Thank you @Renea for the Kofi.
Anchor Hall
Chapter 540: Oh dear, you flatter me
In the second floor of the casino, an area typically inaccessible to ordinary people, a strange, crimson gambling table was placed in the center. Neatly stacked on the table were over a hundred red chips.
This was a high-stakes gamble valued at 1.5 billion points.
The content of the gamble was…
Playing Gomoku.
Wen Jianyan sat upright at the gambling table, looking down at the board in front of him, unconsciously turning the Ouroboros ring at the base of his finger.
A few seconds later, he cautiously placed a white piece.
No. 8 placed a black piece.
In the entire second floor of the casino, only the faint sound of pieces landing on the board could be heard.
According to standard Gomoku rules, with the first-move restriction in place, there would naturally be winners and losers.
So far, this tense and exciting Gomoku battle had gone on for nine rounds. Wen Jianyan had won three, and No. 8 had won six.
In the “Integrity First” Live Room:
[…]
[What to do, I want to leave.]
[Yeah. Me too.]
[This is breaking me. I’m skipping the exciting midnight shows of other anchors not to watch you stream playing Gomoku in the middle of the night!!!!!]
Another round ended.
This round, No. 8 won.
Staring at the five black pieces connected in a line on the board, both players reached out and began collecting the pieces one by one.
After ten rounds, Wen Jianyan had won three, and No. 8 had won seven.
Although Wen Jianyan was at a disadvantage, the stakes for each round weren’t high, so up to now, he had only lost three chips.
“Continue?”
After collecting all the black pieces, No. 8 smiled and asked.
According to the rules, one type of game must continue for ten rounds before it can be changed. However, after ten rounds, the gambler can choose to change the game or continue as is.
“…” Wen Jianyan didn’t answer immediately.
He propped up his chin, his fingers casually fiddling with the pieces. The pieces collided with each other, making soft, crisp sounds.
Not far away, Mesvis, who was watching from the side, yawned widely—it had to be said that after watching ten full rounds of “exciting” Gomoku, his patience had worn extremely thin.
“Alright, let’s stop this child’s play.”
Mesvis propped his chin up and spoke lazily.
“You should have realized by now that this field isn’t their weakness.”
“Forget Gomoku; even Go, Chess, International Checkers, Shogi… all my dealers know these games like the back of their hands. They’re at least at the level of international competitors. Even if you’re very skilled, you won’t be able to create a gap.”
Mesvis waved his hand, and a waiter nearby understood immediately, bringing over a glass of wine.
He sipped the amber liquid in the glass, his tone casual.
“Besides, your time is much tighter than ours, isn’t it?”
While they were gambling on the second floor, the gambling downstairs continued day and night. Frenzied gamblers threw their points into it like possessed demons. The more they lost, the farther the ship sailed.
The progress of alienation would only accelerate, not slow down.
Both sides were not bad at chess, but neither could guarantee winning every round. Naturally, they couldn’t place high bets on any single game. So, the result was just an infinite waste of time.
Mesvis and his team weren’t in a hurry. As members of the casino, they could patiently waste time with Wen Jianyan…
But Wen Jianyan couldn’t.
The reason he proposed this 1.5 billion gamble was to delay the alienation of the ship—for at least 24 hours.
Once the gambling capital invested by the guests in the casino downstairs reached the limit and the Lucky cruise ship completely alienated into an instance, even if Wen Jianyan won after that, it would be meaningless.
Wen Jianyan knew this, and Mesvis knew this too.
Wen Jianyan released his hand, dropping the piece back into the box with a soft click.
He looked up and smiled slightly at Mesvis:
“…You’re right.”
As if sensing the change in atmosphere, the waiters standing on both sides stepped forward, bowed, took away the board and boxes from the table, and then left silently.
No. 8 sat opposite Wen Jianyan, a smile rising on his somewhat childish baby face:
“So, what do you want to play next?”
