novelnext Chapter 95
Chapter 95
Chapter 95: Shine my shoes!
Click!
The hammer's strike fell like Death's verdict, crashing into the Bank Ghost's heart.
Because the Thief Ghost had risked everything to steal that live round, the gun...
Was naturally empty!
"Hah...hah..."
The Bank Ghost trembled like a sieve, shakily taking the gun from its good brother's hands.
It couldn't understand how the Thief Ghost had managed it.
It could only desperately beg with a gaze of despair.
"Brother! Everything we've been through together—do you still remember?! Save me just this once!!"
However.
The Thief Ghost was already blind. It couldn't see the Bank Ghost's pleading at all.
It simply sat there quietly, waiting for fate's judgment.
At this moment.
The Bank Ghost faced the 【Supervisor】overhead.
And with a confirmed live round in the cylinder, it had fallen into a desperate situation!
"No...I don't want to die..."
It tried to do what the Thief Ghost had done—enter its life-flashing vision, searching for inspiration to break free.
But it found that its life had been one of smooth sailing.
Born with a silver spoon in its mouth—father a bank president, mother a judge!
Surrounded by children and grandchildren, only falling on hard times at the very end!
Broken into by a black thief who despised the wealthy, shot dead.
Its entire life, in the end, had been brought down by the lowest sewer rat in Eagle Nation!
Thinking of this, the Bank Ghost's mood instantly turned violent!
It looked at the now-blind Thief Ghost beside it, eyes filled with venomous resentment.
"It's because of disgusting things like you in society!"
"That the world has become so dangerous! That I've ended up like this!!"
The Bank Ghost touched the bullet hole in the center of its own forehead, then looked at the countdown on the revolver!
30...
29...
28...
Under the mounting pressure, it grew ever more furious, losing all reason entirely!
"Roar!!"
It looked up at the Supervisor overhead and bellowed.
"So, what if I cheat?!"
"I'm cheating right in front of your face!! What are you going to do about it!!"
"Ahhhhhh!!"
The Bank Ghost acted with reckless abandon.
Without making any move to obscure anyone's line of sight, it directly activated 【Dispatch Management】right in front of everyone!
But!
It did not use it on the revolver's cylinder!
Instead, it used it on the 2 ghosts and 2 humans present!
Hum!
In an instant, the seating arrangement underwent a bizarre change!
Piano remained in seat 1.
The Thief Ghost moved to seat 2.
The Bank Ghost moved to seat 3.
And Jiang Nan...moved to seat 4!
Becoming the last in line!
And that lethal revolver...
Materialized in Jiang Nan's hands out of thin air!
With its countdown still ticking!
"Hahaha! Die then!!"
The Bank Ghost laughed maniacally.
However.
1 second passed. 2 seconds passed.
The Supervisor overhead...
Still didn't move.
"Huh?!"
This time, the entire room fell silent once more—so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The Foot-Spa Ghost in the main seat stood straight up.
Dark aura churned at its neck, as if it had discovered a new continent!
Silk-Stocking Desperado's eyes lit up as well, exclaiming in admiration.
"Oh my~ didn't expect I'd get to see such a valuable scene coming here today~"
"All-In Russian Roulette really is a treat to watch! Hidden rules everywhere!"
Every ghost and human present noticed a stunning fact.
The Supervisor hadn't acted—which meant the Bank Ghost's move was permitted!
But it hadn't obscured anyone's line of sight!
And it had blatantly used its ability right in everyone's faces!
This could only mean one thing!
Abilities simply couldn't be used on gambling tools!
But they could be used on the players themselves!!
As long as you didn't touch the gun—rearranging player positions, or indirectly affecting other players—it was all within the rules!
This was the power of the information gap!
You don't know, but I do!
This was an absolute advantage!
In a gambling match, even the tiniest detail could be the deciding factor—let alone such a critical loophole in the rules!
At this moment.
The Bank Ghost stared with bloodshot eyes wide open.
It panted and sneered, drool dripping from the corners of its mouth.
It kept its gaze fixed on Jiang Nan.
"Human kid...what are you going to do now?"
Piano smiled too—she even felt somewhat grateful to this stupid Bank Ghost.
‘Looks like I'll get to play with these 2 idiots a while longer.’
‘But it doesn't matter—my Hat Trick counters them perfectly, they can't beat me.’
‘As for this arrogant man...it's time for him to exit the stage!’
Silk-Stocking Desperado shook her head, looking somewhat regretful.
"What a shame~this little buddy of mine looks like he's done for."
"Ah, wait, I should call him 'big bro' instead."
"After all, 'little buddy' is a title that's already been taken."
As she spoke, she turned to look at Guan Ming behind her.
"Little buddy, use your ability right now—let me see who wins and loses!"
