The night was already dark, but the streetlights shone brightly, with rhombic stones adorning every store, making even the road signs gleam brightly.

The streets of the Seventh District were narrow.

Zhou Yi followed Doctor Lu and a diverse crowd, rubbing shoulders.

"Why don't they make these streets wider?"

"There's no need."

The antlered female doctor said: "This way it seems crowded and prosperous, giving the illusion of an endless influx of people and booming business."

"Life is easily misled and influenced by group behavior, encouraging everyone to have the desire to spend locally. From the Seventh District to the First, it's almost all like this."

"Is business here not good?"

"It's not that it's bad, but really, only a few trades make money."

She said: "Prostitution, gambling, assassination, collecting."

Zhou Yi said: "Isn't this a safe zone? Is assassination allowed?"

"Of course, you can't just do that directly, so you have to challenge in various ways, or lure the target out."

She brought the conversation back: "Why are you following me?"

"I am very interested in you."

"Do you want to sleep with me?"

"No. I think you're quite capable."

"Are you talking about the Blood Doctor?"

The other person kept walking, just casually saying: "Blood Doctors are not rare around here. After all, it's just a means for mixed breeds to make a living because their blood is the most valuable thing they have."

Yuan Xiao had already introduced mixed breeds to Zhou Yi, a group that is the offspring of the Guangna Species and humans.

Mixed breeds are infertile, inherently have Guangna Organs, but are not as strong as their parents. Most mixed breeds are just accidental byproducts of the previous generation's desires.

In the eyes of humans, mixed breeds are humanoid monsters; in the eyes of the Guangna Species, they are poorly developed freaks.

The Blood Doctor is a profession developed by mixed breeds.

"Let's talk later, I have to work now."

Doctor Lu hurried into a large building named "Lucky Pendulum." It was constructed magnificently, with the entrance steps studded with glittering rhombic stones and doormen bowing and saluting every entrant.

Zhou Yi followed her inside the lobby and discovered it was extremely spacious, filled with tables. Each table was hosted by scantily clad beautiful women, with customers sitting around, playing cards and rolling dice.

It turned out to be a big casino.

He got distracted for a moment and lost sight of Doctor Lu.

Someone nearby asked: "Sir, do you have a reservation?"

A doorman of about fifteen or sixteen years old.

His voice was clear, and he wore a smile.

He was also a Class C enhancer.

Zhou Yi shook his head: "I'm here waiting for a friend."

"Alright. Then I won't bother you, if you're interested in playing a few hands, you can purchase chips at the front desk."

"Thank you."

The doorman bowed and then left.

The casino's guiding service was just enough without any forced consumption, not annoying at all.

Zhou Yi looked around and noticed a mechanical life-form gambler.

It was a four-wheeled vehicle with a long mechanical arm atop, and the metal fingers of the arm were holding cards, intensely gambling with other customers.

Zhou Yi watched from afar, and soon the mechanical arm lost.

It didn't seem discouraged, took out more chips, and joined a new round of gambling.

It lost the second round.

And the third.

Then it finally left the scene.

Zhou Yi looked around and saw two other mechanical life-forms also wandering in the casino.

He used a consciousness frequency to ask Yuan Xiao who was beside him: "Do mechanical life-forms also enjoy gambling?"

"Yes."

The Angel of Death said: "Director, mechanical life-forms think gambling is a mathematical problem. If they can crack the secret of probability, they can attain stable income from gambling."

"..."

Zhou Yi was surprised: "Are they that naive?"

"Actually, they are not. They know the house will use various means to ensure profits. However, without some people winning money, a casino could not operate. So, while ensuring a steady profit, they need to give gamblers a chance to win."

"The competition between casinos also depends on who can control the odds more accurately and effectively."

Yuan Xiao said: "Mechanical life-forms are searching for that critical probability constant, calculating to find a winning path. In fact, the actuarial calculations and probability designs in the casinos are almost always done by mechanical life-forms in the background, so it's also a mathematical contest."

Zhou Yi understood.

The mechanical life-form gamblers, they're calculating and capturing the profits of ordinary gamblers.

"It may not be quite right to say this, but the Forbidden Continent once had two very famous gambling kings, and both were mechanical life-forms. The greater gambler started with only 10 Light Seeds and managed to earn more than 20 million Light Seeds by calculating in the casinos, and the lesser gambler also earned 10 million."

Yuan Xiao said that the casinos are also happy to see the gambling kings' success.

Because that's a natural billboard, telling everyone that on the Forbidden Continent, one can truly strike it rich overnight through gambling!

This made Zhou Yi suspect whether the gambling kings were also created by the casinos.

He scanned left and right.

After a while, he finally found Doctor Lu.

At that moment, Doctor Lu had her hair in a bun, wearing a low-cut black dress with a deep cleavage line, standing in front of a table, dealing cards with a smile.

Turns out she also moonlighted here as a sexy croupier.

Zhou Yi watched for a while and then left the lobby to breathe some fresh air outside.

The casino had a peculiarly warm atmosphere, and staying too long could easily affect people with that frenzy.

On the steps, Zhou Yi had not stood for long before two women approached him.

"Do you want to play? Big brother."

One of the women wore a coat outside but was bare underneath, with only some black tape covering key parts, revealing glimpses as she moved, which was even more enticing.

The other woman wore a tight white sweater, highlighting her bust and curvaceous waist and hips, but below the waist was a glossy snake body covered in scales.

Around her neck hung a small bell, jingling lightly as she spoke.