Wen Jianyan’s gaze fell on No. 8. After a few brief seconds, he slowly said:
“Texas Hold’em.”
As soon as these words came out, Mesvis, who had been slouching in his chair, finally slowly straightened up. The smile at the corner of his mouth deepened:
“—That’s more like it.”
In the “Integrity First” Live Room:
[!]
[?!]
[Oh ho ho!!! Texas Hold’em!! Is he finally getting serious!!]
[It’s over; I’m actually starting to get nervous now.]
[Huh? Why do you say that?]
[Although the anchor and the dealer were 50-50 in chess earlier, at least the anchor had a slight advantage in mental activities. But a genuine gambling game like Texas Hold’em isn’t necessarily the same… Don’t forget his bad luck!!]
[Fuck. I remembered.]
One-way glass separated the first and second floors of the casino. Outside the glass, the casino was immersed in a pre-apocalyptic carnival, but all the noise and madness were blocked out, like an absurd pantomime.
Although separated from the first floor by only a wall, the second floor of the casino seemed like another world.
The vast second floor was shrouded in an oppressive atmosphere. The only sound audible was the slow footsteps of the waiter moving forward.
The waiter stopped at the table and placed a brand-new deck of cards on it.
At this moment, Mesvis spoke: “The rules apply both ways. If you catch your opponent cheating, the penalty is also ten times the bet.”
“You can check as you please.”
No. 4 extended his hand, inviting him.
Wen Jianyan glanced at them and didn’t refuse. He took the cards, shuffled them, and after a simple glance, put the cards back: “No problem.”
“Want to add people?” Mesvis asked.
Texas Hold’em can involve multiple players. There must be at least two players at the table, and at most twenty-two.
“If you want, you can continue to add people to the game,” Mesvis said, resting his chin on his hand. “Of course, there are certain rules here. First, for however many people you add, we will add the same number. Second, the players you add can only use the chips already on the table—that is, your chips—and cannot use their own points to bet.”
Wen Jianyan: “No need.”
Mesvis nodded and continued: “Finally, because of the rules of the casino, a dealer is needed for the game. However, you can decide the candidate for the dealer.”
Wen Jianyan: “Anyone present will do?”
Mesvis: “Of course.”
Wen Jianyan turned around in his chair, his gaze landing on the empty salon behind him, and suddenly raised his voice:
“Hey.”
His voice echoed in the vast second floor, lingering for a long time.
In the “Integrity First” Live Room:
[?]
[Who is the anchor calling?]
[I don’t know. Is there anyone else on the second floor besides them?]
The entire second floor was silent.
But Wen Jianyan maintained his turned posture, waiting very patiently.
Finally, a sigh came from the darkness not far away.
A man with fox eyes walked slowly out of the darkness, holding an unfinished glass of brandy in his hand.
In the “Integrity First” Live Room:
[Huh? Who is this?]
[Don’t know him. How long has he been there?]
[I don’t know!]
[Wait, holy shit, isn’t this the mastermind who assassinated the anchor in the ‘Yuying Comprehensive University’ instance?]
[??? Why is he here? And why does he look quite familiar with the anchor?]
[Ahhhh, how much plot did I miss!!!]
“How did you know I was still here?”
Figaro looked helpless.
Wen Jianyan: “Guessed.”
His spine relaxed slightly as he leaned back against the chair, a careless smile touching his lips: “After all, wouldn’t it be a pity to miss something so interesting?”
Figaro raised his hands, his face full of smiles: “You got me.”
Wen Jianyan: “Do you know Texas Hold’em?”
Figaro thought for a moment: “…I know the rules.”
Wen Jianyan: “Doesn’t matter, that’s enough.”
After speaking, he turned to look at Mesvis: “I choose him as the dealer. Any objections?”
In Texas Hold’em, the position where cheating is easiest and hardest to guard against is the dealer.
