Seeing Ling Yun's somewhat dejected and gloomy appearance, the middle-aged man smiled with satisfaction. Every move he made actually had a hidden meaning, especially when it came to the last shot. At this moment, the pressure was unparalleled, while the pressure on the other party was much greater than his. It seemed that the probability of the two had reached an equal point. In reality, the middle-aged man was quite calm, while the other party had begun to despair. He deliberately used the time to drink coffee to take a short break, just to see Ling Yun's appearance of carrying the last bit of hope and then being dejected.
Finally, the middle-aged man wanted to see Ling Yun's last glimmer of hope gradually extinguished, like a burnt-out match, and then turn into a pool of ashes.
He put down his coffee, pointed the gun at his head again, and everyone's hearts jumped into their throats, each one pounding uncontrollably as they awaited the final moment.
Whether one lives or dies, the outcome will be decided at this moment.
Snap! The trigger was pulled, but there was still silence. One second, two seconds, three seconds, four seconds, five seconds—the middle-aged man waited a full five seconds before taking the revolver off his forehead, gently placing it on the table, and presenting it towards Ling Yun. Then, he picked up his coffee, smiled, and said, "Sir, it's your turn to die!"
Chapter 353 A Twist of Fate
A collective sigh escaped the crowd, filled with admiration for the middle-aged man and pity for Ling Yun. They hadn't expected it at all; this middle-aged man had actually achieved a record of five consecutive missed shots. This seemed to be a first since the casino's inception. This VIP middle-aged man was not only incredibly brave but also had enviable luck. Conversely, Ling Yun, who had initially gained a huge advantage, became the unluckiest person. No one would speak up for him; if you gain an advantage and still lose, then you can die without complaint.
The fifth shot was a watershed moment. Before and after this point, everyone experienced unparalleled excitement and climax. After that, there was little interest left. It was simply a matter of seeing the boy either turn pale as a ghost or remain calm as ever. Either way, it was a headshot, and the outcome was already predetermined. But just like there is an ending after the climax, amidst the excitement, everyone wanted to see how the boy would struggle in the abyss. Although this struggle was just a futile act, everyone still wanted to see it. It was like a sadistic process, watching the prey struggle in the face of inevitable death, and the pleasure was still strong.
The middle-aged man finally calmed down, and the composure he had lost when provoked by Ling Yun returned. It was truly a case of the bitter end finally coming to an end. Despite his strong confidence, the shock of the first five shots still had an irreversible effect on him. It was also his first time trying roulette with five shots in a row. Perhaps after this, his VIP level could be raised several levels.
He sipped his coffee with a smile, watching Ling Yun with gentle eyes, as if to say, "Why aren't you shooting yet? Shoot already! I'm waiting for that moment when you get a headshot, haha." All the hatred he had harbored earlier had been fully released; the anger he felt after being mocked by Ling Yun suddenly vanished. The middle-aged man felt an unparalleled sense of satisfaction at seeing Ling Yun get shot in the head. Moreover, watching his opponent, who had just mocked him, commit suicide would undoubtedly leave him with an even more sarcastic mark before Ling Yun took his own life.
To the middle-aged man's slight disappointment, the boy didn't display the expected distress and despair. Instead, his expression remained empty and indifferent, as if the certainty of death was merely a formality to him. Either Ling Yun was terrified, or he simply didn't care about life or death, from beginning to end, perhaps even deliberately seeking death. The middle-aged man preferred the former. If it was the latter, then his gamble was nothing more than betting with a madman, and even if he won, it was something the middle-aged man didn't want to see.
Everyone looked at Ling Yun with pity. Most people didn't have a bad impression of him. This young man's appearance had changed many rules, but at least they were changes made to protect everyone's fundamental value of survival. In a sense, Ling Yun was the savior of the casino; even the most fanatical gambler had a sliver of humanity within him. Therefore, seeing Ling Yun forced to die filled everyone with regret.
Ling Yun took the revolver off the table, but instead of pressing it to his forehead, he examined it carefully in his hand. Suddenly, he uttered a sentence that nearly made the middle-aged man and the others gasp: "Isn't it my turn to fire?"
"What are you pretending for, kid? If you didn't shoot, was I supposed to? Don't waste everyone's time, or the staff will think you're deliberately breaking the casino rules." The middle-aged man said irritably, his composure completely ruined. Had he misjudged the kid? Was this kid not scared out of his wits or crazy, but just pretending to be stupid, trying to get away with it?
