Chapter 85
Chapter 85
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Dice Game (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Guangzhou Hotel underground casino.
Today, former President Lee Taek-gyu didn't even glance at the slot machines glittering temptingly at the entrance.
He slowly walked across the red carpeted floor, heading to the deepest room.
Even without mirrors in the casino, former President Lee Taek-gyu knew from his reflection in the glass he held.
Something... a thrill entirely different from anything he'd felt before was waiting for him there.
"From here on, both of you must wear masks."
"Hold on a sec. I brought 'em."
Rustling through his briefcase, former President Lee Taek-gyu pulled out two masks.
"Let's see... Hmm...."
Goat and snake.
Holding the two completely different masks, one in each hand, he fell deep into thought.
Standing there like a statue of a judge holding scales, former President Lee Taek-gyu said nothing for a long while.
"Big bro, what're you agonizin' over? Just go with the goat, the goat."
"Why the goat of all things?"
"'Cause goats climb right up cracks in the rock to the mountaintop, ain't that right? And I'm feelin' the snake today."
Baek Deok-gyu cupped his palms together, mimicking a snake slithering.
His comical wriggling hands suddenly spread wide, transforming into a viper baring its fangs at prey.
"Sneak up and chomp the other bastards' ankles. Heh heh heh."
"Chomp? What're you... Hell, you're no good with words yourself."
His words were gruff, but he seemed pleased with what the animal masks symbolized. Former President Lee Taek-gyu wore a strange smile.
A goat leaping up rocky peaks toward the lofty sky.
After being ousted from Ammunition Electronics, he'd come all the way to Guangzhou only to suffer humiliation from Seo Yun-ji, who was like his niece.
But... with this goat mask on, disguised as a gambler, his confidence was on another level from his bare face.
"Goat, goat... Yeah. This'll do. Time to make a leap, I reckon. Hey, dealer buddy. Let's get this show on the road."
* * * *
The room was spacious.
Glamorous lighting from the chandelier on the ceiling, faint music drifting in, a subtle scent of oud.
There, five or six people wore masks of all kinds.
"Hmm... What a world, what a world. And that rabbit mask lady over there—looks like she was a model or somethin'."
Former President Lee Taek-gyu drooling at the woman in the red dress with the rabbit mask.
No further proof was needed that the face hidden beneath was a stunning beauty.
Especially since... she gave off a strangely familiar vibe, like he'd met her somewhere before, which only excited him more.
"But where've I... seen that woman?"
"Big bro, that's some ancient pickup line."
"Shut it, it ain't a pickup. It just feels that way for real."
"Jeez, win some cash first then slip her your card. And look at that creepy angel mask over there. Dang."
Next to the rabbit mask woman, a man with his arm linked in hers, giving a silent nod.
A crown of thorns on his forehead and red tear streaks.
His colorless angel mask gave off an eerie vibe. Almost like... someone who'd openly opposed him before.
"That guy? He feels off. Real bad vibe. What's his deal with that angel mask?"
"Sucker. Total mark. Heh heh heh."
"Sucker? Him?"
Former President Lee Taek-gyu squinted one eye.
The complete opposite of his gut screaming to run.
"He dropped about... 500 million won in a week? And he's still grinnin' like an idiot."
"Some rich kid, youngest son of a chaebol family or what?"
Utterly focused on the dice game without a word.
The current round in progress.
The angel mask man shook the cup noisily with the dice, then slammed them vigorously onto the table.
-Clack, clack, clack!
The three dice bounced off each other.
Right beside them, using the mountain of chips as a screen, the dice had been showing off, but now they lay obediently still.
And then, the dealer's crisp voice rang out.
"3! 1! 4! The gentleman in the angel mask rolled an 8. The winner of this game is the lady in the hippo mask!"
"Oh my! Oh my! What luck! I never dreamed I'd win with a measly 10!"
Two plump white women overjoyed beyond measure. They pulled chips worth about 70 million won in Korean currency toward themselves.
Cheers and laughter erupted.
When the dealer asked if they'd continue, the hippo mask woman shook her head immediately.
"This is plenty. If the angel mask gentleman loses more and the rabbit mask lady wins it back, it's all for nothing. Right, sis?"
"Exactly. Better cash out while we're ahead. Oh ho ho, we're off now. Had a blast."
They exited amid applause.
The rabbit mask woman, pissed off, placed hands on her hips and scolded the angel mask man.
