Chapter 3#
Chapter 3: The Gamble (1)#
Show Hand, also known as Five-Card Stud, determines the winner based on the combination of five cards.
The person Sun Peiming randomly picked to deal the cards was named Chen Hao. He was just sixteen this year and handled the poker cards with great style. As soon as Sun Peiming finished speaking, he took a new deck of cards, shuffled them thoroughly, and dealt the hole cards.
Wei Xiangjin reached out and pressed down: “Since we’re going to play, it’s better to clarify some things first.” He looked at Sun Peiming, then glanced at Gu Chenzhou sitting next to him. Seeing the other party interlacing his fingers on the table with no expression, he continued, “We are all in the same circle, shall we follow the old rules for the stakes?”
Sun Peiming was not surprised that this matter was brought up, but he didn’t expect the person who brought it up to be Wei Xiangjin. He leisurely took out a cigarette and lit it, thinking that Wei San must have taken the wrong medicine. His family background and future were no worse than anyone else’s, yet he was dead set on sticking with Gu Chenzhou, acting like a bodyguard: “There are quite a few old rules. Which one is Young Master Wei referring to?”
“Which one could it be?” Gu Chenzhou suddenly laughed, “Young Master Sun is quite forgetful. I’m sitting here, so which other rule could it be?”
Sun Peiming’s hand holding the cigarette paused. There was also Gu Chenzhou. From the moment he came in until now, he couldn’t quite figure out Gu Chenzhou’s thoughts: if he was targeting him, he wouldn’t have had the chance to come in; if he wasn’t targeting him, some of his words carried thorns… He quickly smiled and said: “My mistake, I’ll punish myself with a drink.” He picked up the wine beside the table and drank it in one gulp, then said:
“Following Young Master Gu’s habit, let’s make it perfect (ten out of ten).”
“What does ‘perfect’ mean?” The three people at the table were of equal status, so they sat at the same table to gamble. Others who couldn’t get on the table couldn’t just watch. As soon as the conversation at the middle table ended, someone occupying a good position by the window whispered quietly.
“Starting bet ten thousand, final bet one hundred thousand.” Just as Gu Chenzhou said earlier, people in the circle understood. Someone immediately explained to the person who asked.
“Fixed?” That person asked.
The person who answered laughed: “Young Master Gu accepts multiples of ten.”
Now someone clicked their tongue. Money has depreciated in recent years, but even with depreciation, it hasn’t reached this level.
Others were not very interested in this topic. After a few sentences, someone took over the conversation: “Young Master Wei usually doesn’t have this preference. Why is he throwing money around today?”
No one could explain subjective questions. The person playing cards nearby smiled slowly: “Who knows? Maybe Young Master Wei is in a good mood today?”
“If Young Master Sun hadn’t come, Young Master Wei would definitely be in a better mood.” Another person added.
“You can hang around Young Master Wei more these two days. Young Master Wei’s good mood will last for quite a while.” The third person in the card game added.
“Come on, I think I won’t be able to get close these two days.” The person who spoke first touched his chin, drew a card, looked at it, and grinned, “Hey, lost!”
The person next to him glanced at it: “Really stinks. You really don’t know how to play cards at all.”
The loser pouted: “I’ll beat you in Dota tonight!”
There were actually quite a few people in this room who didn’t know how to play cards at all, including Wei Xiangjin, who was sitting at the table playing Show Hand with others.
Just like those people gossiping privately nearby, firstly because of family upbringing, and secondly because of lack of interest, Wei Xiangjin rarely touched these things. He understood the rules only because Gu Chenzhou would ask him to make up the numbers when he couldn’t invite people before. As for his level, he really didn’t have much. The reason he came up this time was partly because he really found Sun Peiming unpleasant, and partly because he wanted to know what Gu Chenzhou was planning to do. As far as he knew, although Gu Chenzhou had good card skills, he preferred bridge. Playing Show Hand… he shouldn’t be at the level of suppressing Sun Peiming.
The first few games seemed lukewarm.
Neither Sun Peiming nor Gu Chenzhou showed a murderous look, folding their cards by the third or fourth round.
Wei Xiangjin knew his level was limited and was prepared to lose a few million when he sat down, so he played very relaxed, paying little attention to his own cards and focusing mostly on Gu Chenzhou and Sun Peiming. After several games of winning and losing, he discovered a pattern: if Gu Chenzhou’s cards were worse than Sun Peiming’s, then Sun Peiming would win nine out of ten times; if Gu Chenzhou’s cards beat Sun Peiming’s, as long as he didn’t fold first, he would win nine out of ten times.
Well, they were deliberately setting up the game for him to win.
Wei Xiangjin felt a little depressed but soon got over it. After another round ended, he threw away the cards in his hand: “I’m not good at this. You two continue.”
“Isn’t Young Master Wei being too modest?” Sun Peiming added with a faint smile, glancing at the chips in front of the other’s table. This made Wei Xiangjin glare at Gu Chenzhou uncontrollably.
“When luck leaves, gold turns to iron; when time comes, iron is like gold. Young Master Wei is lucky tonight, don’t you think, Young Master Sun?” Gu Chenzhou replied leisurely without changing his expression.
“Young Master Gu’s words make sense.” Sun Peiming quit while he was ahead and laughed along. Although he targeted Gu Chenzhou, he didn’t want to confront Wei Xiangjin at all. But he couldn’t stop Wei San from jumping out like a protective wolfhound to stare at him every time he targeted Gu Chenzhou, even before Gu Chenzhou reacted. “Young Master Gu, shall we continue?”
Gu Chenzhou nodded slightly.
