Non-Human Seeking Re-employment Chapter 94 - Old Maid
The color of the casino is local tyrant gold. The wall lamps are plated with gold, emitting a dazzling light. The oil paintings and furnishings next to them also look very valuable.
【T/N： 土豪 [tǔ háo] n. Traditionally meaning “local tyrant(s)”, this Internet slang term went popular because of 土豪金 [tǔ háo jīn] “local tyrant gold”, an internet slang term referring to the gold color iPhone 5S and the stereotype of iPhone 5S users as being arrogantly wealthy. “Local tyrant(s)” means (arrogant) wealthy people.
-https://hahachn.wordpress.com/2013/10/09/tu-hao/ ]
What’s more there are lady servers with wonderful figures wearing bunny outfits standing on both sides. They will bend down and say hello sweetly to all the players that walked past them.
Only that it’s a pity the player have no luck left to enjoy it.
There are only a few players who can get off the gambling table with a complete body. Most of the players lack arms and legs, even more of them have already thrown their lives on the gambling table.
Fang Qi listened to the screams that sounded one after another beside his ears and couldn’t stop himself from shivering.
If it wasn't for his quick-wittedness and using external assistance, he would have ended up exactly like these players.
A melodious female voice sounded in the casino.
"Regretfully, today's wonderful time is over. Please come again tomorrow, players."
Wonderful time……
Isn't it a bit off to use this term to describe this place?
After going through a night of gambling with their lives, the players were thoroughly exhausted. Many people had already collapsed to the ground.
The casino's service can be considered quite attentive. For those players who can't stand after betting away their legs, they considerately let the bunny girls send them back to their room.
Fang Qi wasn’t in a hurry to go back to his room, he went to the restaurant first to sit down. After all, he was so frightened that he exhausted his physical strength, he had to replenish it.
He flipped open the menu and said, "It is said that this casino has everything. As long as you mention it, there is nothing the casino can’t provide."
Shen Dongqing was trapped in the train for two days and had not eaten anything delicious. Now, he ordered all the dishes available on the menu at lightning speed.
The waiter responded with a graceful smile, but his expression didn't change at all.
Shen Dongqing, "Do they really have everything?"
Fang Qi: "As long as you dare to gamble, anything is available, it’s just that I don't dare to."
Shen Dongqing thought for a while and said, "Is there a key for leaving the game?"
Before Fang Qi could answer, the waiter beside said with a smile, "Excluding the key for leaving the game, everything else is obtainable. As long as you win the gambling game, any request can be fulfilled."
"For example this bunny girl. As long as you wish for it, she will immediately kneel in front of you and allow you to do anything..."
Miss Bunny Girl didn't have any dissatisfaction, she even blew a kiss at Shen Dongqing.
Shen Dongqing was perplexed, "Why kneel in front of me?"
Fang Qi: ……
Waiter, "Of course it’s to……"
Zhou Wenyan put down his fork, the metal and ceramic collided with a "ding" sound, interrupting the latter half of the waiter's sentence.
For some reason, the waiter felt a little cold behind his back. His hands and feet couldn't stop shaking. Fortunately the dishes prepared by the kitchen were sent up just in time and saved his small life.
Shen Dongqing: "He hasn't said it yet."
Zhou Wenyan put the food in front of Shen Dongqing, "It's time to eat."
Shen Dongqing's attention was immediately attracted by the fragrant food, forgetting the question just now.
After eating and drinking his fill, Shen Dongqing rubbed his stomach. He walked beside Zhou Wenyan as they strolled back to the accommodation area slowly.
Fang Qi survived a disaster and was extremely excited, he kept talking non-stop, "This casino is really extravagant. I have never lived in such an excellent room in my entire life, it can be considered as basking in the light of the game…"
As he was talking, he bumped into two people nestled in the shadow of the corridor.
One was a player, the other was a casino’s bunny girl. The player looks rather vulgar, even missing one eye. The bunny girl was tall and had European features, she will definitely be popular if exposed online in the outside world.
This combination looks very weird.
Shen Dongqing stared at them curiously for a while, his eyes never moved away.
Zhou Wenyan coughed lightly, "Come here..."
Shen Dongqing turned his head and said to Zhou Wenyan, "So that's what the waiter meant when he said that just now."
Zhou Wenyan was helpless, "...don't look at it anymore."
