DSMC Chapter 116.1

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“I think when the Level 4 streamer just saw Kitty Baby, his eyes went wide.”

“Not gonna lie, mine did too. Didn’t expect Mimi to look a bit mixed-blood after putting on women’s clothes! He’s so cute!!! Instantly upgraded from son to daughter.”

“Instant nosebleed! Crit hit! AHHHH!”

“This cross-dressing is killing me lmao. I thought Kitty would turn into a cat and sneak away, but instead a ‘dog’ showed up, then a big-shot player… and both of them blocking him from transforming~”

“I actually feel bad for Kitty Baby. But honestly, even if he turned into a cat, he might not get out. The casino’s packed, and gamblers are superstitious. They’d think a black cat is lucky. If he ran into someone who just lost money, he’d be in even more danger. In this disguise, he’s actually safer.”

“Wait, I don’t think Kitty Baby looks wronged at all. Just now he and the big-shot coordinated perfectly, with one inside and one outside. I almost thought the guards would discover them. The big-shot even deliberately left a gap so the guards could peek in, which completely dispelled their suspicion.”

“Honestly, I kinda like watching them team up. When Kitty Baby is with high-level players, he finally doesn’t have to struggle so much. In the earlier instances, he looked exhausted, like he barely had time to breathe.”

“But teaming up randomly is risky. Who knows if someone will backstab? These experienced players must’ve gone through a lot to become high-level. It’s hard for them to truly trust anyone. I actually think the players Kitty Baby met in the Newcomer instances were more likely to bond with him.”

“Sigh… when did I stop enjoying players fighting each other and start worrying about whether teammates are reliable? What’s wrong with me?”

“Same here. Must be poisoned by our darling Mimi.”

After regrouping with Chu Mo, the three of them wandered around the slot machines and finally found the guide NPC who could lead them to the next door.

Standing before him, Chu Mo said, “Hurry and talk to him. He’s a roaming NPC. He might disappear to some corner in two minutes.”

Covering part of his face with his hand, Yan Jiyun asked, “Are we entering the same door together, or splitting up?”

Having experienced their previous team disbanding, he wanted to clarify first to avoid overthinking things.

It still came back to sharing information.

“I only have one info card from the Rat Door. If we don’t go together, I can share it with you first.”

Qi Feng said, “We go together. I’ve got Pig, Dog, Ox, Sheep, and Rooster. A total of two info cards and four numbers.”

Chu Mo followed up, “I’ve entered two doors and bought one piece of info: Ox, Monkey, Snake; one info card and two numbers.”

Neither of them hid anything. Yan Jiyun had been straightforward, so they didn’t overcomplicate things either.

Yan Jiyun did a quick count. Together they had info on Rat, Pig, Dog, Ox, Sheep, Rooster, Monkey, and Snake; eight zodiac doors in total. He hadn’t gained anything from Tiger Door, and with his current appearance, he couldn’t stay there anyway.

That left Dragon, Rabbit, and Horse.

Their combined info likely held clues, but there was no time to analyze it now.

If they acted together, they’d have to enter the remaining three gates together.

Yan Jiyun asked, “In the other doors you entered, could players team up? Were there PvP games?”

If they entered together only to fight each other, that wasn’t what he wanted.

Qi Feng replied, “Monkey Door is solo.”

Chu Mo added, “Same for me, all solo entry.”

Yan Jiyun nodded. “Alright. We’ve only got Rabbit, Dragon, and Horse left. Let’s decide which one to enter next.”

Qi Feng said, “Let’s go with Horse.”

Either way worked. Since Qi Feng made the call, neither Yan Jiyun nor Chu Mo objected.

The three approached the guide.

The guide smiled. “How may I help you?”

Chu Mo spoke on their behalf. “Please send us to the Horse Door.”

“Of course,” the guide said. “But first, you’ll need to gamble with me. If you win, you can leave.”

The three of them: “…”

So this was why so many players were stuck at Tiger Door. They couldn’t beat this NPC.

The guide’s gaze swept over them. “Since there are three of you, let’s play a three-player game. Hmm… how about Fight the Landlord¹斗地主; it’s a very popular Chinese card game. It’s an asymmetric 1v2 game (or more), with 1 player becoming the Landlord and two others as Farmers. Gameplay-wise, I would say it’s the closest to President, but there are teaming-up here and Jokers are played + have special roles. For more info on how to play you can go >here< /? Two of you versus me. If your side wins, I’ll send all three of you to the next gate. You have thirty seconds to decide who plays.”

Chu Mo asked, “Do you two know how to play?”

Yan Jiyun: “A little.”

Qi Feng: “I’m good.”

Chu Mo admitted honestly, “My cards are always terrible. Seriously bad. You two go.”

He might as well have said his luck was awful.

Yan Jiyun wanted to say his luck wasn’t much better. But maybe teaming up with his shit-shovel officer would work?

They were all decisive.

In a casino, having Fight the Landlord wasn’t surprising at all.

Once they decided, the guide raised a hand, then suddenly the three of them were transported into a separate space. Around them were other players also playing Fight the Landlord.

Some looked worried, some were sweating nervously, some expressionless, others completely defeated.

The guide said, “Best of three.”

Yan Jiyun and Qi Feng took their seats at the table, while Chu Mo stood aside with about twenty or thirty other players.

Qi Feng got straight to the point. “What are the rules?”

He meant life-and-death rules, not the gameplay itself.

The guide was a classical beauty in a cheongsam, elegant and refined. But to players, any beautiful NPC tied to life and death was nothing but poison.

She smiled faintly. “If you or your teammate happen to die during the game… you may switch teammates.”

This beauty is also a life-taking cliff, one careless step and they’ll fall to pieces.

Yan Jiyun: “Anything else?”

