Chapter Fifty-One: Defeat Until You Fear (2)
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The Prodigal Son Without Pop-up Windows
Chapter Fifty-One: Losing Until You’re Scared (2)
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“Player wins.”
A thunderous boom—it was as if someone had been held underwater, finally allowed to surface for a desperate gasp of air. The effect was intense: that slightly trembling voice rippled outward from the center, gradually spreading to the edges, while the crowd’s astonishment and shock erupted all at once.
Jerrison’s heart was unsettled, but he managed a confident glance at the dealer, whose forehead glistened with sweat. He nodded encouragingly, prompting the dealer to exhale a sigh of relief, though he kept his composure outwardly. The reactions of the others varied, but none of it mattered.
“Bang… Banker… One hundred million…” Xiao Tianshi’s bottle and his voice sounded again.
“Player wins.”
“Bang… Banker… One hundred million…”
“Player wins.”
And so began an endless repetition. Xiao Tianshi himself remained expressionless, but those gathered to watch felt their hearts pounding, as if the losses were their own. Many faces paled.
A billion dollars sounds astronomical—give that sum to an ordinary person and it would last ten lifetimes. But here, it was merely ten rounds of betting. Besides shock, everyone was dazed, lost in a dreamlike stupor. Many speculated and suspected—was this a master probing the house? Was he here to challenge the casino? Some even cursed, wondering if he was mentally unbalanced—might as well hand the money straight to the casino.
“Hoo…” After losing ten rounds totaling a billion dollars, Xiao Tianshi scratched his head, bemused that he felt nothing. He chuckled inwardly, guessing others felt much more than he did. Gesturing, he called Lin Jian over, who bowed low.
Chief Steward Lin Jian, after receiving Xiao Tianshi’s command, nodded and stood: “Mr. Jerrison, exchange for two billion dollars.”
The shock was even greater this time. Not only the spectators, but even Jerrison broke out in a heavier sweat—who was this person? Anxiety gnawed at him: his boss was absent, and such a massive bet had materialized out of nowhere. If something went wrong, what would he do? Who were these people?
He had hoped for a windfall, but now realized he was dealing with a madman. What now? The incident in the VIP lounge was unresolved, and now this chaos broke out even bigger.
There was nothing to do but continue. Luckily, the previous billion hadn’t been lost. Normally, dealers would encourage ebb and flow, a tactic to keep gamblers hooked. But now the dealer dared not let the player win—he had never even heard of stakes this high.
Two billion arrived, and the betting continued. The bottle resounded again, though this time each wager was two hundred million.
Before anyone grasped what was happening, ten rounds totaling two billion were gone.
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When the billion was lost, many in the crowd commented: “This is far more thrilling than anything in the movies. Now I see the films aren’t exaggerated at all—they’re child’s play.”
Another remarked, “Must be burning money—even if you’re rich, who gambles like this?”
Someone else said, “He’s either a prodigal son or crazy.”
“Is he testing the waters?”
But when the twenty billion vanished, everyone fell silent—this was beyond their imagination. Even the dealer’s hands began to tremble.
“Mr. Jerrison, exchange for thirty billion in chips.”
Now Jerrison felt his heart under unbearable pressure. How could he wrap this up if the winning continued? Approaching Lin Jian, his facial muscles barely obeyed him as he forced a smile: “Sir, perhaps we should take a break?”
Lin Jian replied calmly, “Thank you for your kindness, but my employer does not wish to rest. Please exchange the chips.”
Jerrison felt cornered, thinking, “The player may be drunk, but the steward is perfectly sober. How can he be so composed? Even the world’s wealthiest would not play like this! I’ve seen bigger bets, but never played in such a way—this isn’t gambling, it’s simply giving away money! If this keeps going and something happens…”
He ordered chips to be exchanged and sent someone to hurry things along. The delay wasn’t caused by the supervisor or the boss—it was simply that Xiao Tianshi was betting too fast.
