Chapter 63

“Shoot! Shoot!”

“Don’t be afraid! There’s a fifty-fifty chance! It’s either life or death!”

“Ah!”

Amidst the clamor of the crowd, Xia’er gradually regained her senses.

At this moment, the surrounding crowd was watching the glass house on the high platform with flushed faces.

Inside, a small man was trembling as he held a gun, aiming at a large man in front of him.

“Damn it!!”

The small man roared, pulling the trigger forcefully.

Bang!

With a gunshot, yellow, white, and red paint splashed on the right side of the glass house, flowing down slowly along the glass.

“The winner is ‘the little guy’!”

The dealer walked to the small man’s side, lifting his gun-wielding hand. The small man was already weeping uncontrollably, barely able to stand without the dealer’s support.

“You’ve won all the chips, and you’ll receive the special reward from Derton Manor. Your debts are cleared… Would you like to continue? If you defend your title, the prize money will keep increasing!”

The dealer asked the small man.

“I don’t want to play anymore… I don’t want to play anymore!”

The small man pulled his hand away from the dealer and scrambled to grab the blood-stained chips, stuffing them into a bag.

“Then, please wait for a moment. We need to clear the area first.”

The dealer bowed slightly to the crowd below, smiling. “You can exchange your tickets now.”

The gathered crowd dispersed, and Xia’er raised her hand, holding the casino notebook, examining its contents.

[I got the money, but Aivana seems worried, fearing that I’ve already fallen into the casino. Others are following me too. I’ve exchanged all my chips, which are in my handbag]

[I watched the Death Wheel matches for a long time. Generally, people only play three rounds at most. Once the defending champion stops playing, the area is cleaned up]

[As I expected, I could tell the outcome before the gun was fired, but only a second before. One can’t buy tickets beforehand to bet on who wins or loses]

[Almost everyone chooses three real bullets and two blanks. This is the highest winning probability method. Even with only two blanks, three real bullets hitting someone’s head greatly increases the chance of incapacitating the opponent, unless they have special protection]

[If there are four blanks, shooting the opponent directly wins regardless of whether they die or not. So it doesn’t matter]

[Once the area is cleaned, new participants will be recruited. That’s when I can use the maximum chips to gain an advantage]

Xia’er felt the weight in her handbag, tearing up the characters she wrote and putting them in her pocket.

“Xia’er, are you okay?”

Aivana’s voice echoed beside her. Xia’er turned to see Aivana looking at her with concern.

“This place isn’t fun at all… Let’s go, let’s change something.”

Adelle also hid behind Xia’er, too scared to look at the bloody scenes on stage.

When Xia’er looked back at Adelle, she noticed that the gamblers who had lost to her in the card room were occasionally glancing her way.

They seemed to be planning to watch her gamble and take revenge.

At this moment, the gas lamps at the corners of the glass roof lit up, drawing everyone’s attention once again.

It was about to begin.

Xia’er held her handbag with her left hand, taking one step forward, but her hand was already grabbed by Aivana.

“Xia’er, what do you want to do?”

Aivana said, “If you need money, I can lend you some.”

Xia’er raised her right hand, placing it over Aivana’s hand, gently pushing it away.

“Don’t worry, Aivana.”

Xia’er’s voice softened under the mask. “I have the intelligence to win.”

Intelligence to win?

When did she get it? She had been following Aivana all along.

Aivana had caught a glimpse of Xia’er writing something. She was simply recording in An Su language what she was doing and seeing, much like keeping a diary.

“Aivana… What’s wrong with Xia’er?”

Adelle stared at Xia’er walking towards the stage, stunned.

If she remembered correctly… Xia’er didn’t have any extraordinary abilities, right?

Adelle’s heart raced with Aivana’s.

Xia’er climbed the stairs step by step, reaching the glass house door and entering, sitting down on the right side.

“Good! We have our first contestant! Please place your chips after the curtain falls!”

The dealer spread his hands wide, like a grand stage, as the giant red curtain slowly descended from the sky.

Xia’er took out her handbag, and a small storage box popped out in front of the table. Xia’er poured all eight thousand chips inside.

“Good!”

The dealer shouted upon seeing Xia’er pour out all the chips.

“Go!”

“Does anyone want to challenge the ‘girl’?”

The dealer looked at Xia’er again, smiling. “Lady, please remove your mask. Cheating like that is not allowed~”

The dealer’s words made the gamblers below laugh loudly. Under the gazes of the gamblers, Xia’er slowly removed her mask.

