Chapter 90: Chapter 90: Bug: No One Feeds Me Peanuts

"You’re new here, aren’t you?"

Having successfully struck up a conversation, Tian Shou spoke again.

"As someone who’s been around, I have to give you a piece of advice. This kind of thing is fine for a bit of fun, but you can’t let it get to your head."

"It’ll hurt your wallet, and it’ll hurt you even more."

Tian Shou seemed to be acting out of kindness, and Yang Jiang, of course, accepted it all at face value.

As he listened to Tian Shou explain the casino’s rules and share a few little gambling tricks, his eyes lit up with eagerness.

"Come on, try your luck."

Tian Shou saw what Yang Jiang was thinking and beckoned to him with a chuckle.

Yang Jiang was very obedient, tentatively tossing a dozen or so low-grade spirit stones onto the table.

It was a small amount for a gambling table, but thankfully, no one paid any mind.

At the table, the dealer’s eyes met Tian Shou’s for a fleeting, secretive moment before looking away. They thought they were being discreet, but they didn’t know that Yang Jiang saw everything.

"Big, big!"

The simplest game of high-low.

The people around them were shouting, their bloodshot eyes clearly showing something was off about them.

"Big!"

Yang Jiang, on the other hand, shouted softly.

Undercover Secret Number One: Learn to blend in with your surroundings, but as a novice gambler, you must also retain a hint of unease.

His performance was just right.

The gambling table was crowded. Amid the press of bodies, Tian Shou had already moved close to Yang Jiang’s side.

"Big! I won, I won! HAHAHA!"

"Mine, it’s all mine."

When the lid was lifted, the result was "big." The ones who won grinned, sweeping all the chips on the table into their arms.

Yang Jiang did the same.

As if by accident, Tian Shou’s hand brushed across Yang Jiang’s shoulder.

The touch was faint.

Tian Shou looked at the Gambling Bug he had tossed on him and frowned.

The little darling was playing dead.

He had clearly made his move, yet the little darling looked half-dead and unwilling to cooperate.

Unfortunately, these bugs were too unintelligent to communicate with him.

Tian Shou, who could usually read the Gambling Bugs’ thoughts, was now full of suspicion.

’Could it be that there’s something wrong with this person?’

He quickly dismissed the idea.

The same thing was happening to other people as well.

Was there a problem with the Gambling Bugs?

Lost in thought, Tian Shou didn’t notice Yang Jiang’s profound gaze. With a slight shift of his eyes, Yang Jiang proactively linked his arm with Tian Shou’s.

As for the little bug playing dead on his shoulder, he pretended not to see it.

"Brother, thank you! If it weren’t for you, I probably would’ve lost that round. Here, take half of this as a reward."

He pushed half of his winnings over to Tian Shou.

Undercover Secret Number Two: Learn to share proactively.

"No need. You earned that yourself. All I did was run my mouth. I can’t take it."

Preoccupied with his thoughts, Tian Shou’s reply was somewhat absent-minded.

He couldn’t care less about such a small amount.

If one move fails, there’s always another.

Undercover Secret Number Three: Always have a backup plan.

"Alright, but I’d feel bad if I didn’t repay you somehow. Let me treat you to some skewers."

He pulled a few skewers out of his Storage Space.

Boss Lu hadn’t set a limit yet, so he had bought quite a few today.

He had originally planned to save them as a surprise for his sister, who was in seclusion and had missed out on Boss Lu’s food.

Now, these skewers would help him accomplish his little undercover objective.

"N—"

Just as Tian Shou was about to refuse again, his nose twitched.

The aroma, so close at hand, made Tian Shou’s eyes freeze. He stared at the tantalizingly colored skewers, and an appetite that had lain dormant for years overwhelmed everything else.

The tender white tofu, with its honeycomb-like structure, had soaked up the broth.

The green vegetables had only been blanched in the soup base, remaining crisp and emerald-green. Dotted with brilliant red chili, the red-and-green combination was especially eye-catching.

Several plump shiitake mushrooms were threaded onto a bamboo skewer, their caps scored with a crosshatch pattern.

