Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 217: Heading to the Underground Casino

Watching Juri Sonoda's eager and enthusiastic expression, Liu Xing felt the urge to remind her that they were going undercover this time, not going on a picnic. If they were discovered by the Dark Willow Gang, Liu Xing figured his life would be in grave danger.

So, Liu Xing spoke up, saying, "Well, Miss Juri Sonoda, I already went to investigate the Dark Willow Gang's Underground casino yesterday. I found out that to enter the Dark Willow Gang's Underground casino, one needs an invitation from the Dark Willow Gang. Unfortunately, I haven't obtained one yet."

Juri Sonoda chuckled and retrieved a gilded invitation from her bag. "You don't have one, but I do. I got it through a friend who purchased it from someone else. In theory, one invitation allows two people to enter the Dark Willow Gang's Underground casino. So, it works out perfectly for you and me to investigate together."

Liu Xing chuckled as well, surprised that Juri Sonoda had managed to obtain an invitation to the Dark Willow Gang's casino. It was beyond his expectations.

"Alright, let's get going. If my information is correct, the Dark Willow Gang's Underground casino starts operating after 1 o'clock in the afternoon. At this time, the Dark Willow Gang's leader, Mikageichi, and their executives usually don't oversee the Underground casino. So, the security is the laxest in the afternoon. We need to head there right away, as I wouldn't dare linger in a place like that for long," Juri Sonoda said while heading to the checkout counter.

Seeing this, Liu Xing had no choice but to accompany Juri Sonoda to the Dark Willow Gang's Underground casino. After all, he had to go, and if he didn't, Juri Sonoda might encounter some unforeseen danger. In the Cthulhu RPG Game, solo players were prone to death, and NPCs left alone were even more vulnerable, considering the Game Master's discretion over NPC fates.

Therefore, to ensure Juri Sonoda's side quest remained intact, Liu Xing had to risk it and choose to go to the Dark Willow Gang's Underground casino with her.

On the way, due to her journalistic instincts, Juri Sonoda kept asking Liu Xing various questions, primarily about his identity. It was evident to her that Liu Xing wasn't an ordinary person, given his ability to interact with Ghouls.

So, Liu Xing improvised a background and claimed to be a descendant of Maoshan Taoists who had come to the Island Nation as a tourist and stumbled upon traces of Ghouls while intending to exorcise demons. He discovered that there was more to these Ghouls than met the eye.

However, Liu Xing contemplated whether to inform Juri Sonoda about the Mian Gu Lu incident. In the end, he decided to keep it under wraps because he feared that Juri Sonoda might feel compelled to report such a significant piece of news. After all, the arrival of the Eldritch God Taketori and the impending apocalypse were just days away.

To avoid unnecessary complications, Liu Xing decided to stay tight-lipped.

Of course, Liu Xing couldn't avoid questions entirely, so he started inquiring about Dark Willow Gang from Juri Sonoda.

Being an outstanding journalist, Juri Sonoda had her own exclusive information network covering the entire Ziwu City. This was why she had become the top reporter for Ziwu City Television at such a young age.

When it came to the biggest gang in Ziwu City, the Dark Willow Gang, Juri Sonoda wouldn't let any opportunity slip by. After all, gangs always provided fresh news.

So, Juri Sonoda had gathered quite a bit of information about the Dark Willow Gang.

Firstly, the Dark Willow Gang's main source of income was the Underground casino and a spa resort. The Underground casino had an excellent reputation and provided top-notch service. With influential patrons and protection from higher-ups, there was no need to worry about police crackdowns. This made it a favorite among gamblers in Ziwu City, and even those with substantial capital preferred to gamble at the Dark Willow Gang's Underground casino, making it incredibly profitable.

Regarding the spa resort, it thrived because it was the only high-end establishment of its kind in Ziwu City. It offered top-quality services, and its facilities were state-of-the-art, attracting the upper echelons of Ziwu City who were willing to become members. These individuals were generous spenders, and as a result, the spa resort generated substantial income.

Hearing this, Liu Xing became curious and asked Juri Sonoda why the Sawada Family, the largest family in Ziwu City, hadn't established a similar establishment.

According to Juri Sonoda, Sawada Tsuo, the current head of the Sawada Family and Yinyin's father, as well as Yin En's father-in-law, was a conservative man. Despite the Sawada Family's extensive holdings in Ziwu City, they hadn't opened a single new company in the past decade, even though the family's annual income continued to rise steadily.

Juri Sonoda had interviewed Sawada Tsuo and asked him why he hadn't opened a club. Given the Sawada Family's influence in Ziwu City, such an establishment would undoubtedly attract the city's elite.

Sawada Tsuo's response was that the Sawada Family already had a significant presence in Ziwu City, and there was no need to establish another club. Moreover, the family's income had reached a comfortable level, and there was no necessity to expand into new areas.

Most importantly, Sawada Tsuo believed that the Sawada Family had always been the guardians of Ziwu City. Accumulating wealth was not their primary goal. As a result, the family's companies were planning to transition into primarily charitable enterprises in the coming years.

However, according to Juri Sonoda's investigation, Sawada Tsuo had invested in a security company. The CEO of this security company was a retired international mercenary who had returned to the Island Nation to start the business after leaving his previous mercenary group. The company's main personnel consisted of former members of that mercenary group, making it exceptionally skilled. Juri Sonoda believed that with the right weapons, this security company could be considered a small army.

