The final three days of April offer double monthly tickets; please cast yours for Metropolitan X-Ray Vision after 24:00 tonight, as we make one last push for the top 10 in the monthly new book rankings! To reiterate, only the monthly tickets from these last three days count; Metropolitan X-Ray Vision will no longer compete for monthly tickets starting next month! If you wish to support Hongchang Facai with your monthly votes, these are the final three days! Hand-typed by Devilmele; you can call me Long Ye. Welcome to leave comments on my blog~~ …… "Heh, this time they've gone all in!" "Someone dared to push, and someone else dared to follow—looks like it's a killer hand!" "Don't tell me it’s another 'Happy Gold' hand again; I swear I get screwed even when I'm lying down..." "Thank heavens I saw the writing on the wall and bailed out earlier, or I'd have been cleaned out completely."

The gamblers murmured amongst themselves. A pot totaling over four million was a rare sight, practically unheard of in a room of this caliber.

Qiu Guangliang, Boss Liu, and Wang Zhuo exchanged cautious glances. Wang Zhuo’s expression flickered between grim and uncertain. Qiu Guangliang appeared calm, but the stiffness in his neck betrayed a tense caution as he turned his head. Boss Liu desperately tried to maintain composure, but his slightly trembling fingers betrayed his excitement and nervousness without mercy.

Seeing Wang Zhuo's expression, Boss Liu became more convinced that Wang Zhuo was bluffing all-in. Meanwhile, Qiu Guangliang had already spotted a deliberate mark on one of Wang Zhuo’s face-up cards, making him certain the game was already decided.

Qiu Guangliang held a straight flush in Queens and Aces; the only hand that could beat it was Three of a Kind. He reasoned that Boss Liu’s Ace and Ten combination could not possibly make Three of a Kind, meaning one opponent was eliminated. Furthermore, among Wang Zhuo’s three cards, one had a small crescent-shaped nick on the corner—that was the mark Qiu Guangliang had placed on the Ten of Hearts. This meant that since Uncle Ma had folded a Ten, and Boss Liu also held a Ten, Wang Zhuo could not possibly have Three Tens.

Moreover, with both Boss Liu and Wang Zhuo holding a Ten, neither could possibly possess a Queen-Ace straight flush like his own, completely eliminating the dreaded "pot-sticking" scenario. Therefore, he was certain to take down both Wang Zhuo and Boss Liu.

The so-called "pot-sticking" occurred when the final two gamblers held hands of equal value, resulting in no clear winner. In that event, all the chips would roll over to the next round as the initial pot, forcing the six players to start anew, with the ultimate victor remaining unknown.

Boss Liu and his partner, Boss Zhou, unanimously believed Qiu Guangliang only held a pair slightly stronger than the starting pair—perhaps a big pair or a straight. Even if it were a flush, it wouldn't beat Boss Liu’s Ace-Ten. Besides, Qiu Guangliang’s demeanor didn't suggest a straight flush or Three of a Kind, and the odds of either occurring in this specific hand were slim anyway.

As for Wang Zhuo, in their view, this young man who hadn't even shaved regularly was just a novice trying a failed all-in bluff. He had neither acting skill nor true poker talent—just another rich second generation here to throw his money away!

Who was the mantis, who was the cicada, and who was the oriole remained unclear. With assistance from Uncle Ma and the watching Boss Huang, one million chips were counted from each of the three players' pots and swept to the center of the table.

Glancing at Wang Zhuo’s chip basin, Boss Zhou chuckled, "You still have some left over. What are you going to teach us about 'Showdown' with the remaining money?"

Clatter, clatter, clatter. Wang Zhuo rattled his basin, forcing a smile. "Just over thirty thousand left. How about we all match this amount?"

"I have a few more here," Ji Qiong, who hadn't spoken, suddenly reached out, placing the "Happy Gold" chip Wang Zhuo had given her earlier back into the pile.

"Then we'll round it up to a neat forty thousand!" Boss Liu counted out four stacks of gold chips and pushed them forward.

Qiu Guangliang certainly wasn't going to refuse money, no matter how hot it felt. He followed suit, pushing forward four stacks. The chips on the table piled up like small mountains; apart from a few scattered blue ones, it was a dazzling expanse of gold.

