Perhaps he was being retaliated against for angering the system or perhaps it was because Qin Jiu himself wasn't very lucky either…..
For the first game, the dealer lifted the cup:
Even.
'Lucky' You Huo's expression instantly cleared up.
He was conflicted between feeling proud of his luck or beating Qin Jiu up.
The onlookers thumped their chests and stamped their feet as if they were the ones who had just lost their Guaranteed Pass.
"Crazy. They're definitely crazy."
"Fucking hell. I came here to see two Gods of Luck use the Guaranteed Pass as a bait to win a whole heap of cards but this...…"
"That's a Guaranteed Pass you know?!"
Under the watch of countless eyes, You Huo passed the Guaranteed Pass card to the other end of the table.
The NPC mouse acted very realistically. He jumped around in glee as if he was truly happy to receive the card.
The dealer reminded: "Three rounds must be played. The rule here is that the bets do not leave the table until all three rounds are over."
The bets placed on the table for the first game cannot be taken away. You can only add, and not subtract.
This meant that the bets get larger as the games go on.
This was also the reason why many become addicted to this. On one hand, it made it more exciting and, on the other hand, it always gave players hope that they could win it back.
In an instant the mouse's cards had become three.
One Outstanding Examinee, one Amazing Student and one Guaranteed Pass.
You Huo and Qin Jiu's side was empty.
The dealer made a 'please' gesture: "Do the two of you have any other cards? You can take them out."
You Huo: "No."
Dealer: "Money, house, car, shop, building?"
You Huo: "No."
Dealer: "...Then points?"
That would do.
"Bet mine first." Qin Jiu placed his card on the table.
The card showed that he had completed three subjects and there was the word (Re-examination) after History. The points were recalculated following completion of the re-examination, so the total score now was 27.125 points.
Those numbers were clearly displayed on the edge of the gambling table. The crowd of onlookers whispered for a while but weren't very surprised.
If they knew that Qin Jiu started the third exam with negative points, they definitely wouldn't have this reaction.
"In order to prevent any confusion with the rules, I will remind you again." The dealer said, "Betting points at the points only area allow splitting of the points but here it is different. To make it more exciting, you will be betting all of it."
Qin Jiu nodded: "Okay."
The mouse opposite them rubbed his hands eagerly.
The dealer shook his cup again and slammed in onto the table.
Qin Jiu asked 'Lucky' You Huo: "Big Invigilator, odd or even?"
'Lucky' You Huo had already grown numb to it: "Even."
Qin Jiu said to the dealer: "Even."
'Lucky' You Huo: "?"
Seeing this rare confused expression of You Huo's, Qin Jiu laughed: "Got a problem?"
"You're really going according to my guess? You'll have 0 points if we lose." You Huo said.
"I've even had negative points before so what's so scary about 0 points?" Qin Jiu tapped his finger on the table and said jokingly: "This is a casino. We come here to take risks and gain instant wealth so you should also be prepared to go bankrupt."
He really was crazy.
He was just like how he was back when he did 12 consecutive exams.
It wasn't about struggling to survive, it was about staying around for as long as possible.
Back then, it wasn't just Qin Jiu alone who had entered the system with a mission. There was actually a team but there weren't many. Firstly, it was because their lives weren't guaranteed and secondly, they were afraid of alerting the system.
The team name was D. Their mission was to gain understanding of the system in all areas, try out different possibilities, test its boundaries and to find its hidden core control centre and destroy it.
Some joked that it shouldn't be D and should be D-to-D; Dare to Die.
However, the system had a self-protection program set up. Those who enter would gradually forget their past, forget about their purpose and forget why they were there. Qin Jiu also would only very occasionally remember let alone mention it.
But he still did it very thoroughly.
...…
"Fuck!!!" There was another outburst of chest thumping and feet stamping from the crowd.
The onlookers anxiously hopped on their feet.
This was because when the dealer lifted the cup:
Odd.
This time You Huo's luck had returned to normal.
They had lost again.
The dealer took Qin Jiu's card, swiped it on a machine on the table and the points in the card fell to 0.
The mouse opposite them was extremely excited.
With two games, the situation at the table had completely flipped.
Who would have imagined that two good student cards could be used to gain a Guaranteed Pass and 27 points!
"The third game." The dealer again made a 'please' gesture to You Huo and Qin Jiu.
Although he was used to interacting with gamblers, but a situation like this was a first for him. Even his hand trembled a little.
You Huo slapped his card onto the table without any hesitation.
The information on the card was similar to Qin Jiu's; three subjects completed, and History was re-examined.
But the points were shocking.
42.125.
When that number appeared at the edge of the table, the onlookers fell silent for a few seconds before bursting into excited whispers.
Because of the need to bet all their points, most examinees who have a stable amount of points wouldn't come to this floor.
No, to be more precise examinees who have a stable amount of points wouldn't even come to the casino!
