IC C5

Chapter 5

“You’re back?”

When he returned to the dormitory, of course Lei Jun was there. But not in the way Siwon had expected. Ordinarily, he would be reading a book or working on his laptop. Instead, he was drinking wine alone.

“Sit down. Have a drink.”

Lei Jun smiled with his eyes as he gestured to him. Only now did Siwon notice a second glass already set at the table.

“I’ll pass.”

“Don’t say that, sit down, Xie Wei. On a day like today, you have to drink.”

Lei Jun seemed a little drunk. He kept smiling loosely, his mood slightly hazy. Siwon looked at him with a reluctant expression.

“What kind of day is today supposed to be?”

“The day I got promoted.”

“…What?”

“I was promoted. From now on, I’ll be working in the High Limit Zone.”

“In the high-stakes area? Weren’t you in the same cohort as me?”

“That’s right.”

“And you’re already promoted?”

“Yes.”

Lei Jun answered as he poured a glass of wine for Siwon too.

“Sovereign is a meritocracy.”

“That’s impressive.”

Siwon couldn’t help but say it in genuine admiration. At Sovereign Casino, one of the most prestigious establishments in the business, earning a position in the high‑stakes betting section within half a year of hiring required exceptional skill. Regardless of his own hatred of gambling, it was a remarkable achievement.

“My paycheck’s going up too. Cool, right?”

“…I’m envious.”

At his honest reply, Lei Jun burst out laughing. But in truth, Siwon really was envious. He, buried under thirty billion won in debt, couldn’t even imagine saving money—while dealers were already well‑paid, and in the high‑stakes zone, the pay was handsome indeed.

“So how long are you going to just stand there? Come sit. I even prepared food for us.”

Sure enough, on the table were cheese, crackers, and some bacon. For a dormitory setting, it looked quite well put together. But Siwon firmly declined.

“Thanks, but no. I don’t drink.”

“Allergic to alcohol?”

“No.”

“You can’t manage even a single glass?”

“No.”

“Then what about just eating the food, for atmosphere?”

“Yes.”

“…Or is it that you hate drinking with me specifically?”

If it had been anyone else asking, Siwon would have said “Yes” without hesitation. But it was Lei Jun—the person helping him with Chinese practice.

Life, Siwon thought, is always give and take. Since Lei Jun had given his help, it only felt right to give back somehow.

Yet he disliked drinking. Or perhaps more bluntly—he despised alcohol itself. Not something he could ask Lei Jun to understand.

“Ah, so miserable I must be… A promotion, yet no one to drink with. Ha… Where did it all go wrong. A successful life, but alone. So lonely…”

Like the lead actor in a tragic film, Lei Jun sighed theatrically, swirling his glass, eyes shimmering with studied melancholy. In the end, Siwon plopped into the chair opposite him.

“Fine. I’ll eat. But no wine.”

“Good. Let’s just toast, then.”

As if he had never put on that forlorn mask, Lei Jun smiled brightly again. Siwon sighed but raised his glass.

“Cheers.”

“Cheers!”

Their glasses clinked. Lei Jun knocked his back, while Siwon only set his down and turned to the crackers, layering one with cheese.

“The cheese is good.”

“Right? And the wine’s not bad either.”

“Chambolle‑Musigny… Yeah, it’s a good one.”

He muttered after glancing at the label. Lei Jun tilted his head curiously.

“You said you don’t drink, but you know this stuff? You into wine?”

“No.”

“Then?”

Lei Jun gestured toward the label. Siwon chuckled faintly.

“How could anyone not know Chambolle‑Musigny?”

It was even the signature wine of Comte Georges de Vogüé. Back in the hotel restaurant, it had been a popular order.

“You know that much, yet you still refuse to drink? And you’re not allergic?”

“Don’t push alcohol on me.”

“Sorry, I was just curious. You’re a gourmet, right? You wouldn’t even touch store‑bought stock cubes—you boil chicken bones yourself. Every gourmet I’ve ever known has been a drinker too.”

