"Lord Kazekage, shall we continue?"
The dealer, Hazuki, asked as he shuffled a fresh deck of cards.
Jinghang wiped the sweat off his forehead and gritted his teeth.
After the first round, Jinghang had shed his earlier arrogance and cockiness, adopting a more cautious and serious approach. He broke down his remaining 10 million crystal chips into smaller bets, starting with "small-scale" probing tactics.
This was Jinghang's ninja strategy on the battlefield, but he failed to realize that such an approach was a fatal mistake in gambling. The "battles" of the battlefield and the casino were worlds apart.
In gambling, momentum is everything. If your spirit and confidence outshine your opponent, fortune will naturally follow. But if your spirit falters, fortune will abandon you without hesitation.
Hazuki played boldly, becoming more aggressive with each hand. Meanwhile, Jinghang's cards worsened with every round, his momentum collapsing like a defeated army. Before long, he was left with only ten crystal chips in hand.
"Pour me a drink," Jinghang ordered.
Immediately, a beautiful attendant stepped forward and poured him a glass of wine. Jinghang downed it in one gulp, glaring at Hazuki as if staring down an enemy on the battlefield. After a moment, he snapped his fingers.
"Break this down. Let's continue!"
Behind him, Gaojin nodded, taking one crystal chip and exchanging it for ten gold chips.
Hazuki remained unfazed, silently dismantling, verifying, shuffling, and dealing the cards.
Jinghang's hole card was a King.
Hazuki's hole card was an Ace.
Hazuki spoke first. "Thirty million!"
A bold opening move.
"Call, then all in!" Jinghang declared, shoving all his chips to the center of the table with a commanding gesture, not even asking Gaojin for assistance this time.
Hazuki hesitated for a moment but said nothing, continuing to deal the cards. His silence signaled agreement.
With both players all in, there was no need for further raises. Hazuki dealt the remaining cards in one go.
Hazuki's revealed hand: Ace, Ace, Six, Six.
Jinghang's revealed hand: King, King, King, Seven.
Jinghang already had three of a kind, giving him the advantage. Hazuki revealed his hand first.
"It's been a long time since I've seen such a close match," Hazuki remarked calmly.
"Is that so? I don't gamble often, so I wouldn't know what a 'close match' is. But my hand doesn't seem bad, does it?" Jinghang replied with a smile, flipping over his hole card first.
It was a Seven!
"King full house!" Tsunade exclaimed, leaping to her feet in excitement.
"Young people shouldn't get too cocky. Until the hole cards are revealed, no one knows the outcome. My apologies—Ace full house," Hazuki said, slowly flipping over his hole card.
But it was a Six! Though still a full house, it was significantly weaker.
"What?! Impossible! This can't be!" Hazuki picked up the Six, examining it from every angle, flipping it over repeatedly. But a Six was still a Six. Hazuki slumped onto the gambling table, utterly defeated.
Tsunade and Yakura jumped up, clapping their hands in celebration.
"Hmph! If I'm not cocky, what's the point of being young? Exchange the chips; I'm done playing! Tsunade, Yakura, Gaojin, let's go."
This was no place to linger—getting exposed would be disastrous.
"Hold on!"
A kindly-looking old man stepped forward, blocking their path.
"What do you want?" Jinghang raised an eyebrow.
"Please don't misunderstand, Lord Kazekage," the old man said with a smile. "Someone, help Mr. Hazuki to rest."
"Speak your mind. Are you refusing to exchange my chips?" Jinghang asked, his tone sharp.
"Of course not. At Kyōbu Casino, our reputation is our priority. Your winnings are ready. Bring them in!"
Four strong attendants carried in four large chests, opening them one by one in front of Jinghang and his group. The boxes were packed to the brim with crisp, new bills.
"Now, may we leave?" Jinghang asked, his arrogance returning.
"Of course. However, I have a small request. I hope Lord Kazekage will grant it," the old man said politely, his tone warm and respectful.
"Go ahead," Jinghang replied. He wouldn't be rude to someone so courteous.
"My master wishes to meet you."
This request caught Jinghang off guard.
"Yasuzaburō Hirai?"
"Indeed."
