(3/3)
Lucky Cruise Ship
Chapter 546: Dice
The atmosphere was oppressive and silent, broken only by the crisp clatter of dice rolling and colliding.
At the blood-red gambling table, the members of Dark Fire looked tense and grave, sitting on pins and needles.
Finally, the clattering faded, and the dice cup was slowly lifted.
Several blood-red dice appeared within the cup.
The Dark Fire member’s face turned even uglier. His forehead, already slick with sweat, was now completely drained of color. His lips moved, but no sound came out.
“Odd,” No. 8 said.
He closed the dice cup, flashing a smile that revealed sharp canine teeth. “You lose.”
The Dark Fire member’s fingers twitched as if he wanted to do something, but under the dealer’s gaze, which felt almost tangible, he forced his hand to change direction. He took one chip from his pitifully small pile and tossed it onto the blood-red table.
As the chip left his hand, his face turned even more ashen.
“Because the Captain disappeared so strangely, we have to keep the game going to find out why. But to ensure the table color doesn’t change, we have to bet a red chip every round,” Tong Yao stood to the side, her expression equally grim. “That’s one million.”
One million points per round—an astronomical figure.
Especially since this floor had double leverage added.
This instance clearly ran on points. If they went bankrupt on the first day, surviving the next few days would only become increasingly difficult.
Maggie asked curiously, “Can’t you just give him points?”
“No. On the gambling table, lending chips between members isn’t allowed. You can only borrow from the casino,” Tong Yao’s gaze lingered on the dwindling stack of chips by the member’s hand, and she frowned sharply.
“We need to switch players.”
“Wait here.”
Leaving these words behind, Tong Yao walked forward and patted the member on the shoulder. The man looked instantly relieved and scrambled to his feet.
Tong Yao looked up, staring straight at the baby-faced dealer across the table, and said coldly:
“Next round, I—”
Before she could finish, a gentle voice interrupted her.
“If you don’t mind, let me take the next round.”
Everyone froze and turned toward the source of the voice.
Wen Jianyan parted the crowd and walked forward.
The moment he saw the newcomer, No. 8’s pupils abruptly contracted.
Wen Jianyan smiled faintly and looked at Tong Yao. “How about it?”
“…Of course,” Tong Yao paused, then stepped aside. “No problem.”
Wen Jianyan walked forward unhurriedly. The area had fallen silent at some point. He raised his hand to pull out the chair, the legs scraping against the floor with a sharp sound.
He sat down opposite No. 8.
Overhead, the chandelier sparkled, casting light onto the blood-red velvet tabletop.
No. 8 stared at him from across the table. His ageless baby face was expressionless, but his eyes seemed to be spitting venom.
Tong Yao couldn’t help but glance at him a few more times.
This was the first time she had seen this dealer show an expression other than effortless composure.
Wen Jianyan took a red chip from his pocket and tossed it onto the table. The chip spun with a whirring sound before finally coming to rest further away.
“Shall we begin?”
No. 8 reached for the dice cup, but before he could touch it, Wen Jianyan stopped him.
“Wait.”
No. 8 looked up at him.
Wen Jianyan smiled innocently. “I don’t know the rules yet.”
Tong Yao and the others stood behind him. She exchanged a stunned look with the Dark Fire members.
None of them knew what was happening.
It seemed like in the blink of an eye, the atmosphere at the table had turned upside down. Although it had been tense before, now the gambling table felt like a string stretched to its limit—one more ounce of pressure, and it would snap.
And the dealer’s reaction was even stranger. The look he gave Wen Jianyan was filled with wariness, anger, and even a strange mix of…
Nervousness?
An Xin took a step sideways and whispered, “Did something happen?”
Wen Jianyan’s teammates shook their heads.
They were just as baffled by the situation as he was.
No. 8 stared tightly at Wen Jianyan for a few seconds before finally speaking. “We take turns being the banker. We can bet Big or Small, or guess Odd or Even. The payout is one to one.”
Very simple rules with almost no room for maneuvering.
“Okay,” Wen Jianyan nodded. “Then let’s guess Odd or Even.”
