Gu Chunlai took out a new deck of Bee playing cards.
In front of everyone from Rui Chi and Hong Tai Yang, he opened the packaging, removed the advertising cards and the two jokers, and then spread the remaining 52 cards on the table.
He looked up at Xiang Tianhua and me, pointed to the deck, and said, "Gentlemen, please inspect the cards."
Although the notary's presence meant there was no need to worry about the cards being swapped or tampered with, the proper procedure still had to be followed.
After Xiang Tianhua and I had both inspected the cards, Gu Chunlai began to shuffle.
In a formal game witnessed by a notary, shuffling is a meticulous process.
The first shuffle is usually a "random shuffle," where the new cards are mixed without any discernible pattern.
Even in this stage, top-tier cheats like Uncle Tuo could still memorize the order of some cards.
However, this was followed by "concealed shuffling," designed to disrupt the memory of even the most skilled cheaters.
Concealed shuffling isn't a cheating technique itself, but a rare shuffling method used to prevent cheats from memorizing card sequences.
It's commonly seen in major casinos worldwide, performed by top dealers.
The sole requirement for concealed shuffling is to ensure that all cards are face down throughout the process.
While this might sound obvious, it has a hidden complexity.
Experienced card players know that shuffling, regardless of technique, involves cutting the deck.
During the cut, the faces of some cards might briefly flash.
An ordinary person would barely catch a glimpse, let alone memorize the cards.
But a cheat, especially a top-tier one, could seize any opportunity presented by even a fleeting glimpse of the card faces.
This is why concealed shuffling was developed.
In concealed shuffling, even the cutting action is performed with the cards held tightly, ensuring no suits or values are revealed.
Gu Chunlai's concealed shuffle incorporated a flourish, adding intricate cuts.
Beneath the uniform Bee card backs, the visual effect was stunning and pleasing to the eye.
No matter how Gu Chunlai flipped and interleaved the cards, all 52 cards remained consistently face down towards Xiang Tianhua and me.
There was no possibility of memorizing the card faces to gain an advantage.
In less than a minute, Gu Chunlai completed the first concealed shuffle.
If the concealed shuffle revealed nothing, the hope shifted to the time-limited bright shuffle.
In a "Wan Hua Cong Zhong Guo" (literally "passing through a hundred flowers") game, the cards are shuffled six times, regardless of what is being gambled.
Six signifies good fortune.
The sequence is: one random shuffle, two bright shuffles, and three concealed shuffles.
It begins with a random shuffle and ends with a concealed shuffle.
The four shuffles in between are a combination of bright and concealed shuffles.
One could request the notary to perform the two bright shuffles consecutively.
However, the consequence of this would be that the subsequent two concealed shuffles would completely scramble any card order painstakingly memorized.
Generally, no one would be foolish enough to make such a request.
This is because a concealed shuffle can last up to one minute, while a bright shuffle is limited to a mere ten seconds.
Therefore, neither Xiang Tianhua nor I spoke up, and we simply waited for Gu Chunlai to begin the third shuffle, which was the first bright shuffle.
This was a crucial shuffle.
Besides memorizing the card order, it also allowed observation and analysis of Gu Chunlai's hand speed, strength, and rhythm during the bright shuffle.
Without any special techniques, a one-minute concealed shuffle would not be enough to completely randomize the order of 52 playing cards.
By observing Gu Chunlai's shuffling speed, strength, and rhythm during this bright shuffle, I could roughly estimate the potential positions of certain cards during the next concealed shuffle.
As Xiang Tianhua and I were both contemplating, Gu Chunlai suddenly announced, "Gentlemen, for the third bright shuffle, please watch carefully!"
As he spoke, he slightly raised his left arm holding the deck, and with a subtle movement of his fingers, the 52 cards instantly flipped over.
His "nimble fingers" indeed lived up to their reputation!
The ten seconds of bright shuffling passed in an instant.
Next came another concealed shuffle.
From this moment on, the true test for Xiang Tianhua and me began!
Both our eyesight and mental faculties were fully engaged.
As the concealed shuffle commenced, the order of the face-up cards began to change rapidly.
One card, two cards... ten cards... twenty cards...
Chaos! Utter chaos!
A bewildering, dizzying chaos!
If one's eyes had not undergone specific training in cheating techniques, I could guarantee that within five seconds, anyone would be rendered dizzy and nauseous!
After one minute, without any pause, Gu Chunlai began the fifth shuffle, the second bright shuffle.
It was at this point that I finally believed what Uncle Tuo had once told me: the "Wan Hua Cong Zhong Guo" depicted in gambling movies was all a lie.
This...
"When the cards land, you must stop!"
"Anyone who violates this rule will be declared the loser!"
Gu Chunlai's final shuffle meant that Xiang Tianhua and I were about to represent Rui Chi and Hong Tai Yang... to determine victory or defeat!
A royal flush was an unrealistic prospect, something not even to be considered!
What cheating technique should I employ first, and how could I ensure I had an edge over Xiang Tianhua?
If nothing unexpected happened, Xiang Tianhua was likely pondering the same question.
As Xiang Tianhua and I both wore serious expressions, Gu Chunlai began to shuffle!
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
Fifty-one seconds, fifty-two seconds, fifty-three seconds...
Sixty...
The instant Gu Chunlai stopped shuffling...
The previously slightly noisy environment inexplicably fell silent.
"Prepare..."
"Begin!"
Before the words had fully left his mouth, the 52 playing cards were simultaneously scattered into the air.
Immediately after...
Xiang Tianhua and I both made our moves!
A minute on stage requires ten years of practice off stage!
At this moment, Xiang Tianhua and I displayed our unique skills, our hands reaching directly for our respective targets!