Dragon Clan: I am Lu Mingfei, the Intelligence Strategist, the God of Concepts!

Chapter 137 The Datura Flower Worth One Billion
Elysium, entrance, pachinko area.

"Give me a Coke, extra ice, please."

Lu Mingfei spoke to the waiter standing obediently beside him, dressed in a see-through JK uniform.

His eyes were glued to the dazzling machine in front of him.

This thing is called Pachinko, a popular gambling game in Japan, similar to slot machines in Las Vegas, and is commonly known as "climbing the vault" in China.

The specific gameplay involves inserting chips into the machine to exchange for corresponding small steel balls. Then, you control the rotating handle at the bottom of the machine to adjust the force of the steel balls being shot out. As the steel balls fall, they will continuously collide with the nails on the disc, thus changing their trajectory.

If you manage to land in the designated spot, you will receive a reward.

It sounds a bit troublesome, even a little monotonous and boring.

So the designers cleverly added various colored LED tubes for decoration, which were triggered continuously as the nails collided, and then exciting music played inside the machine and cool animations appeared on the screen to add to the excitement.

It eventually became a popular gambling game in Japan, enjoyed by people of all ages, and has remained popular since the 1930s.

Like the MARUHAN pachinko chain store in Shinjuku, Tokyo, where four or five hundred pachinko machines are playing simultaneously in one store, even a dog walking by on the street will have to glance inside.

That's right, the essence of this thing is its lively atmosphere.

Pachinko's voices would liven up the atmosphere of the casino, and the brothel had arranged for many girls in this area.

These girls, called pachinko girls, are all so beautiful they could grace a magazine cover. Some are young and innocent, wearing school uniform skirts and white stockings; others are alluring and seductive, wearing red-soled high heels and high-slit cheongsams; and still others have incredibly voluptuous figures, wearing see-through evening gowns that practically expose their breasts.

They would drink cola while laughing and stuffing marbles into the bowls, and they would also wink at the new customers. Like the pachinko machine, it was an 'appetizer'.

"Thank you."

Lu Mingfei accepted the iced cola served by the JK-clad waiter and thanked him again.

The girl knelt down beside him again, constantly helping him answer various questions, including but not limited to introductions to the different game areas in the casino and how to operate them. Of course, if Lu Mingfei wished, she could also answer a series of questions such as his 3D model, age, XP system, and where his hometown was.

Lu Mingfei sipped his cola, held the joystick, and nodded occasionally, appearing quite polite.

Although I didn't respond to the JK waiter's suggestive glances, at least I didn't choke him like I did outside. As long as he doesn't challenge our sexual orientation, we can still be good friends.

In just a few minutes, he had already wagered 200,000 yen.

In a normal pachinko parlor, the small steel balls are sold in sets of one yen each and four yen each, with 1,000 yen enough to exchange for 1,000 or 250 balls respectively. However, at Gokurakukan's pachinko machine, each ball costs a thousand times more than elsewhere.
When Lu Mingfei came in, he had changed two boxes; the entire box was already used up.

Almost every guest who enters the Paradise Pavilion has to ejaculate a few times.

This is considered a 'warm-up', something to try and win a prize.

But Lu Mingfei didn't have much success. Don't let the pachinko machine's simple appearance fool you; it's actually quite demanding to operate.

Those veterans will first choose machines with a higher win rate, and then at crucial moments they will hit the screen with a specific amount of force... In short, each school has its own unique martial arts techniques.

Lu Mingfei relied on the few skills he had seen in anime before; he was purely there for the experience.

Since we're already here, we've at least had a chance to experience it.

After firing the last bullet, Lu Mingfei got up, stretched, patted his bottom, and prepared to leave.

There's a saying that nine out of ten gamblers lose, but if it's machine gambling, the probability of losing can be increased by another 0.9%.

The odds of winning are always controlled by the computer backend. Unless you think you'll be made into a model of a 'lucky one' to attract outsiders, then go ahead and try your luck. But the truth is that the so-called 'lucky ones' are basically all insiders.

Lu Mingfei is here today as a tourist, not intending to cause any trouble, but if given the chance, he would definitely like to see the so-called 'wish'.

To earn enough in one night to attract the attention of the Pleasure House, one certainly cannot rely on the computer's mercy.

At this moment, Lu Mingfei noticed that the girl with X-ray vision who had just gotten him the Coke hesitated for a moment before quickly following him.

"Would you like a tip?"

Lu Mingfei recalled the plot of the movie and took out a chip worth 100,000 yen from his pocket.

JK quickly shook her head and explained that Lu Mingfei finally understood that they couldn't accept tips for regular services.

