Chapter 159: 159 Crying Maria_1
Encouraged by Wen Jiang, the group decided to spend some money for a bit of excitement. None of them lacked the funds.
The lists from the major Card Associations had just been released, and varying amounts had already been bet on the popular teams. Since the next round involved thirty teams advancing to the final league, the current wagers focused on which thirty teams would make the cut.
There was also a more detailed betting option: wagering on how many cards each team would have left at the end of a match. Beyond that, there was an even crazier bet: wagering on the top three teams before the competition had even fully started. This type of bet offered the highest payout because it used fixed odds. This meant that regardless of the amount wagered, a predetermined multiple of the total bet would be paid out from the overall prize pool.
However, very few people dared to place such a bet. It was impossible to rig these matches because one could not predict which Empire would make it to the final round. Even if one team could be bribed, bribing two was out of the question, and any unexpected outcome meant losing everything. The three major Empires were constantly at odds with each other, with Yunxia being the least likely to cooperate.
Ruan Chunen and the others had initially intended to bet modestly. However, they stood by and watched as Wen Jiang placed the maximum allowed bet on Mount Flower winning the championship: ten million Card Coins. Card Coin was the common currency of Card City, with an exchange rate of one to five against Yunxia Currency. This meant Wen Jiang had effectively bet fifty million Yunxia Currency. If they won, that fifty million could skyrocket to an insane few billion.
Such gambling was forbidden in Yunxia. Only here could everyone relax for a moment and experience the thrill of what felt like bungee jumping from heaven to hell.
Even the betting staff, startled by Wen Jiang’s wager, looked at her as if she were making a charitable donation. The staff were mostly from other countries and unfamiliar with the Mount Flower team, so they did not realize who the bettors were. One of them couldn’t help but ask, "Are you sure? This team has never made it into the top five before."
Since everyone from Mount Flower was present, their faces reddened with embarrassment upon hearing this.
Wen Jiang simply nodded calmly. "Yes, I’m sure. I’ll bet on them."
Wen Jiang had money and could afford not to care about the risk, but Ruan Chunen and the others truly lacked the nerve for such a high-stakes gamble. Wen Jiang did not try to convince them; after all, it was a personal choice.
Shi Qi showed a bit more courage. However, having only played professionally for two years and with her salary having only recently increased, she did not dare to make a large wager and only bet one million Card Coins. Losing that million would still leave her room to recover, but it was quite a bold move nonetheless.
Ruan Chunen and Dou Yuan each bet five hundred thousand Card Coins. Chen Runyu pondered for a moment and then, like Shi Qi, also bet one million. Although his family was wealthy, betting like this was still considered wild. Wagering a million showed significant trust in Wen Jiang’s judgment.
Having already placed substantial bets on their own Card Association, they did not have much left to wager on others. Wen Jiang, however, spread her bets around, placing a symbolic one Card Coin on each of the top three teams from several other major Card Associations.
Everyone: "..."
They had not brought Tang Qian on their group outing. Upon returning to the hotel, Tang Qian informed them that the schedule for the next week’s matches had been released. Ordinarily, their luck would be considered poor: they were up against a mid-ranking Card Association from Sanctuary, the Crying Angels.
Based on domestic rankings, the two Card Associations were comparable. However, it was an indisputable fact that Sanctuary’s and Frost Moon’s overall card sets were stronger than Yunxia’s. Even though both were mid-ranking associations, disparities existed. Not drawing teams from smaller countries and instead facing a major Card Association from Sanctuary was certainly not good fortune.
Fortunately, this year, Mount Flower had undergone a significant transformation.
Tang Qian came looking for Wen Jiang and learned about their afternoon gambling venture. Chen Runyu and the others did not dare tell Tang Qian how much they had bet, fearing their coach would think them crazy.
But in reality, Tang Qian was much crazier than they were.
As soon as she entered, her face alight with expectation, she grabbed Wen Jiang’s arm, her tone becoming noticeably more intimate. "Ah Jiang, we’re up against Sanctuary’s Crying Angels in the first match, but I believe in you! Plus, I’ve bet on our Card Association winning the championship—this amount!"
She gestured the number eight with her hands.
Wen Jiang squinted. "Eight hundred thousand?"
Tang Qian declared, "Eight million!"
Wen Jiang was taken aback.
Damn, even though everyone believes in your strength, this coach is hardcore, Zero Egg commented internally.
Tang Qian’s gaze was intense with hope. "I trust my judgment; your strength is extraordinary. This is a fortune waiting to be made! This is all the liquid cash I could muster. Wen Jiang, although what I’m about to say might be shameless, you *must* win. If you don’t, I’ll have no choice but to jump off a building."
Wen Jiang: "..."
Seeing Tang Qian’s expectant gaze, Wen Jiang’s expression became solemn. "Don’t worry. We will definitely win!"
Tang Qian immediately felt relieved.
"Good. Next, I’ll gather everyone to analyze the Crying Angels’ favored card set."
Even if Wen Jiang was strong, they could not afford to underestimate their opponents. At the very least, everyone needed to understand the general strength of their adversaries.
Gathered in a room, Tang Qian used the living room TV screen to analyze the Crying Angels.
"The Crying Angels use a fairly well-known set, the Fallen Angel Card Set," Tang Qian began. "Their cards are somewhat sinister, with many negative status effects, a bit like our old style."
Shi Qi, who had seen the Crying Angels compete before, voiced her lingering fear. "Playing against the Crying Angels Association can greatly impact Spirit Card Masters who are mentally vulnerable."
Tang Qian nodded gravely. "That’s right. They have a famous A-Rank Card called Crying Maria. Their Card Association’s name is even derived from this card. Its effect is somewhat similar to Changer’s ability to evoke pleasure before her ascension, but Crying Maria is a purely negative card. Once it’s in play, as long as Maria remains on the field, all of our Spirit Card Masters will be influenced by her. This card is extremely sinister and can trigger deep-seated psychological trauma in Spirit Card Masters. Once this card is played, few Spirit Card Masters leave the match unaffected."
She continued, "In recent A-Level competitions, unless an opponent is exceptionally strong or possesses specific counter-cards developed within their own country, other Card Associations will almost certainly ban Crying Maria—it’s considered as dangerous as cards from the Moon Palace Card Set."
Chen Runyu also whispered to Wen Jiang, "Moreover, the Crying Angels Association particularly despises our Dongzhou Association. If they encounter someone from Dongzhou and this card isn’t banned, they will almost certainly play it, even if it doesn’t fit their card set strategy or means they might lose. And on teams that manage to win by a fluke against them, some Spirit Card Masters can become mentally fragile, sometimes never recovering. Broken Heart experienced such an incident before."
Ruan Chunen added, "People have complained about such cards, but the International Association doesn’t prohibit them because the Crying Angels never use them against their own people. Since we lack specific counter-cards, there’s nothing we can do."
They shared this information to keep Wen Jiang informed, knowing that since she had become busy with Jimo Family affairs, she hardly paid attention to A-Rank card competitions.
You’re definitely going to let them play that card, aren’t you? Zero Egg transmitted, guessing Wen Jiang’s intention.
Too predictable, but you guessed right, Wen Jiang replied.
TSK! Zero Egg responded.