Jacob frowned as he observed the so-called Underground Casino before him, his brows knitted together.
According to the dossier records, the Underground Casino had extremely high turnover and revenue. It was also a notorious hub where countless poaching groups laundered their money.
However, the current crowd couldn't possibly generate the turnover documented in the files.
Clearly, this wasn't the real Underground Casino—or rather, it was merely the outer section.
Just as Jacob pondered this, Caleb's voice suddenly rang out beside him.
"There's something unusual about the flooring here," Caleb said with a frown. "While this type of flooring looks identical to ordinary tiles, the material is very special. Even though they've disguised it, the core composition can't be changed."
"This material effectively blocks most Ghost-type and Psychic energy, preventing Pokémon of those types from using Teleport or phasing through walls and floors via another dimension. It has extremely high security properties, but the cost is astronomical. Ordinary people absolutely couldn't afford such expensive materials."
"Yet all the floor tiles in this casino are made of this material. Unless there's something beneath us, they wouldn't use this type of flooring," Caleb said, looking at Jacob with a serious expression.
"How do you know this?" Jacob asked thoughtfully.
"After Roger's death not long ago, the Patrol Team was approved for substantial resources and funding to begin reconstruction. Some of the core buildings used this exact construction material—it's incredibly expensive. I was responsible for laying the tiles, so I've worked with this type of flooring before."
Jacob nodded slightly after hearing Caleb's explanation.
It seemed Aaron didn't fully trust him yet, or perhaps he was still testing him. That old fox.
"Let's go exchange some chips. Since we're here, we might as well play a little."
Jacob used funds from his card to exchange for chips, giving half of them to Sylvia.
"Play however you like. Don't worry about winning or losing. We'll leave in exactly half an hour," Jacob whispered to Sylvia.
"Okay."
The three entered the casino. Jacob chose the dice area, which he was most proficient at.
He relied on his abilities to maintain his winning rate within a reasonable range, ensuring his methods wouldn't be discovered while still making a modest profit.
In the blink of an eye, half an hour passed. Jacob's chips had nearly doubled, while Sylvia had lost more than half of hers. This was typical for a casino.
Few people won by luck alone. Those who truly made money were the ones who cheated.
"I'm sorry..." Sylvia's face showed a hint of embarrassment, feeling guilty about losing money.
"It's nothing. Let's go—we're leaving." Jacob collected his winnings, exchanged his chips back into cash, and prepared to exit the casino.
The previous gambling session was merely a display of financial strength—to attract Qin Lang with money and thus gain entry to the real underground casino.
As soon as Jacob and the others left the casino and reached the hall, the woman in the cheongsam immediately approached them.
"Mr. Ian, why are you leaving so soon? Are you dissatisfied with our service?" she asked with a smile.
"The environment isn't good. There are no private rooms, and the crowd is too mixed. I don't like this kind of atmosphere—it's far inferior to my City," Jacob said dismissively, waving his hand.
"I apologize, Mr. Ian. I'll relay your feedback to the boss," the woman said repeatedly. "Mr. Ian, why don't you stay a bit longer?"
"No need. I'm not interested anymore," Jacob said firmly, waving his hand. "It's boring."
"Then allow me to see you out, Mr. Ian."
"I can walk myself."
Jacob waved her off dismissively.
With that, he strode toward the main entrance, patiently waiting for the woman to extend an invitation.
However, to Jacob's disappointment, she didn't call out to him even as he passed through the main door. His hopes sank slightly.
It seemed Aaron remained wary of him, or perhaps his vigilance was excessive.
The three descended the steps, and just as Jacob was about to give up, the clicking of high heels suddenly echoed from behind.
"Mr. Ian~" the woman's alluring voice called out.
Here it comes!
Jacob's heart leaped with satisfaction, though his face remained impassive. He frowned and turned to look at her. "What is it?"
"If Mr. Ian wishes to enter the VIP casino, I can escort you there," she explained. "Mr. Ian, what you saw was just the outer area. The real inner area is elsewhere. The stakes there are much higher, and the environment is far superior. However, according to regulations, we must verify your funds before you can enter."
"Oh? Verify them, then." Jacob didn't waste words, having Caleb produce an unregistered bank card.
"Mr. Ian, congratulations on obtaining membership. Please follow me."
After verifying the funds, the woman led the three to a side door, then wound through the entertainment complex for two minutes before finally arriving at the Pokémon Association's underground vault. From there, the three took an elevator descending underground.
"Ding."
As a notification chimed, the elevator doors opened, and the woman's voice echoed: "Welcome to the underground world."
The underground world—a truly subterranean realm, an underground city.
Black Dragon City had actually constructed such a massive underground city beneath the surface, completely overturning their expectations.
Jacob gazed at the underground city before him in shock, his eyes filled with wonder.
This casino's underground world resembled an underground castle. Not only was there an enormous flow of people coming and going, but everyone wore various masks, maintaining complete anonymity.
"Mr. Ian, welcome to the underground city. This is our first area: the Underground Black Market." The woman led them into the first section.
She introduced the area to Jacob: "Our Underground Black Market differs from others. Because of the Pokémon Association's strict crackdowns, most black markets have shut down, but ours still maintains its original character. This is the largest black market in the entire Southwest Region."
A flash of shock crossed Jacob's eyes before he walked into the Underground Black Market area.
Small vendors were everywhere, setting up stalls and selling various items.
"The Underground Black Market area alone is enormous. It's divided into three zones."
"The first is the free trade zone. Here, we collect a 25% protection fee, but we guarantee your absolute safety—at least a safe return to other regions without any problems."
"The second type is where our internal staff operate shops selling goods. In these areas, you can purchase not only Pokémon eggs of various rare species and rare items, but also many other interesting commodities. We also hold high-end trade fairs periodically."
"The third zone is our most popular and most expensive trading area: the Customization Zone."
"Whatever you want, we can obtain it for you. As long as it's within Black Dragon City or even the entire Southwest Region, if the price is right, we guarantee to complete the task."