Although Mesvis said that if he caught the opponent cheating, he could also get ten times the compensation, the risk here was too great. Facing a core dealer was already exhausting enough; facing two at the same time, even Wen Jianyan felt somewhat powerless.
In that case, choosing a third party with no conflict of interest was better for both sides.
Mesvis: “Of course.”
Figaro looked interested: “What, you trust me that much? Aren’t you worried I’m on their side?”
“You?” Wen Jianyan said bluntly, “Of course, I don’t trust you.”
Figaro: “…”
Bro, do you have to be so direct?
Looking at the mercenary not far away, Wen Jianyan suddenly smiled: “However, if we are in an employer-employee relationship, that’s a different matter.”
In the mercenary line of work, trust might be worthless, but reputation was crucial.
Moreover, they were now all contracted anchors within the Nightmare.
As the guarantor, the Nightmare would ensure the stable fulfillment of the contract.
Figaro’s eyes flickered, and he smiled slightly: “So that’s how it is.”
Wen Jianyan extended his hand: “Deal?”
Figaro shook his hand. Invisible blood-red threads formed, binding their right hands together, then merged and disappeared.
“Deal.”
The dealer was in place.
Wen Jianyan turned to look at No. 8, took a deep breath, and said:
“Let’s begin.”
With this, the gamble worth 1.5 billion points officially began.
The rules of Texas Hold’em are simple. First, the blinds.
Before the cards are dealt, players need to bet into the pot.
Immediately after, the dealer distributes two hole cards to each player, then deals five community cards in succession. During this process, players can choose to check, bet, raise, or fold.
When the five community cards are dealt, the remaining players reveal their cards. The player with the best hand wins all the chips in the pot.
Wen Jianyan reached out, pinched five red chips, and threw them onto the table.
The seemingly light five chips actually had a value of five million points—and with leverage added, the value of the points was as high as fifty million.
Equivalent to all the points gained from a platinum clearance of an S-rank instance.
In the “Integrity First” Live Room:
[Hiss!]
[Good lord, playing so big right from the start??]
[The hair on my back is starting to stand up… This stuff isn’t for me. If I were sitting at the gambling table, I might already be restless by now.]
No. 8 smiled, revealing two sharp canine teeth.
He reached out, also pinched five chips, and threw them over.
Figaro began to deal.
His technique was similar to his description of his card skills—not unfamiliar, but definitely not very skilled.
Soon, two cards per person, a total of four hole cards, were dealt.
The dark red patterns on the backs of the cards were strangely twisted, taking the shape of human faces under the light.
After the hole cards were dealt, the first round of betting began.
No. 8 threw a chip down, and Wen Jianyan did the same.
After the first round of betting ended, Figaro dealt three community cards onto the table.
A King of Hearts, a Seven of Diamonds, and a Five of Clubs.
Wen Jianyan lifted the corner of his cards and glanced at his hole cards.
No. 8 stared closely at him, but the young man’s face seemed carved from marble. The curve of his mouth didn’t change at all, and even the corners of his eyes revealed nothing.
Wen Jianyan turned his head, pinched a chip from his pile, and threw it onto the table.
No. 8 smiled slightly: “Call.”
The blood-red chip was thrown onto the table, rolled once, and lay silently on the gambling table of the same color.
In the “Integrity First” Live Room:
[A bit nervous…]
[How many points are in the pot now?]
[They each threw in seven chips, which means there are currently… 140 million in the prize pool.]
[…………Damn, that casino manager was right. T-This is indeed exciting.]
The fourth card was dealt.
Jack of Hearts.
As soon as this card appeared, the hearts of everyone present tightened.
One must know that there was already a King of Hearts on the table. This meant that the possibility of a Straight, a Flush, or even a Royal Flush in the hands of both gamblers was rising rapidly.
Third round of betting.
This time, No. 8 threw out three chips.
Wen Jianyan: “Call.”
At this moment, the atmosphere on the field was tense to the extreme, as if it could be cut with a knife. Everyone’s gaze was firmly attracted by the cards on the table.
