Ch32 - Paper Gold

Boss Qu lost two games in a row. The gambling might only be regarded as a small fight but more and more onlookers were gathering. It was fun to see the boss deflated, even if it was a small loss.

Qu Jinsha’s decent smile was like a mask glued to his face. It never wavered. Only the slightly enlarged nostrils betrayed the ups and downs of his heart. He couldn’t figure out what was going on. He only knew that he couldn’t speak up. 

Even if Jiang Fang really cheated, the marked 3 of Clubs was picked by himself. From an outsider’s perspective, how could Jiang Fang control Qu Jinsha’s brain to decide which one he picked? In this wave, Qu Jinsha was beaten by Jiang Fang and couldn’t say it. However, he still needed to take some measures.

Qu Jinsha gently called out, “Xiao Jiang?”

Jiang Fang took back his gaze from the pagoda-shaped chips dish and questioned with his eyes, ‘What do you want to say?’

Qu Jinsha naturally asked, “Do you want to drink something?” 

Jiang Fang smiled calmly. “Is it Boss Qu’s treat?”

Qu Jinsha smiled and answered, “Of course.”

He waved and whispered a few words to the waiter. Soon, the waiter who had left came back through the crowd, frequently saying, “Excuse me.”

He bought a glass of vodka and a glass of pomegranate juice, both in delicate glasses with a round ice ball floating inside and white frost condensed on the mouth of the glass.

The heavy alcohol made Jiang Fang frown. He said, “I don’t like drinking very much.”

“Alas—” Qu Jinsha’s words had a strange tone. “Don’t you have a bit of Ukrainian blood? How can you not drink?”

In the face of this persuasion, Jiang Fang didn’t refuse. He took the glass, sniffed it and smiled. “This glass isn’t cheap.”

Qu Jinsha didn’t conceal it. “It is 150 points for a cup. It is the most expensive alcohol here.” 

Jiang Fang leaned toward the glass and took a light sip. A mellow spiciness blossomed at the tip of his tongue. It was initially cold and then there was a burning sensation like flames.

“Fashion Vodka from Poland.” Jiang Fang suggested, “It would be better without ice or if a few drops of lime juice are added.”

Qu Jinsha gazed at him with another meaning in his eyes. “Thanks for the suggestion.”

The waiter was planning to put the pomegranate juice by Qu Jinsha’s side. Who would’ve thought that the crowd who wanted to watch the liveliness would hit his arm? The red pomegranate fell off the tray and a large stain appeared on the green gambling table. 

The waiter’s expression changed. He hurriedly took out his handkerchief and covered the contaminated area while apologizing. Qu Jinsha had a generous personality and naturally wouldn’t care about such a little thing.

“It’s fine.” Qu Jinsha picked up the cards that had been stained with pomegranate juice and placed them on the waiter’s empty tray. “We can just change the cards.”

Upon seeing this, Jiang Fang raised the glass to his lips without any fluctuations in his expression. Even after listening to Qu Jinsha’s words, he just waved to the waiter. “Excuse me, if there is a small lime then help me get one.”

The waiter instinctively looked at Qu Jinsha. Qu Jinsha nodded lightly to him. The waiter put away the tray, agreed and turned to leave. Not long after, a new set of cards and Jiang Fang’s lime were presented together. 

Qu Jinsha started to open the new cards while Jiang Fang squeezed the lime. Qu Jinsha asked him, “Are you still checking the cards?”

Jiang Fang didn’t seem very interested in it. He took a sip of the new alcohol and narrowed his eyes with satisfaction. “Boss Qu first.”

Qu Jinsha used his short and fat fingers to hold the cards. His card moves were very standard. They were slow and there was a simplicity and honesty to his movements. He laughed at himself. “My reactions are slow. I’m not as good as young people.”

Jiang Fang told him, “Boss Qu, don’t be too humble.” 

Qu Jinsha handed over the cards to Jiang Fang. “Xiao Jiang is also being modest. You said you can’t drink.”

“I said I don’t like it, not that I can’t drink.”

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

Jiang Fang took the cards from Qu Jinsha but he didn’t touch them one by one with his thumb like he did initially. He held the wine glass in one hand while the thumb and pinky finger of the other hand tacitly cooperated with each other. The thumb rubbed out the top card while the pinky finger reversed it and slid it to the bottom. This one-handed shuffling skill made the eyes of the gamblers behind him shine and they couldn’t wait to learn on the spot.

Dfrlvf tlw, Rjc Itbe mbmxfv tlr tfjv jcv tfiv tlr ifoa tjcv yftlcv tlr yjmx, rlifcais ifjgclcu atf wbnfwfcar. 

Aljcu Mjcu lcdelgfv ktlif rteooilcu atf mjgvr, “Ktf cfza gbecv, Dbrr He lr atf vfjifg gluta?”