You fucking have more than forty points in three exams, is the top of the top in the A rank and even have a Guaranteed Pass. Why the hell are you here risking everything???
Everyone's eyes had turned green with envy. Someone amongst the crowd even shouted: "Those points. If you don't want it, can't you just give them to me?!"
The atmosphere on this floor was at its peak.
The mouse before them became even more excited because of this and he instantly dug out his card.
The dealer supported the table and asked: "Wait a second, what is this for?"
"Raising the bet!" The mouse threw the card onto the table, "This is the most exciting game I've played today so I'm raising it! Add my points too!"
You Huo: "...….."
He asked Qin Jiu: "That's really an NPC?"
"Pretty realistic huh?"
"...…."
Casino NPC's were all very realistic. The card was almost the same as an ordinary examinees with the front side displaying their room information and the back displaying their examination ticket details.
It wrote that he had completed four subjects and had a total score of 40 points. It was very average.
The dealer took the card, swiped it, added Qin Jiu's 27 points and then placed it on the betting table.
The onlookers grew even more excited.
Apart from those two good student cards, just picking out any of the point cards would make any examinee go crazy on the spot.
The dealer started shaking the cup again.
To raise the tension, this time he shook it for a very, very long time. Everything on the table depended on this third and final game.
Qin Jiu picked up the card and looked at You Huo.
Without needing to ask, You Huo said: "I still think it's even."
After saying that, he grabbed Qin Jiu's wrist and pressed his hand on "Odd".
This time, even the dealer was nervous.
He took two deep breaths, grabbed the cup and looked around a few times. He then lifted the cup.
Odd.
Everyone on the floor was silent. They then all went crazy.
The dealer was dumbfounded for a moment. After recovering, he pushed everything over to You Huo.
One round of three games.
Two losses, one win.
These two handsome young men had won back their Guaranteed Pass card, got two good student cards, got back their point cards and even won an extra 40 points.
"Wait a second! After adding those points, isn't it...…full?"
There was an outburst of discussions.
The dealer picked up the card and swiped it under the mouse's sad watch.
He asked You Huo: "40 points. How to add it for the two gentlemen?"
You Huo: "Make it so that they're equal."
He handed his and Qin Jiu's card over.
The dealer was at loss for words: You want me to do maths too???
Before the dealer could finish calculating, the edge of the table had already revealed a line:
Congratulations Examinee You Huo and Examinee Qin Jiu!
It was obvious that the system was the most excited of them all.
With Qin Jiu and You Huo's current points, even if they don't use the Guaranteed Pass and muddle their way through the last two exams, they could still comfortably pass! At that time, it wouldn't hesitate to kick those two out.
***
After leaving the casino, the two of them went to the hotel.
Yang Shu had been waiting for them there for a long time.
Zhao Jiatong asked: "I heard the invigilators didn't punish you so why did you only return now? Where did you go?"
"Gambling." You Huo answered.
Zhao Jiatong: "???"
She and Gao Qi turned and glared at Qin Jiu.
They didn't know what Qin Jiu was like but from their impression A wasn't someone who gambled. It must be that guys influence!
What's more....Wasn't he aware of his luck? Yet he still dared to gamble?!
Qin Jiu looked at Gao Qi's meaningful look and raised his hands to express his innocence.
"Played three games and got these." You Huo placed the cards on the table.
He then pulled out the three cards he originally had and similarly placed it on the table.
Five good student cards; one complete set with two extra cards.
"You really got a set?!" Gao Qi exclaimed.
The moment he saw the cards, he no longer fussed over the gambling matter.
"Here———Go to the front desk and find the hotel manager. Every rest stop has a special situation registration book. Just write the names of the people you want to team up with."
Gao Qi said: "In fact, it's not just the name. Code names, nicknames, anything is fine. That's how the legend went but I don't know if it's true. Anyway, the two of us haven't used it before."
You Huo nodded and asked Yang Shu: "Want to go out?"
Yang Shu instantly became alert: "Why? You want to give me the Guaranteed Pass? I don't want it."
"As a doctor, you shouldn't be wasted here." Qin Jiu said.
Yang Shu immediately said: "I'm not exactly a doctor and I can't leave yet. I have to find someone."
"Find someone?"
Yang Shu explained: "I entered with a senior sister but later got separated. I can put up a fight, but she can't. If I go out alone, what is she going to do?"
She wasn't used to showing concern. She awkwardly added: "I wouldn't know what to say to the professor. I was just wondering, if you can form a team and there is no limit to the number of people, can you summon her?"
"That's not a problem. What's your senior sisters name?"
Yang Shu: "She's called Wu Li——Why? What's with that expression of yours?"
Qin Jiu was slightly surprised: "...…Your senior sister is a neurosurgeon?"
"Yes, you've met?!"
