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Chapter 79: There was indeed something he wanted to hide forever.
These words truly choked Shen Ti.
It was as if he had just eaten a very sweet but incredibly dense piece of pastry. It was clearly delicious, but it neither went up nor down smoothly.
Let alone eating later, he has never even been given the first bite.
He tugged at the corners of his mouth, his helpless expression appearing effortlessly, without needing to act.
“That’s not necessarily true,” Shen Ti pretended to be a jerk, although they hadn’t even held hands, “Everything depends on my mood.”
An Wujiu raised an eyebrow, thinking that Shen Ti was quite good at acting, but another possibility sprang to mind.
What if this guy was using this opportunity to speak the truth?
For some reason, more and more people were gathering around their table, standing at the edges, whispering among themselves. Among them were those with chips, players preparing for the next round of “Bao Huang,” and some who were just there to watch the game and the drama.
Without any instructions from Maguire, the person who had just reported the situation could only stand behind him, waiting for him to speak.
But the captain’s face was extremely unpleasant at this moment, likely too preoccupied to address him anytime soon.
Zhou Yijue kept casting suspicious glances at An Wujiu and Shen Ti, but he had to admit that Maguire’s leniency toward Shen Ti and Shen Ti’s card blocks against An Wujiu were indeed beyond his expectations.
Things seemed to be heading in the opposite direction.
An Wujiu, blocked from playing his cards, looked displeased but didn’t explode. He forced a smile, as if mocking himself, and said, “Pass.”
The more he acted like this, the more it seemed genuine.
“Pair of Ks…” Amy looked down at her cards and pursed her lips, “I can’t take it.”
“Are your cards that small?” Zhou Yijue laughed softly, “Why can’t you take it every time?”
“Yeah, bad luck.”
Amy knew Zhou Yijue must be suspecting her at this moment. After all, her current performance makes her seem more like a qualified guard than the true guard, An Wujiu.
However, she wasn’t doing it intentionally; her cards were genuinely too small to compete.
Although she had indeed made a switch at the beginning, the confusion caused by An Wujiu and Shen Ti was so effective that the originally clear-cut factions were now in disarray, with mutual suspicion.
Maguire and Shen Ti were clearly on opposing sides, but An Wujiu had muddied the waters to the point where they now seemed like a guard and emperor feigning discord.
Truly impressive.
“It’s my turn.”
Shen Ti’s pair of Ks blocked both An Wujiu and Amy, and now it was Zhou Yijue’s turn.
The cards on the table were piled up in the center, making it impossible to see what was underneath those two cards.
However, An Wujiu had already calculated in his mind every card that had been played by the other players.
There should be a total of 16 As in the whole game. In the first round, Zhou Yijue played 4 As, Shen Ti played 4 As in the second round, no one played any As in the third round, An Wujiu played 5 As in the fourth round, and Maguire played 3 As in the fifth round.
All 16 As had been played.
To beat Shen Ti’s Kings, someone had to play a 2 or a big Joker.
Only Amy had played four 2s in the first round.
Among the remaining 2s, An Wujiu had only two, Shen Ti likely had the most, Amy probably had none left, and if Maguire and Zhou Yijue had distributed them evenly, each would have one or two.
However, playing those two 2s at this moment would not be wise.
But from their perspective, Shen Ti had to be beaten.
Unintentionally, An Wujiu glanced down and noticed that the blue glow that had been on his leg had returned to normal.
Could this mean that his teammate had won the bet?
Zhou Yijue chose to pass, “I pass too.”
The reason Shen Ti played such a high card from the start was probably to force out the remaining 2s from their hands.
Once all the high cards were played, facing someone like Shen Ti, who had the Emperor card, would be troublesome.
The turn went to Maguire. He looked somewhat conflicted and hesitant, staring intently at his cards with eyes like cloudy glass marbles.
After some thought, he chose to pass.
“Pass.”
As soon as he passed, An Wujiu, who had been staring blankly, moved his arm on the table, accidentally knocking over a champagne glass. He immediately reached out to catch it but couldn’t, and the glass fell to the ground with a crisp sound.
“Sorry, I’m too sleepy.” An Wujiu gestured, asking the dealer to arrange for a service person to clean up. The dealer acknowledged and relayed the task via walkie-talkie.
Amy kindly asked, “Did the glass shards splash on you? You should check.”
“No.” An Wujiu seemed a bit unsettled. When the service person arrived, they asked him to make space for cleaning, which he did, intending to move his chair closer to Shen Ti.
