socalfunplaces Chapter 168: The Curtain Rises
Chapter 168: The Curtain Rises
Chapter 178 The Curtain Rises
Seeing that the superpowered person who played the "Queen of Magic" in the hit movie had no interest in gambling himself, Yueju breathed a barely perceptible sigh of relief and led the guest into a cocktail bar in the lobby.
The two of them seemed to know their way around well, heading straight for the most secluded booth in the bar. After the bartender brought them their respective drinks, he quickly and tactfully left the area—leaving only Lingju and Miss Nazja nearby.
Sabrina removed her hood, revealing her beautiful face, a star of Pokémon Hollywood. Her long, dark blue hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and her tone became more casual.
"King of Cranberries, your appearance seems a bit too early. I had already put on a full disguise and was just about to have some fun, but you, the casino owner, appeared behind me like you used 'teleportation'."
Sitting opposite her, the evil-type king shrugged easily: "Miss Sabrina, you can still participate in the betting as you please. The Royal Union will never take any drastic measures to restrict the activities of its guests."
"Heh." Naz chuckled lightly, "Who would dare to flaunt their power in front of a super gambler like you? I can already foresee myself winning a couple of small rounds, then my superpowers inexplicably malfunction, and I'll start losing money all the way down, eventually ending up being politely sent off the cruise ship by you."
If that's the case, then you shouldn't have even considered cheating with superpowers in the first place...
Despite inwardly complaining, the casino owner, with a sleeping kitten curled up on his lap, calmly shook his head and responded expressionlessly—
"Please don't pretend to be using precognitive abilities to spout nonsense, Ms. Naz. Thanks to a certain colleague, I am somewhat familiar with the limitations of using superpowers—premonitions about the future are as difficult to manipulate as smoke. Only when the user's attention is highly focused, or when danger is imminent, will those mysterious forces diffused in the air give off a slight, subtle reaction. Precise and rapid predictions like that are impossible."
"It seems my Unova colleagues are somewhat lacking in ability; this is a basic skill in the Kanto region."
Miss Sabrina deliberately said this, her words subtly mocking the current Psychic King of Unova, seemingly eager to see the man's reaction.
“As a regular at the casino,” Blueberry said lazily, raising her cocktail glass from the table, “I can tell who’s bluffing.”
"Boring!" Sabrina leaned back into the fluffy sofa behind her. She was beginning to understand why psychic moves did no damage to Dark-type Pokémon.
"Speaking of which, how did you manage to appear the moment I entered the casino?"
The Gym Leader of Goldenrod City asked unwillingly, "Did you really just happen to be passing by and then recognize my identity?"
"I don't really believe in luck—misfortune often makes people more rational, while luck only makes people stupid."
The gambler gently swirled his glass, and the cocktail, with its distinct layers due to differences in density, reflected dazzling colors under the light.
"The truth is often incredibly dry. The security checkpoints at casino entrances are equipped with facial recognition cameras that store information on people who have caused trouble in gambling establishments around the world."
The blueberry drank all the different liquids in the glass in one gulp, and then said—
"Miss Naz, ten years ago you were quite active in the arcades under the Silver Company in Golden City, thanks to your superpowers. As a result, the arcade had to shut down its claw machines and gashapon machines. This record was entered into the Royal Union's database through a special intelligence network among casinos. Therefore, the alarm in my ear started buzzing the moment you walked in."
"Oh dear, I was just a little girl back then, full of rebellious spirit..." Naz smiled awkwardly, only then noticing that there was a working Bluetooth headset behind the left ear of the lingzhi.
"Now it's my turn to ask a question." The Dark-type Elite Four member quickly picked up the conversation, like a bandana-wearing thug unleashing a "Pursuit" attack—
“Miss Naz, what is your purpose in boarding this ship? You are neither obsessed with money nor do you seem like the kind of guest who would be enthusiastic about the intense thrill of gambling. Why did you choose to visit my casino?”
"If the owner of the Golden City arcade hears your verdict, he'll be so upset he'll cry."
The superpowered woman shook her finger, and her cocktail floated up.
Then, the liquid in the air detached from the glass, and the distinct layers of the cocktail separated as if cut by a blade. Naza, like eating different flavors of pudding, picked up each piece and savored it in small bites.
Looking at the completely separated, unmixed liquid, Blueberry showed a look of surprise for the first time tonight.
Caldelia's superpowers shouldn't allow for such precise manipulation, right? Even if she could, it wouldn't be so effortless. Perhaps the actress's previous arrogant remarks weren't entirely self-aggrandizement.
"My purpose in visiting the casino tonight is essentially no different from that of your guests."
As if she had bitten into undiluted liquor, Naz said indistinctly, sticking out her tongue—
"Perhaps the degree is slightly different, but we all came to this ship in pursuit of something new and different from our daily lives. The only difference is that some people try to find this in the fluctuating chips and ever-changing games, while I look forward to something more interesting happening."
"An incident?" Yueju frowned warily, instinctively denying it. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't overreact like that." Sabrina blinked. "There's not a soul around, and my telekinesis ensures this conversation won't be overheard by a third person."