Many people disliked the smell of shiitake, finding it unpleasant, but the shiitake skewers made by Lu Wu didn’t have that problem at all.

The succulent mushrooms made Tian Shou want to pounce on them and take a bite.

The mere thought of the umami of the mushrooms and the spiciness of the broth exploding in his mouth made Tian Shou’s breathing quicken slightly.

His heart was captivated. A terrible, inescapable feeling.

He could no longer bring himself to utter a refusal he didn’t mean.

Tian Shou’s throat bobbed. For the first time, another desire overpowered his gambling addiction.

He even ignored the strange state of his Gambling Bugs.

If he had looked closer at that moment, he would have discovered that the Gambling Bug on Yang Jiang’s shoulder had gone completely stiff when it saw the skewers.

’Master, can’t you see this thing smells so good the bug is about to kick the bucket?’

’The lingering scent on these people was already scary enough for a bug, and now the genuine article has been pulled out, and the bug is this close to the source of the fragrance.’

’Oh my god.’

’What kind of pesticide is this?’

’This bug’s little life is forfeit!’

The bug foamed at the mouth and, this time, went completely rigid.

’SOB SOB SOB... This little bug... I’m never coming back to this mortal realm again.’

"Want a taste?"

Yang Jiang had sharp eyes; he precisely captured the instantaneous shift in Tian Shou’s emotions.

Pretending he hadn’t seen anything, Yang Jiang spoke in a friendly tone.

"They’re delicious. If you hadn’t helped me, brother, I wouldn’t have been willing to share. Once you eat one, there’s one less in the world."

And that was all the absolute truth.

Boss Lu’s skewers were one of a kind in all of heaven and earth.

Yang Jiang was being very generous.

Undercover Secret Number Four: Never lose a lot over a little. Instead, use a little to gain a lot.

"I’ll try one, then."

In the end, Tian Shou couldn’t avoid the offered hand. Refusing now would just be playing hard to get.

Taking a skewer of tofu, Tian Shou took a bite.

The tender tofu was full of soy fragrance, its delicate structure overflowing with a richly flavored broth.

The longer tofu is cooked, the more flavor it absorbs.

And Lu Wu’s control over the cooking time for these ingredients was nothing short of divine.

The flavor was just right, and the texture wasn’t too tough.

He slowly crushed the soft tofu in his mouth. As the food slid into his stomach, a pleasant warmth spread through him.

Every pore on Tian Shou’s body seemed to open up.

These were skewers from the fragrant and spicy hot pot base. Tian Shou normally didn’t eat spicy food, but right now, he felt he could still take it.

"Brother Tian Shou, take your time and eat. No rush. I’m gonna go play some more."

Pointing at the gambling tables, Yang Jiang indicated he wanted to continue. The look of an addict had already appeared in his eyes.

Undercover Secret Number Five: Know when to stop getting close. Withdraw before the other party becomes suspicious to clear yourself of any doubt.

Without waiting for Tian Shou’s reply, he turned and rejoined the game.

Having seen so many gamblers led bit by bit into the abyss, Tian Shou, the skewers heavy in his hand, felt an inexplicable sense of hesitation.

But thinking of his own past, Tian Shou ultimately hardened his heart.

He watched Yang Jiang’s back disappear into the crowd and left with indifference.

He was a thrall to desire, not a savior.

Deciding that "out of sight, out of mind" was the best approach, Tian Shou simply took the skewers and returned to his room. He just had a nagging feeling he had forgotten something.

Bug: No one’s feeding me peanuts.

In the casino, one Gambling Bug after another was quietly losing its life.

There were quite a few patrons who, like Yang Jiang, had brought skewers into the casino.

The aroma of food quietly permeated the casino, seemingly forming an invisible hand.

SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!

The little bugs were getting slapped across the face, one after another.

Their legs kicked out, and they went to see King Yan.

The aroma from the skewers grabbed the hands of the gamblers who were about to fall into an abyss of eternal damnation, jolting them to their senses.

After realizing the problem, whether these people were willing to climb out of the abyss was their own choice to make about their fate, one that no one could interfere with.

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