Death Penalty

Manila, Philippines. In some casino.

A large gambling table in the center was currently surrounded by attendants and police. Two immaculately dressed, middle-aged men sat at the table, currently locked in a final showdown.

At the moment, the atmosphere was heavy and harsh.

Pretty much all the casino tokens were being held in question. Both sides tightly gripped their playing cards, their gazes trying to pressure each other as they attempted to see through each other’s minds.

“He used sleight of hand*!!”

A loud shout was suddenly heard, interrupting the faceoff.

An alarm suddenly rang, and the two policemen immediately sprung into action, arresting one of the gamblers at the table.

This uproar drew everyone’s attentions toward the center of the casino.

Everyone had seen that the cards the middle-aged gambler had had in his hands violated the rules! ─This person was Zhuge Dong Ming, arrested today for sleight of hand.

Sleight of hand was the act of cheating in a casino, and a type of cheating technique**! Anyone caught cheating in a casino would be given the death penalty in this age.

“Mr. Zhuge Dong Ming,” his opponent sneered, “I hadn’t imagined that you’d actually brave death and use sleight of hand!”

Hmph…Zhuge Dong Ming thought, You’re also using sleight of hand, I just haven’t seen through it. Yet you’re beside yourself with joy!

That’s right. The gamble was really just a competition of cheating techniques. The victor was the party with the more superior cheating technique; the loser would have to pay with their life if they were the slightest bit inattentive─this was the rule of the casino.

The instant the two policemen dragged Zhuge Dong Ming away from the table and forced him into a police car, everyone erupted.

Some of them secretly smirked, some were dejected, and others were completely indifferent. However, they all knew that today was probably the last time they’d ever see this regular customer again.