9: Stake

All high on the excitement, Shen Cizhu’s words were blunt, with a cold and cutting edge.

Now, nobody was in control of Shen Cizhu. He wanted to let loose, remove his disguise, and reveal the ruthless nature of a beast within. There was no one to remind him anymore, and this would lead to inevitable trouble and consequences.

Xie Yan was not by his side anymore, and there was no longer anyone to act as a restraint on Shen Cizhu’s madness.

With a malicious smile, Shen Cizhu tilted his head and looked at Xie Hou. His five fingers pulled at Xie Hou’s suit and tie, forcing him to bow his head.

“Darling,” Shen Cizhu murmured. He met Xie Hou’s cold phoenix-like eyes. Xie Hou’s pupils remained unchanged, concealed beneath dark, thick lashes.

This boy was too cold, even Shen Cizhu couldn’t detect a single flaw. He was perfect as a pawn, more so than Xie Yan. He was destined to be decisive, far more perfect than Xie Yan.

“Do you want to win their money together? I’ll help you. A wife can’t allow her little brother to be bullied, right?” Shen Cizhu’s voice was intoxicated, sounding as if he had gone mad on the brink.

“Do you know how to play cards?”

Xie Hou didn’t, but he could.

Xie Hou’s amber eyes flicked briefly to the square gambling table that the dealer was preparing. In that short instant, from the combination of the cards used in the previous round by the players, along with the traces left on some of the cards, Xie Hou knew something.

These traces included the distance the cards were dispersed on the table, the force used, and their alignment, which could convey something about the player. Winners threw their cards confidently and excitedly, while losers did so cautiously and slowly. These were human instincts that couldn’t be controlled before breaking through the threshold of emotions, inherent flaws derived from human genetics.

In that short moment, Xie Hou knew what a good hand was, and what a bad hand was, how to combine and draw the best and worst hands.

Within less than thirty seconds of silence and rapid thinking, Xie Hou was already familiar with the rules and had thought of at least sixty-seven winning strategies.

So he said to Shen Cizhu, “I know now.”

Shen Cizhu raised his thin eyebrows. The world in front of him was spinning, and his consciousness was swaying, but his face remained unchanged.

After the dealer had arranged the square gaming table, the other three young men, who ran casinos in Macau, had already taken their seats. Smoke curled in the air, and the atmosphere was extravagant and decadent.

Shen Cizhu didn’t join the card table; instead, he let Xie Hou represent him. He stood behind Xie Hou, watching his cards.

Xie Hou was very knowledgeable about card game rules, but when he was taking the hole cards, he pretended to hesitate, making the other three relax, thinking Shen Cizhu had made a mistake by sending a newcomer.

These three men let their guards down and even increased the stakes. Xu Laosan raised the bet from two million to twenty million!

After receiving the hole cards, Xie Hou, who had appeared uncertain, quietly observed the expressions of the other three. Then, he seemed somewhat pleased, playing slowly to draw the next card.

By the fifth card, Shen Cizhu noticed that Xie Hou had cheated Xu Laosan. He switched a bad card with another card without anyone noticing.

His serpent-like eyes revealed a mocking emotion, proving that he was still young and vengeful, as Xie Hou stared at the pale-faced Xu Laosan, who had asked him to learn to bark like a dog for two million.

The five cards were presented in a cold and rational manner, showing the same royal flush of spades that Shen Cizhu had displayed earlier, a combination that only had a probability of 12.7 in 640,000 hands.

Xie Hou won.

The onlookers exclaimed in astonishment, and the room suddenly became lively. Even Zhou Ping was left stunned.

“F*ck! I lost to this kid! Who said he was a newcomer!”

“My father’s century-old casino doesn’t have many people who can beat him!” These three men tossed their cards onto the table in frustration, even crumpling a few of them.

Xu Laosan directly tore his cards to shreds.

“Xu Laosan, 20 million from you! We’re just here to have fun! The stakes are set by you; it’s none of our concern. You lost to a kid who just came of age. How embarrassing!”

