Prev | Table of Contents | Next
Chapter 77: “I’m a shameless bastard.“
Wu You and Nan Shan were preparing to join a poker game called “Da Vinci Code” and wanted to seek An Wujiu’s opinion. Suddenly, numerous champagne towers appeared in the middle of the hall, causing chaos.
Amid the crowd, a young, unfamiliar man approached them.
He wore suit pants and a white shirt, without a team headband or chip values, resembling an NPC.
However, all NPCs were supposed to be masked.
“Mr. Wu You, Mr. Nan Shan, to keep it brief, please come with me. Miss Toudou is looking for you.”
“That Japanese sister? She sent you?” Wu You asked.
“Yes.” He displayed two small hair ties used by Toudou Sakura for her twin tails.
So, Wu You and Nan Shan followed him. The whole group, except Shen Ti and An Wujiu, gathered at the end of the hallway outside the hall. While the players were still pouring wine, Toudou Sakura explained everything to them.
“We need to find Noah immediately.” She took the hair ties from the NPC boy and retied her twin tails. “I saw the yellow team heading right on the third-floor corridor.”
Nan Shan and Wu You set off, while Toudou Sakura and the NPC searched in the other direction on the third floor, leaving the rest of the group to gamble.
“You can use me as a stake,” Nan Shan suggested.
“That’s not much, better keep it.” Zhong Yirou patted his arm.
Influenced by An Wujiu, everyone unexpectedly dedicated themselves to the treacherous gambling scene.
“Who is that boy?” Zhong Yirou curiously glanced at the NPC waiting obediently not far away.
“Him?” Toudou Sakura smiled, “He’s my little assistant, isn’t he cute?”
After saying that, she walked toward the NPC and patted his shoulder, “Let’s go, accompany me to save the child.”
“I can’t intervene; it would violate the rules,” he said.
Toudou Sakura blinked, “You don’t need to take action, I’ve got you covered.”
Zhou Yijue glanced at An Wujiu.
An Wujiu leaned indifferently against the back of his chair, his chin raised arrogantly, eyes fixed on Maguire opposite him. His right index finger stroked the velvet armrest, brushing it back and forth.
Maguire couldn’t speak for a moment. Faced with An Wujiu’s disdainful yet indifferent demeanor, he clenched his fist on the table, his knuckles turning white, feeling deeply insulted.
To An Wujiu, Maguire pride seemed pitiful.
“What’s wrong?” An Wujiu smiled, raising his eyebrows, “You don’t like my flirting style? Sorry, I was too presumptuous. Seeing your eyes practically glued to me, I thought you were dreaming about me at night.”
Hearing An Wujiu’s sharp words, Maguire finally couldn’t hold back. His brows furrowed, and he slammed his fist on the table, shaking the champagne glasses on it, the crystal liquid inside them trembling.
Shen Ti intentionally spoke up at this point, his tone sarcastic, “So angry, you scared me to death.”
Although Amy didn’t know what was going on with An Wujiu, she also laughed to smooth things over, “Oh my, you haven’t even started, and you’re already angry. Are we still going to play cards?”
She pointed at the big screen and said, “Look, so many teams are eyeing us; they’re about to catch up with your team.”
“Shameless.” Maguire glared, trying to calm himself.
Upon hearing this, before An Wujiu could respond, Shen Ti immediately stood up, holding a gun retrieved from the panel at an unknown time.
“Say that again.”
His green eyes cast an extremely cold gaze, and he was so tall that his standing shadow was enough to envelop Maguire.
Maguire face changed. He never expected this joking guy to be such a ruthless character.
An Wujiu tugged at Shen Ti’s glove, smiling, “Why get angry? Sit down.”
Although Shen Ti felt uncomfortable being offended, he still listened to An Wujiu and sat down.
He smiled, his brows relaxing, as he unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, revealing a peony tattoo. His face was dazzlingly beautiful.
“You got that right,” An Wujiu raised an eyebrow and stared at Maguire, “I am indeed a shameless scoundrel, but sadly for you, my shamelessness won’t give someone like you any chance.”
