Having no money in one's pocket did not necessarily mean not having money in one's bank card.
One had to understand that after losing everything, the most unbearable thing psychologically was to stop and cut one's losses.
While stopping to cut losses could effectively prevent further losses, the consequence of doing so was that the money already spent could never be recovered!
This was precisely why many gamblers would suddenly lose their minds in a single moment.
Because at the card table, stopping and getting carried away were sometimes just a matter of one hand of cards...
Just then, after exchanging quick, subtle glances, the middle-aged man with a boss-like demeanor suddenly spoke to everyone, "Gentlemen, I don't have much money left either."
"How about this? This hand, we won't look at our cards and go all-in!"
"Let's not talk about unlimited betting or anything like that! When you're out and about, who carries all their assets with them?"
"Let's just set this brother's three thousand yuan as the limit. Everyone puts in three thousand, and we'll compare cards once it reaches eighteen thousand."
"If the loser still has money, they continue as usual! If they don't, they can go back and rest!"
"In any case, I'm definitely not leaving! I refuse to believe I won't win a single big hand today?!"
Hearing this, the long-legged woman immediately chimed in, "Isn't it just equal betting and comparing cards? I have no problem with that! It's just enough to win money for a bag."
Another plump uncle, who hadn't said much from beginning to end, also spoke up.
"I don't mind, I haven't really won or lost anything anyway! If you all agree, I agree."
"To put it bluntly, even if I really lose, it's just tightening my belt and living a hard life for a month or two!"
After his subordinates had all stated their positions, the man with the mustache then turned his gaze to me, smiling and saying, "Brother, when I asked you earlier if you wanted to play, you said you couldn't. Then, when we started raising the stakes, you came over.
"Now that the stakes are really raised, what do you say?"
Honestly, such cliché taunts were completely useless to me.
If it weren't for the fact that I had to consider that the mustache and his group were numerous and that directly falling out with them and taking Han Jinlun away would not yield any advantage, I wouldn't have sat down at the table at all.
But since I was playing along, I had to go all the way.
After feigning hesitation, I finally gritted my teeth and responded, "Alright! I agree."
With that, I took the lead and threw in a hundred yuan.
Since the limit had already been set, there was no need to hold a hundred yuan and say things like "one hand, two hands, three hands." We would just keep adding a hundred yuan until we reached the maximum bet.
Seeing this, the plump uncle sitting to my left, as before, silently threw his money onto the table to bet.
As for the players in the subsequent seats, they did the same.
Thus, at the card table, the six of us remained silent, going round after round, betting blindly.
The atmosphere once again became eerie and tense...
After an unknown amount of time.
Once the bet reached eighteen thousand, as if fearing we might go back on our word, the middle-aged man in the boss's attire was the first to flip over his cards!
A pair of Jacks.
Seeing that his hidden cards were a pair of Jacks, the middle-aged man tilted his head back and said, "Gentlemen, I've revealed my hand!"
"No matter who wins or loses in the end, this round is decided, and there is no room for any backtracking."
"Later, if someone has a smaller hand and then starts whining and acting shamelessly, don't blame me for turning hostile!"
"Playing cards requires following the rules of playing cards!"
Hearing this, I inwardly sneered.
It seemed that this burly middle-aged man was likely the "fire general" of the scamming team led by the mustache.
And he had probably received a hint from the mustache, fearing that Han Jinlun and I might go back on our word, so he had made his stance clear in advance.
Lighting a cigarette, I nodded calmly and replied, "I have no problem with that."
As soon as I finished speaking, Han Jinlun next to me expressed his stance through his actions.
Without a word, Han Jinlun flipped over the three cards in front of him... and revealed them.
In one fluid motion, what met everyone's eyes were the unsightly scattered cards – 3, 6, 9.
Seeing Han Jinlun's cards, I felt a slight sense of relief.
Just as I had predicted.
After Han Jinlun revealed his hand, the mustache and the others decided not to string him along any further and instead wanted to send him off in one go.
And perhaps see if they could force him to reveal his bank card.
This perfectly matched my earlier conjecture.
My thought was that only after the uncertain variable, Han Jinlun, was out of the game could I truly unleash my full potential and act as I pleased.
After all, I was gambling against four people at the same table.
Setting aside whether I could take on all four, if Han Jinlun remained at the table, I likely wouldn't be able to look out for him.
At that point, if this guy really got carried away by the scamming team, even if I wanted to help him... in the face of naked money, he might not understand my predicament.
Therefore, for Han Jinlun, losing now and leaving the table was actually the best option.
Provided, of course, that he didn't get carried away! And no one beside him provoked him!
However, the ideal is often plump, while reality is often stark.
Just as Han Jinlun stared intently at the scattered cards 3, 6, 9 for a long time, and finally stood up with resentment, the long-legged woman suddenly spoke in a mocking tone, "Oh! Are you quitting already?"
"Didn't you say you wanted to take me to roam the world and see its splendor after winning money?"
"You can't handle losing just a few thousand yuan?"
"A man's mouth is indeed a deceitful ghost!"
I had expected that the long-legged woman's sarcastic remarks would provoke Han Jinlun to the greatest extent, but unexpectedly...
Han Jinlun did not get carried away. He merely patted his pocket and chuckled indifferently, "No choice! This is all the money I have. I can't exactly leave someone as collateral to continue playing with you, can I?"
"Since I can't accompany you to dominate the card table, I'll stand behind you silently and be your guardian angel."
"Continue! You guys play, you guys play!"
With that, Han Jinlun elegantly stepped away from the table.
This scene, while reassuring me, also made me secretly think more highly of Han Jinlun.
Earlier, in Longxi, one night after leaving a casino, we were eating late-night snacks and chatting about work. Han Jinlun had mentioned that he had saved some money over the past two years by driving for a boss.
It seemed that although the womanizer Han Jinlun was unrestrained in his lust, he still had a sense of restraint in his heart, knowing that everything had its limits.
After Han Jinlun's minor interlude, the members of the scamming team, led by the mustache, successively began to reveal their cards...