No. 8 pushed the dice cup toward Wen Jianyan and made a “please” gesture.
Wen Jianyan lowered his head and scooped the dice into his hand.
The dice were cold and felt heavy in his palm.
He covered them with the cup and shook it with practiced ease. The dice rolled and collided inside. No. 8 stared intently at the cup, seemingly listening and calculating.
A few seconds later, Wen Jianyan stopped.
“Odd,” No. 8 said.
Wen Jianyan opened the cup.
Everyone around glanced inside and held their breath.
…It was indeed Odd.
Under everyone’s gaze, on the back of Wen Jianyan’s pale hand resting on the cup, a blood-red dot slowly surfaced from beneath the skin.
It looked like a gushing wound poked by a sharp object.
This was likely the “mark” Tong Yao had mentioned earlier.
Wen Jianyan touched it curiously. It didn’t hurt or itch, wasn’t raised or indented. If he hadn’t seen it appear with his own eyes, he might not have realized he had been marked.
The chip in front of Wen Jianyan was taken away.
He didn’t seem to care.
He tossed out another blood-red chip.
Next round, it was No. 8’s turn.
Wearing white gloves, he held the dice cup and shook it lightly up and down. The dice clattered inside and soon stopped.
Wen Jianyan: “Even.”
The cup was lifted.
It was Even.
Wen Jianyan won.
So, the chip he just lost returned to his hand.
In the “Integrity First” live room chat:
[Whoa, didn’t expect that. Both sides are guessing pretty accurately.]
[The person above is too naive. Haven’t you realized? It’s clearly because both sides are experienced cheats. They can guess the points just by listening to the dice hitting the cup, and they can also precisely control the numbers they want to roll.]
[Huh? Then isn’t this game pointless?]
[Theoretically, yes… but I feel like it’s not that simple?]
They went back and forth for three rounds, and neither side’s chip count changed.
“Is this getting a bit boring?” Wen Jianyan rested one hand on the back of his chair, smiling at Tong Yao.
Tong Yao hesitated, then nodded honestly.
“Then let’s add a little excitement,” Wen Jianyan turned back leisurely, grabbed a handful of red chips, and tossed them onto the table one by one.
Ten chips in total.
Ten million.
Seeing this, everyone present gasped.
With leverage, that was twenty million…
Is this guy crazy?!
In the “Integrity First” live room chat:
[It’s over. I think I’ve been desensitized by the anchor’s previous gambling. My first reaction was ‘only ten million’ instead of ‘holy crap, ten million’…]
[Tsk tsk tsk, a bunch of bumpkins!]
[Hahahaha, nervous already? If they saw the round where one of the anchor’s chips was worth ten million, they’d probably die of fright.]
Wen Jianyan ignored the pale faces of the other anchors around him. He simply looked up at No. 8 across the table, his thumb gently stroking the silver snake ring on his ring finger—No. 8 saw this, and his expression darkened instantly—Wen Jianyan smiled and said, “Please.”
No. 8 reached out and took the dice cup. He looked up, gave Wen Jianyan a deep look, and then began to shake.
In the extreme silence, the dice clattered.
With a “thud,” the dice cup landed like a rest note.
Wen Jianyan: “Odd.”
Perhaps it was an illusion, but Tong Yao caught a hint of a twisted smile on No. 8’s face. For no reason, alarm bells rang in her mind.
No. 8 slowly lifted the cup with his white-gloved hand.
Six pitch-black dice were arranged neatly.
—It was Even.
The room instantly became deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone felt a sense of unreality, like the ground was unstable beneath their feet.
Did that whole process take a minute?
Or was it only five seconds?
In almost the blink of an eye, twenty million worth of chips had been lost so easily, as silent as a drop of water falling into the ocean, causing a dizzying, dream-like sensation.
Tong Yao suddenly reached out and gripped Wen Jianyan’s shoulder tightly. “…Stop.”
She stared straight at No. 8 across the table, looking like she wanted to flay the smug look off his baby face with her eyes. She said, “We’re taking a break.”
No. 8: “Of course.”
He glanced at his watch with a smile. “Since your wager last round was ten million, I will leave in ten minutes.”
