Chapter 650: A Trap
"Oh...?" When Ground Monkey heard the words "Dragon Boat Festival," his expression clearly shifted.
There was a hint of disdain in that gaze, along with a trace of amusement.
"I don't know what you mean... Did you draw the 'Dragon Boat Festival'?" Qi Xia didn't answer, just kept staring at him coldly.
"I advise you not to play any tricks," Qi Xia said. "I refuse to believe that certain cards would appear this frequently."
"You're really wronging me..." Ground Monkey put on an aggrieved look. "This time, you were the ones who shuffled and dealt the cards. How could I possibly play tricks?"
"Hmph." Qi Xia let out a cold snort, then turned his own card over. "In any case, you're not being honest. I fold."
Hearing Qi Xia say he was folding, Ground Monkey clearly became interested. "It's your choice to fold."
Qi Xia didn't say anything, just wore an impatient expression. Ground Monkey couldn't tell what he was thinking.
"Ha." Ground Monkey laughed, then looked around at the others at the table. "Everyone, no one else wants to raise? Then I'm going to..."
"Uncle, I want to 'raise,'" Zheng Yingxiong said, looking up.
Those five words nearly choked Ground Monkey.
"Y-you want to raise?" Ground Monkey asked in disbelief.
The child in front of him, who looked only seven or eight years old, had already shocked him by betting "a secret that must be answered truthfully" in the previous round. Now, with Ground Monkey's own hand being so strong, why would this kid choose to raise? Did he have some new plan?
"Yes, Uncle. This time I choose to raise," Zheng Yingxiong repeated. "I think the cards I got are very strong."
Qi Xia's eyes widened instantly. "What did you say...?"
Ground Monkey ignored Qi Xia and instead spoke to Zheng Yingxiong. "Alright... I'd like to see what new idea you have this time. Is it a 'secret,' a 'story,' or your own 'experience'?"
"None of those. This time I'm betting four 'Dao,'" Zheng Yingxiong answered without hesitation.
As his words fell, the room fell into deathly silence.
Not only Ground Monkey, but even Xiao Cheng and Tiantian on the side, as well as Qiao Jiajin and Chen Junan—who were picking their ears and noses in their seats—were stunned.
"You're betting four 'Dao'...?" Ground Monkey finally broke the silence, asking incredulously.
"That's right, Uncle." Zheng Yingxiong nodded.
Ground Monkey pursed his lips, squinting his murky eyes as he stared at Zheng Yingxiong. Although he was wary of this kid, he didn't think he had such strong mental fortitude.
So what was this bet of four 'Dao' supposed to be...?
"No!" Qi Xia said harshly. "I won't allow it. This 'bet' is void."
"What?" Ground Monkey turned his head to look at Qi Xia. "You said it's 'void'?"
"That's right." Qi Xia nodded. "He's just an eight-year-old child. What he says is childish nonsense. There's no need to take it seriously. Just reveal your cards."
"No!" Zheng Yingxiong stood up, looking seriously at Qi Xia. "I'm not talking nonsense. I really want to 'raise'!"
"I said no means no!" Qi Xia frowned and shot Zheng Yingxiong a meaningful look. "Don't hold everyone back at a critical moment. Besides, you don't have that many 'Dao.' Sit down!"
"You lend them to me!" Zheng Yingxiong said. "Commoner brother, don't worry. I am the 'Hero.' I will definitely lead everyone to victory!"
"Can you stop playing that ridiculous 'Hero game'? This gamble is tied to all of our lives. How can I let you fool around here?"
Qi Xia kept his brows furrowed, looking very irritable.
Everyone hadn't expected that Qi Xia and Zheng Yingxiong, seated farthest apart, would start arguing across four people. Their expressions all grew uneasy.
"Lao Qi..." Chen Junan spoke up first. "Don't get worked up... You know that kid always talks like that, but he's still pretty smart, right?"
"Right, right!" Qiao Jiajin quickly chimed in to smooth things over. "Conman, calm down first. Hear what the kid has to say."
At this point, Xiao Cheng and Tiantian also hurriedly nodded in agreement. "Yeah, listen to Zheng Yingxiong's idea first, then you guys can..."
"Everyone." Ground Monkey interrupted the conversation. "Are you all mistaken about something?"
Qi Xia turned his head away unhappily, as if he already knew what Ground Monkey was going to say.
Ground Monkey swept his gaze across the group. "Whether that kid is really 'raising' or not isn't up to him, is it? Who exactly makes the rules in this casino?"
"Fat Monkey, don't go too far!" Qiao Jiajin said. "You're a middle-aged man who knows the rules inside out, going against an eight-year-old kid. He's staked his life on this game. Can't you let him make a careful choice?"
"Unfortunately," Ground Monkey laughed, "I've said before, we treat 'the young and the old alike.' Everyone is the same here. I only see them as 'customers' or 'opponents.' I never treat anyone differently. He said he'd raise, so he's raising."
After hearing this, Qi Xia let out a breath and said, "How about this, Ground Monkey. Reduce it to two. Let's each give a little."
"No, four," Ground Monkey said. "If this kid can't put up four, I'll count him out right now, and all his chips on the table will be mine."
Qi Xia frowned, his eyes shifting slightly as if thinking something over.
"You also know," Ground Monkey continued, "if any one of you six beats me, you all win. But if I take out one person now, what are you going to do?" His expression grew more contemptuous, making everyone uncomfortable.
Qi Xia lowered his head and pondered for nearly ten seconds before saying, "Whatever. Suit yourself."
He unceremoniously tossed the four 'Dao' he had won in the last round onto the table, scattering them across the surface. Then he spread his hands and covered his forehead.
The rest of the people couldn't afford such a large stake, so they could only fold their cards one by one, announcing their withdrawal from this round.
When it was Ground Monkey's turn, he placed four 'Dao' on the table. Now, the table was densely covered with 'Dao.'
This game of "Lunar Month" had only reached its second round, and the stakes had already risen to seven 'Dao' per person. Strangely enough, Ground Monkey, the casino owner, had driven the stakes to such a high level against an eight-year-old child.
"Don't think it's unfair," Ground Monkey said. "Kid, when you grow up, you'll learn that people must take responsibility for what they say. In this world, no one is going to indulge you."
With that, he turned over his own card. "Grain in Ear."
"My hand is a 'straight' plus 'one pair,'" Ground Monkey sneered. "What kind of hand do you plan to use to beat me?"
Zheng Yingxiong listened expressionlessly, then reached out and turned over his own 'hole card.'
"Dragon Boat Festival."
At this point, Zheng Yingxiong's hand was "Winter Solstice," "Dragon Boat Festival," plus the community card "Start of Summer."
"Uncle... do you think I won?"
(Brothers, family members, tomorrow evening (November 4th), the physical book will officially be available for pre-order. I'll be live streaming on my Douyin account, starting around 6:30 PM to chat with everyone, and the sale will begin at 7:00 PM sharp. Since I'm not sure if there will be other discounts, I can only confirm the price is around 30+ yuan. Orders placed within the first ten seconds after 7:00 PM will get signed special edition books, and orders within the first five minutes will get personally signed books—both unlimited. There will also be a lucky draw in the livestream. If you're interested, feel free to come and show your support. Although it might go on until late, I won't take a day off tomorrow; I'll update as usual. To those who don't purchase the physical book, thank you so much for your support. I love you all.)