The beautiful guide: “You must play your cards within two seconds. If your hands are slow, you might lose your hands. I hope the two of you will give 200% of your attention when playing with me.”

As soon as she finished speaking, two machines appeared floating above their heads: a silent electric saw. The gambling table raised two panels; more accurately, they were a pair of handcuffs, tightly locking their hands inside, allowing only enough movement to pick up and play cards.

If they failed to play within the time limit, their hands would really be cut off.

Just imagining it made one’s scalp tingle.

Could it be that this is the ultimate fate of those who become addicted to gambling?

Yan Jiyun asked again, “If we win two rounds in a row, is there a reward?”

The beautiful guide: “There is a reward. You can draw one card from a deck of 52. Drawing two Jokers gives you an information card; other cards are point rewards.”

Understood. The wandering guides were their real target. If they remained immersed in gambling and refused to leave the casino, they would never find the information about Tiger Door.

This was the cunning part of the game. People are greedy and prone to habitual thinking. Once fixed thinking sets in, important information is easily missed. Only players with strong willpower might obtain clues.

The beautiful guide: “Can we start?”

Yan Jiyun and Qi Feng exchanged a glance and said in unison: “Start.”

The beautiful guide was not the dealer; the cards were dealt automatically by the table.

With two clicking sounds, seventeen cards rose in front of each of the three players, with three cards placed in the middle.

Yan Jiyun focused intently on his hand and quickly arranged the cards in order.

His hand wasn’t great. The highest card was a 2, and he had no Joker. He chose directly: “Pass.”

Qi Feng immediately followed: “Pass.”

The moment the guide took her cards, she smiled brightly: “Then I’ll take the landlord.”

With three players, only the guide could take the landlord role; Yan Jiyun and Qi Feng were naturally on the same side.

Her bottom cards were the 7 of hearts, Ace of clubs, and 5 of spades.

Yan Jiyun glanced at Qi Feng seated to his right.

He knew Qi Feng could definitely play, and he also knew that Qi Feng sometimes played Fight the Landlord on his phone.

Before entering the real world, he thought Qi Feng played it just for fun. His face was always full of dissatisfaction with matched players, yet he kept playing round after round. Back then, Yan Jiyun had no idea how many times he had complained about him in his heart, thinking, ‘If you don’t like it, why keep playing?’

Now he understood. Qi Feng wasn’t passing time or playing for entertainment; he was preparing for every possible situation in the game. He had to keep trying so he could escape danger at critical moments.

It was fortunate he had watched Qi Feng play all that time.

To be honest, what was he even doing back then? Fight the Landlord was so boring, yet however long Qi Feng played, he would watch from the side. Truly idle.

Well, pot calling the kettle black.

The beautiful guide seemed to have a good hand. Her emotions were written all over her face.

Dou Dizhu is also a game of counting cards. Two farmers versus one landlord, and the key for Yan Jiyun and Qi Feng was that they had to cooperate.

The guide started to play. After her turn, it was Yan Jiyun’s; he had to play within two seconds or pass.

Yan Jiyun’s hand was: 22AKKQJ8876654433.

It looked fairly average, but still acceptable. It depended on his teammate’s hand.

The guide, now the landlord, played first: “Pair of 10s.”

Yan Jiyun immediately countered: “Pair of Ks.”

Qi Feng passed.

His pair of Ks just suppressed the landlord’s play, so she chose not to continue.

The guide: “Pass.”

Yan Jiyun played a single 5, then it was up to Qi Feng.

Qi Feng threw out a Q.

The guide unexpectedly chose not to play.

Yan Jiyun guessed her hand wasn’t as strong as it seemed.

Now was their chance. Qi Feng continued with a single: “5.”

Yan Jiyun glanced at him.

The landlord smiled: “J.”

Yan Jiyun looked at the cards already played. Not many had been revealed. He had no Jokers, so it was possible the landlord had both Jokers as a bomb, or he and Qi Feng each held one Joker. Based on his hand and the cards played, only the 9s were uncertain—whether they were in one hand as a bomb, a triple, or split between two players. He needed to keep observing.

Now it was his turn: “Q.”

Qi Feng passed.

The landlord immediately played an Ace.

Yan Jiyun quickly played a 2, and Qi Feng passed.

The landlord played a small Joker.

Yan Jiyun felt reassured. The bomb threat was gone; the big Joker was most likely in Qi Feng’s hand.

In Fight the Landlord, experienced players sometimes play the big Joker first to mislead opponents, making it unclear whether they also hold the small Joker. If the small Joker is played first, the big Joker is likely in someone else’s hand.

He remembered Qi Feng using this tactic many times, turning weak hands into comebacks and winning in the end.

Qi Feng followed with: “Big Joker.”

Just as Yan Jiyun expected. The big Joker was indeed with his teammate!

That move was brilliant. Qi Feng gained the initiative and immediately played: “Pair of 4s.”

The guide looked troubled: “Pass.”

Qi Feng continued: “Pair of 9s.”

The guide had no pair higher than 9, so she passed.

Yan Jiyun silently cheered again: nicely done!

Now it was Qi Feng’s time to shine.

Qi Feng: “Straight.”

7 8 9 10 J Q K A.

The guide had no way to respond. She had no bomb.

At this point, Yan Jiyun just waited for Qi Feng to finish. He only had two cards left.

First he played a 2 to block the landlord, then his final card, the 3 of diamonds.

In the first round of Fight the Landlord, through the cooperation of Qi Feng and Yan Jiyun, they won!

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  斗地主; it’s a very popular Chinese card game. It’s an asymmetric 1v2 game (or more), with 1 player becoming the Landlord and two others as Farmers. Gameplay-wise, I would say it’s the closest to President, but there are teaming-up here and Jokers are played + have special roles. For more info on how to play you can go >here< /