Chapter 51
"Take another look, I'll give you a chance to prove you're not an artificial idiot system," Qin Zhao said.
502 was unwilling to accept this and replied, "Why say that about someone? Today I will prove the name of future technology!"
In the next fifteen rounds, Qin Zhao could play only one or two tiles at most each round, and would certainly draw a tile that someone else needed.
Most of the time, amidst the other three people's pung and kong, she couldn't play a single tile, let alone draw a tile she needed from someone else.
In just an hour and a half, she lost 100 million chips!
"Did 502 see anything?" Qin Zhao asked. "If you still don't understand, I'll lose all my money."
502 anxiously said, "No, I understand! Is it, is it that... uh, what was it again?"
Qin Zhao: "..."
After accepting that the system was an artificial idiot, Qin Zhao slowly explained, "These three people are working together. At first they put on a show, trying to mislead me into thinking they didn't get along.
They wanted me to lower my guard.
Then they cooperated with each other, playing the tiles the others needed.
The secret signals they used were made with their fingers.
The five fingers on the left hand represented the Wan, Tong, Tiao, Wind, and Dragon suits.
The right hand pointed to the position of the mahjong tile to indicate which Wan, Tong, etc. they wanted.
Working together to target the other person, they firmly grasped victory in their hands.
But unfortunately for them, they met me today."
502 timidly said, "But host, you've already lost 100 million...
Qin Zhao scolded, "Shut up and keep reading."
502 - weak, pitiful, and cowardly.
Accepting the 120 million chips passed over by Qin Zhao, Sister Lan laughed and said, "Miss Gao, you didn't have much luck today. Why not stop playing? If you keep going, you'll lose everything."
Of course this wasn't what she really thought. She was afraid Qin Zhao would leave.
So she said this to provoke Qin Zhao a bit.
Qin Zhao deliberately quickened her breathing, putting on the appearance of someone who was anxious from losing badly.
When people are under intense stress and stimulation, their heart rates speed up abnormally, causing rapid breathing.
With heart problems, they could die on the spot.
Qin Zhao said in a trembling voice, "You're right, I didn't expect I'd have such bad luck."
Wu Yong, Li Kun, and Sister Lan held their breath, clenching their fists under the table, afraid to hear Qin Zhao say she wouldn't play anymore.
Until Qin Zhao's voice came: "But I want to try one more time. I don't believe I could lose everything in one round!"
Wu Yong hurriedly asked, "What do you mean?!"
Qin Zhao closed her eyes for a moment, her eyelashes fluttering lightly, and said, "I want to raise the ante to 2 million."
Hearing this, the three took a deep breath and asked in unison, "Are you serious?!"
Qin Zhao nodded. "I finally understand why people fear aging unto death, yet still want to jump off a cliff when they see one.
A fear that can be resolved all at once is no longer fear, but a kind of ultimate experience.
Raising the stake has the same effect on me right now."
They looked at each other for a few moments.
After a while, Li Kun replied, "Alright, we'll accompany you in experiencing this so-called ultimate thrill!"
The corner of Qin Zhao's mouth curved up imperceptibly.
In the previous rounds, she had figured out all their tricks and could guess what tiles they had in their hands. They wanted to win Qin Zhao's money. Without getting a self-drawn win, they would only take her discards.
So most of the initiative was in Qin Zhao's hands.
Round 18, deal.
After getting their tiles, they began communicating.
Sister Lan: Two Wan, Four Tong, Nine Tiao, Red Zhong, come quickly!
Wu Yong: I need Five Tiao, Seven Tiao, Seven Wan, Fa Cai.
Li Kun: Give me West Wind, One Wan, Two Wan, Five Wan, Eight Wan.
It seemed none of them had very good hands, though Wu Yong's was a little better.
So Sister Lan and Li Kun would likely choose to sacrifice themselves and focus on supporting Wu Yong in winning.
But Qin Zhao soon realized she had guessed wrong!
Because they didn't play the tiles that someone needed, even though they clearly had them!
This meant all three of them wanted to win themselves. The reason...
Qin Zhao glanced at the chips.
What else could it be?
For profit, they could ally, and they could also betray for profit!
Raising the stake was truly a masterstroke!
Qin Zhao discarded: "Four Wan."