"You seem fiery. I'll make you happy; we can play however you like, you know."

Mistaking Zhou Yi for a disheartened casino-goer, she came over to grab his hand.

"No, thank you."

Zhou Yi raised his hand in refusal.

The Tape Lady tossed a carefree smile and whispered in his ear: "Truly cold-hearted. Remember to find me if you change your mind. I like your type, I'll give you a fifty percent discount."

The Snake Woman showed a pitiful look but quickly found another client.

Outside the casino became a place for hookers to solicit, seamlessly bridging two industries.

These hookers were all enhancers, both male and female, all carefully dressed and well-spoken.

Zhou Yi thought of a question: "Yuan Xiao, regarding gambling and prostitution, if someone has no money or dines and dashes. In this safe zone where combat is forbidden, how do you deal with these people?"

"Each segment in Zone 7 has its own rules."

Yuan Xiao's gaze swept across the soliciting hookers: "But for those who owe money, the outcome is the same. The rules here enforce debt repayment."

"Debtors who are good at fighting will be sold off as assassins. If they have strong bodies, they might be turned into hookers or test subjects for drugs… If they're useless, parts of their organs might be sold to offset their debts."

"One extreme measure is to flee the safe zone. But entering the dangerous areas outside is much more perilous than forced labor or organ debt repayment, so those with a clear mind wouldn't do that."

Zhou Yi asked: "What's in the dangerous zone?"

"There's strong Radiation outside, all life will continuously weaken, Vitality constantly dropping. It's difficult to endure for long."

"And there are Killer Rats."

"They are about this big, nearly the size of a sand rat."

Yuan Xiao gestured with her hands.

"But their ranks are all B-level or above."

"Killer Rats have an extremely strong desire to attack and kill. They are very fast, have exceptional resistance to impacts, and like to ambush and hunt. They will cut open their prey's body, eat only the internal organs, then discard the carcass."

Zhou Yi asked: "Do they fight in groups?"

"No, Killer Rats always fight alone."

Alone?

Zhou Yi was somewhat surprised: "Is their individual killing power sufficient?"

"Chairman."

Yuan Xiao said seriously: "Killer Rats' diet includes Hunters, Light Cuttlefish, and Adult Gray Whales."

"Their only ability is called 'Deadly'."

"Upon being attacked by a Killer Rat, there's a certain chance of instant death. Although the probability is small, due to the high frequency of the Killer Rat's attacks, there is still a risk of sustained hits. This applies to both flesh and blood life, and mechanical life."

"Holy shit!"

Zhou Yi couldn't help but curse.

Such ability is tremendously overpowering!

No wonder people here prefer to have their organs sold rather than leave the safe zone.

Stepping outside and encountering a Killer Rat, with a bit of bad luck, and you're done for.

"Is there no way to counter them?"

"There is, use a Light Seed."

Yuan Xiao said: "As long as you give them Light Seeds, they will go eat the Light Seeds, thereby ceasing the attack."

"..."

That's essentially paying protection money.

"Hasn't anyone considered capturing Killer Rats for research? Such an ability should be highly valuable."

"They're not easy to capture."

Yuan Xiao explained: "If captured or exhausted, Killer Rats will instantly end their lives. They are like professional Assassins, who commit suicide upon failure."

Pretty arrogant.

Zhou Yi thought, that's indeed troublesome.

These creatures are indifferent to life or death, they either get paid, or they fight you until the end... It's a bit like the bald brother from the Forbidden Continent.

The two were having an encrypted conversation.

Suddenly, a voice came into Zhou Yi's mind.

"Chairman, there's a special Consciousness here."

"That thing is extraordinary."

"If possible, please acquire it."

It was the atmospheric life ice curling.

This was the first time it had actively spoken.

"Can you sense the outside world?"

Zhou Yi was astonished.

"I can sense some through Consciousness..."

Guided by it, Zhou Yi arrived at a small shop across from the casino. An old television with a color-blocked screen sat in a corner of the table inside the shop.

The atmospheric life ice curling had sensed this.

The shop owner was a mechanical life, with a head like an old-style CRT square monitor, mounted on an Iron Soldier-like metal body.

It enthusiastically said: "Is there anything you're interested in, guest? Our prices are clear and fair to all!"

The price tag on the television was 99.99 Light Seeds.

Zhou Yi asked: "Can I touch this to feel its material?"

"Of course you can."

He touched the television, inputting energy to synchronize with its Consciousness.

He didn't receive any information.

Zhou Yi then turned on the "Radio", but still got nothing.

Does this thing really have a Consciousness?

Or does the atmospheric life have a higher precision for Consciousness?

The ice curling said: "Chairman, the Consciousness Fragments inside are very minute. I will absorb it for examination."

To avoid drawing attention, Zhou Yi still took out 100 Light Seeds to buy the television.

"Guest, you truly have an eye for quality. It's a locally produced antique from an ancient era, you can see how well it's been maintained. I have many other items here, take a look, all good stuff..."

Zhou Yi replied courteously.

A voice from the atmospheric life entered his mind.

"Chairman, confirmed, it's a fragment of a Light Core Body's Consciousness."

"It's been emitting a signal continuously, or rather a sentence."

The ice curling said: "It says."

"Welcome to Taboo Paradise, we are now open to the public at Meat Mountain, Golden Elephant Valley, and Spark Plain. We cordially invite visitors from all over to come and enjoy the pleasures of death."

Taboo Paradise?

It seems that this is the true name of the Forbidden Continent.

Zhou Yi fell into contemplation.

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