Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

I was already up from my seat as I heard the first two clicks but everything happened in an instant. However, what happened to the pale lady wasn't as everyone thought. Most of them either sucked in their breaths or clenched their assholes, but a select few were rolling their eyes with the lack of… something.

The whole place was fucking quiet but everyone's eyes were on the stage.

It was because the moment "Angel" started pulling the trigger, the beauties right next to Mr. Cuervo acted on the third click.

Angel was now face down on the stage, ear blown off, blood gushing out from her ear as her arm was bent and dislocated. She still kept on pulling the trigger even if she was down but it didn't take long before one of the beauties snatched the gun from her hands.

Some of Mr. Cuervo's security detail rushed right after but Mr. Cuervo waved them off when they tried to finish the job.

[Go back to your stations. Can't you see we're still in the middle of a game?]

Then Mr. Cuervo wore a wide smile before crouching down and looking Angel in the eye.

[But as for you… Roxanne, Melina, let her go. She won, didn't you see? I would've let her kill herself if I said more than one pull but she doesn't get to decide that. But nice job, girls.]

The two girls that were holding Angel down never looked so confused but they looked at each other for a moment before they stood up and went back to Mr. Cuervo's side, and just let Angel stand up on her own.

When Angel groggily stood up with a mix of expressions, Mr. Cuervo started to applaud her in front of everybody before speaking once more.

[Alright, I said one pull but you did way~ more than I told you. However, that takes balls. Serious balls. With that said, I'll send your camp five times the number of resources we send them per week, plus a little extra cause you almost bit the dust, but… you'd still need to finish a month's worth of work because that was what it took to appease the guy you bit the dick off. But yeah, you'll be doing a different type of work in the meantime because I'm 99.99% sure no one would request you after that.]

It took a moment before the pain finally registered on Angel's face but Mr. Cuervo's medical staff already escorted her someplace to get treated.

After that, the betting tables had never been so busy but since I was too focused on the show, I failed to seize the chance to increase my riches. However, from the corner of my mind, after seeing the odds of each outcome, it sounded like a total rip-off.

'Doubling your winnings if you bet on whether they live or die… It's like choosing between black and red… Well, the returns get progressively larger with more trigger pulls but we could stack bets on the ones that had more chance of happening, and wouldn't contradict each other, but still… The main currency here is the vouchers that could be used in the Pink House and you'd never know how much your item's worth right until you get it appraised… and that's the bottleneck… Things would've gone a bit smoother if people could appraise items in advance or if there was a standard of measure the appraisers follow… Wait— Why am I even thinking about that now?'

I was deep in my thoughts for a moment but when I went back to reality, I thought I was deaf for a moment.

Everyone else was wearing a mix of emotions as they stared at the new 'contestant' on the stage but not one was making a fucking sound. I'd probably hear someone getting fucked in the ass for the first time in the Pink House but it didn't take long before this 'contestant' shouted at the top of his lungs.

[ARE YOU FUCKING MESSING WITH ME?! SIX PULLS?! WITH THAT FUCKING GUN?! THAT'S A GUARANTEED DEATH! IF YOU WANTED TO KILL ME FROM THE GET-GO, YOU SHOULD'VE—]

[But where's the fun in that? Noa, don't you fucking forget, you killed three of my own and set up your own brother to take the blame. Starving you, beating you up, and tying you down to get used every night isn't gonna cut it— not for a few years, at least… You see, even now… you don't seem like you had an ounce of regret for your actions. If you could at least give me the real reason why you did what you did, I might give you a chance… What do you think?]

At this moment, this Noa guy started to waver from Mr. Cuervo's words but he shook his head and gritted his teeth before he picked up the gun Mr. Cuervo threw in front of him. But to my surprise, it was a 5-shot revolver. Even if he somehow survived going through the wheel, he'd still gamble his life all over again.

His body was shaking all over as he pushed the gun to the side of his head, but before he could even pull the trigger, Mr. Cuervo put a bullet in his head with cold eyes.

[The ten seconds were up… next.]

Mr. Cuervo holstered his gun to the inside of his jacket before lighting his cigar once more but everyone else was more preoccupied with confirming their bets.

"HEY! HE DIED, RIGHT?! RIGHT?! I STILL WIN?!"

"BULLSHIT! THAT SHOULD'VE BEEN INVALID! MR. CUERVO KILLED HIM, HE DIDN'T OFF HIMSELF!"

"YOU FUCKING NIMROD, DIDN'T YOU GO THROUGH THE WHOLE LIST?!"

