Chapter 649: Bigger Than Big

Qi Xia did some calculations. By now, the group had already drawn fourteen cards, and including the “community card” at the center of the table, that made a total of fifteen cards.

Among these fifteen cards, four bore the number “three”: “New Year’s Eve,” “Winter Solstice,” “Shangsi Festival,” and “Qingming Festival.”

This meant that Xiao Cheng had a six in twenty-one chance—nearly a thirty percent probability—of drawing a card with a “three.” For gambling, that was already a very high winning probability.

Of course, if Xiao Cheng’s “luck” ran out and he failed to draw a card with a “three,” Qi Xia would be powerless to intervene. The only option would be to place their hopes on Zheng Yingxiong.

Now, while Di Hou allowed the group to exchange chips among themselves, he certainly wouldn’t permit open discussion about their hands.

That was no longer just about chip circulation—it was outright cheating. No matter how one looked at it, such behavior would never be tolerated in a “casino.”

By now, Di Hou had finished the second round of “raising the bet,” and Zheng Yingxiong, Tian Tian, and Xiao Cheng had all “called.”

Everyone turned their gaze to Qi Xia, who still hadn’t decided whether to “call.”

Qi Xia glanced at the two cards in his hand: “Qingming Festival” and “Grain Buds.”

This year, “Qingming Festival” was “three-six.”

This year, “Grain Buds” was “four-two-one.”

And with the community card on the table, “Start of Summer,” being “four-six,”

if the rules he and Qiao Jiajin had deduced were correct, the strongest hand he could form from his cards was “two pairs”—a pair of “fours” and a pair of “sixes”—with no further possibilities.

Currently, three people at the table had the potential to form a “straight,” while Qi Xia knew full well that his own hand was merely “two pairs.” In a normal gambling scenario, there would be no reason to “call” at this point.

But now, Qi Xia had another problem to consider.

Because of the bold words he had exchanged with Di Hou earlier, the latter was now wary of him.

Even though Qi Xia hadn’t spoken, he had effectively placed his life on the line as an implicit stake. This was enough to unsettle Di Hou, preventing him from relying solely on chip superiority to win.

Judging by Di Hou’s current behavior, he truly believed Qi Xia was capable of betting his life. Under these circumstances, Qi Xia absolutely could not afford to “fold” voluntarily.

This was something both Qi Xia and Di Hou understood.

If he were to fold, it would only be under one condition—

That this “fold” could shatter Di Hou’s psychological defenses.

Everyone watched Qi Xia in silence, assuming he was still deliberating the strength of his hand. Little did they know he had already moved beyond that stage and was now engaged in a higher-level game—calculating how to use a single “fold” to destabilize Di Hou’s confidence.

Qi Xia’s lips moved slightly as he ran through countless calculations in his mind.

“I have to make Di Hou understand that even though I can intimidate him, I’m still confident enough to fold…”

He quickly began piecing together the feasibility of this strategy.

The complex look in Di Hou’s eyes when he saw Qi Xia’s “hidden card” had revealed something crucial.

It was the kind of intricately crafted expression only someone who had spent decades in the gambling world could produce.

Though Qi Xia didn’t know Di Hou well, that didn’t stop him from boldly speculating about the man’s behavior.

Di Hou already had a “five” in his hand.

Now, he had likely completed a straight of “one-two-three-four-five-six,” which was why he had only bet one “Dao” this round.

In the previous round, when Di Hou wasn’t sure whether the others’ hands could beat his, he had bet two “Dao” outright—a move more in line with his identity as a seasoned gambler.

But this round, his “face-up card” plus the “community card” gave him a hand that was clearly stronger than last time. Yet, he was acting strangely cautious.

That was just too suspicious.

And now, if he were to say—

“Anyone else want to raise?” Di Hou lazily lifted his eyes and asked.

“Yes… that’s it.” Qi Xia’s lips curled slightly as the answer became clear in his mind.

Di Hou’s bet of one “Dao” carried an implicit message: “My hand this round isn’t strong, so feel free to beat me.” But this only served as further proof that his current hand was strong enough to defeat everyone.

His hidden card was at least a “five,” and there was even a chance he had a straight of “one-two-three-four-five-six” with an additional “pair.”

For example… “Grain in Ear.”

“Right… that’s entirely possible.”

According to the calculations, this year’s “Grain in Ear” was “fifth month, sixth day,” containing both a “five” and a “six.”

“Grain in Ear’s” “five-six,” combined with the community card “Start of Summer’s” “four-six,” and Di Hou’s own “one-two-three,”

meant he now had a straight of “one-two-three-four-five-six” and a pair of “sixes.”

This was the strongest hand Qi Xia could currently imagine.

So Di Hou could effortlessly dominate the game, much like catching a rabbit and fattening it before eating it. Instead of rushing to place a large bet, he was slowly tightening the noose around everyone with a sharp blade.

If Di Hou’s hand was already a “straight” plus a “pair,” was there any stronger hand that could beat him?

“Wait…” Qi Xia froze. “Hold on, hold on…”

He rubbed his chin—there was actually one card that could surpass Di Hou’s hand.

The only problem was that the conditions were too strict. The one who drew that card had to be Zheng Yingxiong!

Qi Xia quickly scanned the table to confirm that the card in question wasn’t among the nine already revealed—none of the seven “face-up cards,” the one “community card,” or his own “hidden card” matched. That meant Zheng Yingxiong now had a one in twenty-five chance of holding it.

“Four percent… that’s absurd…” Qi Xia gritted his teeth. “Is it really worth betting on such slim odds?”

“Hmm.”

A soft, childlike hum came from nearby, making Qi Xia frown.

The sound resembled a throat-clearing or an absentminded response to some unspoken question.

But upon hearing it, Qi Xia’s eyes slowly widened. He repeated the question in his mind once more.

“Such slim odds… is it really worth betting on?”

“Hmm.”

Another perfectly timed throat-clearing sound came from Zheng Yingxiong’s direction, and Qi Xia instantly understood everything.

What “four percent”? It was practically a hundred percent!

That card was in Zheng Yingxiong’s hand!

He had once again intercepted Qi Xia’s thoughts!

Was this “luck” or an “ability”? Or perhaps… both?

Now, all Qi Xia had to do was fold—but before doing so, he needed to set a trap for Di Hou.

“Di Hou,” Qi Xia called out in a low voice. “There’s something wrong with your deck, isn’t there?”

“Oh?” Di Hou raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Qi Xia pressed his hand against his “hidden card,” his expression displeased. “Just how many ‘Dragon Boat Festival’ cards are there?”