Chapter 396 - 358: Arrogant Little Days, Master Level Poker

At the dealer’s command, the white man and the Arab reluctantly revealed their hole cards: a small full house and a two pair.

Wang Jike’s heart had jumped when the Japanese man called his bet. Looking at the man’s visible cards, he knew the odds were stacked against him. "Seven-to-Jack straight flush in spades!"

After announcing his hand, Wang Jike looked at the Japanese man with a sliver of hope.

The Japanese man slammed his hole card onto the table and roared with laughter. "You Huaxia People will never surpass us Japanese!"

With his hole card—the ten of hearts—revealed, his hand instantly formed a sequence. An eight-to-Queen straight flush in hearts, just enough to beat Wang Jike.

Furious, Wang Jike angrily flung his cards into the middle of the table, then collapsed weakly against the back of his chair.

Wang Jike stared at the greatly diminished stack of chips in front of him, hesitating. ’Should I keep going?’

The Japanese man seemed to read his mind and said in somewhat stiff Huaxia: "There’s an old saying in Huaxia: the timid starve while the bold feast!"

"It’s because he was bold that my great-great-grandfather made his fortune during the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895)!"

"It’s because he was bold that my great-grandfather brought back so much wealth during the era of Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity!"

As he spoke, the short, stout Japanese man pulled a silver metal chain from around his neck. Dangling from it was a White Jade Guanyin, slightly larger than an adult’s thumb. "Look! This is what my great-grandfather brought back from your Huaxia. To get this Guanyin, he even personally cut down a scholar who refused to talk!"

Listening to the broadcast from the viewing area, Wu Yun’s fists clenched involuntarily. He stared intently at the Japanese man’s face, his own expression unreadable under Ayaka Sanji’s watchful gaze.

Looking at Wang Jike, whose eyes were turning red, the short, stout Japanese man chuckled. "It must be genetic, because I’m bold, too! Your Huaxia women really do have more flavor than our Japanese women! Hahahaha~"

Thanks to the casino-provided translator, the black man at the table also chuckled. "You’re right about that, brother! I’ve been to Guangzhou, and the Huaxia women there are really forward. So enthusiastic I could barely handle them!"

Wang Jike’s back was to Wu Yun, but Wu Yun could tell from his rigidly tense posture that he was furious.

But that was exactly what the Japanese man wanted; his anger played right into the trap.

And so, having lost all reason, Wang Jike played on. Despite a few wins scattered among his losses, he quickly lost his entire stake.

"Sir, will you be continuing?" the dealer asked.

The dealer’s question seemed to jolt Wang Jike from a trance. The color drained from his face, leaving it deathly pale.

Wang Jike stood up unsteadily. He shook his head, pushed his chair back, and started toward the exit.

But his legs gave way, and he stumbled, nearly falling to the floor. This prompted laughter from the others at the table.

The short, stout Japanese man was even worse, roaring with laughter. "Huaxia People really have weak nerves! Can’t even handle losing a little money!"

Wang Jike ignored them and walked out without a backward glance the moment an attendant opened the door.

The dealer had worked in this environment for a long time and had seen all kinds of reactions from people who lost money; he was unfazed by the scene.

After all, the burly attendants standing behind him weren’t just for show.

Stud poker can be played with as few as two people, but a five-person game is more exciting. With Wang Jike gone, there was now an empty seat.

The dealer picked up the microphone to his left. "We now have an open seat. Are there any spectators in the audience who would like to try their hand?"

The dealer had barely finished speaking when Wu Yun removed his arm from around Ayaka Sanji’s shoulder. He stood up and beckoned to a nearby staff member. "Get me in. I want to play."

All eyes in the audience turned toward him. Some looked surprised to see someone so young, but everyone knew that anyone sitting in the front row here was no ordinary person.

A few others who had been on the verge of standing up themselves saw Wu Yun act first and settled back into their seats.

The casino’s efficiency was impressive. After Wu Yun handed a ten-million-USD check to the staff, it was quickly verified, and the corresponding chips were brought to him.

