43: Chapter 43 Twenty Points! The Desperate Ninth Master

The pair of "Lion's Head" walnuts that Master Jiu had been rolling in his hands for ten years emitted a harsh, grating sound.

He froze.

His triangular eyes were fixed on Lin Yuan.

Having spent thirty years in the underworld, Master Jiu had seen arrogant rich kids and desperate, ruthless bandits.

But this young man before him was different.

He was like a predator at the top of the food chain, sizing up the poultry in a coop.

A chill rose from the depths of Master Jiu's heart for no apparent reason.

He could not accept this wager.

If he won, word would spread through the streets that the dignified Master Jiu had set a trap to swindle a young man, ruining his reputation;

If he lost, it would cost him three hundred million, his entire casino, and the lives of his brothers!

"Heh heh..."

Master Jiu let out two dry laughs, breaking the frozen atmosphere.

The walnuts in his hands began to rotate again, though the rhythm was faster than before.

"Brother, you have guts."

Master Jiu waved his hand, signaling the approaching knife-wielders to back off,

"However, I, Master Jiu, have established myself in the East District by relying on the word 'rules.' You betting three hundred million against me is putting me in a very difficult position."

Master Jiu walked to the opposite side of the gambling table, braced his hands on the surface, and softened his tone:

"It is better to resolve grudges than to hold onto them. Since you were able to make Fat Dragon willing to act as your pawn, you must be someone of substance. Let's consider today's incident a misunderstanding."

He pointed to Li Hongda, who was howling on the floor like a dying dog:

"Take the man with you. Leave behind one million as tea money to soothe my brothers' nerves. From now on, in the East District, I will consider you a friend."

Fat Dragon, standing slightly in front of Lin Yuan, felt his tense back relax slightly.

One million!

To Lin Yuan, it wasn't even a drop in the ocean.

After all, he had spent over a million just buying a set of clothes for his little secretary on a whim.

Being deep in someone else's territory, surrounded by dozens of machetes, and being able to leave unscathed for just one million was already a huge concession from Master Jiu.

"Boss, this old guy is offering us a way out," Fat Dragon whispered, using a volume only the two of them could hear.

However, Lin Yuan did not even lift his eyelids.

He sat in the high-backed leather chair, his body leaning slightly forward.

He reached out his right hand and grabbed Li Hongda's greasy hair.

"Ah!" Li Hongda let out a wheezing scream.

Lin Yuan exerted force with one arm, lifting the hundred-plus-pound Li Hongda with a single hand.

Bang!

He slammed him heavily onto the dark green gambling table.

Li Hongda's wails echoed through the empty casino.

Blood instantly stained the velvet cloth red.

"Since you want to talk about rules, then we shall do things by the rules." Lin Yuan released him, pulled a tissue from the box on the table, and wiped his hands.

He looked straight at Master Jiu, his voice devoid of any emotion: "I am not short on money. I only want your life."

Master Jiu's face turned livid instantly.

His face had been torn off and trampled on the ground in front of everyone!

"You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!" Master Jiu stepped back abruptly.

Before the words had even faded.

The ace bodyguard standing beside Master Jiu moved.

He suddenly pulled his hands out from his suit's inner pockets, revealing a military dagger with three blood grooves.

The bodyguard pushed off with his legs and vaulted directly onto the gambling table.

Stepping on Li Hongda's body, the dagger turned into a cold flash, stabbing straight at Lin Yuan's throat!

A lethal strike!

This bodyguard was a retired mercenary Master Jiu had hired at great expense from overseas, and he had over a dozen lives on his hands.

This strike was fast, ruthless, and precise!

The entire room gasped.

The dagger was so fast that it even created a sharp whistling sound in the air.

Lin Yuan didn't even stand up from his chair.

With a constitution of 26 points, the bodyguard's surprise attack felt like slow motion in a movie.

He just tilted his head very casually.

Swish! The sharp dagger missed, grazing his neck and cutting off a few strands of hair.

The next second.

He reached out his right hand casually and clamped onto the bodyguard's wrist.

He tightened his fingers slightly.

Crack!

The dagger fell limply from his hand.

Before the bodyguard's scream could escape his throat, Lin Yuan had already raised his right leg and delivered a kick to the chest.

Boom!

The bodyguard's sturdy, 180-pound body was sent flying backward.

He flew over the gambling table, over Master Jiu's head, and slammed heavily into a row of slot machines a dozen meters away.