"This is it, the final curtain," Wang Zhuo’s expression shifted, replaced by a relaxed, easy smile. He raised an eyebrow toward Boss Liu: "Showdown?"

"Wait a moment," Qiu Guangliang held up a hand to stop Wang Zhuo, smiling at Boss Liu. "Boss Liu, I still have a few chips left. How about we compare hands privately first?"

If a player was confident in their cards, they could arrange a side bet with another player. For instance, Qiu Guangliang was inviting Boss Liu to compare hands. They could place matching chips aside; whoever had the better hand won those chips, independent of the main pot's outcome. Even if Wang Zhuo won the main pot, the side-pot winnings would go only to the winner of the side bet.

Seeing Wang Zhuo's sudden change in demeanor, and Qiu Guangliang’s unexpected request for a side bet, Boss Liu felt a wave of strangeness. Their faces seemed to change as quickly as a toddler’s.

Observing Qiu Guangliang's suddenly bright and keen eyes, Boss Liu lost his nerve. After a moment's consideration, he stated grimly, "Let's skip it. Let's just open the cards."

"Then I'll reveal one first," Wang Zhuo acted, turning over the Eight of Hearts—neither too high nor too low.

Boss Liu couldn't deduce much from an 8, but at least this 8 wasn't higher than any of his cards. He wasn't inclined to reveal his hand slowly like Wang Zhuo. With a sweep of his hand, he threw down his hole cards: "Ace, Ten, Spade Flush. You two decide."

Qiu Guangliang smiled and shook his head. Boss Liu and Boss Zhou’s eyes darkened simultaneously, their spirits sinking to the bottom.

"My apologies, Boss Liu, I have a Queen-Ace Straight Flush. Time to pay the Happy Gold," Qiu Guangliang said with a smile, then looked at Wang Zhuo, a look of understanding in his eyes. "Brother, you have a straight too, I assume? Any Happy Gold to share?"

He was convinced Wang Zhuo held an 8-9-10 straight, or perhaps something even smaller like a pair of Eights or Tens. Since Wang Zhuo had already shown the Eight of Hearts, and Qiu Guangliang had secretly identified a Ten of Hearts, even if Wang Zhuo also had a straight flush, Qiu Guangliang was still the clear winner this round.

"See? I told you this hand was going to be a Happy Gold hand. How about that?" "A QA Straight Flush! Nothing beats it unless there’s Three of a Kind. This is a satisfying win." "The tide has turned, hasn't it? Can the newcomer possibly have some heaven-defying hand?" "I'll pay the Happy Gold first!" The impatient Jun Ge counted out five blue chips, ready to toss them into the center of the table.

"Hold it!" Wang Zhuo stopped him with a soft voice, smiling at Jun Ge. "Brother Jun, those five blue chips can go directly to Liangzi. The ones you toss onto the table should be five gold ones."

Jun Ge froze, then asked in surprise, "You have Three of a Kind?"

Clearly, only Three of a Kind warranted the five-thousand Happy Gold payout. Wang Zhuo’s instruction not to place Jun Ge’s payment to Qiu Guangliang on the table confirmed one thing: Wang Zhuo had won with Three of a Kind. The money on the table belonged to him, and the money for Qiu Guangliang should not be mixed in!

"Good heavens, not another Happy Gold payout! There goes my seven thousand five hundred!" "This is insane! This hand is truly heaven-defying!" "An invincible killer hand! A flush versus a straight flush—that’s over five million, right?!" "You miscalculated. It’s four million eight hundred thousand, not even hitting five million with the Happy Gold."

The crowd erupted, but Qiu Guangliang sat there, utterly composed, staring at Wang Zhuo with a strained, insincere smile. "Brother, stop joking?"

"What's so funny about this?" Wang Zhuo smiled faintly, raising his right hand to shoulder height, and snapped his fingers sharply. "Xiao Qiong, reveal your cards for everyone to see."

The materialistic Ji Qiong could no longer remain strictly grounded in reality this time. She rubbed her hands together, shook them twice as if offering a prayer, then stepped forward and slowly turned over the two hidden cards, laying them beside the Eight of Hearts Wang Zhuo had already revealed.

