adbindia Chapter 89
Chapter 89
Chapter 89: The Game...Begins!
"Hahahahaha!!"
The silence lasted less than 3 seconds before it was shattered by a burst of unbridled laughter.
The Bank Ghost and Thief Ghost sitting across from him clutched their stomachs.
They laughed so hard that their freshly bandaged wounds split back open, black blood seeping out—but they didn't care in the least.
"Idiot! What a complete idiot!!"
"Betting everything you own? Just to play a round of High-Low with us?"
The 2 ghosts exchanged a greedy glance.
This newcomer...
Not only was he a pretty boy, he was an absolute fool through and through!
How wonderful!
This round was already theirs to win!
Nearby, Piano's single eye locked hard onto Jiang Nan.
The tip of her tongue lightly traced her lips, the desire in her eye practically dripping.
'What an adorable fellow...'
'That all-or-nothing brand of madness—it's exactly my type.'
She leaned her body forward and deliberately undid one button of her blouse, revealing a bottomless valley.
"Hey there, pretty boy~ In such a rush to hand your money over to me?"
"I hope that once you become my slave later...when you're in my bed, you'll still be this arrogant~"
Faced with this blatant flirting and the 2 ghosts' mockery.
Jiang Nan simply sat in his chair without even lifting his eyelids.
He didn't care in the slightest about what these small fry thought.
What he cared about was only one thing—time.
'Word Spirit·Strong Luck only lasts 12 hours.'
'I have to speed-clear this hospital within those 12 hours and get that thing.'
Watching Jiang Nan regard her irresistibly tempting body as though it were invisible.
Piano wasn't angry in the slightest—if anything, she grew even more excited, her breathing turning rapid.
"Ignoring me? Good! Very good!"
"I love this kind of thorny pillar to lean against! Conquering one like this is so much more thrilling!!"
Her face flushed with an abnormal redness from the double excitement.
Slam!
Piano slapped the table hard and tossed a heavy pouch of Ghost Coins onto it.
"Since our pretty boy is in such high spirits, I'll keep you company to the very end!"
"200 Ghost Coins! I call!"
At that.
The 2 ghosts across the table winced at the cost, but they also knew the game's brutal rules and didn't dare slack off.
The Bank Ghost gritted its teeth and dug out its private savings: "180!"
The Thief Ghost pulled out all the money it had just stolen: "120!"
Clatter!
All the chips converged at the center of the table.
Jiang Nan's 500, plus the other 3 players' 500.
Exactly 1,000 Ghost Coins combined!
This was the game's mandatory rule:
The Stage Pool.
The game could only officially begin once the total chip count reached a specific stage threshold.
50, 100, 300, 500, 1,000, 2,000...
Once a player threw in chips exceeding 10% of or equal to the stage value, it would trigger the next stage.
For example, Jiang Nan throwing in 500 Ghost Coins triggered the 1,000 Stage Pool.
The remaining players were required to collectively make up the remaining 500, pushing the prize pool to 1,000!
Only then could the game begin!
If the money wasn't raised to open the stage, a penalty mechanism would trigger.
The 2 players with the fewest chips would be processed as "mid-game withdrawal"—hands chopped off on the spot!
As for how the game ended?
Without question, gambling was a road with no return!
Either suffer regret and punishment, or win every last coin of your opponents' money—or lose every last coin of your own!
Withdrawing at the end of a round still triggered the hand-chopping penalty!
Just like what happened to the Bank Ghost and Thief Ghost!
Beyond that, there was also in-round withdrawal.
Equivalent to going AFK mid-game—the harshest penalty of all, a fine of 2,000 Ghost Coins!
Can't pay? Then use the Gundam Parts on your body to settle the debt!
The 2 ghosts had already had one hand each chopped off before, and naturally had no desire to experience that agony again.
Even if it meant selling everything they had, they would get this round started!
"Good."
Piano looked at the mountain of chips piling up and smiled.
"The money's all here."
