Chapter 18: Beating the Odds: Tokyo's Casino Saga (Chapter 17)
They wake up the next morning, heads pounding. Ordering a taxi, they're dropped off at Tokyo's biggest casino. Upon entering, multiple men shoot them curious glances. Juko strides over to the counter and plunks down 30k yen, exchanged for three 10k chips. Leo, Juko, and Saki head to the blackjack table and sit down. Juko places the first chip, then analyzes the cards. 15 for Juko, 10 for the dealer. He glances at Leo and Saki before deciding to hit. The card comes up 10, they lose 10k yen. Leo shoots Juko an annoyed look, but Juko shrugs it off and puts down 20k yen. The same hand is dealt, Juko hits again, scoring 21 against the dealer's 20. Juko wins 40k yen. This cycle continues for 30 minutes, Juko winning approximately 167k yen. The casino staff whispers to some men in the back.
Leo taps Juko on the shoulder, and they exchange their chips for cash. Ordering a taxi, they drive off, followed suddenly by a black Mercedes with tinted windows. Leo asks the taxi driver to take a turn, the Mercedes follows. The taxi driver, now on edge, presses the pedal down, the Mercedes close behind. They engage in a high-speed chase. Just as the taxi seems to gain distance, the Mercedes speeds up and rams it, causing it to lose balance. The taxi driver struggles to maintain control, driving in the damaged state. Suddenly, the Mercedes shoots out the tires, and they crash into a small pond, where three hooded men emerge.
Leo, Saki, and Juko push the taxi driver into the backseat. Leo revs the engine, managing to get out of the pond and speed off, the Mercedes still chasing. They storm into a nearby parking lot with car searches. They explain everything to the man behind the small booth. "We've got 167k yen in our car, we're being chased," Leo says, voice trembling. Juko hands him 7k yen, saying, "Keep them stalled." The booth man nods, directing them to take the employee exit. They thank him and Leo revs the engine again, storming off. The Mercedes is stopped, the distance now too far to continue the chase.
They park in a deserted lot and walk out. Juko gives them both a gun, instructing Leo and Saki to meet up at Leo's house early. They head home, Saki following Leo back to his place. Leo sneaks in with Saki and goes to bed. The next morning, they're awoken by Juko and Rico outside in Rico's car. They head down and start talking. Rico begins, "So guys, this is hardcore now. Sauha is meeting with the Yakuza, planning an attack on Leo. This isn't a game anymore, it's real life." Saki looks concerned at Leo, who nods. "Alright, got it. So, what are we going to do?" Rico explains they're sneaking in.
Night arrives, Rico pulling up to Leo's house once again in the middle of the night, 1 am. Leo and Saki jump in, Rico asking, "Did you bring your guns?" Leo and Saki nod. They pull up to an abandoned clubhouse, taking out some rope and climbing onto the roof. There they see Sauha, loads of Yakuza men, the Minister of Defense, and the most eye-catching of all, the official president of the socialist party, all discussing dreadful things.
END OF CHAPTER 17
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