Guan Ming frowned.
"My ability can only see 10 seconds into the future. How could it possibly see the outcome of an entire match?"
"True."
Silk-Stocking Desperado thought for a moment.
"Then just take a look at how this big bro dies. Don't you think it looks familiar?"
Guan Ming knew the moment he heard it that it was pointed at him.
He also understood that Silk-Stocking Desperado wanted him to take it as a lesson—not to repeat the same mistake.
"Fine..."
Guan Ming immediately closed his eyes and activated his Grade A ability, Premonition Dream.
Hum!
A vision of the future flashed through his mind.
However.
When he opened his eyes again, they were filled with shock and bewilderment!
"This...this is impossible!!"
Guan Ming muttered aloud involuntarily.
Silk-Stocking Desperado asked curiously, "What's wrong? Did you see his brains splattered?"
Guan Ming shook his head, his voice trembling.
"The gun...misfired."
"The revolver...actually...misfired!!"
"What?!"
Silk-Stocking Desperado was stunned, and immediately looked toward Jiang Nan in the ring.
At this moment.
That man was throwing his head back with silent, hysterical laughter!
A soundless laugh—yet it was as if every ghost and human present could hear it all the same!
That madness!
That contempt!
That overbearing, looking-down-from-above arrogance!
Since entering this hospital, the perpetually cold and indifferent look in Jiang Nan's eyes had finally changed.
No longer that gaze reserved for garbage!
But excitement!
‘Yes! This is it!’
‘Only when you all fight with everything you have—cheating, exploiting loopholes, pushing your limits—'
‘Can I...feel even a hint of the thrill of victory!!’
Under the uncomprehending—and madman-watching—gazes of everyone present.
Jiang Nan stood up.
He dangled the revolver on his index finger, as if toasting the crowd, then spun it violently!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
The revolver spun in his hand like it was dancing, whirling at breakneck speed!
"What is he doing?!"
"Has he gone mad?"
"Not using any ability, not using any gambling technique..."
"And spinning the gun in the final few seconds?"
"Is he trying to die with some dignity?"
Not a single ghost or human present believed Jiang Nan could survive.
Because that 1 live round was sitting right there in the cylinder—this was a certain-death situation!
And just then.
Snap!
Jiang Nan caught the spinning revolver in 1 hand, pressed the barrel to his own temple.
Then.
Click!
He pulled the trigger.
Thk!
That sound...
Was neither a gunshot, nor an empty-chamber click.
It was...
A metallic jam!
A misfire!
"Holy shit!!!!"
The entire room erupted in shock!
The revolver had actually misfired?!
"How is this possible?!"
Everyone rose to their feet, countless pairs of eyes locked onto the gun in Jiang Nan's hand.
Something virtually impossible to happen...
Had just now, truly and unmistakably, happened to Jiang Nan!
This was also the 1st misfire in the entire history of Seattle Mercy Hospital!
But seeing the Supervisor overhead remain completely unmoved confirmed this was an accidental event—Jiang Nan hadn't cheated!
Silk-Stocking Desperado rubbed her chin, eyes filled with astonishment.
"So something this outrageous can actually happen? I thought little buddy you were just making things up!"
Guan Ming shook his head, watching that confident man with a complicated expression.
"I wasn't lying..."
"When I saw it, I even thought my ability had malfunctioned—that I was seeing things."
"But now...it's clearly the truth!"
"The revolver...misfired on him!"
Guan Ming watched the man's confident face.
Compared to his own utterly terrified self back at the gambling table, the difference was like heaven and earth!
He held true to himself!
He believed in his own luck!
And.
Guan Ming had just seen something else—the rules for the 3rd round!
【If the Russian Roulette produces no winner, it shall continue to be Russian Roulette!】
【But the loading and shooting order...shall be reversed!】
Meaning the 4th player—currently Jiang Nan—would now load the cylinder first!
‘If I hadn't chosen to withdraw back then...the winner might actually have been me!’
Guan Ming's heart turned bitter.
Silk-Stocking Desperado looked at Guan Ming, knowing what he was thinking, and patted his shoulder.
"Hahaha, little buddy, now you understand?"
"A gambling match tests not just ability—but also courage and fate!"
And right at this moment.
"Third round begins!"
The revolver was still in Jiang Nan's hands.
Now...
It was his turn to load!
All the spectators present ultimately chalked the jammed revolver up to luck.
This human kid's luck was pretty solid—talk about landing on his feet!
But at the same time, a very small number of players believed...
It wasn't luck at all...
But skill!
Or rather—his luck was his skill!
The Bunny-Girl Ghost sitting in the corner of the spectator area was thinking exactly that.
As an official, she knew better than anyone.
They maintained that gun every single day!