Unexpectedly, as he moved the chair, its leg got caught on the wrinkled carpet, causing An Wujiu to fall into Shen Ti’s arms.
“Are you so eager to see me eat later?”
An Wujiu’s hand, holding the cards, was pressed against Shen Ti’s thigh, with his index finger caught between two cards as he used the leverage to get up.
“I’ll let you ponder that.”
Shen Ti laughed, steadying An Wujiu’s chair with one hand, “Let me ponder? Well, I’ve been pondering; it’s up to you whether you give me a chance.”
After speaking, the service person finished cleaning up the glass shards and left. The dealer reminded Shen Ti, “The new round is starting.”
Shen Ti chuckled, his tone carrying a hint of arrogance, “It’s so easy to win another round.”
The projection above the table that recorded the rounds changed again.
Shen Ti glanced down and picked at his cards, then turned to smile at An Wujiu as he played his hand, “Three 10s, is there still a chance to eat later?”
An Wujiu knew what he meant by eating later.
“Too late,” An Wujiu sneered, raising an eyebrow and playing his cards, “Three Ks.”
The cards landed in the pile at the center of the table. An Wujiu turned his head, his tone ambiguous, and said, “Not only is it too late, but I’m also going to keep you under control.”
“I don’t know if you’re controlling him…”
Amy sighed deeply, “But you’re definitely controlling me.”
She didn’t even take her cards, holding her face in her hands and looking dejected, “Pass, pass, pass.”
Since no one took Shen Ti’s three Ks earlier, An Wujiu thought it would probably be the same for him.
As expected, both Zhou Yijue and Maguire passed.
The initiative shifted to An Wujiu.
An Wujiu thought to himself, twice he played three Ks, and both Zhou Yijue and Maguire skipped. They must have only 2s and Jokers left, and not enough of them to play.
He had a set of three 9s and a single 10. No matter how he played, he couldn’t maintain control.
It might be better to tighten his “revolutionary” disguise, letting them mix and fight amongst themselves, indirectly weakening the revolutionary faction.
This strategy had been quite effective so far, as none of the three had really eased up on each other or given away cards.
“Three 9s.” An Wujiu made his choice, placing his cards in the center of the table.
“Finally, something I can play,” Amy said bluntly as usual, “Three 10s.”
Zhou Yijue still didn’t want them.
“I’ll take them,” Maguire drew three 2s and tossed them on the table.
When those cards came out, Shen Ti almost clapped for him.
Maguire stared at An Wujiu’s hand, sensing he had few cards left. He felt this was the time to seize the opportunity.
After a round where no one took the three 2s, Maguire started a new round.
He looked at his cards, hesitating between two choices, and finally played three 10s.
Since the previous four 10s were played easily, everyone must have few high cards left.
“Does anyone want them?” he asked, looking at the others.
Shen Ti chuckled, “Not bad, just right for me.”
He played three cards, “Three Qs.”
Maguire then realized that while the high cards like K, A, and 2 had been played tightly, the Qs had remained nearly invisible.
He began to doubt his own state of mind, feeling his card counting had become muddled.
But he knew that even if he hadn’t played three 10s, playing four 6s would have been suppressed by others just the same.
An Wujiu leaned back in his chair, staring at the pile of cards on the table with boredom.
“Pass.”
Naturally, Amy also said, “Pass.” Other than the initial four 2s, she didn’t have many high cards left.
In the end, even Maguire and Zhou Yijue didn’t take the three Qs.
An Wujiu smiled and said, “Well, the Emperor’s luck is a bit too good this round.”
“To be precise, it’s the revolutionaries’ luck that’s good. Wasn’t I supposed to be a revolutionary?” Shen Ti didn’t like smoking and didn’t bother to fake it anymore, casually extinguishing his cigarette on the table.
After several rounds of sneering and sarcasm, Maguire’s mindset was already unstable, and now he felt everything was mocking him, especially Shen Ti’s words.
Under Shen Ti’s psychological pressure, Maguire began to feel regret.
If he hadn’t given the Emperor card to Shen Ti, Shen Ti wouldn’t have gained such an advantage and wouldn’t be manipulating the game as he was now.
Why did he trust those people back then?
Someone must have been playing tricks.
He looked at An Wujiu, then stared at Zhou Yijue.
Who was it…
In the new round, Shen Ti made his choice, “A pair of Qs.”
