Chapter 171: Forty-Sixth Floor, The World of the Virtuous (4)

For a fleeting moment, the dealer’s eyes quivered, but he quickly composed himself. “

Haha

... That’s quite an amusing accusation. Do you have any proof?”

His calm demeanor only fueled my irritation, and I let out a dry laugh.

Does he really take me for an idiot just because I am an outsider?

“Proof? Who needs proof when you can just say it yourself?”

He reacted immediately, biting down on his lip.

Pitching my voice just high enough to make him uneasy but not loud enough to draw the attention of others, I declared, “Go on. Say, ‘I didn’t deal from the bottom of the deck.’ Say it.”

The tactic worked. He nervously darted his gaze around the room, clearly unsettled. The casino’s usual clamor shielded us for now, but it wouldn’t take long for wandering eyes to notice the unusual situation.

An outsider gripping a dealer’s wrist? Hardly inconspicuous.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted a staff member weaving through the crowd, closing in on us. His expression remained neutral, but his hurried pace gave him away.

The dealer sensed the mounting pressure and hastily pleaded, “P-please, let me make this right. But first... could you release my arm, please?”

Now this had been the response I had been aiming for once I caught him red-handed.

Feigning reluctance, I cleared my throat before letting go. Even though none of the casino-goers had noticed anything yet, the dealer’s restless glances betrayed his unease.

Meanwhile, the staff member finally arrived. He leaned in close and whispered, “Sir, may we continue this discussion in private?”

His tone hadn’t been threatening at all and had only sounded like a polite suggestion. Regardless, I wasn’t concerned, as no matter what tricks they had up their sleeve, I was more than prepared.

Causing a commotion here wouldn’t serve me well anyway. Negotiating behind closed doors promised far better results.

I nodded. “Fine. Lead the way.”

“Right this way to our VIP lounge.” The staff member led the way, followed closely by the dealer.

I glanced back at Doppy, signaling him to stay put. Once I saw him acknowledge my signal with a nod, I followed them.

The room was tucked away in a secluded corridor, modest in size but well-furnished.

As soon as the door clicked shut, both the staff and the dealer bowed deeply.

“We’re deeply ashamed.”

“You’re not even going to say you’re sorry?”

They paused, glancing at one another, and then the staff member responded, “We deeply regret what happened.”

It seemed the inability to lie left no room for empty apologies.

Still, their expressions made it clear that they weren’t ashamed of their actions, just embarrassed they had been caught. Their lack of sincerity only fueled my irritation, and I didn’t bother hiding it.

“So you admit you were dealing from the bottom of the deck?”

A reluctant look overtook the dealer’s face, but then he sighed. “Yes.”

Although he confessed, he still avoided meeting my gaze.

Instead, he shot nervous glances at the staff member, who remained silent, further confirming this wasn’t the work of a lone wolf but likely a widespread scheme.

I briefly wondered how much trouble he would be in once this incident got out.

While I did feel a pang of pity, I didn’t intend to let him off the hook.

Leaning forward, I demanded, “Why did you do it? Did you think I wouldn’t catch on?”

I felt truly angry this time, although I exaggerated it a little. Establishing dominance early would be crucial for my negotiations, and I intended to maintain the upper hand. Moreover, to be completely honest, I had half-expected them to try something shady.

Still, the dealer’s technique had impressed me, as without Flash Strike, I wouldn’t have been able to detect the trick. If the dealer had been a climber, his technique would likely be strong enough to count as a master-level skill.

It would probably be called Master of Sleight of Hand or something similar.

Despite my probing, the dealer hesitated, parting his lips but not uttering anything.

I pressed him again. “You’re not pulling this scam every game, are you?”

One thing I had considered was that they only targeted outsiders. Even still, someone would eventually suspect foul play and ask if the game had been rigged or not.

They couldn’t be running this con constantly.

As expected, the dealer hastily shook his head. “N-no, we don’t cheat all the time.”

“Then why scam me?”

Grasping at straws, he mouthed wordlessly for a short moment before finding something to say. “We regret what happened.”

