Chapter 616: Tight on Funds

Di Hou finished speaking and walked straight to the round table, looking at the middle-aged man still sitting beside it.

"How do you say?" Di Hou smiled a little, his face full of wrinkles making him look even older.

It was unclear whether this "monkey" was naturally a breed with a wrinkled face or if he was simply too old, as his every move gave off an air of aged weariness.

"I'm not gambling anymore," the middle-aged man said in a low voice. "I've won enough for today."

He picked out ten Dao from the large pile in front of him and pushed them toward Di Hou, then stuffed the rest into his pocket.

Chen Jun Nan glanced over and saw that the man had at least pocketed over a dozen Dao.

Using just two Dao as the entry fee to earn over a dozen Dao was considered quite a high return in any Di Ji You Xi game.

"No problem," Di Hou nodded. "I run an honest business here. As long as you pay the life-buying fee, anyone can leave."

With that, he lit another cigarette, swept all the Dao on the table into a cloth bag, and then sat down on the side.

The onlookers around them dispersed upon seeing this, but they didn't leave the venue. Instead, they went to the mahjong tables or sat back at the round tables, organizing new gambling games among themselves.

At this point, Chen Jun Nan understood how Di Hou made his profit. As soon as anyone entered that door, they had to leave either ten Dao or their life behind.

For Di Hou, it was a no-lose business no matter what, and on top of that, he would personally join the gambling. If he won, he would gain even more Dao.

So, his "game" wasn't the dice at all—it was the entire casino.

From entering the casino to leaving, it counted as one Di Ji You Xi.

If someone couldn't turn two Dao into more than ten Dao, they were nothing but cannon fodder here.

Qiao Jia Jin also surveyed the surroundings and noticed that in a hidden corner, there were custom slot machines and pinball tables, with the slot machine symbols and pinball prizes all being Dao.

Though the casino wasn't large, it had everything one might need—all the common gambling games available in the market could be found here.

This modest-sized casino could make men and women from the "End of All Things" willingly risk their lives, since for some, "gambling" was easier to pick up and more addictive than any Di Ji You Xi.

The more people participated, though, the greater the chance of death.

"You two," Di Hou said lazily from a distance, "if you want to play, you need to pay the entry fee at my spot first. Once you do, feel free to join in."

"Jun Nan Zi... what do you think?" Qiao Jia Jin asked. "Do you want to gamble?"

"There are two things making me hesitate right now..." Chen Jun Nan's expression turned serious.

"What things?"

"First, I only know how to play 'Dou Di Zhu'," Chen Jun Nan said seriously. "I don't know how big the stakes can get for it here..."

"What's 'Dou Di Zhu'?" Qiao Jia Jin asked after a moment of confusion. "Is it mahjong or Pai Gow?"

"It's..." Chen Jun Nan looked at Qiao Jia Jin helplessly. "I just called you a gambling god, and the gambling god doesn't know how to play 'Dou Di Zhu'?"

"Uh..." Qiao Jia Jin blinked. "So, what's the second thing?"

"The second thing is even more serious..." Chen Jun Nan reached into his pocket and asked earnestly, "Old Qiao, do we even have any money?"

Qiao Jia Jin nodded seriously after hearing this. "Jun Nan Zi, I think you're absolutely right—we're not cut out for this game at all."

"Exactly." Chen Jun Nan nodded. "Old Qiao, our top priority is to head back. You can teach me about gambling basics, and then we need to find someone to borrow some Dao from."

"What...?" Qiao Jia Jin felt a bit puzzled. "Borrowing some Dao is one thing... but you're really planning to join in?"

"What's there to fear? I'm clever." Chen Jun Nan patted Qiao Jia Jin on the shoulder. "'Gambling' is something I can pick up in no time."

"But aren't you supposed to figure out how to make friends with this monkey...?" Qiao Jia Jin was a bit confused. "Why suddenly switch to gambling?"

"What, you hate gambling?" Chen Jun Nan smiled. "I feel like dealing with a 'gambler' requires a gambler's approach. As long as I can beat him at the table, we should be able to have a good chat."

"Jun Nan Zi, why does this plan of yours sound so familiar?"

"Yeah, Old Qiao." Chen Jun Nan nodded seriously. "Isn't that how they do it in your Hong Kong movies?"

As the two talked, they caught Di Hou's attention. He picked up an old teacup, took a sip of tea, and said,

"You two young fellows look unfamiliar. Short on cash, huh?"

Chen Jun Nan and Qiao Jia Jin were taken aback and looked over at him.

"Being short on cash is fine." Di Hou stared expressionlessly at his teacup and blew the tea leaves off the surface. "First-timers can skip the entry fee. Just sit down and play as you like."

"This old guy is treating us like fools." Chen Jun Nan sneered quietly to Qiao Jia Jin beside him. "No entry fee, but we'll still have to pay the life-buying money."

"That's right." Qiao Jia Jin nodded. "Besides, it's already late today. Even if you and I went on a winning streak, we couldn't earn twenty Dao before he closes up."

"True, better to save our skins." Chen Jun Nan nodded, then waved to Di Hou not far away. "It's getting late today, Monkey Ge. We'll come back early tomorrow."

"Alright." Di Hou glanced up briefly. "Come back tomorrow, and you'll be regulars then. Regulars have to pay the entry fee."

"Hey, don't worry, I won't skimp on your peanuts and beans." Chen Jun Nan waved it off, then turned around, his face instantly turning cold as he and Qiao Jia Jin left the room one after the other.

The two found a relatively clean building across from Di Hou's place. They opened the backpack they had gotten from "Mao" that morning, had a simple meal of flatbreads and water, and then Qiao Jia Jin began teaching Chen Jun Nan the basics of gambling.

To Qiao Jia Jin's surprise, Chen Jun Nan, who didn't seem like the upright type, was completely clueless about mahjong and cards, let alone the more obscure Pai Gow.

After an intense session of knowledge transfer, Chen Jun Nan felt that he was now at least a "Gambling Saint," if not a full "Gambling God."

Seizing the momentum, he taught Qiao Jia Jin about "Dou Di Zhu." This fresh game style opened Qiao Jia Jin's eyes, turning the card game into a confrontational battle with simple rules.

The two didn't stop until night had fully fallen, ending their hectic day. They lay down and quickly fell asleep, soon filling the air with snores.