“How should I put it…” He reached out and touched Shen Ti’s shoulder, his expression ambiguous, “At least you need to look as good as our little Shen here.”
Shen Ti corrected him, “Not at least, but only.”
“Mr. Ephron,” Zhou Yijue interrupted the confrontation, addressing Maguire by his surname with a smile, “Time is running out, let’s start the game.”
The more they talked, the more An Wujiu’s sarcasm and provocations increased. Maguire had to endure it because he knew that if it came to a real fight, he was no match for Shen Ti.
The NPC dealer, unable to show emotions, inwardly sighed; this was the most difficult group of players he had ever encountered.
“Have you all chosen your chips?” the dealer asked.
“Wait a moment.” Shen Ti selected his chips on the virtual panel in front of him, and the system announced his choice.
[Player Shen Ti has chosen his chip: Shen Ti]
Having made his choice, he gave Maguire a kind smile and said, “Sorry, I’m not the only one choosing myself as a chip.”
“Who told you to choose yourself?” An Wujiu frowned, looking displeased. He originally wanted to say, “Didn’t we agree you’d choose me?” but after thinking about it, he swallowed the words.
Shen Ti turned to face him, his smile becoming genuine and gentle, “Let me take a gamble, take a chance, and turn five hundred into forty-five hundred.”
An Wujiu knew that once the chips were set, they couldn’t be changed. Though he was still unhappy with Shen Ti’s unilateral decision, he felt his adrenaline rise with excitement and thrill. However, another thought lingered in his mind: if they lost, Shen Ti might disappear without a trace, not even leaving a bone behind.
If they didn’t win first place, Shen Ti’s disappearance would be irreversible.
An Wujiu couldn’t understand why his excitement and hesitation were pulling at each other.
“All players’ chips are now locked.” The dealer waved his hand gently, and the virtual panels in front of everyone disappeared, “The corresponding body parts for the chip values are temporarily frozen.”
As soon as the dealer finished speaking, An Wujiu noticed his arms were faintly covered in a layer of blue light. Turning his head, he saw that Shen Ti’s entire body was enveloped in blue light.
It was as if he wasn’t human, but a virtual entity made of code and data.
“Pretty cool,” Shen Ti showed no signs of nervousness, picking up the cards facedown on the table.
Maguire glanced at him and sneered contemptuously.
You‘re feeling smug now, but when Shen Ti loses, there won’t be time to cry.
“The Bao Huang game starts, with Emperor Shen Ti dealing the cards. Players will play in a clockwise order.”
The dealer extended a hand towards Shen Ti and said, “Please.”
When dealing the cards, the final three cards left were 6, 7, and 2.
Including Shen Ti’s base cards and the emperor card taken from Maguire, there were a total of 37 cards, with the following faces:
6666777778910.10.10.JJJ JQQQQ QKKAA AA22222 Little Joker Big Joker Emperor Card
An Wujiu, holding the guard card, had 33 cards with the following faces:
67778 88899 910.10.10.10 JJJJJ QKKKAAAAA2 2 Little Joker Guard
In the hall, as the game progressed round after round, more people lost their limbs being used as chips. The scent of blood gradually filled the air, and screams mingled with grand orchestral music, creating an eerie and magnificent atmosphere.
An Wujiu leaned back in his chair, staring at the cards in his hand. He appeared bored on the surface but was actually strategizing.
His hand seemed good at first glance but was challenging to play. He had four 8s, 10s, and Js, but the card values were too close. Each round, he either couldn’t play, had to break up his five Aces, use a Joker to play four Kings, or use both the Joker and the Guard card to play four 2s.
But these were all poor options, with the last being the worst.
Since he was playing a hidden role, he had to engage in psychological warfare.
As the only openly identified player, Shen Ti’s tactics and verbal cues would release information, leading to speculation.
His role was evidently more significant.