Crash!

Three heavy slot machines were smashed, sparks flying everywhere, and their screens shattered instantly.

A massive amount of game tokens poured out like a burst dam, clattering onto the floor.

The bodyguard's chest was deeply caved in at an exaggerated angle. He spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with organ fragments, his head lolled to the side, and he passed out completely.

The crisp sound of coins hitting the floor became the only noise in the room.

Dozens of thugs holding machetes stood frozen in place, as if under a paralysis spell.

A few of them couldn't even control their trembling.

One move!

Master Jiu's best fighter, his top enforcer, had been taken out in seconds!

Lin Yuan remained seated in the leather chair, as if he had just casually swatted away a fly.

He threw the tissue he used to wipe his hands onto Li Hongda's face and looked at Master Jiu, who was breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Now, do you want to sit down with some dignity?" Lin Yuan said coldly. "Or should I wait until I've disabled all your men one by one before asking you to sit?"

Master Jiu shuddered.

The two polished walnuts in his hand dropped to the floor with a "clack" and rolled into a dark corner.

He was caught in a dilemma.

If he backed down on his own turf, he would never be able to show his face in Jiangcheng again.

Furthermore, the terrifying martial prowess displayed by his opponent made him afraid to act rashly.

Master Jiu gritted his teeth, pulled out the chair opposite him, and sat down heavily.

"Fine. I'll bet with you!" Master Jiu's eyes were bloodshot. "How do we play?"

"Let's play something simple," Lin Yuan leaned back against the chair. "Blackjack. One hand decides the winner."

Master Jiu frowned deeply.

"Your people will deal the cards."

Lin Yuan continued, throwing out a condition that stunned everyone.

"I'll play with face-up cards, and you'll play with face-down cards."

As soon as these words were spoken, a suppressed gasp echoed through the casino.

Playing face-up against face-down!

In a game of Blackjack, which tests psychology and probability to the extreme, this was practically offering one's neck up to the blade!

This kid was a complete lunatic!

Master Jiu stared intently at Lin Yuan, trying to find a trace of a flaw on his face.

But there was none, only that desperate composure.

"This is what you asked for!" Master Jiu sneered. "Deal!"

A bunny-girl dealer in a high-slit uniform walked forward, trembling.

She opened a new deck of cards with shaking hands, shuffled, and cut them.

"Deal," Lin Yuan tapped the table.

The dealer inserted the cards into the shoe, trembling as she drew the first card, flipped it over, and pushed it to Lin Yuan. It was a 10 of Hearts.

Then, she dealt a face-down card to Master Jiu.

Master Jiu carefully lifted the corner of the card with his finger. After seeing it was a King of Spades, he placed it face down on the table with an expressionless face.

In the second round of dealing, Lin Yuan received a 2 of Clubs, still face-up.

In front of Master Jiu, there was now another unknown face-down card.

"Boss Lin, 12 points." Master Jiu looked at Lin Yuan's cards, a cold smile curling his lips. "Very easy to bust. Do you want another?"

"Yes," Lin Yuan said without hesitation.

The dealer dealt the third card.

8 of Diamonds!

10+2+8.

Total points: 20!

Only one point away from busting (21)! In the rules of Blackjack, this was already a strong hand.

Lin Yuan didn't ask for any more cards.

He neatly pushed those three face-up cards to the center of the table.

Then, Lin Yuan crossed his hands, rested them under his chin, and leaned forward slightly.

"I'm standing right here. 20 points."

"Do the hole cards in your hand add up to 20?"

Cold sweat streamed down Master Jiu's forehead, dripping down his scar onto the table.

He stared fixedly at the two face-down cards he had placed on the table.

A King of Spades and a 9 of Hearts.

That was a total of 19 points!

If he revealed his cards now, 19 against 20, he would lose.

To win, he had to hope for a 2 to make 21; to tie, he had to catch an Ace to secure 20.

The air in the casino felt as if it had been sucked out.

"Didn't you just ask me for an explanation?" Lin Yuan tapped his fingertips lightly against the table.

"Now, do you want to take a gamble, or do you want to kneel and beg me right now?"

The entire casino was dead silent.

Everyone's gaze was fixed on Master Jiu's hand, which was suspended in mid-air and trembling violently.

Playing open against closed, Lin Yuan had forced Master Jiu into a dead end with nothing but sheer nerve and presence.

Would this local emperor of the East District's underground casinos dare to reveal his cards?