Gao Jianfei breathed a sigh of relief after putting the things down on the spot. He thought to himself, "I'll just leave these clothes and shoes in the ghost den for now, and take them out when I need to wear them."
Just as Gao Jianfei was about to leave, the AI program's voice suddenly rang out...
"Dear user, the soul of the real-world Level 2 Ghost Iron Mask has been pieced together and placed in Ghost Den Room 2-3. The soul of the virtual Level 2 Ghost Du Dajin has been 25% pieced together; you will need to wait patiently. Would you like to see Iron Mask first?"
"Huh? The soul of that professional gambler has been pieced together?" Gao Jianfei's heart leaped with excitement. "Okay, I'll go see it right away!"
Gao Jianfei, the professional gambler and ghost of Iron Face, is determined to thoroughly investigate the matter of his father being framed. Now that Iron Face is hiding in the second or third room of his haunted house, how could Gao Jianfei not be anxious?
Perhaps the truth about my father being framed is about to be revealed!
Excited, Gao Jianfei traversed the passageway and entered a small, dark space that functioned like an elevator. The small dark space slowly rose, taking Gao Jianfei to the second floor of the Ghost Den.
During this time, the intelligent program also reminded you, "Dear user, you have received 500 experience points and 500 exorcism points for containing the ghost of the Level 2 Ghost Iron Mask. Please keep up the good work!"
Gao Jianfei casually opened the virtual display screen and glanced at it...
The Exorcist: Gao Jianfei
Age: 22
Level: 2
Exorcism Points: 0, 2905
Experience: 2900
Experience required to upgrade to Level 3 Exorcist: 97100
At this moment, Gao Jianfei had arrived at room 2-3 of the ghost den. The door was ajar, and he pushed it open and entered, his heart pounding wildly... My dad is in the gambling circle, and now I'm about to meet a high-level gambler ghost who is also from the gambling circle!
Who framed my dad?
What exactly happened?
Perhaps, the answer will be revealed in the next second!
Chapter Seventy-Two: The Murderer...Gambling Evil!
Chapter Seventy-Two: The Murderer...Gambling Evil!
At the door of room 2-3 of the Ghost Den. Gao Jianfei took a deep breath, composed himself, and then pushed the door open.
Suddenly, everything became clear.
The large room was furnished like a study. In the center stood a table covered with a blue silk cloth, upon which hundreds upon hundreds of playing cards were scattered haphazardly. A middle-aged man, dressed in a white shirt and a black vest, his hair meticulously combed, was playing cards alone. He seemed to be enjoying himself quite a bit. Seeing Gao Jianfei enter, he looked up and smiled, "Are you the owner of this place, Xiao Gao?"
Gao Jianfei walked straight over. "Professional gambler, Iron Face?"
“Heh, yes, a professional gambler.” Iron Face patted Gao Jianfei on the shoulder. “Come sit down.”
A human and a ghost sat beside a large mahogany desk.
Gao Jianfei inadvertently noticed a shallow dent on the left temple of the man with the iron mask. Gao Jianfei thought to himself, "This guy was shot. It looks like he was shot in the temple, and it was a fatal shot."
"Well, Iron Face, the reason I pieced together your soul and brought it here is simply to investigate something through your gambling circle." Gao Jianfei didn't have time for pleasantries; he was in a hurry and went straight to the point, asking, "In your circle, there was a person named 'Gao Jin,' right? I mean, in the past."
"Ko Chun?!" Iron Face's previously nonchalant expression suddenly turned serious, and his eyes shone with extreme admiration. "Ko Chun, the God of Gamblers?"
Gao Jianfei snapped his fingers. "Yes, that's him! I heard that Gao Jin lost everything in his last betting match and then vanished without a trace. There are also rumors that Gao Jin was framed in his last match. Iron Face, I want you to describe in detail every single detail you know about Gao Jin's last match!"
A hint of reminiscence flickered in Iron Face's eyes. "Gao Jin's last battle, well, that was a very classic, sensational battle in our gambling circle! At the time, Gao Jin's gambling skills were ranked number one in the world! He was known as the God of Gamblers! And his opponent was Chen Yifeng, the Gambling Evil, ranked number two in the world. It was a ranking challenge match, with Chen Yifeng challenging Gao Jin. If Gao Jin lost, Chen Yifeng would seize the throne of the world's number one gambling skill! It was a battle of the century!"