The bottle resounded again, louder than before, and each bet now jumped to three hundred million.
When thirty billion was lost, the dealer’s face broke into sweat, and the crowd was dumbfounded. Jerrison’s sweat vanished; his face was deathly pale, drained of all color.
“Mr. Jerrison, exchange forty billion in chips.” Every casino hopes guests will keep exchanging chips, that’s how fortune flows. But now Jerrison’s head ached—he wished he could kneel and beg them to stop.
He had said all he could; refusing the exchange would be like preventing a gambler from recouping losses. He could only comply. At this moment, the supervisor returned.
But the news brought back was that nothing could be found on these people—not a trace. They seemed to have appeared out of thin air, with no records anywhere. They had never been to other casinos, weren’t on any world wealth rankings, nor among the prominent young members of major Chinese families.
The supervisor reported that the boss was on a helicopter, nearly arrived, then rushed off to meet him. Jerrison cursed internally, “You fool, if something happens, do you think hiding will save you?”
Watching his staff quickly bring down chips, he fumed, “Why are you moving so fast? If they disappear, who will exchange next? That’s a hundred billion dollars! One hundred billion! For a small country, that’s more than the annual budget. Where is the boss? When will this end?”
Theoretically, anyone who could lose tens of billions without flinching must have immense backing and resources. Whether they were plotting something or simply intoxicated, this couldn’t end well.
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Now both the dealer and Jerrison felt as if their hearts were ablaze. Strangely, the more money lost, the more exhilarated the loser felt, while the winner grew increasingly anxious and tormented, as if suffering agony.
“Bang…” The frightful sound startled Jerrison from his wild thoughts. Xiao Tianshi, as before, placed ten bets, each now at four hundred million.
After five more rounds of nerve-wracking losses, Jerrison finally saw his boss arrive—Camillo. Camillo was the epitome of a Western Caucasian, nearly two meters tall and powerfully built, flanked by four bodyguards and several senior casino staff.
Though Jerrison was only the VIP lounge manager, he was well regarded by his boss, and the lounge itself held significant status. Camillo entered, puffing on a large cigar. Seeing him, Jerrison hurried to greet him.
“Boss…” He was at a loss for words, having already reported everything there was to report.
“Hoo…” Camillo remained composed, exhaling smoke as he asked, “What’s the situation?”
They were outside, so Camillo hadn’t seen Xiao Tianshi before. The events in the VIP lounge had been reported to him long ago. Jerrison quickly replied, “Boss, he’s already lost nearly a hundred billion.”
Just then, Lin Jian’s calm, steady voice rang out again: “Mr. Jerrison, please exchange another fifty billion.”
Jerrison, looking heavenward as if begging for mercy, turned to his boss and said, “Boss, that’s a full one hundred billion dollars; what do you think…?”
Camillo, cigar in mouth, was stunned. He was a major figure on the American billionaire list, with a fortune built through gambling and other businesses. His most recent ranking placed him at thirty-seventh worldwide with over thirty-nine billion dollars. Even counting undisclosed income, his total couldn’t exceed fifty billion. And this was wealth accumulated by his family over a century in Las Vegas.
Now, in just a short time, a hundred billion had been won—and the player seemed determined to keep going. Everyone wants to earn money, but one must survive to spend it, and not all money is worth earning. Even Camillo, whose family had deep ties to the city’s century-old institutions and the major gangs, knew there were things best left untouched.
At this moment, staff brought down fifty billion in chips. As the bottle echoed once more and Xiao Tianshi prepared to begin again, Camillo’s eyes suddenly lit up. He reached out and grabbed Jerrison.
He asked urgently, “You said he’s Chinese, in his twenties, accompanied by a steward?”
Compared to his boss, Jerrison was like a chick being lifted off the ground by the collar, unable to speak, nodding frantically.
“Snap…” Camillo’s cigar fell to the floor as he muttered, lost in thought, “It’s him. It’s over. This trouble is immense.”
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