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Three days later, as night fell, aside from Dai Mubai, who had already gone out to meet a girl, all the teachers and students of Shrek Academy gathered on the school field.
Seeing Flender call over Zhao Wuji, Shao Xin, Li Yusong, and Lu Qibin, Chu Chengzhou couldn't help but wear an expression of disbelief.
Tonight was also not a scheduled evening class—so why was Flender here? And why had he brought the other four?
There was no mystery to it. Chu Chengzhou had already achieved six consecutive victories in the sub-arenas of the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena last night, which meant he was eligible to fight in the main arena today.
And in the main arena, every match had betting odds. With Chu Chengzhou's strength, as long as he didn't intentionally throw the match, victory was guaranteed.
This kind of opportunity to effortlessly rake in money was something Flender, whose financial situation had slightly improved but was still tight, wouldn't miss. Moreover, he had also invited his even more cash-strapped buddies along for the ride.
"Chu kid, tonight depends entirely on you!"
Flender patted Chu Chengzhou on the shoulder and grinned.
"That's right, Boss Chu! Whether I can enjoy luxury meals and live comfortably at the club in the future depends entirely on you!"
No sooner had Flender finished speaking than Ma Hongjun enthusiastically nodded in agreement.
Chu Chengzhou: "..."
"Alright, it's getting late. Let's head out!"
Flender waved his hand and led the group toward Suotuo City.
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Suotuo Great Spirit Arena
After Chu Chengzhou registered for the one-on-one Spirit Fight in the main arena and finalized the match sequence, everyone rushed to the betting counters.
The economy of Suotuo City was thriving—even ordinary civilians earned more than those in remote small towns like Nuoding City.
Of the three vices—lust, gambling, and drugs—while drugs were excluded, few could resist lust or gambling. Coupled with the lack of entertainment in the world of Douluo, the number of gamblers flocking to the Great Spirit Arena to place bets was staggering.
The Great Spirit Arena operated 24/7, and the five betting windows at the counter were already lined up with long queues. In fact, there was rarely a moment when no one was waiting in line.
Finding what he thought was the shortest queue, Chu Chengzhou and the others joined it.
The process was simple: place your bet and pay, then the staff at the window would issue a betting receipt. The line moved quickly.
After about ten minutes, it was Chu Chengzhou's turn.
"Good evening, sir. Which match would you like to bet on, and which contestant are you backing?"
The receptionist behind the counter, dressed in uniform, smiled warmly at Chu Chengzhou.
"This match—I'm betting 100,000 gold soul coins on the 'Summoner' to win!"
Chu Chengzhou pointed to one of the many match schedules hanging by the window, then placed ten gold coin cards, each worth 10,000 gold soul coins, on the counter.
This match was his one-on-one Spirit Fight tonight, and "Summoner" was the title he used in the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena.
Just like Dai Mubai's "Evil-Eyed White Tiger" and Ma Hongjun's "Blazing Phoenix."
"100,000 gold soul coins?"
Seeing the ten gold coin cards on the counter, the receptionist's mouth dropped slightly—she hadn't expected this handsome young man to be such a big spender.
Suotuo City wasn't comparable to Tian Dou City, nor did it have super-rich individuals like Ning Fengzhi. A single bet of 100,000 gold soul coins on an ordinary match was rare indeed.
Moreover, this wealthy individual wasn't some pot-bellied, lecherous old nobleman—it was a young and handsome older brother!
"Big Brother, are you sure you want to bet on this 'Summoner' contestant to win?"
The receptionist stopped calling him "sir" and switched to "big brother."
"I'm absolutely certain!"
"Alright, big brother, let me issue your betting receipt!"
The receptionist gave a charming smile, took the ten gold coin cards from the counter, and began issuing Chu Chengzhou's betting receipt for 100,000 gold soul coins.
"One question: What are the current odds for the 'Summoner' winning?"
"Big brother, the betting just opened for this match, and since you placed such a large bet, the odds have dropped from nearly 1:2 to 1:1.1 now!"
"1:1.1?"
Chu Chengzhou raised an eyebrow. Betting 100,000 gold soul coins at 1.1 odds meant a payout of 110,000 gold soul coins.
After deducting the 5% commission taken by the Great Spirit Arena, he'd walk away with 104,500 gold soul coins—a profit of only 4,500.
Wasn't this a classic case of high risk for low reward?
Of course, this was only temporary. The reason the odds were so low was because the betting had just opened, the total amount wagered was still low, and he had placed such a large bet all at once.
It was still early before the betting closed, and there would undoubtedly be more bets placed on his opponent. By the time betting closed, the odds for his victory would surely rise significantly.
Not long after, Chu Chengzhou received a betting receipt for 100,000 gold soul coins and a neatly folded slip of paper.
"???"
Looking at the folded slip of paper in his hand, Chu Chengzhou was puzzled.
If he hadn't seen wrong, the other gamblers seemed to have only received a betting receipt from the window. So what was this slip of paper for?
Lifting his head, Chu Chengzhou saw the receptionist winking and smiling flirtatiously at him.
A wealthy and handsome older brother—if he couldn't become a golden son-in-law, a sudden impulse was understandable, right~?
Chu Chengzhou: "..."
Suddenly, Chu Chengzhou felt a sharp pain in his waist.
Turning around, he saw a pair of delicate white hands pinching the soft flesh on his waist and twisting it a full 180 degrees.
"Xiao Wu, what are you doing?"
Chu Chengzhou looked at Xiao Wu, who had a displeased expression, and spoke with exasperation.
"I saw everything!"
Pouting, Xiao Wu pointed at the slip of paper in Chu Chengzhou's hand.
"... Your brother isn't that kind of person!"
Chu Chengzhou crumpled the slip of paper in his hand, flicked it with his fingers, and sent it flying into a nearby trash can in a parabolic arc.
Seeing this, Xiao Wu nodded in satisfaction and gave Chu Chengzhou a look that said, "Good job knowing better."
Xiao Wu was satisfied, but someone else wasn't.
Seeing this wealthy and handsome older brother casually toss her slip of paper into the trash without even looking at it, the receptionist immediately slumped in disappointment, gazing at Chu Chengzhou with a melancholic expression.
Of course, it was only melancholy.
She wouldn't dare show her displeasure or throw a tantrum.
Not only were such actions against the rules of the Great Spirit Arena, but simply the fact that Chu Chengzhou had casually thrown down 100,000 gold soul coins made her too intimidated to act out.
Naturally, Chu Chengzhou ignored the receptionist's disappointed gaze.
Though he didn't mind adding another fish to his pond, this receptionist's appearance was merely average, and she wasn't a talented soul master—she didn't qualify to enter his pond. Even if Xiao Wu weren't jealous, he wouldn't give her a second glance.
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