A match between the world's number one and number two ranked players. A contest between the gambling god and the gambling scoundrel! Its significance is roughly equivalent to a match between the Brazilian and Spanish national football teams in the world today!
Gao Jianfei's entire mind was completely absorbed in Tie Mian's narration.
Iron Face, with a flicker in his eyes, seemed to be transported back to the scene of that epic battle!
"Actually, although Chen Yifeng was only ranked one place lower than Gao Jin at the time, the difference in their abilities was still quite obvious," Iron Face said decisively. "Back then, Gao Jin's hand speed was 101, eye speed 103, hearing 105, and memory 112, for a total score of 10525; while Chen Yifeng's hand speed was 100, eye speed 104, hearing 101, and memory 105, for a total score of 1025. Logically speaking, Chen Yifeng had absolutely no chance of winning, not even a single chance!"
Gao Jianfei paused for a moment, then asked, "Are all these data accurate?"
Iron Face nodded. "Yes, Xiao Gao, these have all been precisely verified using professional equipment. Furthermore, the videos of each gambler's matches have been analyzed and compared by an expert panel. In other words, the strength comparison between Gao Jin and Chen Yifeng is actually quite transparent. Under normal circumstances, Chen Yifeng would never challenge Gao Jin; he simply wouldn't have a chance. But that match… Gao Jin lost. That was an absolutely shocking upset that rocked the world of gambling! According to the pre-arranged bet, Chen Yifeng not only won Gao Jin's title of world number one, but also Gao Jin's life wealth." He took it all for himself, and even... he also won Gao Jin's legs and right hand. After that, Gao Jin disappeared. Following this match, rumors circulated that Chen Yifeng used special methods, such as underhanded off-field interference, to affect Gao Jin's performance and ultimately win. It must be said that the disparity in strength between the two was enormous; even with Chen Yifeng's extraordinary performance, he might not have been able to defeat Gao Jin. This indirectly confirms the popular claim that Chen Yifeng framed Gao Jin. However, until the time I was murdered, no one found even the slightest evidence that Chen Yifeng had framed Gao Jin.
“The disparity in strength between the two sides is too great. Chen Yifeng had absolutely no reason or justification to challenge my father. But not only did he issue the challenge, but… he also won!” Gao Jianfei clenched his fists. “There’s something fishy about his win! Absolutely something fishy! He… he’s the murderer!”
Based on Tie Mian's description, Gao Jianfei has already identified the murderer who hurt his father as Chen Yifeng!
Chen Yifeng, the gambling scoundrel!
In fact, Gao Jianfei's judgment was reasonable. Even if Chen Yifeng hadn't used any despicable tricks to frame Gao Jin, wasn't it he who proposed the bet?
The title of number one in the world, a lifetime's wealth, both legs, and the right hand.
These are the stakes Chen Yifeng demanded!
"Xiao Gao, what's wrong with you?" Iron Face asked immediately when he saw Gao Jianfei's shoulders twitching slightly and his face turning ashen.
Gao Jianfei took several deep breaths before he could barely calm his fluctuating emotions. "Iron Face, what is Chen Yifeng's background?"
"What's his background?" Iron Face was taken aback for a moment. "Chen Yifeng is just like me, a professional gambler. However, he's at the very top of the pyramid in this industry."
"How can we find Chen Yifeng?" Gao Jianfei pressed. His immediate thought was to find Chen Yifeng directly and confront him. If necessary, he would reclaim everything his father had lost!
Those should have been the title, the wealth, and the good health that belonged to Dad!
"Xiao Gao, you...you want to find Chen Yifeng?" Iron Face asked suspiciously.
“Yes, I am Gao Jin’s son!” Gao Jianfei said directly.
"Uh... Xiao Gao, you want revenge?" Iron Face subconsciously touched his hair. "That's impossible! Xiao Gao, if you want revenge, it's basically impossible!"
"What do you mean?" Gao Jianfei's eyes turned cold.
Iron Face explained, "Xiao Gao, listen carefully. The gambling industry is a very special industry; it's not a purely 'sexual' industry. That is to say, no professional gambler, regardless of skill level or world ranking, can participate in any official gambling game or competition alone. Every gambler must be affiliated with a force. For example, an underground force, or, well, a certain national force! Take me for example, my world ranking is 275, and the force I'm affiliated with is an underground force in Northeast China. And your father..." Gao Jin found it strange. With his skills and ranking, he could easily have affiliated himself with one, or even several, national powers. It's said that the United States, Portugal, the Netherlands, and other countries contacted your father, inviting him to join. Gao, you need to understand that gambling is an extremely profitable industry. That's why some countries have casinos, and professional gamblers are required to operate them. The fact that your father was only affiliated with the Zheng Bang Society in G Province is very puzzling. And the forces behind the gambling scoundrel Chen Yifeng are far more complex; it's said they involve several European countries!
