The members who did not pass the semi-finals had already left. Those who advanced to the finals were happily waiting in the Chemistry Preparation Room for the next round of competition, but then suddenly heard that the competition venue would be changed to the Cooking Room across the hall.
They followed Kurume Laiwei, who held the "Captain Dragonfly" robot, and entered the Cooking Room in single file.
The setup here surprised them.
Most casinos were basically the same as the Chemistry Preparation Room, retaining the original layout of the club, perhaps with a few decorations and furnishings. However, this "Cooking Room" had been completely renovated, resembling an elegant and tranquil lounge bar.
Yumemi Yumemite had put on her butterfly mask again. She walked to the front of the crowd, a professional smile on her face.
"Congratulations to all contestants who have advanced to the finals. This is where the finals will be held. As you can see, this is a lounge bar. Finalists, if you wish to drink anything, you can inquire at the bar counter here. This Dealer will prepare it for you for free."
The Dealer, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, waved to the crowd—he wasn't the boss behind the competition, just an ordinary Dealer.
"Next, let me explain the rules of the finals. This final will not be point-based, but rather elimination-based.
Before we begin, each person will be given three chips. This competition will not randomly assign your opponents; instead, contestants will actively seek out others at the same table.
You can freely find other contestants to compete against. As long as the other party agrees, the gamble is established.
In the "Landlord" game, if a "Peasant" loses a round, they must give one chip to the "Landlord." If the Landlord loses the game, similarly, they will give up two chips from their hand, distributing them to the other players.
Of course, these chips can also all be wagered in one round. If you believe your chances of winning are high, you can also bet all the chips in your hand, as long as others agree, the game can be established.
When you lose all the chips in your hand, you must leave the venue.
You can also choose not to compete temporarily and wait for others to determine their winners before playing.
Finally, the last remaining winner will receive the final two million yen prize, while others will receive nothing."
"Unlike previous games without a Dealer, in this final, there will be a Dealer next to each table. Of course, Captain Dragonfly will still be supervising everyone, so don't even think about cheating."
After stating the rules of the finals, Yumemi Yumemite smiled slightly: "Now, the finals begin."
This room had seating for about fifty people, more than enough for thirty contestants. After receiving their three chips, everyone remained still, pondering the rules of this competition.
Everyone looked at each other. This competition format didn't seem like a "competition" but more like "gambling."
Could it be that this was the correct way to play Landlord?
They all watched the people around them warily, and no one took the initiative to suggest starting the first match.
Someone started to move. She wasn't looking for people to team up with to start a match, but rather she actively approached the bar counter and politely asked Ayanokoji, "Drinks are provided for free here, right? Can I have a glass of orange juice?"
The person was a girl with long bangs, her hair covering half of her face, making her look gloomy. Ayanokoji didn't expect such a girl to be the first to come up and ask.
"Of course, no problem."
Ayanokoji nodded and poured her a glass of orange juice—of course, this was ordinary orange juice; Ayanokoji wouldn't use his precious collection on them.
Although he said it was ordinary, it was still an ingredient used in bartending, so it wasn't cheap.
"Thank you," the other party thanked Ayanokoji, then found a seat and sat down, looking out the window.
With this girl being the first to "stick her neck out," everyone else started to move, coming to the bar counter one after another.
"I'd like a milk tea."
"I'd like a coffee."
"I'd like a cocktail, the California Lemonade on the menu."
"Please make me a Columbus."
There was a menu on the bar counter, and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka did his best to satisfy them. After ordering their drinks, they all found seats, and then Hanatemari and the staff brought the drinks to them.
"Please get me an apple juice." This time, the person who came before Ayanokoji was Saotome Meari, and she ordered an apple juice.
"What, you don't want a cocktail this time?" Ayanokoji raised an eyebrow and asked with a deliberate smile.
"Don't even mention it, I never thought my alcohol tolerance was so bad..."
Meari's face flushed slightly, and she sighed helplessly, rubbing her forehead: "After I drank that cocktail yesterday, I slept for five or six hours and only woke up after dark. I'm afraid if I drink a cocktail now, the championship will go to someone else..."
"Glad you know."
As the two were laughing and talking, someone came up to Ayanokoji boldly: "You're the Dealer, right? Give me a special blend."
"A special blend, you say?"
A "special blend" refers to a bartender's private stash or a new experimental recipe; Ayanokoji was just a new bartender, so how could he have a special blend for him?
Ayanokoji was talking to Meari and didn't want to prepare any special blend for him. Originally, he only needed to find a random recipe to fool him, but Ayanokoji had a flash of inspiration and beckoned to Kurume.
"Kurume, come here, go up and handle this for him."
"Eh!? You want me to mix drinks?" Kurume Laiwei was surprised to be singled out by Ayanokoji, looking somewhat stunned.
She knew her own skill level; yesterday, one drink knocked out Yomotsuki Runa. Today, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was asking her to mix drinks. Wasn't he afraid she'd kill the customer with a drink?
After Ayanokoji nodded in confirmation, Kurume, though still a bit nervous, listened to her "boss" and walked behind the bar, flashing a professional smile at the young man: "My special blend might not quite suit... your taste. Are you sure you want to drink it?"
Kurume gave the young man time to reconsider, but he saw a beautiful female bartender mixing a drink for him and was overjoyed, nodding repeatedly: "Of course I won't go back on my word! I'll definitely drink it all in one go!"
Drink it all in one go? Just make sure you don't die here...
Kurume sighed softly and began mixing the drink.
She knew nothing about alcohol. Although she had learned her lesson yesterday and wouldn't wipe out a distillery, she still inadvertently selected two or three base liquors of different concentrations when choosing the alcohol, then added various flavoring ingredients.
The young man also didn't know much about alcohol, so he just watched Kurume's every step with a smile, completely unaware that "death" was approaching.
Finally, after Kurume finished mixing, what was placed in front of the young man was a blue-green-purple cocktail, like an aurora, with a rather good presentation.
"This special blend is called 'River of Three Crossings.' It's a name I just came up with, and no one has tried it yet. If the taste isn't to your liking, you don't have to drink it..."
Kurume Laiwei was very kindly reminding the young man.
"It's okay, no matter how bad it tastes, I'll finish it!" The young man patted his chest, shouting with a tough-guy demeanor.
Kurume watched him leave with a look of pity.
It's not a matter of how bad it tastes, it's a matter of whether you want to live or not... young man.
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