Chapter 890: They’re not allowed to leave (2/2)

“What, are you afraid that this young gentleman can’t afford to lose? Or that your Thousand Gold Pavilion can’t afford the losses?”

“Hehe, your Myriad Merchant Hall’s Thousand Gold Pavilion self purports to be Cloud Realm Continent’s number one gambling house. Are you afraid to accept a single gold card? Give me an answer, are you betting or not? If not, then I’ll go to Golden Wing Hall instead!”

Day or night, casinos and their wealth dreaded types like Gu Qishao who raised this kind of ruckus. Gambling houses were supposed to be rich and imposing, welcoming gamblers to stake whatever they wanted with enthusiasm. How could they ever be afraid? That would only make others suspect the wealth of the casino, which was a fatal blow. Gu Qishao’s offhand comments were enough to earn the agreement of all the surrounding gamblers.

“What’s Thousand Gold Pavilion playing at? Can’t they afford to bet against one limitless gold card? Don’t open a casino if you can’t afford it!”

“Pah! I never expected Thousand Gold Pavilion to be a bunch of cowards. Boring, boring! This old fellow’s not playing anymore!”

“Hehe, if I won a few hundred million one day, will Thousand Gold Pavilion run out of silver drafts to give me? Weak, weak! Everyone, let’s go, this play is no good for gambling!”

A limitless gold card was already a big deal, but a player like Gu Qishao, who would keep on gambling regardless of how much he lost or won, made it even more impossible for Uncle Cheng to call the shots. He had long sent someone to ask Ning Cheng for instructions. As he placated the crowd, he waited desperately for answers. Yet the person who found him wasn’t an attendant, but a man dressed in gray robes. He caught everyone’s attention as soon as he appeared, a man of middling height with a skinny frame. His silhouette was sharp, his features pronounced, and his nose extremely high. Short and conspicuous golden hair topped his head, identifying him as one of the foreign tribes on the outskirts of Cloud Realm Continent.

His thinness didn’t count as slender or sickly, but only slightly “shou.”[1] However, his eyes weren’t shou at all. He ignored the stares of the crowd and walked towards Uncle Cheng step by step.

There were three types of men in this world who could stand amidst a crowd and attract endless attention. The first were Long Feiye types, whose aggressive, noble air resembled nature itself. Standing loftily above the massives, they were solemn in their own way without having to show anger and made people respect them while keeping a distance. The second were Gu Qishao types, with bombastic speech and showy, flashy ways. Their features were stunning and their harsh words impossible to ignore. The third were types like this man. Although he lacked Long Feiye’s aura and Gu Qishao’s ostentation, no one could look away when he appeared.

Uncle Cheng’s heart finally settled back into his chest at the sight of the man as he grew relieved. In turn, the man nodded at Uncle Cheng, who walked past him and left the scene.

“What’s going on? Leaving because you can’t afford to bet?” Gu Qishao had plenty of objections for the swindling Uncle Cheng.

“Sir, the dealers have no right to change the rules, so I’ll be taking over his table from here. I am Thousand Gold Pavilion’s Manager Jin, called A’Jin.”[2]

Manager Jin was both humble and polite, his slight smile filled with cultivated professionalism. But even so, Han Yunxi spotted a hint of arrogance in his eyes. She knew then that he wasn’t as placid as he seemed on the surface. Mu Linger was staring at Manager Jin too. She never expected the world to have another man just as beautiful as Qi gege. Manager Jin’s beauty differed from Gu Qishao’s in that he was purely handsome and good looking. She suddenly wanted to know what he looked like if he laughed. But she was certain of one thing: no matter what, Qi gege would still be prettier than Manager Jin.

Frequent patrons of Thousand Gold Pavilion had all heard that its manager was a highly skilled gambler, but no one had ever seen him. Manager Jin’s arrival quieted things down as they all marveled at his youth.

“Have you ever seen him before?” Han Yunxi asked in a low voice.

“I’ve heard of him. He’s an orphan from a foreign country, but his origins are unclear,” Long Feiye murmured back.

Gu Qishao could care less who he was. He asked unhappily, “In other words, you have the right to change the rules?”

“Yes,” Manager Jin replied calmly.

Gu Qishao pulled out his chair and sat back down. “Fine, then let’s play the simplest game: Large vs. Small!”

1. Shou (受) in this context means to be the submissive party, the receiving party (cough “uke” cough), and sounds exactly the same as shou (瘦), or “skinny.” My dudes I kid you not, I think the author just made a BL terminology reference. Cough where’s my alternate universe PGC with main character Gu Beiyue cough.

2. Manager Jin (金执) - a little Chinese pun here, Jin obviously means “gold.”