Forge a path to success.

Chapter 302 Enjoying It (5)

Click-clack, click-clack, the patterns on the screen cascaded down like a waterfall. Bananas, rice cakes, tentacles, and the lucky eye. The student pulled the handle; the first column stopped—an eye. Pulled it again; the second column was also an eye. Breathing became heavy without the student even realizing it, and sweat beaded on their forehead. Just one more and they would win, just one more.

Banana. Tentacle. Wait a minute. Rice cake. Tentacle. Now, he pulled the handle—

"Calm down." The cold prosthetic hand pressed down on the back of his hand. "Look carefully."

The student missed his chance and slumped into his seat. "What are you doing?! I saw it clearly—it was an eye!" "Think again." The silver-armed man's voice brooked no argument. "How much did you spend on this?" "400…" "That's not a small amount." "If you win, you can get double back."

“This is gambling,” the silver-armed man said.

The student, eyes red, stood up and shoved him forcefully, but couldn't budge him. "So annoying! You have to be so bossy even when we're playing a game! Who do you think you are?!" "This isn't a game, it's gambling." "Get lost, you spoilsport!"

The man let go and left. The student eagerly pulled the lever a third time, this time the rice cake stopped in the middle. "Damn it!!" he cursed hysterically, while the little animals next door cheered at the same time, and twigs were spat out of the machine like they were free. On the open-air stage behind several rows of machines, a portly man was smoking and singing cheesy rock music to entice consumers, while monstrous figures danced to his music.

That was the entertainment demon Gutaf, and now, everyone was in his headquarters, a chaotic area that combined bars, nightclubs, casinos, and amusement parks.

Ji Huaisu waved from afar, and Chu Hengkong walked around the slot machine array and the card table, pulling up a stool in front of the table to sit down.

“They’re having a great time,” Mr. Gray commented.

"He's almost lost his mind; this student is more insane than a seasoned gambler," Chu Hengkong said. "How are things on your end?"

“The good news is that we haven’t seen any drug or prostitution business yet,” Ji Huaisu said. “The bad news is that the tourists are having a blast. I’m not making a metaphor; there are a few guys at the card table who have been playing for two days and two nights straight, and some people in the box-breaking game are spending money on prosthetic body modifications to increase their efficiency.”

“I don’t think this is a place for good kids,” Gulibo said, trembling.

“The area we just came down from should be the law-abiding underground district, but this is the troublemaker district,” Van Der said. “The atmosphere is completely different; a lot of these guys are typical daydreaming demons…”

As he spoke, a hook appeared from the shadows and reached for Vande. Chu Hengkong flicked his finger and released a drop of wine, sending the attacker flying along with the hook.

“You’ll have to march in formation for five minutes once you get back to the ground,” Mr. Gray reminded him.

"He attacked first, and I was acting in self-defense for my friend."

Mr. Gray thought for a moment, then hopped over to the unfortunate demon and said, "Get up and march in formation for five minutes."

“Dude, you just wasted your precious first chance to hit someone like that.” Vande sighed. “We’ve all seen Gutaf singing on stage, he’s a fantasy, and the DJ spinning the record is his partner, ‘Indulgence’.”

"His strength doesn't seem like that of a fantasy demon," Chu Hengkong commented.

“I have some speculations about this,” Ji Huaisu continued. “According to the information I’ve gathered, Gutaf is a long-time employee of Flying Swallow Amusement Park. He personally participated in the development of a series of amusement park attractions and was one of the main card designers for the Extreme Battle card game. This is why his Entertainment Demon cards can be used in the game.”

The more something aligns with one's own 'concept,' the more powerful it becomes. Gutaf's power grew after gaining advantages on earth, thus giving rise to disloyalty. A recent event has shaken the stability of the city-state for many, and I speculate that this served as a trigger, leading Gutaf to translate his disloyalty into concrete action.

Gulibo's expression was strange; he wanted to laugh but held it back: "It's not Bill 368, is it, Bo?"

"Judging from the timeline, it's most likely true," Ji Huaisu said. "Don't laugh, everyone. I know the bill itself is incredibly stupid, but quite a few people do support it. Gutaf started his operation in this environment. He resigned, went underground, defeated Chenmian and took him under his command, and began spreading demon cards. There must be someone else behind him pushing things along, but I haven't found out yet due to time constraints."

Ji Huaisu piled several handwritten notes on the table: "That's all I found. Feel free to add more."

Fan De and Chu Hengkong exchanged a glance and whispered, "She's really angry..."

