125: I don't have any requirements

Buster died.

His cause of death was initiating a biochemical attack and being shot by the Bartender's thugs, who were maintaining order.

However, before he kicked the bucket, he still diligently helped Cheng Zhen relieve everyone else of their silver chips, passing the chips through a gap to the miner.

The waiter and thugs originally in charge of their table had already been carried away, foaming at the mouth, and the other thugs were unaware of the betting situation at this table.

Furthermore, that table's location had become a contamination source, like a nuclear leak, making it impossible for the thugs to approach and investigate closely. Those chips naturally became Cheng Zhen's.

The stakes were 3 chips, with the other three people having a total of 9 chips.

Another person had 9 chips hidden in his pocket, presumably to use for escape if things went south.

Unfortunately, during the biochemical attack, that poor fellow had fallen into a deep sleep, waving goodbye to his chips in a nightmare.

Adding the 6 silver chips Cheng Zhen originally had, he now possessed 27 silver chips and 20 coins, which could be exchanged for two gold chips.

Arson and murder lead to wealth; snatching is faster than winning.

Cheng Zhen looked at Buster, who had an emo emoji above his head in the advertisement interface, and touched his non-existent conscience, stating that he remembered Buster's dedication and sacrifice.

(Subtext: I'll still come to you next time something happens.)

However, the recent terrorist attack had drawn out all the armed forces within the tavern. The entire room was filled with 'ordinary waiters' holding knives and guns, pushing the original card players aside.

Causing more trouble now would likely lead to problems, so it was better to be quiet for a while.

Thus, the low-key Cheng Zhen walked up to the NPC Bartender, laid out several chips, and said, "Exchange them for gold for me!"

The Bartender's expression changed in one second from 'Oh no, it's this moron again' to 'Holy cow, is this for real?', performing a Doraemon-style face-changing act on the spot.

"Alright, esteemed guest, please wait a moment!" The Bartender called for a waiter to handle the exchange while eagerly asking, "Is there anything else the guest needs?"

"There's nothing else I need," Cheng Zhen replied, then, as the Bartender visibly relaxed, added, "I just need you to mix my drink while doing the 'Subject Three' dance and flower hand movements."

The Bartender: "..."

When the waiter arrived, he saw his Bartender twisting his body like he was having a fit, flamboyantly mixing drinks.

Waiter: I don't understand, but I am deeply shocked.

"Esteemed guest, these are your gold chips," the waiter respectfully said. "You are the fourth guest today to accumulate enough gold chips. Please keep your number tag safe."

"After six o'clock, the first ten guests who obtain gold chips can participate in the game on the second floor!"

Number tag, game on the second floor... New information was acquired.

It seemed Cheng Zhen's earlier decision to prioritize efficiency was correct. If he won cards too slowly and failed to get a number tag, he might not be able to continue later.

Although he didn't know what the game on the second floor was, the NPCs in this instance clearly had the ability level of normal humans, primarily using handguns as their attack method, without any superpowers.

Thinking this, Cheng Zhen felt a bit more at ease. Then he activated his ability again, dragging out another secret manual from the APP—

Basic Internal Cultivation!

Since 'Stinky Foot Enhancement' could be applied to Buster, then this 'Basic Internal Cultivation' should also be applicable to Cheng Zhen himself.

His mental power plummeted again, even more than last time, causing Cheng Zhen a headache. But the more it consumed, the more it proved that what he dragged out was a good thing!

Cheng Zhen didn't hesitate and applied the Basic Internal Cultivation to himself.

Instantly, Cheng Zhen felt the same sensation as Buster: a magical energy transformed into a warm current, slowly seeping into his body.

Buster had sensed something extra on his feet, but Cheng Zhen felt an energy improving his physique, like... the feeling of drinking a strengthening potion, but even more intense.

Besides making Cheng Zhen's limbs feel more powerful, that energy also made him feel as if there was a vortex-like presence slowly flowing in his abdomen. And he could completely control those powers according to his will.

Is this the internal energy mentioned in Wuxia novels?

Cheng Zhen looked at his hands in surprise, feeling that the style of this instance had suddenly changed for him. One second he was playing Russian roulette in a tavern, the next he was contemplating how to use the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms to protect Xiangyang.

He shook his head, casting off the inexplicable thoughts. Not only did his strength seem to increase, Cheng Zhen also felt that his perception had improved significantly.

The Bartender's shaking of the cocktail, the cheers from the card table not far away... He could even hear someone walking towards him amidst the noisy environment.

The footsteps were quite heavy; it should be a sturdy man...

Cheng Zhen immediately turned his head behind him and met the gaze of the person there.

"Hey, quite sharp, aren't you!"

The burly Wei Si calmly glanced at him, then sat on the other side, took out a bag of coins, and told the Bartender, "Stop shaking, dammit, quickly exchange these coins for chips for me."

The Bartender secretly glanced at Cheng Zhen. Seeing that Cheng Zhen said nothing, he placed the prepared drink in front of Cheng Zhen, then called for a waiter.

During the wait, the atmosphere at the bar was very strange; the air temperature seemed to have dropped ten degrees.

"Kid, how many points did that guy give you to help him?" Wei Si squinted at Cheng Zhen.

The honest Cheng Zhen told the truth: "He didn't give me any points; I still have to give him money."

Wei Si: "?"

What the hell? He just spouts nonsense, doesn't he?

Wei Si's mouth twitched. He then remembered his objective, held back, and said, "Want to consider working with us? If you help me kill him, I can give you more benefits than he can!"

More benefits? Save him tens of millions?

Cheng Zhen didn't answer, because he knew the other party couldn't possibly give that.

Moreover, he had already signed a contract with Xiao Jiao to ensure he would get the staff after clearing the instance. For that equipment, Cheng Zhen would not agree to Wei Si.

"Although I'm not clear about the grudges between you two, I suggest you stop."

Cheng Zhen swirled his wine glass, sincerely offering advice: "Because neither of you can beat me. It's still not too late to stop now."

After all, they had no prior enmity, and if the other party retreated knowing the difficulty, Cheng Zhen could save himself a lot of trouble.

"Ha, hahahaha!"

Wei Si laughed as if he had heard a funny joke, then snorted, "Youngsters are like newborn calves unafraid of tigers, but they have narrow perceptions and haven't seen true masters."

He took the chips from the waiter's hand, and before leaving, he coldly told Cheng Zhen, "Go tell that guy, this is his last chance."

"Hand over the item, and I can spare his life!"