak.
"That's great." Xu Huo closed her hand over the chips. "Winnings are yours."
"Really?" The bunny-eared hostess bit her lip with a smile. "That's a lot of money!"
Players might be wealthy, but not everyone was generous. Though Xu Huo had said the winnings were theirs, the casino rules required a double-check to avoid trouble.
"Take it, take it. My brother Xu doesn't care about chump change." Li Kun waved dismissively, then stuffed a small stack of White Notes into her collar. "Brother's heading to the twentieth floor. Tell me, which hall has the most female players?"
"Brother Kun, you're so fickle—can't even stay for a bit before heading upstairs." The bunny-eared hostess whispered with her friends, then said, "Halls 20 and 25 each have a real beauty today. Both men and women."
"Enough, enough. Who wants to watch ugly men fight?" Li Kun waved again.
The bunny-eared hostess laughed. "You might not like it, but the female players who come to play do. Lots of them are fighting to get into Hall 20."
Li Kun was visibly excited, dragging Xu Huo along. "We're going to Hall 25."
"Arena matches?" Xu Huo asked.
"Pretty much," Li Kun said. "But Star Moon Radiance's rules are different from outside. In these free halls, anyone can pay to be the ring master. The winner takes all the bets from each match, and the casino doesn't take a cut."
The casino made its money from guest bets in these free halls.
"But every ring master has to fight at least five matches. After five, they can either continue or forfeit. Starting from the sixth match, the bet amount multiplies by ten... The men who come here are wolves—don't let the beauties in Hall 25 get scared into forfeiting halfway!"
A brand new year begins, and with it, new hopes. Hai Yan Shan wishes everyone good health, all the best, and happiness every day! O(∩_∩)O