Chapter 36 A Stunning Display of Skill
'Six million dollars?' James furrowed his brow and thought to himself, 'Why did that number sound familiar?'
Everyone gasped in shock. It was too harsh—borrowing three million and having to repay six million, doubling the amount!
"James, please don't agree! Even the Gambling God isn't a match for her. You can't beat her!" Carlos shouted, but before he could finish, a security guard kicked him.
James fell silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "Sure."
Meanwhile, in a spacious room next door, a huge screen was erected, with the image directly projected on James. A woman sat in the room while everyone else stood off to the side, showing their respect.
A voice mused, "This man named James is quite interesting. He refused to sell his exquisite jade for six million last time, but now, for a friend, he's willing to take such a big risk. Interesting, indeed..."
The only woman sitting in the room spoke. She held a slim cigarette between her fingers, crossed her legs lazily, and gazed at James on the screen with a faintly amused smile.
Her exquisite features seemed sculpted by a divine hand—noble, elegant, and alluring. She exuded an aura that seemed to fill the entire space, drawing attention with every move.
The room also housed a dozen men in black suits, each exuding a strong presence, clearly influential figures.
Despite their status, these men dared not stand straight in front of her. They avoided meeting her eyes as if even a glance would be sacrilegious.
Muttering to herself, the woman said, "You surprised me with your bidding at the gemstone auction last time. I wonder if you can beat Isabel this time."
This woman was the heiress who bid six million for James' exquisite jadeite at Gemstone Street last time.
Quickly signing his name on the IOU, James had a feeling he was being watched.
As he signed, the security guards released Rodney and the others.
Carlos rushed forward, exclaiming, "James, are you crazy? Do you realize what you're doing? If you lose, you have to repay six million! Can you afford that? Do you understand the concept of six million? And if you can't repay, they'll chop off your hands!"
Rodney came over, sneering, "I'll tell you, this six million has nothing to do with us. It's your own doing!"
He then loudly declared to the female dealer, "Make it clear, he's not with me. He borrowed the three million dollars himself. If he loses, he owes six million, which is not related to me! Don't drag me into this later!"
Rodney quickly distanced himself, fearing being implicated by James.
Following his lead, the others hurriedly disassociated themselves from James.
Others followed suit, "Yeah, we don't know him. He borrowed the money himself. Nothing to do with us!"
Another added, "That's right. If he can't cough up the cash, that's on him. If you're gonna do some chopping, go for his hands!"
James looked at their reactions and suddenly laughed. He asked, "You all think I'm definitely going to lose?"
Rodney sneered, "Haha, don't make me laugh. Who do you think you are? You'll soon know the meaning of despair. That female dealer is a true master among masters. I bet you can't last three rounds with three million!"
Others joined in mocking him, finding an outlet for their frustration, directing their anger at James.
Somebody ridiculed, "Yeah, take a look in the mirror. You are just a driver, and you dare to act this way? Truly brainless."
Someone cursed, "Watch, he'll lose everything!"
Others blamed, "Carlos, why did you bring this idiot here? I suspect we'll lose tonight, all because of this loser. He's a jinx."
Some remarked curtly, "We'd be better off without this loser."
James was unfazed by their mockery. He knew his abilities and was confident he would win.
Originally, he had planned to help them win back their money for Carlos' sake, but now it seemed unnecessary.
Carlos, however, was furious. He considered James a good friend and felt guilty for involving him in this situation.
"You've had enough!" Carlos shouted, "It has nothing to do with you! What kind of people are you? I've had enough of you! And you, Gambling God, always boasting about your skills, you're just a loser. You made me lose so much money!"
He then grabbed James' shoulder and declared, "James, bet with confidence. If you lose, I'll share the burden with you. It's just six million. If we lose, we'll face it together!"
At that moment, Carlos was full of courage.
James assured him, "Carlos, trust me. I won't lose."
"Alright! I believe in you!" Carlos said, but his lack of confidence in James was evident. Yet he was still prepared to risk everything.
Rodney mocked, "What a joke. If he wins, I'll eat my hat!"
James glanced meaningfully at Rodney. He stated, "Remember what you said."
Without further acknowledgment of the contemptuous onlookers, James sat down and said, "Let's begin."
Five people were gambling together, including James, the female dealer, and three other men whom James knew were just decoys.
James didn't mind. With his skills, winning this game of poker would be a breeze.
In the first round, he didn't get good cards and folded midway, losing fifty thousand.
In the second round, he had no luck again and lost ninety thousand.
