Liyue's Internet cafe shimmered under the midnight lanterns—its 400 rigs a glowing arena where Monopoly's dice clattered and Red Alert 2's tanks roared, the LAN a crucible of cunning and chance—and Hu Tao grinned, "Round ten—still kicking!" her funeral empire teetering, Ningguang's factories a looming tide in the digital sprawl.
Monopoly thrummed—system-enhanced, "Loans unlock the game," its mechanics a lure—and Ningguang tapped, "Bank—fund me," her gold surging, "Factories, hotels, taverns—rise!" her grids sprouting steel and leisure, "Trap 'em—bleed 'em," her merchant's eye a blade aimed at her foes' wallets.
Keqing followed—"Loans—go!" her real estate blooming, "Houses, parks—slow 'em down,"—and her strategy gleamed, "Stable cash—outlast her," her Qixing grit a shield, Hu Tao gaping, "Funerals—broke?!" her parlors a grim jest, gold trickling as loans propped her crumbling dream.
Hu Tao scrambled—"No—diversify!" her panic a ember, "Factories, houses, a tavern—something!"—and her grids shifted, "Slow bleed—luck's my shot," her hall-master's guile a thread, Ningguang smirking, "Too late—debt's your grave," the cafe's hum a backdrop to her teetering fate.
Fate cards spun—"Wealth Luck—fifty percent boost, two rounds!" the screen flashed, "Saved—phew!"—and Hu Tao exhaled, "Time—mine!" her steel-plate chest a drum, "Operate smart—survive," her hope a flicker, Ganyu rolling, "Six—empty," her dice a qilin's grace, gold unspent.
Ganyu drifted—"Three—safe," her Buddhist calm a wall, "No builds—no loss,"—and her luck shone, "Five—past Keqing," her avatar dodging traps, Ningguang musing, "Too lucky—won't last," Keqing nodding, "Grids fill—she's toast," their trio blind to her quiet tide.
Rounds tightened—Ningguang's hotels snared, "Ganyu—stay, pay!" her gold dipping, "Tavern—two hundred!"—and Hu Tao struck, "Keqing—funeral time!" her roulette spinning, "Luxury—five hundred!" Keqing's groan a spark, "This again—ruined!" her realty empire cracking under the hall-master's grim glee.
Action flared—Ningguang rolled, "Six—Hu Tao's parlor!" her factory rent halved, "Curse your graves!"—and missiles flew, "Bomb Keqing's estate!" a mansion crumbling, "Take that—Qixing!" her counter a blaze, Keqing snarling, "Four—your hotel!" her payback a dent, "Three hundred—ouch!"
Hu Tao cackled—"Surround—choke!" her funeral parlors encircling Ningguang's fun-zones, "Low rents—suffer!"—and Ningguang grit, "Factories hold—barely," her gold thinning, "Keqing's houses—threat," her Tianquan calm fraying, the board a battlefield of dice and spite.
A twist loomed—"Power Plant Fire—blackout!" fate struck, "No—my factories!"—and Ningguang paled, "Half gone—one round!" her income slashed, Hu Tao cheering, "Luck's mine—finally!" Keqing building, "Six—new park!" their counter a tide, Ganyu rolling, "Two—safe," her calm unshaken.
Dialogue flared—"Ningguang—your factories flop!" Hu Tao taunted, "Funerals win—ha!"—and Ningguang snapped, "Your debt's a tomb—watch!" her retort a blade, Keqing growling, "Both—pay me!" her houses a trap, Ganyu whispering, "I… just roll," her qilin peace a foil to their storm.
The cafe buzzed—melon-eaters gaped, "Hu Tao's brutal—graves everywhere!"—and Tartaglia leaned, "Dice me in—chaos calls!" his hydro itch a spark, Rei watching, "Game—escalates," her red eyes tracing, Harribel murmuring, "Luck—shifts," the LAN a roar of glee and greed.
Debt climbed—Ningguang borrowed, "More—hold on!" her factories flickering, "Missiles—Hu Tao's parlor!"—and a blast razed, "Take that—pyro pest!" Hu Tao rolling, "Five—Keqing's park!" her gold gutted, "No—my comeback!" Keqing striking, "Six—Ningguang's hotel!" their war a spiral of loans and loss.
Ganyu glided—"Four—empty," her dice a breeze, "No cost—still here,"—and Ningguang cursed, "She's untouchable—how?!" her Tianquan pride dented, Hu Tao glaring, "Luck—cheat!" Keqing nodding, "Grids full—she's next," their trio blind to her silent hoard piling high.
A subplot twisted—Hu Tao schemed, "Ganyu—recruit her!" her CS queen a prize, "Luck's gold—team needs it!"—and Ningguang mused, "Bankruptcy—close," her factories a gamble, Keqing vowing, "Outlast—win," their rivalry a thread, Ganyu's calm a tide they'd underestimated too long.
Rounds burned—Ningguang bombed, "Keqing's estate—down!" a park vaporized, "Payback—sweet!"—and Keqing retaliated, "Hu Tao's factory—gone!" a blast echoing, "Feel it—hall-master!" Hu Tao rolling, "Three—safe," her grin fading, "Debt—crushing," their war a blaze of mutual ruin.
Emotion surged—Hu Tao's fire clashed with dread, "Funerals—failing!" her pyro soul a ember; Ningguang's calm wrestled panic, "Factories—hold!" her merchant's will a rock; Keqing's grit battled rage, "Houses—stand!"—and Ganyu's peace endured, "Roll—wait," her qilin heart a quiet storm.
The end crashed—"Game Over—Winner: Ganyu!" the screen blared, "What—how?!"—and Ningguang froze, "Bankrupt—us?!" her gold a void, Keqing gaping, "Loans—killed us!" Hu Tao slumping, "Funerals—bust!" Ganyu smiling, "Oh—nice," her luck a tide that drowned their chaos.
Hu Tao stared—"Ganyu—general material!" her eyes a blaze, "CS ace, luck goddess—mine!"—and Ningguang sighed, "Underestimated—fatal," her Tianquan pride bent, Keqing muttering, "Debt war—dumb," their trio humbled, Ganyu's calm a lesson etched in Liyue's LAN glow.
Tartaglia laughed—"Ganyu—dark horse!" his dice itch flaring, "Next—me versus her!"—and Rei stood, "Order—restored," her spear a sentinel, Harribel nodding, "Luck—rules," the cafe a roar, Monopoly's fallout a mirror to Teyvat's bold, Liam's trek a distant echo in their play.
Hu Tao rallied—"Rematch—Ganyu's mine!" her pyro vow a spark, Ningguang musing, "Strategy—next,"—and Keqing growled, "No loans—smart," Ganyu whispering, "I'll… roll again," the LAN a crucible, their saga a blaze, Liyue's night a forge of dice and dreams.
***
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