“I’m just…”

Siwon stared at the wine uneasily, faintly regretting that chicken stock in the dorm kitchen. The deep crimson liquid shimmered temptingly in the glass. He knew its taste. At twenty, he had loved wine, alongside other alcohols. And as Lei Jun said, gourmets did tend to be drinkers.

But the day he learned that addictions ran in genetics, he quit drinking entirely. Not by deliberate abstinence. More like he’d lost even the desire to reach for a glass. His father, addicted to both gambling and alcohol, had surely passed those same frailties on to him. He refused to become that pathetic addict.

“…I’m just not in the mood for alcohol.”

That was all the explanation he gave. He wouldn’t elaborate further.

“Something happen in the cage room?”

“…Yeah. Balancing the chips didn’t line up.”

“Tough day for our dear Staff Xie. And? Was it resolved?”

“Yeah.”

Siwon explained briefly how he spotted the error. As he spoke, it began to sound like self‑praise, embarrassing him.

“Incredible, Xie Wei. Not just remembering the customer, but even the time?”

“I kept checking the clock every five minutes—I just wanted to leave.”

Lei Jun burst out laughing, mistaking it for a joke. But Siwon was completely serious, and even added—

“I mean it. From the very moment I clock in, all I want is to leave work.”

“Hah, I know. Even up to the moment you walk out of the dorm, your face says you’d rather die than clock in.”

“…Well.”

Not just Lei Jun—as anyone could see it. Every morning, his reflection in the mirror showed the same doomed expression. After a day of controlling his face outside, he had no energy left to fake it at home. Luckily, Lei Jun assumed it was just work fatigue.

“Even so, how’d you end up the ace of the cage team?”

“Ace? Who said that?”

“The others. You didn’t know? They say you’re like AI—your figures impeccable, no little mistakes. Everyone wants to be scheduled with you.”

He truly hadn’t known. Awkwardness mixed with a spark of pride. At least his lack of sociability wasn’t ruining workplace mood—that much was a relief.

“Xie Wei, you’ll probably be promoted soon too.”

“…Not likely. What I’d really like is just to clock out early.”

“Then let’s toast to Xie Wei’s early departure each day.”

Lei Jun lifted his glass high, and Siwon clinked his against it. The clear, bell‑like tone rang out.

“Congratulations, Xie Wei. You’ll be promoted soon.”

“…Excuse me?”

Only a few days after Lei Jun’s promotion, Siwon was summoned by the manager. Already tense and nervous, he was speechless when told the news.

“One of the high‑limit cage staff quit suddenly. We need a replacement immediately, and I recommended you.”

“…Me?”

He bit back his disbelief. Why in the world? The manager, oblivious, smiled proudly, his chubby cheeks puffing further.

“This is a rare opportunity. Do well, Xie Wei.”

“Thank you. But I don’t think I’m yet good enough for the high‑limit zone.”

Siwon really did not want to risk deeper danger. The high‑stakes area would mean Baeksa‑pa piling on far greater demands for intelligence. Which also meant his personal risk skyrocketing—the security there would be far tighter.

More than that, he wasn’t capable or deserving of a promotion. For Sovereign Casino to send someone like him up—it seemed they had no eye for talent after all.

“You’re too modest, Xie Wei. Among second‑ and third‑year staff, only a handful are as thorough and mistake‑free as you. You’ll adapt to the high‑limit cage quickly. I promise.”

“…Thank you.”

Awkwardness pressed down with guilt. His stomach twisted. He clenched and unclenched his fist again and again.

“The announcement will go out this week, and training starts next week. Be prepared.”

“Yes.”

“Good. I’m counting on you.”

The manager patted his shoulder and walked off briskly. Left alone, Siwon grimaced.

All he wanted was to blend quietly as a rookie staffer. But that option had already vanished.

Now, whether he wanted it or not, he was being dragged into the high‑limit zone.

And in there… what kinds of sinister things awaited him? Siwon didn’t even want to imagine.

Footnotes

1. Chambolle‑Musigny / Comte Georges de Vogüé: A prestigious Burgundy red wine and its famous producer, highly valued in fine dining establishments. Presence of such labels indicates Lei Jun’s refined tastes.