Chapter 99: Welcome to the World of Gambling, Whales, and Gacha
"Continue," Himizuki listened expressionlessly.
"...In simple terms," Shinguya Tetsu hesitated, "Sigh..."
The Countermeasures Department, which governed the players in East E, had actually resorted to seeking help from their rivals due to an unsolvable economic crisis...
It was quite embarrassing.
"Allow me to interject," Alister spoke in the silent atmosphere, seeking clarification, "If the Countermeasures Department collapses, does that mean the order of the players in East E will also collapse?"
The collapse of a national-level force would lead to catastrophic consequences, akin to a country falling into turmoil...
Wars were often triggered by such circumstances.
"The worst outcome indeed includes that possibility, but as of now, it won't happen," Shinguya Tetsu remained somewhat confident as he patiently explained, "The Countermeasures Department is merely a united organization of all forces in East E. Its collapse wouldn't necessarily mean the substantial loss of national control."
Its subordinate branches would still exist, although it could potentially lead to local fragmentation.
"Thank you for clarifying," Alister fell silent after his query was addressed.
A few seconds later, Shinguya Tetsu seemed to gather his determination, adjusted his attitude, and finally revealed the truth behind the economic collapse:
"The cause of this enormous debt crisis is none other than our Countermeasures Department's head."
"Isn't he a Lawful player?" Himizuki, who had visited the Countermeasures Department before, asked, "And even if he intended to rebel, he doesn't have the authority, right?"
Shinguya Tetsu shook his head helplessly and corrected his earlier statement, "Perhaps he's our head, or perhaps he's not."
"Replaced?" Alister sensed something.
"Indeed, the head... has been replaced at some point," Shinguya Tetsu revealed a dangerous glint in his eyes as he explained seriously, "The person responsible can use the ability 'Perfect Disguise,' an ability so deceptive that it even conceals the system's descriptions. They infiltrated our Countermeasures Department effortlessly..."
"And after the incident, we couldn't determine their true identity. They used hundreds of false identities to successfully escape from East E..."
"However, we've managed to track them down through certain means... and the target is on the Chenghai Miracle Cruise tonight."
"...This is our final chance."
Implying that if they didn't capture the person now, the next victim could very well be the Ji Clan Group...
...or even the Seventeenth Bureau's affiliated organizations in Z country.
"So I'm curious, how did this person manage to cause the economic collapse of the Countermeasures Department?" Himizuki asked.
In the next breath, the president of the Ji Clan Group, who was also a business magnate, furrowed her brows and deduced the truth, "The Countermeasures Department recently issued many bonds, and that's where the problem lies, isn't it?"
"Indeed," Shinguya Tetsu sighed, "It was... a person I'll call the 'Impersonator.'"
"Using their ability 'Perfect Disguise,' the Impersonator stole the Countermeasures Department's bond secrets and then flawlessly replicated them..."
"Then, under the name of the East E Countermeasures Department, they continuously issued so-called 'genuine bonds.'"
"At the same time, in collaboration with numerous scheming entrepreneurs, they managed to cause enormous economic losses in a short time..."
"At present, the Countermeasures Department's economic reserves and credibility are about to reach a critical point. In one week, the department will declare bankruptcy."
"I understand the situation now," Himizuki took a sip of rose tea, "So what's the plan for apprehending the Impersonator?"
"Regarding this, with your assistance, it will be straightforward," Shinguya Tetsu said.
"Go ahead, I'm curious why you need my involvement," Himizuki crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair, her gaze sharp.
You're coming to me for help even though you know I despise you...
Shinguya Tetsu confidently placed a European gold coin on the white cloth of the table and explained, "Because Himizuki-sama is skilled at making money."
"Huh?" Himizuki gave him a disdainful look, "Don't tell me you want me to help the Countermeasures Department recover its money?"
"...That's not what I meant," Shinguya Tetsu sighed, then took out a "Queen" chess piece and placed it on top of the coin.
"What I mean is..."
He furrowed his brows slightly, speaking earnestly, "We want to collaborate with you to earn enough money in the upcoming Sequence Game to become the winners."
It was a sequence game centered around money, and Himizuki was the most suitable player for it.
After explaining the rules of the artificial sequence game, Shinguya Tetsu spoke sincerely to maintain trust, "We believe in Himizuki-sama's integrity, so we'll fully assist you in becoming the 'Queen.' At that point, you can interrogate the Impersonator and extract their guilt."
Although they couldn't confirm the Impersonator's exact location, their guilt wouldn't change, which would become their fatal flaw.
By compelling the Impersonator to confess their true identity through the system rules, Shinguya Tetsu had devised a way to expose them.
"The conditions sound reasonable. I will tentatively agree," Himizuki replied lazily and regally.
A moment later, Shinguya Tetsu raised his index finger and grinned, playfully reminding, "By the way, since it's a sequence game, there's naturally a risk of us losing."
"Heh..." Himizuki laughed disdainfully, "If you fear defeat and retreat, what kind of A-rank player are you?"
"I do agree with you on this point." Shinguya Tetsu retrieved the gold coin and the queen chess piece, dispelled his field, and left the scene leisurely.
...
...
Um... What was I doing just now?
In the instant the vision was unblocked and the golden field was dispelled, Luorou suddenly snapped back to reality at table number one, her expression full of bewilderment.
It's like a big shot with blonde hair came over to chat, and then I pretended to be invisible and played on my phone...
What happened next...
Amid the elegant and beautiful music, Luorou found herself confused.
Huh huh huh? What was I doing just now?
I can't remember, did I lose my memory?!
...
...
The grand opulence, the salutations of the guests, the courteous farewells of the maids...
Shinguya Tetsu stepped onto the stage of the banquet hall, his confident and proud demeanor seemingly failing him, making him feel like a failure.
He was like a walking corpse, wandering through the splendor and extravagance of Tokyo.
Golden palaces rose from the ground, surrounded by golden fleur-de-lis motifs, exuding an air of luxurious opulence...
It was all so false, and not worth mentioning.
To the accompaniment of the lively music, Shinguya Tetsu arrived at the end of the stage, beneath the grand celestial dome with its intricate reliefs.
He gazed up at the massive crown atop the dome.
It was something he had been born with, but also something he loathed the most.
Flattery, sycophancy, lies...
Perhaps only the non-existent two-dimensional world wouldn't deceive him.
Or perhaps only the other shore called "two-dimensional" would forever remain untouched by the truth of deception.
A Persian cat gracefully leaped onto the stage and lazily rubbed against Shinguya Tetsu.
Sigh...
Shinguya Tetsu knew it wouldn't transform into a cat-eared girl.
Only in games could a cat be turned into a cat-eared beauty...
Thus, a decision had been made in his heart.
"The banquet ends here."
Before his words could finish, in the next moment.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to—"
The blonde youth revealed a rebellious grin, snapped his fingers, and with a sidelong glance, he dominated the entire scene, initiating the birth of the rules.
"—the world of gambling, whales, and gacha."
"Detecting a gamification event, special rules are in effect."