Shen Dongqing was just curious, so he didn't look at it again after a second glance.
The one-eyed person seemed to have sensed their gaze, he swore while talking, "You haven’t seen affairs being handled is it? Would you like laozhi to handle it and show it to you guys?"
[T/N: 老子, laozhi, arrogant way for someone to refer to themselves]
Shen Dongqing shook his head, "Too ugly, won’t look."
One-eyed person, "You—"
The casino had a rule that players cannot kill each other. The one-eyed person paused at "you" for a long time, before he suddenly sneered, "Boy, wait until we’re at the gambling table."
After he finished speaking, he dragged the bunny girl into a room.
Fang Qi said, "This one-eyed person had stayed in the casino for a very long time. It is said that he always had good luck at the gambling table and survived until now."
The casino's rules are different from other game instances.
[T/N: previous translator used game copies, but I feel game instances would be more appropriate]
In other game instances, players will immediately leave after fulfilling the passing conditions. But in this casino, players can stay for as long as they want to. There is no such thing as time-out obliteration, so they can stay until they die.
Some players choose to stay after clearing the game. After all, they would also have to put up a life or death struggle in other game instances, why not stay in the casino and lead a befuddled life?
Shen Dongqing looked away from the room’s door and expressed his thoughts, "His hobby is quite unique."
Fang Qi didn't understand, "Huh?
Zhou Wenyan lightly spat out three words, "Painted skin ghost."
[T/N: 画皮鬼, painted skin ghost]
Fang Qi was stunned for a moment, when he finally reacted, cold sweat immediately rolled down.
That bunny girl was a painted skin ghost. In the truest sense, she has all the appearances you want. All she had to do was to wear a piece of human skin to be ever-changing.
He couldn't help but rejoice. Fortunately he has a small amount of courage, otherwise he would have to… do that thing with ghosts.
Fang Qi's mind worked quickly, "Then everyone inside this casino… are they also a ghost?" He particularly lowered the volume of the last word, in fear that others would hear it.
Shen Dongqing, "Just about it."
Fang Qi had vaguely guessed it before, but he didn't expect it to be truly this shocking. It took a while to digest this fact. Therefore when he met the service staff, his attitude was extraordinarily good.
“Excuse… excuse me, can you help arrange a room for two of my friends?”
The service staff's eyes were dark and deep, his face expressionless as he stared at Zhou Wenyan and Shen Dongqing, “Can't.”
Fang Qi, “Ah? Why not?”
Service staff, “Those who aren't invited aren't allowed to stay.”
Fang Qi, “But…”
Zhou Wenyan stopped him , “Let it be.”
He and Shen Dongqing are considered as illegal invasions in this game. However Fang Qi used an item card, turning them into existence that are half legal.
These kinds of situations are more complicated, they are not required to complete the tasks in the game, only having to quietly wait for Fang Qi to pass. However if Fang Qi dies here, they also can't get out.
However…
With the existence of Shen Dongqing and Zhou Wenyan, the difficulty for Fang Qi to die is high.
Unaware of the reason, Fang Qi felt a gust of cold wind blowing past behind his neck . He drew back his neck and said , “Luckily my room is quite big……”
Fang Qi's room standard is a presidential suite, consisting of three rooms and two halls along with an exercise room. The decors are all European styled, if it was the outside world, one night should be around few thousands.
Shen Dongqing sat on the sofa, this sofa was so soft that almost all of his body sank inside. He straightened his body with difficulty, using a fork to stab the fruit platter on the tea table and put it inside his mouth.
One side of his cheek bulged slightly as he ate and he said, "The treatment here is rather good."
It was a hundred times better than the previous train, even the resort hotels they had stayed at couldn't compete with it.
Fang Qi's face became bitter, “ Even if it's good you need to have your life to enjoy it. ”
After staying in this game instance for two days, Fang Qi felt at least ten years of his life was gone. The gambling table was really too energy consuming.
Zhou Wenyan sat beside Shen Dongqing and ruffled his hair ends, asking , “What did you play for these two days?
Fang Qi, “It's all comparing big and small, tomorrow should be the same.”
It sounds very simple, but he didn't expect that the dog NPC would cheat.
Zhou Wenyan said meaningfully, "Maybe."
Fang Qi, “Ah?”
Zhou Wenyan, "The people that died are too few, perhaps the difficulty will increase tomorrow."