This was why even though Qi Qian had disappeared, Tong Yao had to keep the game going.
Naturally, as long as the single bet exceeded one million, the blood-red table would appear. However, if the next round didn’t start immediately, the dealer would leave.
When the red table opened next time, the dealer might not be this one anymore.
That was why Dark Fire had to do everything possible to maintain the game to prevent the dealer from changing and the clue from being cut off.
Tong Yao’s fingers dug into Wen Jianyan’s shoulder, practically dragging him away from the table.
No. 8 sat in the distance, watching them leave with a smile.
Tong Yao dragged Wen Jianyan far away.
Wen Jianyan: “Ow ow ow…”
Only after confirming they were out of the dealer’s sight did Tong Yao let go. An Xin, Chen Mo, and the others caught up from behind.
Tong Yao looked at Wen Jianyan with a dark expression and said decisively:
“He cheated.”
“I’m a medium, I can feel it,” Tong Yao spoke faster involuntarily. “I’m not sure how he did it, the feeling was very faint, but it was definitely not an illusion—”
“I know.”
Wen Jianyan’s reply was understated.
Everyone present was shocked.
“You knew?” Tong Yao frowned. “You knew that dealer was cheating?”
“Yes,” Wen Jianyan rubbed his shoulder, muttering softly, “You’re too strong…”
Wen Ya looked at him, a thoughtful expression appearing on her calm face. “You threw out ten million just now to lure him into cheating?”
“Bingo.”
Wen Jianyan gave her an approving look.
As expected of the most observant and sharpest one among them, she realized his intention immediately.
“You must have noticed that all our talents can be used now,” Wen Jianyan said. “But before this, all anchors were prohibited from using talents in the casino.”
Chang Feiyu paused. “…Do you mean that cheating is allowed in the instance’s casino?”
Wen Jianyan: “Saying ‘allowed’ is a bit too deliberate.”
He paused and said, “I lean more towards… it’s no longer stopped.”
Anchors’ talents were varied: prophecy, mediumship, visual enhancement… In a realistic casino, these would all be considered cheating.
Previously, when the Lucky Cruise Ship was in the Anchor Hall, all anchors naturally couldn’t use their talents, so no extra restrictions were needed.
But after the instance formed, anchors could still use their talents in the casino…
This might represent a silent permission.
The surroundings were silent.
They had realized their talents could be used, but no one had thought in this direction.
After all, for anchors, using talents inside an instance and being banned from using them in the Anchor Hall were both logical and unquestionable.
“So I guess there are other rules hidden in the casino—rules that the dealer didn’t tell us and doesn’t intend to,” Wen Jianyan said. “I think Qi Qian likely discovered this, which is why he decided to take the risk himself.”
Wen Jianyan lowered his eyes in thought for a moment. Suddenly, as if he thought of something, he turned to Tong Yao:
“How many rounds did Qi Qian play?”
Tong Yao thought for a few seconds and answered, “Thirteen rounds.”
The dice rules on this floor were simple; a round only took a few minutes.
“Wins and losses?”
“Lost ten, won three,” Tong Yao paused, her voice lowering. “But I didn’t memorize the exact chip count for each win and loss.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Wen Jianyan shook his head and continued asking. “Do you remember if he did anything or said anything during his final all-in round?”
Tong Yao thought for even longer this time.
She looked up at Wen Jianyan and said slowly, “Except for signaling me to watch the pocket, nothing else.”
As one of the subordinates who had followed Qi Qian the longest and was most trusted, they had developed a deep understanding in this regard.
Tong Yao carried Qi Qian’s paper effigy in her pocket. Once Qi Qian’s talent activated, he would transmit information to them through the paper effigy.
That was why, as soon as Qi Qian disappeared, Tong Yao immediately checked the paper effigy—but unexpectedly, it was blank. That was why Tong Yao immediately realized something was wrong and took action.
Wen Jianyan fell into deep thought.
The surroundings were terrifyingly quiet. Everyone held their breath, staring tightly at Wen Jianyan, as if trying to see through what thoughts were turning in his mind.