“She’s really, really, really angry…” Chu Hengkong agreed.

"Stop talking nonsense, let's finish this quickly."

“Okay, let me add something. Judging from the aura, Entertainment is a fantasy, but it’s out of line; Indulgence is a classic fantasy demon, but for some reason its aura isn’t very strong… maybe it’s related to how Entertainment defeated it.” Vande said, “Both are complete forms with legitimate contractors, and they’re the type that completely suppress the contractors’ consciousness and monopolize the body. To be honest, they’re not easy to deal with in a head-on battle.”

"Thinking back to when we were chased by a bunch of alien beasts and ran for our lives, it's hard to imagine that now you'd describe a strong level 4 and a weak level 5 as 'difficult to deal with'," Chu Hengkong laughed.

“Traveling with you for so long has greatly improved my endurance. Now, if a point 7 suddenly appears, I'll only give a token scream. ‘Ah! God!!’” Vande said calmly. “So this is the situation. Right now, they're singing over there, and the troublemaker is less than 500 meters away from us in a straight line.”

"Let's force a war," Ji Huaisu suggested, offering a very constructive suggestion.

Mr. Lan immediately spoke up: "The ringleader of the violent conflict marched in formation for five minutes. Repeat offenders are detained for 1 to 10 days. The Divine Guard will enforce this."

Vande spread out his tentacles: "Well, the Divine Guard will deal with us first."

"Don't be so particular at a time like this!"

"That's precisely when we need to be careful. If we let the tourists run wild, what's the point of the Fifth Order's rules?" Vande was unusually serious. "If we break the rulers' rules, the first thing to suffer will be the Holy Grail itself, and that's a wound that's hard to heal. We've captured a demon, but at the cost of a Fifth Order captain's serious injury, is it worth it? Gutaf's arrogant behavior is, frankly, an attempt to provoke Harleroya into war. Even the local captain has held back; we can't be the first to ruin things."

"And we also need to pay attention to the environment," Chu Hengkong said. "Listen carefully."

The venue was a gathering place for demons, so naturally there were many demon guests. Unlike the frenzy in the concert area, the demons in the bar mostly appeared anxious.

"That entertainment guy has gone too far..." "He's determined to go against Jing Sha." "The master can protect him, but he won't protect us!" "If a fight breaks out, which side will we help?"

"Idiot! If a real fight breaks out, we'll die no matter which side we take!" "Jing Sha will never truly consider us his own people..."

Vande sighed: "The lower city is mostly filled with demons who are just waiting to die, and their biggest worry is their own safety. Once the Divine Guard starts a direct confrontation, the demons will inevitably panic. What will happen after this chaos ends..."

"It was an internal strife within the Fifth Meridian Demons, instigated by someone with ulterior motives," Chu Hengkong replied. "A common trick."

"So you're really playing cards?" Ji Huaisu rolled his eyes.

“Very well, that’s the second problem.” Van Der pointed out the key point: “Entertainment is determined to play the tortoise and not fight, and there’s nothing we can do about it. Those with rules can simply ignore you. What reason do you have to make it fight?”

“Because if it doesn’t play cards with me, I’ll beat it to death regardless of the rules.” “The argument is a bit weak,” Mr. Gray commented.

"So what's the reason for this?" someone said. "It was going to be a duel anyway, but unfortunately the opponent turned out to be you."

The man was playing poker at the table with his back to everyone. He laid his hand out smoothly on the table: a flush of spades, 10, J, Q, K, A. The chips on the table automatically floated into his hand. It was a royal flush, the only hand in a five-card game that couldn't be beaten. Revealing this hand meant victory.

The man turned around and deliberately removed his top hat. He was dressed in a pure white tuxedo, his golden, tousled hair neatly styled, exuding gentlemanly charm.

"Good evening, everyone." A familiar smile appeared on that familiar face. "I am Burning Ambition, Arik Besen Kanin!"

The noisy bar fell silent in an instant. A chilling killing intent extinguished all sound, and Shadow Blade and God Slash crossed before Kanin's neck. Ji Huaisu donned her Blazing Armor, and Chu Hengkong's eyes turned blood red.

"So you've been resurrected, workshop master," Ji Huaisu said coldly.

Chu Hengkong narrowed his eyes: "It seems that the contractors' vitality is more tenacious than I imagined."

"What a warm opening! I never thought I'd be so popular." Kanin remained calm, lighting a cigarette through his longsword. "Do you two mind?"

“I don’t mind the actions of the dead,” Ji Huaisu said.

