Sunflower's mouth hung open, her face full of incredulity.
She turned her head stiffly to look at Tian Yu, her large eyes filled with suspicion and confusion.
This chance… just happened to land on the captain's number?
Wasn't this too much of a coincidence?!
"Two hundred times the payout..."
"This little brother bet eight thousand taels..."
"If you include the principal, that's one million six hundred and eight thousand taels!"
"Hiss—"
Everyone at the gambling table sucked in a cold breath, and all their eyes instantly locked onto Tian Yu.
Among them, several gazes were filled with malicious intent, their owners sizing Tian Yu up greedily. Clearly, some people had already begun harboring dangerous thoughts.
"Cough, cough!"
The staff member who had rolled the dice kept a professional smile as he gently knocked the dice cup against the table and spoke to everyone at the gaming table:
"Everyone, please remember, our casino is different from ordinary gambling halls. I advise everyone not to be distracted."
Despite his smile, the staff member's face twitched slightly from time to time, betraying his forced calm.
Soon after,
With a smile uglier than crying, the casino staff reluctantly handed over a large stack of cash to Tian Yu.
"Sir, madam, your winnings qualify you to move to the second floor."
"The environment on the second floor is far superior to the first, and with more privacy and security, your winnings won't attract unwanted attention. I recommend you both go upstairs."
"The second floor also offers higher quality services, although… the minimum wager starts at ten thousand taels. Please consider it carefully."
Tian Yu nodded calmly,
"Take us to the second floor."
"Of course! Right away!"
Upon hearing Tian Yu's agreement, the dice-rolling staff immediately abandoned the other gamblers, hurriedly summoning a clerk to escort Tian Yu and Sunflower upstairs.
"Captain... This casino seems quite polite, even offering us better treatment. It doesn't seem like a shady place," Sunflower whispered cautiously as they walked, sticking close to Tian Yu.
"Could it be that Qinghe Island has no presence here?"
Tian Yu shook his head slightly.
"You think... maybe the tavern owner who connected us is the one with the real problem?"
"It's possible," Tian Yu replied in a low voice.
"But this casino isn't as clean as it appears. The probability that Qinghe Island's forces are involved behind the scenes is still very high."
"Huh? This casino..."
"Shh, lower your voice."
Tian Yu stopped her from saying more.
Because the dice-rolling man had returned, bringing along a clerk dressed in formal attire.
"Are these two heading to the second floor?"
"Yes."
"Please follow me, this way."
Tian Yu nodded and, together with Sunflower, followed the clerk upstairs.
The moment they stepped onto the second floor,
They were immediately surrounded by a sense of opulence.
Not just the gaming tables glittered with gold, but the luxurious décor gleamed everywhere they looked.
Unlike the noisy, smoke-filled first floor, the second floor was quiet, elegant, and filled with a faint, soothing fragrance that made one feel both relaxed and vigilant.
"Welcome to the upper floor of our casino," a tall, graceful female attendant greeted them warmly.
"You are free to choose any gaming table you like. If you lack sufficient cash, you may show me valuable items to secure a loan."
"Of course... if you have other needs, I can assist you as well."
After speaking, the beautiful female attendant gave Tian Yu a rather suggestive wink.
Tian Yu responded indifferently,
"We won't be needing any additional services for now."
He dismissed the attendant's flirtations with a simple statement, and together with Sunflower, made their way deeper into the second-floor casino.
Casinos... dice...
Those who open casinos don't do so out of charity—they exist to take money, not hand it out!
It was common knowledge that almost no casino in the world had clean hands.
The dice and cups used in gambling halls were often specially modified, allowing skilled dealers to control the outcome with astonishing precision.
As for Tian Yu…
He was practically an expert in such mechanisms!
Having spent years forging weapons at home, Tian Yu was no stranger to these tricks.
Even though he was only twelve years old,
the tools he crafted—lightweight shoes, the prototype of the Grass Long Sword, the Japanese-style katana, even the Ice Wheel Pill—were all far more intricate than these simple mechanical tricks.
Compared to the sophisticated black technologies Tian Yu had developed,
these modified dice cups were child's play!
Tian Yu, who had built countless exquisite ninja tools, viewed these basic mechanical devices the same way a senior mathematician viewed an elementary arithmetic problem.
It was hardly a challenge.
Just by watching a few rounds at the gaming table and listening to the sound of the dice rolling, Tian Yu had already deduced the internal structure of the dice cup.
His mastery of forging and structural knowledge far exceeded the level of the craftsmen who created these cheating devices.
Thus,
The result where Tian Yu hit the triple six—the so-called "leopard"—wasn't luck at all!
"Let's go, let's take a look around first before making a move."
Tian Yu wasn't sure if the dice cups on the second floor were built the same way as those downstairs.
He intended to first analyze them carefully before acting.
"Hey, Captain, look over there..."
While searching for a gaming table, Tian Yu suddenly noticed someone.
A woman with long blonde hair tied into twin ponytails, dressed glamorously—and an astonishingly ample figure.
"Ah, she's..."
Sunflower, being a Konoha Anbu, immediately widened her eyes in recognition and almost exclaimed.
Tian Yu quickly tugged her sleeve and gave her a warning glance, motioning for her to remain calm and not cause a disturbance.
"Let's head to that table."
...
"Ugh! What rotten luck! Lost again!"
"Shizune! Bring more money! I refuse to believe today's not my day!"
The blonde twin-ponytailed woman shouted angrily at her black-haired companion dressed in dark clothes.
These two were none other than—
Tsunade-hime, the famed Princess of Konoha,
and her ever-faithful attendant Shizune!
"Tsunade-sama... we don't have any more money... it's all been lost," Shizune said helplessly.
"What?!"
Tsunade blinked in disbelief.
"No money left? It's all gone?!"
After a stunned moment, Tsunade reached into her robe and pulled out a ring inlaid with a large emerald gemstone, handing it to Shizune.
"Take this and pawn it at the counter! We'll get more money!"
Shizune panicked immediately.
"No! Tsunade-sama, you can't!"
"This is the emerald ring that Lady Mito left you! It's an heirloom of the Uzumaki clan!"
"This... this really can't be pawned!"
Seeing Shizune stubbornly refuse, Tsunade pouted and reluctantly tucked the ring away.
She rummaged around in her robe again and fished out a bracelet.
"Then pawn this one."
Shizune looked even more distressed.
"Tsunade-sama! No way!"
"This bracelet was personally given to you by the Second Hokage, Lord Tobirama Senju, before he passed!"
"It's a priceless treasure of the Senju Clan!"
As Tian Yu approached the gaming table and overheard this conversation, he couldn't help but feel speechless.
Tsunade-hime...
The legendary Princess of Konoha...
was actually willing to pawn priceless treasures connected to the village's history just for gambling?!
Truly living up to her reputation as the "Big Fat Sheep"!
"This can't go, that can't go..."
"Those old men just casually handed these things over. They're not a big deal!" Tsunade pouted. "You're being so annoying, Shizune!"
"Tsunade-sama... even so..."
"But these items really must be preserved!"
Tsunade was about to argue further, but Shizune quickly interrupted, flustered.
"How about this—Tsunade-sama, I still have some jewelry that my mother left me before she passed. I'll pawn those instead! Please don't use the clan heirlooms!"
Hearing this, Tsunade's expression finally turned serious.
"No."
"Those are memories of your family. I won't allow you to pawn them."
With a firm face, Tsunade stood up from the gaming table.
"Forget it! I'm done! This place is cursed!"
"I'm never gambling here again!"
She stormed away indignantly.