Reborn Before The Apocalypse: The Last Safe Hotel

Chapter 005 – The Black Ledger

*****

Ronan headed straight for the first betting shop, hoping it wouldn't be crowded so early in the morning.

He was wrong… the place was already packed, even more than the previous day.

No one paid him much attention until he reached the desk where he had placed his previous bet.

Then one of the bettors recognized him and laughed. “If this isn't the same person who burned $600 yesterday, who would it be?”

Laughter spread through the shop. Some people shook their heads in pity, while others looked at Ronan like an ignorant newcomer wasting money.

He quickly realized that word of his ridiculous bet had already spread through the shop.

He merely smiled, not appearing offended or embarrassed in the slightest.

“Confirm my game,” he said indifferently, handing his ticket to the attendant.

The attendant accepted the ticket with an indifferent expression, clearly expecting nothing unusual.

But the moment he entered the ID and pressed Enter, his expression changed. He froze.

“What’s wrong?” someone asked after noticing his expression.

Several people glanced over and exchanged confused looks.

‘Why does he look like he’s just seen a ghost?’

A few casually looked toward the second screen on the desk, the one facing Ronan.

The moment they saw it… the entire shop fell silent.

A familiar congratulations message was displayed on the screen. But what truly shocked them was the winning amount.

$1.44 million.

Several people rubbed their eyes as though the number might disappear.

Ronan, on the other hand, merely glanced at the screen to confirm the amount before looking at the attendant.

“I’ll have the money transferred to my account,” he said casually, jolting the man back to his senses.

The attendant trembled, gawking at Ronan as though he just realized the young man had two heads.

‘Win... win?’

Cold sweat broke out across his forehead.

“I... please hold on. Only the manager can approve a win of this size.”

He didn’t even finish speaking before turning around and bolting toward the inner office.

A few minutes later, the manager, a middle-aged man, arrived.

He sized Ronan up from head to toe, several emotions flashing across his face. “Brother, you’re the one who won $1.44 million with $600?”

Ronan nodded casually.

The manager’s eyes flashed briefly before he quickly masked them with a professional, flattering smile.

“You’re our VIP customer now. Would you be kind enough to follow me to my office? We can't handle a transaction of this size out here.”

‘Here it comes...’

Ronan’s eyes flashed slightly, but he remained indifferent.

“Alright.”

He followed the manager inside.

The customers didn’t recover until the door closed behind them. Then the betting shop erupted.

Some cursed themselves for not copying Ronan's selections. They had seen his ticket the previous day but assumed he was merely an inexperienced gambler wasting his money. Now, their regret came too late.

….

Inside the office, two men were waiting.

One was a middle-aged man sitting comfortably on a sofa, a thick cigarette dangling between his fingers.

Behind him stood a muscular, intimidating bodyguard, who instantly scrutinized Ronan from head to toe before dismissing him with contempt.

The middle-aged man, meanwhile, ignored Ronan for a moment, as though he were beneath his notice.

The bodyguard's intimidating presence and the middle-aged man’s pressure would have unnerved an ordinary person, but compared to what Ronan had endured during the apocalypse, it was nothing.

He merely folded his hands against his chest.

After several seconds of silence, the middle-aged man finally looked directly at Ronan.

Ronan met his gaze without flinching, earning a flicker of interest. His oppressive aura vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

“Little brother,” he called as he rose from his seat and extended his hand. “Nice meeting you. I’m Kade Arden, a stakeholder of FN Bet.”

Ronan shook his hand firmly. “I’m Ronan Ashmore.”

Kade noticed the lack of fear in both Ronan's expression and handshake, and his interest deepened.

“The headquarters sent me here after learning someone won nearly $1.5 million with only $600. They wanted to determine whether you cheated.”

Ronan smiled.

‘I prefer straightforward people.’

Kade offered him a seat and poured him a glass of wine, which Ronan politely declined.

“Little brother, judging by how calm you are, I don't think you cheated,” Kade said, studying him unblinkingly as though trying to see through him. “And I don't think you were simply lucky either.”

“I studied the matches myself,” Ronan replied. “Or does your company intend not to pay?”

Kade was caught off guard for a second.

“Hahaha. You joke a lot." He laughed. “$1.44 million may be a fortune to ordinary people, but it’s like a drop in the ocean compared to my company’s wealth. We won’t ruin our reputation over it.”

He leaned back slightly.

“As long as it’s confirmed that you won it fairly, the money is yours.”

Ronan nodded, seemingly lost in thought for a moment. “So, how would you confirm that?”

