Generally speaking, nothing much ever happened inside the trainee dormitories.
Before a new instance opened, the trainees were free to spend their time however they wished. The system would only announce the next instance at seven o’clock in the morning on the day it opened.
Setting aside the fact that their lives were at the mercy of another being, the treatment thriller trainees received was actually quite good. Aside from the dormitories assigned to each person, the facilities in this building were more than comprehensive.
The broadcasting studio on the third floor was inaccessible at the moment, but the dining hall on the second floor was holding a grand feast, with dishes of every kind one could imagine.
The main hall on the ground floor was like a miniature city. Its high dome had been replaced by a sky canopy that alternated between day and night. Not only did it contain scenery resembling the real world, it also had all the infrastructure of a metropolis: churches, KTVs, recreation centers, amusement parks, supermarkets, and more. Moreover, all of them were free to use, so people could be seen bustling everywhere.
The night banquet was open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and tuxedoed waiters moved through the crowd with trays of wine. Trainees drank themselves senseless, living in a drunken, decadent dream.
At midnight, the promised Las Vegas Casino opened punctually.
The space in the northern area of the dormitories began to warp.
At the far end, infinitely tall doors slowly pushed open with a heavy rumble that reverberated throughout the dormitories.
[Limited-Time Scene: Las Vegas Casino has officially opened.]
[The panoramic camera has been enabled. All gambling tables will be broadcast live for the entire duration that Las Vegas is open.]
[The event will automatically end at seven o’clock in 3 days. Please redeem your chips before the event ends.]
The world beyond the doors was filled with gorgeous neon light, and dazzling diamonds glittered across the dome of the hall.
The fountain at the entrance was made of pure gold. The wine jug carried by Dionysus overflowed endlessly with deep red wine, filling the air with an indescribably sweet fragrance of luxury and dissipation.
Dealers stood behind each gambling table covered in deep green cloth.
At a round table not far away, casino officials stood before a mountain of chips, their serene smiles fixed like those of statues.
Countless trainees swarmed inside, rushing excitedly toward the tables.
“My apologies, sir.”
A sweet smile rested on the dealer’s face. “You need at least one hundred chips each to start a game at an E-rank table.”
“Come on, let’s hurry and exchange some.”
The dealer’s smile dazzled them. The newcomers left the tables and hurried over to the casino officials at the reception counter, slamming their hands on the table.
“What’s the exchange rate for chips? Is it a one-to-one conversion with survival points? Give me a thousand first!”
Expressionless, an official replied, “Sorry. Las Vegas chips cannot be exchanged with survival points. Chips can be exchanged for survival points, but survival points cannot be exchanged for chips.”
“What?!”
One newcomer was bewildered. “Survival points can’t be exchanged for chips? But we didn’t bring any money with us when we entered the loop.”
“Sir, I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood me.”
The official picked up a form from the table. “Chips can be exchanged with something you possess, such as special props or a specific type of special ability. If you leave the casino with fewer than or the same number of chips as when you entered, then the props and abilities you mortgaged will be seized by the casino and will not be returned.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
The official’s words dropped like a bomb among the newcomers.
“What are you talking about? Whether it’s props or special abilities, how could newcomers have any of those? Those are things only veterans would have, not us.”
“Exactly! And is it even possible that this casino was only prepared for veterans? Don’t newcomers deserve to play?”
“Ah… I think I understand.”
The newcomer who had spoken earlier suddenly understood. Swallowing hard, he turned his head and slowly lowered his gaze.
The official smiled. “Special props and abilities are not the only things classified as possessions.”
“In fact, human beings possess far more than you can imagine. For example: hands, necks, fingers, legs, ears…”
Under the horrified stares of the newcomers, the Las Vegas official revealed a stiff smile.
“Aren’t these your best initial chips?”
The reopening of the live broadcast happened to catch this scene perfectly.
[…I knew the system couldn’t possibly be that nice.]
[For real, isn’t this the system’s usual style? Veterans like us aren’t surprised, but those newcomers are probably scared to death.]
[Sigh, just watch. The veterans will calmly open tables and gamble. Honestly, Las Vegas having enough conscience to allow chips to be exchanged for special props has probably already used up all the conscience it’ll have for the next hundred years.]
Just as the bullet chat had predicted, the newcomers were stunned by those words. Each of them stood frozen in place, bewildered and terrified.
If they wanted to start gambling, they needed at least one hundred chips for the lowest E-rank table, let alone the highest S-rank no-limit table. If they did not even have the starting capital, they were not even qualified to place a bet.
A veteran glanced disdainfully at the newcomers trembling in fear, then walked straight forward and set his prop on the table.
“The special prop can be mortgaged for 5,000 chips. Thank you for your patronage.”
The veteran did not care how many chips he received from this.
At the end of the day, what mattered most was how to increase the number of chips in their hands. Whether they wanted to convert them directly into survival points or exchange them for special props, Las Vegas only recognized chips, not survival points.
Having spent so many years in the infinite loop, the veterans naturally understood what a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity this Las Vegas scene was. Without a second thought, they gathered around to examine the list of props available for exchange at the casino. There were nearly a hundred types, all of them props they had never even heard of before and could only be exchanged for here. The highest-ranked props reached A-rank, and the listed prices were quite reasonable as well.
The greatest advantage was that these props could be freely chosen. Many veterans had accumulated special props that had been gathering dust for ages because they had never found a use for them. Now that they finally had a chance to exchange them, of course they seized it.
While the veterans were exchanging in full swing, a newcomer finally mustered up the courage to step forward and ask, “Then… then how many chips can one kidney be exchanged for?”
