Ruribird Nadeshiko ignored Meari's anger and said leisurely, "I said before, didn't I, that Listen to Heavy Money is only won by people who master sound and weight, and I have mastered the existence of sound."
"To me, the clinking sound of coins is a delightful melody; I can get information through the rhythm and pitch of the coins."
"You mean, you can tell how many coins are in the piggy bank just by the sound of the coins colliding!?"
Meari's voice unconsciously rose. Did Ruribird Nadeshiko really think she would believe her nonsense!
Don't be ridiculous, it's impossible for anyone to do that!
Ruribird Nadeshiko deliberately looked at Meari with a pitying gaze, while comforting her, "Meari, don't get excited. Thinking that others can't do something just because you can't is a very shallow mindset."
"There are geniuses in this world who can do many things you can't even imagine. For example, me, I actually have Absolute Pitch."
"Huh? Absolute Pitch?"
Meari was dumbfounded.
Meari was not unfamiliar with the term "Absolute Pitch." It refers to the ability to identify the pitch of an instrument or sounds from the surrounding environment without a reference tone. It is a very rare "superpower" that exists in reality.
This ability is an innate skill, but it is not impossible to cultivate Absolute Pitch through memorizing the pitch of reference tones and extensive practice.
In reality, many musicians possess this skill, such as pianists like Beethoven and Mozart.
If Ruribird Nadeshiko possessed this ability, then it wouldn't be impossible for her to distinguish the number of coins by the sound of their collision after relevant practice.
But...
"Since you have this ability, why did you answer incorrectly before!?"
"That's to lure you in, of course. If I didn't give you a taste of success, would you gamble this big with me? This is three million in stakes, which isn't a small sum for me either."
Ruribird Nadeshiko frankly admitted that she had been deliberately showing weakness before, just to entice Meari to take a big gamble.
When Meari first came to this school, she was lured by Aiura Kokoro and lost terribly, only turning the tables after borrowing money from Ayanokoji.
She didn't expect that after only a few weeks, Meari herself had fallen into the trap again.
Meari was full of remorse and, in her anger, still wanted to find out how Ruribird Nadeshiko cheated.
"I don't believe you have Absolute Pitch. Don't make up such ridiculous excuses; you definitely cheated!" Meari fumed.
Ruribird Nadeshiko smiled and spread her hands: "If you think I cheated, then where's the evidence? You should know that accusing someone of cheating requires evidence."
Meari was speechless.
The piggy bank and the scale should be fine, so how did Ruribird Nadeshiko cheat?
"If you don't believe me, I don't mind testing with you as many times as you want, but the premise is that we do it through gambling."
Ruribird Nadeshiko looked at Meari's powerless rage, a joyful smile on her face: "Do you understand? If you do, please pay the remaining 1.2 million yen."
Meari angrily pulled out one million from her wallet, then hesitated and pulled out another two hundred thousand.
One million was the bonus Ayanokoji gave them, and the other two hundred thousand was money Meari won from others before hosting the Landlord competition.
In just one game, Meari was back to square one, with only tens of thousands of yen left in her wallet.
Meari slammed the money on the casino table and walked out with a dark expression.
Ruribird Nadeshiko, who seemed to thrive on infuriating others, deliberately called out in a sugary voice, "Thank you for your patronage, remember to come again next time!"
Meari stormed out, but Kurume Laiwei did not leave.
"One million two hundred thousand, still a few million short of ten million..." Ruribird Nadeshiko sighed, happily counting the money.
"Ruribird Nadeshiko, didn't you hear what I said earlier...?" Kurume Laiwei's face was very unpleasant as she whispered.
"Oh... I understand, you want a thank-you fee, right?"
Ruribird Nadeshiko thought of something, counted out one hundred thousand from the banknotes, and handed it to Kurume, smiling, "Kurume, I'm still short a few million right now, you must bring me more suckers, I won't be stingy with the thank-you fee."
"I don't want this money!"
Kurume Laiwei didn't take the banknotes. Her face was like ice as she said, "Didn't I tell you, Meari is my friend, I just wanted you to teach her a lesson, I never told you to win all her money!"
"Someone worthless like her, now that she's lost her last bit of money, she'll become a Stray Cat sooner or later. You don't need to care about her at all."
Ruribird Nadeshiko was indifferent, saying nonchalantly, "There are plenty of suckers like that anyway, just keep bringing them to me."
Kurume was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Ruribird, what is our relationship?"
"Of course, we are friends who help each other!" Ruribird Nadeshiko said with a smile, "Kurume, you are my only friend, I cherish you very much."
Yes, Kurume Laiwei and Ruribird Nadeshiko were friends, and their friendship had lasted for half a year.
Ruribird Nadeshiko was a very arrogant person. She looked down on everyone, believing herself to be a rare genius in the world. But in reality, besides being able to play the piano well, she had no other strengths; her studies were a mess, and her social skills were practically zero.
Some girls, because of her beautiful appearance, were initially willing to approach her, but because she was straightforward, sharp-tongued, and had low emotional intelligence, she always unintentionally hurt others without realizing it.
When Kurume Laiwei met her, she had no friends around her, only her piano.
Kurume Laiwei seemed to see her past self in her, felt sympathy, and so took the initiative to approach her and become her friend.
Kurume knew she had no ill intentions, so she endured her unwitting personal attacks, helping her attract gamblers so she could earn money through gambling, while Kurume would receive a small tip to make her own life a little more comfortable.
Their relationship seemed equal, or even with Ruribird Nadeshiko having the upper hand, but in reality, Kurume Laiwei was the one who held the initiative.
This money was dispensable for Kurume, but if she didn't act as an intermediary to attract customers for Ruribird Nadeshiko, then Ruribird Nadeshiko would be the one with the greatest loss, and she would be alone again.
After a moment of silence, Kurume spoke.
"Ruribird Nadeshiko, Meari, like you, is my friend."
"Someone like you who doesn't know how to promote a casino, haven't you thought about who helped you introduce those fat sheep?"
"Someone arrogant, rude, and always swaggering around without friends like you, who do you think has been by your side?"
Kurume Laiwei placed her hand on her shoulder and whispered, "If you continue to be so stubborn, then we won't be friends anymore, okay?"
"Whether it's promoting the casino or dealing with customers, from now on, you'll have to do it all by yourself. You don't need friends anyway, right?" Kurume's voice was cold.
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