Xu Laosan was still trying to come to terms with what had happened. Overwhelming frustration and shock had left him trembling. He had always been the winner… and now he had lost… to Xie Hou!

Xie Hou? This commoner? How was it possible? How had he taken his cards away from him? It couldn’t be… it was impossible! No human could have that level of intelligence and skill!

Numbly, Xu Laosan accepted the check, his consciousness fading. He wrote down the number – 20 million.

His pupils constricted sharply, and he stared at Xie Hou.

“You lost, sorry.” The young man’s wrist lightly fell back to the table, his neck bowed low, humble and respectful. Then he raised his eyes once again, his pupils covered with a watery sheen, like icy, razor-sharp blades.

This expression from Xie Hou was like politely thanking the opponent after a game, while also appreciating the performance of a distressed opponent.

“I’m going to kill you! Tonight, I’m going to kill you.” This outburst crushed Xu Laosan’s self-esteem. His eyes were red, and he began to breathe heavily.

At that moment, Shen Cizhu put his hand on Xie Hou’s shoulder, indicating that he should step aside.

“Xu Laosan, why are you so angry? It’s just 20 million. Losing your temper like this, isn’t it embarrassing?” Shen Cizhu lightly laughed as he looked at the devastated Xu Laosan.

“Shen Cizhu! Did you collude with him? Cheating my money with this kid? Did you teach him to play cards? Deceiving my money, inflating the bets?” Xu Laosan’s voice quivered.

“Where would we have time for that? It’s just 20 million. Nothing worth cheating for,” Shen Cizhu shrugged.

Seeing that Xu Laosan was unwilling to hand over the money, he went to take it himself.

Kneeling on the table with his knees enveloped by his suit pants, Shen Cizhu leaned down, and his long, boneless arms rested on the gambling table. He climbed onto the table, bearing an intoxicating combination of tenderness and the scent of alcohol.

Playing cards and the paper beneath them were trapped under his hands. His luscious black hair flowed down, like scattered clouds, as he bent down. With his back exposed, he wore a thin white shirt, and his prominent clavicles were clearly visible. The beautiful, sensual lines of his back continued down to his waist, an alluring curve like a crescent moon, or a sharp blade, irresistibly attractive and seductive.

The shirt didn’t cover his waist, and it held the allure of the snow-white skin, combining desire and light. As it went down, it revealed his full, tightly wrapped buttocks under the suit pants. This posture required him to raise his waist, making the line of his hips even more apparent, as if cradling half of a lute, but only Xie Hou saw this.

Only Xie Hou was sitting right behind him. He could clearly see the soles of Shen Cizhu’s shoes, slender white ankles, and even the lower part of his calf through his suit pants.

Xie Hou looked away.

Shen Cizhu’s target was this Xu Laosan.

Xu Laosan hadn’t expected Shen Cizhu to climb onto the table to confront him. He was stunned, and the check he was holding was about to fall to the ground.

Shen Cizhu tilted his head slightly, fox-like, and opened his mouth to bite the check. His tongue lightly licked the paper, taking it completely into his mouth. His lips, thin and red, seemed to be smiling, while his serpent-like eyes showed gentleness and excitement.

Xu Laosan was completely dumbfounded.

“You get this upset over 20 million? How amusing,” Shen Cizhu said as he spat out the check, his excitement looking exceptionally alluring.

A lock of black hair fell across his forehead, and his serpent-like eyes, half-covered, were slightly narrowed. The intense green shadows exuded a thick, bewitching charm.

“Cizhu,” a mesmerized onlooker murmured.

All clad in suits, all wealthy and influential, yet all were unsightly garbage.

A bouquet of roses was placed on the coffee table in the private room. The vibrant blossoms exuded both allure and danger. After being caressed by the spiced air, it carried a toxic quality that made one’s breath catch.

Shen Cizhu possessed a charm that could make everyone willingly follow him to hell. He reveled in it and willingly indulged.

Without Xie Yan by his side, Shen Cizhu would genuinely get into trouble. At this moment, due to intoxication, extreme anger, and excitement, he was beginning to reveal his true self.