Starting to play pairs now?
Zhou Yijue felt that Shen Ti still had small cards, possibly multiple, so he didn’t play.
An Wujiu considered taking the cards but decided that keeping his two 2s might be more useful. Besides, he didn’t want to be the first to go, as it would reveal his guard role. He lazily said, “Pass,” without even lifting his eyes, looking as if he had no cards to play.
Amy was quite happy, “I’ll take it. A pair of Ks, finally something I can play.”
As soon as she laid down her cards, the turn passed to Zhou Yijue.
“A pair of 2s.” Zhou Yijue threw down a black club 2 and a red heart 2 onto the pile of cards on the table.
His goal was simple: to force out the Jokers.
Up to this point, no one had played any Jokers; everyone was holding them tightly.
Despite this, no one played a Joker. Both Maguire and Shen Ti passed.
Zhou Yijue had to play again. Besides the Jokers, he only had small, scattered cards.
“Four 9s.” After playing his cards, Zhou Yijue closed his remaining cards to prevent others from knowing how many he had left.
Most of the high cards had already been played, with 2s being the exception.
He was sure that this round would force Shen Ti to play 2s and Jokers.
It was Maguire’s turn. He stared at his cards.
He could play with a pair of Js and a pair of Jokers. He could beat four 9s, but playing them now would make his remaining cards difficult to play later.
“Pass.”
Seeing Maguire pass, Shen Ti touched his chin, pretending to be hesitant, “You all don’t want it?”
He didn’t think for long before playing a few cards.
Zhou Yijue was pleased at first but then stunned when he saw Shen Ti’s cards.
They weren’t four 2s…
Shen Ti played three 10s with the Emperor card.
He didn’t understand why Shen Ti would play his biggest card at this moment.
Could it be that Shen Ti had no other high cards, only the Emperor Card?
An Wujiu smiled and sighed deeply, “The Emperor has finally come out.”
He was extremely relaxed, stretching lazily. From leaning back in his chair, he changed to lying on the table, arms crossed, head resting on them, and turned his head to look at Shen Ti.
“I thought you were going to hide it forever.”
Shen Ti lowered his head slightly, eyes fixed on An Wujiu beside him. Seeing him in this state—malicious and ruthless, yet with a hint of innocence—made him somewhat endearing.
There was indeed something he wanted to hide forever.
But it wasn’t this black and white Joker, but rather a vibrant, lively person.
“Such a big card; I certainly can’t take it.” An Wujiu said, turning his head to the other side and avoiding Shen Ti’s gaze.
This made him even more adorable.
Shen Ti thought he was like an unruly little animal.
Taking advantage of this moment, Maguire turned his head and made a gesture to someone in his group.
The person understood immediately and leaned in.
Maguire whispered a few instructions, then turned back to face the table, letting his teammate leave.
“I can’t take it either. The Emperor has shown up; how can I play?” Amy brushed the fur on her sleeve.
An Wujiu reached out and grabbed a handful of the fluffy white fur, “You can’t take it again. You never can.”
“Yes, my luck is terrible.” Amy touched her face and said, “It must be my beauty confusing the young dealer.” She then winked at the dealer.
Such a flirt.
An Wujiu stared at Amy, then looked at Zhou Yijue.
He also passed, and after a round, Shen Ti secured the win.
“Everyone’s letting me go like this. They can’t all be my guards, right?” Shen Ti joked, drawing two cards, “A pair of 8s.”
He called out “pair of 8s,” but in reality, it was a single 8 and a little Joker.
Zhou Yijue noticed Shen Ti playing the little Joker and found it even more peculiar.
“You’ve played two Jokers in a row,” An Wujiu chuckled as he straightened up. “Let me join the fun.”
With that, he drew two cards and threw them on the table.
“A Queen and a little Joker.”
“I can’t take it,” Amy pouted and turned to ask An Wujiu, “How many cards do you have left?”
An Wujiu smiled and said, “Not many.”
He calculated that Zhou Yijue should have a Joker, either the big Joker or the little one. But Maguire probably also had one. If Maguire played a higher card later, Zhou Yijue’s Joker would be wasted.
As expected, Zhou Yijue chose to pass.
The hot potato fell into Maguire’s hands.
He hesitated, holding a big Joker and a little Joker. An Wujiu had just played a little Joker, and Shen Ti had played the Emperor card and a little Joker.
By his reckoning, there should be one guard Joker and one big Joker unaccounted for.