However, each guest at the pachinko parlor can choose one of the pachinko girls as their personal guide, and afterwards the casino will pay them a generous reward.

The idea behind "Perspective JK" is actually quite simple: Lu Mingfei shot two thousand pachinko rounds, and given his pleasingly clean-cut boy image and lack of greasy actions, he might be able to earn the money relatively easily.

Most of the girls in the pachinko area are hired by the brothel to play games with the customers; they are not forced to provide services.

"Oh, what's your name?"

"Mami." The girl with the see-through high school uniform smiled sweetly.

Lu Mingfei nodded and exchanged a few words, listening to a brief Japanese version of the story: "A Sick Mother, A Gambling Father, A School-Going Brother, and a Broken Woman."

The story is wonderful.
The only pity is that I just heard the exact same thing from the potato chip girl this afternoon.

All I can say is that Su Enxi is a professional in this area.

Led by Mami, Lu Mingfei slurped his cola and arrived at the other side of the Elysium.
This is the true stage of the Crimson Land.

Pai Gow, Texas Hold'em, Blackjack, and various other games are all gathered together, with money pouring in like a torrent and chips piling up like mountains on the gambling table.

The pacing of the pachinko machine had long since faded away.

Every minute and every second, you can hear all kinds of wails, screams, and roars. Countless wealthy people have lost everything in one or several rounds of gambling. What awaits them is not the relief of losing all their money, but the abyss of borrowing and gambling.

Every time Lu Mingfei took a step forward, women, some aloof and alluring, others young and innocent, would deliberately linger in front of him, their delicate skin brushing against his arm unintentionally before pausing to exhale a sweet apology.

They walk through the casino with wine glasses in their hands. When gamblers get excited, they can even hug and kiss them. Not only will they not refuse, but they will also smile and fall into your arms, letting you take what you want.

If the gamblers get carried away and want to take her along, or if they want to go upstairs for a bite to eat, she will readily agree.

Compared to these glamorous and cheap women, Mami is as pure as a little chef.

Every few minutes, or every ten minutes or so, a gambler who had lost everything would be dragged away in tears by bodyguards dressed in black, eliciting sharp bursts of laughter from the crowd.

Lu Mingfei kept the panel open at all times.
Those pitiful wretches, weeping and wailing, all displayed various impressive tags on Lu Mingfei's panel. But with all his assets mortgaged to zero, even the most glamorous big shots on the outside were nothing more than stray dogs on the roadside.

He was not swayed by the enthusiastic atmosphere.

Conversely, watching the panel fluctuate repeatedly due to the [Wealth Index], Lu Mingfei's emotions suddenly turned cold, and his thoughts drifted away. He recalled the carvings on the bronze gate—

The Hell Transformation Diagram.

The great Tang Dynasty painter did not depict the horrors of hell, but rather the terrified expressions of those going to hell, their faces twisted and hideous. Hence the name "Hell Transformation." The people of Chang'an who saw this painting were greatly shocked, and everyone began to reflect on their sins. Even butchers stopped killing fish and cattle.

He was surprised to see ukiyo-e prints on the casino doors that encouraged people to pray.

It seems there's no need to draw hell anymore; the place I'm standing in is already hell.

"How much money did you need to win a 'wish' here in the past?" Lu Mingfei asked Mami calmly.

"This... I don't know, I've only been working here for a short time." Mami said hesitantly, clutching the hem of her gossamer-thin skirt. Lu Mingfei was speechless; she was acting so convincingly.

I can't be bothered with her.

Lu Mingfei looked up and scanned the ceiling. Apart from the dense array of cameras, there were no clocks, which was in line with casino practices.

However, he had brought a watch, and it was still early, with an hour and a half until the agreed-upon 3 o'clock.

Potato Chip Girl was undoubtedly one of the most professional people he had ever met, and the teammates she mentioned must also be very professional, at least in terms of 'backing them up'... that's what she guaranteed.

I already have a plan in mind.

"Walk."

Lu Mingfei raised his chin and poked the direction of the blackjack game.

Mami quickly followed.

Blackjack, also known as 21, originated in 17th-century France. It is played by 2-6 people using 52 cards (excluding jokers). The goal of the game is to maximize the total points of the cards in the player's hand, but not exceeding 21.

It's a classic game. In the Paradise Club, there are several blackjack tables in the middle, with even more classic odd/even tables next to them.

Lu Mingfei found a seat and sat down.

By the way, I told Mami to finish her job as a waitress. Since she didn't know anything, she could only serve tea and water.

Tempura, sushi, yakitori...

