Shen Lingyu's sudden million-dollar bet caught me off guard.
For this hand, I had only two possible card combinations:
One, a mixed straight.
Two, three of a kind with a single or pair kicker.
As for a bomb, that was just wishful thinking.
As long as I chose to call Shen Lingyu's bet, the plump dealer, if he had any brains, would know exactly what kind of cards to reveal.
Therefore, my three Queens were not a guaranteed win.
Judging by Shen Lingyu's demeanor, she was definitely holding a pair of high cards.
Either a pair of 10s, Jacks, or Kings. A pair of Queens or Aces was out of the question.
Just as I was hesitating whether to call, suddenly…
Fan Yinxin, puffing away nearby, muttered to herself, "Alas! If I lose any more, there's no hope of turning things around. This hand is my last stand!"
As soon as she finished speaking, as she flicked the ash from her cigarette with her right index finger, she lightly tapped five times in quick succession.
This movement was extremely subtle. If I hadn't heard her mention the words "stealing heaven and changing the sun" earlier, I would never have noticed it.
Upon catching this glimpse, a premonition inexplicably arose in my heart.
I had a feeling that Fan Yinxin's small gesture was meant for me.
The reason was simple.
Unlike when she was smoking and talking earlier, this time Fan Yinxin's first target was me, before she quickly averted her gaze.
Secondly, she tapped the ashtray five times.
The Queen of Spades, depicted as a queen, is annotated as "Queen" in English, which has exactly five letters.
So, I believed she was hinting to me that her hole card was a Queen.
Once this thought surfaced, I immediately found it incredible and absurd.
Why would she hint at me like this? Could it be that she knew my hole card? And wanted to help me win?
That shouldn't be the case! If she knew my cards, wouldn't that mean she knew everyone's cards?
I prided myself on protecting my hole cards well; no one but myself could possibly know them.
In an instant, a multitude of thoughts and ideas flashed through my mind.
Finally, after combining these thoughts with the current situation, I arrived at a startling conclusion.
That is: Fan Yinxin wanted to switch cards for me, to help me counter-kill Shen Lingyu!
Since she, Shen Lingyu, and the plump dealer were in cahoots, they must have already set the tone for the final round tonight.
In other words, Fan Yinxin knew exactly at what point the plump dealer would deal Shen Lingyu which hole cards, and based on the community cards, what kind of hand would perfectly match Shen Lingyu's two hole cards.
But why would she help me counter-kill Shen Lingyu?
Perhaps she wasn't Uncle Tuo's enemy, but a former teammate?
Upon seeing me use Uncle Tuo's secret technique, she suddenly changed her mind and decided to help me?
Was everything she said and did earlier meant to confuse Shen Lingyu and the plump dealer as much as possible, so she could strike back at the most crucial moment?
At this thought, I immediately looked up at her.
I saw Fan Yinxin's lips curve upwards slightly, revealing a beguiling smile.
But immediately, this smile vanished in a flash.
After staring at Fan Yinxin with my peripheral vision for a good four or five seconds, I finally decided to take a gamble and trust my instincts.
After counting out a million in chips, I pushed them all onto the table without a word.
Fan Yinxin and I were seated next to the dealer, she on my left and I on my right.
Before my left hand had even fully retracted, it was Fan Yinxin's turn to bet…
As she pushed her chips forward, the cigarette she held between her fingers of her right hand conveniently dropped onto the back of my left hand.
It wasn't ash that fell, but the entire lit end of the cigarette!
The sudden burning pain made me instinctively retract my hand.
Seeing this, Shen Lingyu's eyes narrowed slightly, as if she was smiling at me.
And the plump dealer's grin widened instantly, as if he wanted to show his joy on his face.
As for Fan Yinxin, her expression changed drastically. She immediately extinguished the cigarette butt, then brushed away the scattered ash in front of me, asking with a face full of apology, "Young man, are you alright?"
"I'm fine!" I replied, shaking my head with a cold expression.
Just now, while extinguishing the cigarette and brushing away the ash, I clearly saw Fan Yinxin switch my cards.
After I decided to trust her, I had deliberately moved the King that could be replaced slightly forward.
What Fan Yinxin had just switched was precisely that old King whose position I had subtly altered.
If she switched a Queen for me, it would mean my gamble was correct.
If not…
…
After the minor interlude, the dealer began dealing the final community card.
A face card, a Jack.
At this point, the community cards displayed a very rare combination: 10, J, Q, Q, J.
Three different suits, so no flush.
Bombs and full houses were the top two hands.
After the card switch, Fan Yinxin pretended to examine her cards, then immediately tapped the table, signaling a pass.
When it was Shen Lingyu's turn, a cold glint flashed in her eyes.
Then, without hesitation, she bet.
Two million!
Currently, Shen Lingyu, who had the most chips, had bet almost all the chips on the table.
If no one raised, she could open without consuming points.
If someone raised…
Before I could finish my thought, I saw a contestant behind her raise their hand and signal the scoring referee, wanting to exchange points for chips to raise the bet.
Five million!
This was the maximum points that contestant could use, excluding any fractions.
Clearly, this was a do-or-die situation!
Seeing this, those behind them chose to fold.
When it was my turn, I said nothing, focusing my thoughts.
After about half a minute of consideration.
Seeing that there were not many chips left in front of me, I directly followed the previous person's example and asked the scoring referee to exchange points for chips.
Five hundred thousand points for five million chips.
As soon as the bunny girl with the chip tray delivered them, I pushed all of them onto the table.
Fan Yinxin did not call and chose to fold.
Shen Lingyu, confident of victory, said nothing more. After betting all the chips on the table, she also asked the scoring referee to exchange points for chips.
Another five million chips were added to the table to call.
The three-way showdown, crucial for the final standings, had officially begun.
The moment Shen Lingyu revealed her cards, the face of the person next to her changed.
A pair of Jacks, combined with the pair of Jacks on the board, directly formed a bomb.
"I concede!"
The person, feeling there was no point in revealing their cards, called out their surrender and dejectedly left the table.
Next, it was my turn to reveal my cards.
Taking a deep breath, I didn't dare to reveal the card that Fan Yinxin had secretly switched first. Instead, I revealed the Queen.
Upon seeing that Queen, Shen Lingyu's eyes twitched uncontrollably.
Then, I reached out to reveal the hole card, whose identity as a Queen was still uncertain…
I pressed my thumb on the corner marking the card's rank and slowly lifted the side, confirming it was a face card.
Then came the ultimate moment of truth.
If it was a male portrait, I lose.
Conversely, I win.
The moment the card was fully revealed…