A low-level failure like a misfire simply couldn't happen!
Then the only possibility...
Was some irresistible external force at work!
At this moment.
The wind named Strong Luck...
Was blowing from behind Jiang Nan, sweeping across the entire room!
He looked down at the 2 ghosts and 1 human before him.
In that moment, they too felt that invisible pressure...
This man was simply too uncanny.
More uncanny than the uncanny!
Piano completely overturned every last shred of her contempt.
As the Daughter of the Gambling God, she understood—this man...
Was not running on dumb luck at all!
But genuine, true-blue skill!
Just like those card-sharps in a casino who rig the game and wait for victory!
He knew...
He simply could not lose!
Piano recalled the terror that had gripped her when she'd been set up and framed 10 years ago!
That feeling was back!
‘No...don't be afraid!’
She forcibly steadied herself, looking at the 5 remaining blank rounds in her hand.
‘The bullets weren't swapped out—my marks are still on them! My Hat Trick cannot possibly lose!’
‘Because I've actually only used Swap once! I still have 5 chances!’
But right at this moment.
Piano froze.
She let out a dazed: "Huh?"
Because she saw...
Jiang Nan was loading.
1 round...
2 rounds...
3 rounds...
4 rounds...
5 rounds...
6 rounds!
He actually...
Loaded 6 live rounds!!
"This madman!!"
"He filled the entire cylinder!!"
And then...
Under the gazes of every spectator present—distorted with terror—
Jiang Nan pressed that fully loaded revolver against his own temple once more.
And then...
Pulled the trigger like a maniac!!
Thk thk thk thk thk thk thk thk!
Thk thk thk thk thk thk thk thk!
Others pulled the trigger by count!
Jiang Nan pulled the trigger by the minute!
10 seconds!
20 seconds!
30 seconds!
......
1 minute!
He pulled the trigger continuously for a full 1 minute!
That revolver misfired for a full 1 minute!
Not a single round went off!!
"Ahhhhhhh!!"
Several timid ghosts in the spectator seats were scared out of their minds, screaming as they fled the scene.
Silk-Stocking Desperado and the Foot-Spa Ghost were also rooted completely to the spot, jaws hanging wide open.
"This guy...what kind of monster is he?!"
But if anyone had the biggest reaction, it had to be Piano and the Bank Ghost on the stage!
Faced with this terrifying and utterly unreasonable scene, they kept frantically reporting to the Supervisor!
"Referee!! He's cheating!!"
"The gun is broken!! That gun is definitely broken!!"
"How could it fire for a whole minute straight without going off!! This defies science!!"
The Thief Ghost was blind and couldn't see, but it had heard that dense chorus of misfires.
It could guess at the horrifying thing that must be unfolding, and trembled all over with fright.
But.
The Supervisor...
Still didn't move.
Clearly, by the rules' judgment, Jiang Nan hadn't cheated!
The gun didn't fire—that just meant he had an indestructible constitution!
Round ends.
The gun passes to the next player.
The Supervisor coldly forced the 2 ghosts and 1 human back to their seats.
Jiang Nan casually tossed that still-fully-loaded revolver into the Bank Ghost's hands.
His expression said it all: "Your turn to swap now? What—had a change of heart?"
The Bank Ghost took the gun, legs shaking, nearly dropping to its knees.
This was the most powerless it had ever felt in its entire ghost existence!
‘This was like making me face a god!’
‘How could I possibly win?!’
‘The cylinder is full of live rounds!’
‘And in his hands it just keeps jamming—but the moment it gets to me, it's definitely going off!’
In the end.
It chose to go out with a bang!
"Since the Supervisor won't intervene...I'm just making a run for it!!"
The Bank Ghost intended to forcibly leave this hospital—to AFK and escape!
But.
The moment it stepped away from the mahjong table.
Swish!
The Supervisor moved.
In an instant, the blade flashed.
The Bank Ghost didn't even manage to scream before the Bone-Cleaving Knife cleaved it cleanly in two at the waist!
And in the next moment.
A horde of ghost doctors who had long been eager surged forward.
They picked up chainsaws and, right then and there, dismantled all its "Gundam Parts"!
Next was the Thief Ghost.
The revolver reached its hands.
It seemed to have accepted reality.
Because it was already blind—surviving that last round had already been its swan song.
Against such a terrifying enemy, it was better to go out with dignity.
And so.
Bang!
It pulled the trigger.
A round wrapped in dark aura instantly tore through its skull!
But strangely, it suffered not a scratch—yet the rules judged it.
Dead.
The Thief Ghost quietly fell, awaiting its fate of being dismantled.
Finally.
The revolver passed to Piano's hands.
The tide had turned.
Meeting Jiang Nan's mocking gaze, Piano completely broke down.
