Chapter 641: All In
"Oh..." Qi Xia slowly furrowed his brow. "You want to raise the stakes..."
"That's right." Di Hou glanced at Qi Xia's cards and said, "I want to add two 'Dao.' Can anyone match that?"
The moment those words left his mouth, almost everyone's escape routes were cut off.
At the start, they had each put in one 'Dao.' The first round's first raise added another 'Dao.' Now, with two more 'Dao' being thrown in, it had already climbed to four 'Dao' just in the first round.
Whether Di Hou had planned this all along or was simply testing the waters, the two 'Dao' he had just proposed represented the entirety of Qi Xia and Qiao Jajin's holdings. Everyone else could only choose to concede. For Di Hou, four 'Dao' was nothing, but for the others, it was practically an 'All In.'
After all, no one could afford to match such a steep bet unless they were willing to stake their lives.
Before anyone could make a decision, Di Hou had already pulled two 'Dao' from under the table and tossed them onto its surface. Now, four translucent 'Dao' lay before him, staring at the others like so many eyes, silently urging them to back down while they still could.
Seeing this, Chen Junnan and Tiantian immediately flipped their cards face-down on the table, reluctantly bowing out of this round. Zheng Yingxiong also shoved his cards away with a hint of frustration.
They simply didn't have enough 'chips' to keep up.
From the very beginning, this game had been grossly unbalanced. Not only did Di Hou know all the 'rules,' but he also dealt the cards and announced the winners. On top of that, he possessed wealth that surpassed everyone else's. For the others to choose to gamble against him under such conditions required far better luck and a sharper mind than usual—otherwise, their chances of winning were less than one percent.
"Are you two still in?" Di Hou asked, looking at Qi Xia and Qiao Jajin before him.
Qiao Jajin slightly lifted his 'hole card.' On it was written 'Start of Autumn.'
At present, his hand consisted of one 'Great Heat' and one 'Start of Autumn,' while Di Hou's visible card was a 'Summer Solstice.'
Qiao Jajin thought for a moment, then said, "Fat Monkey, do you know what?"
"What?"
"I grew up on the streets," Qiao Jajin said slowly, stroking his card. "In every one of our branches, before any group activity, we consult the lunar calendar. We never pay any attention to Westerners' systems. So 'solar terms' are just as important to us."
"Oh?"
"Since you said 'Frost Descent' is 'the 23rd day of the ninth lunar month,' then my 'Great Heat' would be 'the 21st day of the sixth lunar month,' and your 'Summer Solstice' is 'the 21st day of the fifth lunar month,' right?" Qiao Jajin asked.
"That's the logic," Di Hou nodded.
"Just looking at our 'open cards,' my date is later than yours, so I'm staying in too." With that, Qiao Jajin tossed out his remaining two 'Dao' and then revealed the 'Start of Autumn' in his hand. "I don't believe this last card of mine can't beat yours."
Qi Xia saw the 'hole card' in Qiao Jajin's hand: 'Start of Autumn,' 'the 8th day of the seventh lunar month.' If they were really comparing by traditional date order, this card wasn't especially big or small—its fate was uncertain.
Of course, there was another possibility: this was just one of Qiao Jajin's tactics.
At that moment, Qiao Jajin turned to look at Qi Xia and said in a low voice, "Trickster, if it's just the two of you opening your cards, we get too little information. If the three of us open together, you can look at all our cards and get a better idea of what counts as 'big.' Even if I lose everything, it's just a drop in the bucket."
"Fine." Qi Xia understood Qiao Jajin's plan. He raised his head and looked at Di Hou again.
"Are you staying in?" Di Hou said. "As a veteran gambler, let me give you some advice: I suggest you just fold."
"Oh? Why?"
"Because after you match, I'll raise again. You don't have any chips left to match, so you'll only lose," Di Hou said.
"How boring would that be?" Qi Xia replied. "Your logic stops holding up right there."
"Oh?"
"You said you've waited so long for a round of 'Shuowang Yue,' and yet you want to unleash all your killing moves in the very first round to make me lose. That doesn't add up," Qi Xia said.
"I hadn't planned on going this far either." A smirk tugged at the corner of Di Hou's mouth. "But your current state feels dangerous to me. I'm going to play it safe and take you down here."
"Too bad you're lying," Qi Xia said. "I don't think your cards are good enough to beat me."
Qi Xia's face was now a stark contrast of red and white, like a demon painted with war marks—enough to send a chill through Di Hou.
"You know... winning doesn't have to be just about the cards," Di Hou said. "I can also compare chips with you. As long as I keep raising, you won't be able to keep up, and the outcome will be decided before the cards are even opened."
"Then let me make this clear." Qi Xia tapped the table. "From this moment on, whenever you name a stake I can't afford, I'll boldly wager my own life."
"What?!" Di Hou's eyes slowly widened at these words. "You're... that insane?"
"So 'chips' can't hold me back," Qi Xia said calmly. "And I don't think I'm going to lose."
"Have you figured out the rules of the game?"
"More or less. Now I'm just waiting for you to open," Qi Xia replied.
The others had been watching Di Hou, Qi Xia, and Qiao Jajin, still in the game, holding their breath for them the entire time.
This was only the first round, and everyone had already gambled everything they had. If Qi Xia and Qiao Jajin lost, they would all die together.
Because Di Hou had already closed the casino. No new customers would come today, and they had no extra capital to gamble with Di Hou again. Such an outcome was no different from death.
"Fine..." Di Hou nodded. "I just hope you don't regret this."
"Why would I regret it?"
"Just looking at the known cards on the table, only you can still compete with me. But I feel your chances of beating me are slim."
"What makes you say that?"
"This deck has thirty-six cards in total." Di Hou grinned. "Your 'open card' plus the 'community cards' on the table have already determined your hand pattern. Right now, there is only one card that can make your hand bigger than mine. But I don't believe I'm that unlucky."
"Is that so?" A slight smile also curled at the corner of Qi Xia's mouth. "Then let me tell you something too."
"I'm all ears," Di Hou said.
Qi Xia raised his 'hole card' and slowly moved it toward his left cheek. Now only his crimson right cheek faced Di Hou, like a true demon incarnate.
"This card is far too lethal for you. I've just thought of six possible rules for comparing card sizes, and there's only one rule under which I can't beat you."
"Six rules...?" Di Hou slowly frowned, as if trying to judge whether Qi Xia was telling the truth or not.