I run a casino in the immortal realm.

The first thing Zhao Wenyuan does every night after closing up shop is to do the accounting.

It's not like the old-fashioned accounts of restaurants, where you had to record how much rice you bought and how many bowls of porridge you sold. Tianyuan Casino's accounts are ten times more complex than those of restaurants—the dealer's fee, venue commission, second-floor private room fees, and food and beverages—each item has to be accounted for separately.

The numbers for the first day weren't good.

The dealer took a cut of 420 spirit stones, sold drinks and food for 160, and collected 300 from membership top-ups. The total income was 880. However, after deducting the dealers' salaries, the cost of the spirit lamp array, the cost of spirit tea and snacks, the wear and tear on cleaning talismans, plus the dividends to the Su family and the sect's taxes, they ended up losing 90.

Zhao Wenyuan didn't panic. It's normal not to make money in the first three days after opening; when the restaurant opened, he lost money for a whole month before breaking even.

The next day, the number of people tripled.

The number of banker seats was insufficient to meet demand, and the twelve gambling tables were full from 7 AM to 9 PM, with the banker changing hands four times in between.

The roulette table was the most outrageous; it was always occupied from opening to closing. One owner of a spirit material shop sat there for six hours straight, losing over two hundred spirit stones. Before leaving, he grinned and said, "Let's continue tomorrow."

Net profit for the second day: 800 spirit stones.

The third day, 1500.

Zhao Wenyuan's hand trembled slightly when he wrote the number down in the ledger.

He earned 1,500 spirit stones, while his restaurant only made 300 to 400 a month.

He used a teleportation device overnight to send three days' worth of business data to Zheng Yifei. The numbers were listed clearly, with every item of income and every expense, along with a note: "Roulette and Baccarat are the most popular games. The banker's seat is already booked for three days in advance. It is recommended to add more gaming tables."

Qingyun Sect, Inspectorate.

Zheng Yifei smiled slightly after reading the news.

He lost money on the first day, made 800 on the second day, and 1500 on the third day. The curve was correct, and the growth rate was even faster than he had predicted.

The purchasing power of the 300,000 residents of Sujiafang City is more than enough to support a gambling den.

He wrote back: "Well done. Pay attention to two things—first, keep a close eye on security. The more popular the gambling den becomes, the more people will be envious. Double Zhang Biao's patrol frequency."

Second, don't leave all the cash flow at the counter. After settling accounts each day, deposit 70% into Su's Money Shop, and keep only 30% for working capital. I'll go check on it when I have time.

He sent the message, put the talisman away, and continued reviewing the tax reports in front of him.

He doesn't need to worry about the gambling den for now.

Zhao Wenyuan and Zhang Biao, one in charge of money and the other in charge of personnel, worked together even better than he had expected.

But the other people in Sujiafang City were not so calm.

Green Snake Gang, Headquarters.

Sun Hu, the second-in-command, slammed a bowl of cold tea on the table.

"Damn it, I lost money again."

The Green Snake Gang's "Snake Cave Gambling House" had been open for eight years and was the second largest gambling house in Sujiafang City. At its peak, it had a daily turnover of three thousand spirit stones and lived a very comfortable life.

On the second day of Tianyuan Casino's opening, Snake Cave Casino saw a 20% drop in customers, but Sun Hu didn't take it seriously, thinking it was just a novelty.

On the third day, it decreased by 40%.

Day 4

Only thirty-seven people came in today.

The accountant read out the numbers with trembling hands: "The eleven people who sat down to gamble had a turnover of six hundred dollars. After deducting the cost and the return of the gambling fees, the net loss was one hundred and twenty dollars."

Sun Hu's temples throbbed.

"Did they all go to Tianyuan?"

"I've gone."

The accountant swallowed hard: "I heard they don't take a cut over there, and the gambling equipment is made by the Qingyun Sect's Weapon Peak—transparent dice, and the cards can even block divine sense. It's very fair—"

"fair?"

Sun Hu slammed his hand on the table: "How can a gambling den make money if it doesn't take a cut? Is Zhao Wenyuan here to do charity?"

"They take 5% from the house, not from the gamblers."

Sun Hu paused for a moment, then his mind went blank.

If they don't take a cut from the gamblers, but instead take a cut from the house, who would want to be the house?

The accountant seemed to sense his confusion: "Boss, the people who are the banker are outsiders who volunteer to be the banker. Being the banker has its advantages, with a winning probability of about 60%. Even after deducting the commission, they still make a profit, so they line up to grab the banker position."

Sun Hu opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He had been in the gambling business for eight years and this was the first time he had ever heard of this kind of game.

The gambling den doesn't act as the banker; it lets others act as the banker and only collects a venue fee.

Isn't this just about shifting the risk and guaranteeing a profit regardless of drought or flood?

Sun Hu sat in the chair, staring at the ceiling for a long time.

He suddenly realized that the money he had earned over the past eight years had been earned very foolishly.

The same dialogue was repeated in the main halls of both the Dragon Tiger Hall and the Wantong Club.

The wording may differ, but the core message is the same: the customers have run away, the money is gone, and if things continue like this, the gambling den will have to close down.

On the fifth day, the situation became even more serious.

A long queue formed outside Tianyuan Casino, stretching from the main street all the way to the corner.

Zhao Wenyuan had to temporarily set up two more gambling tables and borrow four chairs from the restaurant as a makeshift solution.