"I was just joking, buddy. Why get so worked up? Be careful, or I might accidentally shoot you in the head." Ling Yun smiled and raised his gun, the muzzle suddenly pointing at the middle-aged man's forehead.
Everyone was horrified. What was this boy going to do? Did he think he was going to fight to the death, taking everyone down with him? This was a cardinal sin in gambling; anyone who broke the rules had the right to shoot and kill them. Most of the gamblers' faces immediately turned grim, and many even reached into their pockets to pull out their guns, ready to riddle the boy with bullets at the slightest provocation.
A dozen or so staff members who had been watching the area rushed over. Although each was carrying a pistol, they all looked hesitant. If it were anyone else, the staff would probably have already shot them dead. Even showing the slightest thought or attitude towards violating gambling rules was unacceptable. But this young man was no ordinary person; he was the casino's newest owner, a figure ruled by force and ruthlessness. The staff could kill anyone, but attacking Ling Yun was tantamount to attacking their own boss—something they wouldn't dare do even if they had a million lives.
The middle-aged man hadn't expected Ling Yun to suddenly act so drastically. His ruddy complexion turned deathly pale, and he hurriedly said, "Sir, we agreed beforehand that a bet is a bet, how can you break the casino rules so easily? Even if you do, the casino staff will..."
He was about to say that the casino staff wouldn't let him off either, but then he suddenly remembered Ling Yun's new identity and stopped talking. His face paled even more. If Ling Yun was really willing to risk his life to fight him to the death, then even if others riddled Ling Yun with bullets, he wouldn't be able to see it. Besides, Ling Yun might not actually die.
Unexpectedly, things turned out this way. The middle-aged man's face turned red and then white, then red again. His joy at his recent victory dissipated, and he became uneasy, even regretting that he had pressed Ling Yun so hard.
"It's true that you have to accept the consequences of a bet, but I'm not a real gambler. So what if I cheat? Even if someone beats me to pieces, if I can grab a valuable VIP like you as a scapegoat before I die, wouldn't that be worth it? What do you say, Mr. VIP?" Ling Yun continued with a smile, a mocking expression on his face, as he twirled the pistol in his hand in a circle.
The middle-aged man's face turned pale and then red again. Every word Ling Yun said struck him deeply. He never expected that this young man would be so shameless. He was both angry and afraid. "Sir, isn't what you're doing a bit too unruly? So many people are watching. Do you really want to be a scoundrel?"
"Oh, buddy, don't take it seriously. I was just joking. You've taken so many risks, firing five shots and letting me gain such a huge advantage. How could I not follow the rules? Even if I die, I'll still owe you this favor." Ling Yun suddenly put away his gun and said with a smile.
Everyone was stunned. What kind of time is this to be making jokes like this? The middle-aged man slumped back in his chair as if he had collapsed, glaring at Ling Yun with a murderous look in his eyes: "Sir, please stop stalling for time. If you're afraid of dying, just say so. Stop making these pointless jokes. Is this funny?"
Ling Yun smiled slightly, raised his hand, and pointed the gun at his forehead. "Sorry, brother, I sometimes like to joke around. Don't mind me. I'll shoot now to satisfy your curiosity." With that, he pulled the trigger.
The middle-aged man and the others widened their eyes. When Ling Yun made his sudden threatening move, everyone thought that Ling Yun was determined to fight to the death if he lost, or that he was deliberately stalling for time. But now, Ling Yun suddenly shot at them without warning, which made everyone's hearts jump again. This young man's behavior was unpredictable, and no one could ever guess what he would do next.
One second, two seconds, three seconds... until ten seconds had passed, Ling Yun calmly took the revolver off his forehead and placed it on the table.
The casino was deathly silent. Everyone stared wide-eyed at what was happening before their eyes. As expected, the shooting had not occurred. The gun remained silent, no bullets were fired. How could this be? Was the gun broken? The same question arose in everyone's mind, and they all turned their gazes to Ling Yun, filled with bewilderment and shock.
The middle-aged man was about to go crazy. He stood up halfway, placed his hands on both ends of the round table, and the veins on his forehead suddenly bulged. He shouted angrily, "Are you playing me? You dare to cheat with the gun?"
“Dude, I didn’t cheat. This gun is 100% real, and it does have bullets in it. Didn’t you see me when I got on the revolver?” Ling Yun said with dissatisfaction. “We may be familiar, but if you keep talking nonsense, I can sue you for defamation.”
"It's true, how could you not die?" the middle-aged man said sternly. "I clearly fired five shots, and the last bullet was in the sixth shot. If you didn't cheat, how could it be a blank shot?"
