DSMC Chapter 113

Yan Jiyun spent 21 minutes clearing the Rat Door.

The dealer asked him, “Would you like to immediately choose the next zodiac gate to enter?”

Full of confusion, Yan Jiyun asked, “What kind of games does each door correspond to?”

The game in the Rat Door didn’t have much to do with gambling. Instead, it closely followed the theme of the Peak Competition. 

The dealer replied, “Sorry, sir. I’m only responsible for the Rat Door. I know nothing about the games behind the other door.”

Yan Jiyun thought for a moment. The image of an orange flashed through his mind, and he said, “Then I’ll choose the Tiger Door.”

“Alright, please close your eyes. After counting to three, when you open them again, you’ll be inside the Tiger Door.”

Yan Jiyun closed his eyes, silently counted to three, and when he opened them again, he found himself inside the Tiger Door.

The Rat Door had games related to rats. He guessed the Tiger Door wouldn’t just be slot machines, right?

If it were slot machines, that would be too easy. Of course, even if the game was simple, winning wouldn’t necessarily be.

Counting down in his mind — three, two, one — he opened his eyes to find a dazzling, luxurious casino.

This was a normal casino, not a standalone mini-game.

He had developed a habit of surveying his surroundings whenever entering a new environment, so he could escape as quickly as possible if something happened.

The Tiger Door hall was packed. It was impossible to tell which were players and which were NPCs. Bunny girls carrying drinks moved between the gambling tables.

Everywhere he looked, there were tables and gambling machines.

Yan Jiyun was still wearing the same outfit as before entering the Rat Door, and he stood out here as well. Not because of his clothes, but because he was the only new player entering.

After standing with his hands in his pockets for a few seconds, an NPC quickly approached him with a broad smile. “Hello, sir. I’m the manager here. What kind of game would you like to play?”

Yan Jiyun asked, “What games are available?”

The manager replied, “We have many games, such as slot machines, mahjong, high-low, and Texas Hold’em. Which would you like?”

Yan Jiyun glanced around. The slot machine area was packed. He guessed those people were searching for important clues hidden in the Tiger Door.

Suddenly, at a four-player mahjong table, someone’s head rolled onto the floor.

Yan Jiyun struggled to keep a calm expression: “……”

So disgusting. Even after over a month in this game, he still couldn’t get used to such sudden gore.

The manager remained unfazed. “Another one who lost everything and refused to leave. This time, he even gambled his life away. What a pity.”

Yan Jiyun felt like the manager was hinting at something.

The manager asked again, “Sir, have you decided what you’d like to play?”

Yan Jiyun wasn’t good at mahjong. It required memory, and although his memory was decent, it took too much time, and he simply wasn’t skilled at it. He needed something fast, decisive, and capable of yielding information quickly.

After scanning the room, his gaze landed on a high-low table.

“High-low,” he said.

“Certainly, sir. I’ll arrange it right away. How many chips would you like to exchange?”

“What’s the exchange rate?”

“100 points for 1 chip. But we currently have a promotion. Buy 100 chips, get 5 extra; 500 gets 25 extra; 1000 gets 50 extra.”

“So basically a 5% discount?”

The manager smiled like a seasoned salesman. “Exactly. And quantities are limited. You happen to be the 200th player to enter. If you purchase over 2000 chips at once, you’ll get an extra 100 chips. Or you could become a member for even more benefits.”

Yan Jiyun was reminded of going to the arcade with his father, where they had to buy tokens at the counter. There had been similar promotions — buy more, get more. Memberships too. Thankfully, his father never had much pocket money, or he might have been tempted to sign up on the spot.

Yan Jiyun nodded. “Thanks. Just give me 20 chips.”

“Are you sure you don’t want more? The promotion is quite favorable. You might miss it if you pass.”

“No.”

Twenty chips were enough.

At a rate of 1:100, that was already 2000 points.

“Alright. You can come back if you need more.”

The manager conjured 20 chips into his hand and passed them over.

Yan Jiyun clearly saw the word “stingy” in the man’s eyes.

So what if he was stingy? He was here to earn points, not spend them.

The manager led him to the high-low table.

Yan Jiyun quickly realized that those playing weren’t actually players. They were NPCs, probably just demonstrating the game.

At the table, there were already ten players.

Most had changed into casual clothes, making Yan Jiyun stand out even more.

The others glanced at him and couldn’t help thinking he must be stupid. Who wears a three-piece suit in a life-or-death situation? Or was he some kind of big shot?