Finally, Wen Jianyan raised his head.
He turned to Maggie: “…Come here for a sec.”
“…Me?”
Maggie froze. She looked around before confirming Wen Jianyan was calling her.
Wen Jianyan nodded affirmatively. “Yes, you.”
Maggie shuffled over with small steps, looking confused.
Wen Jianyan beckoned her closer. Maggie obediently leaned in, and Wen Jianyan whispered a few sentences in her ear.
Maggie’s eyes widened. “What?!”
Wen Jianyan: “Can you do it?”
Maggie: “I can, but…”
Wen Jianyan looked at her.
As if encouraged by Wen Jianyan’s gaze, Maggie puffed out her chest and stood at attention:
“I’ll try my best to complete the mission!”
“?”
The people around watched this scene in confusion, seemingly not understanding what trick Wen Jianyan was playing.
Wen Jianyan straightened up and stretched his body. “Alright, ten minutes is almost up. If we don’t go over, the dealer will leave.”
Saying that, he jumped off the chair and looked straight toward the gambling table.
The others exchanged glances and followed.
Wen Jianyan pulled out the chair and sat down opposite No. 8.
No. 8 watched him, a fake smile plastered on his ageless baby face.
“Shall we continue?” Wen Jianyan smiled faintly.
No. 8: “Okay.”
Next round, Wen Jianyan shook the dice.
No. 8: “Odd.”
The cup opened; he guessed right.
When it was No. 8’s turn to shake, Wen Jianyan looked like his bones had been removed. He leaned lazily against the back of the chair and tossed out five chips.
The chips rolled twice on the table and stopped.
After the sound of dice hitting the cup wall ceased, Wen Jianyan didn’t even think and gave his prediction directly: “Even.”
No. 8 lifted the cup with a smile.
It was Odd.
In the “Integrity First” live room chat:
[Damn, another five million down the drain…]
[What five million? Don’t forget the leverage this round. That’s ten million!]
[So what exactly is the anchor trying to do? Is he just planning to lose like this? Even if he has plenty of funds, he can’t burn through them like this!]
This repeated for a total of twelve rounds.
Wen Jianyan won four, lost eight. The amount lost reached eighty million.
But strangely, Wen Jianyan, the loser, looked calm and composed, while No. 8, the winner, seemed increasingly tense. His eyes stared dead at Wen Jianyan, as if trying to see what conspiracy was hidden under that mask-like expression.
By the thirteenth round.
It was Wen Jianyan’s turn to shake again.
“…”
After the clattering stopped, No. 8 stared at Wen Jianyan for a long time before finally, cautiously, spitting out a word: “Even.”
Wen Jianyan looked at him, smiled, and slowly opened the dice cup.
It was Odd.
In the “Integrity First” live room chat:
[?]
[???]
[What’s the situation???]
[Why did he suddenly start winning? Coincidence?]
But the next round immediately proved that Wen Jianyan’s victory just now wasn’t just a coincidence.
He won again.
The number of blood-red chips on the table began to shift, tilting from the dealer’s side toward Wen Jianyan.
No. 8 stared at Wen Jianyan, his face as white as parchment. There was no expression on his face, only the venom in his eyes spraying more intensely.
Wen Jianyan smiled and pushed the dice cup to him.
This time, before No. 8 could even shake the dice, Wen Jianyan’s lips moved, and he said with a grin: “Odd.”
In the “Integrity First” live room chat:
[Huh?]
[Huh??]
[No, what’s going on? Are you guys battling with superpowers instead of gambling now?]
Everyone watching on the side also looked shocked and puzzled. They had no idea what the situation was, let alone what undercurrents were surging beneath the gambling table…
They only knew that, without their knowledge, the scales of victory had strangely tipped.
And this time, Wen Jianyan had the upper hand.
No. 8 said nothing. He pressed his palm on the dice cup. His fingers hidden under the glove were clearly tense with force. That face looked like it had been filled with wax, becoming pale, stiff, and slightly twisted.
“We can continue like this,” Wen Jianyan suddenly changed his lazy sitting posture and sat up straight. He leaned his upper body forward, staring tightly at No. 8, the smile on his face fading.
