Signing In At The Civil Affairs Bureau, I Was Rewarded With A Gorgeous Wife

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The night deepened.

In an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Magic Capital, there was a bustling crowd. Although they tried to keep their voices down, everyone's expressions were filled with excitement and anger.

"I'm fucking! What kind of dealing is this, huh? Every time I bet small, you open big!"

"I'm so pissed, I've lost more than thirty thousand today! Can't I get a stroke of luck and win just once?"

"Just one win, just one win! After I win, I'm going home to sleep!"

"May all the gods bless me, may all the gods bless me, keep opening big this round! I swear I'll stop after I win the last one!"

All sorts of people surrounded a table, anxiously waiting for the dealer to reveal the result.

Among these people was Yuan Siyi's cousin, Zhou Hao, who was nothing like he was during the day; his eyes were bloodshot, yet he stared intently at the gambling cup.

Today, he had just gotten one hundred and twenty thousand from Yuan Siyi, but within less than two hours of arriving, he had already lost forty thousand!

Moreover, it seemed like the dice were cursed today, as he was sure to lose whenever he bet big, and he tended to win whenever he wagered a small amount just to bide the time.

Zhou Hao was already caught in a vicious cycle.

The place these gamblers were at was an impermanent underground black gambling den, with connections among the patrons; the venue would change its operation times and locations on a whim.

Firstly, it was to avoid danger, and secondly, you have to wait for the pigs to fatten before you slaughter them.

The majority of people leaving here lost their fortunes, so spacing out the events allowed them to gather more money for the next round of bleeding out.

"Damn it, is my luck really that bad today?"

Zhou Hao lit a cigarette in annoyance, his unkempt beard making him look particularly disheveled due to lack of sleep.

"123, small!"

After the dealer unveiled the cup, the reactions were mixed, some joyful, some sorrowful.

Places like these underground black gambling dens were rife with illegal elements, and even now, the one rolling the dice for everyone was a cheat.

He would always check whether more people bet on big or small before roughly estimating and manipulating the dice to his desired outcome.

"Damn it! Why can't I ever get it right!"

Zhou Hao slammed the table in anger, but he dared go no further; after all, even though there seemed to be only three people maintaining order in the warehouse, in actuality, there were more than ten lookouts outside. Anyone causing trouble might get off with a beating—a light punishment compared to the broken bones and thrown-out troublemakers Zhou Hao had seen.

"I'm done, I'm done!"

Zhou Hao looked at the money on the table with heartache, then gathered it all into a backpack.

"Oh, finishing early today, huh?"

A thug maintaining order, knowing that Zhou Hao was a regular, called out to greet him.
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"Damn it, today's just weird. I've already lost more than fifty thousand in such a short time. If I don't stop now, I might not even have enough for a cab fare tomorrow!"

Zhou Hao complained with a click of his tongue.

"You're a regular here, how can you still make such rookie mistakes? Haven't you heard of the saying that fortune comes in cycles? Your luck has just started to turn. If you leave now, isn't the money you lost earlier wasted?"

The thug tempted him: "I've got some pull with Uncle Gang. During the break, I'll cozy up to him a bit, try to get you some winnings."

The thug deliberately lowered his voice, making it sound all the more secretive.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Hao's mind perked up. The guy had a point. He had already lost fifty thousand, so why not try his luck again?

Even if not to win big, just another ten or twenty thousand.

Besides, he said he would talk to Uncle Gang. Whether he won money or not, it would be clear at a glance.

"Alright, you said it. I'll wait until after the break to play again. If I win, I'll treat you to a drink!"

"No problem. How about trying one of our relaxation services in the room next door?"

The hoodlum spoke with a mysterious air.

"Huh? What the hell is that?

"Come on, follow me! I guarantee you'll feel relaxed and then kill it!"

The hoodlum led Zhou Hao to the next room.

More than ten minutes later, Zhou Hao came back, full of enthusiasm.

After waiting for over an hour, the halftime break came, and Zhou Hao saw the same hoodlum calling Uncle Gang aside, talking and pointing at him.

He hastily nodded and bowed, giving Uncle Gang a smile, and Uncle Gang also nodded back with a smile.

As the second half began, Zhou Hao tentatively played a couple of rounds and ended both with a win.

This gradually lowered his guard, and the more he played, the happier he became, and the bigger the bets got.

By the time the game wrapped up, Zhou Hao counted the money in his backpack and found that he had actually lost a hundred thousand!!!

That's not right, I seemed to win quite a few times, so how did I end up losing?

He furrowed his brow and confronted the hoodlum, "Didn't you hook me up with the right connections?"

"Don't spout nonsense at me!"

The hoodlum, with a cigarette between his fingers, pointed at Zhou Hao's nose and said, "Do you have any idea how much of a favor I owed for your sake! It's all because you got greedy and lost all the money you won back!"

Zhou Hao thought about it and it did seem true; he even made back his losses and earned an extra twenty thousand at the beginning.

"Big brother, can you talk to Uncle Gang again? Next time, let me win a bit more, I'll never forget your kindness."

Zhou Hao pleaded.

"Dammit, do you think just by me saying a word, Uncle Gang will listen to me? These days, what you need is this!"

The hoodlum rubbed his thumb and index finger together lightly.

Zhou Hao suddenly understood and, feeling the pinch, took out a thousand yuan from his bag and handed it over to the other party.

The hoodlum flicked his finger, angrily smashed the money on Zhou Hao's face, and cursed, "Are you damn trying to beg or what!"

"This..."

Zhou Hao clenched his teeth, thinking the old saying was true: he who would catch fish must not mind getting wet. What did it matter if he gave a little more now, he thought, he would earn it back next time!

He gritted his teeth and pulled another four thousand from his bag, adding it to the thousand yuan on the floor, and handed it all to the hoodlum.

"Hmm, that's more like it. Wait until you win big next time," the hoodlum said, pocketing the money nonchalantly and strutting away. "Hurry up and go, don't let outsiders know about our business!"

"Sure, sure!"

Zhou Hao obediently turned and left the warehouse.

"You got the money?"

Once Zhou Hao left, Uncle Gang walked up to the hoodlum and asked indifferently.

"Got it, here's your share!"

The hoodlum respectfully pulled out four thousand five hundred and handed it over with both hands.

"Good, you're sharp enough not to be too greedy."

Uncle Gang left, pleased with the money in hand.

The hoodlum, feeling a bit excited about the remaining five hundred in his pocket,

was part of the chain scam, where the only real loser was the naive Zhou Hao, who both paid and lost money.