In the third round, his hand was slightly better—a pair of Kings—but he ran into someone with three 4s, losing another twenty thousand.
Rodney wasted no time in taunting James, claiming he couldn't gamble at all.
Half an hour passed, and James lost five rounds in a row, nearly fifty thousand down. Carlos was sweating profusely, but Rodney and others were even more mocking, believing James would lose the three million sooner or later.
Finally, in the sixth round, James got a good hand—a pair of 6s. The female dealer had a pair of 10s.
For the final hand, James confidently pushed in a million, looking excited yet trying to conceal his hand, making it seem like he had three 6s but not wanting his opponent to know.
The female dealer hesitated for two minutes and folded.
With this hand, James won back the fifty thousand he had lost and even made a small profit.
"What kind of hand do you have... Damn, did you cheat?" The female dealer saw James' hidden card, which was an 8, and widened her eyes.
James asked with a smile, "Can't I?"
The female dealer didn't say a word, deeply disappointed in James.
Following this, James completely turned the tables, winning three rounds in a row and accumulating nearly a million.
This left everyone stunned, with even the gambling expert sourly cursing, "Damn it, you lucky dog. Let's see how long your winning streak lasts."
Before the fourth round began, James suddenly asked Carlos, "Carlos, how much money have you lost in total?"
Scratching his head, Carlos replied, "Altogether, about eight hundred thousand."
"How much were you aiming to win originally?" James inquired further.
Carlos hesitated for a moment, then somewhat sheepishly admitted, "Two... two million."
"Alright, I'll help you win three million tonight in one go. Promise me, you won't come to places like this again, no more gambling. Can you do that?" James looked earnestly at Carlos.
"Well, can you really win three million?" Carlos questioned.
James assured, "As long as you can keep your end of the deal, I can."
After a moment of contemplation, Carlos gritted his teeth. "Fine, I promise!"
Upon hearing their conversation, the gambling expert laughed without reservation.
The expert scoffed, "Unbelievable, talking about winning three million. Dream on! Just because you had a lucky streak and a few good hands, do you think you're a Gambling God now? Let's see how you'll lose it all later!"
Others also expressed their doubts and ridicule towards James.
Despite this, James paid no attention and proceeded with the next round.
In this round, James held a straight with 4, 5, 7, and 8, with his hidden card concealed—nobody knew if it was a 6. On the other side, the beautiful dealer had a pair of 6s, along with a K and a J.
She announced, "I already have two 6s here, and I don't believe your last card is also a 6! I'm all in this round, two million!" The beautiful dealer pushed all the chips on the table forward.
Frowning, James responded, "Aren't you worried that I have a straight?"
The dealer smiled mysteriously and said, "I'll tell you a secret, my hidden card is also a 6. If you have what it takes, go for the last 6. Two million, are you in or out?"
Beside him, Carlos swallowed heavily and said, "Bro, maybe we should just fold this one; no need to go all in with her."
Shaking his head, James replied, "It's getting late. Let's just bet on this round. I have a straight, and even if she has three 6s, I'll beat her. Two million, I'm all in with you."
James remarked, "I thought you were a skilled player, but you're just a novice. I really thought I had three 6s. Show me your hidden card."
She revealed her hidden card, and everyone was bewildered.
'Wasn't that a 3 of Diamonds?' they thought.
"What the hell! Where's my 6 of Diamonds? How did it turn into a 3 of Diamonds?" The female dealer looked shocked as she questioned aloud.
James calmly revealed his hidden card and said, "Your 6 of Diamonds is here. Apologies, I have a straight, beating your pair."
Everyone looked, and in James' hand was a straight—4, 5, 6, 7, 8!
Carlos was stunned, Rodney was dumbfounded, and the rest of the guys who were poking fun at them earlier were also left slack-jawed. They all stared with wide eyes, unable to believe what they were seeing.
Slamming the table, the female dealer exclaimed, "You swapped my cards! You cheated!"
She strode over to James, searching his pockets and even his pants, almost touching his private parts, but found nothing incriminating.
"How did you do it?" The female dealer stared at James in shock, as did everyone else in the room.
Yawning, James didn't explain but turned to Carlos. And he suggested to him, "Carlos, I've won enough to repay the three million to the boss. You can exchange the remaining three million for cash."
Carlos nodded vigorously, his face flushed with excitement and his whole body trembled.
Then he remembered something and looked at the dumbfounded Rodney, who was now full of self-doubt.
Carlos gloated, "Hey, what did you say earlier? If James wins, you'll eat your hat?"
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