If the number of deaths in a game instance is maintained at zero or too few, the difficulty of the game will increase accordingly.
This is probably because the quota could not be fulfilled, so it insisted on collecting enough.
Fang Qi knelt immediately, "Boss, save me."
Zhou Wenyan felt no pressure at all, "It's not a big problem."
Shen Dongqing was even less stressed, "Go to sleep first."
The two people randomly picked a room and walked in. Fang Qi sat on the sofa blankly for a while, staring at the backs of the two, feeling desolated.
Why does he feel unspeakable sadness even though it is a happy thing to have a big boss carrying him so that he could lie down and still win? Could this be the result for a single dog?
The next day, the rested players gathered in the lobby, adding on the staff and bunny girls passing through within, it looked quite lively.
However, most of the players were crying and mourning, the atmosphere was a bit low.
Shen Dongqing picked a seat on the edge and as soon as he sat down, he felt a sinister gaze. He looked over, and happened to meet gazes with the one-eyed person.
The one-eyed person grinned and made a pulling motion with his palm horizontally across his neck.
Shen Dongqing blinked and whispered, "Does he wants to commit suicide?"
Fang Qi: …… No, he is threatening you.
Zhou Wenyan next to him smiled and said “en”
[T/N： 嗯，which I translated as ‘en’ is basically like ‘a sound made in agreement’ or ‘ok’]
Fang Qi: Whatever you say.
He silently recited Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra for the one-eyed person. He hoped that this person will have one more eye in the next life, so he could stop being blind and prevent provoking people that he shouldn't provoke.
When all the players in the casino arrived, a woman in sexy clothes walked in front of the crowd and said using a microphone, "After two days, everyone should have experienced the joy of the casino, aren’t all of you a bit reluctant to leave this place? "
Joy…
Fang Qi glanced around. The elder brother nearest to him had lost his legs, the elder sister next to him had her face scratched, there’s even someone with their nose cut off. It was indeed really joyful.
[T/N: not really his blood-related elder bro or sis, just chinese ppl call others who are older jiejie/gege which is elder sis or bro]
It was as if the sexy lady didn't see the people below that lack arms or legs and continued saying, “To let all the customers feel at home, the casino has launched a new mode. Many people can play it, enabling everyone to enjoy it to the fullest!”
After she finished speaking, the lights above went out, only the crystal lamp in the middle of the hall brightened up and many tables were arranged underneath.
The place where the players were located was overcast, they could barely see the scene in front of them.
A bunny girl walked over in high heels, she bent down slightly and gave Fang Qi a number plate.
Fang Qi glanced at it using the light of the crystal lamp, the number plate had a "1" in bold on it.
He turned his head to see what numbers the two bosses were assigned to, but the bunny girl straight out ignored those two people and walked towards the next player.
The silhouette of the sexy girl was hidden in the darkness, her voice getting higher, "Please take your seats!"
Fang Qi wanted to ask why they didn't have any number plates, but there was no time. Therefore he could only sit in his place according to the number plate. Not long after, his opponent also came.
The one-eyed person smiled at Fang Qi, revealing his withered and yellow teeth. The number plate in his hand was also the number 1.
Fang Qi's heart froze.
It was unknown how many rounds had this one-eyed person stayed for in this casino. His skill most likely had reached perfection. As a noob, Fang Qi probably won't even last two rounds.
Just when Fang Qi was flustered, he felt a hand pressed on his shoulder. When he looked back, Zhou Wenyan and Shen Dongqing were each standing beside him, one on the left and the other on the right.
Fang Qi immediately felt at ease.
The one-eyed person didn't quite understand what was going on right in front of him. He raised his hand and asked, "Didn't he break the rules? Why are there still customers that aren't seated?"
The dealer that stood in between the two opposing sides was cutting the cards silently. After hearing the question from the one-eyed person, only then did he raise his eyes and look over, "They are not customers." After speaking, he once again lowered his head and continued to cut the cards.
One-eyed person, "Stowaways?" His remaining eye lit up, "Haha, wait until I win this game, I will report to the game after I go out, then I can get rewards, maybe I can even leave this bloody place. Ha ha——"
The one-eyed person has indeed been in the casino for several years. In reality, he is a gambler. He knows how to cheat and all those gimmicks used on the gambling table. Due to it he was able to survive until now.