Gao Jianfei listened calmly.
Iron Face continued, "After Chen Yifeng defeated Gao Jin, he became the world's number one gambling master. At the same time, he attracted offers from many countries, making him so powerful that everyone could only look on with awe! So I'm telling you, Xiao Gao, if you're thinking of using murder to avenge your father, you're basically dreaming. No matter how strong you are, can you be stronger than some national forces? Of course, only people within our circle know the details of the forces Chen Yifeng is affiliated with. To the outside world, Chen Yifeng only claims that the forces behind him are underground forces in a certain province of China, but that's absolutely not the truth. He's 100% protected by several European and American countries!"
Gao Jianfei was horrified!
Earlier, when Gao Jianfei called Tang Bao, Tang Bao told him that the person who framed Gao Jin had a stronger backing than Zheng Bang. However, after talking with Tie Mian in the gambling circle, Gao Jianfei realized that the power behind the murderer was far more than just "a little" stronger than Zheng Bang—it was far, far stronger!
The difference between an ant and an elephant!
Fortunately, Zheng Bang did not seek revenge at that time, otherwise the entire gang would have been burned to the ground in an instant!
"Also, Xiao Gao, there's an ironclad rule in the gambling world: it's strictly forbidden for any force to murder professional gamblers in another casino. If such a thing happens, the entire gambling industry will investigate it thoroughly!" Iron Face added.
"Then how did you get killed? It must have been murder, right?" Gao Jianfei couldn't help but ask.
Iron Face chuckled awkwardly, "I died from jealousy. Damn it, I hooked up with the wife of an underworld boss, slept with her a few times, and then it got out... Sigh, this is a classic case of being scared to death by a peony flower, but even as a ghost, I'm not a romantic one!"
Gao Jianfei was speechless...
Afterwards, Gao Jianfei also felt very strange. Why was his father, with such high gambling skills, affiliated with the Zheng Bang underground force instead of those in Europe and America? What was the strange thing about this?
However, this is not a problem that Gao Jianfei should be considering right now; he only wants to find a way to get revenge!
"Does this mean I have no way to get revenge? Is there absolutely no other way?" Gao Jianfei asked unwillingly.
"Yes. There is a way." Iron Face looked at Gao Jianfei with a strange expression. "Unless you can beat Chen Yifeng at the gambling table! Although Chen Yifeng has strong backing, it can't stop other professional gamblers from challenging him. Unless he announces that he's retiring from gambling. And the challenges at the gambling table are extremely dangerous. The two sides can put up any bet... wealth, women, power, status, even life! If you want to kill Chen Yifeng, you can only put up a bet of your life at the gambling table. If he loses, you can rightfully kill him yourself! But... that's almost impossible. Chen Yifeng is ranked number one in the world for gambling! After defeating Gao Jin eight years ago, Chen Yifeng didn't stop studying and practicing his gambling skills. When I died, his gambling skills had actually surpassed Gao Jin's in every aspect. By the way, Gao, what's your world ranking for gambling?"
"Me?" Gao Jianfei was speechless. "I...I'm not in the gambling industry."
Iron Face shrugged. "Then there's nothing we can do. You're not in the industry, so how can you challenge Chen Yifeng? Besides, given Chen Yifeng's status, anyone outside the top 10 in the world who wants to challenge him is basically beneath his notice and he won't even bother with them."
Gao Jianfei understood completely.
The only way to get revenge is to challenge Chen Yifeng at the gambling table!
Just as Iron Face said, there is absolutely no other possibility! Even if Gao Jianfei possesses the Super Ghost Instrument and has considerable skill in martial arts, he is not even qualified to meet Chen Yifeng!
On the surface, Chen Yifeng is only affiliated with an underground force in China, but he is secretly under the close protection of several European and American countries. No matter how good Gao Jianfei is at fighting, he cannot compete with the forces of European and American countries!
At the very least, Gao Jianfei, as a level 2 exorcist, does not have this ability!