Sister Lan: "Six Tiao."
Li Kun: "East Wind."
Wu Yong: "One Tong."
...
After three rounds, Sister Lan was the first to sense something wrong. She looked at Li Kun questioningly.
Li Kun ignored her and glanced at Wu Yong.
After some fruitless communication, all their expressions turned extremely ugly.
Qin Zhao suddenly spoke up: "You're exchanging meaningful looks, trying to express something. Why not just say it openly?"
Li Kun smiled and said, "I've been looking at things too long, my eyes are uncomfortable."
Sister Lan: "I'm old, staying up all night makes my eyes dry."
Wu Yong added, "I'm nearsighted. I have to squint to see clearly."
"Hehehe..." Qin Zhao laughed out loud. "Actually I saw your communication before. People come to casinos just for fun.
Losing some money is nothing. If you're awkward and coy about it, I'll enjoy it more."
A look of shock flashed across Sister Lan's face. A sense of unease arose in her heart. She smiled and said, "What are you talking about? I don't understand.
I'm not familiar with them, and they have a deep hatred between them. How could we communicate like you said?"
Qin Zhao looked at them coldly, sending chills down their spines!
She pushed the mahjong tiles toward the table and said, "If you can't understand, you should at least be able to see!"
Sister Lan had the quickest eyes. Seeing the tile arrangement, her eyes rolled back and she nearly fainted!
"Big Four Winds!" Wu Yong cried out!
Li Kun also got up urgently to look, then collapsed back into his chair!
"88 points, 170 million each!" Qin Zhao declared. "Pay up!"
Hearing this, the three howled, knelt, and begged, going through the motions fluidly, as if they had practiced it thousands of times.
502, at death's door, jolted up in shock. The previous disappointment and despair instantly vanished!
Li Kun crawled to Qin Zhao's legs and kowtowed until his head bled, staining the floor red. "Miss Gao, I don't have that much money. Please be merciful and take less!"
Sister Lan quickly followed his lead, crying, "Miss Gao, I still have a husband and seven-year-old son to support at home. Please don't take so much, I can't pay that much!"
Wu Yong likewise howled, "Miss Gao, you just came to play, right? You can't use so much money yourself, so spare us this time!"
Qin Zhao: "..."
It gave her a headache that they could spew such shameless words.
She raised her hand to summon the staff in black vests.
The staff member came over and asked, "Miss, what do you need?"
Qin Zhao pointed at the table. "I won a round of mahjong with a 2 million base. They each need to pay 170 million. But they don't have that much money. Does the casino have a solution?"
The staff member smiled. "For guests who owe money, the casino has two rules that can be considered."
"Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!"
Li Kun howled loudly, seemingly trying to deafen Qin Zhao so she couldn't hear the staff member clearly.
Qin Zhao moved slightly closer to the staff member, who continued unperturbed, "First, they can sign an IOU in front of the casino manager and repay it within a week.
Second, chop off the body part specified by the creditor.
Which one is used is entirely up to the creditor to decide."
Just after the staff member finished speaking, Wu Yong shouted, "We'll repay all the money within a week! We agree to repay!"
Sister Lan and Li Kun immediately echoed, "Yes, yes! We choose to repay the money. Miss Gao, let us repay!"
Though they spoke of repaying, where would they get so much money? They actually wanted to run away during this time.
Qin Zhao rubbed her ears which had endured tremendous stress and said, "Are you the creditors, or am I the creditor?"
The three huddled together, taking warmth from each other, just like when they worked together to defraud others.
"Spare us, spare us..."
Tears and snot streamed down their faces as they continuously begged for mercy.
Qin Zhao pointed at Li Kun's legs and hands, and Sister Lan and Wu Yong's hands. She said to the staff member, "Chop them all off."
The staff member respectfully nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
He waved at a burly man who drew a butcher's knife from behind the counter and walked over carrying it.
Seeing this, Li Kun, Wu Yong, and Sister Lan fainted, lost control of their bladders, and went insane, reacting as extremely as they could.
Qin Zhao had no interest in watching the public execution. He turned around, took all the chips from the three people on the table, and swiftly walked out of the fifth carriage.
Soon, piercing screams like those of pigs being slaughtered echoed from behind...