It was common knowledge that everyone had two kidneys. If they truly had to lose an organ, this would be the first one most people thought of.
“One kidney can be exchanged for one hundred chips.”
“Only one hundred?!” the newcomer shouted.
The official smiled. “This is the exchange rate listed by the system. As long as you win your next hand at the E-rank gambling table, you can double your chips. This exchange is equivalent to gaining your initial gambling capital.”
“Besides, it wouldn’t be called gambling if there were no risk. It would be charity.”
One hundred chips was enough to go to an E-rank table.
The crowd fell into thought.
According to the official, the lowest-rank table should not be too difficult. If they did not even dare to take this kind of risk, then there would be no hope for them in the next instance three days later.
The newcomer gritted his teeth. “I’ll do it!”
“Then I’ll exchange my appendix.”
“Can I use my tonsils?”
As they came forward one by one, the official motioned for them to sign a blank sheet of paper before handing over the card containing their chips, thus completing the mortgage transaction.
There were several organs in the human body that would not cause too many consequences even if they were lost. If these organs were exchanged, they could easily obtain their initial gambling capital.
As for how they would regain the lost chips if they lost, the newcomers had no leisure to think about that.
Everyone always believed they would be fortune’s favorite.
While the trainees were lining up, a languid voice suddenly came from behind them.
“An organ can only be exchanged for one hundred chips. In your eyes, aren’t human beings a little too cheap?”
A white-haired young man slowly walked over from the doors.
Whether it was his demeanor or his appearance, he immediately drew the crowd’s attention.
The trainees standing in the center of the casino easily recognized him as the E-rank who had received an S-rank rating from the system yesterday.
Zong Jiu scoffed at the conversation that had just taken place between the official and the newcomer.
Human desire was bottomless, especially inside casinos. Once a person tasted sweetness, their bets would spiral wildly. And the higher they climbed by the end, the more tragic their fall would be.
Every casino gleamed beautifully on the surface.
But these were places that devoured people.
In his previous world, the reason Zong Jiu had deliberately caused such a sensation in Las Vegas was simply because he disdained the vile tricks casino dealers used against gamblers. So he had made fools of everyone and topped the blacklist of people forbidden from entering casinos.
Zong Jiu rested one hand on the round table. His long white hair slid down from his shoulder and fell across the tabletop like moonlight.
“It’s too boring to trade one organ at a time. Shall we play big?”
The young man lifted his eyes. Under the glow of the chandelier overhead, that pale pink was astonishingly bright.
“How many chips is my life worth?”
The crowd exploded.
Let alone the newcomers, even the veterans were stunned. They looked at him as if they were sizing up a madman.
[Wtf. Playing this big right from the start?]
[Does this newcomer think he’s all that just because he got an S from the system?]
[Does he even understand the rules? If he doesn’t end up with more chips than he mortgaged, he’ll die when the casino closes in three days. Although dying in the infinite loop isn’t exactly a big deal to us, at least dying in a horror instance is beyond our control. But in a casino, you can still choose not to gamble. What kind of person rushes forward to offer up their own life on a platter, dude?]
Unlike the chattering trainees, the officials showed looks of appreciation. The officials at the round table began applauding, and the applause lasted for nearly half a minute before finally fading.
“You have great courage, to gamble with your life.”
Zong Jiu only smiled wordlessly.
He believed that during the three days this casino remained open, countless trainees would end up meeting this exact fate.
“Normally, a trainee who wagers his life can receive 5,000 chips in exchange.”
“But due to an urgent message from the instructor,” the official said, “Las Vegas will award you an additional 5,000 chips.”
“To quote the instructor: your beauty and courage are always deserving of praise.”
The instructor again.
Zong Jiu seethed inwardly, but his face remained expressionless as he signed. Under everyone’s watchful gaze, he picked up the platinum-gold card handed to him by the staff and walked straight toward the gambling pools.
Many people secretly followed behind him.
Some wanted to take pleasure in watching him fall, while others were admiring and curious, wanting to see for themselves where his confidence came from.
All of them wanted to know what this trainee, who had made a name for himself in the second evaluation, was planning now.
Las Vegas had six gambling pools.
The starting chips were 100, 500, 1,000, 3,000, 10,000, and the no-limit betting pool.
When everyone saw that Zong Jiu had gambled with his life, they all thought he would head straight for the 10,000-chip pool or the no-limit betting pool.
Yet no one expected this guy to lead them all on a tour around the casino, only to suddenly turn halfway through and walk directly toward the 100-chip pool. He calmly sat down and said to the dealer—
“Deal the cards.”
Everyone watching him: “???”
That was it?
Our pants are already off, and this is all you’re giving us???
“Damn this kid. Is he playing with us?!”
The veterans were indignant. “Get out of the way. Let me show him up.”
In an instant, the E-rank table was packed tight with people. Everyone wanted to step up and play against this arrogant white-haired brat.
“Ah.”
Once the area around the table was completely crowded, the dealer apologetically announced, “My apologies, everyone. According to the rules, the first person seated at the table may decide which game will be played. This round is limited to three players. Aside from the C-rank trainee, two more players will be enough.”
A game with only three players?
“If it’s Blackjack, there can be up to six players. The same goes for Bash the Golden Flower—Zha Jinhua. Even Five-Card Stud can have four players, and Gnau isn’t even worth mentioning.”
The crowd whispered among themselves. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a game fixed at three people in international casinos.”
When the dealer changed the signage at the gambling table, everyone fell silent.
There were only three words written on it.
Fight the Landlord.