"Let's start with a pouch… no, two pouches of high-grade spirit stones," Matthew said with a smile.
"You—are you out of your mind?!"
"Young Master Tian, my abilities aren't free. If you're looking for soone cheaper, feel free to leave."
"You—" He knew he had offended Matthew last ti, but why was the man being so vindictive? "Do you really think I can't find soone else to help ?"
Matthew said nothing.
Seeing this, Rick gritted his teeth. The truth was, he had been waiting to see Ghost again. He'd hired a few people over the past few days, but none of them were able to help. Instead, they made him lose even more money.
"Fine. Two pouches of high-grade stones, then," Rick said. He thought of the money he had already burned and the friends who snickered behind his back. He couldn't take more losses.
Matthew's eyes narrowed behind the mask. He lifted his hand, palm up. "Down paynt."
"Down… down paynt?" Rick echoed.
Matthew said nothing. He left the hand out, waiting.
"Fine. I'll pay half now. You help win and I give you the rest."
"That's not right," Matthew said, amusent clear in his voice.
"What do you an?"
"You should pay whether you win or lose. That is only just."
"You—what are you talking about? Don't you trust the Tian Family?"
Matthew smiled. "I trust the Tian Family, of course. I just don't trust you."
"You—"
"It's either that or the deal's off."
"Hmph!" Rick glared at him, then sighed. "Fine. Follow ."
Rick got up but paused when he heard Matthew say,
"My friend will be paying for my drink," Matthew said as he turned toward Rick. "Isn't that right… my good friend?"
Rick clenched his teeth. A part of him really disliked this Ghost. Sadly, he didn't have any other choice.
"Fine," he signaled one of his people to take care of the bill, then gestured for Ghost to follow him.
The two left the bar and went straight into the betting stalls for rock betting—or so Matthew thought.
What surprised him was the fact that Rick Tian took him to an elevator he didn't know existed in his past life. He frowned as the elevator started moving down.
However, Matthew chose not to ask questions.
"I'm sure you're familiar with this place," Rick said as the doors opened. "The betting hall runs on one rule: pay to crack a raw stone. If the cutter finds a spirit gem inside, the buyer keeps the gem and the table pays double the stake. If the stone is empty, the table keeps the stake. Cash and loose diamonds are the only chips that matter. It's that simple."
"Simple indeed," Matthew said as Rick marched up to a table where a fist-sized gray slab sat under a lamp. Two players in silver masks leaned back, watching him.
"Back again, Young Master Tian?" one asked. "Yesterday's lesson wasn't enough?"
"I heard he's been losing all week," soone whispered.
"I thought he won't be here today," another said.
Hearing this, Rick snorted before dropping a roll of bills. "Ten thousand to crack that stone."
The dealer counted the money, then looked at the silver masks. "Anyone cover?"
"I'll cover." The first mask slid a velvet pouch of diamonds across the felt. "Sa amount."
Matthew stayed behind Rick, arms folded. The man never learned, he thought. How could Rick let these people provoke him? Was he an idiot?
However, Matthew chose not to pay attention to the stones. He knew it would be empty, anyway. Instead, he studied the room. His hunch was right this ti.
Every table, every attendant, every player carried the sa faint pressure in their chest—a Nexian core. A thin veil of power wrapped each one, just enough to hide them from normal eyes.
He looked at Rick. The sa veil clung to him, pulsing in ti with his heartbeat.
Interesting, he thought.
This was a completely different world from the one he knew.
Matthew watched as the dealer placed the slab in the cutter and brought the blade down. The stone split clean. No color, no glow—just dead rock. It was just as Matthew expected. The dealer scooped Rick's cash and the diamonds into the house box. A few onlookers snickered.
Rick's neck reddened. He pulled out fifty thousand more. "Next stone. Sa table."
This ti, he glanced at Matthew. On their way into this betting station, Rick had already handed Matthew a small pouch—it was the down paynt for his services. So, he expected Matthew to imdiately help him.
To his surprise, however, Matthew only held his palm. "Stone first."
"Yo, did Young Master Tian hired another scamr?" soone from the back laughed.
Luckily, Rick ignored the man, as he was too busy glaring at Matthew. Did this man think he wouldn't pay him?! Again, he let out a snort before digging a clear high-grade crystal pouch from his coat and handing it over.
Matthew slipped it away, smiling. Then he whispered, "Since Young Master Tian is so sincere, then… let help you this ti," and quickly made a signal.
Rick nodded in response just as the dealer set up a new slab, darker and heavier this ti. Rick pushed a hundred-thousand stack forward. The sa silver mask matched it with diamond chips.
The blade fell. A thin green line flashed through the cut face—jade crystal! Gasps imdiately rose. The dealer lifted the glowing shard for the tally and pushed two hundred thousand in house chips and the gem toward Rick.
Rick exhaled, shoulders loosening. He turned to Matthew. Just as he expected, he was right to hire Ghost! Matthew only shook his head. One gem wouldn't break the habit. Rick was already reaching for another slab.
Rick pushed away from the first win, eager for another. Three fresh ore slabs were carried over by a masked attendant and set in a neat row. Each looked the sa to anyone without sight for spirit flow: dull gray skin, rough edges, faint veins.
"Young Master Tian… it seems that this is your lucky night. You actually won! How magnificent," a condescending voice interrupted Rick.
He turned and found a man in a green mask. "Viper…" he hissed.
"I'm surprised that the great young master rembers this lowly one."
"How dare you show your face in front of ? Didn't I tell you—"
"Young Master Tian, I don't rember you owning this place," the guy nad Viper said.
"You—"
"However, I am not interested in you. Rather…" Viper suddenly turned toward Matthew. "The newcor."
Matthew frowned behind his mask. As soone who had been friends with Rick in his past life, he knew exactly who this guy was. However, he never thought that he would be a Nexian, too.
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