She realized—the game was up!
This man was simply unbeatable!
Thud!
She dropped straight to her knees on the floor.
And burst into tears, snot and tears flooding her face, even wetting her trousers.
"Waaahhhh...someone save me!!"
"Is anyone out there who can save me!! I don't want to die!!"
She began frantically begging for help—as pitifully as one could possibly be.
She could submit beneath that gold-haired buxom woman, and naturally she could submit beneath others!
However flattering her words sounded—in reality...
So-called dignity, in her eyes, was nothing but a bargaining chip for survival!
She first looked toward the Foot-Spa Ghost in the main seat.
However, the Foot-Spa Ghost, seeing the game was lost, had long since dissolved into black smoke and decisively departed.
Not wanting to be tainted by this misfortune in the slightest.
She turned to look at Silk-Stocking Desperado, sobbing and crying out.
"Silk-Stocking Desperado sis!! Please save me!!"
"I'm your little sister!"
"Do you still remember our time together in the prison bathroom?!"
"We were so close back then!!"
Silk-Stocking Desperado, hearing this, shook her head in distaste.
"Sorry, Piano little sis~"
"Much as I'd love to save you, there's nothing I can do..."
"I just bought a Safe Zone outright recently—money's a bit tight—I really can't afford the 2,000 Ghost Coin buyout fee."
"You'll just have to...fend for yourself."
With that, she took Guan Ming and left without looking back.
The other spectators also quickly trickled out one by one.
Because they were afraid that after Piano died, the woman behind her would set her sights on them!
In the blink of an eye, the vast card room held only a few people.
Piano's face was a mess of snot and tears—as wretched as wretchedness could be, every trace of her earlier loftiness vanished without a trace.
As for why she didn't beg her master, the Gambler, for help?
Because the other party definitely wouldn't save her!
They would even personally kill her for being this disgraceful waste!
"Ahhhhhhh!!"
She beat the floor crying:
"I don't want to die!!"
"I haven't even found a real man yet!!"
"I'm still a maiden!! I don't want to die!!"
And right at this moment.
She cast her last hope upon that cold, detached, spectating man—Jiang Nan.
Like a dog, she crawled to Jiang Nan's feet, clasping his trouser legs, frantically begging for help.
"Please!! My lord!! My master!!"
"Save me!! Help me pay the penalty fee!!"
"As long as you let me live..."
"You can do whatever you want to me!!"
"I have an S-Grade ability! I know gambling techniques!"
"I'm very good at serving people! I know every position!!"
"Please...let me be your dog!! Woof woof woof~"
But.
Jiang Nan's mocking expression seemed to say:
‘Keep going~ keep going~ let me see just how desperate you can get~’
At this moment.
The only spectator remaining in the room was the Bunny-Girl Ghost.
She hid in a corner, watching that man in his moment of certain victory, filled with boundless joy.
But just then, she caught sight of her own burned face in the mirror nearby...
Her mood instantly sank, and she lowered her head in self-reproach, tightening her fists.
‘I don't want to give up...’
‘Then...there is only chance!’
The Bunny-Girl Ghost took 1 last long, deep look at Jiang Nan's silhouette, then turned and left.
"Next time...I'll let you see a different me!"
......
At the same time.
Piano's countdown had reached its end.
20...
19...
18...
She completely broke down.
"Hahahaha!!"
She erupted in hysterical laughter on the floor, laughing at herself for being a joke.
"To think I'm the Daughter of the Gambling God...yet I lost to that big sister who learned my own moves!"
"And then lost again to this unreasonable monster!"
"What a joke!!"
Finally, she began hurling abuse.
"Arashin-kai!! 7th Seat·Gambler!! That damned gold-haired buxom woman!!"
"Go f*** yourselves!!"
"I slaved away for you like an ox and a horse, yet you treated me like trash!!"
"If I can become a ghost! I'll definitely make you pay!!"
But right at this moment.
The ever-unmoved Jiang Nan's eyes shifted—ever so slightly.
‘7th Seat...Gambler?’
‘Isn't that the same gang as Dusk and the Faceless One?’
‘Sooner or later that organization will come looking for trouble—I might as well strike first and take her out.’
‘In that case...this one can't die yet.’
Though Jiang Nan had little patience for this kind of dignity-less, unhinged creature.
But when profit was on the table, there was no reason to leave it behind.
And so.
Stomp!
He placed 1 foot down right in front of Piano where she lay on the ground, looking down at her from above.
Piano was completely dazed, looking up at the sole of that shoe.
‘What's going on? Is he trying to humiliate me further?’
But in the next moment.
Swish!
A slip of note paper drifted down, landing flat against her face.
【Want to live?】
【Then start by polishing my shoes!】