“That’s not an acceptable answer. Explain yourself. If you don’t, this negotiation is over, and I’ll make sure everyone out there hears about this.”

Visibly flustered, the dealer swallowed hard. The other staff member shot him a sharp look, silently urging him to spill the truth.

After licking his dry lips, the dealer finally spoke, almost spitting out the words. “Because... your clothes looked cheap. I thought you wouldn’t notice if I cheated.”

“Well, isn’t that something?” I couldn’t find it in me to remain angry, I just felt baffled by the dealer’s sheer audacity.

Apparently, even angels followed some unspoken rules, like only targeting those who looked weak or inexperienced.

Then again, my current outfit didn’t exactly appear top-tier, although to be fair, I had purchased one of the cheapest options for my disguise. To them, I probably looked like an easy mark, like a novice who bought whatever was cheapest.

“Seriously? You didn’t even try and feel me out before pulling this on me? What made you so sure it’d be worth it?”

The dealer said nothing, staring intently at the floor as if willing it to swallow him whole. Maybe he had been bored as well. Judging by how quickly he had resorted to cheating, this wasn’t his first time pulling a stunt like this.

Most climbers probably wouldn’t have suspected him either, given that lying would result in death.

The door swung open, and another angel stepped inside. His well-tailored suit and authoritative air suggested he was the manager.

His eyes swept the room before locking onto me. Without hesitation, he bowed deeply. “Good evening. I’m Pruea, the manager of this branch of Angel Land. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.”

He inspected my face as he straightened, trying to gauge my reaction. Although he obviously expected me to introduce myself, I saw no reason to comply.

“So?”

Caught off guard, he stared speechlessly at me for a moment. “To make amends, we’d like to offer you compensation for the distress this incident has caused.”

“What kind of compensation?”

“Well, how much do you consider fair?”

I almost let out a humorless laugh. Given the circumstances, they should have presented me with an offer instead of placing the burden on me.

Their hesitance only confirmed what I already suspected; they weren’t remorseful and just wanted to make me go away.

“You tell me.”

“Will three thousand gold suffice?”

“Three thousand? Seriously?”

“Then... Four thousand?”

I shook my head.

Pruea exhaled sharply before raising the offer again. “Five thousand gold. Final offer.”

He sounded firm, but for some reason, I felt like I could push for more. Maybe Scientist Do’s Composure had kicked in.

Either way, I wasn’t done yet. “Make it eight thousand.”

“That’s outrageous!”

Pruea’s sudden outburst nearly made me laugh again.

His audacious response, like I had acted unreasonably after catching them red-handed, struck me as ridiculous.

Narrowing my eyes, I leaned in. “Outrageous? How about I spread the word and see how long this place lasts?”

“Fine. Six thousand.”

“Good. That’ll do for now.”

“Please wait here. I’ll have it brought immediately.”

Pruea quickly gestured to the staff member.

Just as the employee was about to turn away, I remarked, “That's one thing, but shouldn't I also be compensated for the emotional distress you caused me?"

“Pardon me?"

“The dealer practically admitted that he thought I was a fool and tried to pull a bottom-deck switch.”

The dealer, who had been silent until now, immediately raised his head in alarm. “N-no! That’s not what I meant!”

“Well, that’s certainly how it sounded to me.”

Pruea shot the dealer a sharp glare, prompting him to flinch and lower his head again.

With a heavy sigh, Pruea finally conceded. “Fine. We’ll settle at eight thousand gold.”

Wait, what? That actually worked?

Even I was momentarily surprised.

To be honest, I had been aiming to negotiate for somewhere around six or seven thousand gold. If that failed, however, my bottom line would have been four or five thousand.

Yet here I was, walking away with a full eight thousand.

The fact that they were willing to give me that much without a fight made it abundantly clear just how much this casino made. They felt confident they could fleece enough climbers to cover the loss.

So they don’t just target scruffy-looking outsiders like me, huh?

It seemed like there was a rampant cheating problem, especially in high-stakes games.

