Volume Six: The Greedy Cruise.

High-Stakes Gambling Cruise.

Xing Ye and Lu Mingze temporarily entered a "more than friends, less than lovers" mode of interaction. After seven days in the real world, Lu Mingze realized that this mode was not very different from before.

No, there was a difference. In the past, Xing Ye would occasionally tease the mirror, both physically and verbally. But now, after their relationship evolved, he became much more decent. Without Lu Mingze’s explicit consent, Xing Ye rarely engaged in actions like poking or kissing the mirror surface.

Moreover, Xing Ye was extremely busy. Every day, he handled numerous matters. During his limited free time, he read books, exercised, or watched Lu Mingze’s mother’s lectures with him.

Xing Ye had never given up on improving himself. He believed that one should learn and grow throughout life. Additionally, if he wanted to leave a good impression on Lu Mingze’s parents, he needed to be a knowledgeable and accomplished person, which required reading more books .

Lu Mingze: “…”

Why had he worried about their relationship changing after Xing Ye’s confession? What a pointless concern.

That said, Xing Ye’s approach gave Lu Mingze a sense of security. Gradually, he adapted to the changes in their relationship and started adjusting his mindset, attempting to view Xing Ye as a potential romantic partner.

After seven peaceful and heartwarming days, the two returned to the system space.

This time, Xing Ye left his companions behind and prepared to embark on his first advanced world challenge alone.

When the black-and-white Rubik's cube saw Xing Ye, it formed its signature familiar grin. “Player X8205, are you ready?”

Xing Ye replied, “Please generate the new world.”

“Alright,” the black-and-white Rubik's cube responded. “Friendly reminder: advanced worlds may pose risks to both your life and property. Please proceed with caution.”

Xing Ye didn’t respond, and the black-and-white cube didn’t waste time either. It spun rapidly, revealing a new QR code.

After scanning the code, Xing Ye saw the following prompt on his phone:

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Game Content: Competitive

Player Role: To be determined

Participants: Fixed at 10 people

Victory Conditions: Determined according to game rules

Rewards and Penalties: The winner draws one random special QR code card. No points will be deducted for losing.

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The entirely new rules made Xing Ye realize just how different this advanced world would be from the chaotic beginner-level worlds.

The black-and-white Rubik's cube’s voice carried a cheerful tone: “This time, the player has drawn an excellent world. I hope you can stay in the advanced world for the next challenge rather than being sent back to the beginner world.”

With its words echoing, Xing Ye found himself in a brightly lit casino.

The casino was bustling with people—not just the ten mentioned by the black-and-white Rubik's cube, but at least a hundred. Yet, at that moment, everyone was frozen in place.

Xing Ye felt as though he had become a character in a paused movie. Strangely, he could still think, see, and hear.

Within his visible range, only about a dozen people were fully in view. They were all frozen in the same posture: heads tilted upward, eyes fixed on the central stage of the casino.

A spotlight shone on the stage, and a figure appeared at its centre. The figure wore a mask with a black-and-white checkered pattern. The mask wasn’t made of uniform squares but rather a kaleidoscopic spiral design. Staring at it too long induced a feeling of dizziness.

The figure was dressed in a suit and was tall and thin—so slender, in fact, that he seemed like he could be knocked over by a breeze. Standing at about 1.9 meters, his tall frame exuded an eerie presence.

As he stood in the centre of the casino, all eyes—though immobile—seemed to focus on him.

The black-and-white-masked figure bowed gracefully to all directions and then spoke loudly: “Good evening, passengers. Welcome aboard the High-Stakes Gambling Cruise. I am the dealer for this casino. Over the next seven days, you will enjoy an unforgettable experience.”

His voice was crisp and courteous, instinctively eliciting a sense of goodwill.

“Among the many passengers, there are ten individuals with special identities. Each of them has a card in their chest pocket representing their team. Players with the same colour cards are allies, while those with different colours are opponents.

“In this casino, you may exchange points, items, QR codes, and starting skills for chips. After winning games, you may redeem chips for your points at a 1:1 ratio. However, exchanging chips for QR codes and items requires 1.5 times their value, and for starting skills, 2 times. Be mindful, as the redemption rates for QR codes, items, and skills differ, so please choose wisely.

“After seven days, the team with the most chips will win.”

After finishing his explanation, the dealer scanned the crowd and added, “It’s now time for the Q&A session. You have ten minutes to ask questions. Rest assured, your voice will be altered by the system, so your identity will remain anonymous.”

As soon as the dealer finished speaking, someone asked, “If there are only ten players, who are the rest of these people in the casino?”

Their voice sounded strange, distorted by a voice changer, making it impossible to discern their identity or direction.

The dealer answered, “They are passengers invited to participate in this grand event. Players can gamble against these passengers to win chips or compete against other players.”

“Is there a difference between gambling with passengers and players?”

