Chapter 207

……Tick, Tick.

“……”

John, who was absentmindedly feeling the lighter ignition part with his slightly trembling fingers, abruptly stopped when he became aware of his agitation and nervousness.

No. No. It’s still dangerous to exhibit any suspicious words or behavior when I haven’t even safely left the casino yet.

I must remain the lucky person who ‘haphazardly’ won a fortune thanks to the invitation of a famous elderly person, not someone who secretly robbed their wallet while the owner was absent… Ugh, I didn’t even want to imagine.

However, on the other hand, a whisper was tickling my ear—wasn’t it strange to maintain coolness in front of such a colossal amount as five billion?

Even if I won four hundred million right now, my share here would be only 20%. At most, eighty million.

That much money would be enough to live on for over a decade, no doubt, but this kind of trickery could only be performed when supported by acting skills and dexterity. Moreover, without a backer to handle aftercare, I can’t even attempt it.

Especially considering that a woman who has stacked black chips larger than her own height, who refers to them as ‘ambiguous change,’ must be affiliated with a well-known group that one would recognize by name both in the daylight and in the shadows or has separate connections.

Logically thinking, running away from such an outrageous one-on-one challenge request without a second thought should be the correct move.

Just look at that dangerous expression; she seems to be smiling, but there’s not a hint of laughter in it at all.

That kind of super-rich person surely wouldn’t get upset over losing just over a hundred million; it’s obvious she’s venting her frustration about losing in the match itself…

‘…Shit, I made a big mistake. I should have pretended to lose a few rounds to watch out for this possibility!’

I forced myself to swallow in a mouth that was drying up.

Due to the pressure of the seat, I had just been briefly observing the table layout and hastily trying to guess things, not realizing it would turn into a greater disaster.

No matter how I looked at it, escaping before the trickery caught me would be the right thing to do. Logically, that’s the answer.

“Hmm…”

…But then, what about the fifty billion over there? Fifty billion means ten billion at twenty percent. No, the conditions have changed, so if we negotiate well, it could go up to twelve or even fifteen billion.

With an amount that’s not even a child’s name flashing before my eyes, the smell of money was so overwhelming it made my heart race to the point of dulling my senses.

“Uh… So, will you not play the next game?”

“…”

As expected, considering she had the escort droid on standby, perhaps she was just a girl who played leisurely? Her talent for toying with subordinates is extraordinary.

I wanted to curse those filthy bourgeois bastards with a sense of relief, but I wouldn’t have made it this far without depending on the whims of such people.

In the distance, from the hallway, I noticed the frantic signal from my partner as if to say, ‘What are you doing not accepting immediately!’ and made up my mind.

Yeah, damn it, since I’ve already gone this far. If she hasn’t caught on yet, let’s do it just once more.

This time, I’ll follow the textbook, let her win on smaller bets, and only take the victory at the truly important junctures.

I can’t kick away this opportunity of a lifetime that has rolled into my lap, having a clear edge!

Clink…!

“This… It’s an offer that a gambler cannot refuse, so my response is a bit delayed. …I’m a bit nervous, so is it okay if I just go to the restroom for a moment? Ah, it would also be nice to change the card deck since it’s a new game.”

“…Sure, go ahead as you like.”

John stood up, rubbing his hands on his pants as if to wipe the sweat.

Due to the reckless all-in, the dealer who had been assisting with the prize settlement finally noticed that some playing cards had scraped the chips and hurriedly swept them into a designated trash bin.

“Then after a ten-minute break, we will proceed with Player Anastasia and Player John’s two-person Haven Hold’em. If anyone else wishes to join…”

With the staff completely resetting the table and the customers excitedly talking about the upcoming unlimited head-to-head match, John quietly slipped out and headed to the restroom.

Since many eyes had been focused on the previous match, I thought there would be at least one or two people stubbornly following me, but given it’s a high-stakes floor, it seemed there were no crazed individuals attempting to pursue.

…Relatively fortunate. The fewer people running around, the better, since this collusion could get me into real trouble if caught.

Clatter… clink!

In the innermost corner.

Entering the cubicle next to the locked one already being used, John plopped down on the toilet lid. The tension eased somewhat, and he longed for a cigarette or alcohol, but… the former wasn’t available, and the latter was hard to consume when an important game was still ahead.

“This idiot…! If a sitting target comes with fifty billion, just accept it right away; why hesitate and let the heat cool down? You’re the one who said there’s nothing easier than taking down someone who’s banging their head on a gambling table!”

“……Judging whether the opponent is a fool or not is my job. If you were to sit there and endure the gaze of those people, even with a droid scanner, you’d have lost your mind long ago.”

The person across from him was spouting bitter words about tactile information while struggling to rub away the tension from his stiff shoulders and legs, having only seen the amount from afar.

John spat at the busy casino manager, preoccupied with collecting money.

Of course, he wasn’t shirking his duties back at security, but the level of impatience was unbearable.

“Why, then, does such a worrying person avoid bringing in a dealer to make me suffer like this? If deck control was in place, this mess wouldn’t have happened.”

That was precisely John’s complaint.

