"Probably not." The list of Kaiji's stupid risks went beyond just body parts: he wagered his overall life on multiple occasions as well as his own freedom. But again, that wasn't something that he would admit unless he had a damn good reason to. In this case, he didn't find it worth mentioning.
Vlad had exceeded Kaiji's expectations, though - he seemed to be more sympathetic than expected from someone with such a fancy name and a rich, dense way of talking. Was he really unexpectedly kind, though, or was he acting that way just to gain trust? Kaiji was superficial and petty enough that he wasn't so sure based almost solely on the fact that he hated the guy's name.
He started to gather his five cards and mix them up again.
"Sick bastards," Kaiji said in a low voice while leaning in to turn it down even more, "Like that Head Doctor guy. They're all the same. They can get away with it because they've got power, and they get off on using it on everyone who doesn't." He hadn't intended to get worked up over it, but without his notice Kaiji was talking through his teeth and very rapidly shuffling his cards by the time he hit that last statement. He could feel his pulse rising and his breaths growing subtly heavier as he had many simultaneous and negative thoughts of the people who had wronged not just him, but others who were equally desperate. He was one of the lucky ones even with the things that he had been put through, if only because he had lived to tell about it.
Kaiji firmly slapped a face-down 'C' card on the table, fired up by his thoughts. "One or two more." Adding up the numbers, it was impossible for him to technically win with only one or two rounds since a victory with the Emperor was only worth one-fifth of one with the Slave. Unless they switched card sets, the highest he could get was two assuming that they only went for three total sets and that was only if he could get the better of Vlad both times. Meanwhile, Vlad could rack up fifteen total assuming that he stuck with his cards.
Not that the points had any value or consequence, of course.
Kaiji just still didn't know what to think of this guy.
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Vlad had exceeded Kaiji's expectations, though - he seemed to be more sympathetic than expected from someone with such a fancy name and a rich, dense way of talking. Was he really unexpectedly kind, though, or was he acting that way just to gain trust? Kaiji was superficial and petty enough that he wasn't so sure based almost solely on the fact that he hated the guy's name.
He started to gather his five cards and mix them up again.
"Sick bastards," Kaiji said in a low voice while leaning in to turn it down even more, "Like that Head Doctor guy. They're all the same. They can get away with it because they've got power, and they get off on using it on everyone who doesn't." He hadn't intended to get worked up over it, but without his notice Kaiji was talking through his teeth and very rapidly shuffling his cards by the time he hit that last statement. He could feel his pulse rising and his breaths growing subtly heavier as he had many simultaneous and negative thoughts of the people who had wronged not just him, but others who were equally desperate. He was one of the lucky ones even with the things that he had been put through, if only because he had lived to tell about it.
Kaiji firmly slapped a face-down 'C' card on the table, fired up by his thoughts. "One or two more." Adding up the numbers, it was impossible for him to technically win with only one or two rounds since a victory with the Emperor was only worth one-fifth of one with the Slave. Unless they switched card sets, the highest he could get was two assuming that they only went for three total sets and that was only if he could get the better of Vlad both times. Meanwhile, Vlad could rack up fifteen total assuming that he stuck with his cards.
Not that the points had any value or consequence, of course.
Kaiji just still didn't know what to think of this guy.