“What should I play…” Shen Ti shuffled through his cards, picking out a few and casually tossing them onto the table, “Four 6s.”
After playing, he placed the stack of cards face down on the table, no longer looking at them. He propped his elbows up, resting his chin on his crossed hands, leisurely observing the other players, “This is my first time playing this game, so I’ll just rely on some luck.”
First time playing and daring to bet everything he had.
Amy couldn’t help but want to shake her head.
An Wujiu placed a few cards on the table, pushing them forward with his fingers, “Four 8s.”
After playing, he specifically looked at Zhou Yijue, without giving any signal or expression, just looking.
Zhou Yijue frowned slightly, trying to analyze the meaning of An Wujiu’s gaze.
Was it a hint or a misdirection?
When it was Amy’s turn, she smiled and played her cards, “Then I’ll play four Js.” After playing, she looked at Zhou Yijue and said, “Let’s see what our handsome Zhou will play.”
“Four Aces.” Zhou Yijue decisively played his cards, then leisurely looked at Maguire.
Maguire glanced at his hand and then at the others at the table, raising his eyebrows, “I pass.”
“Passing on Aces?” Shen Ti, relying on his open identity, deliberately teased, “Do you only have three 2s? Or do you have five 2s that you don’t want to break up?”
Of course, he knew Maguire wouldn’t answer; he just wanted to trash-talk and disrupt his thinking.
Knowing he had five 2s, Shen Ti figured Maguire was less likely to have more than four, otherwise, there wouldn’t be enough 2s for the others.
Maguire indeed didn’t respond; he just smiled and said, “I have as many as you think I do.”
An Wujiu’s hand reached for the champagne glass beside him, gently swirling the stem. The scent of the champagne, with its strong botanical and berry notes, wafted up. He took a small sip and put the glass back, savoring the taste.
Maguire’s hesitation and eventual decision to pass rather than immediately saying “no” suggested he could have played.
Either he had more than four 2s and didn’t want to break up his hand, or he had fewer than four 2s but held a Joker.
As he pondered, An Wujiu’s eyes inadvertently fell on the champagne glass, reminding him of playing bluff dice in a private room.
He smirked.
He might as well use his own strategy against him.
Thinking of this, An Wujiu looked down and noticed one of his legs was also beginning to glow blue.
Had Someone on the team placed a bet?
He thought he would be displeased, at least contemptuous of their lack of courage to bet on themselves, but at this moment, he felt none of that.
He was willing to sacrifice for his teammates.
This realization made An Wujiu feel both strange and justified.
Maguire placed his cards on the table, deliberately provoking Shen Ti, “I pass; can you play?”
Shen Ti, who had been smiling and selecting a new set of cards, paused halfway through taking out his cards and putting them back, “Now that you mention it, my rebellious nature is triggered, and I pass too.”
An Wujiu’s right hand lightly held the champagne glass, his eyes on Zhou Yijue.
“I pass too.”
He said this while still staring at Zhou Yijue. Once he confirmed Zhou Yijue was looking at him, he maintained his position, glancing at Shen Ti and tapping the glass five times with his fingers.
Zhou Yijue pretended not to receive An Wujiu’s signal at first, but An Wujiu tapped the glass five times again.
Does he think Shen Ti has five 2s?
This coincided with Zhou Yijue’s own thoughts. Shen Ti would certainly have at least one emperor card, and with more than two 2s, he could play four 2s. However, he wouldn’t waste a wildcard in the first round.
Most likely, he had more than four 2s and was bluffing.
Zhou Yijue looked at An Wujiu again. Having conveyed his message, An Wujiu relaxed, took another sip of champagne, and leaned back in his chair.
So far, An Wujiu seemed very much like a revolutionary.
After two passes, Amy couldn’t help but laugh, “Oh, it’s my turn, since you all pass, I’ll play.”
She laid down four 2s neatly.
Seeing this, An Wujiu knew his chances of swaying Zhou Yijue had increased. He knew Amy was a revolutionary, but Zhou Yijue wasn’t. He only knew she was his assigned guard card.
