C18 No Need to Brag

"Sounds like you're from Freyfield by the accent."

Tang Ye appeared to be trying to cozy up to Qin Shan, who responded with a chilly demeanor. His eyes, hidden beneath the brim of his hat, were inscrutable.

The dealer finished dealing the third round of cards. Tang Ye had an 8 with an Ace in the hole, the woman held a 9, and the others had the following: the old man a 3, the man with glasses a 10, the dapper young man a 6, and Qin Shan a 4.

All of them opted to draw more cards. The woman drew a 5 for a total of 14. Tang Ye drew a 2, the old man a 7, the man with glasses an 8 and folded his hand, the dapper young man also drew an 8, and Qin Shan drew a 6, bringing his total to 10.

Tang Ye, having apparently learned from his earlier missteps, refrained from any bluster this time. The woman confidently tossed in another 100,000. Tang Ye followed suit, calm and collected, and the old man did the same. When it was the dapper young man's turn, he promptly matched the 100,000. Qin Shan, maintaining a low profile, simply matched the bet with 100,000.

Seeing the quiet resolve around the table, the woman raised the stakes: "Since no one else is making a move, let's up it by another 300,000."

Without a moment's hesitation, Tang Ye grabbed 300,000 from his stack of chips and threw it into the pot. The old man, still beaming with confidence, cheerfully matched the raise.

The dapper young man, visibly displeased, shook his head and said, "I'm out." He discarded his hand, and Qin Shan, silent as ever, began his own betting game by nonchalantly throwing 500,000 into the center.

"What's the deal? I've always heard that Freyfield gamblers are fierce. Are you trying to clean us out today?" the old man asked, turning to Qin Shan.

"On the gambling table, nothing else matters," Qin Shan replied in his raspy voice.

"That's the spirit. We're all here for the thrill, and when facing a pro like you, I'm definitely in," Tang Ye said, looking at Qin Shan as he tossed in 500,000, effectively bypassing the woman's bet.

The young woman seized the moment to toss her hand into the pile, lamenting, "I just can't catch a break with the cards today. You all carry on without me."

The old man, not to be outdone, threw in half a million and followed suit. Now each of the three players had a 10 showing. The old man appeared to have great faith in his hidden card.

Qin Shan's confidence seemed even greater, as he casually placed a million on the table and asked, "Are any of you going to keep up?"

Tang Ye matched the bet with a million of his own, eyeing Qin Shan with a mischievous look. "Why wouldn't I follow?"

Sensing the tide turning against him, the old man decided to bow out, leaving Tang Ye and Qin Shan to battle it out.

Qin Shan confidently threw in another two million. Tang Ye didn't hesitate to follow, tossing his two million onto the table.

Qin Shan looked up at Tang Ye, their eyes locked briefly before parting. With his signature voice, Qin Shan mused, "So, you really want to keep going?"

"At the gambling table, it's all about the joy of the game," Tang Ye responded.

When everyone expected Qin Shan to continue, he surprisingly folded, dropping his gaze and conceding, "You've won."

A young onlooker quipped, "I was expecting you guys to raise the stakes to ten million. That's it?"

Qin Shan remained silent, his head down, as the third round concluded with Tang Ye recouping some losses.

The fourth round began with the young woman drawing an 8, Tang Ye revealing a K, the old man holding a 7, the man with glasses a 4, the young man a 9, and Qin Shan also a 7.

Qin Shan was his usual self, not even glancing at his cards as if he already knew what he held. Tang Ye, mimicking Qin Shan, let his cards rest undisturbed and, with his arms folded across his chest, remarked with intrigue, "I'm curious to see if your style of play gives you an edge."

The game proceeded. The young woman drew a Q and, in dismay, discarded her hand.

Tang Ye was dealt a 4, but he seemed to have no interest in checking his hidden card. The young man couldn't resist advising, "Brother, you can't just copy him; he's a seasoned player. I've heard that in Freyfield, the pros can predict their cards before they even hit the table. If you play like this and bust, it'll be quite the embarrassment."

Tang Ye spoke with indifference, "If my hand busts, I'll simply pay out double."

"You sure know how to enjoy the game."

The old man opted not to draw a card, instead observing the game's dynamics from the sidelines. The man with glasses dealt another seven, the young master received an eight, and Qin Shan got a queen.

"Hey, with three sevens already on the table, you'd need the last seven as your hole card to hit blackjack. Do you even have a hole card?" The young master scrutinized the table, challenging Tang Ye.

With brimming confidence, Tang Ye replied, "If I didn't have that bit of luck, I wouldn't be here gambling."

"Luck alone won't save you if you don't have the reserves to cover your losses," the man with glasses said with a chuckle, wiping his glasses. The tension in the room was palpable, causing his glasses to fog up from the sweat on his skin.

"Let's skip the talk and go big this time," Tang Ye declared, tossing out a million. "I bet my hole card is that last seven. If you doubt it, go ahead and match it."

"Are you really that confident?" The young master said, clearly irked. "You're sitting at fourteen, with just one seven left. If you pull that off, you must be incredibly lucky."

"Enough talk. If you're feeling confident, then follow," Tang Ye said, looking around at the others with self-assurance.

The young master couldn't swallow his pride and matched the million-dollar bet. The old man folded immediately, and the man with glasses, after considering his own hand, also decided to fold.

All eyes then turned to Qin Shan for his next move. Unfazed by Tang Ye's bravado, Qin Shan coolly tossed in a million.

Now only three players remained, each unwilling to back down, silently vying for dominance. Tang Ye, pleased with himself, boasted, "I'm not just blowing smoke—I have a very reliable intuition. When I feel lucky, I don't even need to look; I know the card I need is right there."

"Give it a rest. Who are you trying to deceive? You're not that skilled. You win one hand and suddenly you're this cocky," the young master scoffed at Tang Ye. "I'll take you down first, then deal with him."

Qin Shan remained impassive in response to the young master's remarks. Each of the trio had already put down two million dollars, showing no signs of slowing down.

An elderly man turned to Tang Ye and cautioned, "Young man, perhaps it's best to call it quits. If you keep this up and don't draw a seven, you could stand to lose a fortune."