Chapter 83: You Are My God

Chapter 83: Chapter 83: You Are My God

Lost in his meal and grumbling that there wasn’t enough, Boss Zhu failed to notice the change in some of the gamblers nearby.

At table number 12, a middle-aged woman took a small box from her clothes. Inside was the last of her family’s savings.

’I can win this. I have to win.’

The woman, who had been losing all night, was still obsessed with winning just once.

She firmly believed that all she needed was one chance to turn things around.

And at the gambling table, people in her exact situation were everywhere; everyone was desperate to bet their entire family fortune.

"Come, come, place your bets! All bets are final!"

The dealer controlled the game with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the gamblers at the table, urging them on. But hidden in the depths of his eyes was a profound coldness.

They saw this kind of situation every day.

Countless people had their families and lives ruined in this Heaven and Earth Casino, but he couldn’t care less.

His job was to empty their pockets, and once they hit rock bottom, to extend a helping hand.

Those people thought what awaited them was salvation, was hope.

In reality, it was a deeper, darker hell.

HEH HEH HEH!

"I’ll bet on big!"

"Small, it has to be small."

"Which one, which one... Heavens, please help me. I have to bet on the right one."

Many people muttered nervously, pushing all their chips forward. Spurred on by them, more and more people lost their cool.

The thrill and the frenzy transformed into the strongest of chains, binding these gamblers tightly.

The woman’s hand, holding the box, trembled slightly. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her gaze, fixed on the dice, was utterly ferocious.

Just as she was about to bet her last valuables, Steward Zhu happened to walk past her, carrying a tray of skewers.

That wisp of worldly aroma drifted over, brushing against the woman’s contorted face.

The fragrance was so rich, yet it was like a cool breeze, sweeping through her feverish mind.

In an instant, her senses cleared.

Her eyes wide, the woman looked around, a little dazed and lost.

"How did it come to this?"

she whispered, looking at the frenzied crowd around her and sucking in a sharp breath.

Her husband had been severely injured in a magical duel. He was now lying in bed, on the verge of death. To cure him, she had to spend a fortune on a special Spiritual Medicine.

But their savings weren’t enough.

She had asked many people for help but still couldn’t raise enough money. At her wit’s end, she suddenly overheard an acquaintance bragging about how many Spirit Stones they’d won at the casino.

And so, a faint glimmer of hope ignited in her heart.

’Gamble.’

’Just one big win, and my husband’s injuries would be taken care of.’

With this thought, she came to the Heaven and Earth Casino. At first, she managed to stay calm, observing for a while and only making small bets.

She won a few times.

The money she had on her grew.

’Just a few more wins, and I’ll reach my goal.’

Filled with this hope, she placed another bet.

And after that...

The woman was shoved from behind.

"Are you gonna bet or not? If not, then get the hell out of the way. Don’t be a nuisance."

A man with a flushed face snapped at the woman in a vicious tone, but the people around them paid no mind.

That’s right. After that, she had become just like them. She’d gone from winning a little at the start to gambling for the sake of gambling, even betting her husband’s medicine money without a second thought.

It was as if she’d gone mad, completely forgetting that someone was waiting for her at home.

And now, she had taken out the last valuable thing she owned.

She was so close, so close to having nothing left.

But thankfully, she had woken up.

The woman pressed her lips together, backing away from the gambling table with a wary and terrified expression.

She tried to make herself inconspicuous and quietly withdrew.

She didn’t notice that in the places Steward Zhu had passed, a few other gamblers were beginning to come to their senses, just like her.

It wasn’t until the moment she stepped out of the casino’s main entrance that the woman’s heart finally settled a little.

’Thank goodness,’

she thought.

The item in her clothes was still there. With this, she and her husband wouldn’t be driven to a dead end.

Thinking of her husband, the woman’s heart burned with anxiety.

She wanted to hurry back, but as she turned her head, she saw the skewer stall.

A wave of fragrance drifted over. A scent as intense as the summer sun rushed into her nostrils, completely clearing her still-muddled head.

’It was this scent.’

When she was lost in the depths of her gambling addiction, it was this scent that had awakened her reason.

"Night Fragrance skewers! Delicious and light! Care to try some?"

The look in the woman’s eyes was truly complex; Lu Wu couldn’t decipher it. She was just calling out, trying to attract customers.

"Um... I’ll have an order of vegetarian skewers."

The woman had never had these "skewers" before, but faced with this life-saving grace, just buying a few was hardly enough to repay the debt.

Unfortunately, she was short on cash at the moment.

These ten Spirit Stones were the deepest thanks she could offer.

"Alright, just a moment."

Lu Wu withdrew her gaze from the woman’s haggard face.

’Is it my imagination, or are the customers from this casino all a bit strange?’

’First, there was that idiot drooling, and now there’s this woman who looks completely hollowed out.’

’But what does that have to do with a small stall owner like me?’

Focused solely on selling her skewers, Lu Wu placed the three types of vegetables the woman had chosen into the clear broth pot.

"Would you like it spicy?"

Lu Wu asked.

"No, thank you."

Her tastes were already on the milder side, and besides, she wanted to bring the skewers back for her husband to try.

In the woman’s heart, Lu Wu was now her benefactor, her deity.

Perhaps eating the skewers made by her benefactor would bring a turn for the better in her husband’s condition.

The shiitake mushrooms, already umami-rich, were taken to another level after being cooked in the rich stock. The universally loved potato slices glistened with an alluring golden sheen, and the emerald-green seaweed looked visibly crisp and refreshing.

Under the lamplight, steam curled up amidst the rising fragrance.

Lu Wu’s movements were like a fluid ink wash painting, a pleasing sight to behold.

As the cold wind blew, the woman breathed out a warm puff of air, and the ashen pallor on her face gradually faded.

She took the skewers Lu Wu handed her and gave Lu Wu a smile.

"Thank you, young boss."

These words were filled with absolute sincerity.

Lu Wu scratched her head in confusion as she watched the woman’s retreating figure. She looked as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

Seeing her task progress increase by a bit still made Lu Wu happy.

Just as Lu Wu thought she’d have to endure the cold wind a while longer, the casino doors opened again.

Several gamblers walked out.

Their steps were unsteady, and their faces were grim.

’For a second, Lu Wu thought she was back on Yanliu Street. Or did this casino offer some kind of special service?’

The grave expressions on their faces made Lu Wu hesitate to call out, afraid she might get beaten up.

But after the men exchanged glances for a moment, they all walked toward her.

"Boss..."

A young man looked at Lu Wu’s youthful face, wanting to ask something, but he stopped when he saw her questioning gaze.

The others were the same.

One by one, they all looked as if they’d encountered something too embarrassing to speak about.

In the end, a thousand unspoken words were reduced to a single sentence: "Boss, give us a few orders of skewers!"

With her business suddenly booming, Lu Wu had no time to ponder the change of heart in these men. She deftly grabbed the skewers they’d chosen and placed them into the different broth pots.

’Business is booming!’