As soon as the announcement of the end came out, the crowd dispersed. Only a few people who bet on Feng Zheng went to the prize collection area.
Feng Zheng also flashed to that area to avoid getting caught in a long queue.
Feng Zheng thought he would be the first one there, but he was wrong; someone had arrived before him.
Feng Zheng's eye twitched slightly. He said, "Hello, Teacher."
Renjiro smiled and said, "Hello, Feng Zheng, and congratulations on winning the match."
Feng Zheng nodded, thinking, "What a good teacher!"
Renjiro asked, "Do you want to go first?"
Feng Zheng shook his head and said, "No, Teacher, you go first."
At the same time, he thought, "Let me see how much money you made!"
Renjiro smiled, guessing Feng Zheng's thoughts, and then walked towards the counter.
The bet awarder looked at the teacher-student duo. Just then, two ANBU Ninja flashed in.
Renjiro ignored them and placed thirty gold bills, each engraved with Feng Zheng's name, on the table. One gold bill represented a bet of one million Ryo!
Feng Zheng's eyes widened when he saw this scene! He thought, "He’s so damn rich!! I should ask him for a reward instead of Hiruzen! Wait, I should get my share first!"
The bet awarder was also shocked! Thirty gold bills meant they needed to pay out 120 million Ryo!
He looked at Renjiro in surprise, who simply maintained his smile.
However, the bet awarder felt as if he was looking at a devil!
The bet awarder thought, "The total bets received by the house for this match were only 110 million Ryo. Just paying him will result in a loss of 10 million Ryo!"
He wondered if there was any way to avoid paying this money. But he shook his head, thinking, "Konoha will skin us alive. They might even uproot Kado Company’s entire business! We have no choice!"
He gritted his teeth and paid Renjiro 120 million Ryo!
Anyone hosting gambling must hold an additional 150 million Ryo to cover potential losses. So they could still afford to pay this amount.
Renjiro smiled slightly and sealed the suitcase full of money with a scroll.
Feng Zheng watched his teacher check all the money and put it away. He thought, "Do all members of the Senju Clan love to gamble?"
Feng Zheng sighed and continued forward. For some reason, the joy of winning money suddenly diminished greatly!
He placed six silver bills on the table.
The bet awarder gave a bitter smile. He now knew that both of them were aware of how strong Feng Zheng was! The decision to host this gambling event was a huge mistake!
The bet awarder paid Feng Zheng 2.4 million Ryo. Feng Zheng checked it and put it away.
By this time, several other people had also arrived. They were surprised to find that Feng Zheng had actually bet on himself. Some were impressed by his confidence.
Renjiro smiled, seeing that his student had also made money. He put his hand on Feng Zheng's shoulder and said, "There will be a good show to watch, it will be very interesting."
Feng Zheng immediately looked at the two ANBU Ninja. One of them stepped forward and placed twenty gold bills on the table!
The bet awarder's face turned ashen! He cursed in his heart, "Almost half of the bets were placed on him? Damn Konoha scum!"
He trembled with anger. However, the ANBU Ninja showed no reaction.
The bet awarder gritted his teeth and handed him 80 million Ryo!
Feng Zheng watched with wide eyes. He looked at the second ANBU Ninja, thinking, "No way!"
The second ANBU Ninja stepped forward and placed another twenty gold bills on the table! The bet awarder was shocked by Konoha's shamelessness!
Feng Zheng was also dumbfounded.
"What the hell? I know Hiruzen is shameless, but to this extent?"
The bet awarder began to think, "Over 70 million Ryo in bets were placed on him! Why weren't we informed? What was the guy who took the bet registrations doing?"
He immediately started cursing the bet registrar.
Unfortunately for that bet registrar, he had been subjected to a subtle genjutsu by the Anbu, causing him to forget to report the bets placed.
The bet awarder gritted his teeth and said, "We don't have enough money to pay you right now."
The ANBU Ninja looked him in the eyes and asked, "How much time do you need to arrange it?"
The bet awarder clenched his jaw tighter and said, "We need seven days."
The ANBU Ninja nodded and said, "Alright, settle everyone else's money first, then arrange my payment. You are not allowed to leave Konoha until you pay me 80 million Ryo."
The bet awarder nodded, his face pale. He was well aware of the consequences of trying to escape.
The others also began to redeem their tickets.
Renjiro looked at Feng Zheng and said, "Come with me."
Feng Zheng and Renjiro began to walk towards the room where Hodaka and Mieko were resting.
Renjiro asked, "What do you think about what just happened?"
Feng Zheng said expressionlessly, "The older people get, the greedier they become."
Upon hearing this, Renjiro almost lost his footing.
Before he could reply, Feng Zheng sighed and whispered, "I wonder if Hokage-sama can arrange dozens of Wind Crystals for me with the money he bet on me."
After speaking, he stared at Renjiro, reminding him that he had also won a lot of money!
Renjiro ignored his words and gaze, asking, "Did you notice anything else?"
Feng Zheng said, "Did they offend Hokage-sama?"
Renjiro nodded and said, "Kado Company is involved in many illegal activities, and many ordinary people suffer because of it. This move is to strike at them and remind them to follow the rules."
Feng Zheng thought for a moment, nodded, and mused, "That's good. Not only did Kado Company lose money, but Konoha also made a large sum. However, from another perspective, Kado Company defrauded a lot of money from civilians, and Konoha took that money from Kado Company. So, Konoha indirectly took this money from ordinary civilians."
"The real losers are still the ordinary civilians. To make up for this loss, Kado Company will steal more from ordinary people, and perhaps at some point in the future, other powerful forces will take that money from them. No wonder a scoundrel like him can spread influence so easily without losing his life. Powerful nations simply don't care about these things. After all, they also benefit greatly from his illegal activities."
"Sigh. No matter which world, it is always the weak and helpless who suffer."
Renjiro noticed Feng Zheng's sudden silence. He didn't know what Feng Zheng was thinking.
Suddenly, Feng Zheng had an idea. He asked, "Teacher, if I had lost, would you all have obediently given all the money to Kado Company?"
Renjiro looked at Feng Zheng, and Feng Zheng looked back at his teacher. Renjiro didn't answer, just smiled.
Feng Zheng broke out in a cold sweat looking at his smile! He thought, "These guys are the worst schemers! If I ever make a move against Hiruzen or Konoha in the future, I must be careful not to reveal my identity! Who knows what schemes they'll come up with to make me suffer huge losses."
They silently arrived at the Arena's medical room to check on Mieko and Hodaka.
Mieko had multiple cuts, and Hodaka had mild burns all over his body. Both also suffered from the weakness caused by Chakra exhaustion.
Although they had recovered, the doctors still advised them to stay in the Hospital for a few days.
Renjiro told them about the Hokage's reward, but neither of them was excited by it.
Finally, Renjiro advised them to rest more and left with Feng Zheng, leaving them with their families.
After leaving, Feng Zheng looked at the sky, feeling a bit emotional, and thought, "The Chunin Exams are finally over. Soon I will become a Chunin. Six years of effort, from an unknown to a Chunin. Now, how long will it take to reach S-rank from Chunin?"
