Chapter 50: A 'Sure-Win, No-Loss' Bet

Duoli has never been a good person.

She can't even be considered a good person.

Among Sumeru's travelers, a story is circulating.

It is said that when you are about to step into a dangerous place, you have a chance to see Duoli's long-awaited tiny figure.

Whether in treacherous mountains, barren deserts, gloomy rainforests, or uninhabited zones teeming with monsters, no matter how dangerous the place, you can see her smile.

It is said that she always carries various magical treasures that can help travelers overcome their immediate predicaments.

Naturally, the fees are never cheap.

"The mixed feelings of gaining help in despair and losing a large amount of Mora all at once are completely different emotions intertwined, often making travelers both love and hate her."

But Duoli never cares about gaining a reputation for profiteering from others' misfortune because of this.

She only knows one thing.

That is, each time she can earn a basin-full of Mora from those desperate travelers, and this result drives her to continue profiteering tirelessly.

Aside from this love-and-hate reputation.

Another title of Duoli.

That is, once Mora reaches her hands, it will never leave her forever.

You can borrow money from Sange Mahabayi old sir, but you absolutely cannot fail to repay it.

Just as Dixiya once said.

Sange Mahabayi old sir has influence everywhere in Sumeru; whether underworld or upperworld, even the official Academy must give her some face.

So not repaying the money you owe her is practically tantamount to courting death.

For such people who owe money and don't repay, Duoli uniformly calls them "stupid mushroom."

And now.

This worst epithet uttered from Duoli's mouth has now officially fallen on Luo De's head.

"Stupid mushroom, do you think teasing Sange Mahabayi old sir is a fun thing?"

Duoli's way of addressing Luo De, plus her tone that is just short of saying "I'm angry," all indicate her current displeasure and annoyance toward Luo De.

Her forthcoming naked mocking words further prove her anger at Luo De repeatedly overstepping on Mora matters.

"Stupid mushroom, do you think Sange Mahabayi old sir doesn't know that magic scale disease is incurable?"

"Hmph, injected with poison?"

"So what?"

"For someone destined to die, even if injected with a lethal poison, it's merely a matter of dying earlier or later; treating her would only waste Mora for nothing, with no benefit at all."

Regarding the distribution of Mora, Duoli is very pragmatic.

Magic scale disease is famously incurable; even if one spends a lifetime's worth of unrepayable huge amounts of Mora, it can only barely keep the patient clinging to life, and it is fundamentally impossible to cure.

Moreover.

She has no relation to Ke Lai, so there is absolutely no need to waste Mora on Ke Lai just to prolong his life.

Therefore, Luo De's so-called donation of medical expenses is, to Duoli, purely just teasing her.

Last time Luo De opened his mouth asking for Mora could still be explained by him probing her identity.

Now he's doing this again.

Does he really think that the famous Sange Mahabayi old sir in the desert won't get angry?

However, Luo De's subsequent response made Duoli, who was on the verge of bursting, furrow her brows.

"What if I say, Ke Lai's illness can be cured?"

Upon hearing this.

Duoli couldn't help but carefully size up Luo De.

Seeing his solemn expression, with no hint of joking or making trouble, even though she was still angry inside, Duoli patiently asked: "You mean, you have a way to cure magic scale disease?"

Although this is unlikely.

Duoli could not believe that a desert dweller like Luo De could have the ability to solve the magic scale disease that has troubled Sumeru for hundreds of years.

But after all, everything can have an unexpected turn.

Fear not ten thousand, but fear the one chance.

If by chance this desert dweller before us really has a method to cure magic scale disease, then ignoring him would mean missing out on a huge business opportunity.

Duoli has already thought it all through.

If Luo De really has a method and prescription for curing magic scale disease, then she must snatch up the prescription's patent rights before the Academy does, so that she can monopolize this business in her own hands.

Imagining the scene of Mora rolling in, the still-angry Duoli even softened her gaze toward Luo De considerably.

"Want to make a bet?"

Luo De hehe-he laughed: "Let's bet on whether Ke Lai's magic scale disease can actually be cured."

"What do you mean by that?"

Duoli, who had finally mustered some interest, once again narrowed her eyes at Luo De.

This answer does not match any of the answers she had envisioned.

In Duoli's imagination.

Luo De's answer could be that he indeed has a way to cure magic scale disease, which is also the answer Duoli most hopes to hear.

This answer could also be that he has no way to cure magic scale disease but can alleviate its onset time, allowing the patient's life to be prolonged; this answer is also barely acceptable, and a drug that can delay the onset of magic scale disease in Sumeru is worth a fortune, with demand outstripping supply, so even selling it at ten times the price would be snapped up.

The worst answer would be that Luo De not only has no way to cure magic scale disease, nor any way to alleviate it, and those earlier words were just him teasing himself; if that truly were his answer, then Duoli today must make Luo De personally witness why flowers are so red.

But Luo De's answer is actually different from all three of those.

"Want to bet?"

What are we betting?

In Dolly's mind, countless possibilities surged instantly, and at the same time a new doubt rose in her thoughts.

"Why would he say that?"

However, Luo De didn't explain his words at all, merely repeating his previous words and then asking: "Old Master Sangge Mahabai, do you want to take a bet?"

Let's bet on whether Ke Lai's magic scale disease can be cured!

The time limit is five years.

If you win, I'll sell myself to you; you probably wouldn't mind having an extra enforcer who possesses a Vision, would you?

If I win, my request isn't high either: just give me a permanent VIP membership, and from now on, whenever I buy things from you, you just give me a discount.

This is a wager that looks extremely unfair.

If Luo De loses, it's equivalent to signing the most despicable indenture in the desert.

If Luo De wins, Dolly doesn't suffer much loss either; given her style of selling goods with at least a hundred percent profit, even if she permanently gives Luo De a discount, she would at most break even, definitely not incur any loss.

What a profitable wager.

Dolly pondered briefly, then agreed.

Even knowing that Luo De dared to make such a bet must mean he has some confidence.

But that's just Dolly's personality.

Since it's a sure-profit, no-loss business, she has no reason to refuse.

Then let's hurry and sign the contract.

After Dolly agreed, Luo De showed no sign of regretting a losing business; instead, he looked eager.

His eagerness made Dolly inevitably feel a faint premonition that something was amiss.

Self

Have I agreed to something huge?

Soon.

Her premonition soon came true.

Just after their written contract was signed, Luo De immediately said: "Old Master Sangge Mahabai, treating Ke Lai's magic scale disease is a costly affair; I won't ask you to donate medical expenses for free— as usual, just lend me some Mora for now."

But...

There's something I need to clarify beforehand.

That is, I have no collateral to offer you this time.

Saying this, Luo De glanced at Dolly with a smile and said: "You wouldn't want to gain a reputation for deliberately preventing your opponent from fulfilling the contract, would you?"

(End of chapter)