Chapter 58 Luck Based Game
"I'm not well-versed in psychology," Qi Xia remarked with a nonchalant shake of his head. "I simply have a penchant for playing the villain."
Upon hearing his agreement, Ole Lu's demeanor softened somewhat.
"Let’s get one thing straight, punk," Ole Lu said, his tone more measured. "Every {Dào} you win will belong to me."
"I’d like to keep just one," Qi Xia proposed.
"Out of the question," Ole Lu responded, shaking his head with firm resolve. "Are you seriously trying to bargain with me, punk? You already took nineteen {Dào} from me before, and now you want more? If that's your stance, I’m walking away right now."
Qi Xia inclined his head. "Very well, I won’t take any {Dào}, but you’ll have to cover my {admission}."
Ole Lu's eyes gleamed with a renewed sense of calculation as he leaned in closer, warning, "Listen, kid, let me give you some advice. The people you’re searching for aren’t in this district. If you try to pull a fast one on me, you won’t get any information about their whereabouts."
"Rest assured," Qi Xia said, "deceiving you would be a pointless endeavor."
"Hold on a moment," Qi Xia interjected. "Just to be safe, you should explain the game to me."
"Oh, right!" Ole Lu exclaimed, slapping his forehead. "I almost fucking forgot. Punk, haven’t you ever played a {Pig Category Game} before?"
"Does it look like I have?" Qi Xia replied, his brows knitting in slight irritation.
"Sigh. Pig Category Game, as the name implies, involves thinking like a pig."
"Think like a pig?" Qi Xia echoed, clearly perplexed. "Why on earth would I need to think like a pig?"
"Because you don’t need to use your brain!" Ole Lu replied with a grin. "Pig Category Games are all {luck-based}—just like Morra[1] or Sic bo[2]."
"What?" Qi Xia hesitated. "Are you saying... the outcome is purely determined by luck?"
"Yeah!" Ole Lu nodded, sizing up Qi Xia once more. "You’re not thinking of backing out now, are you?"
"I..." Qi Xia couldn’t be considered in the notion of {backing out}, but he was struggling to grasp the connection between {pigs} and {luck}.
"Come on, what’s there to be afraid of in a Pig Category Game?" Ole Lu asked, his exasperation evident. "You struck me as clever before, but now you’re hesitating just because it’s a game of chance?"
Qi Xia knew better than to dismiss {pigs} as mere simpletons. Far from being dim-witted, pigs rank among the top ten most intelligent species, with cognitive abilities comparable to those of a five-year-old child. Besides, the games Ole Lu had referenced—{Morra} and {Sic bo}—weren’t purely governed by luck alone.
With the right strategy, one could certainly minimize losses and maximize gains.
"I still have to ask," Qi Xia said, his gaze shifting to the building ahead, "What exactly is this game about? This is clearly a Go Association Club—how does a luck-based game fit in here?"
"To put it simply, there are two piles of stones, equal in number—one black, one white. You close your eyes and draw at random. If you pick a black stone, you win."
"That’s all there is to it?"
"Yeah!" Ole Lu confirmed. "I told you—it’s a game of luck!"
With that, he pulled a white Go stone from his pocket and hurled it to the ground in frustration. "I fucking drew a white piece twice in a row! My luck is terrible today!"
Qi Xia could hardly believe his ears. If the game truly was as simple as Ole Lu described, he couldn’t be certain he’d succeed against the pig-headed figures. He picked up the white stone from the ground, inspecting it closely. It was an ordinary piece, devoid of any hidden mechanisms.
"Well, are you in or not?" Ole Lu demanded impatiently. "Aren’t you eager to find out where those two people are?"
Qi Xia understood he had little choice. With {no money to his name}, his only hope rested with Officer Li. To discover Officer Li’s whereabouts, he would need to extract the information from Ole Lu.
In plain terms, he had nothing to lose. Even if he were to fail at this game of chance, his losses would be inconsequential. Moreover, it presented a unique opportunity to gain insight into {pig}.
"No, I’m merely contemplating my strategy," Qi Xia replied. "Let’s proceed inside."
At this, Ole Lu’s enthusiasm was rekindled. He eagerly gestured for Qi Xia to enter the building.
Lin Qin, perceiving the absurdity of the situation, opted to remain silent and followed along discreetly.
As soon as they entered the room, the pig-headed figure erupted in exaggerated gestures of delight. "Hmph! Hmph! Visitors! Someone's come to play with me again!"
His voice, though deep, carried an unexpectedly childish tone.
Qi Xia couldn’t help but cover his nose and mouth; the stench emanating from the pig mask was overwhelmingly unpleasant.
"You damned pig head!" Ole Lu roared, "I’ll have you lose everything today—even your underwear!"
"Hahaha! Excellent! Excellent!" the pig-headed figure clapped his hands with glee. "Who among you dares to challenge me?"
Qi Xia seated himself deliberately across from the pig-headed figure and asked, "I’ll participate. What’s the admission fee?"
"Offer whatever you wish," the pig-headed figure replied cheerfully. "No more than five {Dào}. If you win, it doubles! Now, hand it over!"
"Offer whatever I wish..." Qi Xia mused, shaking his head. "You’re {Mortal Pig}, aren’t you?"
"Yes! I am Mortal Pig! Mortal Pig!" he declared, pointing at Qi Xia. "You’re a foolish pig! A foolish pig!"
Everyone chose to ignore him, preferring not to engage with someone clearly unhinged.
Ole Lu gritted his teeth and, albeit reluctantly, handed over five {Dào} to the Mortal Pig.
Qi Xia observed that Ole Lu's eyes held the unmistakable glint of a gambler. Even though the game was based on luck, Ole Lu was resolute in his willingness to continue betting.
"Ole Lu, five {Dào}?" Qi Xia asked, a touch of bewilderment in his voice. "Isn’t that a rather steep stake?"
"Listen," Ole Lu implored with a serious expression, "I’ve already played two rounds. The first was for one {Dào}, the second for two {Dào}, and I lost both to this damned pig. If you win this round, I’ll not only break even but might even make a profit."
Qi Xia considered the explanation briefly before turning back to the Mortal Pig and inquiring, "What are the rules of the game?"
"Quite simple," Mortal Pig replied, pushing the black and white stones forward. "There are fifty black pieces and fifty white pieces. Your task is to allocate them into these two bowls."
He then slid two identical large porcelain bowls toward Qi Xia.
"How you choose to divide the pieces is entirely up to you," Mortal Pig added with a mischievous grin. "Once you’ve completed the allocation, I’ll blindfold you. I will then shuffle the bowls and mix the pieces by shaking the container. After that, you must select one bowl at random and draw a piece from it. If you draw a {black piece}, you win. But beware—should anyone interfere or provide hints, I will impose penalties on everyone present."
Qi Xia's expression remained unreadable as he took in the sight of the bowls and pieces laid out before him. He let out a cold snort.
"Hehe, what are you laughing at?" Mortal Pig snickered along. "As long as you have enough luck, you might just win this."
Qi Xia found the entire setup rather amusing. The notion of having to distribute the pieces himself and then draw one?
It became clear that this so-called 50-50 game was nothing more than a cunning trap, designed to lure countless participants into its web.
"Mortal Pig, I’ve clearly underestimated you," Qi Xia remarked. "You’re far more clever than I gave you credit for."