That was why he had no fear.
It's just that at the beginning of each gambling game, the surrounding space will be sealed. It will not be opened until the winner or loser is determined. The one-eyed person can only report after it ends.
But it doesn't matter, the casino is only so big and the game can always find these people in the end.
The one-eyed person was pleased with himself.
Zhou Wenyan did not feel anxious at all and stated, "You can't win."
The sexy girl over there started to talk about the rules of the game, "Tonight's game is - Old Maid!"
"There are 54 cards in a deck of cards. The ‘Red Joker’ is taken out, leaving 53 cards and 1 'Joker'. The customers will draw each other's cards. If there are pairs, they can be extracted and thrown on the table. Until the last one left is a lone 'Joker'."
"Did you know? The 'Joker' likes liveliness. When it is alone by itself, it will be very angry. If any lucky guest draws the 'Joker', they will have to play with it."
After all the rules were said, the sexy girl bowed to the people in the audience and stepped back.
At the same time, the dealer put two stacks of similar looking cards to the front of the two players.
Fang Qi swallowed his saliva and comforted himself with a dry smile, "It sounds quite simple, hahaha..."
It is indeed the simplest card game. Most people have played it, it all depends on luck and mental strength.
Generally speaking, whoever has a good mental strength can win by not letting the opponent realize that the Joker card is in their hands.
It's just that Fang Qi's mental strength wasn't too good, he trembled as he drew five cards from the deck in front of him.
Fortunately, there were no Joker in the first round, but ordinary cards.
Fang Qi secretly glanced at the one-eyed person opposite him.
It has to be said that the one-eyed person's mental strength was much better than Fang Qi, with an unchanging gloomy smile, he casually threw pairs of cards on the table.
Fang Qi was not far behind, he drew out all the cards with pairs.
The stack of playing cards gradually decreased, and there were more and more pairs of cards scattered on the table.
Fang Qi never drew out the Joker all along. Seeing that the deck in front of him was close to finishing, he naturally relaxed. This continued until he reached the last one, he paused for a while and mumbled to himself, "I am not that unlucky, right?"
After he picked it up, he froze.
He was really that unlucky, the last card is the Joker!
The Joker card is different from the other playing cards. The clown inside is vivid and realistic, as though it was laughing at the person outside the card. It was as if even its distorted laughter could be heard.
Fang Qi subconsciously looked at the two bosses behind him for help.
At some point, the two bosses each carried a chair and sat behind him.
However Shen Dongqing and Zhou Wenyan didn't care about the current situation at all, they beckoned the bunny girl over and asked her to bring some fruits and snacks.
The bunny girl was in charge of serving the customers. She originally wanted to reject these two people who were not customers, but she was stared at by Shen Dongqing's "sincere and kind" eyes. In the end, she relented and brought some snacks.
Shen Dongqing, "I want to eat apples."
Zhou Wenyan picked up the apple at the top of the fruit plate and a fruit knife. His slender fingers were placed on the knife, even though he was just peeling an apple he still had a sharp imposing aura.
However, the peeling was done really beautifully. Alongside the rotation of the apple in the hand, a slip of apple peel fell off. Soon, the apple was peeled flawlessly.
Shen Dongqing took a bite from it on Zhou Wenyan's hand, it was crunchy and quite sweet. He took the apple, leaned over again and fed Zhou Wenyan a bite.
Fang Qi who has been watching for a while: ? ? ?
Didn't you say you will carry me to win?
The dealers had begun announcing that they could start drawing cards from each other.
Fang Qi could only turn around and draw a card from the one-eyed person.
It's a club, which is just right to form a pair with Fang Qi's cards, but it's technically useless. After all, as long as the Joker card is still in his hand, he still has to lose in the end.
[T/N: just to be clear, the club in playing cards ♣️]
Fang Qi looked at the one-eyed person expectantly. He wanted him to draw the Joker card from his cards.
The one-eyed person was not in a hurry, he stretched out his hand slowly. It landed on one of Fang Qi's cards.
It was the Joker card.
Fang Qi's breath quickened and he kept praying in his heart.
Maybe Fang Qi's behavior was too obvious, the one-eyed person smirked and a trace of ridicule flashed in his eyes. He switched and drew the card next to the Joker instead.
Fang Qi also reacted, in this situation, the fight was between mental strengths. He cannot let the one-eyed person see his weakness.
