Villain Eaten By The Hero - Chapter 27
CHAPTER 27
The three met for a secret meeting between Cheonha and May, but were given permission to enjoy a leisurely vacation as well. After looking around the cruise ship, they came to the casino. Hugo lured them to the casino, saying he would earn them pocket money.
“I, Hugo Big, will take good care of you two.”
While one couldn’t guarantee the outcome of gambling, Hugo was confident. Besides, he had their evening party dresses ready, and spending some time in the casino didn’t seem like a bad idea. The casino they entered was as big as one might expect, and in line with the entertainment options on the luxury cruise ship, and it was lavishly decorated.
After trying a few slot machines and placing bets on the roulette table, their winnings fluctuated and they kept losing money. After about 20 minutes of playing, Hugo sat down at the poker table and motioned for Hye-na and Belze to stand behind him.
He started gaming with his usual showy expression, asking them if they want anything to take. Surprisingly, his skills matched his confidence, and he steadily stacked up chips. That was until Seo and Seok appeared.
Seo, who seemed to have arrived at the table without noticing anyone, placed a substantial amount of chips and seated Seok down.
“Hyung, go win.”
“Visiting a casino as a Korean citizen is illegal.”
“It’s international waters, so it’s fine.”
“South Korea is a country of hypocrites.”
Seok hesitated as he awkwardly settled into his seat, and Seo pressed his shoulder firmly and hold him down.
“Think about it carefully. Where do you think those guys’ money is going? It’ll probably go into their organization’s funds. So, us taking it would be considered?”
“Theft?”
“Enforcing justice.”
“Punishing something that hasn’t happened yet is legally questionable.”
“Why are you so lenient with the villains, Hyung? What’s the point of upholding the law and regulations against those heartless criminals? Is it not important anymore for you, following the law and maintaining civil society’s peace? What’s the law even for?”
“…For peace, if you say so, Mr. Seo, I understand.”
Seo and Seok, two opposing forces clashing fiercely: one sought to gently break the rules by finding gaps on it and one adhered strictly to them even in the absence of surveillance. The more persistent between them emerged victorious.
From the beginning, it was a an unfavorable battle for Seok. Seo had a track record of navigating through legal loopholes as he pleased. While other heroes took the law as their guiding principle, Seo’s motto was more along the lines of “just avoid prison.”
Seo’s judgment was that he could break the rules if necessary, and he did so without hesitation.
Hugo, who had been calm throughout, took offense and looked at the situation uncomfortably.
“Your attitude of constantly stepping over the line of the agreement is getting on my nerves. You keep bothering Ms. Belze. You’re quite troublesome. It can’t be helped, I’ll crush you.”
“Go ahead.”
“From the way he’s talking, it sounds like it has something to do to you, Mr. Seo, so why am I the one playing?”
“Watch, Ms. Hye-na and Ms. Belze. I will bring victory to you both.”
Hugo couldn’t say anything more and kissed the hands of Hye-na and Belze, who were standing behind him.
Seo’s expression didn’t change, and he made a gesture of slashing his throat with his index finger.
“Crush them.”
“Mr. Seo? Could you please make a more heroic statement?”
“Crush them to prove your desire for peace.”
“It sounds strangely like an order… but alright, I understand.”
The game began.
*
“How is this possible…?”
Hugo let out a long groan. He wanted to tear his hair out, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
He was skilled at poker. His mind was sharp, and he was good at betting and had a knack for getting his opponents to put up their chips on the line when he had a good hand. But, Seok’s luck was more impressive than any skill Hugo possessed.
Kang Seok wasn’t much of a poker player. Poker is a form of gambling for him, and he only knew the basic rules. But he was incredibly lucky.
Good hands came to him without much effort. With no tension as he plays, he rarely gave away his hand through his facial expressions.
In fact, Seok was someone who could have made a name for himself as a hero with that kind of luck. Seo had seated Seok at the poker table solely based on his luck.
“It’s a flush. I won.”
Kang Seok was born lucky. Thanks to his luck, he had grown up as an honest person without any resentment, as if he had never had to face unfair treatment or deceit, even though there was no one around to keep him in check.
His luck inevitably manifested at the gambling table, and Seok swept away all the chips that were in front of Hugo. When there were only five chips left, Hugo began to tap his thigh anxiously, and Hye-na whispered to Belze.
“He’s here to vent his frustration, right?”
“Does it seem that way to you too?”
It was obvious. Without a personal vendetta, unless there was something deeply personal involved, one wouldn’t think of gambling away someone else’s operational funds.
“What did you talk about that got him all worked up?”
“If you want me dead, keep asking.”
