[ps: To facilitate addressing Young Master He and to avoid causing unnecessary trouble, a pseudonym will be used for him from now on.]
"It's not like I, He Zhonghua, have only met you all recently. During our time playing cards together, I've lost more than I've won. When have you ever seen me cheat?"
"Must I be hooked up to an IV drip to play cards with you? Giving you my money when I'm not feeling well, is that what you call fun!?"
After He Zhonghua finished his outburst, no one at the gambling table dared to speak.
The atmosphere instantly became silent and awkward.
After about a minute or two.
A middle-aged man with white-streaked hair, resembling the protagonist Ah King from the movie "God of Gamblers 1999," said with a chuckle, "Oh, come on! We're all partners. Mutual understanding and trust are essential!"
"Since Zhonghua isn't feeling well, let's not force him. Let him rest properly. Someone else can take his place and play with us!"
Seeing the middle-aged man with white-streaked hair stepping in to smooth things over, the others readily followed suit, and no one raised any further objections.
I smoothly took a seat at the table.
The first thing I did after sitting down was to have Li Wenting move a chair and sit behind me, just in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
...
Thus, a new round began.
Similar to the high-stakes poker in the Gambling King competition, the ante here started at ten thousand yuan, with no upper limit on the bets. A professional dealer was responsible for dealing the cards.
Whether the dealer was clean or not was a secondary concern. I was acutely aware that this gambling game itself was highly problematic.
Therefore, while waiting for Mr. He's reply, I decided to focus my attention on the game and look for any potential loopholes.
Unexpectedly, from messaging outside to sitting down to gamble, it had been about seven or eight minutes, and Mr. He still hadn't replied.
With no other option, I had to pretend to be engrossed in the game...
As I had joined the game on short notice, my playing style was quite unfavorable at first.
The hands I received didn't even qualify me to stay until the end to call bets and show my cards.
Later, I immediately adjusted my strategy and, relying on my extensive experience and skill, managed to win back all the chips I had lost in the previous hands.
Moreover, I even ended up winning around forty to fifty million.
Time flowed by unnoticed.
In the blink of an eye, an hour had passed.
Upon confirming that my phone in my pocket had not made any sound, I immediately realized that He Zhonghua's villa was problematic!
If my guess was correct, his villa must be equipped with devices that block communication signals!
The reason I was so certain was that when I couldn't get a reply from Mr. He, I had discreetly signaled Li Wenting to excuse herself to the restroom and secretly go out to make a call for help.
When she returned, she directly shook her head at me.
Clearly, both of our phones had become useless in He Zhonghua's villa.
I should have realized this much earlier!
Many wealthy tycoons install signal-blocking devices in their rooms when organizing private gatherings and card games.
There are two reasons for doing this.
First, to ensure the safety and privacy of private gatherings and card games, as no one can guarantee that there aren't any ill-intentioned individuals among the guests.
Second, to facilitate swift control of the situation in case of accidents or unexpected events.
The circle of wealthy individuals is quite small. Those who typically host such events are usually prominent figures within the circle. By doing this, they aim to further confirm and establish their authority and influence.
It seems that calling He Zhonghua's villa's security level comparable to a military base was an overstatement.
At least a military base can normally receive and transmit signals, but He Zhonghua's private villa is an impregnable ultimate barrier!
I've been tricked!
From the moment I stepped through the villa's main entrance, I had fallen into He Zhonghua's trap!
During the past hour, besides confirming that the phone signal was completely blocked, I also discovered that this gambling game was deeply flawed!
The people sitting at the table were not business partners as He Zhonghua claimed, but rather cheaters like myself!
Including that dealer!
These people have a distinct characteristic: when they are about to cheat, they use very subtle and swift hand movements to signal their accomplices to prepare for cooperation.
Not only that, but their techniques are proficient and superb, all reaching the level of first-class cheaters!
I wouldn't dare to speak for other places, but if these individuals were placed in a casino in Macau, they would essentially be responsible for the VIP areas!
Trying to take on five of them would be sheer fantasy!
Under these circumstances, let alone winning a hundred million chips from each of them, even holding onto the chips I currently have would be a major problem!
Undoubtedly, this is a new trick He Zhonghua has devised after failing to forcibly buy me over last night. His intention is to prevent me from participating in the Gambling King competition.
Whether this is true or not will be revealed when this gambling session ends in another hour and a half, and we see if the game breaks up...
At this moment, I am very fortunate that I insisted on bringing Li Wenting with me.
I am secretly calculating that if the game doesn't break up when the time comes, I will have to ask Li Wenting to step in.
...
Another new round begins.
After the face-up and face-down cards are dealt, and before the first round of betting, three people chose to fold.
At the gambling table, true tacit and exquisite team cooperation is never about blindly using overwhelming force based on numbers to pave the way.
Instead, it's about continuously integrating resources in each round, striving to engage with the opponent with minimal cost, gradually breaking down the defenses set by the opponent, and finally encircling them!
After the three folded, only I, the middle-aged man with white-streaked hair, and a bald man who had been chewing betel nut the entire time, with his teeth stained black, remained at the table.
The bald man had the best hand and had the priority to bet.
After spitting out the betel nut juice, the bald man threw three hundred and fifty chips onto the table.
The middle-aged man and I both called the bet.
After collecting the chips, the dealer began to deal the cards.
If I were to ask who among the people at the table disgusted me the most, it would undoubtedly be this dealer.
This guy dealt me small cards with the "touch two cards" technique every hand, and he naively thought that because his hand speed was fast, I wouldn't notice.
To be honest, if I weren't worried that he and that cheater might be carrying guns while playing with me, I would have lost my temper long ago!