The guard Joker was likely not with Shen Ti. Maguire recalled Zhou Yijue’s plan about bribing the dealer, which involved dealing the Emperor card and guard card to Shen Ti and An Wujiu.
Clearly, that plan had failed.
But Maguire didn’t know whether it was due to Zhou Yijue’s incompetence or another reason.
If Shen Ti had a big Joker, playing a card now could be risky.
But if Shen Ti really had it, why would he play the Emperor first? No one would play the big Joker if they had a small one, and no one would play the Emperor card if they had the big Joker.
The Emperor card was the only one that could suppress everything, and Shen Ti had just thrown it out.
Maguire glanced at Shen Ti’s hand, noticing he still held several cards—at least six or seven.
It’s impossible, he thought. Anyone who knew how to play would use the Jokers first before the Emperor card.
“Hey,” Shen Ti tapped his knuckles on the table, urging him, “Hurry up, we’re waiting for the next round.”
Maguire’s palms were sweaty, still tightly clutching his cards.
If he could win this hand, the rest would go smoothly, and he might even be the first to finish. It was a rare opportunity—a chance to turn the tide.
The balance in his mind wavered constantly, with a desire for victory on one side and the gambler’s precarious caution on the other.
But in the end, the desire to win outweighed everything.
He reached out and placed two cards on the table, “Pair of Ks.”
One was a King, the other a little Joker.
The moment these two cards hit the table, Shen Ti’s mouth curled into a smile.
Got him.
He chuckled, “Everyone still has a lot of cards up their sleeves. This is the most grueling game I’ve ever played. Every time I think I’m about to win, I get blocked again. It seems like I, as a novice, still have a lot to learn.”
This statement sounded like a prelude to a grand self-exoneration before losing, making Maguire feel even more confident about his strategy.
But the next moment, he heard Shen Ti’s voice.
Shen Ti let out an exaggerated “Oh dear,” and An Wujiu chimed in with a laugh, “What? Are you going to lose?”
“I played the wrong card,” Shen Ti said with a face full of regret. Maguire felt something was off and frowned at him.
“Played the wrong card?” Amy asked curiously.
Could he be acting again?
“Yes,” Shen Ti drew two cards but didn’t lay them down immediately, instead muttering to himself with a pout, “How could I have played the Emperor card first… I’m so stupid.”
A chill ran down Maguire’s spine.
Shen Ti sighed theatrically, looking reluctant as he played two cards, “Alright then, pair of 2s.”
He played a 2 and a big Joker.
Maguire felt a cold sweat break out all over his body in an instant.
He had been outsmarted—definitely outsmarted!
He stood frozen, staring at Shen Ti’s cards that no one wanted. Of course, no one would want them. He had a big Joker that he couldn’t use. Shen Ti had played a big Joker and the Emperor card, and there was only one big Joker left in the whole game. Except for the guard, all the little Jokers were already played.
Now, except for the guard, no one could possibly have two Emperor cards to beat Shen Ti’s 2 and big Joker.
Even if the person with both royal cards was a guard, they wouldn’t be able to block the emperor’s path.
Shen Ti’s move was a strategy using the emperor card.
He feigned weakness to lure the enemy in.
Shen Ti turned his face and smiled at him, his emerald green eyes gleaming under the crystal light.
“Really sorry about that, Maguire.”
Maguire tried to calm himself down. He watched as Shen Ti started a new round, laughing and saying, “I really messed up a good hand,” and then played four 2s.
Four 2s…
No one on the field had cards that big, nor did anyone have double Jokers to explode it.
After going around the table, no one took the cards.
Shen Ti smiled and let out a long breath, and the last card in his black leather-gloved hand was incredibly conspicuous.
“Since everyone has passed, I’ll go ahead.”
He threw his last card on the table, a nine of diamonds.
A small card was left as the last, but the entire strategy was extremely torturous for his opponents.
The dealer standing by the table announced, “The emperor of the royal faction is the first to play all his cards, gaining the first victory.”
Shen Ti stood up, nodded slightly in a gentlemanly manner, then reached out, his black-gloved hand brushing behind An Wujiu’s snow-white, flushed ear, along his sharp jawline, and gripped his chin, turning his face towards him.
The black leather was cold, but An Wujiu’s pale chin turned red at the touch.
“Good luck,” Shen Ti said, leaning in slightly, his lips curling up, his voice low and tinged with a hint of mischief.
“Try to play on par, my little guard.”
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