015/Qiliu
Yingzhou slept soundly at night.
He went to bed later than usual, but still woke up early according to his biological clock.
After waking up, Yingzhou first thought about today's task arrangement in his mind, then got up, came to the trash can, and looked down.
Shadow's body was pressed tightly against the ticket. Because I couldn't tell the front from the back, it looked like a little tortoise sleeping with its arms stretched out.
Yingzhou picked up the shadow and placed it on the desk beside him. The shadow turned over on the table, melting from a gingerbread man into a puddle of ink, dripping from the edge of the desk, back to Yingzhou's feet.
Yingzhou opened the drawer, took out the scissors, and cut the ticket into small pieces.
He swept the pieces into a plastic bag, went to the kitchen to pick up yesterday's food waste, went downstairs, and threw them all into the garbage truck at the entrance of the community.
At 7:30 in the morning, sanitation workers wearing orange-red vests drove a tricycle downstairs on time.
Yingzhou saw him cleaning the trash can and then leaving with a car full of garbage. Then he turned around and returned home.
He cut a piece of cake that Yuan Wenxin brought yesterday for breakfast.
The soft chiffon cake embryo is coated with layers of light yellow cream on the surface, and the texture is particularly layered and textured.
The surface of the cake was sprinkled with green matcha powder and a bunch of dried jasmine flowers were placed as decoration.
Yingzhou poked a small piece off with a fork and stuffed it into his mouth. The cream has a sweet jasmine matcha flavor, and you can chew cookie crumbs when you take a bite.
Sugar can make people feel better. Ying Zhou had a great time eating.
After breakfast, Yingzhou returned to his bedroom, ready to continue the homework he had not finished yesterday.
But when he opened the textbook, the tip of his pen couldn't help but pause slightly.
——There is a bright red ticket in the book.
Ying Zhou was silent for a moment, opened the drawer and stuffed the ticket in.
*
Yingzhou stayed at home alone for five days.
In the blink of an eye, it’s June 6th, the day before the college entrance examination.
Since the last time he sent a bunch of strange text messages, Li Yang never sent them again or returned home.
However, the police did not come to the door.
Everything was calm, yet there was a turbulent undercurrent.
All the housework during this period was taken care of by the shadow.
In the class group, the subject teacher is encouraging the candidates.
What they posted was nothing more than "the college entrance examination only determines which city you will play games in", as if they were not the ones who said "As long as you don't learn to die, you will learn to die" a hundred days ago.
The class teacher is still the group leader, but the students all know that he will never be online again.
I don’t know who turned on anonymity, but the first one said, “It would be great if Laoban was still here.”
The group suddenly burst into tears.
Yingzhou is one of those people with an extremely strong mentality, but that doesn't stop him from knowing that there will be many people in the class living in the nightmare of that day.
But he's not a psychiatrist, can't do anything about it, and doesn't want to care.
A new message box pops up at the top of the screen.
Xun Yu: Are you coming out to see the examination room? I'll wait for you at the gate of the community.
Yingzhou clicked on the chat box and answered: OK.
He changed his clothes and went downstairs.
Yuan Wenxin's black business car was parked on the old street at the entrance of the community.
But when Yingzhou got in the car, he only saw Xun Yu in the driver's seat.
Xun Yu said: "Yuan Wenxin registered for the college entrance examination in another city. He flew back this morning and will not come back until after the exam."
Xun Yu also took out a key with a room card and handed it to him: "Yuan Wenxin said that his home is quite close to your examination room. I have sent you the address, and you can sleep at his home."
He thought for a moment and added: "Yuan Wenxin is safe at home."
Yuan Wenxin made some simple decorations for her home.
For example, there is a pile of insect eggs buried under the flower bed at the door.
These eggs are in an unhatched state and will not be activated without Yuan Wenxin's blood. But it can emit some smell and let the strange creatures passing by take a detour. The principle is somewhat similar to a dog peeing enclosure. Of course, Yuan Wenxin didn't like hearing this.
After all, it is the future boss who returns to Novice Village. In the early stages of Weird's recovery, Yuan Wenxin's strength was enough to scare many evil spirits.
Yingzhou thought for a moment, took the key from Xun Yu's hand, and said "thank you."
Xun Yu had just finished her college entrance examination and got her driver's license. After all these years, I haven't forgotten how to drive.