“—Or we can make a deal.”
“For example… I won’t expose your secret,” Wen Jianyan curved his lips. “You give me a die, how about it?”
“…” This time, No. 8 was silent for longer than ever.
He stared at Wen Jianyan, malicious light flickering in his eyes.
Wen Jianyan looked back at him unflinchingly, waiting patiently for his reply.
Finally, No. 8 moved.
He slowly lifted the dice cup, picked up a die from underneath, and tossed it to Wen Jianyan.
Wen Jianyan agilely caught the die and gripped it tightly in his palm.
“I wish you a pleasant game,” No. 8 pulled the corners of his mouth into a smile that didn’t look very pleasant and said, “In that case, I’ll take my leave first.” After saying this, No. 8 stood up, gave a hasty bow, and turned to leave without looking back.
“But—”
Tong Yao couldn’t help stepping forward, seeming to want to stop him.
But Wen Jianyan caught her quickly: “That’s enough.”
Tong Yao turned her head and looked at him in confusion.
Wen Jianyan stood up from his seat very quickly: “Follow me.”
Tong Yao seemed to realize something immediately. She turned to the other Dark Fire members: “You guys wait.”
An Xin hurriedly followed her, and together they chased after Wen Jianyan, running out of the casino without stopping.
Only after leaving the casino did they seem to finally have a chance to catch their breath.
“What exactly happened?” An Xin stopped and couldn’t wait to ask—he really didn’t understand what just happened. Everything happened so inexplicably, it was simply baffling.
“First, any cheating method can be used on the gambling table.”
—Just as Wen Jianyan had guessed during the break.
“But this is based on the premise of not being discovered—once cheating is discovered, either side will pay the price.”
Unlike everyone else present, Wen Jianyan had already gambled at the red table before the instance started. Because of this, he understood the rules better than anyone.
Figaro’s successful cheating was the key basis for Wen Jianyan’s deduction.
“Qi Qian realized the opponent was cheating, so he prepared to catch them in the act—but unfortunately, an unexpected situation occurred.”
Chang Feiyu suddenly said, “So, how exactly did the opposing dealer cheat?”
He still seemed confused about what just happened. “And how did you win?”
Wen Jianyan: “It’s a bit troublesome to explain…”
“Why not let Qi Qian himself tell you,” Wen Jianyan said something shocking.
As soon as these words came out, everyone present was startled.
Tong Yao’s eyes widened, seemingly not expecting Wen Jianyan to say such a thing.
She took a sharp step forward and asked sternly, “What did you say?!”
Wen Jianyan didn’t answer.
He slowly opened his hand. In his palm lay that pitch-black die quietly—it was the die Wen Jianyan had just obtained from the dealer in the deal. The surface of the die was cold and black, and the indented dots were a piercing bright red, like wounds still gushing blood.
As if realizing something, everyone froze, instinctively holding their breath.
Suddenly, on one side of the die, the crimson dot moved and actually opened an eye!
Everyone gasped and jerked back.
Almost at the same time, Wen Jianyan tilted his palm, and the die fell from his hand onto the ground. The entire process seemed to be slowed down several times, playing in slow motion before everyone’s eyes.
That small black die twisted and expanded in the air in a grotesque way, gradually bulging into a human shape like a skin.
Finally—
With a loud “bang.”
The long-lost Qi Qian fell to the ground. His eyes were half-closed, his back arched, and his legs curled up, as if still bound by a strange force, maintaining a weird inward-hugging posture.
He looked like he was already dead.
“Captain—!” Tong Yao screamed and rushed forward to help Qi Qian up.
“Cough, cough cough, cough cough cough!” Qi Qian suddenly began to cough violently, his whole body trembling. Although his face was still pale, he gradually began to regain vitality, and color appeared on his cheekbones.
“Of course there’s no message on the back of the paper effigy.”
Watching Tong Yao help Qi Qian up, Wen Jianyan said calmly.
“After all, Qi Qian’s talent only takes effect after he ‘dies’—but he didn’t actually die, did he?”
Thanks for the translations! <3 Love the way you translate to english