"You're sure you want to bet on Yan Ming King to take first place?" Zhou Long couldn't help but scoff. Everyone knows Yan Ming King relies on luck and opportunism. It's laughable that someone would actually bet on him to be number one today.
Wang Linchi glanced at the betting pool. The odds for Yan Ming King to become the champion of the state joint exam were 1 to 1,300—the highest of them all.
"Yep, betting 1,000," Wang Linchi said calmly.
"Never seen someone so eager to give me money," Zhou Long said contemptuously, reaching for the money in Wang Linchi's hand. But Wang Linchi raised a hand to stop him.
"If I win, that's 1,300,000. Can you actually pay out?" Wang Linchi asked.
This isn't exactly a legitimate operation. They wouldn't bail on 13,000, but 1,300,000 is another story. Money might not be a huge deal to Battle-type Awakeners, but that doesn't mean Zhou Long would willingly cough up 1,300,000. He's a third-year senior, sure, but he's only at the Black Iron Level. If he defaults, I'll have no way to make him pay.
"Hmph, if Yan Ming King actually takes first, I'll eat this table!" Zhou Long dismissed Wang Linchi's concern entirely. This seemed like a sure-win bet to him.
"So, that means you really can't cough up 1,300,000, huh?" Wang Linchi understood the implication.
Otherwise, he would have confidently beaten his chest and said, 'No problem!' This guy is here to make money, not to hand it out. If I actually win, he'll definitely default.
Seeing this, Wang Linchi lost interest. He pulled out ten one-dollar bills and placed them down. "Betting ten dollars."
Zhou Long was taken aback, not expecting Wang Linchi to make such a move.
"You really are something…" Zhou Long trailed off. He didn't think Wang Linchi was scared; rather, he assumed Wang Linchi had taken his words to heart and therefore changed his bet to 10 dollars.
"Ten dollars it is, then. Here's your ticket."
With that, Zhou Long processed Wang Linchi's bet.
Wang Linchi took the ticket, turned, and left without a moment's hesitation.
It wasn't that I didn't want to fleece this 'fat sheep'; I simply couldn't. If it were Yan Ming King betting, he could throw down a huge sum without worrying about Zhou Long being unable to pay. Yan Ming King has the Protagonist's Aura; even if Zhou Long defaulted, his Zhou Family would have to cover the debt. But not me. If this guy defaults, I have no recourse. This whole betting operation is illegal anyway. Even if I raised a stink, the most I'd get back is my original 1,000, not 1,300,000. My earlier question was just to test his financial capacity. The result? He's just a lone operator. He might have some backing, but it's nothing significant. So, even if I managed to win a large sum, I wouldn't live long to enjoy it. People running these betting pools are never good news.
If I win with this 10-dollar bet, I'll get 13,000. That amount would sting him a bit, but he'd still pay up. He wouldn't want to tarnish his reputation over such a small sum.
Moreover, Wang Linchi didn't plan to limit his winnings to Zhou Long's operation alone. There were plenty of other betting pools in the academy. With a single 10-dollar bet at odds of at least 1 to 1,000, ten such bets would net him 100,000. I'm not greedy; around 100,000 should be enough. Any more than that, and I'll draw too much attention.
After wandering around, he quickly placed ten bets. The highest odds he found were 1 to 1,700 at one place. Each pool had different odds.
The black market probably has even higher odds, but I don't know where it is, nor do I have the qualifications to get in.
Back in his room, he stored all the betting slips safely, waiting for the state joint exam to end so he could cash them in.
Judging by the attitudes of these bookie seniors, Yan Ming King is definitely taking first place. Their perception is already completely skewed. With such a terrifying Protagonist's Aura, how could he possibly lose? I can't think of any way Yan Ming King could lose. Besides, the first-place prize for this year's state joint exam is an Epic Level Soul Kind. Yan Ming King definitely won't let that slip by.
After stashing his betting slips, Wang Linchi headed to the library again. There's nothing else to do anyway.
As soon as he arrived, Mo Yan, the gatekeeper, brightened and beckoned him over.
Seeing how excited he is, he must have some juicy gossip, Wang Linchi thought.
Mo Yan's personality and aspirations were much like Wang Linchi's own had been when he was content with a laid-back life. The main difference was their potential assignments: Wang Linchi might have been assigned clerical duties, whereas Mo Yan was assigned to the front desk. Both would have had an 'iron rice bowl'—a secure job—with the Dajing Court. But things were different now because Wang Linchi had lost 10,000,000, forcing him onto a path of striving.
"What's got you so excited?" Wang Linchi asked as he approached.
"Remember you asked me to find out about the black market? I got some info!" Mo Yan glanced around before whispering.
The news surprised Wang Linchi. He hadn't actually expected Mo Yan to find anything. After all, while Mo Yan's social circle was a bit wider than his, it wasn't by much.
"For real? What's the situation?" Wang Linchi asked.
"It's about 27 kilometers south of Qinghe City. But you have to be at least Black Iron Level to get in; otherwise, you'll be blocked. Apparently, there's some sort of barrier formed by a Special Spirit Technique or a Secret Realm Treasure."
"However, I've heard it's really dangerous," Mo Yan added carefully. "You're somewhat safe inside the black market, but if you get ambushed on your way out, no one will intervene."
"So strict." Wang Linchi sighed. Seems like I won't even be able to go check it out. It looks like non-Battle-type Awakeners probably can't get in.
Reaching Black Iron Level wasn't easy. Take his current first-year cohort, for example: out of so many students, fewer than ten had reached Black Iron Level, and all of them were prodigies with influential backing. The vast majority were still at the White Porcelain level. Though unlike Wang Linchi, who was still in the early stage of the White Porcelain level, the worst of them were likely at the middle stage.
The slow cultivation speed was naturally due to a lack of resources.
The academies under the Dajing Dynasty emphasized 'survival of the fittest,' thriving on competition. The prevailing philosophy was that a dead genius was no genius at all; only those who survived were true geniuses. Consequently, the competition was incredibly fierce. Those at the top tier obtained the most resources, with allocations diminishing down the ranks.
The Awakened ones at the bottom with 2-Potential Soul Resemblances were only slightly better off than Wang Linchi. They had one additional channel to acquire resources, unlike Wang Linchi who had none, but otherwise, there wasn't much difference.
As for Yan Ming King, he was the protagonist and couldn't be judged by ordinary standards. While everyone else was still struggling at the White Porcelain level, Yan Ming King already dared to arm-wrestle fifth-year Mountain Copper Level Awakeners. Could he really be considered an ordinary person?
In the academy, reaching the Mountain Copper Level by the time one graduated after five years would already mark someone as a genius. Yan Ming King, however, couldn't be measured by such ordinary standards; he was an anomaly.