svetikya Chapter 166 Paradise is a Place of Play
Chapter 166 Paradise is a Place of Play
Chapter 176 Paradise is a Place of Recreation
It is said that anyone who has 500 million yuan in cash will have exceptionally smooth sailing in whatever they do.
This is based on a theoretical basis—ample funds can significantly reduce various costs in the transaction process and help the buyer gain the upper hand in negotiations.
In addition to her prestige as the Dark-type Elite Four member and her communication skills, despite the fact that the League's wanted status meant that every transaction had to be conducted in the shadows, Cranberry still managed to achieve her goal.
In less than a month, while Detective Hugo was still playing video games at the Feather Residence, a magnificent gambling cruise ship had already been quietly launched at the shipyard in Fanba City.
This giant cruise ship, originally named "Royal Union," was certainly no match for the high-tech behemoths delivered to the Plasma Group by the Water Fleet. It could neither be equipped with main guns nor take off from the sea and soar into the sky, but its overall size was comparable to the latter.
The 10,000-ton cruise ship features hundreds of luxurious suites, restaurants, bars, bathhouses, swimming pools, cinemas, nurseries, and gaming areas—all the amenities that existed on the ship before it was chartered by Yueju.
Building on that, Blueberry continued to invest heavily, breaking down walls, adding installations, and creating an atmosphere to completely transform the cruise ship into a floating casino.
First, let's talk about the interior decoration of the cruise ship—
The interior design, originally marketed for its comfortable sailing experience, was replaced with a luxurious black and gold theme; large quantities of environmentally friendly paint mixed with gold powder were purchased and applied to the interior walls of the cruise ship's passageways as if it were free; from furniture and ornaments to paintings in the corridors, everything was decorated with the highest-end materials, even going so far as to compete for artworks at auctions; despite being a ship sailing on the high seas, a huge aquarium-style tank was installed in the largest hall, where all sorts of aquatic Pokémon roamed freely; theater-like lighting and concert-level sound equipment were installed in every corner of the ship…
Next came the gambling equipment—
It was as if the bilberry had plundered a land-based casino, carrying countless gambling gadgets onto the ship. Rows of pinball machines and slot machines, top-of-the-line roulette, gambling tables made of precious oak, professional chessboards used only in professional tournaments, dominoes and dice made from Pokémon teeth, all sorts of bizarre gambling devices with mechanical mechanisms... and chips of various colors whose craftsmanship was no less than that of real currency, circulating among casinos and exchangeable at par with the League's universal currency.
Finally, there's the matter of personnel—
Generally speaking, gamblers' friends are parasites who only add chaos to society, and the former gambler, the "Evil King," naturally understood this well. Therefore, during the construction of the gambling cruise ship, he did the opposite, recruiting a large group of his "enemies." Among them were bookmakers skilled at enticing customers to stay at the tables, dealers who were impartial yet could subtly control the game at crucial moments, casino managers who were so skilled at cheating that they could see through any scam, and casino public relations personnel who could stimulate guests' gambling desires... These figures, who were like natural enemies in the eyes of gamblers, were gathered by Yueju and, lured by high salaries, boarded the newly built "Royal Union."
Thus, the most luxurious casino in this land was born since the founding of the United Alliance.
The magical cruise ship, built within a month and shuttling between the abyss and the sea, set sail.
.
"When Yueju first started running the casino, no one in the Order cared about it. Although he became a traitor to the Alliance, he wasn't the kind of guy who would just sit idly by after joining a rival organization. In return for the 500 million yuan in cash, Yueju volunteered to be the Order's strategist when dealing with the United States Alliance and agreed to step in at a crucial moment to fight against a Champion-level opponent, namely his old colleagues—although so far, such an intense confrontation has never happened."
On the speeding yacht, old man Smura, rubbing his forehead, continued to explain to N, in a distressed tone, the reason that had plunged the plasma cluster into crisis—
“Simply consulting work does not require being physically present, so Yueju has always communicated with the cult remotely. His real body, however, has always been on that mysteriously roaming luxury cruise ship.”
The casino, built at a cost of 500 million in cash, has transformed into a behemoth during this period.
Originally, under the deliberate control of the local Pokémon League, the gambling industry in Unova was suppressed in the shadows of society for a long time. Open casinos were either directly regulated by the League or heavily taxed, which was undoubtedly a huge and heavy shackle for casinos that value privacy and excitement.
The emergence of the "Royal Union" changed this situation. This newly opened casino was neither subject to the league's control nor subjected to any restrictions. It was simply a gambler's paradise created by King Lantau to satisfy his own selfish desires!
Unbeknownst to them, the ship had become laden with money and desire.
Five hundred million yuan in cash, like a lever in physics, easily allowed more than ten times the amount of wealth to defy gravity and begin to dance at the casino owner's will.