After Zhou Yijue played four Aces and neither An Wujiu nor Amy challenged, Amy’s play effectively blocked Zhou Yijue’s chance to take control.
From his perspective, this probably made him very suspicious of Amy.
Sure enough, after Amy played, Zhou Yijue smiled and passed.
“Really?” Amy raised an eyebrow and said, “Then I’ll play in the next round.”
She picked through her cards and, like Shen Ti, played four 6s.
“Four 8s.” Zhou Yijue quickly played his cards.
Maguire also drew four cards and slapped them on the table, “Four Queens.”
An Wujiu memorized the number of each suit on the table.
“Four Queens…” Shen Ti stretched, “Then four Aces.”
Maguire was not in an advantageous position now, either unable to play higher cards or being heavily suppressed by Shen Ti.
Shen Ti, seemingly uncomfortable from sitting too long, kept stretching, “Anyone playing?”
It was now time for four 2s.
“I can’t play,” An Wujiu turned his face, almost playfully, to Shen Ti.
Shen Ti found his tone endearing, wishing he could hear An Wujiu speak kindly to him when he was in a better state, but knew this was not the time; An Wujiu would certainly want him dead if he said so.
“It looks like I’ll have to play,” Shen Ti shrugged.
Amy’s turn, “Yes, you better play.” She laughed.
Zhou Yijue gestured to Shen Ti, “Go ahead.”
Eight emperor cards had already been played; this couldn’t continue.
But with only two wildcards, if he used them both now, the later rounds would be difficult to handle.
It was Maguire’s turn again.
Shen Ti deliberately taunted him, “Buddy, you couldn’t do it last time, can you now?”
“If not, I’m leaving.”
An Wujiu propped his face on his hand, observing the situation.
Given the current play, Amy’s four 2s were already out. While it’s possible she still had another 2, it seemed unlikely given the team dynamics.
There should be a total of sixteen 2s in the game. An Wujiu knew he had only two, so Shen Ti, Zhou Yijue, and Maguire should have eight to ten 2s among them. Shen Ti likely had the most, possibly five, just one more than four. Thus, Zhou Yijue and Maguire should have two to three, or even fewer.
Maguire’s expression was as grim as An Wujiu had hoped.
Before the game, An Wujiu had deliberately taunted and provoked, tying himself and Shen Ti together in Maguire’s mind. Maguire was more likely to target the one who “took away” his imagined object of desire than to go after An Wujiu.
With Shen Ti as the emperor and an opposing faction, it added another layer of hostility.
Having suffered repeated setbacks, Maguire’s desire to thwart Shen Ti must be strong.
After much internal struggle, Maguire finally gave his answer.
“I pass.”
An Wujiu raised an eyebrow.
Not bad; this guy can endure more than I thought.
No wonder he’s a veteran in the casino.
“Really passing?” Shen Ti laughed, “At this point, not blocking me and letting me go, could you be my guard?”
Maguire sneered but said nothing.
“Alright.” Shen Ti thought, since Maguire didn’t play, he could play more and escape sooner.
As long as he was the first to play all his cards, their worst outcome would be a draw. This way, even if they didn’t win any chips…
An Wujiu would be safe.
A new round began.
“Four Js.” Shen Ti placed the cards on the table, tapping them with his fingertips, and turned to An Wujiu, “Want it?”
An Wujiu feigned dissatisfaction, raising an eyebrow, “Not even playing numbered cards right off the bat, how can I take that? Throw my Joker to take it?”
Zhou Yijue, across the table, continued to watch them with suspicion.
Shen Ti chuckled softly, “You still have a Joker, use it.”
His lowered brows and deep eyes evoked images of cliffs and abysses, hiding a fierce desire for control within those green eyes.
“If you dare to use it, I dare to suppress you.”
He curled his lips into a smile, which diluted the oppressive feeling and added a hint of intimacy.
“Who made me the emperor?”
Prev | Table of Contents | Next
lol, their strategy is just to flirt heavily.