Although he stopped playing, Wei Xiangjin didn’t leave the table. He sat in his original position watching the subsequent games.
The speed of the subsequent games obviously increased. Gu Chenzhou never turned over a hole card once, sometimes even folding directly in the first round. From the perspective of the game, Sun Peiming won more; but if counting chips, the difference between the two after winning and losing more than twenty games was actually only about a hundred thousand. Considering the minimum bet of ten thousand, this number was simply abnormally low.
Another game ended.
Sun Peiming won the tenth game in a row. He smiled slightly: “Perfect (ten out of ten). Thank you, Young Master Gu, for this good omen.”
Gu Chenzhou turned the white jade bracelet on his left wrist. This bracelet indeed had an attractive quality. When he made this movement, not only the people watching the game around him, but even Sun Peiming sitting opposite him involuntarily followed his movement with his eyes. Ignoring the reactions of the people around him, he said to Chen Hao, who was temporarily acting as the dealer: “Continue.”
Another game began.
Two hole cards, three community cards. Gu Chenzhou and Sun Peiming didn’t call, but kept raising all the way. After four rounds of betting, they compared cards. Sun Peiming glanced at his hole card and threw it out with a smile: “This hand is no good.”
“Three of a kind.” Gu Chenzhou followed by turning over his hole card, three Queens and two single cards.
Chen Hao, who was dealing the cards, quickly counted the chips on the table. One hundred and eighty thousand for one game! He secretly clicked his tongue, glanced at Sun Peiming and Gu Chenzhou who didn’t take it seriously at all, and continued to deal.
Two pairs, three of a kind, straight, flush, even a hand of scattered cards. In the following games, no matter what kind of hand Gu Chenzhou got, Sun Peiming was always slightly worse. After five games, Sun Peiming drank a glass of wine, sat up straighter, and waved to Chen Hao: “Continue.”
Gu Chenzhou continued to turn the bracelet on his left wrist, causing Sun Peiming to take a special look.
Another five games ended.
Lost ten games in a row!
Sun Peiming kept his composure, but his face was not as good as at the beginning.
The people sitting nearby watching, who had remained silent all along, also began to talk in low voices this time.
“The wind tonight is weird.”
“What do you think the result will be? It’s about a million up and down now.”
“Who knows, just keep watching. These masters don’t lack this money.”
Fifteen games.
Twenty games.
Twenty-five games.
Sun Peiming’s hand touching the cards was trembling a bit—from anger! Since he started playing, he had never lost like this! Luck? What kind of luck could make him lose twenty-five games in a row? Skill? Even when he went abroad to play with those gambling gods, he wasn’t played like this!
Setting up a trap for him to fall into. Sun Peiming almost laughed out of anger. He didn’t lack this money, but he couldn’t swallow this anger!
Another game ended. Sun Peiming threw out a hand of scattered cards. Just as Chen Hao was about to reshuffle and deal, Sun Peiming spoke up: “Wait.” He took out a cigarette from the case and lit it, “Originally planned to play only a few games, but now it’s dragging on too long. It’s not good to always let Xiao Chen deal, let’s switch to a professional.”
This sounded nice, but combined with the game just now, who didn’t know Sun Peiming’s meaning?
Those who could enter this circle, even if brought in by someone, had at least a father at the ministerial level at home. To put it bluntly, everyone was a second-generation official, usually people who were flattered by others. Who didn’t have a temper? Chen Hao, holding the cards, looked bad on the spot. He threw the cards and said: “Sorry Young Master Wei, I don’t know how to deal.”
“Didn’t you deal very well?” Wei Xiangjin was in a very good mood now, “Thanks for your hard work, take a rest on the side.”
Chen Hao forced a smile, feeling really uncomfortable in his heart. With his father’s position, if he really went to a local place, he could be respectfully called ‘First Young Master’ no matter what. He couldn’t compare with these princes in the capital. Although he usually hung around them, he shouldn’t be reduced to being used as a gun by someone, right? What exactly did Sun Peiming see him as now? The real prince was sitting right next to him, and he wasn’t as arrogant as him! Thinking of this, his gaze towards Sun Peiming was not particularly friendly.
“What’s next? Does Young Master Sun want to change seats and then change tables?” Wei Xiangjin pulled the corners of his lips and rarely gave Sun Peiming a smile.
“Young Master Wei’s suggestion is really good.” Sun Peiming also smiled, then said to the middle-aged man with little presence who had been sitting beside him, “Go out and find a dealer, and ask them to bring in another table.”
Things developed… The others looked at each other, not knowing what to say.
Sun Peiming didn’t look at the expressions of the people around him. He had made up his mind. He couldn’t believe that losing to this extent today was due to skill and luck.
To do business with the second generation in the capital, the service and background in National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance must be top-notch. Within fifteen minutes, a new table was carried in, followed by a dealer wearing white gloves. He bowed slightly to everyone and began to deal.
Sun Peiming glanced at the middle-aged man who came in behind, saw the other party shake his head slightly at him, and then sat steadily watching the dealer deal the cards.
In the first round of betting, Sun Peiming bet one hundred thousand.
Gu Chenzhou called.
Just as the dealer was about to deal the third card, the flop, Sun Peiming raised his hand to stop him. He looked at the white jade bracelet on Gu Chenzhou’s left wrist, which he turned from time to time, and said pointedly: “Young Master Gu seems to like this bracelet very much. I wonder if there is any story behind it?”
“You mean this?” Gu Chenzhou stopped turning the bracelet. Then he sneered, took off the bracelet, and threw it into the center of the card table, “Raise.”