“Of course,” the dealer replied. “If you confirm your opponent is another player, you may enter the autonomous competition mode. In this mode, players can gamble using any agreed-upon methods, unrestricted by the casino’s equipment. You can bet on anything you like. Additionally, if a player has met up with their teammates, they may designate a representative to play on behalf of the team. If that representative wins, the entire team benefits.

“However, gambling against passengers or using casino equipment converts winnings at a 10:1 ratio into points.”

The disparity was .... Xing Ye frowned. For example, if he wagered 10 points as chips and lost, he would simply lose 10 points. However, if he won against a passenger and earned chips equivalent to 10 points, those chips would only convert back to 1 point.

Sure enough, someone immediately voiced their dissatisfaction: “That’s unfair! Doesn’t that mean we need to win ten times just to break even?”

The dealer chuckled softly and said in a clear voice, "Dear player, your opponents are other players, not the passengers. The passengers aboard our cruise are here for leisure, unlike you players, who have specific tasks. If you wish to safely pass this level, you’re welcome to simply relax and enjoy the services provided by the cruise. We won’t stop you. After all, losing this game only means you’ll miss out on drawing a QR code; your points will remain untouched."

"Is it really that good of a deal?" Xing Ye couldn’t identify where the voice came from, but based on the pacing, he could tell it was a different person from the one who had asked the previous question.

The dealer replied, "This competition emphasizes no bloodshed and no direct conflict. Our goal is for all players to have fun. Naturally, we won’t force you to gamble. However, the cruise does have a fee. If any player participates in fewer than three gambling sessions per day, each with wagers exceeding 10,000 points in chips, they’ll need to pay a fee equivalent to 10,000 points in chips. Seven days and 70,000 points grant you access to all services on the cruise—I assure you, it’s an imperial treatment."

"What!" A voice almost shrieked, "70,000 points? You might as well just rob us!"

Despite the players' complaints, the dealer remained polite and courteous. "Dear player, if you’re unwilling to part with your points, then actively participate in the competition. Meet the daily requirements, and no points will be deducted. This rule applies equally to all players."

"How is that fair?" The screaming voice continued, "How can a Fate-defying player possibly win against a following fate player in a casino! Are you saying all players’ luck stats in this casino are equal?"

The dealer responded, "Of course not. Luck stats remain distributed according to the players’ factions. However, in the casino, players are free to use any means to secure victory, as long as they don’t get caught."

The implication was clear: cheating was allowed, but it had to be discreet enough not to be noticed by the casino, other players, or passengers.

Xing Ye noticed several cameras within his field of vision. The casino was equipped with surveillance, so ordinary methods of cheating wouldn’t work. Even if someone as agile as Cao Qian could swap cards at lightning speed, security footage played back in slow motion would easily expose the trick. Traditional cheating methods were out of the question; initial skills and QR codes would be essential.

However, using these resources came at a cost—they could all be exchanged for chips. Once a player’s points were depleted, they would be forced to trade initial skills, QR codes, and items for chips, which would put them in a passive position.

"What happens if someone loses all their points?" another voice asked. "If they lose everything and their points hit zero, then what?"

Xing Ye paused. He had never encountered a situation where points dropped to zero. In the beginner and chaotic worlds, death or failure would only deduct half of one’s points. Even if only one point remained, points would never reach zero.

As long as a player wasn’t reckless enough to use an initial skill with just 50 points left, their points could infinitely approach zero but never actually hit it.

Judging by the casino’s rules, however, it seemed possible to lose every last point.

The dealer’s mask only covered the upper half and left side of his face, leaving the lower right corner exposed. Xing Ye saw a faint smirk as the dealer said to the questioning player, "Then please, feel free to die."

Instantly, the room fell silent.

The dealer added, "But this is a casino, and borrowing is always an option. You may recall the exchange rate between points and currency: 1 point equals 100 yuan. Here in the casino, we can lend you points at a rate of 100 yuan per point. Once you’ve earned enough points, you can repay the casino. However, the money is non-refundable."

"What?" Another voice chimed in, "You’re saying I can borrow 1 point for 100 yuan, but after I earn 2 points, I have to repay 1 point while you keep the money?"

"Precisely," the dealer replied. "And, players should note that the casino requires a minimum loan of 100 points, equivalent to 10,000 yuan. We do not allow loans of just 1 point."

After delivering this statement, the dealer smiled and said, "The question session is over. For further clarification, players may consult the reception desk. As long as the system permits, we’ll answer your inquiries. It’s now 9 a.m. Each day at 9 a.m., we will clear players’ wagers over the past 24 hours. Failing to meet the quota will result in a 10,000-point deduction. At 9 a.m. on the seventh day, we will calculate the total points for each team and declare the winning team.

"With that, I wish all of you a pleasant and successful seven days!"

He extended his right hand and snapped his fingers. Xing Ye felt movement return to his body as time resumed its flow.

Reaching into his pocket, Xing Ye found his identity card—a green card with his room number written on the back.

 

Translator : DarNan