It's a pity that his ability was too weak. No matter how he pretends, he will always be seen through by the one-eyed person. After ten minutes, there are less than five cards left in both of their hands, but the Joker card is still in Fang Qi's hand. It had never shifted.
Fang Qi started to panic, glancing towards his back.
Heh.
These two had finished eating the fruits and started cracking melon seeds.
Fang Qi was about to cry from anxiety.
The one-eyed person laughed, “Looks like your friends don't want to help you.”
Fang Qi ignored the one-eyed person and looked down at his cards. He only has four cards left. There's still three chances, a quarter opportunity, he must not waste it.
He closed his eyes , “Draw a card.”
The one-eyed person's finger touched every card, he stared at Fang Qi while doing so, waiting for his expression to change, finally he drew a card.
It was still not the Joker card.
Fang Qi despaired, the Joker card in his hand was also giggling, as if mocking him.
He calmed his mind and decided to believe in the two bosses. After all there was no other way than to believe them.
Fang Qi drew out one of the one-eyed person's cards. He got another pair and threw them on the gambling table.
Now the one-eyed person only had one card left, while Fang Qi still had two cards on his hand, a one-half probability.
At this moment, even the one-eyed person didn't dare to draw a card carelessly, he didn't want to fail unexpectedly. He was extremely cautious as he hovered between the two cards.
Fang Qi's heart squeezed and the cat was out of the bag.
The one-eyed person laughed, "You lost—" He was going to draw one of the cards, and that card was not black joker.
Fang Qi was completely done for.
But the one-eyed person had just drawn it halfway when suddenly a hand firmly pressed him back.
One-eyed person, "You!"
Kacha—
Shen Dongqing didn't control his strength well and broke the one-eyed person's hand.
The one-eyed person gritted his teeth, bearing with the pain and intended to switch to another hand. However, Shen Dongqing was one step faster than him. He took out the Joker card in Fang Qi's hand and stuffed it into the one-eyed person's hand.
The one-eyed person didn't expect such an operation, his only remaining eye was staring widely at him, about to burst into flames.
Shen Dongqing said, "You're welcome, I'm always happy to help others." He took out the diamond A in the hand of the one-eyed person and stuffed it to Fang Qi.
This was good, the Joker card had left his hands. Fang Qi also had a pair of cards in his hand and threw them on the card table. There was not a single card remaining in his hand.
"I won!"
The one-eyed person's voice sounded at the same time, "He fouled!"
The dealer said indifferently, "No foul, you've lost.”
There is nothing in the rules that states such a thing could not happen, which means it is not a foul.
As for players scheming to kill each other, the casino was happy to see it.
The one-eyed person threw the Joker card and angrily said, “It's obviously a foul, I'm not convinced! I apply for a rematch!”
The dealer repeated his words like a voice recorder, “No foul, you've lost.”
The Joker lying on the gambling table giggled.
The one-eyed person seemed to have recalled something, he held the Joker card intending to return it to Fang Qi.
He was too late, a silhouette appeared behind his back. The figure's head lied on the one-eyed person's shoulder, revealing a seemingly crying and smiling clown face.
“Come play with me hehe…”
The one-eyed person didn't think he would fall here and hurriedly said, “Don't, don't want!” He frantically tried to escape.
The clown stood still, its face slightly distorted, using an eccentric tone to say, “Are you not happy? Clowns bring joy to everyone, why aren't you smiling?”
The one-eyed person who was in the middle of escaping was unable to move as if he was pressed by an invisible hand. He could only remain lying on the floor.
The clown with his splay feet hopped and skipped over, the dagger in its hand flashed sharply under the light.
“Go on and smile, smile—”
The dagger stabbed in his direction again and again, forcibly drawing a smile on the one-eyed person's face.
The clown smiled maniacally, “Now this is right, come play with me!”
The one-eyed person couldn't speak anymore, he could only keep smiling. He made “ngng” sounds as he was dragged into the darkness by the clown.
After a while, a strange laughter came from the darkness. It seemed to belong to the clown, but it also seemed to belong to the one-eyed person.
“Today's game has ended.” The dealer said.
Fang Qi sat paralyzed on the chair. He wiped the sweat on his forehead and said seriously, "Can we not do it a second time? I'm afraid, even my legs became weak."