"Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved."
—Pooh (Winnie the Pooh)
...
"Do you have any problems with this answer, Matches?"
Penguin looked at Matches expressionlessly.
Even though the Penguin was a lot shorter than Matches, it seemed as if he was looking down on him.
"I certainly don't have any problems, Mr. Cobblepot. The Iceberg Casino has been open for over a decade without any scandals. I trust that Mr. Cobblepot will treat every guest who comes here to play with fairness and integrity."
When Matches saw the Penguin, his mood changed quickly from being arrogant to being less aggressive.
"Coward! This Malone is still the same as it was before, bullying the weak and being afraid of the strong. He has no strength at all."
When the other gamblers around Matches saw him like this, they cursed and said that Mr. Cobblepot was fair and that they would never question the Iceberg Casino's reputation.
Then Penguin turned to one of his henchmen beside him and spoke.
"Ignatius, it's time to get a new manager for the Iceberg Casino."
As soon as Penguin finished speaking, the casino manager standing nearby instantly turned pale.
He had been working for the Penguin for so long that he could easily figure out the meaning behind his boss's words.
From the moment the Penguin spoke, he knew he wouldn't survive the night.
But he didn't understand what he had done wrong.
The Penguin was the one who told him that Batman would go after the Phantom Thief. It wasn't insider information.
The casino manager thought that the rules of the Iceberg Casino stated that any information that could affect the result of a bet should be made public, so he had to mention it.
After all, anyone with a little common sense could figure out that if the Phantom Thief was trying to steal the Bat-Signal, Batman wouldn't just stand there and do nothing.
This was not some hidden secret in the first place.
The casino manager chose to reveal this information to the public because he believed it would show how fair and trustworthy the Iceberg Casino was.
He never thought of manipulating the gamble.
Yes, Matches was right. It wasn't hard to control Batman's moves, as long as someone dared to do it. But that didn't mean the Iceberg Casino would do such a thing!
Whoever wins or loses the confrontation between Bruce Wayne and the Phantom Thief, Batman is the final factor.
By distracting Batman at a crucial moment, it would be possible to change the result of the fight.
But the Iceberg Casino was known for its fairness and had been trying to avoid conflicts with Batman as much as possible.
How could they do something on purpose to make him angry?
The 'trap' Matches pointed out earlier in the gamble was not actually a trap at all.
Winning the bet would be impressive, but it could damage the Iceberg Casino's reputation built over the years.
Penguin would never forgive the person who did this, but the casino manager would never be so stupid as to do something like this.
But after Matches said a few words, all the gamblers thought the casino was trying to cheat them, and chaos broke out.
Even Penguin himself was alerted and personally came to the scene.
The casino manager at first thought the boss was coming to support him, but when the Penguin found out what was going on, he wanted to kill him.
Did his boss also believe he was trying to manipulate the gambling event?
The casino manager couldn't believe it.
After all, the gambling event was the boss's idea, and how could he not know the reasons behind it?
Or perhaps he was simply being made the scapegoat for his boss?
The casino manager couldn't figure out what was going on. Maybe it would have been better if he hadn't said anything at all.
He just hoped that his boss would only deal with him and not kill his family...
At that moment, Ignatius walked up to the manager, sighed, and apologized.
"Claude, I'm sorry. The boss instructed me to do this, so I had no other choice. When you die, I'll take care of your family. Don't fight back or say anything, or else I can't promise your family will be safe."
Claude didn't say anything and just looked at Ignatius, who was the Penguin's closest secretary, and nodded very slightly.
Ignatius was the one who told him the boss wanted him to set up the gambling event for the Phantom Thief's challenge and that the boss would reward him if everything went well.
As a result, he wasn't just missing out on commendation; he was now facing the possibility of losing his life.
He wasn't just missing out on praise—he was now in danger of losing his life.
Clang!
"The boss doesn't like bloodstains in the Iceberg Casino because cleaning the floors is a hassle. So, come with me."
Ignatius took out a glinting knife from his sleeve and played with it in his hand.
As Ignatius led him away, Claude's face turned pale and lifeless, like a dead body.
As for their destination, no one wanted to know.
"It was all my fault that there was trouble at the Iceberg Casino today for picking the wrong manager. So, I've chosen to give five million dollars worth of chips to divide as compensation. It's up to you whether you want to keep playing with the chips or exchange them for cash."
When the Penguin spoke again, he told everyone in the room something that made them all happy.
Even if they split the five million chips among themselves, they would still have tens of thousands in their hands.
It might not sound like much, but free money is nothing to scoff at, and nobody dared to say no.
Just listen to what the Penguin has to say, and don't say anything.
However, one person clearly didn't think so.
"So, Mr. Cobblepot, may I ask if the gambling event involving Phantom Thief will still proceed?"
Matches suddenly asked.
Well, it seemed like he wasn't finished yet, was he?
Matches's question startled the other gamblers. Even the Penguin had to do something.
What more do you want?
The temporary worker was killed, and the compensation money was paid.
"What do you want, Matches?"
As expected, when he heard Matches' question, the Penguin's eyes immediately sharpened, and he got a dangerous gaze.
"It's nothing important, why so tense?"
Matches showed no signs of fear and had a relaxed smile.
"I just think Phantom Thief's gambling event is quite interesting. I'd like to have a fair bet with Mr. Cobblepot here. That's all. If Mr. Cobblepot doesn't want to bet, then forget it."
"Oh? What kind of bet do you have in mind?"
Penguin asked thoughtfully.
"We'll bet on whether the Phantom Thief can successfully steal the gem and escape."
"How can we be fair?"
"It's simple. Whether or not Batman pursues the Phantom Thief, we should avoid causing trouble that day. Make sure you can handle your henchmen, or you'll be my enemy."
"How much are we betting?"
Matches slowly raised three fingers.
"Thirty million dollars!"
"Alright, I accept this bet."
Penguin replied calmly.
"Then, Mr. Cobblepot, please place your bet first."
Matches smiled faintly.
"Humph, I bet Batman will definitely go after Phantom Thief, and Phantom Thief won't be able to escape!"
Penguin sneered.
"In that case, I can only bet that Phantom Thief will definitely escape."
Matches spoke with determination.
...
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