Second installment,

…

Clap clap clap~~

A brief silence had fallen over the entire venue until a round of applause broke out, snapping everyone back to reality and prompting them to join in with clapping. The last round was obviously quite exciting.

That's just how it goes in a casino. Qin Fang had clearly intended to fold, but then Ye Xiang couldn't help but provoke Qin Fang with a sarcastic remark. That's what led Qin Fang into the bet, and unexpectedly, he turned the tables right at the last minute, trapping Ye Xiang in his own game.

"How could this happen?"

Ye Xiang looked at the cards on the table in disbelief. He had indeed lost, and quite embarrassingly too. What made it even more humiliating was that the first person to applaud Qin Fang had been Qiao Zhenfei, the Qiao Family's Third Young Master, whom he had tried so hard to ingratiate himself with.

"Young Master Ye seems a bit too impatient..."

Qin Fang's ability to deliver sly digs wasn't any less remarkable; he seized the opportunity to rub salt in Ye Xiang's wound.

"You..."

Ye Xiang, petty as he already was, felt a deep animosity towards Qin Fang and started plotting on how to take him down.

"Young Master Ye is a bit impatient, but let's continue..."

Ye Xiang had no chance to retaliate with words against Qin Fang anymore. Qiao Zhenfei did speak up for him, yet his words seemed less like defending Ye Xiang and more like aiding Qin Fang in putting him down.

Nevertheless, Qiao Zhenfei's words were effective. Ye Xiang immediately quieted down, and the gaming session continued.

Ye Xiang truly was petty. His recent defeat, which had caused him to lose face, made him target Qin Fang directly. Whenever Qin Fang called, he would be sure to follow and even raise the bet, making the atmosphere increasingly tense.

However, raising the stakes didn't necessarily mean winning. The other players at the table were not too concerned about a two-million-dollar bet and would decisively make their move when needed.

As a result, not only did Ye Xiang fail to win, but he also lost quite a lot. If it wasn't for the fact that he had won a fair amount earlier, his chips would have already been wiped clean by now. In contrast, Qin Fang won a couple of rounds and had almost broken even with his chips.

"Young Master Ye, it seems like your luck has already run out..."

Qin Fang's sarcastic comments were always timely.

"Luck? Perhaps... Get me five million worth of chips!"

Ye Xiang's expression turned cold. He handed a card to a bodyguard-like person beside him to exchange for chips. Such a request was quite normal; one couldn't just forbid someone from trying to recover their losses. However, Ye Xiang's demeanor suggested he was getting desperate.

"Five million, that's a bold move..."

Qin Fang clicked his tongue in mock amazement. He didn't know if Ye Xiang was really desperate, but he was sure that Ye Xiang was truly angered, and he started taunting him again.

"Mr. Qin, I really don't like you!"

Had it not been for Qiao Zhenfei sitting nearby, Ye Xiang would have probably slammed the table in anger. But all he could do now was to express his dissatisfaction this way.

"The feeling is mutual! I'm not particularly fond of you either, Young Master Ye..."

Qin Fang's face remained adorned with a nonchalant smile. It wasn't just a lack of appreciation; it was pure loathing. If it weren't for Ye Xiang's sensitive status, Qin Fang would have dealt with him already.

"Fine, since that's the case, do you dare to gamble with me one-on-one?"

Ye Xiang was furious, directing all his anger at Qin Fang. He also knew better than to stir up dissatisfaction with the others, so he directly challenged Qin Fang.

"Oh, what do you propose?"

Qin Fang responded in his usual manner, though his tone revealed a bit of interest.

"You've got about two million on the table, and I'll also put up two million. Let's decide the winner in a single round!" Ye Xiang couldn't stand Qin Fang and wanted to wipe him out in one go.

Qin Fang hesitated for a moment, frowning slightly as if undecided. After all, a single round to determine the winner would be entirely down to luck, with far too much randomness.

The spectators were captivated by this gambling proposition. They came to see big-stake games, which were exciting. Those previous bets of only a few hundred thousand were mere trifles to them, interesting for a while but ultimately boring. But now, with Ye Xiang's bold challenge, they became enthusiastic and waited for Qin Fang's response, with some even urging him in a loud whisper to "agree to it" and "agree to it."

"It seems that the audience is quite passionate! I can't let them down! Alright, I accept..."

Yet, in the end, Qin Fang jokingly agreed.

"But 2 million really isn't interesting, how about this, you have 5 million in chips on the table, so I'll bring out another 3 million, and we'll still settle it with one hand..."

When Qin Fang agreed, the audience was already energized, but no one expected Qin Fang to actually raise the bet, going straight from 2 million to 5 million, which meant that their hand of cards was worth 10 million.