The boredom on Mesvis’s face had completely disappeared. He watched the scene before him with a smile full of interest.
Final round.
Figaro dealt the final community card.
Nine of Spades.
Wen Jianyan raised his eyes and slowly looked at No. 8 sitting across the table. His eyes took on a lighter color under the strong light. Suddenly, he curled his lips and smiled slightly.
No. 4’s heart skipped a beat without warning.
However, before he had time to see the expression in the other’s eyes clearly, Wen Jianyan withdrew his gaze, reached out, and lightly took chips from the box beside him.
One, two, three…
With every chip he counted, the air seemed to grow heavier.
Finally, Wen Jianyan counted out a full five chips.
He raised his hand and threw the five chips onto the table.
The clinking sound of the chips echoed in the vast second floor of the casino. Although it was very subtle, it sounded as clear as a heavy object hitting the ground to everyone’s ears.
In the “Integrity First” Live Room:
[H-How much is the prize pool?]
[250 million.]
[…]
[Whose palms are sweating?]
[Me me me!!!!!]
After doing all this, Wen Jianyan leaned back gently. He raised his eyes, carelessly spinning the snake ring, and smiled:
“Your turn.”
No. 4 didn’t blink, staring tightly at him, not letting go of a single detail on the other’s face.
To call?
250 million.
This number was already very high. Not only was it one-sixth of the opponent’s total prize money, but it also far exceeded all the points he currently had on hand. In other words, if he lost, he would completely lose the qualification to leave the game and could only continue to lose until he lost everything. And if he won, he would only win 100 million, which wouldn’t affect the overall situation much.
Is he bluffing?
Possible.
But if this really was a bluff, then the price the other party would pay was too high. The investment and return were completely disproportionate.
Moreover…
No. 8’s gaze fell on the community cards on the table.
It was very possible to form a good hand.
So, should he take the risk?
“…”
No. 8 glanced at the numbers on his hole cards, and a smile slowly appeared on his face:
“Fold.”
Since there were only two players in this Texas Hold’em game, after one side folded, the hand officially ended.
Wen Jianyan won the first round.
“Yay!” The young man curved his eyes, smiling as he flipped over his two hole cards.
Ace of Spades, Four of Hearts.
No. 8 was slightly stunned.
“…Damn.”
Seeing Wen Jianyan’s hole cards, even Figaro, who was responsible for dealing, couldn’t help but curse in a low voice.
“Ha, High Card.”
Not far away, Mesvis raised an eyebrow and laughed happily.
A so-called High Card meant that the hole cards and community cards combined didn’t form a pair or a straight… it was the worst hand type in all of Texas Hold’em.
Someone who dared to raise with this kind of hand was either a fool or a madman.
“…”
No. 8 paused and flipped over his hole cards.
His hole cards were a Nine of Hearts and a Three of Spades.
Combined with the community cards, it was just a pair, but it was much better than Wen Jianyan’s terrible hand.
Wen Jianyan stared at the red chips on the table, his eyes bright: “…Wow.”
The young man leaned forward smiling, whistling as he happily scooped all the chips on the table toward himself.
In just over ten minutes, he had increased the 1.5 billion chips in his hand to 1.62 billion.
That is, 162 red chips.
While arranging the chips back into his chip box, Wen Jianyan flashed a somewhat shy smile at No. 8 sitting opposite him, as if he felt very guilty about his victory this time:
“Oh my, you let me win, you let me win.”
In the “Integrity First” Live Room:
[…]
[…]
[Not gonna lie, can you be any more asking for a beating? Huh???]
[You won, so you won; why are you taunting???]
[How do you think you won this time? Isn’t it just because he only had a pair, but didn’t expect you to dare raise so much with such a terrible hand!!!]
[Beat him for me!!!]
__
Author’s Note:
- Some rules are fabricated; everything serves the plot.
- Cherish life, stay away from gambling.
What happened to the translation quality in this chapter?