Chapter 71#
The Bet#
The moment they heard that Mr. Silver was hosting a bet, the small gambling table was immediately surrounded by a crowd of onlookers.
To ensure fairness, Ning Feng took out a brand new deck of cards, showing them front and back in front of everyone, then began to rifle shuffle them, interleaving left and right. The cards fell one by one in alternating order, and his thoughts churned with each card’s position.
To be honest, he didn’t want Yin Beichen to win.
If he won, it meant losing a perfect opportunity to pry for information.
If last time, being alone together was about fearing the other party would pull something, this time it was just a meal—there was no reason to stop it.
Thinking this, Ning Feng felt a surge of irritation.
After several rounds of shuffling, he placed the deck face down and spread the cards in a straight line on the table.
Then, he dealt two cards to each side: one facedown, one faceup. The first facedown card was known only to the player, to be revealed at the very end. Based on the size of the second faceup card, the first round of betting was decided.
Yin Beichen drew a five; Mr. Silver drew a K.
“Mr. Silver, place your bet,” Ning Feng said.
“There’s nothing much to bet on here, since we’re not gambling for money.” Mr. Silver tilted his head and let out a soft laugh. “How about we bet on who gets to have Sixteen tonight?”
At this, Ning Feng’s brow twitched. Behind him, Qiu Zhen’s face scrunched up as he muttered, “Having him? He’s a person, not an object.”
Mr. Silver rested his chin on his hand and smiled at his opponent. “Mr. Lu, do you call?”
Yin Beichen glanced at him, his tone light. “Deal.”
Ning Feng dealt a third faceup card to each.
Yin Beichen got an A; Mr. Silver got a K. That meant Yin Beichen had two mismatched cards, while the other side already had a pair of Ks.
The gap between them was widening visibly.
Suppressing his tangled emotions, Ning Feng struggled to keep his voice steady.
“Mr. Silver, place your bet.”
“Hmm? Me again?” Mr. Silver flicked his red hair, every gesture exuding charm. “Then I’ll add three more days of ownership.”
Compared to Qiu Zhen’s obvious displeasure, Yin Beichen remained utterly indifferent, his face like a mask.
“Call.”
Seeing this, Mr. Silver let out a light laugh.
“You don’t need to be so tense,” he said. He didn’t touch the wine on the table but instead pulled out a thermos from somewhere, cradling it in his hands. “Sixteen is a robot, and he’s built big. If he doesn’t want to, who can force him?”
Suddenly, Yin Beichen turned and fixed his gaze on Ning Feng. Only after the latter looked away under the scrutiny did he let out a soft, barely audible sigh and lean back into his chair, relaxing.
“Before your cutting-edge technology, he’s just a pile of scrap metal.”
At that, Ning Feng’s motor core stalled for a few seconds.
Indeed, even though his current body looked high-end, at the end of the day, it was still mechanical parts. In front of a mechanical expert, there were ten thousand ways to render him completely useless, without even lifting a finger. If Mr. Silver really had ill intentions toward him…
Ning Feng subtly pressed his fingertips together.
“Really? You flatter me.” But Mr. Silver didn’t seem bothered. He took a sip from his thermos.
“I believe no one underestimates you.” Folding his fingers together over his chest, Yin Beichen elegantly crossed his legs. “Your influence spans the star systems, strong enough to rival the Federation and the Empire. Cultivating a few top-tier mechanical masters to create a control system specifically targeting androids—that’s hardly difficult.”
“Mechanical masters aren’t that easy to cultivate.”
“You’re different.” His thin lips curved into a cold smirk. Yin Beichen said flatly, “You can steal them.”
Mr. Silver smiled without a word and raised his thermos in a toast.
As the two chatted “pleasantly,” Ning Feng dealt the fourth and fifth cards, both faceup.
Excluding the first facedown card, Yin Beichen’s visible cards were 5, A, A, 6, while Mr. Silver’s faceup cards were K, K, A, K. The gap was already stark.
Letting out a silent breath, Ning Feng suppressed his nervousness. “Final round. Mr. Silver, place your bet.”
“I’m getting a bit tired of this game.” Mr. Silver let out an exaggerated sigh and shifted his posture. “How about we make it simple? The loser has to stay out of Sixteen’s sight until we disembark.”
At this, the onlookers buzzed with discussion.
“With that kind of confidence, Mr. Silver is probably going to win.”
“Mr. Lu is way too arrogant, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, offending Mr. Silver over a dealer…”
…
Ning Feng’s fingers fidgeted restlessly on the table.
Right now, Mr. Silver’s chances of winning were high, so making such a demand was reasonable. If Yin Beichen didn’t call, then after these two days, they’d just go back to business as usual. If Yin Beichen did call…
On one hand, he desperately wanted the list; on the other hand, he was afraid Yin Beichen would lose out.