Such a high stake might be nothing in Macau, but in the Inland's smaller gambling circles, it was definitely considered an extraordinary bet. Even Qiao Zhenfei couldn't help but take a second look at Qin Fang, and he was becoming interested as well.

"Good, you've really got nerve, come on then, deal the cards..."

Ye Xiang was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, a bit confused about why Qin Fang was so confident. However, not wanting to lose face, and hating Qin Fang to his core, of course Ye Xiang wouldn't choose to back down, and immediately agreed, making a gesture with his eyes to the croupier.

Qin Fang's expression hesitated slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. It was clear that the Elite Salon's casino wasn't that clean, that there were some unknown tricks inside.

"Wait a moment..."

Just as the croupier was about to deal the cards, Qiao Zhenfei suddenly spoke up.

"Third Young Master, what is this...?"

Ye Xiang was momentarily stunned, unclear on what Qiao Zhenfei intended.

"I'm just a bit itchy to see such a big game, if you two don't mind, let me be the dealer for this hand!"

Qiao Zhenfei said cheerfully, and despite his gentle words, his meaning was not up for discussion, but rather undeniable.

"That would be fantastic, couldn't ask for more... couldn't ask for more..."

When Ye Xiang said this, his expression almost looked tearful. Others might not be aware, but Ye Xiang himself knew all too well that Qiao Zhenfei must have noticed the croupier's trickery and thus spoke up.

Without the croupier's help, the outcome of this hand of cards really would be left to fate. Although Ye Xiang had been quick to put up the money, losing 5 million would definitely cause him pain for a long time, let alone losing it to an enemy.

"Third Young Master, much obliged!"

Qin Fang, on the other hand, appeared very relaxed, and made a polite gesture with his hand.

With both parties in agreement, Qiao Zhenfei began dealing the cards. Since it was a direct bet, all earlier steps were skipped, and he dealt five cards straightaway.

Three of the cards were already laid face up on the table, and aside from one hole card, both men simultaneously picked up their last card; the result hinged on these final two.

On Qin Fang's side, the three cards face up were the spade 5, 6, and 7. Ye Xiang had the heart J, Q, and K. Clearly, Ye Xiang had the stronger cards by appearance, and coincidentally, both were on the verge of a flush.

"Looks like my luck is still pretty good..."

The somewhat worried Ye Xiang, seeing the cards on the table, immediately smiled. Looking across at Qin Fang, whose face seemed a bit dark, Ye Xiang couldn't help but taunt him.

The fifth cards were quickly revealed; Ye Xiang had an Ace of Hearts, while Qin Fang had a spade 4. With this, both were still on the verge of a flush, but Ye Xiang's cards were just stronger than Qin Fang's.

All onlookers began to feel the tension mount, especially Ye Xiang. Even though he was holding the advantage, he couldn't assure himself of victory until the hole cards were turned over.

Ye Xiang nervously flipped over his hole card, his eyes briefly pausing before he slapped the card down on the table with a snap. The watching crowd, thinking Ye Xiang had a mishap, turned their attention to the card on the table, only to see it was a heart 9.

Ye Xiang's hearts 9, J, Q, K, A made a flush, narrowly missing out on a straight flush which would've guaranteed Qin Fang's loss. Now, however, Qin Fang still clung to a slim chance of victory.

"Spade 3 and 8, only two cards could turn the tables. Looks like Younger Brother Qin is really in danger..."

As the dealer, Qiao Zhenfei watched the cards, then commented in a very impartial way, despite his inclination toward the underdog, Qin Fang. If Qin Fang's hole card wasn't one of those two, it would merely indicate his bad luck.

"Now I'm really nervous. If I lose this hand, I'd be left completely destitute!" Qin Fang spoke as if afraid and agitated, yet he himself seemed unaware of such feelings.

"Young Master Qin, it all comes down to this hand, flip the card!"

Ye Xiang was already anticipating the thrill of victory. With a 43-to-2 chance ratio, it certainly wasn't high; in fact, it was quite low. Qin Fang's chances of winning were slim.

"It seems Young Master Ye is quite anxious, how about this, I'm too nervous to turn it. Please do me the honor, Young Master Ye..."

Qin Fang hesitated for a moment, then cheerfully addressed Ye Xiang.

"Eh...

All who heard this were slightly startled. It was truly the first time anyone saw a gambler ask his opponent to flip the card for him, especially when Qin Fang himself hadn't even looked at his hole card.

As the acting dealer, Qiao Zhenfei was also slightly surprised, then looked at Qin Fang with a keen interest, as if he found him to his taste, which made Qin Fang involuntarily shudder, feeling a tightness below. (To be continued. For more chapters, please visit www.qidian.com. Support the author, support genuine reading!)

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