Everyone turned their suspicious gazes toward Ling Yun. What the middle-aged man said was indeed the question in their minds. If this boy hadn't been up to something, how could there have been a blank shot?
“Brother, let me give you a piece of advice: before you play roulette, take a good look at how many bullet holes there are in the gun,” Ling Yun said helplessly. “Not every revolver has six bullet holes in the cylinder.”
Once again, a deathly silence descended, and everyone was suddenly plunged into an indescribable emptiness. The boy before them had become an abstract entity. The repeated shocks beyond imagination had made everyone's nerves as taut as a taut string, ready to snap at the slightest pressure.
The middle-aged man was stunned. He hadn't noticed anything unusual about the revolver Ling Yun had initially been holding, and had simply assumed it was a six-bullet revolver. Ling Yun's words struck him like a thunderbolt, leaving his seemingly frozen brain stunned. He muttered to himself, dumbfounded, "Not six bullet holes... then how many?"
Suddenly, a staff member said, "Most of the revolvers in the roulette area have six bullets, but there are a very few with seven..." He stopped abruptly as everyone's eyes turned to him, startling him so much that he involuntarily took two steps back.
The middle-aged man's face turned ashen. He never dreamed that he would be defeated by such a basic mistake. A simple question about the magazine capacity of a revolver had led him into a hopeless situation. In an instant, his face turned deathly pale. He slumped into a chair, his trembling hand picking up the revolver. Faced with certain death, even the strongest confidence couldn't save him, especially since he had already lost all hope.
He suddenly looked up at Ling Yun and said in a hoarse voice, "Did you set up this trap all along, just waiting for me to fall into it? How could you be so sure you wouldn't get a headshot on the sixth shot?"
“I advised you not to change the rules of the game by firing five shots in a row, otherwise you would still have a chance to win.” Ling Yun glanced at him. “Unfortunately, you didn’t listen. You thought this method was very noble. In fact, you didn’t know how many bullet holes there were. Otherwise, you would never have done it. As for why I didn’t get a headshot on the sixth shot, you know the reason. The reason why you were able to dodge the first five shots is the same reason why I was able to dodge the sixth shot.”
“I understand. I’m willing to accept defeat, and I’ll accept it wholeheartedly.” The middle-aged man smiled sadly. “Indeed, just as you said, I was only sent to my death. Unfortunately, by the time I realized this, I was already dead. But I still have to give you a piece of advice, sir. I’m just the first test subject. There will be others in the future, and you may soon follow in my footsteps.”
"Thank you, I will," Ling Yun replied calmly.
With a loud bang, the gunshot rang out, and the middle-aged man's body slumped down. Soon, staff members moved his body away, wiped up the blood splattered on the seats and tables, and took away the coffee that Ling Yun and the middle-aged man had left behind, providing excellent service.
"Give me another cup of coffee, just like the one before." Ling Yun smacked his lips, thinking the taste was pretty good, and quickly called back the staff member who was about to leave.
"Give me a drink too, as long as it's the same as this gentleman's." A melodious female voice suddenly rang out, and a graceful figure flashed by. With the scent of Chanel perfume wafting over, another woman sat down on the chair where the middle-aged man who had just died had been.
Ling Yun raised his head, curiously observing the uninvited guest. She was a female gambler in her thirties, with a wavy updo typical of wealthy women. She wore an elegant low-cut evening gown that revealed her snow-white shoulders and most of her deep breasts, making her look very sexy. Her appearance was not particularly beautiful, but she was still considered to have excellent looks. Moreover, she was well-mannered, and her light makeup made her look like a lady of high society.
On the left side of her low-cut evening gown was the same VIP badge as the middle-aged man's, only this time, the Arabic numerals behind the badge were 16.
Chapter 354 The Same Mistake
When Ling Yun looked at her, the female gambler smiled slightly, crossed her hands and rested them on her chin, while her elbows rested on the round table: "Sir, I am very interested in you. I watched the game between you and that gentleman just now, and it was really exciting, so I couldn't help but want to play a game of roulette with you. Although I have never tried such an intense form of gambling before, that does not stop me from liking it."
Ling Yun smiled. "You're very welcome, but I don't really like women committing suicide by blowing their heads off in front of me. You can still leave before I change my mind."
"Sir, do you look down on women? Or do you think I'm doomed to lose?" the female gambler said with a slight reproach, displaying her feminine vulnerability and charm to the fullest. "I'd like to ask you, where does your confidence come from?"