Ning Feng frowned, unable to pinpoint exactly what he was feeling.
But Yin Beichen didn’t move a muscle, not showing a trace of tension. “You have so many underlings, yet you’re so persistent about Sixteen. Is it because you like him?”
“Of course. He’s the most special.” Meeting the man’s indifferent gaze, Mr. Silver’s lips curled with a seductive smile. “Before him, I’d never seen such an adorable robot. I think we’ll become great friends.”
With that, he winked at Ning Feng.
Ning Feng’s brows immediately drew together, while Qiu Zhen silently cursed under his breath, “Hypocrite.”
Yin Beichen watched calmly, then suddenly curled his lips into a smile.
“That’s true. As a robot, even if he breaks, parts can be quickly replaced and repaired.” His tone was very light. “As for so-called memories, they’re just a pile of data. If you want, you can format them anytime, install your favorite personality, your preferred behavioral logic, and turn him into a brand new person. He will act exactly the way you want, do your bidding, and be utterly devoted to you.”
He paused, a faint chill passing through his eyes. “He’ll even die for you.”
Ning Feng was taken aback at first, then slightly lowered his gaze to hide his emotions.
“You’re making me sad saying that.” Twirling a strand of hair with her fingertips, Mr. Silver gave a radiant smile. “Do I look that cold-blooded? And I like Sixteen so much.”
“Whether you like him depends entirely on your needs.”
“How could I not like him?”
Yin Beichen didn’t argue; he just picked up a chip and toyed with it.
“Compared to ordinary AI, Sixteen’s brain system is more advanced, and his way of thinking is closer to a real human.” The corner of his mouth twitched into a barely visible smile. “He doesn’t just blindly execute orders like a normal AI, or merge existing knowledge into new solutions. He can think and innovate. That’s very important to you, especially when carrying out certain special tasks.”
He lifted his eyes, a sharp glint suddenly flashing in them. “So, do you like him, or do you like him slaving for you?”
Special tasks?
Hearing this, Ning Feng was completely stunned.
Since his rebirth, aside from having a replaceable body, he had never considered what made him, as a robot, different from ordinary humans. So, the things Yin Beichen had just mentioned—about chips, about data implantation—he had never given them a second thought.
Often, Ning Feng even forgot he was a robot.
Now that he thought about it, if Yin Beichen truly wanted to make full use of his robotic traits, he would definitely assign many high-risk missions. But Yin Beichen hadn’t done that; instead, he had thrown him into the safest logistics department.
Why?
For the first time, this question rose in Ning Feng’s mind.
Opposite him, Mr. Silver’s seductive eyes narrowed slightly.
“Who would’ve thought Mr. Lu has such a silver tongue.” He was still smiling, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “But a bet only cares about winning or losing. What happens between Sixteen and me is none of your concern.”
With that, he flipped over his facedown card—
It was the two of hearts. 2, K, K, A, K: three Ks.
Mr. Silver let out a cold laugh. “Looks like luck is on my side.”
Seeing this, Ning Feng bit his lower lip hard.
Unless Yin Beichen could make three Aces, he would lose against three Ks for sure. But one Ace was already in the opponent’s hand. Could that facedown card be the last Ace?
Yin Beichen glanced down at his cards, then suddenly laughed.
“You’re right about one thing: a bet only cares about winning or losing.”
The next moment, he gently flipped over his first facedown card.
It was the Ace of Spades!
The air at the table froze, then erupted into uproar.
“Mr. Lu has three Aces! He actually won!”
“That means he had three Aces early on, but he kept quiet…”
“Not only that, he deliberately provoked Mr. Silver!”
“Shh! Keep it down…”
…
“We won! We won!” Qiu Zhen cheered and waved his arms excitedly.
Beside him, Ning Feng stood frozen in place. He looked up at Yin Beichen’s indifferent profile, opened his mouth, but only managed to mutter the announcement.
“The winner of this round: Mr. Lu.”
Staring at the facedown card, Mr. Silver said nothing. His gaze gradually turned gloomy, his expression growing dangerously sharp.
Suddenly, he let out a laugh.
“Nice play.”
“Thanks for the compliment.” But Yin Beichen only gave him a brief, cold glance. He stood up, tilting his chin slightly toward his opponent. “Then please keep your word, Mr. Silver, until we disembark.”
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and left the hall.
Ning Feng pursed his lips, gave Mr. Silver a slight nod, and followed. Qiu Zhen shot a wicked glare before also leaving.
The show was over, and the guests, sensing the tension, quickly dispersed.
Soon, only Mr. Silver remained at the table.
He sat there without moving, his eyes fixed on the direction where Ning Feng had disappeared, the gloom in his gaze growing thicker.
Just then, a man dressed as a servant walked over.
“Master, should we take care of it?”