Since it was a check that hadn’t been cashed at a bank, Wu Yun didn’t receive any notification about gaining experience points.

While observing the game, Wu Yun had noticed that only the black man had a skill level of Poker Mastery. The others were merely at the proficient or novice level.

So, upon deciding to join, Wu Yun immediately purchased two Master Level Skills from the system store: Poker and Speed Memorization.

In Wu Yun’s view, the twenty-million investment would be a surefire profit if he could win all the chips on the table, including those Wang Jike had lost.

Stepping into the playing area and seeing the black man up close, Wu Yun finally understood why he was wearing sunglasses.

’Wu Yun had originally thought the man was just trying to look cool. But now that I think about it,’ he mused, ’the eyes are the windows to the soul. Along with the eyebrows, they reveal micro-expressions that psychology experts can use to read a person’s true thoughts.’

Wu Yun had just taken his seat when the short, stout Japanese man spoke up, prodding him. "South Korean?"

Wu Yun could tell from the man’s raised eyebrow and tone that the jab was deliberate. He smiled and retorted in Japanese, "Takeda Sang, Japan has already surrendered. Aren’t you going to surrender to your Han ancestors today?"

Takeda Nobuyoshi was the short, stout man’s name.

A flash of surprise crossed Takeda Nobuyoshi’s face, immediately followed by rage. "You fool! You’re from Huaxia?!"

Wu Yun switched to the Huaxia language. "That’s right, your ancestor. No! I refuse to acknowledge having descendants like you!"

Wu Yun’s words brought smiles to the faces of those in the audience who understood the Huaxia language.

Takeda Nobuyoshi’s eyes turned red as he glared at Wu Yun. If he’d had a katana handy, he looked ready to cut Wu Yun down.

"Huaxia man, you’d better watch your neck!" Takeda Nobuyoshi narrowed his eyes, glanced at the attendants who were slowly closing in, then spat out the threat and sat back down.

Wu Yun just shrugged, nonchalantly noting that his Affinity with Takeda Nobuyoshi had dropped to -30.

He then uncharacteristically adopted a provocative tone, speaking to the black man in English. "Hey, boy. You’d better have your retirement fund ready, because I’m planning on cleaning you out today."

Wu Yun wasn’t trying to make enemies of everyone, however. He simply nodded to the white man and the Arab before saying, "Let’s begin."

The dealer nodded, took a fifty-two-card deck from the side, and placed it in the center of the table. Spreading his hands, he gestured to the players. "Gentlemen, please inspect the deck."

When it was his turn, a faint smile played on Wu Yun’s lips, and his eyes glinted with an enigmatic light. He stood up and reached for the deck.

Wu Yun flicked a finger across the top of the deck, spreading all fifty-two cards into a perfect ribbon across the table.

Then, before anyone could get a clear look, he reversed the motion with a flick of his wrist, collapsing the spread back into a single neat deck.

The entire sequence was a single, fluid motion, the work of a veteran poker player who had spent years at the table.

Because of this display, the pupils of the black man at the end of the table contracted. He was now giving Wu Yun his full and undivided attention.

Takeda Nobuyoshi, sitting between Wu Yun and the black man, scoffed disdainfully. "Hmph. Just showing off." His body, however, betrayed him as he sat up straighter in his chair.

Settling back into his chair, Wu Yun leaned back and slightly narrowed his eyes, appearing as though he were resting.

In reality, however, he was concentrating intently, his gaze locked on the dealer’s every minute movement.

Once Takeda Nobuyoshi and the black man had also inspected the deck, the dealer began to shuffle with blinding speed. His movements were incredibly skilled; the fifty-two cards flew and morphed in his hands, a dazzling blur to the onlookers.

Although everyone was staring intently at the deck in the dealer’s hands, Wu Yun knew that besides the black man, none of the others posed a threat.

As a hand-picked professional, the dealer’s speed and technique were casino-certified. An ordinary person could never hope to follow his movements.

And so, after just a few shuffles from the dealer, the middle-aged white man and the Arab were the first to give up on trying to track the cards, resigning themselves to waiting for the deal.