Two more Eights! Three Eights! A clean sweep!

"That's impossible!"

Qiu Guangliang yelled, his previous composure shattering completely. He sprang up, reaching to grab Wang Zhuo’s cards.

At this crucial moment, Ji Yunlei showed his true colors as a gambler, tackling Qiu Guangliang in a bear hug and pinning him to the side. If Qiu Guangliang’s wild movement had scattered the cards, the situation would have become truly messy.

Qiu Guangliang calmed himself, shook out his long hair, and spat out resentfully, "I want to see them."

"What is there to see? They’re right there in plain view—Three Eights." "Pay the Happy Gold, pay the Happy Gold. I bet this hand will break up the game." "Here’s my five thousand, little sister, hold onto it." "The difference in people is huge. My Three Aces only won the leftovers, and his Three Little Eights rake in over three million. Sigh—"

The gamblers paid their chips. Wang Zhuo smiled faintly at Qiu Guangliang. "You don't understand? Then take a good look."

Sister Qi ran to the restroom and returned with a small plastic basin, efficiently scooping up the chips on the table. Ji Yunlei kept a tight watch on Qiu Guangliang, ready to prevent any further erratic behavior. Wang Zhuo watched Qiu Guangliang leisurely, yet his gaze passed straight through his body, through the walls of the room, down the corridor, and into the opposite room—directly observing the scene in the surveillance darkroom.

Qiu Guangliang held Wang Zhuo's three Eights, his rage having nowhere to vent. He felt like he was about to explode. On the back of one of the Eights, he could still make out the secret mark he had placed that was supposed to signify a Ten of Hearts. Even if he were slow-witted, he now understood everything: Wang Zhuo had deliberately placed a mark on this 8, disguising it to look like a Ten of Hearts, leading him to believe Wang Zhuo didn't have Three of a Kind, thereby causing him to lose this hand devastatingly.

It was too late for words now. A loss was a loss. Qiu Guangliang's mind was a total wreck; he couldn't even hear the reprimands pouring from his boss through the earpiece.

What good was three years of intensive gambling training? What about the high-tech pinhole cameras? What about the wireless headset commanding him? Before this young man across from him, they were nothing more than shameful jokes. A casual pinch on a card by Wang Zhuo had nullified all his sleight of hand and cheating tricks, resulting in nearly two million chips being handed over!

After paying the Happy Gold, Boss Zhou and Boss Liu left first, weighed down by heavy hearts. They didn't even bother concealing the fact that they were secret partners anymore; having lost almost two million, their spirits had flown away with the money.

Qiu Guangliang sat on a sofa in the corner of the room, his face ashen. Losing such a huge sum wasn't just a matter of a month’s lost wages; his boss's fury would not be so easily appeased. He had no idea what to do next.

Ji Qiong finished collecting the chips and looked at Wang Zhuo, holding the full basin. The four million dollars weighed heavily on her mind. That amount of money wasn't just enough for her mother's kidney transplant; it could buy a living person for a full-body transplant...

"Oh, right, we still haven't swapped the car keys back!" Wang Zhuo clenched his fist and smacked his palm. He addressed the short man who lent the high-interest loan: "Pal, that forty thousand was pretty easy money, huh?"

The short man stepped forward and returned the keys to Wang Zhuo, saying with a smile, "My forty thousand was hard-earned too. Just this last hand you won is enough work for me for two years."

Wang Zhuo nodded with a smile and said nothing more. He counted out two hundred and twenty gold chips onto the table. The short man confirmed the count and packed them into the empty basin Wang Zhuo had used earlier. With the exchange confirmed, the high-interest loan transaction was officially concluded.

Only then did Ji Qiong understand: Wang Zhuo had sent her and her brother out earlier to pawn the car for a high-interest loan. At that moment, she felt utterly defeated. Even if Wang Zhuo intended to take this four million and gamble for something even bigger, she decided she wouldn't try to stop him anymore. Let him do as he pleased!

"Time to cash out and go home!" Wang Zhuo dusted off his clothes and stood up, waving goodbye to his fellow gamblers one by one. Ji Qiong’s heart finally settled back into place. It was finally over!

(To be continued; for how the story unfolds, support the author and legitimate reading for more chapters!) U