There was nothing more to say. If she spoke of her dreams, Seo’s revenge would be fiercer than a mere lecture.
After all, it wasn’t a story she wanted to share with others. Making a big fuss about Seo being attracted to her would just make her the subject of ridicule again.
Belze shrugged to indicate that Hye-na should stop asking and picked up a chip. Seok, in the distance, in front of them looked bored as he built a neat, high tower of chips.
“I won again. And now you have almost no chips. Shall we end it here?”
“I can’t do that. If I lose all of this, I can’t even imagine what I’ll hear. I can’t walk away from this.”
Hugo, even in his confusion, didn’t stammer or show signs of crumbling. He tried so hard to appear dapper but the back of his neck was already soaked with sweat.
He was trying to look polished but couldn’t hide the anxiety that was creeping in as he was about to lose all their operation funds.
Criticism for not backing off when they should have was understandable. Although they tried to leave the table when Hugo had lost about half of the chips, Seo didn’t allow it.
So what could they do? The three of them who couldn’t beat Seo had no choice but to become obedient.
In the end, it was partly her fault. Feeling responsible, Belze pressed the back of Hugo’s slightly dampened collar, signalling that she’ll be taking over.
“Hugo, pass me the baton.”
She had to take care of her own affairs.
“Call me Hugo Big. But I apologize, we don’t have much left to bet.”
Hugo, who seemed like he might rebel, obediently stepped back, wiping away his cold sweat. Belze took his place and sat down then scanned the faces of the participants. What had started as a game with five players had now become a match between just two.
“We’re changing players. Also, we’re going to change some chips.”
“You’re not going to bring more chips, but you want to exchange them?”
“I’m afraid we have no more chips to bring out. I’m willing to bet fifteen minutes on each chip.”
“I’m sorry, but that’s not possible.”
The dealer, who had been solely focused on dealing the cards, objected on the proposal. Belze raised her hand to silence the dealer.
Her gaze remained fixed on Seo, behind Seok.
“Of course, that’s not what I mean. I’m simply offering my time as an academic advisor. My major is in mechanical, electrical, and electronic engineering. I also have experience as a middle manager. What do you think?”
Seo pushed aside his worries and objections and got Seok to stand up. He carefully stroked the chips to prevent them from being damaged and sat down in his place.
“Alright. It’s a good opportunity to consult with an expert. But we’ll change players, too. Any objections?”
“None. Let’s get started.”
As the proposal was accepted, Belze internally rejoiced and spun around in circles in her head. Bartering their lacking chips for free and obtaining a good bait to confront Seo left her pleased.
She had firmly established that there were no sexual undertones, but what happens behind closed doors was their private affair, between only them. Even without such insinuations, the consultation time was a guise and provided an opportunity for them to talk.
Seo, brimming with curiosity and filled with intrigue, would surely try to seize this chance to meet her.
Belze was relieved that her calculations had worked out. She was even more pleased that Seo had fallen for it. It felt like he had easily hooked Seo with the offer of her time.
“I’ll get back what I lost, so be prepared.”
Belze was proficient in poker, and as long as Seo targeted the “15-minute” chip, she had a chance to win. Gambling is a game where whoever holds the chips at the end of the hand wins.
Even if, by some chance, Seo turned out to be too strong and Belze lost, it wouldn’t be a significant loss.
She thought she could just play with him for a few minutes in the private room, and she didn’t mind moving on to the next stage if it came to that.
And if Seo was already in the mood, having sex two or three times wouldn’t make much of a difference.
Belze picked up her hand. She felt confident that she could play well.
*
“You’re really good! You haven’t lost a single round.”
“Ms. Belze, you play so well. I’m embarrassed about my skills. Just a bit more, and you’ll win more than we’ve lost! Fighting!”
“Mr. Seo, please stop. Even if your pride is hurt, it’s not worth it. We shouldn’t be gambling in the first place. Casinos are designed for the house to win.”
All three of them were gripping their companion’s shoulders, but their expressions were different. Hye-na and Hugo were holding onto Belze’s shoulders, cheering, while Seok was grabbing Seo’s shoulders, trying to pull him up.
Belze was winning, and she was achieving an overwhelming number of consecutive victories, far beyond Seok’s previous record.
That was the problem.
“Kim Seo…”
Belze couldn’t bring herself to say anything and pressed her lips. His inflated confidence was now deflated by someone.
Gambling relies heavily on luck, and poker is no different. After shuffling and shuffling, there comes a point when the odds are overwhelmingly in Seo’s favor.
If you win twenty times out of twenty, it’s not a matter of skill; it’s a blatant scam.
It’s obvious why someone like Belze would be able to go on a winning streak regardless of their luck.