For safety reasons, commercial vehicles do not travel very fast. Coupled with the traffic jam, Yingzhou arrived at the examination room an hour later.
The school has already put the college entrance examination holiday. There were people coming and going on the playground, all of them coming to see the examination room.
The teaching building is inaccessible.
Yingzhou specifically asked the security guard and found out that the school where he took the exam did not have urban rumors such as "crying in the music classroom", "the 13th step at midnight", and "the tragedy of girls jumping off the building", and then he felt a little relieved.
Xun Yu was dumbfounded as he listened: "The resurgence of strange things has just begun. I don't know if there are 100 scourges in the world, and even fewer will appear in City A. It's not that easy to run into. There may be more strange creatures."
Yingzhou glanced at him: "school, shadow; home, farmer; amusement park, clown."
By the way, all this adds up to a span of only one month.
Xun Yu: "..."
That night, Yingzhou stayed at Yuan Wenxin's home with his admission ticket and stationery.
Yuan Wenxin came to City A just for a temporary stay. Not only was her family equipped with a car, she also bought a house in full.
A large flat floor with a total of four bedrooms, each bedroom has a bed.
Yingzhou chose a guest room with a toilet. He has no habit of recognizing beds, not to mention the bedding here is much better than what he uses.
He lay on the bed, his body sinking into the fluffy and soft white goose down quilt, which was very comfortable. The quilt doesn't smell damp either.
Yingzhou couldn't help but rub it a few more times, and then secretly spurned himself.
The enemy's sugar-coated bullets were too terrifying, and Yuan Wenxin wanted to corrupt him mentally.
The yearning for beauty and comfort is a survival instinct engraved in DNA. It's just that Yingzhou needs to remind himself that these are not his, and he can take back what others give him at any time.
Dependence and neediness are terrible habits.
Outside the door, Xun Yu is cooking dinner.
During the college entrance examination, Xun Yu took the initiative to take on the important responsibility of taking care of Ying Zhou. Of course, he also lives in Yuan Wenxin's home.
Before the meal is ready, the aroma of food is already wafting from the kitchen.
Yingzhou called Shadow out: "You go to the kitchen and learn it."
The implication is that he thinks Shadow's cooking is not very tasty.
Shadow felt slightly depressed, but still came to the kitchen obediently. Like a fish, it swam up to the ceiling. I carefully watched Xun Yu cook.
In the evening, we had mixed cucumber, butter shrimp and steamed Wuchang fish.
It was delicious. Yingzhou finished two bowls of rice by himself.
On the last day before the college entrance examination, Yingzhou did not answer any questions.
It's just that his daily entertainment activities are too scarce, and he has no other hobbies except reading.
So, Yingzhou struggled for a moment, called Shangyuan Wenxin, and Lianmai started playing Landlords online.
He is good at math and counts cards very accurately.
Unless the system sanctions you and you are dealt a bad hand of cards, you will basically never lose.
"Wang Zha." Yingzhou slid out the last two cards and looked at the time. It was nine o'clock in the evening. "No more, tomorrow's college entrance examination."
Yuan Wenxin lost the Happy Beans all night and said gloomily: "With your skills, it would be a waste not to go to the casino to play a few games.
"Also, why should I, the local landlord, be the king? And the local landlord Xunyu, why should you separate the kings and fight them?"
"The big and small kings are separated because he has a straight in his hand. The big card is 2 and he can't pass. I want to support you. I am blowing you because I only have two cards left." Yingzhou explained calmly, "I Even if we are short of money and die outside, if we jump from here, we won’t be able to go to the casino.”
Anger flashed between his brows, and his voice was unconsciously cold.
There was a gambler in Yingzhou's family. This gambler was also the pillar of his mother's support. This dark cloud almost ruined the most important ten years of his life.
Fortunately, the dog-gambling stepfather has not shown up for a few days.
Maybe he really was sent abroad because he couldn't pay the money.
It was impossible for Yingzhou to gamble, and he didn't even scratch off the scratch-off tickets given by Taobao shopping.
The scariest thing about gambling is not losing money, but winning money.
Because I won money, I hope that I can make a comeback; I have experienced the feeling of getting rich suddenly, and I can never go back to the values of the past.
What's more, in a casino, the dealer has 10,000 ways to control the gambling situation and let the gamblers spit out the chips they have eaten. Only fools go there to play.
