NOVEL NEXT Chapter 274: Betting and Winning Outright (2)
"How about we make a bet on this, Mr. Rick?"
Rick was taken aback when he heard that. He turned his head toward the voice—it was Nolan.
His brows furrowed slightly as he asked with doubt, "What do you mean?"
Nolan folded his arms across his chest and explained, "Looking at your stubbornness, I'm sure you won't easily accept the obvious. So instead of getting into a pointless argument, let's make a bet."
The mention of a bet stirred a sense of longing in Nolan.
In the past, he had wagered with Zarak twice—and both times, he had won.
It hadn't been for a small amount either—sixteen million Sharn.
Although the money meant little to him, even mosquito meat was still meat.
Rick fell silent, lost in thought. He didn't know why the man wanted a bet, nor did he know him well enough to guess if there was a hidden motive behind the challenge.
But once he felt everyone's eyes on him, his doubts faded, replaced by a fearless resolve.
"Alright, I accept your challenge. Tell me how to play," he replied firmly.
He was certain there was foul play between the experts and Arthur. There was no reason to fear a bet like this.
Nolan remained calm, a faint smile spreading across his face, hidden beneath the mask.
Beside him, Anna felt a chill run down her spine, making her glance nervously to her left and right.
Is it just me? she asked herself in doubt.
"The rules are simple," Nolan said nonchalantly. "Since you don't believe me, we'll let the expert explain why my evidence is valid. If everything is convincing, I win. Otherwise, if there are doubts or mistakes, you can point them out. If your accusations are proven true, then you win."
The rules were so straightforward that Rick had no further questions.
"What do you want to bet, and what do I have to stake?" he asked.
"That's very simple," Nolan replied with a playful wink. "The losing side must pay one hundred million Sharn to the winner. How's that? Do we have a deal?"
The moment people heard the bet, they gasped, struggling to contain their pounding hearts.
Compared to the Red Obsidian Trading House's investment in the Castellan family, that amount was nothing. But to everyone in the courtroom, it was still an astounding sum!
Not to mention, the money was only for betting. If only they could take part and win, wouldn't it be like becoming instantly rich?
Louis wanted to stop this nonsense. He knew the evidence was solid, and there was nothing he could do to defend Rick.
Yet before he could speak, Rick had already nodded in agreement.
"Alright, I agree! One hundred million Sharn, right? Who's afraid?" he challenged coldly.
Of course, he didn't have that much money. But he was confident he wouldn't lose, so there was no reason to hesitate.
"Good!" Nolan laughed, clapping his hands. "As expected of a representative of the Red Obsidian Trading House—you're bold and confident. I'm honored to make this bet with you."
His tone carried a thin layer of mockery.
Rick waved his hand casually, as if uninterested in the ramblings.
"Let's get started," he said dismissively.
Nolan nodded, then gave the man a look, as if telling him to start.
The man gave a small nod before speaking. "The evidence presented by Attorney Arthur is a cooperation contract between the Castellan family and the Red Obsidian Trading House. This agreement includes investments worth billions of Sharn for the construction of weapons factories, hotels, shops, and more. Altogether, it totals around ten billion Sharn."
"Hiss!" The crowd reacted in horror. Such an enormous sum was unimaginable—they would never see anything like it in their lifetime.
Now they understood why Rick was so determined to win this case. The investment value was staggering.
"Damn it..." Aston gritted his teeth.
The Valmire family controlled the weapons factory business.
By a tacit agreement among the three Marquis families, none could interfere in the others' enterprises to prevent internal conflicts.
Although Rovert, the culprit, was dead, Aston's resentment remained.
"According to the contract, the Red Obsidian Trading House handed over about 90% of the funds to the Castellan family to establish and operate the planned businesses. The remainder was placed in the Castellan family's treasury as a backup in case any losses occurred."
Rick glanced at Nolan with a proud, arrogant look. But the man's voice continued, cutting through the tension.
"However, in this agreement, Rovert Castellan, as the second party, stipulated that the profits from the investment were not to be placed in the Castellan family account but into his personal one."
At the mention of this, everyone froze, unable to believe what they had just heard.
Keep in mind, the laws of both the region and the palace strictly regulate investment matters. One key rule is that all profits must go into the family treasury.
Violation of this rule immediately renders the investment illegal. This safeguard exists to prevent fraud and embezzlement.
After all, there have been many cases where greedy heads of noble families tried to seize the family treasury for themselves.
"Impossible!" Rick shouted, fury in his voice. "That's impossible! I clearly remember Rovert never did anything like that!"
The man glanced at him indifferently and said, "Sorry, Mr. Rick. But it's all clearly stated in this document. If you don't believe me, see for yourself."
He handed over the document. Rick hurried forward, snatched it, and scanned the contents.
As his eyes traced the agreement, his face turned pale in an instant—a change so sudden everyone could see it.
"Impossible… This document must be fake… It can't be real," he stammered.
His hands shook violently as he clutched the paper.
"The document is fake?" The man sneered mockingly. "Don't deny it, Mr. Rick. You can clearly see the official seal of your Red Obsidian Trading House on this agreement. The seal is genuine—identical to the contract you provided earlier. My team and I have checked them thoroughly; both are the same. There is no forgery."
If not for Rick's status, he would have struck the man long ago. He and his team were professionals; fraud was impossible.
Yet this stubborn man continued to argue, again and again, without offering any valid counterpoints or evidence. People like him were infuriating.
Rick stood frozen, as if his spirit had been stripped away.
His lips moved, opening and closing, as if thousands of words were stuck inside him, unable to escape.
Watching this, everyone realized that Rick had completely… lost the bet.