Chapter 6: The Big Bet
1294 Words
The Lex family ran a network of casinos, and Lex's father, Doron, had handed control of them over to Lex to train him in business. Two days ago, Leo promised to repay Lex and now, accompanied by Dillon, he arrived at one of Lex's casinos on the east side of the city.
"Master Leo, what a rare guest!" greeted a young man in his twenties as he approached with a wide grin. His name was Anliguli, the manager Lex had hired to run this casino. Seeing Leo walk in, Anliguli couldn’t help but beam. Every time this fool came, he left behind a fortune; sometimes his losses in just an hour would surpass days of the casino’s earnings. Lex and Anliguli had worked together to ensure Leo always left with empty pockets. Today seemed like another chance for that.
"Just here for some fun," Leo replied calmly.
"Haha, then I wish Master Leo the best of luck!" Anliguli laughed.
“Enough talk, show me to a table.” Leo snapped, clearly not in the mood for idle chatter.
“Of course, right this way.” Anliguli led Leo to a dice table. The rules were simple: three dice were rolled, and if the total was 10 or below, it was considered "small"; anything above was "big."
“The fool’s back again—looks like we’re in for a show.”
“Let’s place bets on how much he loses this time!”
Leo’s face remained impassive, accustomed to such comments. He signaled the dealer, “Let’s get started.”
Leo took his seat, with Dillon standing behind him, exuding an imposing presence. Leo felt like a true gambling master. The dealer shook the dice cup, setting it down with a smile. “Master Leo, big or small?”
Leo remained silent, focusing intently. This was his gift—to hear things others couldn’t. Everything around him faded away as he honed in on the dice, every sound amplified in his ears.
It was two, two, and three—six points, small. Leo smiled and tossed two 1000-gold coins into the “small” section.
Anliguli’s grin widened even more. Leo had just bet 1000 gold coins right off the bat, which was far more generous than usual. Anliguli quickly signaled to a staff member, planning to inform Lex. Today was their chance to make a hefty profit off this fool, especially now that Lex and Leo were no longer on good terms.
“Place your bets, Master Leo,” the dealer called again.
“Stop stalling and open it—afraid I can’t afford the loss?” Leo replied, annoyed.
“Alright, here we go!” The dealer revealed the dice: two, two, and three. Six points—small. He had won.
A murmur of surprise spread through the crowd. “This fool’s luck is something else; he just pocketed a thousand gold coins!”
Leo remained composed and signaled to continue. “This is just the beginning,” he said calmly.
“Bring the money to Master Leo!” Anliguli ordered, still smiling. Winning the first round didn’t matter to him; it was exactly what he wanted. Gamblers weren’t afraid of winning; they feared not playing. Anliguli knew that for Leo, the outcome was predictable. Winning was just part of the process; losing was inevitable.
The dealer began shaking the dice again, adding more tricks this time. But to Leo, it made no difference. He listened intently as the dice moved, and when they finally settled, he announced, “Small, 2000 gold!”
The crowd held their breath. This was a massive bet. The stakes had doubled, and fortunes would be decided in seconds.
“Alright, revealing the result!” The dealer opened the cup, and just as Leo predicted, it was one, three, and six. Small again.
“He’s done it again!”
“Double the winnings—four thousand gold!”
While the crowd marveled, Leo remained composed. “Keep going,” he instructed.
The dealer’s face tightened. The stakes were rising fast, and as a professional, he had to manage the gambler’s pace.
“Four thousand gold, small!” Leo declared confidently as the dice settled.
“He’s going all in again!”
“Is he just gambling on luck?” people whispered.
Leo turned to the crowd with a smirk. “Anyone want to join me and bet the same?”
“Bet with you?” Some were tempted. Leo seemed unusually lucky today—maybe it was worth the risk.
More and more people began placing their bets alongside Leo. The table was soon covered in gold coins, and the dealer wiped sweat from his brow. The stakes were now high; if Leo won again, the casino’s losses would be significant. Still, the dealer felt confident—he had shaken the dice randomly this time, even he had no clue what the result was.
The entire room fell silent as everyone focused on the dice cup.
“Two, three, five!”
“It’s small!”
“He won again!”
“Anliguli, it’s four thousand gold. Pay up!” Leo grinned at him.
Anliguli’s smile had faded. Just three rounds in, they had already lost seven thousand gold. And with the crowd following Leo’s lead, the losses were beyond manageable. He shot a glare at the dealer before forcing a smile. “Master Leo, of course, we pay our customers. This is the Lex casino, after all.”
He ordered the money to be brought to Leo, then added with a grin, “Since Master Leo is on such a hot streak, how about a bigger challenge?”
“Oh? Tell me more,” Leo said with a knowing smile.
“How about guessing the exact total?” Anliguli suggested.
The crowd gasped. Guessing the exact total was a much harder variant of dice games. Unlike betting on “big” or “small,” where there was a fifty-fifty chance, guessing the total had countless possibilities.
It was risky, but the payout was huge. The odds matched the total rolled—for example, a roll of nine would pay nine times the bet.
Anliguli watched Leo closely, nervous that he might walk away with his winnings. If Leo left now, the Lex casino would take a huge hit. He had to turn the tide. Anliguli was confident in his skills; he had been a dealer here for years. If Leo accepted, Anliguli was certain he could win it all back.
“What’s wrong, Master Leo? Afraid you can’t handle it?” Anliguli taunted.
“Afraid? Me? Don’t make me laugh!” Leo retorted. “Let’s play!”
Anliguli felt a wave of relief and grinned. “Haha, that’s the spirit, Master Leo! To show my sincerity, I’ll roll the dice myself this time!”
Meanwhile, Lex was on his way to the casino, talking to his men. “Did you hear? Two days ago, that fool said he’d come repay me today.”
“Let’s see what trick he’s trying to pull.”
“Ha!” Lex laughed. “Be ready. If he tries anything, we’ll deal with him.”
“Yeah, if he causes trouble, we’ll make him pay.”
Just then, a servant approached. “Master Lex, Anliguli reports that Leo has entered the casino. He asks for your presence.”
Lex paused before bursting into laughter. “He’s actually gambling? Does he think he can win money back from my casino?”
“He’s not here to win; he’s here to lose!” one of his men replied.
“Let’s go! I want to see how much the biggest fool in Kangduo City will lose this time!” Lex waved his hand, still laughing.
- Writer