“Xu Laosan, a mere 20 million can take your life, but to me, it’s just trash. I don’t want it. And you know gambling is illegal on the mainland, right? Oh, why are you looking at me like that?” He pinched Xu Laosan’s chin. “Want to f*ck me?”

Xu Laosan nodded in a near daze.

Shen Cizhu chuckled softly, and his nose drew near.

“Are you even worthy?” In the next instant, he suddenly stopped smiling. His brows and eyes turned dark and heartless. His arms tensed, and he used one hand to grip Xu Laosan’s neck while the other slapped his face harshly.

Smack!

This slap left Xu Laosan in a state of complete despair, his liver and gallbladder aching, and his dental nerves killed. His face began to burn, and he started to faint.

The power of this slap was so strong that it nearly made Zhou Ping involuntarily urinate, as if Shen Cizhu would target him next.

WTF! When Shen Cizhu hits someone, it’s so… what’s the word… astringent.

Under the influence of alcohol, Shen Cizhu’s consciousness raced, finally reaching the peak of madness. He was no longer the kind and almost innocent nobleman in their eyes. He was a snake, a snake that devoured flesh and blood in the Garden of Eden.

“Crawl over here and learn how to bark like a dog, give me money, huh? Are you humiliating Xie Yan with this 20 million, or are you humiliating me?” Shen Cizhu’s pearly white teeth peeked out slightly, his tone rising. “I haven’t fallen from grace yet, and you can’t wait for it? The Shen family is still under my control, and it hasn’t officially fallen into Wen He’s hands. So, you’re all so eager to treat me like a male or female prostitute? You want to mess with me, huh?” He pinched Xu San’s chin with great force, and the bones in his wrist made a cracking sound.

Xu San was completely stunned, feeling both pleasured and hurt, as well as intensely stimulated. His eyes widened, and another slap from Shen Cizhu came.

Smack!

“Can you bark like a dog, you piece of sh*t? I’ve never heard a human imitate a dog before,” Shen Cizhu continued slapping his face, left and right. He said lightly, “Xu Laosan, let me hear you bark.”

The chandelier creaked, swaying, casting captivating shadows.

In an eerie silence, everyone heard Xu San let out a genuine “woof.”

Only then was Shen Cizhu satisfied. He left the gambling table and leaned against the edge, his emerald eyes sweeping over everyone.

The 20 million cheque lay under his foot, rendering the night’s bets completely ineffective.

“The Shen family will be mine, and only mine. I will never fall to the point where you can humiliate me. Think carefully. Do you want to follow me, or Wen He? Make your choice and let me know.” Shen Cizhu’s laughter was hoarse, seeping from his throat, scorching his flesh.

“I, Shen Cizhu, repay kindness and bear grudges. I can forget everything that happened tonight, or I can ensure you each have a unique way to die.”

“F**k me, I’m Shen Cizhu, and you’re not qualified yet. Save those aphrodisiacs for your own enjoyment.”

Their legs turned to jelly except for Xie Yan. Shen Cizhu knew all along? He knew all their tricks and schemes? Then why did he pretend not to know and fall into this trap? Why? To force them to choose to follow a master? What can they do? They have no choice but to follow Shen Cizhu; not following Shen Cizhu is a death sentence!

Tonight’s gambling game wasn’t just about 20 million; it was about the display of Shen Cizhu’s strength to them. Shen Cizhu was stronger than anyone else, and even a kid under his command who was only eighteen years old could easily make them feel hopeless.

In this situation, if they chose to follow Wen He instead of Shen Cizhu, wouldn’t that be blatantly admitting defeat?

Shen Cizhu was always the winner.

But to be honest, Shen Cizhu didn’t have much confidence in Xie Hou beating the others in this gambling game from the start. Unexpectedly, Xie Hou was clever and competent, even outperforming his brother.

Admittedly, he had given Shen Cizhu some face.

In a moment of contemplation, Shen Cizhu’s gaze shifted to Xie Hou.

Xie Yan sat in his chair, playing cards with a cold and indifferent expression, devoid of any emotions.

Shen Cizhu thought that perhaps Xie Hou was indeed something special?