"As you can see, the Royal Union is a gambling establishment created to satisfy my personal desires, an outlaw paradise born for entertainment, where there are no conspiracies or tricks. I don't understand why you are looking at me with such expectation."
Instead of trying to get a gambler to talk honestly, try teaching an Onix how to "surf".
"But the organization you belong to now wouldn't think that way, would it?" After finishing her cocktail, Nazir tossed her hair back.
"If the wealth accumulated by the plasma cluster is a lake, with countless rivers constantly expanding its water volume, your casino is like a high-powered water pump. Even if the money extracted is insignificant to them, the disturbing roar of the machine will still make some people in that organization restless."
Pointing his index finger at the gambler with a poker face—
"And this is the opportunity you've been waiting for."
Blueberry shrugged again, causing Newleaf Cat on her lap to shift her sleeping position.
"The people I've been meeting lately all seem to have a habit of looking up to others. Now that I'm an officer in the Plasma Team and a well-known traitor to the Alliance, no matter how much water this pump draws up, it won't arouse any hostility from others."
"A while ago, a body was found floating on the water in Fanba City. Rumors in Pokémon Hollywood say that the person's death was related to this gambling ship and that he was carrying a lot of debt."
Natsume throws out information that hits the nail on the head, while calmly observing Cranberry's reaction.
The gambler, however, readily changed the subject—
"Hollywood people are too good at making a mountain out of a molehill and drawing far-fetched conclusions. No, I should say there's no one in the world more eager to stir up trouble than filmmakers. Have you heard of the 'cinema effect'? In turbulent times when everyone is living in fear, cinema attendance actually increases. What could be more stimulating to the audience's eyes than death and darkness?"
The two men, sitting opposite each other in a booth at the bar, chatted idly, each harboring their own secrets.
Naz seemed to have already seen through all the playwright's secrets and was watching with great interest the star actors who were about to appear backstage; while Yueju showed no nervousness as a character in the play, she probed the other party's hostility while casually changing the subject, but stubbornly refused to reveal any details about the upcoming performance.
Naza suddenly looked up at the ceiling, which was bathed in a dim, yellowish light, and a smile appeared on her lips—
"It seems it's getting late, King of Blueberries. Let me answer your first question again."
What exactly is Naz's purpose in boarding the ship this time? Why is this actress, who is neither obsessed with money nor keen on gambling, so determined to visit the casino in Lantau Island?
"I have come here to witness a grand performance. A perfect drama that takes place in reality and cannot be compared to any other play—it will begin from this moment, the opening will unfold as smoothly as the meshing of gears, the development will be as thrilling and continuous as the waves of the sea, and the climax will be the joy of the victors and the lament of the losers."
Sabrina, with her legs crossed, narrated with impeccable acting skills—
“This play is interesting enough just to watch from the sidelines, and I don’t mind fulfilling my duty as an actor by playing a cameo role in the story.”
The moment the dojo leader, who was neglecting his duties, finished speaking, the bone conduction headphones that Yueju wore behind her ears began to vibrate and buzz.
The casino owner silently connected the communication device, and the reports from the employees in the monitoring room traveled through his skull to his auditory center—
"Boss, a Plasma Group speedboat has approached the cruise ship, and a group of cult leaders have led a large number of their men into the casino."
Who is in charge?
Looking at Nazja, who was smiling smugly, Yueju calmly asked a question.
"Vio, one of the Seven Sages, holds dual doctorates in mathematics and finance and is listed on the database's blacklist. Before joining the Order, he conspired with his university colleagues to plunder hundreds of millions of dollars from several major casinos in the United States..."
"It seems everyone has a rebellious phase," Sabrina chimed in happily. Superhumans always have such sharp ears.
The casino owner interrupted his employee's report: "There's no need for further explanation. As a gambler in the United States, I've known Dr. Vio's name since the day I first stepped into the casino."
The ability to create myths is a uniquely human talent, especially for ruthless gamblers. Whenever something astonishing or inexplicable happens in a casino, people eagerly seize upon it, weaving up all sorts of myths and believing them with fanaticism and blind faith.
As a pioneer in using mathematical concepts to crack casino probabilities, this sage from the Plasma Cluster remains a legend in casinos to this day. Many gamblers will take out his picture and pay homage before placing their chips.
Of course, Yueju couldn't remain indifferent to the casino legend's visit. He used a green nest ball to recall the still-sleeping Newleaf Meow back into the ball, and as he got up, he issued an order to his subordinates: "Notify everyone that the casino will remain open as usual, and I will personally receive these guests."
"King of Blueberries, you seem to be having a great time," the actress reminded Blueberries with interest.
"is it?"
The gambler glanced at the golden wall outside the bar, and through the dim reflection of the gold paint, a man with an exaggerated hairstyle and wearing a dark blue suit came into view.
He then realized that the corners of his mouth had somehow turned up into an exaggerated arc, and he could vaguely see sharp, fish-like teeth inside his mouth, as if he were about to devour someone alive...
It was a perfectly standard, arrogant, and greedy gambler's smile.