VIP Shoutout: Massive thanks to Ari Rapalino,DevineSatanus& ltsShaBoi for joining the Inner Circle!
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Gotham at night is usually very quiet.
Few people venture out at this hour. On streets that are crowded during the day, only the occasional passerby can be seen.
Of course, there are also small groups of homeless thugs lurking in dark alleys, always waiting for prey to wander too close.
But in certain areas of Gotham, things do not slow down even late at night. If anything, they are even livelier than during the day.
Like most major cities in the country, they never truly sleep.
Take the Iceberg Lounge & Casino, for example.
This legally licensed casino is built on a small island in Gotham Bay. Its roof is covered by a massive, glacier-like structure, making the entire building look as though a casino has been constructed atop an iceberg.
Inside, the noisy bustle feels worlds apart from the deathly silence outside. Slot machines chimed endlessly, roulette wheels spun with a soft whir, and the low murmur of voices mixed with the clink of chips and the occasional burst of laughter from winning tables.
At that moment, an expensive car pulled up at the casino entrance.
The door opened, and a young man stepped out, wearing a red suit jacket and white trousers.
His features were striking. His face was long and narrow, resembling that of a ...monkey...?
"Welcome, sir. Is this your first time at the Iceberg Lounge Casino?"
Seeing a new guest arrive, the attendant at the door immediately greeted him with a smile.
"Yes."
The man nodded.
"Then you can apply for a membership card. When you exchange money for chips using the card, you'll enjoy a five percent discount. Since this is your first visit, you can also receive a newcomer discount of twenty percent."
The attendant promoted the card as he led the man inside.
"Oh? So once I get a membership card, I can use eighty thousand dollars to get one hundred thousand dollars' worth of chips. And if I don't gamble with them and just exchange the chips directly for cash…"
"Hehe, you must be joking, sir. Chips obtained through the membership discount can only be used as chips. When exchanging them back for cash, the discounted portion isn't counted. Of course, any money you win using those chips can be cashed out."
"That sounds reasonable. So how much does a membership card cost?"
The man seemed quite interested.
"Please rest assured, sir. It's very affordable. Only ten thousand dollars."
The attendant spoke with a broad smile.
"Ten thousand dollars for a membership card does sound like a good deal. I'll get one, then. With more chips in hand, I'll be able to win faster."
After thinking it over briefly, the man decided to take the attendant's advice and apply for the card.
At his words, a faint, almost imperceptible glint of joy flashed in the attendant's eyes.
"Please come this way, sir."
The man followed the attendant toward the VIP counter.
"By the way, every membership card at the Iceberg Lounge Casino requires the cardholder's name to be registered. May I ask who you are…"
"Lupin. Lupin the Third."
The monkey-faced man introduced himself.
(P.S. Lupin the IIIrd is a Manga series created by Monkey Punch. And I don't wanna hear any racist comments, his being Monkey-faced is a running joke since it was created by Monkey Punch with that intention. Get it?)
...
The top floor of the Iceberg Lounge Casino was a luxurious suite closed to the public. It served both as the casino owner's office and his private residence.
At this moment, the owner of the casino, Oswald Cobblepot, was lying on a sofa, half asleep.
He was short and stout, with a sharply pointed nose, dressed in a black suit and black top hat, a monocle resting over his right eye.
Ignoring the difference in physique and looking only at the outfit, he was almost a color-inverted version of Kaitou Kid.
Despite his rather unsightly appearance, he was the most terrifying underworld boss in all of Gotham.
People usually called him the Penguin.
KNOCK-KNOCK!
Just then, a knock sounded at the door, jolting him awake.
"Boss! Something big has happened!"
"What is it? Is Batman here?"
Penguin was instantly alarmed.
"No, Boss. Someone in the casino is winning money!"
The subordinate shook his head repeatedly.
Hearing that it wasn't Batman, Penguin let out a sigh of relief.
"If he's winning money, then he's winning money. What's the problem? Why open a casino if you're afraid of guests winning?"
"No, Boss. He hasn't lost a single round since he came in. He's already won a total of thirty-seven million, and all of it is the house's money."
The subordinate spoke anxiously. "If he keeps this up, our losses are going to be enormous."
"What?" Penguin's eyes flew wide open as he roared. "Where is he now? Don't tell me you let him get away!"
"He's still in the casino. In the time we've been talking, he's probably won quite a bit more."
If he was still inside the casino, then he wouldn't be touched for now.
Penguin valued his reputation in business. Blood was never spilled inside the Iceberg Lounge & Casino.
At least, not on the surface.
What happened after someone stepped outside was another matter entirely.
"So who is this person who dares to take my money?"
Penguin asked, his expression settling back into calm.
"A man calling himself Lupin the Third. We haven't found any background information on him in Gotham yet, but he has a Parisian accent, so he might be a foreigner."
The subordinate answered.
"Lupin the Third… Did you activate the hidden mechanisms?"
Penguin asked, his eyes narrowing.
"We activated everything that could be activated. Even so, he's still winning every hand, as if everything we do is completely transparent to him."
"Any evidence of cheating?"
Penguin pressed.
If they could catch him cheating, there would be no need to wait for him to leave. They could take action right there in the casino, openly and without issue.
The subordinate shook his head helplessly.
"We had multiple people watching him, and the surveillance cameras are focused on this Lupin, but we haven't seen a single suspicious move."
"Not even Lombus noticed anything?"
The Lombus Penguin referred to was the Iceberg Lounge Casino's most skilled card sharp, brought in specifically to deal with situations like this.
"In his own words, Lupin the Third isn't cheating."
"In that case, he's quite the talent…"
Hearing this, Penguin's mind immediately began to turn.
"Go. Have Lombus gamble a round with him. If he wins, bring him to see me."
The subordinate did not fully understand Penguin's intentions, but once the order was given, he had only one option.
To obey.
Not long after, he returned, accompanied by a monkey-faced man dressed in red.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Cobblepot."
Lupin III took the initiative to greet Penguin the moment he entered.
"You came sooner than I expected. Did Lombus lose that quickly?"
Penguin sounded mildly surprised.
"Boss, he exposed Lombus's cheating right in front of everyone. Lombus has already been taken away to be dealt with according to the rules."
The subordinate standing beside Lupin explained.
"Very few people can see Lombus's hands. You're quite the talent, Mr. Lupin. Would you be interested in working for me?"
Penguin extended an olive branch.
"I'm honored by the offer, Mr. Cobblepot," Lupin III replied with a faint smile, "but I'm not here looking for a job today."
"The forty-two million I just won. I can leave all of it behind and give it to you. All I want is to buy a piece of information."
"That money was mine to begin with," Penguin said flatly.
"Most of it, yes, but a good portion came from chips I won off other gamblers. You'd still be making at least ten million extra. That should be a fair deal, don't you think?"
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