Xia’er sat straight at the gambling table, but it was noticeably quiet outside the glass house for at least two seconds.

“Anyone else want to come?”

The dealer shouted, “Three consecutive wins can clear your debts. After this week, such easy games may not be available anymore~!”

“Damn, I’ll do it!”

The gambler who had lost fifty pounds earlier gritted his teeth and stepped onto the stairs. At this moment, many others were already staring at the girl in the glass house with hungry eyes, as if they had seen fresh meat.

“Good! A new contestant has arrived! Please sit! Place your chips in the box!”

The dealer smiled at the new gambler.

“Heh, what difference does it make if I go first.”

The man knew his chips couldn’t compete with the girl’s, so he directly put fifty pounds worth of chips into the box.

This was his last fifty pounds. He came for two reasons—to make a comeback and to erase his previous shame.

“Oh?”

The dealer looked at the gambler’s chips, then at Xia’er, saying, “Miss, you can refuse his participation if you want.”

Could she refuse? Had her chips exceeded his by at least ten times?

“Let him join.”

Xia’er shook her head.

She didn’t care how many chips the other had; she wanted the advantage of going first.

And facing this gambler would clearly give her the best chance to go first.

If she replaced him with someone else who wanted to cheat and pushed their chips to the limit, Xia’er would have to roll dice to decide the order.

Rolling dice was something Xia’er wasn’t good at.

“Alright, since you’ve said so, let’s… place your bets, everyone!”

“These are the chips on both sides!”

The dealer raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.

Eight banners fell above each face, showing the number of chips written in red dye.

“Baldie” — 50 pounds!!!

“Girl” — 8000 pounds!!!

The appearance of the 8000-pound banner made almost everyone present widen their eyes.

Am I seeing things?

Is this real?

8000 pounds?!

Limit?!

The gamblers who had felt a bit regretful a moment ago now had red eyes, wishing they had rushed up when everyone else was stunned.

“Damn! Eight thousand pounds!”

“Damn! That kid got a good deal! If he wins this round, he’ll probably complete the digestion of the ‘Gambler’ potion?!”

“50 to 8000, damn…”

“Anyone want to place a bet?”

The dealer asked on stage.

Now, almost everyone below moved to the left to buy tickets.

The betting odds were based on the difference in the number of chips on stage. Betting on the right side wouldn’t earn much, no matter how much money was invested.

But betting on the left side had the highest odds—10:1. This was the highest house odds at Derton Manor.

Betting 10 pounds could potentially win 100 pounds, with low risk and high returns.

At this moment, Aivana and Adelle below the stage looked up at Xia’er on stage, their hearts tightening.

What is Xia’er planning to do?

Aivana slightly turned her head, giving a signal to the “Crown Guard” Nia, but Nia shook her head slightly.

Her task was to protect Aivana’s safety. If she charged in to save Xia’er when he was in danger, although she could save him, it would put Aivana in danger as well, possibly leading to them being wanted by Derton Manor.

For Xiu, she had no reason to save Xia’er; instead, she needed to watch Aivana, ensuring she didn’t do anything dangerous.

At this moment, the bald man sitting across from Xia’er stared dumbfounded at the long banner being retracted slowly above the glass window.

800…

This was the cap price for the Death Wheel…

This price was enough to secure all the potions from rank one to three of the “Gambler” class within Derton Manor!

His heart raced faster, his face flushed with excitement. He looked at the girl in front of him, revealing a strange smile.

“Don’t blame me… Blame yourself for coming here… Dealer!”

“Alright, the match is about to start.”

The dealer elegantly pulled out a black revolver from behind, its cylinder covered with a blurry honeycomb pattern, making it impossible to tell from the outside if there were bullets inside.

“Five bullets in total, Miss ‘Girl’,”

The dealer stood next to Xia’er, holding the revolver, asking, “How many do you want?”

Xia’er took a deep breath.

Although the area had been cleaned, the gambling table and the dealer still exuded a strong scent of blood, making her feel as if two tiny iron tubes were inserted into her lungs, every breath a torment.

“Four blanks, one real bullet.”

Xia’er said.

“Uh… What?”

The dealer paused, his previous elegance and professionalism disappearing. He seemed unsure of what he had heard.

“Four blanks, one real bullet.”

Xia’er repeated herself.

“Miss chose! Four blanks! One real!”

The dealer raised the revolver, shouting to the crowd, “The hit is guaranteed!”

The dealer’s words caused an uproar among the crowd, who began to stir excitedly.

