I won, and I won cleanly, even spectacularly.
No one could have predicted that I would secure a pair of twos in advance, using a method that was almost like a gamble.
The essence of playing cards is to take the lead with high cards, seizing the initiative.
But are high cards really that easy to get?
If you want to snatch them, don't others want to snatch them too?
You must know that human memory always follows emotions.
Once emotions fluctuate too much, leading to memory errors or confusion, the consequences are self-evident.
If, earlier, I had approached the confrontation with Mo Pingqiu with the mindset of grabbing an Ace and then fighting for a Nine, then the moment he shamelessly drew a card first... I would have lost miserably!
They say life is like chess, but they don't realize that playing chess is merely a game of human hearts.
In reality, life is more like a gamble.
Once you're at the table, you're gambling with the ugliest aspects of human nature!
In a gamble, you'll encounter all sorts of bizarre people and witness all kinds of cunning human nature; truly, no one can win every battle.
But as long as you try your best to fathom complex human nature, winning or losing aside, you're almost certain not to lose in most situations.
...
This earth-shattering reversal stunned almost everyone present, except for Ying Baolin and myself.
Even Yu Shuang, the Queen Bee who always kept her emotions in check, was so shocked her mouth hung open.
She hadn't expected that I had been acting all along, patiently holding back.
Once she came to her senses, Yu Shuang had lost her earlier confident demeanor, looking utterly crestfallen.
"Impossible! You cheated!!!"
At this moment, Mo Pingqiu, who had been gambling against me, suddenly stood up from his seat, pointed at me, and shouted angrily, "You must have cheated!"
"Otherwise, why were you stalling for time earlier?"
Hearing this, I sneered dismissively, "It's one thing if old people have bad memories, but if their eyes are useless too, they should just donate them!"
"Even when your boss called to stop opening the cards, my hand wasn't on the cards but hovering in the air."
"Do you think this is a movie? Telekinesis? Swapping cards without touching them?"
Upon hearing my reply, Mo Pingqiu slumped back into his chair, completely stunned.
In such a highly public setting, swapping cards telekinetically was indeed too far-fetched.
Compared to the dejected Yu Shuang and the speechless Mo Pingqiu, Yu Feng, who had been boasting earlier, turned pale and yelled at Ke Jie, "I demand an immediate card inspection!"
Hearing this, I didn't stop him, merely smiling indifferently.
It was clear that Yu Feng wasn't as smart as Yu Shuang; this was truly a case of desperation.
Seeing that I didn't object, under the gaze of all the onlookers, Ke Jie first raised his hand and laid out all the remaining cards on the table, then began to check them one by one.
As Ke Jie inspected the cards, the surrounding crowd involuntarily moved closer to the gambling table.
About two minutes later...
"Not one more, not one less!"
As Ke Jie uttered these words, a gasp erupted from the crowd.
Stunned! Yu Feng was instantly dumbfounded!
With vacant eyes, Yu Feng, like a soulless zombie, stumbled back several steps, tripped, and sat stunned on a nearby empty chair.
"We lost, we... lost!"
With a heavy sigh, Yu Shuang said with great reluctance.
After Yu Shuang admitted defeat, Mo Pingqiu looked at the pair of twos lying on the table in front of me and suddenly sighed to the heavens, "The younger generation surpasses the old, and the old are left behind on the beach!"
"I never imagined, never imagined that despite my preemptive strategy and all my calculations, I would still lose so thoroughly!"
"A brilliant move of advancing by retreating, I... lost!"
After speaking, Mo Pingqiu turned to Yu Shuang and Yu Feng with an apologetic look and said seriously, "Miss Yu Er, Young Master Yu, Mo has failed to live up to your trust due to my inferior skills!"
"Please convey my apologies to Old Master Yu when you return, tell him that Mo is too ashamed to be his disciple!"
Earlier, when I heard Mo Pingqiu admit defeat, I thought he was someone who could take things in stride, but after he said those words...
I knew this old scoundrel, fearing that Yu Shuang would discard him after he was no longer useful, was bringing up Yu Tianyuan in an attempt to protect himself.
Just as Yu Feng was about to speak, Yu Shuang signaled him with her eyes to shut his mouth.
Seeing this, Mo Pingqiu's face instantly turned deathly pale, and he immediately looked at Ying Baolin and said, "Boss Ying, Boss Ying, please, can you not cut off my hand..."
At this point, being evasive was no longer effective, so Mo Pingqiu decisively chose to lay his cards on the table.
Hearing this, Ying Baolin didn't respond but looked at me and said, "You lost to Chen Xiang. If you want to keep your hand... go ask him!"
Upon hearing this, Mo Pingqiu acted as if he had grasped the last straw of hope, looking at me with hurried and flustered eyes, saying, "Young Brother Chen Xiang, name your price!"
"How much money will it take to buy my hand!"
After a cold smile, I looked at Mo Pingqiu indifferently, saying nothing.
The true blue gambling game is not a contest among friends where winning or losing is disregarded; it is a Rashomon where one either wins or loses, lives or dies!
Once you enter this door, you must accept defeat!
My silence already indicated the outcome.
But Mo Pingqiu was still not giving up. He immediately turned to Ying Baolin again, his voice trembling as he pleaded, "Boss Ying, it was my fault for not recognizing your true stature, and offending such a divine being!"
"But ultimately, I was just following orders. I know you don't care about my meager wealth. As long as you are willing to help me, from now on, whenever you need me, Mo, I will repay you with my life!"
After speaking, Mo Pingqiu's knees buckled, and he actually knelt on the ground.
At this moment, Mo Pingqiu had no regard for his face or integrity. For a cheat, a hand is more important than life itself!
Because a cheat who loses his hand is essentially useless!
Yu Shuang watched impassively as Mo Pingqiu's demeanor shifted and his words changed.
For Yu Shuang, whether Mo Pingqiu was loyal or not was meaningless; he had lost, and he had no further value.
Seeing that Ying Baolin remained silent and I maintained my unyielding stance, Mo Pingqiu immediately stood up from his chair and quickly rushed to Yu Shuang's side.
He grabbed her waist with one hand and locked her throat with the other, his voice deep as he commanded, "Second Miss, I apologize!"