The Legend of Tokyo Taoist

Chapter 236 Death Game (6)

"Can you tell me more about it?" Qian Xiaoyi asked, "You've been there, right? How did you come across the Golden God arcade?"

"We..." Ah Shi said, "We were drunk at the time and wanted to go back to play a few rounds of steel pinball to make up for our losses, but we got lost while walking. Mr. Qian, you know that when you are drunk, you can't remember many things. I only remember that we heard the sound of pachinko machines in an alley, so we walked over and found a game hall, and the sound came from inside..."

Ah Shu continued, "I remember this. Although the storefront is small, it is much bigger than it looks when you go in. There are many people playing games inside. There are all kinds of game machines."

They came to the counter, eager to use the last bit of money they had to exchange for steel marbles to play a few rounds, but there was no one behind the counter. There were only two plastic baskets filled with steel marbles on the counter. What was even stranger was that there were two people's names on them.

"So you guys went in to play?" Qian Xiaoyi asked, "Without any suspicion at all?"

"Well... we were drunk at the time, and we didn't think that much..." Ah Shu scratched his face and said, "But it seems that we didn't play, but... we brought the small steel balls out and wanted to secretly go to a familiar store to try whether they could be used. As a result, it seems that we drank too much and fell asleep on the side of the road after we went out. When we woke up, it was already noon today, and the small steel balls were gone."

Ah Shi said excitedly, "Then we used the little money we had left to go back to the store and continue playing. And this time we actually won! And we won a huge amount!"

Qian Xiaoyi smelled the stench coming from them and frowned. This meant that after waking up, they went to the pachinko parlor to continue playing marbles without even taking a shower.

Moreover, these two guys are also talented. They actually took their "chips" directly out of the store. Maybe this is why they were able to make a small fortune today.

"Hey, wake up." Qian Xiaoyi said, "It's great to be rich, but you have to be alive to spend it. I'm sure you are also very clear about the consequences of those people in this legend, right?"

When they mentioned this, their faces immediately changed color. Ashu said with a very bad expression: "Those people in the legend...if they lose in that store, they will die in the next few days. And those who win by chance will step into that store again after spending all their windfall, and end up with the same fate."

Qian Xiaoyi nodded. That’s right. Since it’s an urban legend, there must be various settings.

Ah Shi said, "In that case, after we spend all our money, can't we just not go into that kind of place next time we come across it?"

Qian Xiaoyi sneered: "I know the behavior logic of you gamblers too well. Once you get high, you will forget your relatives and friends and become obsessed. Not to mention whether you can resist not going in after spending all your money... I think you will die in an accident before that."

"What?" They were both stunned.

Qian Xiaoyi explained, "Didn't you bring those chips with you? I think those are the value of your 'souls'. What you are doing now is equivalent to mortgaging your souls to that store and taking away a bunch of chips... If you spend that money now, you might be spending the only life you have left."

The two thugs shuddered with fear. They touched the money in their arms in horror, not knowing what to do. If Inuyama Heita had not stopped them, they would have probably gone out to live a life of debauchery.

"Wait...you don't want us to give the money to you for safekeeping, do you?" Ashu suddenly questioned.

Qian Xiaoyi shook his head and said, "Stupid... Who would want that little money of yours? But if you want to survive, you must exchange this money into your soul chips. I'll give you two hours. I'll wait for you in the fast food restaurant over there. If you want to save your life, go back and take a shower. Don't spend a penny of the money you won, understand?" The two looked at each other, bowed to Qian Xiaoyi, and then hurried away.

"Will they come?" asked Inuyama Heita.

Qian Xiaoyi said, "If they are not stupid, they will call the village to ask about me after they go back. Besides, money and life are more important. Any normal person knows that even gamblers will only get angry when gambling. They will come... Let's go over there and wait."

The three of them came to the fast food restaurant, ordered something casually, and sat down to wait.

"By the way." Qian Xiaoyi asked, "Xiao, you may stay until very late today, so you should go back first so that your mother won't worry."

Suzuki adjusted his glasses and said, "No need. I've already told my mother that I'm going to act with you, Brother Otoko, today. She's very relieved."

"Your mother is really..." Qian Xiaoyi said speechlessly: "She is so innocent..."

Suzuki also sighed. Her mother was indeed very easy to fool. She had the same fanatical trust in Qian Xiaoyi as she had in President Oiwa. If Qian Xiaoyi was really a bad person, their family's money would have been defrauded long ago.

"Okay, I'll ride my bike to take you home after the operation is over tonight." Qian Xiaoyi said. Because there were no trams late at night, he and Inuyama Heita came on Nuhuomaru.

While waiting, they began to talk about the mysterious [Golden God] game hall.

"Is this really possible?" Suzuki asked, "Sacrificing one's soul in exchange for sudden wealth... It feels too incredible."

It was obvious that Suzuki was indeed confused, so Qian Xiaoyi asked, "Do you remember the content of the legend they just told you? What happened to the people in the story?"

Suzuki replied: "Well, the losers will suddenly die violently, while the winners will suddenly become rich, then spend all their money and continue gambling until they die violently."

Qian Xiaoyi said: "Look, no matter what the result is, they will end up with only one outcome, which is violent death. In fact, this kind of legend often carries a meaning of 'hitting where you hit where you point'. For example, in our place, the burial location of the ancestors is very important. If a person suddenly becomes rich, then everyone will say that his ancestral grave is emitting green smoke, which means that the burial location is good...

But the problem is that only after that person becomes rich will people think that his ancestral grave is in a good location, but before he becomes rich, no one can discover this fact. "

Suzuki understood: "You mean, this is a kind of survivor bias. No matter what the result of the people who enter that place is, they will die in the end, but everyone will only focus on those who get rich, and they can explain it in any way they want.

If someone dies before getting rich, others can say that he lost in the game, and if someone gets rich, they can say that he won in the game but lost later. Anyway, they can always find a reason to explain it, because such things cannot be falsified... However, there is one thing, those two people did get rich, is this a coincidence?"

(End of this chapter)