“Is that so?” Earth Monkey shrugged. “I’ve seen plenty of people lose everything, and even more who talk tough after losing everything. What makes you different from them?”
Qi Xia just tapped the table with his hand. “The only difference between me and them is that ‘I am me.'”
“Pretentious nonsense.”
This round, Chen Junan was the one shuffling the cards.
The group first briefly redistributed their chips. Due to his poor condition, Zheng Yingxiong had to temporarily leave the table to rest, handing his last two “Dao” chips to Qi Xia.
Chen Junan glanced at everyone’s chips and was about to start shuffling when Xiao Cheng spoke up again.
“I’m out.”
“Huh?” Chen Junan was taken aback. “Kid, not playing anymore?”
“Though it might not be the best thing to say, I only have one ‘Dao’ left,” Xiao Cheng said helplessly, shaking his head. “After paying the entry fee for this round, I won’t be able to match any bets. If anyone raises, I’ll lose outright. So, it’s better to give this chip to someone more capable.”
With that, he tossed his small sphere to Qi Xia, who caught it without expression.
“I’m out too,” Tian Tian said decisively. “I’ll take care of Hero.”
She handed her two chips to Qi Xia as well. The others glanced at Earth Monkey, who didn’t object.
“Eh? Why is everyone quitting?!” Chen Junan and Qiao Jiajin exchanged confused looks.
Xiao Cheng slowly stood up and asked, “Qi, do you think I made the right call?”
Qi Xia faintly smiled. “You’re smarter than I thought.”
Xiao Cheng and Tian Tian nodded, then led Zheng Yingxiong to a seat farther away. As they tried to stop his bleeding, they watched the game with concern.
Now, apart from Earth Monkey, only Qi Xia, Qiao Jiajin, and Chen Junan remained at the table.
Once the rules were clear, fewer players were naturally better.
The ideal scenario was to consolidate all the chips into one person’s hands and face Earth Monkey in a one-on-one showdown.
The last person standing would have a massive advantage, capable of multiplying the stakes in a single round—a true “all-in” gamble.
The reason they hadn’t adopted this strategy from the start was twofold: first, to ensure a six-in-seven chance of winning, and second, to use more hands to decipher the game’s rules.
Now that the rules were mostly understood, fewer participants were needed.
Each person who left meant one fewer “entry fee,” reducing Earth Monkey’s income indirectly. But this also posed a problem.
Fewer players meant lower odds of winning.
While the stakes for each game would skyrocket, the cost of losing would be devastating.
“Qi Xia, your team doesn’t seem very united,” Earth Monkey chuckled. “Falling apart already?”
“Not ‘falling apart’—just more united than ever.” Qi Xia was referring to Xiao Cheng, who had entrusted his life to Qi Xia by stepping away at this moment.
If Qi Xia won, he lived.
If Qi Xia lost, he died.
“Old Qi,” Chen Junan turned to him, “you wouldn’t think the two of us are in the way, would you?”
“A little,” Qi Xia said flatly. “I’m clearer now. Next round, both of you leave.”
“No can do.”
Chen Junan and Qiao Jiajin grinned simultaneously.
“Trickster, you should know why we’re still here, right?”
“Yeah, Old Qi, I’m way more reliable than you think,” Chen Junan smirked. “I can be worth something at critical moments too.”
Qi Xia frowned slightly. Of course, he knew why they were staying.
They weren’t ignorant—they were ready to stake their lives on this gamble.
To prevent that, he’d have to make them both leave. But would they listen?
“Old Qi, just sit tight and watch,” Chen Junan said with a laugh. “I’m about to deal.”
With that, he gathered all the cards, shuffled them in his hands, and the four-player game began.
After Chen Junan finished shuffling, everyone placed one “Dao” on the table.
But Earth Monkey didn’t immediately announce the start of Round Five. Instead, he stared intently at Chen Junan.
“What’s up, Monkey Bro?” Chen Junan asked, tilting his head.
“You’re shady. I don’t trust your shuffle,” Earth Monkey replied.
“Hey now, even if you trusted me, I’d still be shady.”
“Fat monkey,” Qiao Jiajin chimed in. “We agreed to take turns shuffling. What’s this sudden fuss about?”
“I want to shuffle too,” Earth Monkey insisted. “I’d trust anyone else, but not this guy.”
“Fine, fine. My heart’s broken,” Chen Junan stood up and unceremoniously slammed the deck in front of Earth Monkey. “Be my guest.”
Earth Monkey picked up the cards, shuffled them thoroughly, and then reshuffled a few more times. Throughout, Qiao Jiajin kept staring at his hands, making Earth Monkey uneasy.
“What are you looking at?”
“Watching the monkey shuffle,” Qiao Jiajin replied blankly. “Keep going, don’t mind me.”
Earth Monkey found the man odd and eventually pulled his hands back, moving the deck under the table to avoid Qiao Jiajin’s gaze.
“Hey!” Qiao Jiajin barked. “What’s the deal?! Cheating?!”
“Tch.” Earth Monkey shook his head. “There are exactly thirty-six cards here. Who’d blatantly steal one?”
After shuffling under the table for a while, Earth Monkey placed the deck in the center.
“Thirty-six cards, not one missing. Want to count?” he asked.
Qi Xia had been resting his forehead in his hand, seeming unwell. Without hesitation, Qiao Jiajin stood up, grabbed the deck, and flipped through it face-up.
Indeed, thirty-six cards—no issues.
“If everything’s fine… then Round Five begins.”
Earth Monkey motioned for Chen Junan to deal. Without ceremony, Chen Junan gave the deck a quick shuffle and slapped a “She Ri” card onto the table.
“She Ri…?” Chen Junan paused. “Old Qiao, what day is She Ri?”
“Land God’s birthday—February 2nd,” Qiao Jiajin replied. “Our gang always worships the Land God on February 2nd. Don’t you?”
Chen Junan chuckled awkwardly. “For us, February 2nd is ‘Dragon Raises Head’—the day we finally get haircuts after holding out all January.”
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