Most players knew that the top-ranked player, Qi Feng, was about 190 cm tall. The clean-cut young man in front of them clearly wasn’t him. He didn’t look threatening at all. Maybe he just liked being neat, wanting to die with some dignity.

A round had just finished when Yan Jiyun arrived, so he could observe first.

The ten players had already placed their bets, some on high, some on low.

The dealer shook the dice, then revealed them.

Three dice: 1, 2, 3. Total 6. It’s low.

Only two players had bet correctly. Some were happy, others frustrated.

Following his habit from the Rat Door, Yan Jiyun first checked the rules.

“High-Low” Game Rules:

1. The dealer rolls the dice, then players place bets;
2. Totals of 4–10 count as low; 11–17 count as high. Players can choose their bet and multiplier;
3. If three identical dice form a triple, the house takes all;
4. Players who lose all points can leave. If they want to win them back, they can gamble a body part or their life. The former can earn 200,000 points, the latter 500,000. If they lose, they must repay accordingly.

The rules looked simple, but winning points was difficult. Once addicted, players might even gamble their lives.

Yan Jiyun couldn’t help recalling the head he saw earlier. It probably wasn’t just a demonstration. That player might have gotten carried away and wagered their life.

Players should know gambling involves wins and losses. What kind of situation would push someone to stake their life?

Were they the aggressive type?

Everyone’s mindset was different. He couldn’t figure it out immediately.

Casinos had their own rules. To drain players of their points, they would undoubtedly manipulate things behind the scenes. If you kept playing, you’d keep losing.

So Yan Jiyun needed to stop before his chances of losing became too high.

Still, he hadn’t forgotten his purpose. He was here to find information cards.

Which game would give them?

Since he was already here, he decided to try a round first and see what he could learn.

This round, Yan Jiyun could place a bet. The method was simple, he could call “high” or “low,” then wager points. The system would automatically convert points into chips.

So: 1 chip is 100 points, therefore 20 chips is 2000 points.

Yan Jiyun was just testing the waters. He didn’t even know what his luck in gambling was like. After all, in the real world, he only played regular games and never gambled. He had always been a law-abiding young man. Only after entering this game did he realize that this place was essentially a breeding ground for crime. The game [Destiny] was gradually luring players step by step toward the abyss. One lapse in judgment, and a grave mistake could be made.

The dealer standing in front of him was a middle-aged man with a kind, approachable smile. He shook the dice cup steadily in his hand, making it impossible for anyone to see what was happening inside. Players also couldn’t rely on sound to guess the dice, because the bottom of the cup was lined with felt, making it extremely difficult to win by listening.

After ten seconds, the dealer placed the dice cup upside down on the table and gestured. “Place your bets.”

Some of the players who had arrived earlier bet immediately, while others hesitated. For this round, Yan Jiyun relied purely on intuition and tossed out one chip. Most people bet high, but he bet low. 

“Anyone else betting?” the dealer asked.

Two players who had lost in the previous round chose not to bet this time.

“No more bets? Then I’ll open it.”

The dice cup was lifted: 3, 4, 5. A total of 12. High.

Yan Jiyun lost his first bet, and the dealer took his one chip.

There was no communication among the players, but since Yan Jiyun lost on his first try, they concluded that this pretty-boy player was just here to try his luck and wasn’t worth paying attention to.

The dealer began shaking the dice again. After more than ten seconds, he stopped.

Yan Jiyun placed another bet. This time, he still chose low, while most players again chose high.

The dealer patiently asked once more if anyone else wanted to bet.

This time, eight people placed bets, and two sat out.

The dice cup was opened.

1, 2, 6 — a total of 9. Low.

Yan Jiyun won back the chip he had lost in the first round.

The recovered chip looked quite pleasing. A test round, and no loss.

He continued.

The dealer shook the dice again. Yan Jiyun held the chip he had just won. When the cup was set down again, he didn’t hesitate and threw two chips onto “high.”

He was the fastest to bet in this round. The others didn’t pay him much attention and didn’t think he knew what he was doing.

The dealer opened the cup and announced, “2, 4, 6 — 12. High.”

This time, Yan Jiyun truly won two chips. He now had 22 chips in total.

The dealer continued shaking the dice, then stopped, signaling them to bet again.

This round, Yan Jiyun put his original 20 chips back into his small box and only placed the two chips he had won onto low. 

Other players continued betting according to their own guesses. One player in a white T-shirt had a win rate of around 70%, and some players followed his bets, but it was mostly just luck.

The dice cup was opened.

“2, 2, 4—8. Low.”

Yan Jiyun won 4chips.