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU SAY TO ME?!"

"YOU DUMBFUCK, IT'S EVEN IN THE FIRST ROW! THERE'S A CATEGORY FOR WAITING TOO LONG! SHIT, I WOULD'VE WON MORE IF I— FUCK!"

"DAMMIT! ME TOO! I'LL BET SOMEONE'S GONNA LIVE THIS TIME! THE NEXT ONE LOOKED LIKE HE COULDN'T HURT A FLY!"

"SHIT! YOU'RE RIGHT! I'LL BET ON THAT TOO!"

"WHA— THAT'S— FUCK IT, I'LL DOUBLE DOWN AND ADD THAT HE'LL PISS HIMSELF!"

"ALL OF YOU ARE WASTING SHIT, JUST BET ON WHETHER THEY LIVE OR DIE AND GET ON WITH IT!"

"YOU FUCKING BORING-ASS WIMP, GET OUTTA HERE!"

"FUCK YOU! I NEVER LOST A BET AND I'VE ALREADY TRIPLED MY MONEY!"

"WHAT?!"

Aside from being next to Quinn, there wasn't a lack of people that had their volumes raised all the way up because we were being surrounded by the Rivas Family. To be honest, being with loud people wasn't my cup of tea but at least they'd be upfront if they wanted to murder you instead of plotting it from the shadows.

With that said, I already missed placing bets for the second time but even if the next person looked like he just committed something minor, I just waved off putting a single dime to add to the betting pool. Granted Mr. Cuervo and I had some under-the-table deal going on, I can't just bet something on chance.

However, everyone from the Rivas Family lost their minds when the next contestant's crime was revealed to Cuervo Heights and its people.

[Castro Castillo, matricide. You slit your mother's throat and stabbed her multiple times before you deliberately tried to do the same thing to your sisters after drugging them…]

'What? Castillo? Hmm…'

[If your cousin didn't get up that time—]

[Enough talk. I know what I did. Cheh, I don't care how much you love these bullshit theatrics so much but it's just delaying the inevitable, Mr. Cuervo. Everyone's a sinner and everyone should pay for their sins, but before I could lay judgment on those around me, I should start with my own backyard first. It's— What's so funny?!]

Mr. Cuervo never looked so pissed but he forced out a smile. It caught the attention of this Castro guy and they both stopped for a moment and just stared at each other but Mr. Cuervo shook his head and looked at Castro with a bitter smile.

[Castro… You've fucking lost it, you know that? Your mother—]

[What about my mother?! WHAT?! She's— She's a fucking—]

[She's a fucking what?! Huh?! Can you even remember, you fucking—]

[Heh. Ahaha… She— Ahahahah! Eheheh… Shit, why am I laughing so much?! It's just so— Fuck, it's too funny… She thought… She thought she could get me— AHahah… Hahah… She thought she'd— She thought… Wait… Where am I again?]

[You're so lost, child…]

[Right. I remember now. I'm here because you think you're doing the right thing but you're not. You think I'm the one who did wrong but you never heard my side—]

[WHAT SIDE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT, CASTRO?! YOU FUCKING LOST IT, PUTO! YOU— You… You—]

[Why are you taking so fucking long?! JUST SHOOT ME FOR FUCK'S SAKE! ARE YOU GONNA WAIT BEFORE I GROW A BEARD?! You're a fucking clown for thinking that organizing this shit solves all our problems! You're just fooling yourself into thinking that— that… Fuck, I'm getting dizzy… This is too much… IS THIS WHAT IT'S LIKE TALKING TO A FUCKING IMBECILE?! HUH?! SHOOT ME IF YOU DARE—]

It only took a second before Mr. Cuervo wound his arm and threw a right hook at Castro's face. However, his punch completely dislodged Castro's jaw but the motherfucker's eyes looked like they curled up to a smile.

Castro lost feeling in his legs before he collapsed and let out unintelligible moans but Mr. Cuervo called over his medic team to patch him up. He was sent to a different area as Mr. Cuervo tried to regain his composure but he shook his head as he looked at the two people that died in this game before he looked at the cameras with a smile.

[It appears I've lost myself there. Why don't we do it like this? I'll challenge anyone from the viewing platforms to do the same things these contestants did on the stage, and depending on your results, you could walk away a rich and happy man.]

At this moment, the deafening silence was replaced with roaring cheers and applause, and a line was already forming below the stage. With that said, the prisoners that were brought in were escorted out of sight but my eyes trailed to the seat of the Castillo Family's head.