In gambling games like Texas Hold'em, where there's no opportunity to shuffle and cut the deck, the only way to cheat is by palming cards.
This is because everyone was searched before entering the third floor.
Under the watchful eyes of the other cheaters at the table, the security guards patrolling intermittently, and the countless high-definition surveillance cameras, palming cards is no easy feat.
But no matter what, I had to try my best.
A new round began.
Just as the blonde, blue-eyed foreigner, who had just opened a brand new deck of cards and was about to shuffle, I suddenly called out, "Stop!"
Hearing this, the foreign dealer looked at me with a wary expression.
Seeing this, I didn't explain directly. Instead, I reached for a cigarette from the pack on the table and lit it.
This time, I used my right hand.
After silently conveying the information to Su Liuli, I gestured to the female translator standing next to the foreign dealer.
I had her tell the foreign dealer that I suspected there was an issue with the cut lines on the back of the Bee poker cards and that I wanted to inspect them.
After the female translator finished relaying the message, the foreign dealer didn't respond immediately. He remained silent for a while.
I knew he was hesitating whether to grant my request.
In legitimate Texas Hold'em tournaments, as long as it wasn't an issue of cheating, dealers had the authority to decide on minor matters like a player questioning the cards without needing to report it.
After some deliberation, the foreign dealer finally nodded and agreed to my request.
Taking the Bee poker cards from the foreign dealer, I solemnly drew a few cards from the deck and touched them individually on the back for comparison.
At this moment, all eyes at the table were focused squarely on me.
Sensing the gazes from all directions, I pretended to be nervous and swallowed.
After they saw that my act was convincing, I frowned and arranged the few cards face up in order. I held a corner and raised them under the bright lights above the gambling table.
Just as everyone simultaneously looked up, their gazes aligning…
I didn't take advantage of the less than half-second gap when they looked up.
Because I was only holding a few cards raised under the strong light, if even one card was missing, these people at the table would have noticed.
After a perfunctory inspection, confirming there were no issues, I stacked the cards in my right hand and put them down. Simultaneously, I stood up and reached for the deck of cards in front of me with my left hand.
The moment the poker cards in my left and right hands were stacked and handed to the foreign dealer…
"Achoo!!!"
I let out a sudden sneeze, directly towards Su Liuli, who was sitting opposite me.
How could a woman like Su Liuli, with hundreds of schemes in her mind, not understand the meaning of my sneeze?
Immediately after the sneeze, Su Liuli put on an angry act, slamming the table and standing up.
"What are you doing? Don't you know it's rude to sneeze at someone?"
"Disgusting! How can you be so rude?!"
Before Su Liuli finished speaking, I slightly bent my pinky and ring fingers on both hands and then gently hooked them back towards my sleeves.
In full view of everyone, I audaciously executed a move called "Double Dragon Tail Sweep," palming two cards at once.
With these two cards in hand, I could now turn passive into active in a game where cards were exchanged each round.
In an instant, everyone at the gambling table was staring intently at me.
This included the patrolling security guards and the tall, burly foreign dealer; they didn't even blink.
In this situation… honestly, I was very nervous!
Without exaggeration, I could feel my heart beating at a rate well over 120 beats per minute.
This feeling of being so nervous that my heart was about to leap out of my throat was something I had never experienced since I started.
There was no other reason than the fact that I knew very well that no one present was incompetent or arrogant.
Just then, the sound of a door opening came from the entrance of the private room.
Although the sudden sound of the door opening startled me, it also relieved the rather eerie silence.
Turning my head, I saw Xiao Tianyu striding in from outside.
Upon seeing that it was Xiao Tianyu, my heart gradually calmed down.
Stupid! I had become a fool caught up in the moment!
As my nervous state gradually subsided, I finally came to my senses.
Tianci Tower! I was at Tianci Tower! This was practically my home turf!
Although my true partner was Su Liuli, only the two of us knew about this. Xiao Tianyu was unaware.
He must still consider me one of his own, otherwise, he wouldn't have appeared at this exact moment.
It was clear that Xiao Tianyu had been keeping an eye on me all along, and his appearance now was to save the situation.
As expected.
Xiao Tianyu's next words confirmed my deduction.
"Don't just stand there, continue the game!"
Xiao Tianyu was the organizer of the tournament, he provided the venue, and he had even hired the dealer from Macau at great expense.
Unless someone had spotted something amiss, no one dared to object when he said to continue the game.
Seeing that no one objected, the foreign dealer, after taking back the poker cards, shuffled them again, cut the deck, and waited.
After the blinds were posted for the round and everyone had declared their actions, the foreign dealer began dealing the hole cards…
After a round of hole cards were dealt.
After glancing at my hole cards, I immediately decided to nextti
By proactively sending a message, I could dispel his suspicion, and at the same time, distract and tie up some of his attention.
While waiting for Xiao Tianyu's reply, I also quickly sent a message to Mu Haitang, asking where she was tonight and if she had come to Tianci Tower with Xiao Tianyu.
My ideal plan was to use Xiao Tianyu's appearance at the competition to find a way to learn from Mu Haitang exactly where Cheng Minglang and the others were being held.
Then, I would have Camel and his disciples go rescue them, no matter the cost!