Considering how skilled the dealers were, it was safe to assume that most climbers wouldn’t notice a thing. Even Ha Hee-Jeong hadn’t mentioned this, which meant no one had uncovered the scheme during her first life either.

Wait a second. Something doesn’t add up.

With so many climbers passing through the casino, surely someone had asked a dealer or staff member whether they were cheating or not.

So why hadn’t anyone caught on?

Do they assassinate everyone who finds out? Maybe some employees aren’t involved.

Perhaps only a handful of staff members were entrusted with running these cons.

Pruea interrupted my thoughts, sounding resolute this time, “In exchange, you will not spread any rumors about our casino’s use of underhanded tactics.”

“Of course. Oh, but since I’m an outsider, will that restriction apply once I leave this realm?”

Pruea paused briefly, staring intensely at me, and then nodded curtly. “We won’t attempt to enforce it beyond this world.”

Worried they would try to kick me out after handing over the payout, I quickly added, “Oh, and just so we’re clear, I plan to continue gambling here.”

Pruea remained silent for a long moment.

“If that’s an issue, then let’s forget this entire agreement.”

Through gritted teeth, the angel responded, “Understood.”

“Good. I’ll be here waiting. I trust the gold will be ready soon.”

“Certainly. In the meantime, we’ll also have refreshments brought up for you to enjoy while you wait.”

“Sounds good.”

Giving me a sharp look, Pruea exited the room, followed by the uneasy staff member and the visibly shaken dealer, each wearing vastly different expressions.

Judging by how the dealer couldn’t even meet my eyes, he was likely in for a severe reprimand.

Well, hopefully his punishment won’t be too outrageous.

Leaning back in my chair, I exhaled deeply. I had just secured eight thousand gold without so much as placing a bet.

Huh?

Then, an idea suddenly struck me.

Why limit myself to exploiting this one casino?

Mid-ranked climbers could supposedly travel between cities within a day, which meant I would cover the distance in about twelve hours.

This was only the seventeenth branch. If one branch rigged their games, the others likely operated the same way. Twelve hours would be more than enough to reach the next city by tomorrow evening.

I can repeat this, can’t I?

If I could earn eight thousand gold per day, then fifty thousand gold would be well within my limit by the end of this floor.

I straightened in my seat, grinning broadly.

Not bad.

I considered leaving immediately, but quickly dismissed the idea. Casinos typically operated in the evenings, and traveling overnight would only wear me out.

Besides, even if I arrived early, there wouldn’t be much I could do until the place opened.

I should focus on maximizing my profits at this branch with the eight thousand gold I already have.

With Doppy’s assistance and no risk of the casino trying to pull another stunt, it wouldn’t be hard to rake in another one or two thousand gold without raising suspicions.

That was when I suddenly remembered Doppy was still waiting outside.

The staff had mentioned bringing food and drinks, but since I wasn’t particularly hungry after our earlier meal, I didn’t feel like indulging alone, especially with Doppy left out in the hall.

Just then, the door creaked open.

Two angels entered, both dressed in revealing outfits. One carried a tray stacked with food and a bottle of wine, while the other held a pouch that likely contained my payout.

The two angels flashed alluring smiles at me. “Thank you for waiting.”

I immediately understood their intentions. Clearly, they hoped the angels would distract me, causing me to linger longer in this room. While I would be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly tempted, I had more pressing matters to attend to. Doppy was likely pacing anxiously, waiting for me to return.

I rose from my seat. “Oh, there’s no need for food or drinks. I’ll just take the gold.”

“Excuse me? But we were hoping to make your stay more enjoyable...”

“I appreciate the thought, but I’m good.”

I took hold of the pouch of gold. Whether enchanted with a shrinking spell or not, the small bag somehow contained thousands of gold coins. Thankfully, I didn’t need to double-check its contents.

Leaving the bewildered angels behind, I stepped out of the room.

Outside, Doppy hovered near the doorway, his small frame practically vibrating with anticipation. Once he caught sight of me, I gave him a broad grin.

They had tried to scam me, but now it was my turn to play the game.