"We've met. We just completed a re-examination of history but we were with her in the exam before that."
Yang Shu was pleasantly surprised: "Really?"
When she smiled, she looked livelier and brighter compared to her usual domineering attitude.
But she quickly stored her smile away: "Then, how was she? Was she hurt?"
"She was fine when the exam ended. Looking at the time, if I'm not wrong, she should still be in one of the rest stops waiting for her next exam."
"That's good then." Yang Shu said.
You Huo went to the front desk and asked for the registration book. He wrote the Yu father and son, Wu Li, Shu Xue etc. down.
The manager was stunned. He couldn't help but say: "Even with so many in a team, you might not necessarily get a high score."
You Huo didn't respond. He clearly didn't consider this an issue.
The manager muttered a few things and then said: "Give me your card to check in. I'll also need the card of the one who came in together with you."
"His card is with me." You Huo said this as he passed the two cards over.
The manager turned it over: Three subjects done, total points 54.625.
Manager: "...…Ignore what I said."
When You Huo returned to the lounge, everyone had already started chatting.
Qin Jiu asked Yang Shu with surprise: "You're also in neurology?"
"What does that expression of yours mean?" Yang Shu snorted.
Perhaps it was because she was excited, Miss Yang for once had become a little more talkative. She talked about her major and how she and Wu Li entered the system.
She said that a professor had returned from abroad and she and Wu Li went to see him to ask a few questions about a project. Afterwards, they went together to have a quick meal.
"The study was in the attic. When I went down the steps, I missed a step and bumped onto my senior sister." Yang Shu said, "And then we ended up here."
The situation was similar to You Huo's.
The others also had similar experiences and they soon started to describe theirs.
You Huo was in thought for a while. After a while, he asked Yang Shu: "You just said that the professor was also surnamed Wu?"
"Yes, he's senior sister's uncle." Yang Shu said, "But he would always be stricter with senior sister."
You Huo pulled out his phone and opened up a photo.
"Is it this Doctor Wu?"
Yang Shu was shocked: "...….Why do you have professor's photo? He's involved with projects and no longer works clinically."
You Huo: "What projects?"
"That I don't know. My subspecialty is different to his and all projects are independent." Yang Shu said, "Wu Li however has taken part in some so you can't ask her when she's here? But she can't say much and can only tell you some non-confidential things."
As everyone chatted, the sky outside had darkened.
Gao Qi and Zhao Jiatong had to return to the invigilator's district so You Huo and Qin Jiu went to send them off.
The rest stop at night was brightly lit and the nearby casino was still very lively, but the side streets were deserted. Not even a ghost's shadow could be seen.
"You only take one subject?"
"Yeah, generally the punishment for rule violation is one subject." Gao Qi glanced at Qin Jiu, "Cases like yours are very rare. Who did you offend?"
"Who else." Qin Jiu smiled.
"But the rules did say that the punishment can reach a maximum of five subjects, so it is not against the rules."
Gao Qi internally muttered: The system probably wanted to teach Qin Jiu a lesson, but it probably didn't expect that...…These two demon kings would get together.
He mumbled: "It really shot itself in the foot this time. The system must regret this decision to death right now."
Qin Jiu let out a low laugh that could be regarded as his response. He turned and looked at You Huo.
"Regret what?" Zhao Jiatong heard his mumbling and didn't understand.
"...…."
Gao Qi opened his mouth and said, "It's nothing. Just a random comment."
Zhao Jiatong was puzzled.
She felt that the three men around her each had different things in their minds and the atmosphere was rather strange.
But they had reached the white fog.
She didn't think much of it and bid farewell to You Huo and Qin Jiu before turning around and leaving with Gao Qi.
"There's a supermarket ahead. Go and buy some things for the next exam?" Qin Jiu suggested.
You Huo nodded.
With more points, the two shopped without a worry. They filled a cart with medicine and food.
At the checkout, the boss was completely shocked.
Their points gradually decreased, and, in just twenty minutes, their points fell from 54 to 30. It angered the system so much, the checkout system in the supermarket crashed and it took the boss a long time to fix.
"Is this everything?" The boss wanted to check with the two to see if they wanted to take any items away.
But You Huo just habitually pointed at the cabinet behind him: "A pack of cigarettes."
Qin Jiu's footsteps stopped.
You Huo also froze.
The smell of smoke from the examination centre seemed to return again...….
The boss never expected him to add more. He asked, "Are you sure?"
You Huo's eyes swept past Qin Jiu's face before looking away.
He fell silent for a few seconds and then said to the boss: "Yes."
Picking up his items and walking to the door, he heard Qin Jiu behind him say to the boss with a low voice that carried a hint of a smile: "I'll take a lighter. There's someone trying to lure my smoking addiction. I'll wait for him to come borrow fire."
KK has something to say:
Now that they're together they're just casually scattering dog food...…