Curling his lips in disdain, Mr. Silver rested his cheek on one hand.
“Forget it. He’s no ordinary man; you can’t touch him. But this Sixteen…” His pale fingers traced his lips, and he licked the corner of his mouth with his red tongue, a fervent light blazing in his eyes. “I can’t go to him, but he can come to me.”
**
On the way back to their cabin, Ning Feng and Yin Beichen walked one in front of the other, with Yin Beichen’s back to him the entire time, not saying a word.
With a loud bang, the cabin door slammed shut, making the walls tremble.
Glancing at the cold, rigid profile, Ning Feng rubbed the back of his neck forcefully.
“Hey, Mr. Lu.”
Yin Beichen gave no reaction.
“Major General Yin?”
Still no reaction.
“I’m talking to you, Yin Beichen!”
Finally, Yin Beichen turned to look at him quietly, fury churning in his eyes. “What did you promise?”
Ning Feng tightened his hands. “…Not to act without permission.”
“Explain.”
“I didn’t go looking for him. He came to me for the bet. He’s a VIP, I’m just a dealer. How could I refuse—”
“I don’t care about your reasons.” This statement was like a spark that instantly ignited Yin Beichen’s anger. He grabbed Ning Feng’s shoulder firmly, a cold light flashing in his eyes. “I’ll say it again: from now on, you are not to act without my permission. No matter where you go, I need to know. Got it?!”
Ning Feng’s whole body stiffened.
He rarely saw Yin Beichen show such raw emotion. He could only nod dumbly. “Got it.”
The robot’s rare compliance effectively soothed the outburst.
Yin Beichen’s expression softened slightly. Suddenly realizing his hand was still gripping the other’s shoulder, he quickly let go, stepped back two paces, and kept a cold face.
Ning Feng snapped back to attention and realized the other party was genuinely angry. After thinking for a moment, he grinned and sidled up to him. “By the way, weren’t you at the auction? Any leads?”
Yin Beichen didn’t look at him, remaining silent.
Studying him carefully, Ning Feng nodded knowingly. “Looks like you found something big. Then why did you come out?”
This time, Yin Beichen reacted. He sneered, “What, was I supposed to wait for you to get captured by space pirates?”
“Seriously, I didn’t know you were that good at cards.”
“Completely unskilled game. Only an idiot would lose.”
“…”
Seeing the other party still stonewalling, Ning Feng let out a long sigh, as if trying to expel all the frustration in his chest. “Ah, I admit it was bad not telling you earlier. Next time, no matter what happens, I’ll report to you first.”
“…”
“From now on, I won’t take risks.”
“…”
“…Alright, fine. If anything comes up, I’ll discuss it with you, okay?”
…
In the midst of a long silence, Yin Beichen remained wordless. After a while, he closed his eyes and let out a silent breath. His voice, slightly hoarse, carried a hint of coaxing and helplessness.
“Can you just stop making me worry?”
**
Hearing this, Ning Feng was stunned.
They were only a few steps apart. The pale, handsome face imprinted itself on his retina. He met those eyes, which held emotions he couldn’t quite read.
But before he could figure it out, the door was suddenly pushed open with a loud bang.
“Master Lu!” Qiu Zhen rushed in breathlessly, stepping between them in one stride, his solid frame completely separating the two.
Both of them: …
“What is it?” Yin Beichen frowned slightly and took two steps back.
“The after-sales service from the trade fair said your order just now still has some forms to fill out.” Qiu Zhen’s face was flushed from panting, but he refused to step aside.
“Order?” Ning Feng raised an eyebrow. “What did you buy?”
He knew the items at this trade fair were rare and ridiculously expensive. Even though Yin Beichen wasn’t short on money, he wasn’t the type to spend recklessly. What had he bought? Medicine?
“I understand.” But Yin Beichen didn’t answer. He just gave a slight nod and turned to leave. Just before exiting, he looked back at Ning Feng, but Qiu Zhen blocked his view before he could get a proper look.
Only after the other’s figure disappeared did Ning Feng see Qiu Zhen let out a sigh of relief. Then the latter immediately leaned in with a gossipy look.
“Hey, I think Master Lu is acting really off.”
“Off how?”
“His attention on you is abnormal.”
“And?”
A sharp gaze swept up and down the robot, Qiu Zhen’s face full of curiosity. After sizing him up for a while, he frowned and asked.
“Is he into you or something?”
“…Psycho.”
Ning Feng rolled his eyes and let out a silent scoff.
They’d known each other for years. If he were into him, it would have happened long ago.
Then, he looked out the window.
Under the orange-yellow sky, the sea glittered with ripples stretching to the other end of the horizon. Squinting against the golden light, Ning Feng allowed himself a faint, self-mocking smile.
Yeah, if he were into him, it would have happened long ago.