"Deal the cards!"
Hummm!!
As the murderous energy of the 1,000 chips surged, the slot machine at the center of the Mahjong Table slowly sank downward.
Immediately after.
A swirl of pink mist rose from the table's surface.
"Welcome to...Heartbeat Poker~"
A seductive figure materialized within the mist.
It was a bunny-girl ghost with a figure that was explosively, devastatingly hot.
Her entire skin was a dead ashen gray, her body covered in extensive burn scars.
Her face in particular—every single facial feature had completely melted away.
But none of that stopped her from showing off her figure.
Thwap.
She actually dropped straight into a full split, seating herself right at the center of the Mahjong Table!
Those long legs clad in black fishnet stockings extended outrageously right in front of Jiang Nan.
She even deliberately wiggled her toes, as though teasing the only handsome man in the room.
It was quite obvious.
This ghost had no face—but she was still an Appearance-Obsessed one.
"Damn it!!"
Witnessing this scene, the Bank Ghost and Thief Ghost sitting across the table instantly had their composure shattered!
They furiously pounded the table, howling inwardly.
'Why?!'
'Being less good-looking than a pretty boy while alive was one thing! But dying and becoming a ghost and still having to deal with looks?!'
'Is there any justice in this world?!'
The 2 ghosts gnashed their teeth, jealousy twisting their expressions beyond recognition.
They silently swore in their hearts that this round, they would absolutely unite and target this pretty boy straight into the ground!
Meanwhile, Piano let out a sharp "tch," chewing on her fingernail with a trace of agitation.
'Damn it...this is going to be a problem.'
'A beautiful ghost dealer, dealing cards live.'
'This is no joke!'
In this ghost-forsaken place, the dealer held absolute 【Dealing Authority】.
She could genuinely deal garbage hands to anyone she disliked and heavenly hands to anyone she favored!
'If she takes a liking to this pretty boy and deals him great cards every single round...'
'No matter how strong my abilities and cheating techniques are, they can't beat official behind-the-scenes manipulation!!'
'Especially in the second round...there's also that Supervisor to worry about!'
Piano stared fixedly at the bunny-girl ghost who was busy making eyes at Jiang Nan, alarm bells blaring in her heart.
However.
Faced with that black-stockinged jade foot extended right before him, still swaying incessantly.
Jiang Nan furrowed his brow.
Smack!
He slapped the back of the bunny-girl's foot and sent it flying to the side!
Then he wiped his hand with a look of utter disdain.
As though to say...
Move it.
I have no interest...
In your hooves.
"......"
The bunny-girl froze in place.
Her faceless visage showed no readable expression—yet the twin Great Slimes on her chest were trembling violently!
'Rejected?!'
'This human...actually dares to reject this lady's charms?!'
'Those are this lady's proudly beloved jade feet!! And he called them hooves?!'
'And then wiped his hand in disgust?!'
The bunny-girl ghost was absolutely livid!
Her Resentment Value shot straight through the roof, and her mind made its decision in an instant.
"Good! Very good!"
"Playing the aloof type, are we?"
"Today, this lady is going to target you mercilessly!!"
"I'll make sure you draw the lowest cards every single round! I'll make you lose until you don't even have your underwear left!!"
But...
The bunny-girl, lost in her fury, had no idea.
The man sitting across from her was, at this very moment, under the enhancement of 【Word Spirit·Strong Luck】.
So-called targeting, when faced with extreme good fortune, would more often than not transform into the most laughable of assists.
‘What a pity.’
The other 2 ghosts in the room couldn't see any of this at all.
Or rather...
They couldn't read the bunny-girl's emotional shift whatsoever—because her face had already been burned clean off.
All they saw was the bunny-girl pull her leg back, seemingly becoming even more "professional."
Hummm!
The bunny-girl ghost condensed a sign out of black energy and slammed it heavily onto the table.
On it, written in blood-red lettering, were 4 large characters.
【The Game...Begins!】