Chapter 63: Two Choices
"Boss, he's the one who—" the flustered dealer began, but Shinichi Takahashi, the casino owner, cut him off with a sharp gesture.
"Quiet. I know what's happening," Takahashi said, his voice low and controlled. He then turned his attention to the young man who was still calmly seated. "My friend, you've already won a few million. I think it's best if we call it a night." His words were polite, but his tone was a clear order.
Tenchi didn't even stand up. He just looked at the well-dressed man. His hair was slicked back, and he wore an expensive black suit. "So, you're the boss here?"
"That's correct. I am Shinichi Takahashi. And who might you be?" Takahashi was slightly irritated that this young man remained seated in his presence. In this town, he was the law. People usually trembled when he spoke to them.
"I'm nobody special. I just have a question for you, Boss Takahashi," Tenchi said, his voice steady. "You open a casino to make money. I come to a casino to make money. When people lose, you don't stop them. But when someone wins, you try to stop them. Tell me, how is that different from just stealing?"
Takahashi's eye twitched. "Since I dared to open this place, I'm not afraid of people winning. But the way you're playing... if I let you continue, I'll be bankrupt in a few days. So, we are done here." He couldn't admit to cheating in front of all these people, or his business would be ruined.
"Fine," Tenchi said, leaning back. "How about I give you two solutions? See what you think."
Takahashi was intrigued despite himself. "Oh? Two solutions? Let's hear them."
"Look, you don't want me to keep playing today. But I haven't won enough to satisfy me. If you just make me leave now, I'll be very unhappy."
"Solution number one," Tenchi said, holding up a finger. "You give me fifty million ryo right now. I'll get up, walk out, and never come back. You get rid of me, and I get to leave happy with a full purse. What do you think?"
"Forget that one," Takahashi said immediately, his face darkening. "Tell me the second option." There was no way he was handing over fifty million. It would make him look weak, and the word would spread.
"I thought you'd say that," Tenchi said with a smirk. "So, solution number two. We play one game against each other. Just one. If I lose, I give back every ryo I won today. I'll leave and never set foot in this town again."
He paused for effect. "But if *you* lose... you pay me an additional one hundred million ryo in cash. How does that sound?" He crossed his arms, looking very pleased with himself.
Takahashi Shinichi fell silent, thinking hard. The second option was better than the first, but it was still a huge risk. One hundred million ryo was a third of his entire fortune! But if he didn't get rid of this guy, he could lose even more.
"Alright," Takahashi finally said, gritting his teeth. "I agree to the second option. But..." he added, a cunning glint in his eye, "the terms aren't fair. If you lose, you just return the money you stole from me. You have no real loss. If you want this bet, you need to raise your stakes."
"Oh? Raise my stakes?" Tenchi replied, his interest piqued. "What did you have in mind?"
"If you lose," Takahashi said slowly, "you will pay *me* an additional fifty million ryo. If you agree to that, we have a deal. But... you don't seem to be carrying that kind of money." He looked pointedly at Tenchi's stack of bills, which was only around two million.
"Fifty million? It's just money. I have the credit for it," Tenchi said with a dismissive wave.
"Hmph! Why should I trust you? We just met. If you lose and can't pay, this whole bet is meaningless. Or are you planning to just walk away empty-handed?" Takahashi's voice was full of scorn.
"It's true, I only have about two million on me right now," Tenchi admitted. "But my family is from Konoha. If I don't pay you, you can take your complaint directly to the Konoha law enforcement teams. You should feel safe with that guarantee." He said this with a straight face, but internally, he was thinking, *'And if you try to strong-arm me for the money, I'll just flatten this whole building. You think you can collect from a corpse?'*
On the other side, Takahashi relaxed slightly. Hearing that the young man was from Konoha was reassuring. In the Land of Fire, Konoha's reputation for honor was well-known. Besides, he had his own insurance—a rogue ninja named Fei Liu, a Jonin he kept on his payroll for protection. It was why he had grown so powerful.
"Fine," Takahashi said. "I'll trust you this once. Let's take this to my private room." He turned and walked away, expecting Tenchi to follow.
After they left, the dealer finally let out the breath he was holding. The crowd of onlookers erupted into chatter.
"Wow, that guy has guts! Challenging the boss directly!"
"Didn't you hear? He's from Konoha. Walking around with over two million? His background must be serious."
"It doesn't matter who he is. He's still just a person. I heard the boss has a real ninja working for him. How can a normal person fight a ninja?"
"No way! The boss is that powerful? He has a ninja?"
"..."
The dealer muttered under his breath, "Hmph. You embarrassed me like that? You're a dead man." He knew the strength of the ninja the boss employed. That rogue ninja was stronger than many from the great villages.
Meanwhile, inside the lavish private room, Tenchi took a seat and looked around. "I thought the main hall was well-decorated, but this room is even better. Your business must be very profitable."
Takahashi smirked, feeling a little more at ease. "Heh. I've always believed in enjoying the finer things. What's the point of making money if you don't use it to improve your life?"
"You know," Tenchi said, leaning forward casually, "you don't seem like someone who needs to worry about fifty million. Why not just give me the fifty million and I'll leave? It would save us both a lot of trouble. Why go through all this?"
Takahashi's smirk vanished. "I may not be poor, but fifty million ryo represents three years of my hard work and profit. Why should I just hand over three years of my life to you for nothing?"