Zhang Biao and six of his men were maintaining order at the entrance, their voices hoarse from shouting.

On the same day, only nineteen people came to the Snake Cave Casino, twelve of whom were there because they owed the casino money and dared not not come.

The "Golden Dragon Casino" of Dragon Tiger Hall was even worse off, with a daily turnover of less than two hundred spirit stones, not even enough to pay the croupiers' wages.

The Wan Tong Hui gambling den was shut down for half a day. The boss went to Tian Yuan gambling den and spent two hours there, copying down the layout of their gambling tables, the specifications of their gambling equipment, and the dealers' procedures. He then went back and modified the place overnight.

The result of the renovation—

The gamblers weren't buying it.

The Wan Tong Hui gambling den abolished the commission for gamblers and replaced the dealer with an outsider.

But the gamblers came in, took a quick look around, and then left.

The reason is simple: you've cheated before.

Three years ago, a major incident occurred at the "Tongbao Gambling House" of the Wantong Association—a rogue gambler discovered that the dice had been filled with lead, caused a scene at the Su family, and eventually settled the matter by paying two thousand spirit stones. This incident circulated in the gambling circles of the Su family market for three years, and the veteran gamblers remembered it clearly.

Now you say you're being fair?

Who believes?

Previously, there was nowhere to gamble because all the casinos were the same; now that there are better places, there's no need to go there.

The gambling equipment at Tianyuan Gambling House is made by the Qingyun Sect's Weapon Peak, and a sign promising a tenfold compensation for any counterfeit items hangs at the entrance. What guarantees do you, Wantong, offer? Your old, lead-filled dice?

Reputation takes ten years to build up, but only one time to destroy.

-

Day .

Zhong Dazhuang, the new leader of the Iron Fist Sect, Sun Hu, the second-in-command of the Green Snake Gang, Ma Yuanlong, the leader of the Dragon Tiger Hall, and Wu Youcai, the president of the Wantong Association, got together and drank alone in the backyard of the Iron Fist Sect.

"This can't go on any longer."

Ma Yuanlong put down his wine bowl, his tone somber.

He was the most anxious of the four—Golden Dragon Casino was the main source of income for Dragon Tiger Hall, accounting for 70% of its revenue. If the casino collapsed, the more than one hundred brothers of Dragon Tiger Hall would starve.

"Zhao Wenyuan used to own a restaurant."

Zhong Dazhuang sneered, "Where did he get the ability to set up this kind of gambling den? There must be someone behind him."

Sun Hu chimed in, "I've inquired. Zhao Wenyuan is backed by a guy named Zheng Yifei, a seventeen-year-old kid from Heishanfang City."

"Black Mountain Market?"

Ma Yuanlong frowned: "That kind of poor place?"

"Whether they're poor or not, I don't know, but the Su family has invested in this gambling den."

The four of them fell silent for a moment.

The words "Su family invests" carry significant weight. However, it's not an insurmountable obstacle. The Su family has numerous businesses in the market, and investing doesn't guarantee their full protection.

"The Su family only receives 25% of the profits."

Wu Youcai rubbed his hands together: "It's not like it's the Su family's own property. If the four of us join forces, we'll go to the Su family head and drive Tianyuan out. The Su family doesn't need to offend the four of us for a 25% share of the profits."

The four people looked at each other and all agreed that it made sense.

That afternoon, the four of them went to Su Heming's house together to request an audience.

The main hall of the Su family.

Su Heming sat in the main seat, drinking tea, and listened to the four people explain their purpose.

Ma Yuanlong took the lead, saying that Tianyuan Gambling House was disrupting market order and engaging in unfair competition, and demanded that the Su family intervene to mediate.

Sun Hu added that the four gambling dens were established businesses in Sujiafang Market, and the rent and tribute they paid to the Su family each year totaled tens of thousands of spirit stones. They couldn't let an outsider squeeze them all out of business.

Wu Youcai was the most direct: "Patriarch Su, we don't want to drive Tianyuan Gambling House away. We just want fair competition. Tianyuan Gambling House doesn't take a cut. This is maliciously undercutting prices and breaking the rules."

Zhong Dazhuang didn't speak. His Datong Gambling House was taken over by the Su family and given to Tianyuan. Now he opened a small gambling house. It wouldn't look good for him to stand here, but when it comes to profit, face is worthless.

After listening, Su Heming put down his teacup.

"Do you know who the owner of Tianyuan Casino is?"

The four people looked at each other.

"His name is Zheng Yifei."

Sun Hu answered quickly, "From Heishan Market—"

"He has another identity."

Su Heming interrupted him, speaking in a calm and unhurried tone.

"The Chief Inspector of the Tax Office of the Qingyun Sect was personally appointed by Jin Zhengyuan, the Master of the Golden Core Hall. He has ten Foundation Establishment cultivators under his command and is responsible for supervising the taxation of all merchants within a radius of five thousand miles of the sect."

The main hall was so quiet that you could hear the hum of the spirit lamp.

The wine bowl that Ma Yuanlong was holding was suspended in mid-air, neither brought to his lips nor put down.

Sun Hu's face changed layer by layer, from red to white, and from white to green.

Wu Youcai withdrew his hand from the table and put it into his sleeve.

Zhong Dazhuang lowered his head.

The Chief Inspector of the Tax Bureau, a high-ranking official in the Qingyun Group, is someone they can't afford to offend.