Many gamblers who hadn’t placed bets ran to the bald man’s side, buying tickets to bet on him winning.

A 40% expectation probability of getting a 10-fold return was enough to draw any gambler.

“The real-time odds are set by Derton Manor, and as long as Baldy wins, all gamblers will profit.”

In contrast, if the girl keeps winning, then the house would be continuously raking in the profits.

It’s estimated that Derton Manor must be suffering a huge loss right now.

But as soon as someone achieves three consecutive wins, the casino will switch from fixed odds to floating odds, taking a 1% service fee, to avoid losses and balance the bets.

Everyone is hoping to make a big profit as they look up at the girl above.

Almost dead… almost dead… almost dead…

Xia’er watched as the dealer loaded four empty rounds and one live round into the cylinder. He closed the cylinder and gave it a sharp twist with his thumb, then flicked his wrist to ensure it reset perfectly.

He pulled back the hammer and handed the revolver’s grip to Xia’er, saying, “Miss, your turn.”

Xia’er weighed the revolver in her hand.

Compared to the old revolver she had taken from Solari, this one was significantly heavier and about a third larger, suggesting some special functions had been added.

Xia’er glanced through the glass door at the gamblers, seeing their excited and hopeful expressions, and also the worry on Aivana and Adelle’s faces.

Though no sound came through, it was clear that the atmosphere outside was intense.

The girl raised the pistol, aiming it at herself.

The dark muzzle offered no visibility, only a faint smell of gunpowder lingered around Xia’er’s nose.

Xia’er slowly pressed the trigger.

Nothing happened.

Click —

The hammer struck an empty round, making a crisp sound, without any powder erupting from the muzzle.

It was another empty round.

Xia’er pulled the hammer again, her finger pressing the trigger, but nothing happened.

Click —

“Another empty round! The girl has already fired two empty rounds! Should we aim at the opponent now to let them choose between two options?!”

Click —

The trigger was pulled again, and the next bullet was still an empty round.

“She’s aiming at herself again! There’s only a fifty-fifty chance left! Aim at herself or at ‘Baldy’?!”

The dealer’s voice rose, knowing that the game had reached its climax.

The bald man sitting in front of Xia’er was sweating profusely. His eyes were fixed on Xia’er, hoping she would hand over the gun.

Damn… why did this madman choose one live round?

Even he couldn’t withstand a direct hit from one live round.

If the target was his head, he would be done for.

Under the bald man’s gaze, Xia’er didn’t change the direction of the gun; she continued to aim at herself.

Yes… that’s right… that’s exactly it…

“Hit!”

“Die!”

“Quick!!!”

The gamblers below were even more anxious than the bald man. They held their tickets and roared at the glass room above, hoping for the expected outcome.

The girl slowly pulled the trigger.

Click —

The fourth shot.

Another empty round.

Four consecutive empty rounds made the black revolver in the girl’s hand glow with a bluish light, and the gun itself trembled.

The girl slowly turned the revolver, aiming it at the bald man in front of her, and pulled the hammer down.

“Don’t kill me… don’t kill me! Please! Don’t shoot! I surrender! I surrender…”

The trigger clicked softly.

The fire snake leaped out of the black barrel, the blue-hued bullet piercing through the head of the gambler in front of her.

Pang —

The immense impact sent the bald man crashing against the glass wall behind him. His body slid down the glass, leaving a bloody trail, and fell to the ground, brain matter and blood pouring from the cavity in his skull.

An unexpected result occurred.

“Winner! The girl!!!”

Four banners fell from above, with the number under the banner representing the girl’s winnings increased to 8050.

Eight thousand and fifty pounds!

The bald man’s death caused hesitation among those present for a moment, but soon after, several people rushed to the glass room door.

“I’ll go next!”

“Next time, I’ll go!”

“Get lost! I was here first!”

The gamblers outside started arguing, while Xia’er calmly sat in place, waiting for the next challenger.

“What should we do, Aivana? Should we try to persuade Xia’er to come out?”

Adelle whispered quietly from behind Aivana.

“No need.”

Aivana shook her head slightly, looking at the girl who sat silently. Her worry gradually dissipated.

Xia’er… wasn’t lying to us…

She seems to know some important intelligence…

“Wait a moment.”

Aivana walked over to the ticket counter on the right and took out ten golden chips from her waist bag.

Each gold chip represents 1000 pounds, and gold chips can only be exchanged by special VIPs.

“Would you like to bet on the girl winning?”

