C20 Schemes

The most prominent card on the table belonged to the yellow-haired Young Master Yun—a King of Spades!

A quick scan of the table revealed a majority of number cards. Aside from Young Master Yun's King, only Niu Li's Jack of Hearts and the lady with gold-rimmed glasses holding a Jack of Diamonds were in possession of strong hands.

Young Master Yun hadn't expected his turn to come up so quickly. As he admired his leading card, he shot a smug look at Niu Li. In truth, his gaze was meant for Miss Long, but to his chagrin, she wasn't paying him any attention. Her focus was entirely on Niu Li, as if something about his face warranted close examination.

Feeling slighted, Young Master Yun decided to seize the spotlight for himself.

With a confident push of a purple chip, he declared, "One million!"

Betting a million was standard fare. But Young Master Yun's impulsive wager, made without even a glance at his hole card, was reckless.

Yet, the seasoned players at the table were unfazed by such behavior. His arrogance was palpable, but his wealth was undeniable.

Naturally, Young Master Yun's million might as well have been thrown into the sea, for Miss Long showed no interest in the amount.

Niu Li, on the other hand, cast a sidelong glance at Young Master Yun and let out a silent scoff. It seemed the young man had his sights set on Miss Long.

In a flash, all the players at the table had placed their bets.

Hasse offered a variety of plays, and the game at hand was the traditional five-card draw. That meant, in addition to the two cards already dealt, three more were forthcoming. Thus, even with Young Master Yun's early lead, his advantage was minimal. Especially since everyone had yet to reveal their hole cards.

Niu Li placed his bet with a nonchalant air.

The dealer expertly dealt one more card to each player, then stood back with hands clasped behind him.

This third card was face down, left for the player to reveal. Of course, they could also choose to flip their first card.

Each player calmly examined their new card before nonchalantly turning it over.

This act alone was telling of the high rollers' psyches.

Niu Li had already intuited his card. Without hesitation, he flipped it onto the table, revealing a Ten of Spades.

The cards on the table shifted once again.

This time, Young Master Yun was no longer holding the strongest hand. His king of spades was now paired with a measly diamonds 3.

The new frontrunner was the lady with the golden-rimmed glasses. She drew a jack of hearts, giving her a pair of jacks.

With just a brief glance at her hand, she confidently slid forward her bet. "Three million."

Clearly, she was a woman of wealth.

Several players subtly shook their heads and covered their cards, signaling their exit from the round.

Only four remained in the game.

Niu Li, seated next to the affluent lady, swiftly threw in his bet without a second thought.

Miss Long, intrigued, toyed with Niu Li's earlobe, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

This youngster hadn't even peeked at his hole card.

The elder gentleman, clutching a pair of eights, followed suit and bet without hesitation, leaving Young Master Yun with a darkening scowl.

Despite his weak hand, Young Master Yun was not ready to fold. After surveying the other players' superior cards, he checked his hole card.

A fleeting expression of delight crossed his face, and with a smile, he pushed out three million.

Young Master Yun's bold move caught the attention of both the wealthy woman and the old man. The young man's confidence suggested his hole card was likely a king; otherwise, he wouldn't dare to be so audacious.

The dealer dealt the fourth card.

Niu Li received a nine of spades, the wealthy woman a queen of spades, and to everyone's surprise, the old man got another eight of hearts, turning his pair into a set.

Young Master Yun was dealt a king, making a pair of kings!

The face-up cards revealed a clear hierarchy of strength, but with everyone holding a hole card, the winner was yet to be determined.

Perhaps it was Young Master Yun's youthful exuberance, but his face beamed with a triumphant air.

The wealthy woman folded without a word, sitting back calmly to observe the remaining contenders.

As she bowed out, Young Master Yun's confidence soared. It was clear to him that he now held the strongest hand.

He cast a smug glance at Miss Long, but she continued to ignore his leering gaze.

"Go ahead and play."

Out of the blue, the white-haired elder, who was expected to speak next, laid down his cards and offered a nonchalant smile.

Young Master Yun couldn't help but feel smug. With a quirk of his eyebrow, he taunted, "Buddy, the old man's sitting on three eights, and I'm holding two Kings. Your odds of winning are slim to none. You might as well fold now."

Niu Li responded with a slight grin, noticing the surrounding crowd's displeasure with the brash, blond young man. Matching Yun's eyebrow raise, he retorted, "No need. I've got money to burn. Are you worried you won't win enough from me?"

"You!" Young Master Yun seethed with anger. If Niu Li was going to be obstinate, Yun was determined to take a hefty sum off him.

"Ten million!"

A mountain of purple chips was thrust to the center of the table, causing a collective gasp among the onlookers.

Even for these tycoons, a bet of ten million in one fell swoop was a rarity. And the fact that it was a young man making such a lavish wager was all the more astonishing. He was truly throwing money around.

The short-haired young man hadn't anticipated Young Master Yun's bold move. Shocked at first, his expression quickly turned to one of concern, and he fell silent. It seemed he had genuinely fallen for his opponent's lady—a troubling omen.

"I'm in for ten million too!"

Niu Li upped the ante with equal resolve, as if the money meant no more to him than spare change.

His dismissive demeanor brought a weighty silence over everyone but Young Master Yun.

"Fine, deal the cards," Young Master Yun said, a cold smirk playing on his lips.

The final card was dealt.

Young Master Yun was the first to peek at his card, his grin growing broader. Without hesitation, he flipped it over for all to see.

It was the three of diamonds. With that, Young Master Yun's hand was three Kings paired with a pair of threes—a formidable combination he was convinced would crown him the victor of the evening.

Niu Li received his card and, true to form, revealed it without a glance. It was the Queen of hearts.

Now, Niu Li's hand was a nine, ten, Jack, and Queen. Another eight or a King would secure his victory over Young Master Yun.

But with three eights and two Kings already played, what were the odds that Niu Li's final card would complete his hand?

The excitement was palpable among those gathered as the opportunity to witness a high-stakes card game was a rare treat. They eagerly speculated about what Niu Li's final card could be.

In a secluded section on the fifth floor of Nighty Night, a vast monitoring center buzzed with activity, displaying hundreds of videos in seamless operation.

Three men stood before an imposing screen, their faces stoic as they observed the intense showdown involving Niu Li and his opponents.

Breaking the silence, a slender young man inquired softly, "What's that kid's last card?"

Manager Xu, standing just behind him, promptly responded, "It's the Ace of spades."

"He's going to lose," another young man muttered dismissively, his interest waning.

But the slender man simply smiled and countered, "I'm certain it's not the Ace of spades."

"It has to be. The nanotech surveillance cameras have been on them the whole time. He hasn't pulled any stunts. The card is absolutely the Ace of spades," Manager Xu insisted with conviction.

The previously indifferent young man perked up, casting a curious glance at the slender man.

Without a word, the slender man turned back to the screen, his voice calm yet confident, "It's a shame I didn't catch the trick, but my gut tells me there's more to this kid. That card is either an eight or a King."