Apocalypse of Gambling!
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A wide smile spread across Captain Cook's face.
His annoyance at being interrupted had already vanished. He could sense a familiar excitement in the man's words.
This man was one of his own kind.
A greedy gambler!
The coming game was suddenly something to look forward to. He just hoped the man was qualified to sit at the table.
"Good! I'll explain the rules. We place one bullet in this revolver and spin the cylinder. Then, we take turns shooting at ourselves. Whoever gets shot, loses. Understand?"
The moment Cook produced the revolver, Wu Wang knew this was an unfair gamble.
Why would the captain dare to play Russian Roulette, yet still require a win to move on to a game of truth?
The answer was obvious. The gun couldn't kill him.
Captain Cook was confident that even if he lost, the revolver wouldn't be fatal. From the very beginning, the only life on the line belonged to the guest trying to get into his room.
This, of course, didn't include those invited into the Captain's Room for a more… intimate exchange.
Like the lady who had just left.
She certainly didn't need to play Russian Roulette to get in.
"Understood," Wu Wang said, his tone remarkably relaxed. "But neither of us would trust the other to load the bullet and spin the cylinder, would we?"
He continued, "How about this? We give the revolver and the bullet to her to prepare. A fair and impartial third party should be fine, right?"
Wu Wang pointed a hand at the Number Five waitress beside him.
She was a little stunned.
Captain Cook was also taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Of course, no problem! The waitresses on this ship are the fairest witnesses. They won't favor any side, not even me."
He wasn't lying.
As captain, he had no authority to order these waitresses around. They represented Mary's will.
She was the Mary of the Mary.
With that said, he handed the gun to Wu Wang. After letting the man confirm the revolver was fine, it was passed to Number Five.
"I'll have to trouble you. I believe you'll bring me good luck," Wu Wang said, solemnly placing the revolver in her hands.
Number Five's expression was a little unnatural. She truly had no way to help Wu Wang cheat. Both Mary's will and her own rules demanded she ensure absolute fairness.
Sighing, she took the revolver.
Wu Wang and Captain Cook turned their backs simultaneously.
They listened to the sounds from behind them. A bullet being inserted into a chamber, the whirring of the spinning cylinder, and finally a click as it locked into the frame.
Both men broke into a smile at the same time. Wu Wang's, however, was hidden by his mask.
"Gentlemen, the revolver is ready…"
Clang.
Number Five had barely finished speaking.
The sound of something hitting the floor came from behind them. Wu Wang and Captain Cook still didn't turn around. They knew the waitress would explain.
A moment later, Number Five's voice sounded again.
"Apologies, my hand slipped and I dropped the revolver. It's ready now. You may begin the game."
The two men turned around. Sure enough, a white scratch marked the wooden floor where the revolver had fallen.
Captain Cook glanced at Wu Wang and laughed magnanimously.
"Hahaha! My friend! As the old saying from your country goes, 'Is it not a delight to have friends come from afar?' You first, please!"
Wu Wang didn't waste any words.
He took the revolver from Number Five's hand without hesitation and pressed the muzzle to his temple.
"Captain, do you know the secret to good comedy?" he asked flatly.
Click.
Before anyone could react, Wu Wang had pulled the trigger.
An empty chamber.
Captain Cook reached for the gun, but Wu Wang didn't hand it over. Instead, he cocked the hammer again, the muzzle still flush against his skin. He answered his own question as if talking to himself.
"Timing."
Click.
He pulled the trigger a second time.
Still empty.
"Then what's courage?" Wu Wang's tone slowed, as if mocking something.
As he spoke, he cocked the hammer again.
Click.
Still empty.
"Grace under pressure."
Captain Cook's expression had turned ugly. He could tell the other man was mocking him for not daring to play a game where his life was truly on the line. After all, the revolver's power couldn't kill him.
But before he could retort, Wu Wang cocked the hammer again.
"So what's gambling?"
Click.
The fourth shot. Still empty.
His tone became playful.
"A prisoner of fate trying to struggle. That's gambling."
With that, he cocked the hammer again. He slowly moved the revolver from his temple and held it under his chin, pointing upwards. If the gun fired from this position, his entire head would be blown apart.
"And, who's the boss?"
Number Five's hands had begun to tremble. She never thought Wu Wang could be this insane.
Russian Roulette had an unwritten rule. If one person fired three times in a row, the other had to take all the remaining turns. Logically, Captain Cook had already lost on Wu Wang's third shot.
But he was still going!
Was this possible? Five empty chambers in a row?
As his index finger slowly applied pressure, the trigger was pulled bit by bit. Cold sweat was already trickling down Captain Cook's cheeks. The man before him was the most insane gambler he had ever seen.
Click.
The fifth shot! Empty!
"I'm the boss!"
His voice held no trace of trembling or hesitation. Only pure, playful amusement.
The revolver had six chambers. Now only one was left.
An expression of disbelief appeared on Number Five's face. She wasn't surprised that Wu Wang could win, but she hadn't expected him to win in such an extreme manner. He had basically ground Captain Cook's face into the dirt.
It was impossible to imagine just how arrogant the face under that Decade mask was right now.
Captain Cook gritted his teeth.
"The gun's broken… It broke when you dropped it!"
He couldn't believe this man's luck was so good. And he certainly didn't believe the waitress would help him cheat.
Facing the slightly red-eyed captain, Wu Wang simply raised the revolver and aimed it at a vase on a nearby table.
He cocked the hammer.
And pulled the trigger.
Bang!
A gunshot, followed by the smell of gunpowder, shattered the vase.
In other words, if he had handed the gun to Captain Cook, that last bullet would have absolutely been fired into his temple.
"Oh, Captain, my Captain!" Wu Wang declared. "Our fearful trip is done, the ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won."
"Now, let us head to port and begin the second round. Our game of truth."
"This time, I will set the game."
Wu Wang's voice was like a demon's whisper, making Captain Cook feel a rare sense of fear.
He was wrong.
This man was not his kind. He was a greedy gambler, yes, but the figure in the magenta suit was something more.
Beneath that mask existed an absolute madman.
He wasn't a gambler. He was just insane.
And now, this madman had placed him on a fiery stove, with no way to advance or retreat.
Finally, Captain Cook took two deep breaths.
"Fine! What do you want to bet on?"
"I can't be bothered to find other props. Let's stick with Russian Roulette. This time, we'll load six bullets."
A sly smile was evident in his voice.
"I'll bet on a misfire."
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