As former President Lee Taek-gyu watched dazedly like he was entranced, Baek Deok-gyu poked his side with an elbow.
"See that? Total loser, that one."
"70 million per hand...! Look at that sucker bastard. Losin' that much and still smirkin'? Must have money to burn."
"Heh heh heh. That's why he's a mark. Jackpot? Let's hit the big one today."
Gulp. Former President Lee Taek-gyu swallowed hard.
The goat that drank from the spring of greed dug its hooves in, ready to leap toward the rocky mountain.
He stepped up to the now-desolate table.
Eyes on the rabbit mask woman, but hand extended to the angel mask man as former President Lee Taek-gyu spoke.
"Hey there, nice to meet ya. You seem to love dice games. How 'bout a round with us?"
* * * *
It had been a while since I'd seen former President Lee Taek-gyu's eyes. They looked hollow.
The eyes of a betrayer sunk in a quagmire, passion and sharpness all gone.
Wearing the horned goat mask, he was hurling himself at the gambler's streetlamp flame.
Mistaking it for the brilliant sunlight shining from the heavens.
"Chairman. Is the plan really going as is? Shouldn't we gauge former President Lee Taek-gyu's skill for a hand or two...?"
At the far end of the table, away from the others, Yoo Se-na, my aide, whispered so only I could hear.
Her words made sense on the surface. For a typical gambling table where neither side knew the other well.
"All right, let's get to it quick-like. Rules are 2v2. Dice stay three, same as before, yeah?"
The bare-toothed grin on former President Lee Taek-gyu's lips that he couldn't quite hide.
It clearly pointed to... the illusion born of stubbornness and greed.
The stubbornness he'd forced on all of Ammunition Electronics' members in the world he'd built.
And the greed that brought him across to Guangzhou, betraying everything he'd built up till now.
That's why the scene unfolding ahead was all the clearer. I pinched Yoo Se-na's aide's rabbit ears with my fingers and whispered softly.
"We go as planned. From the start."
"Chairman...."
"Against someone delusionally hooked like that, sticking to the playbook is fine. I'll set the line."
Leaving the hesitant Yoo Se-na behind, I stepped right up to the table.
In a tone much lower than usual, I spoke to the dealer in English, not Korean.
"May I start first on my side?"
The dealer glanced at former President Lee Taek-gyu at my declaration of setting the line. A bored voice soon decided the order.
"Whatever, do your thing."
The dealer, in calm butler style, slowly explained the betting rules without room for dispute. Finally, a cup and three dice were in my hands.
Our opponent's player was former President Lee Taek-gyu.
The wastrel of Ammunition Electronics... who'd leaked the group's engineering talent to Guangzhou.
He looked oddly fitting in the horned goat mask as he beckoned me lightly to bet.
"First hand, so let's keep it light. Light. Heh heh heh."
"Not sure. Too light an amount won't even spark the fire for real bets. So."
Beside me, chips piled high like mountain peaks.
From them, five rows of ten red chips each—worth about 10 million won apiece—were pushed swiftly to the table's center.
"500 million won! 50 red chips, I'll raise first."
* * * *
"B-Big bro. What do we do? 500 million's basically all your money, ain't it?"
"...Hold on. Lemme think."
The abrupt 500 million won bet.
Former President Lee Taek-gyu couldn't just fold. Calling "die" and quitting meant losing 10 million won for nothing.
Plus, my feigned naivety screamed to his greed-blinded mind.
Come on, follow me and pluck the sweet fruit stem and all.
"...I'll call."
"Big bro, for real?"
"Yeah. You think I'd fake it? Worst case... I got that promissory note from that Seo Yun-ji bitch. Can squeeze more outta that."
Former President Lee Taek-gyu squinted both eyes.
As if forcing his mind's refusal, he averted his gaze and pushed five rows of ten red chips to the center.
"Screw it. If I can't eat it, I'll die. Call!"
At the betting signal, I raised both arms.
I placed the neatly aligned dice in the cup, shook hard seven times big, five small, and thought.
This hand... isn't for winning money.
Just planting a tiny spark in former President Lee Taek-gyu's desire itself.
I'd gladly take a small loss for that.
As I shook the dice staring at the green-felt table, a feel hit my fingertips right away.
The numbers I'd aimed for roughly matched.
"Now!"
Clatter. The three dice flung onto the table.
The white cubes rolled wildly at first but soon settled perfectly in place.
Showing a strange number that seemed to beg the horned goat to step forward in a trance.
"Whoa...! This, this!"