Lu Mingfei ate the free food and drank various beverages at the Paradise Pavilion, observing the situation at the gambling tables and even the entire Paradise Pavilion.

The average game of Blackjack at the Paradise Club lasts about 3-5 minutes and uses American rules. It is very popular, and each game can be filled with six people. The stakes are usually around ten million. The stakes are not high, but it is very exciting.

After several rounds, the chips were pushed out and then put back in. Some people excitedly slapped the edge of the table with red eyes, while many others cursed under their breath, took back the chips they had lost, and turned to leave.

Lu Mingfei, on the other hand, sat there eating and drinking as if no one was around, and after finishing one batch, he would ask Mami to bring over some more.

The casino fell silent for a moment until the eighteenth minute.

A black 'datura' has finally bloomed in the Texas Hold'em venue next door.

The largest area of ​​the Paradise Club is Texas Hold'em, where most of the people who have lost everything also appear. Due to the special game mechanism, it is easy for the stakes to exceed 100 million in a single game.

She was a woman in a black suit, whose beauty far surpassed that of the croupiers and waitresses who exposed their bodies, yet she deliberately dressed conservatively.

The woman knelt on the ground, her beautiful face smiling, and invited the winner of the final round where the betting was extremely high to the VIP room on the second floor.

Lu Mingfei understood that the appearance of this woman meant that his 'wish' was about to come true.

He glanced at the chips on the Texas Hold'em table; there were nearly 1.2 billion.

He also noted down the woman's information.

[Name: Sakurai Kogure], [Age: 21/24]... [Bloodline: A-rank (Unstable)], [Tags: Paradise Mansion Manager, Ryoma the Demon King, Demon...]

Sakurai Kogure's appearance did not prevent Lu Mingfei from continuing to sit down.
This woman's combat strength and bloodline were not strong—at least in Lu Mingfei's eyes. Although her status was not low, the results brought back by the Word Spirit Bloodline Jieluo told him that there was a more powerful being hidden deep within the Paradise Pavilion.

He was still eating, and asked Mami to get some more expensive ingredients instead.

Caviar with matsutake mushrooms, red king crab, bluefin tuna... He only shot a few pachinko shots tonight, and he's already almost gotten his money's worth from all that food.

During this time, Mami's exquisitely made-up face became increasingly red, and her body also began to feel hot. She went back and forth to the food table again and again, as if it was more shameful for her than being naked in public.

But she was helpless; after all, it was the path she had chosen, and it was too late to get off now.

In the 42nd minute, Sakurai Kogure reappeared.

The location was actually in the pachinko area, which was quite far away.

Someone won the grand prize—one billion yen—from the mouth of a behemoth known as the 'King of the Swamp'.

As he passed by, Lu Mingfei glanced at the various information on the lucky person's panel.

Ok.

It's definitely a shill.

Lu Mingfei continued to act as an 'observer'. There weren't many people in the casino who ate and drank like him, but there were quite a few who never played.

This type of gambler doesn't place bets easily; they spend a lot of time observing, calculating, searching, and summarizing all the factors that might appear at a gambling table.

Whether it's the direction of the game, the dealer's shuffling habits, or the inherent patterns and loopholes in the game itself.

For example, half a century ago, the desert gambling city of Las Vegas produced a mathematical genius named Edward Thorpe, who also sat at the blackjack table and used a set of card counting theories unknown to anyone to calculate the 'score' and ensure his winning rate.

It sounds mysterious, but it is regarded as a golden rule by many people.

However, the business of the Paradise Pavilion is not for everyone, and the 'observers' usually do not observe for long.

Such a lavish feast, wasting so much time on vague and illusory rules, naturally seems somewhat foolish.

In the 58th minute, Sakurai Kogure appeared for the third time tonight.

The location remains Texas, where someone has accumulated 10.5 billion yen in winnings within half an hour.

One billion, one billion, ten and a half billion.

This is the end.

Lu Mingfei had a general idea of ​​the price of the so-called 'wish'.

The top creditor arrived with 300 million yen in principal, apparently intending to make a wish. Is he planning to deal with a lawyer with a sense of justice? Or will he simply eliminate the debt collectors altogether?

However, none of this concerns him.

Lu Mingfei glanced at his watch; there was only half an hour left before the reinforcements arrived.

He waved again, summoning Mami, who was on the verge of collapse.

“Wet wipes,” Lu Mingfei said.

"Ah...oh!"

Mami finally breathed a sigh of relief, quickly bowed, and ran to fetch a lightly scented white towel.

Lu Mingfei carefully wiped the grease from his fingers and the corners of his mouth, then slowly stood up.

Heading to the blackjack table.

Let the battle begin.

(End of this chapter)