Yuan Wenxin knew that he had said the wrong thing again and pursed his lips slightly.
Yingzhou was the first to change the subject: "I'll hang up now, and you guys should go to bed early."
He lay on his bed and opened his mailbox.
Since Xu Wenling arrived at the institute, the staff will send an email every day to inform him of the progress of his treatment and Xu Wenling's status.
Same today.
Dr. Zhao said that Plan A was useless for Xu Wenling and planned to use Plan B. If plan B fails again, the only option is to put Xu Wenling in a containment cabin and wait for the institute to find a new plan before trying it again.
In addition, the institute also sent a video.
In the video, Xu Wenling's eyes have changed significantly.
If it was like a docile sheep, now it is like a gloomy snake.
According to the institute, her level of mental pollution deepened.
When she heard the staff said that they planned to record a video for Yingzhou, Xu Wenling had a slight smile on her face.
She sat up straight in her chair and whispered: "Xiaozhou is about to take the exam. It's a pity that mom can't be with you. Come on for the college entrance examination. You have to take care of yourself."
"By the way, Mom has been thinking about a lot of things recently. This is what another voice in my head taught me. It should be the farmer you mentioned. I used to be too cowardly, cowardly, and shirk responsibility. I'm sorry... …Small boat.”
"I'm fine here, don't worry about me."
Yingzhou watched this video many times.
Nothing out of the ordinary, and it didn't feel like he was being coerced.
Yingzhou took a deep breath and closed the email.
He rationally persuaded himself to trust Yuan Wenxin, but deep down he couldn't help but be wary.
Just when Yingzhou was about to go to sleep, a message suddenly popped up in the family group that had been silent for a long time.
Li Yang: @胜游
Li Yang: [picture]
In the picture, Li Yang is kneeling on the ground, his hands tied behind his back, his eyes full of fear, and the edges of his eyeballs are bloodshot. What's even more terrifying is that there is actually a bloody word "正" carved on his face.
This "zheng" was carved with a knife. Li Yang's face was filled with blood and flesh, and the scar stretched vertically across the entire bridge of his nose. It looks terrifying and ferocious.
Yingzhou endured the strong visual discomfort and carefully looked at the background of the photo.
There are no windows, and the light is not particularly bright, it is an indoor light. You can still vaguely see the backs of other people.
The object behind Li Yang looked like a gambling table, with two dice falling to the ground in the corner.
Li Yang: Your father lost one million in our casino and accepted the casino’s life-and-death bet.
Li Yang: But he lost all his last five opportunities, so he became a "human tool" in our casino.
Li Yang: Do you know what human tools are?
The person on the other side of the phone sent a few more pictures.
The first picture is of a plain sofa. The sofa has a particularly special luster, like pig skin with its hair removed. It's just a little thinner, and you can vaguely see the flattened facial features.
This is probably some kind of real leather sofa.
The second picture shows dozens of white dice. The dice is slightly yellowed, the six flat surfaces are slightly concave, and some bone cracks can be seen on it. The circle on the side that was supposed to represent "1" was replaced by an eyeball.
There are black eyes, blue eyes, and brown eyes.
The third picture is of candles on the wall of the casino.
Every casino will have a VIP room for VIPs, and this underground casino is no exception. A row of candles hung on the wall. You know, grease can be made into candles and soap.
Every photo is plain. There isn't even any hint of blood.
But a strong chill still rushed to Yingzhou's forehead, making him feel cold on the back of his head.
This is unabashed malice.
Yingzhou moved his fingers and replied: That's not right, thank you.
Li Yang: Indeed. However, after he lost all his money and before making a life-and-death bet, he took a gamble with me.
Li Yang: [Picture] Look, he mortgaged his wife to me.
The person on the other side of the account sent a contract. There is no seal, but there is Li Yang's signature and handprint.
Yingzhou scanned it with one glance, which probably meant that Li Yang exchanged his wife for 3,000 yuan in chips.
Voice message: "What a pity. He originally wanted to ask his son to borrow the 3,000 yuan. But his only son in the household register was so heartless."
The person who spoke sounded like a young man, and his tone was full of pleasure.
Yingzhou didn't think that Li Yang would survive if he borrowed the money. The 3,000 yuan he gets may turn into 30,000 yuan in a short period of time, but it will eventually become negative 130,000 yuan before leaving the casino.