So, Juri Sonoda believed that Sawada Tsuo had realized the threat posed by the Dark Willow Gang, which was why he invested in a security company to counter the growing influence of the gang. It was widely known in Ziwu City that the newly elected mayor, Tennoji Sohide, was secretly collaborating with the Dark Willow Gang. Sawada Family wouldn't stand a chance against the gang openly. Hence, they had to support a security company for self-preservation.

However, Liu Xing suspected that Sawada Tsuo had ulterior motives for fostering a security company. He believed that Sawada Tsuo still saw the Sawada Family as the hidden rulers of Ziwu City. Therefore, Sawada Tsuo's goal wasn't merely self-preservation but the eradication of the Dark Willow Gang.

But now that the Dark Willow Gang had grown powerful and threatened the Sawada Family's position in Ziwu City, coupled with the fact that the city's nominal leader, Mayor Tennoji Sohide, was aligned with the Dark Willow Gang, Sawada Tsuo had no choice but to rely on the security company to deal with the gang. Thus, they had heavily recruited foreign mercenaries.

Liu Xing even suspected that other underground factions in Ziwu City received support from Sawada Tsuo, allowing them to survive under the shadow of the formidable Dark Willow Gang.

Then, Liu Xing subtly inquired about the undeveloped area.

According to Juri Sonoda's investigation, the undeveloped area had been bought by the Sawada Family more than a hundred years ago. They believed it to be the burial place of the great hero Tomohiko Sawada. Consequently, the Sawada Family had erected a protective wall around it and stationed a significant number of security personnel to safeguard the area.

As a result, rumors circulated that after the Sawada Family purchased the undeveloped area, nothing had changed, and no construction had taken place.

However, this was undoubtedly a false rumor. Recent information obtained by Juri Sonoda revealed that the Sawada Family had built numerous small houses within the undeveloped area. Some were for the security personnel stationed there, while others were seemingly constructed without any purpose. These identical houses had the same interior layouts and decorations. Strangely, none of them were inhabited or used for storage, sitting idle in the undeveloped area, leaving Juri Sonoda puzzled.

However, this led Liu Xing to think of a term: "Suspicious Mound." In simple terms, beneath one of these unused houses, there might be the burial site of Sawada Tomohiko. After all, Killer Demon, now resurrected, would likely return to the undeveloped area, his resting place. To conceal this fact, the Sawada Family had constructed multiple identical houses as potential decoy burial sites, hiding the true resting place of Killer Demon.

Of course, Liu Xing believed that there was more hidden in the undeveloped area than met the eye. After all, the Shrine from that time was located there. Liu Xing suspected that the Shrine's remnants might still exist in the undeveloped area. What intrigued him even more were the potential artifacts within it.

In many Cthulhu RPG Game modules, there were key artifacts that significantly influenced the course of the story, much like the scroll of parchment in Liu Xing's first Castle module, which determined the plot's direction. These key artifacts had a substantial impact on the player's Clearing Method and progression. Moreover, in the Cthulhu Role-Playing Game Hall, artifacts obtained in one module could usually be used in others, provided there was a reasonable explanation for carrying them, and the module wasn't set in some bizarre dreamlike realm.

For example, the large knife in Killer Demon's possession was undoubtedly an item players could potentially acquire. However, obtaining it would be immensely difficult, given Killer Demon's ability to effortlessly defeat players. Even if a player managed to obtain the knife, they would likely need to meet specific conditions to use it. Furthermore, for a foreigner like Liu Xing, taking the knife out of the country would be virtually impossible.

However, Liu Xing believed that besides the large knife in Killer Demon's possession, there were likely many other valuable artifacts in this module. These could include the statue of Sulu deity within the Shrine, whatever item Honda Koichi possessed to resist Fujiwara Gen'in's control, and even Mian Gu Lu's blood might prove to be a useful item.

Therefore, Liu Xing contemplated seizing the opportunity to explore the undeveloped area and search for treasure.

Just then, Juri Sonoda suddenly slapped her forehead and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Oh, by the way, I don't even know your name!"

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, realizing that he had been so engrossed in discussing matters with Juri Sonoda that he had forgotten to introduce himself.

With a smile, Liu Xing replied, "Hello, I'm Liu Xing, a doctor."

Since Liu Xing was currently driving, Juri Sonoda casually patted his shoulder and said with a smile, "Alright then, from now on, Liu Xing, you're my informant. You can just call me Juri. But on another note, as you mentioned, the existence of supernatural beings like Ghouls would be a world-shaking revelation. When people see these videos, their perspectives might be altered. Those with fragile mental states could panic, and if a significant number of people in an area panic or if someone with malicious intent takes advantage of the situation, chaos could ensue!"

Liu Xing remembered watching a video where a player deliberately recorded footage of Ghouls battling a certain organization's mercenaries while on the edge of out-of-bounds areas. They then uploaded the video to a nonexistent website, causing riots in multiple countries and regions. Eventually, governments had to deploy troops to suppress and eliminate the Ghouls. The players had essentially won the game without much effort.

Juri Sonoda also realized this and, after some contemplation, made up her mind. "Well then, I'll give up the chance to become famous for eternity. After all, I aim for lasting recognition, not infamy for eternity. But I have a question now: surely, the government knows about the existence of these Ghouls, right?"

Liu Xing nodded, affirming, "Of course, Ghoul species are distributed worldwide. Besides Ghouls, there are many mythical creatures, such as fishmen. Some powerful Ghouls can even assume human form and live in the human world, marrying and having children."

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