“You are very kind, Miss.” Kanin lit a cigarette with a flick of his finger. “May I ask your surnames? Although we get along very well and I have heard of your legendary stories, this is still our first meeting.”

"Playing dumb isn't like you at all!"

Ji Huaisu raised her shadow blade, taking it as a signal to begin the battle. Chu Hengkong, however, raised his hand to stop her. He carefully observed "Kanin," comparing her to the man in his memory. The person before him was taller, with slightly lighter blond hair. The style of her beautiful white dress was still the same, but the material seemed much more refined. But the difference wasn't just in appearance; it was something deeper…

Aura. He realized the key. This Kanin was too naive; he hadn't even used a double. The workshop master would never reveal himself so easily. The moment he appeared before him meant that all preparations were complete—the prelude to war.

“Arik F. Da. Besen,” Chu Hengkong said. “That’s the name you gave me earlier.”

“That’s the name of the last ambitious demon, the poor wretch to whom you tore a piece of flesh.” Kanin shook his finger. “But I am Arik Besen Kanin, a brand new face, a brand new me.”

It has taken on a new appearance, and therefore changed its name. The new ambitious demon is called Kanin.

Chu Hengkong lowered the Divine Slash, but did not sheath the blade: "Reason."

"The entertainment business is booming, but it's far too short-sighted. Its demise will create a temporary power vacuum in the lower city, perfect for me to grab a piece of the pie." Kanin took a satisfying drag on his cigarette. "Is that reason enough?"

"That's not enough. You still haven't said who you want to betray this time."

Kanin exhaled smoke and said, "I want to sit back and watch the two fight, and then be the fisherman. If you win, you can take over the entertainment territory; if the entertainment holds the ring this time, you can take back my fire."

“It’s still not enough,” Chu Hengkong said. “You’re asking for far too little; you’re far from being content.”

Kanin stubbed out his cigarette and burst into laughter.

"I want to discuss a big business deal with you." His eyes gleamed with childlike excitement. "This time, my helper doesn't want payment; he's bait to lure you in!"

Chu Hengkong sheathed the Divine Slash and nodded: "That's more like you."

"It was indeed a pleasant conversation with Detective Chu. I suppose we must have had a very good relationship in our past lives."

"I personally smashed you to ashes."

“That’s a life-or-death friendship.” Kanin jumped off the bar stool and walked to the table where everyone was drinking. “Let me introduce you to the underground city of the amusement park. This place is the second most notorious den of iniquity in the city-state of Thornsa, second only to the Upper House of Mansa Star Castle. The struggle between demons never ends. In the sea, this conflict is a bloodbath, but here it must be resolved with rules.”

He pointed to the noisy stage in the distance: "Entertainment has been clashing with another evil recently, and they will settle their differences tonight with an 'ultimate battle.' This game was naturally chosen by Entertainment; since it is more powerful, it will play by its own rules."

"An underground boxing match, huh? That seems quite fitting here." Vande glanced at him. "I wonder which mob boss is going against the entertainment industry?"

Kanin replied matter-of-factly, "Of course it's me."

"I knew it!"

"The duel is theoretically best two out of three, but in practice, it's whatever the entertainment calls it. The person who loses in a duel..." Kanin conjures a fighter card with a terrified boy on it, "...will turn into a card."

"Oh, what a classic scene!" Mr. Gray exclaimed. "Could the other side also possess a strange golden prosthetic eye that can see into people's hearts, and an evil soul inherited from the ancient past?!"

"Who knows? Anyway, their deck is really strong." Kanin put away his cards. "There are still ten minutes until the duel begins. Who should we send out for the first match?"

Speaking of the ultimate card battle, the best card skills belong to Guli Bo and Ji Huaisu. Guli Bo patted his chest and wanted to go on stage, but Ji Huaisu held him back.

“Card battles are very much about information advantage. Gulibo and I both use standard decks, so our opponents should know the effects of those decks,” Ji Huaisu said. “If we just put them in the game directly, we might get targeted.”

"I'll rely on my superb card skills here!"

"Your superb card skills are no match for a mere verbal sparring match," Ji Huaisu shook her head. "Besides, the opponent is a demon after all; it wouldn't be appropriate for Guli to play against him, so..."

"I'll play one game to test the waters first," Chu Hengkong said, standing up.

"Hey buddy, do you even know how to play cards?"

"We were just going to probe the bottom anyway, so it doesn't matter," Chu Hengkong said. "It's just a game."

(End of this chapter)