Chapter Seventy-Two: The High-Stakes Gamble

"All-in" is a straightforward way to play poker, popular in casinos around the world. Since there are dedicated dealers, Wei Hua couldn't control the order of the cards, but his powerful mental abilities gave him an unbeatable advantage—he knew everyone's hole cards. This put him in an invincible position.

The game had been going for over an hour, and the chips in front of Wei Hua amounted to nearly seventy or eighty million US dollars. Koyakura and Christina had both won a little, while the young man from the Rothschild family was the biggest loser, having dropped fifty million on his own. The other five players had mixed results, but none had lost as much as the Rothschild heir. Wei Hua was the undisputed winner of the evening.

Seeing how poorly the Rothschild scion was faring, Christina leaned over and said to him, "Morris! If your luck is bad, don't play so high. Why not take a break and try again later?" Morris Rothschild took her advice, signaled the waiter for a drink, and stepped aside to rest. The game continued. Half an hour later, a middle-aged man bowed out, having lost everything. Wei Hua had beaten his three tens with three kings, adding over thirty million to his pile. Now, the chips in front of Wei Hua totaled more than a hundred million.

After a while, Morris returned to the table. Seeing Wei Hua's stack had grown even larger, his mood darkened. The young man exchanged another fifty million in chips and set them before him.

Koyakura seemed to have come with a young companion, and the two conversed in Italian. This young man was also in the game and, like Koyakura, played with caution and discipline, holding his own. Koyakura had no idea that Wei Hua understood Italian—at this point, there were few languages on earth that Wei Hua couldn’t speak, thanks to his prodigious mind. He overheard the young Italian ask, "Mr. Koyakura, who is that Asian man across from us? Why do you show him such respect? Is he Japanese, too? He doesn’t look it to me."

"Mr. Simon, that Asian man isn’t Japanese—he’s Chinese. And a very formidable Chinese at that. Let's not talk about him here. When we return, I’ll tell you everything about him in detail. I think you'll find it fascinating—but I advise you not to target him. I'd bet anything he'll be the winner tonight. Just you wait and see." Koyakura’s Italian was fluent.

"Why couldn’t I be the winner? I feel luck is on my side tonight," Simon countered.

"Because Lady Luck is with him," Koyakura replied.

The game went on. Knowing everyone’s cards, Wei Hua only stayed in hands when he had a solid advantage—otherwise, he folded. But if he didn’t fold, he was sure to win. Another hour passed and Wei Hua remained the table’s biggest winner. The young Italian, Simon, had begun to lose. After a few more hands, Simon turned to Koyakura and said, "Looks like your hunch was right. Lady Luck truly does favor that Chinese man tonight. If I know I’m going to lose, why keep gambling? Let’s go find some beautiful women instead. With him here, you won’t be winning any money anyway."

"No, you can quit, but I have to keep playing. This is my chance to get to know that Chinese gentleman. When the game is over, I intend to pay him a visit. So I can’t join you in your search for pretty girls. Go ahead on your own—don’t worry, I can find my way back," Koyakura replied.

"My brother asked me to take you out tonight. If you won’t go, neither can I. If something were to happen to you, my brother would kill me. Never mind, I’ll just watch you all play," said Simon, tossing his chips aside and retreating with a drink.

At the table, only Wei Hua, Koyakura, Christina, Morris, and two unfamiliar faces remained. Soon, the two strangers lost the last of their chips and left the game. Wei Hua’s stack had grown to about one hundred and fifty million dollars.

Koyakura was the first to speak. "Shall we continue?"

Wei Hua gave a nonchalant shrug. Christina glanced at her own chips and nodded. Morris shot a venomous glare at Wei Hua and declared, "Continue! Why not? I’m still losing here. Tonight, I’m going to see someone lose his shirt."

Wei Hua knew Morris was referring to him. He curled his lip and retorted, "We’ll see who ends up losing his shirt."

Only now did Koyakura realize there was some animosity between Morris and Wei Hua—a perfect opportunity to curry favor with Wei Hua. He immediately decided to help him a little. The game resumed, and Koyakura began to needle Morris with taunts, unsettling him further. Whenever Wei Hua stayed in a hand, Koyakura raised the stakes, knowing that Wei Hua only played when he was sure to win. Remember, not only could Wei Hua see everyone’s hole cards, he also knew what the next cards dealt would be.

Morris, already hot-tempered, was further provoked by Koyakura’s jibes, stoking his anger. He silently prayed for a chance to put Wei Hua and Koyakura in their place.

It seemed Morris’s prayers were answered. This time, he was dealt three aces—at least, that’s how it looked; his hole card was also an ace, while Wei Hua showed a two, three, four, and five of spades. Morris believed his moment had come. He sneered at Wei Hua, "Chinese, I know you have some money, but compared to the Rothschild family, you’re nothing. So, do you dare to raise? If not, you shouldn’t be gambling here—this place isn’t for paupers like you."

Gentlemen, if you can support me, please do!