The Capital’s First Open Gambling Board
It’s not that Serena Feng is greedy for money—she’s just flat broke. As a doctor she usually doesn’t worry about cash, but it’s been ages since she’s landed a high-paying surgery. Right now, she desperately needs a windfall; after all, she’s neck-deep in debt.
After Feng Manor burned down, she lost everything. William Wang Jinling covered her compensation and resettlement fees, so now she owes the Wang clan a massive sum. On top of that, rebuilding Feng Manor means she needs even more money to keep things afloat.
Her medical skills might be top-notch, but there just aren’t enough people who can afford her. Most of the time, treating ordinary folks only brings in a handful of coins—not even enough to pay off her debts, let alone support her daily life.
She’s a doctor, not some self-sacrificing saint. She’s not about to bankrupt herself for her patients. Doctors are people too—they need to live. Without enough material security, how could she put her energy into her work or focus on her patients?
Money, money, money—right now, she needs to earn. And Su Wan’s challenge just handed her the perfect opportunity. The more Serena thought about the profits she could rake in, the more excited she became; suddenly, Su Wan didn’t seem so annoying after all.
Uh... Realizing she was getting a bit too worked up, Serena quickly lowered her head, letting her long lashes sweep down and hide the gleam in her eyes.
She still needed Vincent Summers to take the initiative and investigate the House of Earl Everley.
"Serena? Are you alright?" Vincent Summers grew more certain that Serena Feng had run into trouble. Investigate, investigate—he’d definitely get to the bottom of it later; otherwise, Ninth Royal Uncle would never let her off the hook.
"I’m fine. I just came up with a money-making plan—want to hear it?" Normally, anyone talking about cash would be all fired up, eyes shining. Serena, though, was cool and rational, her expression calm, not a hint of excitement showing.
Vincent Summers was worried, but making money trumped everything. He’d just spent most of his cash stockpiling grain and was short on liquid funds. After what happened with the grain, Vincent trusted Serena Feng’s business instincts.
"What’s the plan? Let’s hear it." If there’s money to be made, the Summers clan never lets it slip by.
"We open a gambling board. Isn’t my contest with Su Wan going to be a huge event? The Capital is bound to have people running bets, so why let others profit? We should do it ourselves." Serena’s dark eyes glinted with mysterious light, a stark contrast to her calm face.
Vincent Summers shivered, suddenly finding Serena Feng incredibly imposing. He asked in a small voice, "Can you control who wins?"
Vincent hadn’t forgotten that last time someone ran a betting pool on whether Serena could cure William Wang Jinling’s eyesight, she used the chance to make a killing.
"No." It wasn’t that Serena lacked confidence—it’s just that even if she won, the profits wouldn’t be much.
"If you can’t control the outcome, what’s the point in running a board? If the odds aren’t set right, you could lose money. Last time, the house running bets on whether you could cure William’s eyes lost so much they had to sell off their children." The Summers clan dabbles in every money-making trade, gambling included, but Vincent wasn’t about to risk it on Serena—too much uncertainty.
Serena pressed her lips into a smile, her eyes sparkling with a hypnotic gleam. "If I’m running the board, I guarantee it’s a sure win—no losses."
After last time, Serena had learned a thing or two about the Capital’s gambling scene. There were all kinds of boards, but the formats were boring—mostly just win or lose, with nothing but different odds.
Take her contest with Su Wan, for example: the house sets the board, and bettors pick either her or Su Wan to win. The only variation is the odds, which Serena found completely unstimulating—not enough excitement to tempt her into gambling.
Even if the house sets sky-high odds—say, bet one to win twenty—the payout is predictable. You can calculate exactly how much you’ll get, so there’s none of that wild, addictive thrill.