The ticket seller looked at the ten gold chips in front of him, stammering, “The girl’s odds are very low…”

“It’s fine, just calculate the tickets. I’ll buy them all.”

Aivana said indifferently, her eyes no longer on the tickets but on Xia’er on the high platform.

Another game… began.

“Four empty rounds! One live round!”

With the dealer’s announcement, people surged towards the left ticket purchasing point.

“No one has achieved three consecutive wins today, and even two consecutive wins are rare. Bet on the other side to win!”

“All in!”

“Give me a ‘Hat’ ticket worth 100 pounds!”

Another eight banners fell, and the opponent bet only 50 Su Pound. Since they couldn’t get the lead, betting more wouldn’t help. If the opponent didn’t mind the minimum bet, betting 50 would be the most profitable.

Both the gamblers on stage and those below thought so.

The loaded revolver was handed back to Xia’er, and Aivana watching Xia’er from below felt a slight sigh.

Xia’er always did extraordinary things with her ordinary body.

Whether it was passing intelligence or executing Xie Lun, or entering the glass room alone to play the death wheel, she always seemed fearless.

This unwavering demeanor increased Aivana’s admiration for Xia’er.

Although Xia’er was straightforward in her words and actions, Aivana appreciated this quality.

How could a person who plans everything meticulously and executes it firmly be disliked?

Aivana couldn’t imagine how far Xia’er would go if she became an Extraordinary Person.

Click —

Click —

Click —

Xia’er’s technique seemed increasingly proficient. She quickly pulled the trigger three times and aimed at the man wearing a black hat when she pulled the fourth trigger halfway.

Bang —

A splash of blood.

The man in the hat didn’t even have time to react before he was shot in the head, his face torn apart, and he fell backward, taking his chair with him to the ground.

“The girl” — 8100!!!

“Two consecutive wins! Miss, do you wish to continue? Today’s record is three consecutive wins!”

“Continue.”

Xia’er spoke calmly.

Her calm words caused a chorus of curses below. The people below were betting against the high odds, and some had already lost over eight hundred pounds, their eyes red with anticipation for a comeback.

“Damn, I don’t believe…”

Some people moved towards the stage, eyeing the 8100-pound chips, while others surged towards the left ticket purchasing point, increasing their bets.

As long as “the girl” dies this time, they could still have a chance to turn the tables!

The delusion of a gambler — I can turn the tables.

“Four empty! One live round!”

They roared, watching the girl raise the gun again, aiming at herself, and then turn the gun to aim at the man with the braid.

Is she scared?

Has she finally lost the courage to shoot herself?

There’s a chance to turn the tables, right here!

Only one person completed three consecutive wins today. How could that be so coincidental…

Bang —!

The fire snake spewed from the black muzzle, and a corpse with a severed neck lay on the ground, head separated from the body.

“Miss, your 100-pound ticket…”

The woman in the red chip mask handed a chip to Aivana and continued, “Please give me the ticket… I’ll return the chip to you…”

“No need,”

Aivana shook her head and said, “Keep buying all of them.”

“Three consecutive wins!”

The dealer announced excitedly from above, “Who could have thought that today, Derton Manor’s death wheel would produce a second three-consecutive-wins winner!”

“Any challengers left?!”

Many people, upon hearing the floating odds, had already run to the right with their chips.

But before they reached, they saw a banner hung near the prize redemption area: “Tickets sold out.”

Had the 10,000 Su Pound chip tickets sold out?

“Damn! I’m going to make you spit out all the money you swallowed!”

A bald man with red eyes charged straight into the glass room!

“It’s ‘Baldy Luke’!”

“Rumor has it he spent a lot of money to buy potions from the Redemption Society to increase bone strength. He might actually withstand one shot!”

“Let’s go! This woman can’t win anymore!”

The gamblers gathered again at the left ticket selling point. With their continuous purchases, the odds gradually balanced out to 0.50:0.50.

If Xia’er wins this round, Aivana could directly take the opponent’s money, netting a profit of five thousand pounds!

At this moment, the arena above started again.

The girl calmly spun the revolver in her hand, while the bald man’s seat was already a mess of blood and flesh.

Three corpses lay at his feet.

“The girl” — 8150!!!

“Baldy” — 50!!!

“Begin.”

The bald man’s fierce gaze locked onto the girl in front of him.

He was determined to win the 8200-pound chips…

No one can keep luck forever.

Click —

Like a countdown to death, the girl aimed the gun at herself and pulled the trigger, making a crisp sound.