To put it bluntly, the beast on the other side just wanted to anger him.
"Your father mortgaged her to me, and this contract was actually recognized by the rules. Of course, now is a society ruled by law, and our casino will only collect debts in a civilized manner... How about making her into a vase? My office still needs a big one vase."
Yingzhou held the phone tightly, his eyes gradually turned a light red.
The voice on the phone continued: "Haha, you should be lucky that your mother is actually in that damn research institute. It's very special there. They nailed a scourge to the ground to form a harmless realm. So I can't go in yet.
"But do you want her to stay in the research institute all her life? It's underground, there is no sky, and there is no light. It's very pitiful.
"If I were you, I would find a way to deal with who I am now. I'm only E-level now, but people's hearts are too greedy. It's hard to say what kind of monster I will become in the future..."
"Oh, by the way. Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself." The speaker paused, "You can call me 'dealer'. I used to have a big casino, it was my pride, my empire. . Unfortunately, I lost everything in the last gamble. Wealth, dignity, and even life."
A cruel smile appeared on the dealer's face: "Fortunately, the god of luck always favors me, and I get a chance to start over.
"Now, I only have a small and pitiful underground casino; you are only nineteen years old. I solemnly invite you to visit my paradise again."
Because of the existence of Yuan Wenxin and Xun Yu, Yingzhou had some basic understanding of the so-called "rebirth". Apparently, the croupier is also a reborn person. And lost to him in the previous life.
For others, this is rebirth; but for Yingzhou, he is enjoying his only life, and every day he wakes up and feels that his balance is -1.
Yingzhou looked at the time and said slowly: "Not today. Not tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."
Have to take a test.
His attitude was surprisingly calm.
The dealer squeezed out a few low laughs from his throat: "I understand. June 10th, ten o'clock in the evening. The location is downstairs in the chess and card room where your stepfather plays cards. Come alone, and then we will spend the beautiful time together. Night, okay?"
"My beloved... Mr. Tai Sui."
After the dealer sent this voice message, he threw Li Yang's cell phone into the fish tank.
This is a small office.
There was a piece of white paper on the desk. The croupier touched it gently with his fingers, and a few lines of words slowly appeared on the white paper.
[Bet of life and death]
Location: The first floor below the Happy Chess and Cards Room
Time: June 10th at 10pm
Rules: Best of five.
Additional conditions: None.
Party A: Dealer
Party B: Win the boat
On the contract, the word "Yingzhou" was written with flying colors. Even if Yingzhou himself saw it, he would feel that it was written by his own hand.
The croupier's realm is called "casino".
Weird ability: life and death bet.
As long as one party agrees to his invitation in any form, the contract will take effect. This form includes verbal agreement and acquiescence.
Those who violate the contract will be punished. The party that loses the bet will lose all human rights and become the property of the winner. This is the so-called "human tool".
Li Yang lost Xu Wenling to him because he personally filled in the additional conditions when signing the contract. He had no leverage at that time and could only exchange his wife for money.
This happens all the time in casinos. So the contract was made. Of course, it is not as exaggerated as the dealer said. After all, the contract must also follow the equality of rights and responsibilities.
At most, the croupier can sense Xu Wenling's position after winning. As for how to collect money, that also depends on the casino's ability.
But this message is enough to deceive children.
"Life and Death Bet" also has usage restrictions.
Regardless of whether it is E-level or A-level, within the same time and space, the dealer can only initiate a life-and-death bet, and the next round cannot begin until the winner is determined.
This bet can be refused.
But Yingzhou obviously didn't know, and he acquiesced to this result in his heart.
The croupier licked the corners of his lips, and a flash of excitement flashed in his eyes.
His whole body was shaking with excitement, and his lower body ached with excitement.
The croupier was wearing a light gray suit. He was handsome and had beautiful blue eyes. He looked like he was of mixed race.
The only thing that is different from ordinary people is that there are six hands on his back.
This allows the dealer to play cards, roll the dice and hit the slot machine at the same time. It is also very convenient to cheat.
The croupier was called the gambling king during his lifetime.
But that was many years ago.
The croupier got up from his chair, stretched out comfortably, and flicked the crow on the birdstand with his finger.
"Thank you master for me. After I get Tai Sui, I can borrow him for two months a year," he said.
