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Chapter 36: Iceberg Casino
Night in Gotham is usually desolate.
Few people venture out at this time; the streets, bustling by day, see only the occasional scattered passerby.
Oh, and the small gangs of thugs hiding in dark alleys, waiting for prey to approach.
But in certain parts of Gotham, the heat never fades, even deep into the night—in fact, it becomes livelier than the day.
Like most prosperous metropolises in this nation, it is sleepless.
Take the Iceberg Casino, for example.
This casino, possessing a legal operating license, is situated on a small island in Gotham Bay. Its roof is covered by a massive decoration resembling a glacier, making the entire structure look as if a casino were built atop an iceberg.
Inside, the noise is deafening, a world away from the deathly silence outside.
At this moment, an expensive sedan pulled up to the casino entrance.
The door opened, and a young man stepped out, dressed in a red suit jacket and white trousers.
His face was very distinctive—long and thin, resembling a monkey.
"Welcome, sir. Is this your first time at the Iceberg Casino?"
Seeing a new guest, the attendant at the door immediately greeted him with a smile.
"That's right," the monkey-faced man nodded.
"Then you may wish to sign up for a membership card. You can enjoy a 5% discount when exchanging chips with a membership card, and new members get a 20% discount on their first exchange."
The attendant pitched the offer while guiding the monkey-faced man inside.
"Oh? So if I get a card, I can exchange $80,000 for $100,000 worth of chips. And if I don't use those chips to gamble, but exchange them directly back for cash..."
"Hehe, sir, you sure know how to joke. Chips exchanged via membership can, of course, only be used as chips. When exchanging for cash, the discounted portion is not calculated. However, any winnings earned with those chips can be cashed out."
"That sounds reasonable. How much does a membership card cost?"
The monkey-faced man seemed very interested.
"Please rest assured, sir, it is very cheap. Only $10,000." The attendant smiled, eyes narrowing.
"Ten thousand dollars for a membership card... seems like a good deal. I'll take one. With more chips in hand, winning money will be faster."
After pondering for a moment, the monkey-faced man decided to follow the attendant's suggestion.
Hearing this, a flash of delight, almost imperceptible, crossed the attendant's eyes.
"Please, come this way, sir."
The monkey-faced man followed the attendant to the VIP counter.
"By the way, every membership card at the Iceberg Casino requires the holder's name for the record. May I ask..."
"Lupin. I am Lupin III."
The monkey-faced man introduced himself.
The top floor of the Iceberg Casino was a luxurious suite not open to the public. It served as both the office and the residence of the casino's owner.
At this moment, the owner, Oswald Cobblepot, was resting his eyes on the sofa.
He was a short, stout man with a pointed nose, dressed in a black suit with a black top hat, and wore a monocle over his right eye.
If one ignored the difference in body shape and looked purely at the attire, he was essentially a color-inverted version of Phantom Thief Kid.
Despite his somewhat grotesque appearance, he was the most feared underworld kingpin in all of Gotham.
People generally called him—The Penguin.
Just then, the Penguin was awakened by a knock on the door.
"Boss! Something big happened!"
"What is it? Batman is here?"
The Penguin was instantly startled.
"No, Boss. Someone in the casino is winning money!"
The subordinate shook his head repeatedly.
Hearing it wasn't Batman, the Penguin sighed in relief.
"So they're winning money. What's the big deal? If we were afraid of guests winning, why would we open a casino?"
"No, Boss, he hasn't lost a single hand since he entered! He's won thirty-seven million dollars! And he's winning all the money from the house!"
The subordinate was anxious. "If we let him keep winning, our losses will be massive."
"What?! Where is he now? Don't tell me you let him run away!"
The Penguin's eyes widened instantly as he shouted in anger.
"He's still in the casino. In the time we've been talking, he's probably won quite a bit more."
Still in the casino. Then we don't move on him yet.
The Penguin valued his business reputation highly; blood was never shed inside the Iceberg Casino.
At least, not on the surface.
What happened after they walked out the door was another matter entirely.
"Who is this person who dares to take my money?" The Penguin asked, composing himself.
"A man calling himself Lupin III. We haven't found any background on him in Gotham yet, but he speaks with a Parisian accent. He might be a foreigner," the subordinate replied.
"Lupin III... Did you activate the hidden mechanisms?" The Penguin's eyes darted around.
"We activated everything we could, but he still wins every hand. It's like he sees right through us."
"Do you have evidence of him cheating?" Penguin asked again.
If they could catch the opponent cheating, they wouldn't need to wait for him to leave. They could deal with him right there in the casino, justified and supported by the other gamblers.
However, the subordinate shook his head helplessly.
"We sent many people to watch him, and the surveillance is focused on this Lupin, but we haven't seen a single cheating move."
"Not even Rhombus noticed anything?"
The Rhombus Penguin referred to was the Iceberg Casino's most skilled cheat, specifically employed to handle situations like today's.
"In his own words, Lupin III simply isn't cheating."
"If that's the case, then he's quite a talent..."
Hearing this, the Penguin's mind began to whir.
"Go. Have Rhombus gamble a round with him. If he wins, bring him to see me."
Although the subordinate didn't quite understand what the Penguin wanted to do, the boss's order had been given, and he had no choice but to obey.
Not long after.
The subordinate returned, accompanied by the red-jacketed, monkey-faced man.
"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cobblepot."
Lupin III greeted the Penguin proactively upon entering.
"You arrived earlier than I expected. Rhombus lost that quickly?" Penguin asked, slightly surprised.
"Boss, he exposed Rhombus's cheating moves in front of everyone just now. Rhombus has been taken away to be dealt with according to the rules," the subordinate beside Lupin explained.
"Few people can see Rhombus's hands clearly. You are a brilliant talent, Mr. Lupin. Are you interested in working for me?"
The Penguin extended an olive branch to Lupin III.
"I am flattered by Mr. Cobblepot's offer, but I didn't come here today looking for a job," Lupin III said with a faint smile.
"The forty-two million I just won—I can leave without taking a cent of it. I'll give it all to you. I only wish to buy a piece of information from you."
"That money was mine to begin with," Penguin said expressionlessly.
"Most of it, yes. But a significant portion came from other gamblers' chips. You stand to make at least an extra ten million. This deal should be profitable, no?"
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