In swindling gambling, it’s essential to have a con, but even if only the dealer can be bought off, the requirements and pressures on the gambler can be drastically reduced.

He would rather not use means likely to get caught, like an iris camera or hand tricks, wanting to win without needlessly endangering himself. He didn’t bring this up based on some ridiculous value of fairness; it felt like every moment was like walking on thin ice.

“Fuck… Does this casino have a long enough history to train professional dealers? In a position where you’re hiring specialized personnel, and you don’t even know which table the game will be played on, if you start pulling one or two more in and it leaks, it’s over!

Plus, the regulars like that elderly man or that woman would be well acquainted with such scams, right? It’s much easier to work when an utterly clueless dealer takes on suspicion for you. …And, if worse comes to worst, couldn’t we just ‘pick up’ over there again?”

…Thud!

A flat box the size of a palm was thrown through a gap in the partition near his feet.

Quietly, John picked up the certification card packs supplied under a contract from the Rendezvous Casino.

As the manager said, the used consumables should be replenished for the upcoming games.

With a smooth motion, his palm and forearm opened vertically without making any noticeable noise.

Originally meant for personal medication or self-defense blades, the hollow prosthetic arm opened to reveal numerous cards neatly packed inside.

These were intended as a last resort to respond according to each player’s hand.

They served as insurance in case the con artist was on the verge of toppling.

For instance… had he rushed to draw a J pair before completing the four-card hand right before that last showdown, it might have cost him dearly.

A K-high full house on the river? What kind of star was I born under that even in raw plays like that I get such good cards?

“Damn. I need to ensure that visibility angles are set right from all those people. The table can’t go over four cards. After using one, I need to prompt deck changes, no matter what excuse I have to make. Do you think it’s easy to create a card that doesn’t exist with a droid around? Each of their models has frames packed so tightly!”

If someone catches on, it would physically be his neck on the line; he gritted his teeth, thinking they were speaking too lightly.

Especially those with lofty hobbies, they prevented even using a rolled paper-style stimulant, which diminishes focus, while the support guy was busy with comfort talk…

“Oh, come on. Isn’t that part of the game? Even if it happens, I’ve made arrangements so that you won’t die, right? I don’t mean to say you should give up fifty billion over mere worries…?”

Oh dear. Sensing John’s stress rising to a dangerous level beyond expectations, the manager changed tactics, soothing him rather than hollering without restraint.

He was a tech specialist obtained with great difficulty. Who knows how many more times this would happen… or even if it would be the last business if their finance guy, the boss, hasn’t been in contact for over a week. Missing this would be nonsense.

“Come on… Now that you’ve rested enough, let’s just strip that girl. I’ve made reservations, of course, for not just plastic surgery, but also where she can hide for a while.”

John reluctantly agreed to the following excuse-like persuasion.

In a way, it was only natural. If I hadn’t ensured responsibility for those parts beforehand, I would have been dissatisfied with the 20% share long ago and sought re-negotiation. Not every time something came up was it about collaboration.

“Huh… Fine. Then why haven’t you used that purple pill earlier? Why the procrastination? At least, you should create a state where my judgment isn’t clouded so I can play bolder.”

“Tsk. Alfred is renowned for being the head of a lending company in the commercial sphere and Sasha is the only daughter of the owner of Daily Brew Works; do you think they won’t detect such a drug reaction? With just the two left, I’ll casually send over a service drink, so don’t rush. Rumor has it that the man who did the previous job was also from some corporation, so we’re playing it carefully.”

With a slightly drugged beverage to haze the mind and unconsciously increase the intention of revisiting, it was a cliché trick yet an almost unprecedented ‘hidden’ method thanks to the lively atmosphere of the casino.

Anyway, after hearing repeated promises that they would make their utmost efforts in evidence destruction, John brushed off his knees and stood up.

The prosthetic was operating smoothly, and the ocular camera was intact.

Now, all that remained was to seize that terrifying girl’s fifty billion… only…?

“…Wait a minute, is it really true that stripping the girl who contributed that fifty billion and the expressionless man carries no repercussions?”

Having come to that thought, he realized he was one beat late in questioning the manager about the specifics of two out of the four customers at the table.

“Stop worrying unnecessarily! I subtly showed a photo of the girl to a friend at the immigration office; she was just a drifter who wrote ‘homestay’ for her residency a few months ago, so she must have won the lottery or something. The man was recently a patient who had come in due to malfunctioning implants.”

“Then… that’s a relief.”

Recalling the seemingly healthy man and the girl who showed no signs of regret, John tilted his head in uncertainty but… soon abandoned further contemplation.

For now, he needed to focus all his nerves on safely pulling his cards out.

– …This is regrettable. –

With that decision made, as the man turned on the faucet to leave moisture around his hands and face.

A Carebot, following the owner’s orders, lamented outside the bathroom that the recording quality was poor, making the evidence unclear.

“…Prepare to move in; upon signal, prioritize arresting the main manager and the subordinate security team first.”

The expressionless man on the opposite wall, who had been eavesdropping similarly, sighed as he finally caught the tail with his expensive implants, relieved that the VIP service was nearing its end.