CHAPTER 32: CHAPTER 31: THE GREED OF MONEY

"Manager Xu, take me to explore other places. Remember to have Li Shan come over when we return to the private room later," Wu Liang said in a flat tone.

He didn’t immediately rush to stop Li Shan, who was still leading everyone to dance wildly in the dance floor.

Since the authorities have noticed the anomaly at the nightclub, but haven’t directly dispatched the Awakened to wreck the place, there must be a reason.

The most significant factor is that no deaths have occurred yet.

It was evident earlier that customers influenced by it would collapse from exhaustion after dancing and then be taken away to rest.

Even if there were instances of bone fractures or injuries, there were no on-the-spot deaths among customers.

This indirectly proved that the current anomaly wasn’t yet deadly.

Therefore, Wu Liang wanted to see if there were other anomalies beyond the dance floor!

"Of course, no problem. Please follow me, Mr. Wu." Xu Qingling showed no surprise on her face when she noticed that he refused to step onto the dance floor.

As she introduced various entertainment options in Heaven and Earth along the way, they gradually walked upstairs together.

In just a few minutes, they arrived at a lavish golden door, guarded by four burly security personnel who fixed their gaze intently on Wu Liang.

Xu Qingling continued, "Mr. Wu, inside here is the largest ’game room’ in Heaven and Earth. You need to exchange some chips before they open the door for you."

Then she glanced at a window next to the door, which was indeed the chip exchange point.

Without hesitation, Wu Liang walked over and handed a card, casually saying, "I’d like a hundred thousand in chips."

The card was naturally given to him by He Zhan, who mentioned that its usage limit was essentially limitless, but it had to be returned after this mission was completed.

Moreover, the authorities would check the expenses to ensure they were related to the mission, preventing any personal expenditures.

After all, Wu Liang had specifically asked He Zhan about this.

At the time, he even had his eye on a house and car, ready to place an order, but unfortunately, it was not feasible.

With a hundred thousand in chips, the security personnel naturally didn’t block his way alongside Xu Qingling.

As the door slowly opened, a dazzling light and a cacophony of shouts rushed forth, leaving Wu Liang mesmerized by the scene within—

Slot machines, fruit machines, along with the raucous clatter of tables and cards, were everywhere.

The entire floor was dedicated to gambling; just a glance revealed the number of dealers easily exceeded fifty. Wu Liang couldn’t even fathom the daily turnover here!

Earlier, Xu Qingling had humbly referred to it as the "game room" behind the door!

Calling this place the Las Vegas of Chengyang City wouldn’t be an exaggeration!

"Mr. Wu, what would you like to try? I can take you for a game. Chips can be exchanged anytime within the venue." Xu Qingling smiled as she guided Wu Liang into the hall.

As soon as he entered, Wu Liang noticed an anomaly.

The gleam of madness gleamed in everyone’s eyes, with faint traces of bloodshot veins visible.

Almost each person had a female companion akin to his, but most were accompanied by the venue’s bunny girls.

They led customers from one interesting table to another, watching as they continually wagered chips, their smiles eerily sinister.

If people in the dance floor indulged in reckless self-ruin, then those influenced here were being consumed by an unbounded desire for wealth!

Rationality was a rare sight in their eyes; everyone was busy gambling, exchanging chips, and gambling again.

"Interesting, is there blackjack?" Wu Liang casually asked, stepping firmly towards the floor inside.

Hearing that he finally intended to play something, Xu Qingling’s smile grew even more enthusiastic. "Of course, please, this way."

She led Wu Liang to a table deep within the hall.

At this point, a customer was already absorbed in the game, too engrossed to even glance as Wu Liang approached, solely focused with flushed cheeks on the dealer’s cards.

"Hit me! Five points! Just as long as this card is under five, I’m safe!"

Thud—

The dealer expressionlessly dealt the card, revealing a seven of hearts.

The man who had just requested the card immediately paled, glancing down at his dwindling chips, quickly retrieving a card and slipping it into the ample cleavage of the bunny girl next to him, shouting, "Hurry! Get me fifty thousand more!"

"I’ll turn it around in the next round!"

"Haha, count me in."

Wu Liang stepped forward and sat next to the man.

He could sense that the dealer exuded a sinister charm, even more potent than the dancer below.

As soon as he sat at the table, an overwhelming urge flooded his mind, compelling him to bet it all.

He felt he could beat everyone there!

With this inexplicable confidence and desire amplified immensely, Wu Liang thought none of the customers in the venue could maintain clarity.

He even reckoned that if other Awakened had come here today, they too would fall into the trap of desire!

But unfortunately, he was Wu Liang.

"Player’s blackjack beats the dealer! Player wins!"

"Dealer busts! Player wins!"

"Player blackjack against the dealer’s other hand, player wins!"

"..."

In an extraordinary turn of events, since Wu Liang sat at the table, he kept winning.

The previous customer at the table had long squandered everything but, seeing Wu Liang’s continued winning streak, remained anxiously spectating.

Meanwhile, the dealer behind the table was sweating profusely, bewildered by his continuous losses!

"Something’s off! Is he cheating?"

"No, no, no, I’ve been dealing the cards all along. He hasn’t even touched them; how could he cheat?"

"Why can’t I change the cards?"

The dealer’s mind raced with thoughts, even his hand trembling while dealing.

Let’s not mention Wu Liang cheating; in fact, the dealer had been the one trying to cheat all along!

However, no matter how he tried to switch cards, the next deal always turned out advantageous for Wu Liang, while he frequently busted.

Even Xu Qingling standing behind Wu Liang had a hint of oddity flash in her eyes.

Since the incident that happened a few days ago, she hadn’t seen anyone at the Heaven and Earth casino who could cleanly defeat a dealer without losing a hand.

And the young man she was attending to, why was he able to maintain such composure?

The desires of the flesh hadn’t ensnared him, nor had the greed for money led him astray. What exactly would incite this guy’s ultimate desire?

"Apologies, Mr. Wu, this dealer has been unwell lately. Allow me to accompany you next."

Before Xu Qingling could make sense of it, she saw a suited man approaching from a distance, promptly replacing the previous dealer.

With a square face and slicked-back hair, his face bore a sinister smile that induced discomfort in people.

As he appeared, the worry in Xu Qingling’s eyes eased significantly, yet a trace of pity for Wu Liang emerged.

Who would’ve expected this guy to provoke the floor manager to personally intervene? He wouldn’t have any luck now, and would inevitably be influenced to the point of losing everything, until nothing but his life remained!

"I don’t care who’s the dealer, but I am curious... How did you know my surname is Wu?"

Wu Liang’s gaze fixed like a hawk on the man’s face; in an instant, he seized the strangeness in the man’s words.

Furthermore, he sensed the peculiar aura emanating from this man was more intense than that of all the dealers combined, clearly not an ordinary dealer.

A mere look from him was likely enough to plunge a normal person into a consuming addiction to gambling!

Seeing the man unresponsive to his question, Wu Liang merely shrugged, sitting leisurely in his chair again. "Don’t want to answer? No worries, I’ll get it out of you by winning all your money."

It was then Xu Qingling noticed just how many chips Wu Liang had amassed in such a short time.

"Nine million..."