Chapter 1477 - 1467: Your Old Ji Is Too Ruthless

Constantine Stewart took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves elegantly, and sat down to play cards with Ignatius Leclair, Augustus Howard, and Drake Howard.

The four of them played the most common game of poker, and it was Constantine Stewart who requested to play poker.

"Apply to switch to Mahjong, I haven’t played poker for ages, Old Constantine, your taste is so outdated," Augustus Howard said disdainfully.

"I can only play poker," Constantine Stewart said leisurely, "Lose and just pay up, stop talking so much."

"How high are we playing?" Ignatius Leclair didn’t mind the game, as a bunch of guys couldn’t be gossiping like women, and playing cards killed time. Anyway, he was an expert card counter.

"Whatever, let’s make it a hundred thousand per game." Constantine Stewart waved to call Richard Shaw, "Vice Admiral Shaw, since you don’t play cards anyway, get me an Americano coffee."

"Old Constantine, are you asking for trouble, daring to order around Richard Shaw? A cup of Pu’er tea, please," Drake Howard said with a grin.

"I’ve quit coffee, just a glass of plain water for me, and get a cup of floral tea for my wife, she’s feeling under the weather." Ignatius Leclair smiled gracefully and elegantly.

"A bunch of beasts. Vice Admiral Shaw, a cup of pre-rain Dragon Well, please," Augustus Howard laughed and swore as he started playing, "Five sixes."

"Six nines!" Constantine Stewart sneered, "Three with two, card bomb, pay up."

Richard Shaw: "..."

Everyone: "!!!"

In no time, Constantine Stewart had already amassed a pile of chips.

"Old Ignatius, are you holding back?" Alaric Howard, who lost the worst, felt his heart bleeding. His monthly allowance was limited, and even his secret savings couldn’t handle such wastefulness. He was just a minor government official, not like the crazy business tycoons Ignatius Leclair and Constantine Stewart.

"A hundred thousand per game is too small; I’m too lazy to count cards, just throwing them randomly." Ignatius Leclair drank his plain water and deliberately gave Constantine Stewart another small card.

"Let’s switch places; this isn’t going anywhere." Balthazar Howard wailed like a ghost, "Old Richard, you come and switch up the luck."

"I don’t play cards." Richard Shaw’s gaze settled on Leah, sitting on the other side, his eyes gentle enough to drip water. Being newlyweds, he had neither the heart nor the inclination to play cards.

As they spoke, Chloe Winston pushed the door open and came in.

"Chloe, you arrived just in time. Help me out here; Constantine Stewart is heartless," Balthazar Howard exclaimed brightly upon seeing Chloe come in.

Chloe Winston hesitated, seeing the four playing cards, while Leah and Delphine were chatting with the two girls from the Shaw Family. She instinctively said, "I don’t know how to play cards."

"Your Old Constantine is too ruthless; we need you to dampen his arrogance." Alaric Howard jumped up and immediately gave up his seat.

Chloe Winston was forced onto Alaric Howard’s seat, sitting nervously before a table of big shots.

"Just play casually; if you lose, I’ll cover it." Constantine Stewart’s eyes slid over her fair little face, speaking with a deep gaze.

"Oh damn, I spat out a mouthful of dog food; I’m continuing to spit."

"Even a single old man dares to flaunt love?" Ignatius Leclair sneered.

"Compete with children if you’re capable," Balthazar Howard added.

Constantine Stewart, being mocked: "..."

He shouldn’t have come.

The commotion here also attracted Delphine and Leah. Delphine saw Chloe sitting at the card table a bit anxiously, and her face was about to cry, so she laughed, "Chloe, play a couple rounds. Alaric probably lost all his secret savings already."

"Don’t hit the face; don’t expose people’s shortcomings. Thank you, everyone." Alaric Howard pretended to worship, bringing laughter to everyone in the room.

Chloe Winston took her cards, realizing it was poker, felt confident knowing she was good at it.

Once Chloe started playing, the person holding back shifted to Constantine Stewart, who began to tear apart his cards messily while calculating Chloe’s hand. Despite her surprise, Chloe found every card played from the upper hand matched her hand, swiftly transferring the chips in front of Constantine to her.

Alaric Howard was delighted, grinning and saying, "I’ll cover the bill tonight, don’t fight me over it."

The pile of chips was considerable; Constantine Stewart’s move surely lost a cool million.

"How much per game?" Chloe Winston asked, noticing Alaric Howard’s joy.

"One dollar per game," Constantine Stewart replied lazily, causing everyone to grin knowingly.

Chloe Winston sensed something amiss and unwillingly stopped playing, finding an excuse to chat on the side with Delphine and Leah.

Seeing Chloe stop playing, Constantine Stewart lost interest too and went out to smoke.

The man crouched by the hallway’s floor-to-ceiling window, smoking in boredom. When Richard Shaw came out, he saw the indifferent expression turned somewhat distant and cool.

"I remember you don’t smoke." Richard Shaw leaned against the wall, speaking casually.

"I used to smoke, but aside from not visiting brothels, I did everything else." Constantine Stewart stubbed out the cigarette, gazing deeply at the bustling world outside as he spoke, "After returning to the Imperial City, I took care of a young lady who couldn’t stand the smell of smoke, so I quit."

"I heard your mother came to the Imperial City, but you’ve been avoiding her?" Richard Shaw murmured quietly.

"I haven’t seen her in many years, so what, she went to the Shaw Family?" Constantine Stewart furrowed his brow.

"Yes, she came through diplomatic channels; it wasn’t good to not meet her. She talked to the old lady about her hardships over the years, hoping she could mediate between you two, but the old lady refused," Richard Shaw said calmly. Grandmother felt compassion for Constantine and didn’t want to meddle in the mother-son relationship.

Constantine Stewart was slightly moved, his gaze lowered, and he hoarsely said, "Grandmother Shaw is the most open-minded and wise woman I’ve met. Old Richard, good people ultimately receive good things; the Shaw Family has seen its ups and downs, and now fortune comes your way."

"I think so too," Richard Shaw smiled warmly, softening his stern, handsome face. The Shaw Family had struggled for many years; now, both he and grandmother felt content.

"Grandmother has always treated you as her own grandson. You should settle down early too. Once you have children, you’ll know that protecting the woman and child you love is a blissful thing."

"Yes, I’ll see to it." Constantine Stewart lit another cigarette. His long, fair fingers gracefully holding the cigarette, even crouching on the side, were extraordinarily dashing and seductive.

"Hey, how come you two are hiding here smoking? Come over to eat," Alaric Howard shouted as he ran out.

"I’m coming." Richard Shaw patted Constantine Stewart’s shoulder, then went into the private room.

Constantine Stewart stood up, leisurely finished smoking, tidied his clothes, and went inside.