"Then... I can only take revenge at the gambling table! My father has been disabled for 8 years! And his normal lifespan will inevitably be affected by his disability and shortened considerably. I can't just bury and forget this hatred! No, never!" Gao Jianfei shouted in his heart.
The harm Chen Yifeng caused to his father was no less than the harm Zeng Jian caused to his mother!
"Tell me, how do I become a professional gambler?" Gao Jianfei's excitement gradually subsided. After all, getting excited here was pointless.
Iron Face paused for a moment, then said, “Becoming a professional gambler is actually quite simple. First, find a faction you can affiliate with. Then, that faction will recommend you to the World Gambling Association for a professional gambling skills assessment. If that faction recognizes your gambling skills, then you can work for their casinos. If you want to achieve a world ranking, you need to participate in the ranking challenge.”
"Find a faction you can attach yourself to?"
Gao Jianfei immediately thought of Chen Yaohui's Dongxing!
“Well, Xiao Gao, finding a patron is actually quite simple. If you're a skilled gambler, those patrons will come to you. But, Xiao Gao, you're not a skilled gambler…” Iron Face chuckled dryly.
"I don't know how, but you can teach me!" Gao Jianfei said resolutely. "I won't give up the only chance I can have to avenge my father! Iron Face, how good are your gambling skills?"
Iron Face gave an awkward laugh. "Well, in some provinces and cities of China, I'd be considered a gambling expert. But looking at the entire gambling world, actually, I... I'm just trash. My world ranking is only 275th. To be specific, my hand speed is 66; eye speed is 70; hearing is 67; memory is 71; and my overall rating is 685. Compared to the data I just told you about Gao Jin and Chen Yifeng back then, isn't that pretty terrible?"
Gao Jianfei was speechless... Indeed, compared to his father's and Chen Yifeng's data, Tie Mian's data was simply a pile of crap!
"Fine, today will be your introductory lesson in gambling!" Gao Jianfei gritted his teeth and then said directly to the AI program, "I want to learn Iron Face's gambling skills right now!"
The next second, the AI program's voice faithfully rang out... "Super Ghost Instrument Learning Space activated!"
Chapter Seventy-Three: Test, Gao Jianfei's Data!
Chapter Seventy-Three: Test, Gao Jianfei's Data!
The Super Ghost Instrument Learning Space is now open!
The next moment, Gao Jianfei's eyes glazed over, and together with Tie Mian, they arrived at a casino!
Yes, that's right, it's a casino. Of course, it's not as big as the Emperor Casino that Gao Jianfei had seen before. However, though small, it has everything you need, with all kinds of gambling equipment and tables.
“Come on, Xiao Gao, come with me,” Iron Face put his arm around Gao Jianfei’s shoulder. “First, we’ll do a simple test. We’ll test your memory, hearing, eye speed, and hand speed. You haven’t learned any gambling skills yet, so this basic test is mainly to determine your talent in gambling.”
As he spoke, Iron Face led Gao Jianfei to a small private room inside the casino.
Inside the private room were tables, chairs, and sofas. On the large desk were several instruments Gao Jianfei had never seen before, as well as a 19-inch LCD computer.
The two walked to the table.
"Xiao Gao, sit down." Iron Face smiled and gestured for Gao Jianfei to sit in a chair next to the desk. "Now, Xiao Gao, I'm going to give you a basic test. Don't be nervous, please, please don't be nervous. Remember, you've never had any training in gambling skills, so your performance in the test will definitely be poor, but that's not your fault." He paused, then emphasized, "This is essentially a talent test! Talent is important, but hard work is equally important!"
Gao Jianfei nodded, but he knew perfectly well in his heart... "I remember someone once said that in any industry, especially a cutting-edge industry, to succeed, you need 1% talent and 99% hard work. But that 1% talent is often much more important than the 99% hard work!"
Therefore, although he said he wasn't nervous, Gao Jianfei was actually quite apprehensive before the test.
"The first test is memory!" Iron Face turned on the computer, entered a program interface, and then explained in detail to Gao Jianfei, "Xiao Gao, listen carefully. Once the memory test begins, you must concentrate all your energy on every piece of text or number that appears on the computer. Do your best to memorize these words and then write them down from memory. Each piece of text will appear for 10 seconds. That is to say, if you can memorize and write down all these words from memory within 10 seconds, then you can move on to the next level. In fact, this is a mini-game to test your memory!"