Jinghang pondered for a moment. The name was familiar—Hirai was the wealthiest man in the Land of Wind. Sunagakure occasionally worked with his caravans, often providing ninja escorts. He was the village's largest client, but their interactions were limited to business. Still, Jinghang was intrigued by the opportunity to meet him.
"Shall we go?" Jinghang glanced at the other three.
"My master prefers peace and quiet. He would like to meet you alone. Rest assured, I will arrange for your companions to be well taken care of," the old man explained.
Jinghang looked at Tsunade.
"Go ahead," Tsunade said. "We'll stay here and watch over things."
Jinghang nodded. He trusted Tsunade and Yakura's abilities to handle any situation. He took about 20 million in cash from one of the chests and handed it to Tsunade.
"Take this and have some fun. Yakura, Gaojin, keep an eye on the rest. Don't let our efforts go to waste. I'll be back soon."
Hirai's residence was the complete opposite of the opulence of Kyōbu Casino. It was a simple farmhouse on the outskirts of Dragonfly Castle, located near several key trade routes despite its unassuming location.
Though modest in size, the property was impeccably maintained, exuding a sense of comfort and tranquility.
"My master is inside. Please, this way," the old man said, opening a door.
Jinghang removed his shoes and stepped inside. The room was small, its furnishings sparse—a large bookshelf, a low table, and a round-faced, chubby old man wearing reading glasses, engrossed in a book.
"You're here. Please, have a seat!" The old man set down his book and glasses, greeting Jinghang warmly.
Jinghang surveyed the room as he slowly sat down.
"You seem surprised," the old man remarked.
"Yes, I didn't expect the wealthiest man in the Land of Wind to live so humbly," Jinghang replied honestly.
"Hahaha!" The old man laughed heartily, clapping his hands.
"I'm just an old man with one foot in the grave. I eat no more than two bowls of rice and sleep in no more than seven feet of space. Why should it matter where I live? As for being the wealthiest man..."
The old man shook his head with a wry smile.
"Every day when I wake up, tens of thousands of people rely on me for their livelihood. Being the wealthiest man is nothing but a burden. One misstep, and it's all over. Do you know my favorite saying?"
"I'd like to hear it," Jinghang replied.
"My mentor, back when I was a shop assistant at a small general store, used to say: 'In business, you can never slack off. Bankruptcy is always just a year and a half away.'"
The old man's words carried the weight of experience, a testament to his journey from humble beginnings to great success.
"Wise words," Jinghang acknowledged.
"Please, don't call me wise. You're far more impressive than I am. In less than three years, you've transformed Sunagakure from a village on the brink of collapse into a thriving community. If you weren't a ninja or the Kazekage, I'd make you the head of all my enterprises!"
"You flatter me," Jinghang said, though he couldn't help but smirk. Head of all enterprises? What is this, a secret society?
"I'm not joking," Hirai insisted. "Since you became Kazekage, you've navigated alliances and conflicts, extricating yourself from the chaos between Konoha and Amegakure. Then you developed Moon Lake, attracting talent, building factories in the Land of Rain, and fostering commerce. Even as a seasoned businessman, I've been amazed by some of your strategies."
"Thank you for the praise, but let's not beat around the bush. Why did you invite me here?" Jinghang asked directly.
"Ah, straightforward. I like that," Hirai said, pausing briefly before continuing.
"I've heard that Sunagakure plans to build a casino city on the Yuesi Peninsula?"
So that's it. This old fox has his eyes on that project.
"Yes, that's correct," Jinghang admitted openly.
"I'll get straight to the point. I'm willing to invest 30 billion ryō for a 30% stake. I'll also handle the construction, staffing, liquor supply, entertainment, and all other related services. What do you think?"
What a bold offer! Hirai wasn't holding back. Currently, Sunagakure had only managed to raise 18 billion ryō in total. Hirai's 30 billion was an overwhelming premium.
Moreover, the "miscellaneous services" Hirai mentioned were no small matter. Building a casino city required more than just a casino—it needed a fully integrated ecosystem of supporting industries. Without these, the so-called casino city would be nothing more than a joke.
However, there was a significant risk. If 30% of the shares and control over the city's operations were handed to an outsider, the project would become entirely dependent on him. If Hirai then acquired additional shares from other stakeholders, the casino city could end up entirely under his control.
"No deal!" Jinghang replied firmly, shaking his head.