Eldritch Horror Theatre

It actually worked!

Watching Ross hand over the phone, Yuan Shan gained a profound new appreciation for Fu Qian’s commitment to his persona.

Outwardly, of course, she didn’t bat an eye. She simply met Fu Qian’s gaze and gestured for him to take the call.

After all, according to their introductions just moments ago, she was the employer.

Since he was fully committed to playing the ruthless outlaw to the bitter end, she might as well play along.

Fu Qian’s acting was, naturally, flawless. After exchanging that perfectly timed look, he took the device.

”You know how gamblers are.”

Having switched sides in the blink of an eye, Ross looked slightly embarrassed by the situation. He scratched his head and offered an excuse.

”Compulsive liars. Morally bankrupt.”

”It’s fine.”Yuan Shan rested her chin on her hand, studying Fu Qian as he took the call.

”It’s not just gamblers who are like that.”

...

”Mister Xun?”

Beside her, Fu Qian naturally heard Yuan Shan taking a jab at him, but he wasn’t about to stoop to her level.

A highly magnetic voice drifted through the phone.

The cadence was unhurried. Surprisingly, the man didn’t seem terribly bothered by Fu Qian’s violent method of tracking him down.

”It’s a pleasure to see young people like you turning up in the Sacred Night Capital. The only thing that could have made me happier would be seeing you two days earlier.”

The mysterious Midas’s praise sounded surprisingly sincere.

”It’s not entirely convenient for me right now, so forgive this presumptuous method of communication. First, could you tell me why you’re looking for me?”

”Simple. I regretted not arriving earlier, and I wanted to make up for it.”

Having listened intently to the man’s opening, Fu Qian felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

”There is clearly something exciting brewing in the Sacred Night Capital, and I wanted to know if there’s any chance to get in on the action.”

”What makes you say that? Because of what Ross did?”

The voice on the other end hesitated. Ross had clearly told him about the discovery of the slip of paper.

”That’s only part of it. Mainly, it’s about what you’ve been doing.”

Fu Qian didn’t shy away from what sounded like a test.

”I’ve been wondering about something. If Ross really is part of your crew, and what he did was genuine, then what was the point of your previous actions?”

”If someone has designs on the casino—whether to rob it or steal from it—it only makes sense for the participants to keep as low a profile as possible.”

”And yet, not only have you constantly shown your face in public, but you’ve repeatedly staged legendary stunts. You’ve practically turned yourself into a thorn in the casino’s side.”

”That does sound contradictory, but shouldn’t that have convinced you that Ross and I aren’t connected?”

Midas remained noncommittal.

”On the surface, yes. But I noticed one detail. Even though they’re all gamblers mingling around here, Ross is distinctly different from people like Moglin.”

Fu Qian glanced over at Ross, who had already gone back to gambling.

”Indeed...”

”Starting from that observation, I had a thought. Could that be the actual purpose behind your earlier actions?”

”During this whole period, did you do more than just distribute the strokes of good luck that people are gossiping about? Were Moglin and the others actually just candidates who failed the cut?”

...

A long silence stretched across the line.

Fu Qian remained perfectly patient, however. He knew the man hadn’t hung up.

”It really makes one sigh. I suppose I should have slacked off a little.”

As expected, the man’s lament finally rang out over the line.

”Mister Xun, both you and your companion are simply far too outstanding.”

”You flatter me. But I’m guessing there’s a ’however’ coming next?”

”Exactly... However, it’s a pity, but our team has already been finalized. It cannot be changed.”

After a brief hesitation, Midas delivered exactly the pivot Fu Qian had predicted.

”I am incredibly sorry about this. If you are open to it, would you and your companion be interested in accepting a bit of compensation?”

”We would.”

Under Yuan Shan’s shocked stare, Fu Qian readily agreed.

He had already leaned close to Yuan Shan at just the right moment, allowing her to overhear the proposal.

...

Compensation, just like that?

Although she hadn’t deliberately eavesdropped on the earlier conversation, she had heard enough to deduce the general situation.

Because of that, Midas’s suggestion felt all the more surreal.

Wasn’t the guy she brought with her slipping into the role of a ruthless thug a little too smoothly?

And a gang of outlaws was just going to hand out compensation because they couldn’t team up?

Shock aside, she naturally had very little interest in this so-called compensation.

The teacher’s instruction had been to find the rat. Logically speaking, even if they couldn’t capture the rat and drag it back, they should at least meet face-to-face, right?

This remote exchange over the phone was clearly meaningless.

It was hard to even imagine what kind of compensation they could offer.

Yuan Shan refused to believe that Fu Qian couldn’t see that. As a result, his overly enthusiastic acceptance made her frown.

Before she could hold that scrutinizing gaze, however, Fu Qian was already walking a short distance away, seemingly acting on whatever instructions he was getting over the phone.

Fine.

Resigned, Yuan Shan stood up and followed him.

...

Even moving quickly, by the time Yuan Shan caught up, Fu Qian was already seated at a gambling table, placing a bet.

If she wasn’t mistaken...

Yuan Shan studied the chip.

Unlike the two chips Fu Qian had given away earlier, this was practically the smallest denomination the casino offered. Ross had been holding a whole cup of them just a moment ago.

In a way, Midas’s assessment had been spot on. This guy really was a professional. She hadn’t even noticed when he’d lifted the chip.

Even Ross, the victim of the theft, had followed them over and was now staring blankly at the chip.

But the true shock was only just beginning.

In the brief time that followed, Yuan Shan watched in stunned disbelief as Fu Qian morphed into a veritable God of Gamblers. The pile of chips in front of him multiplied rapidly.

The man on the phone was telling him how to bet!

By the time Fu Qian won his third round, Yuan Shan had figured it out.

So this was the so-called compensation? It really was exactly the same as what had happened to Moglin and the others!

So everything Midas had been doing lately—was it just contacting every gambler who caught his eye to recruit a crew?

And if he decided they didn’t make the cut, he just left behind the legend of another lucky winner?

If that was true, then whatever this group was planning was absolutely massive!

Naturally, Yuan Shan couldn’t care less about their plans. What shocked her was Fu Qian. Was this guy seriously just going to sit here and gamble?

Consider your situation, kid!

But Fu Qian seemed entirely deaf to her inner screaming. He had even moved to a new table to continue betting, looking for all the world like a man completely addicted to the thrill.

”How long are you planning to do this?”

When Fu Qian moved to his third table, Yuan Shan finally snapped.

”Can’t you see I’m on a hot streak? Head back first.”

His reply dripped with impatience. Fu Qian was completely engrossed in the game and didn’t even bother to turn his head, perfectly embodying the degenerate gambler.

”Also, do me a favor and tell Henry I’m a little busy over here. His business will have to wait.”

Having said his piece, Fu Qian placed another bet, listening closely to the voice on the phone.

”We should try not to cause too much of a sensation,” Midas advised. ”But remember, just like with Moglin and the others, you must push all your chips in on every single hand. You can walk away from this game at any time—because at some point, the information I give you will be false.”