The game continued.

The dealer couldn’t help but glance at Yan Jiyun a few more times. The other players also started to feel that something was off. This young man had lost the first round, but then kept winning the next three. Was it just blind luck?

Looking at his confident demeanor, they couldn’t tell whether he was simply lucky or actually skilled in gambling. He looked too young to be a regular at casinos… but then again, maybe he was some rich young master with money to burn.

While the other players speculated about his real-world identity, Yan Jiyun won another round.

Four consecutive wins.

He kept only his principal and continued throwing out the chips he had earned.

A somewhat simple-looking male player beside him, who had been too cautious to bet big, said, “Brother, you’re amazing.”

The middle-aged dealer still wore a smile and showed no particular reaction to Yan Jiyun’s winning streak. He continued doing his three tasks: collecting losing chips, paying out winnings, and shaking the dice.

“Just lucky,” Yan Jiyun said.

The game went on, and soon the dealer’s previously indifferent expression began to change slightly.

Five wins. Six wins. Seven wins… all the way to ten consecutive wins.

In one go, Yan Jiyun earned 100,000 points, which were directly credited to his account.

When he reached five consecutive wins, other players started following his bets, and everyone profited!

The dealer’s gaze closely followed Yan Jiyun’s movements. His once gentle expression shifted, and for the first time, he praised a player. “Sir, you’re truly impressive.”

After saying that, he paid Yan Jiyun’s winnings, more and more each time.

Yan Jiyun felt like he had touched a nerve. Smiling, he replied, “Just luck.”

Outwardly calm as ever, he knew in his heart that it wasn’t luck at all. It was entirely his hearing and perception.

The first round had indeed relied on luck. And he lost, as expected.

That proved luck was unreliable.

From the second round onward, he began distinguishing the sound of each die landing. He won the second round because he identified at least one low number and thus bet small.

There were three dice, each with six faces, so there were eighteen possibilities in total. In the first round, he heard the sounds of the three final numbers (1, 2, 6). In the second round, when the dice landed again, one of the sounds resembled a previous one, so he memorized it.

The three dice could be treated as three separate objects, each with six distinct faces. Each face made a slightly different sound when hitting the cup. Even players with excellent hearing couldn’t distinguish them due to the felt lining, but Yan Jiyun could.

Die 1: 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 1-6

Die 2: 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5, 2-6

Die 3: 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, 3-5, 3-6

He only needed to memorize the subtle differences in sound for each face of each die. Once he could distinguish them, he would know exactly what numbers the dealer rolled.

Even after gaining 100,000 points, Yan Jiyun still wasn’t ranked first on the leaderboard. The top spot was still held by Qi Feng, with a massive score of one million points.

Yan Jiyun: “……”

As expected of a high-level player. As expected of his “master.”

Which entertainment activity could earn that many points? Of course it’s casinos.

The dealer continued shaking the dice. After all, it was his job.

He set the cup down. “Place your bets.” His tone was noticeably colder this time.

He hadn’t expected someone to win so many chips from him.

But this time, Yan Jiyun didn’t move. “I’m not betting.”

A bell rang. No more bets allowed. Only the white-shirt player and one other had placed bets.

The dealer opened the cup.

It was a triple, with three identical numbers.

“The house wins.”

The white-shirt player and the other bettor: “……”

At this point, everyone was already completely convinced of Yan Jiyun’s ability.

Just then, the dealer pressed the small walkie-talkie on his chest that he hadn’t used before.

“I need a replacement here,” the middle-aged dealer said. Then he turned to the others. “Another dealer will take over from here. My shift is over.”

Yan Jiyun knew it was time to quit while he was ahead. Since the dealer had already used a “triple” to sweep the table, he guessed the next dealer would likely be more skilled than him. He was ready to leave, 100,000 points was enough.

However, he was suddenly stopped by two men in suits, like bodyguards.

“Sir, hello. Our boss admires your luck very much and would like to invite you to the VIP room for a few rounds,” one of them said.

Yan Jiyun remained calm. “Oh? Your casino boss wants to see me?”

“Yes.”

“And if I refuse?”

“Then we’ll have to escort you there.”

Yan Jiyun had expected this from the casino. He patted his sleeve. “Fine, I’ll go with you.”

For such a huge casino to be so stingy… not even letting him walk away with 100,000 points. How petty.

But then again, this was the classic movie scenario: once a player starts winning, the casino suspects cheating.

Except here, the dealer wasn’t his accomplice, he hadn’t tampered with the dice cup, and it wasn’t a card game. No calculations could expose him.