Tourists drawn by curiosity, gamblers dreaming of striking it rich, wealthy individuals indulging in casual gambling, criminals seeking to launder money, jewelers seeking fortune, counterfeit antique dealers, thieves with ulterior motives, aristocrats living off their savings, and actors hiding their identities—all sorts of people, as if summoned by fate, gathered on that giant cruise ship.
This naturally includes the executives of the Plasma Group.
“A month and a half after King Lantau opened the casino, we noticed something was wrong. More than 70% of the Plasma Team cadres began to disappear quietly on their days off. When the organization summoned them, they would belatedly appear with dark circles under their eyes, their faces full of exhaustion after their passion had been exhausted, and they would look like dizzy spots. More and more of the organization cadres were like this, and only then did we discover the key to the problem—every land docking point of the Lantau gambling cruise ship was located near our organization's base, and Plasma Team members enjoyed special treatment in the casino. Even when they did not have enough money to gamble, they could participate in higher-level gambling games on the ship.”
As the old man spoke, he couldn't help but shake his head.
Although Team Plasma claims to liberate the Elves and preaches freedom, equality, and world peace, the leaders within the organization are by no means all benevolent.
When the Seven Sages first began expanding their organization, they primarily emphasized meritocracy. As long as their abilities contributed to the expansion of the cult, regardless of whether they were originally thugs, bullies, thieves, or swindlers, they could secure a place in the organization.
After so many years of expansion, the original grassroots members of the Plasma Group have now become middle and upper-level members who wield considerable power within the organization.
For them, who were gradually becoming wealthier, there was no more suitable entertainment venue than the casino in Lingzhi.
"Why not issue an order prohibiting members of the cult from entering casinos?"
N frowned and asked the old man—
"Lingju's actions clearly harbor malicious intentions. On the one hand, he uses sweet words to win over the cult's cadres, corrupting their minds and turning them into crazy gamblers. On the other hand, he is also gradually eroding the wealth created by the cult, dragging the wealth that should have been invested in the cause of elven liberation into the abyss of darkness. We should sever the connection between the cult and the casino while his casino is just starting out."
"Your Majesty, your judgment is absolutely correct. And we made the same judgment when we discovered this phenomenon—however, the problem lies..."
Smura sighed heavily again, seemingly ashamed to speak.
“We underestimated the extent to which that cruise ship corrupted the cult.”
"What do you mean?" The green-haired youth couldn't understand what the sage meant.
"After deliberation by the Seven Sages, we appointed a senior officer who has followed us since the early days of the cult to issue an order prohibiting cult members from entering casinos. After the order is issued, any officer who violates this rule will not only be severely punished, but will also be expelled from the Plasma Group."
This is a very strict restriction order, and the fact that the Seven Sages were able to come up with such a decisive and efficient solution in such a short time is enough to prove that their title is by no means an exaggeration.
"But we still made a mistake."
Smura bowed her head and apologized to N.
"We were unaware that the senior officer who took on the heavy responsibility of reforming the cult had already fallen into the abyss of gambling. The phenomenon of the Plasma Group's middle and senior officers frequenting casinos has not only not been curbed, but has become increasingly rampant. Just two weeks ago, reports of funds running out at various bases within the cult were coming one after another—undoubtedly, some officers had embezzled the cult's operational funds and poured them into that bottomless black hole at sea."
The high-ranking official who fell into the abyss disappeared silently after his act of protecting the casino was exposed. A few days ago, his body was found drowned near the Fire Dragon Bridge in Fanba City.
It is said that before his death, he had already incurred gambling debts of over 100 million yuan on the "Royal Union" casino. The reason he betrayed the cult and protected the casino was to escape these debts.
At this point, Smura added, "Actually, up to this point, things haven't developed to the point where they could shake the foundations of the Order. The 'Citrus Casino' is just a parasite and won't cause the Order to face a crisis of financial collapse."
N looked up. The information provided by the other party was sufficient; he could now independently predict how the event would proceed.
"It was one of the Seven Sages who met his end, right?"
The more impregnable a fortress is, the easier it is for it to crumble from within. Only the Seven Sages, located at the heart of the Order, can bring the Plasma Cluster to the brink of destruction in the blink of an eye.
The green-haired youth's stern gaze seemed to be that of a king rebuking his subjects—
"Someone, dissatisfied with the actions of the 'Lingju' company, personally went to challenge them to a bet, is that right?"
“That’s right.” The old man nodded sadly. “It’s Vio. But he may no longer be one of the Seven Sages.”
That brilliant professor with dual doctorates in mathematics and finance, that scholar who introduced N to the allure of the mathematical realm, that genius who was invincible in the field of venture capital, has now lost.
"He lost everything in his bet against Blueberry."
Smura said with a sigh.
This was the devastating news he heard in the control room before the ship changed course—a news that struck him like a bolt from the blue.