The interior of The Elysium was divided into three levels.
The upper deck was the ballroom, a place for socializing. The middle deck was the Casino, a place for greed. And the lower deck... was the abyss, where the "Special Auctions" took place.
Jiang Daolin stood in the middle of the Casino. The air here was thick with smoke, sweat, and the manic energy of gamblers.
"Banker wins! Player loses!" "Damn it! Another million gone!"
Curses and cheers intertwined.
Jiang Daolin wasn't interested in money. He walked through the crowd, his golden fox mask reflecting the dazzling lights.
Suddenly, his footsteps stopped.
Sob... Sob...
A faint, childish crying sound drifted into his ears.
Jiang Daolin frowned. He looked around. Everyone was shouting or laughing; there were no children here.
"Where is it coming from?"
He focused his mind, activating his Stitcher's Sense. The world around him faded into gray, and sound waves became visible lines.
He followed the "crying" sound to the largest gambling table in the center of the hall.
It was a Sic Bo (Dice Game) table.
A sexy female dealer in a bunny costume was shaking a black dice cup. Clack, clack, clack.
Every time the dice hit the walls of the cup, the crying became louder.
It hurts... Mom... It hurts...
Jiang Daolin's eyes turned cold behind the mask.
He stared at the dice cup. Through his special vision, he saw that the three dice inside weren't made of ivory or plastic.
They were white, slightly yellowed... Human Bone.
And judging by the density and size, they were carved from the kneecaps of a child.
"Using human bones as gambling tools to gather wealth... You people really deserve to die."
Jiang Daolin walked to the table.
"Place your bets! Buying small or buying big?" The dealer shouted with a charming smile.
A bald tycoon slammed a stack of chips on the table. "One million on Big! I don't believe my bad luck will last forever!"
"I bet Small!" "Big!"
The gamblers placed their chips frantically.
Jiang Daolin squeezed to the front. He reached into his pocket. He didn't have chips, only the black gold card. But on this ship, the card itself was unlimited credit.
Bam!
He slammed the Heavy Black Gold Card onto a specific spot on the layout: "Triple Ones" (The Leopard).
The odds for this specific triple were 150 to 1. It was a suicide bet.
The table went silent.
The bald tycoon looked at Jiang Daolin like he was an idiot. "Hey, Fox Mask. Are you crazy? The probability of a specific triple is less than 0.5%! You're throwing money into the ocean!"
The female dealer also paused. She looked at the Black Gold Card, her eyes narrowing. "Sir, the maximum payout for this table is limited. Are you sure you want to bet... everything?"
"I'm not betting on luck," Jiang Daolin said, his voice distorted by the mask, sounding deep and hollow. "I'm betting on them."
"Them?" The dealer was confused.
"They are crying," Jiang Daolin whispered. "They say they want to stop rolling. They want to rest."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" The dealer sneered. She was a master of gambling; she could control the dice. She knew the result inside was definitely not Triple Ones. It was 4, 5, 6 (Big).
"Open the cup," Jiang Daolin commanded.
"Fine. Since you want to lose, I'll help you!"
The dealer lifted the cover confidently. "Open! 4, 5, 6... Big..."
Her voice got stuck in her throat.
Every gambler around the table gasped.
Inside the cup, the three white dice lay quietly. One red dot facing up. One red dot facing up. One red dot facing up.
1, 1, 1. Triple Ones.
"Impossible!!" The dealer screamed, her face pale. She clearly manipulated them to be Big! How did they turn over by themselves at the last second?
Jiang Daolin tapped his fingers lightly on the table.
Just a moment ago, he had used a technique called "Bone Resonance." He sent a tiny strand of his internal energy (Qi) through the table, vibrating the "child's bone," making them flip to the position of "rest."
"150 times," Jiang Daolin said calmly. "Pay up."
The bald tycoon dropped his cigar. "Holy shit... He really won..."
The commotion attracted attention.
A tall man in a tuxedo, wearing an earpiece, walked over from the shadows. He was the Floor Manager.
He glanced at the dice, then at Jiang Daolin's mask. He realized instantly that this was no ordinary guest.
"Sir," the Floor Manager bowed politely, but his eyes were sharp. "Congratulations on your win. But this table is too small for a master like you."
"The Boss invites you to the VIP Room downstairs."
The Manager pointed to the spiral staircase leading to the dark lower deck.
"Downstairs?"
Jiang Daolin picked up his Black Gold Card.
"That's exactly where I wanted to go."
He turned to the dealer, who was still trembling.
"Burn those dice," he said softly, only for her to hear. "Or tonight, the child will come to chew on your knees."
Leaving the terrified dealer behind, Jiang Daolin followed the manager into the darkness.
The game was over. The hunt was about to begin.