Actually, he had no “trick” at all.

The other players looked at each other. Some chose to leave immediately, unwilling to get involved. This powerful player had already drawn the attention of the NPCs. Thinking of the players outside who had died horribly, they couldn’t help but feel afraid.

But the player in the white shirt spoke up to the bodyguards, “I’d also like to meet your boss. Would it be possible?”

“Our boss would be happy to receive you,” the guard replied.

In other words, if someone wanted to tag along, they didn’t mind.

Yan Jiyun had noticed the white-shirt player earlier. His win rate had consistently stayed around 70%, and when he lost, he never bet much. Yan Jiyun had suspected before that it was intentional, now he was certain. The man was deliberately keeping a low profile while earning points. When Yan Jiyun appeared and drew all the attention, he chose to remain an observer. Perhaps his real goal was to meet the casino boss. Or more precisely, to find clues through different NPCs.

The guards led them toward the VVVIP room.

The walk was about two hundred meters. The entire casino floor was lavishly decorated, golden and dazzling. The floor was carpeted, the seats were plush and comfortable, and there were no windows, deliberately preventing players from having any sense of time. It was a true money pit.

The casino had food, drinks, performances, dancers, the whole shebang. One could stay here without ever returning to a hotel.

Throughout the entire walk, Yan Jiyun showed no signs of panic. The white-shirt player was the same, but Yan Jiyun had no intention of getting close to him. The man clearly looked like a veteran player. Yan Jiyun guessed his goal was also to prioritize finding clues, with earning points as a secondary objective.

Many players leaving the casino had already obtained numerical clues. This showed that the best way to escape Angel City was to gather clues.

Perhaps the white-shirt player couldn’t hold back any longer, or maybe he had a plan. He lowered his voice and asked, “Want to cooperate?”

He was clearly a smart man, but Yan Jiyun didn’t know him well. Agreeing to cooperate so hastily was impossible.

He always relied on a certain instinctive “compatibility” with others.

Just as the guard was about to push open the VVVIP room door, Yan Jiyun suddenly asked, “Do you like small animals?”

The white-shirt player was taken aback. “?”

What kind of strange question was that?

Without waiting for an answer, Yan Jiyun already had one in mind.

Since becoming a cat, he had become more sensitive to people’s intentions. Whether someone liked animals or not, he could sense it.

If he were to cooperate with someone in a short time, without fully understanding their motives or character, this was his way of making a quick judgment.

When Yan Jiyun’s gaze landed on a statue of the God of Wealth inside the room, he refocused. Sitting across from him was a tall, thin man with a small mustache. His suit hung loosely on his frame. He held an unlit cigarette, brought it to his nose, and inhaled deeply, as if savoring some divine fragrance.

“Want one?” the man asked.

Yan Jiyun calmly sat down opposite him. “No thanks, I don’t smoke.”

The white-shirt player knew he wasn’t the main focus and stood behind Yan Jiyun.

“What’s your surname?” the mustached boss asked.

Yan Jiyun continued to conceal his real name. “Jiang. Jiang You.”

The white-shirt player glanced at the leaderboard. There was no such name, clearly a fake.

But the boss didn’t care. What he cared about was someone potentially ruining his reputation. “Watching your performance just now reminded me of my younger days.”

His assistant eagerly chimed in, “Our boss is the Dice King of Angel City. No one has beaten him in all these years.”

The mustached man laughed and waved it off. “Past glory isn’t worth mentioning. Today, I just want to see if I’ve gotten rusty. Young man, how about ten rounds? If you win six out of ten, you can take all the chips on the table.”

Yan Jiyun felt that couldn’t be the NPC’s real motive. “And if I lose?”

The boss raised a hand. “Then you leave your life here.”

Everyone around them belonged to the boss. The room had no windows. There was no escape. Yan Jiyun had no choice but to accept.

He casually adjusted his sleeves. “Boss Hu is so hospitable. I’ll accept.” (Hu here is 虎, which means tiger)

The boss frowned. “My surname isn’t Hu.”

“Then what is it?”

The boss tossed the cigarette to his assistant. “Ruan. You can call me Ruan-ge.” 

With that, Ruan-ge picked up the dice cup. “Young man, I’ll begin.”

Yan Jiyun showed no trace of fear. “Please.”

He sat calmly, not closing his eyes to listen, nor making any exaggerated moves like pressing his ear to the table.

After a flourish of shaking, Ruan-ge slammed the dice cup down with a thud.

“Jiang, my young friend,” Ruan-ge said, looking at him, “high or low?”