Kade smiled knowingly.

“We should be asking you that,” he said. “You claimed you analyzed the matches. Prove it.”

Ronan's lips curled upward. “I can. In fact, I can help your company with my knowledge.”

Kade frowned, while the manager and bodyguard exchanged surprised looks.

“You want to help FN Bet?” the bodyguard scoffed. “Arrogant!”

Kade silenced him with a glance, then turned back to Ronan. “Don't mind him. But I believe you may have overestimated your abilities.”

FN Bet had remained at the top because of its enormous resources. Kade couldn't imagine what a single young man could possibly offer them.

Ronan could hear the condescension, but he wasn’t offended. This was exactly the reaction he'd expected.

“I expected you wouldn't believe me.”

He reached into his pocket and produced another betting slip.

“Will this change your mind?”

Kade accepted it skeptically.

But the moment he scanned the slip, he shot to his feet, his expression changing completely.

“Wait... this… this was also your game?”

Ronan merely nodded.

FN Bet's headquarters had already been alerted about two extraordinary winning games from Fidelity City, but they had assumed two different bettors were responsible. They had never imagined both tickets belonged to the same person.

Kade slowly regained his composure.

“You said you could help my company?”

“Yes.”

“What do you want in return?”

Ronan raised one finger.

“Only one thing.” He leaned back.

“I have a list of upcoming matches. Every selection has at least a sixty percent chance of winning.”

Ronan had deliberately lowered the winning rate to avoid attracting attention, but even sixty percent was apparently too high.

Even FN Bet couldn't casually boast of such a winning rate.

Kade’s eyes constricted, and his breathing quickened.

“You... you really have that?” His voice cracked slightly.

Ronan realized he'd revealed too much, but there was no going back now. He simply nodded.

Kade struggled to calm himself.

“What do you want?”

Ronan’s lips curved upward. “A membership to the Black Ledger.”

Kade's expression changed once again.

His eyes widened. “You...”

He looked toward the manager and bodyguard.

“Leave us.”

The bodyguard opened his mouth to protest, but a single glare from Kade silenced him.

Once the two men exited, Kade's expression hardened.

“How do you know about the Black Ledger?”

His voice had lost every trace of friendliness.

He stared at Ronan with a gaze that made it clear a wrong answer could have consequences.

Ronan hadn't expected this reaction, but he remained composed.

He knew exactly why Kade was alarmed.

The Black Ledger was a private wagering network reserved for the world's most powerful individuals… billionaires, royal families, corporate magnates, and other figures far beyond ordinary society.

More importantly, every member operated under an encrypted identity, allowing them to wager enormous sums without exposing themselves.

That anonymity was precisely why Ronan wanted access.

In his previous life, he'd learned about the network and understood how useful it would be for accumulating wealth without attracting attention.

But Kade didn’t know any of that, and Ronan had no intention of revealing it.

“You don’t need to know how I found out,” he said calmly, resting his back against the couch. “Give me a membership, and I'll give you the list.”

Kade stared at him for a long moment before sighing. For the first time, he felt he was dealing with someone he couldn't understand.

“As I said, I'm only a stakeholder. I'll have to report this to the headquarters. Whether they agree is their decision.”

Ronan nodded.

“You have one day.”

Kade's expression darkened. “Are you threatening us?”

Ronan smiled.

“You should know how many companies would kill for my list.”

With that, he stood. “When should I expect my winnings?”

Kade finally recovered and pointed toward the table.

Ronan bent over, picked up a pen and a piece of paper, and scribbled down his account details.

“You’ll see the money before you leave,” Kade said.

Ronan nodded and walked out.

The moment the door closed, the bodyguard returned.

“That boy… he makes me uncomfortable.”

The bodyguard’s eyes turned cold. “Should I deal with him?”

Kade shook his head. “No.”

He stared at the closed door.

“He isn't ordinary. I don't know what he's relying on, but his confidence isn't arrogance. It's certainty.”

His expression grew darker.

“Don't investigate his background yet. People with that kind of certainty usually have something backing them. We don't know what we're dealing with.”

After a moment, Kade looked at his bodyguard.

“Contact the pilot. Prepare the jet. We're returning to headquarters.”

….

Completely unaware of Kade's unease, Ronan was escorted out through another passage.

Just as Kade had promised, his phone vibrated before he reached the exit.

He checked the notification, and his lips curled into a satisfied smile.

“The starting fund is secured.”

He glanced at the time. It was time to begin the next step.