“Tfr.”

Aljcu Mjcu gjlrfv atf uijrr ab tlw. “Ktfc P tjnf ab yf gfjvs.”

He Alcrtj gfaegcfv atf jmalbc klat atf qbwfugjcjaf pelmf. Zfjcktlif, atfgf kjr j mjgv lc atf tjcv bo atf riffnf tf gfqilfv klat. Pa kjr atf ijgufra mjgv lc atlr ujwf, j 2 bo Vqjvfr. 

Just now at the end of the second game, Qu Jinsha quickly locked onto the position of the 2 of Spades. During the time when he was putting the deck together, he deliberately placed the 2 of Spades at the top of the cards. Then once he handed the old cards dirtied by the pomegranate juice to the waiter, he gathered all the cards in his palm and put the cards on the tray.

In this gap, his stubby ring finger moved back slightly and the 2 of Spades fell firmly into his sleeve. This was Qu Jinsha’s trump card. If Jiang Fang used old tricks and continued to make a move on the cards then he didn’t mind using this card to teach Jiang Fang a small lesson.

After moving all the cards from the reverse side to the front side with one hand, Jiang Fang put it down and spread out the cards in a beautiful fan shape with a single swipe of his finger. Jiang Fang glanced at it before touching the last card with his pinky finger to close the spread out fan. “It’s fine.”

Qu Jinsha still had some doubts. Why didn’t this person do anything to destroy the magnetic code this time? Qu Jinsha couldn’t understand or figure it out. In the midst of these doubts, the new cards were sent to the shuffler. 

The third round started. The cards were spread out with the dealer’s copper hook and Qu Jinsha saw with his own eyes that two or three cards had the special coloring that Qu Jinsha was familiar with on the back. Qu Jinsha couldn’t figure out what move Jiang Fang had made.

He said that he should be ‘ready’ but Jiang Fang didn’t seem to care about the outcome of this round. He quickly selected the card he wanted and after drawing it out, he pressed it underneath the glass with only the ice left. Then he gently reached out a hand to Qu Jinsha.

It is your turn.

Qu Jinsha had the new cards that had been screened by the machine in front of him and it was guaranteed to be effective. So it shouldn’t be necessary to use the safety card in his sleeves? After a brief moment of worry, Qu Jinsha reached out and picked a card with a secret mark. 

In order to avoid the same embarrassment as last time, Qu Jinsha quietly checked the number. It was a 2 of Hearts. The size was second only to the 2 of Spades. He breathed out slowly and the smile on his face became kinder and gentler. He could rest assured.

Once the cards were drawn, the dealer gathered the other cards back together in accordance with the rules. Jiang Fang raised the corner of the card. A few people behind him poked their heads forward to see. However, Jiang Fang’s technique was extremely fast. He opened and closed it immediately, preventing countless eyes from seeing it.

Qu Jinsha stared into this person’s eyes and asked with a smile, “How much are you betting?”

Jiang Fang looked at his chips. There were all the chips he had won so far. There were the 30 points won in the first game, the 340 points won in the second game and the 100 points given to him by Qu Jinsha. It added up to 440 points. He thought about it and took one red and two yellow ones from the chip plate. He set the bet at 560. 

Qu Jinsha started to add his own chips to make up the same amount while sighing. “How come it isn’t a whole number?”

Jiang Fang asked him, “Do you want to raise it?”

Qu Jinsha asked back, “Are you going to raise?”

“I’ll raise.” 

Jiang Fang glanced at the chips tray. Qu Jinsha wanted to see how much this person would add. No matter how much was added, Qu Jinsha had plenty of time to accompany him to the end. The next moment, he couldn’t smile at all. Jiang Fang picked out three yellow chips and one blue chip from the tray and placed them on the side of the gaming table.

The bunny girl dealer softly reminded him, “All the chips must be placed in the chips grid to take effect.”

Jiang Fang replied with a warm smile, “Thank you for reminding me.”

Then he picked up the chips tray where the four chips had been removed from and placed it firmly in his chips grid. Jiang Fang smiled at Qu Jinsha. “Bring another tray of chips please.” 

Qu Jinsha’s face was white before turning a faint blue. His nails gripped the soft leather armrest of his chair while he forced himself to smile. “This… are you sure?”

“I have counted.” Jiang Fang was calm. “After removing these four, the face value of the points on this tray is 12,000 points.

He nodded gracefully. “My companions and I can afford it.”

Li Yinhang’s head almost exploded. Why was he suddenly playing so big? She instinctively took a step forward. “Jiang…” 

Nan Zhou reached out his hand behind him to block her, shaking his head slightly. Li Yinhang was stunned for a while before her eyes lit up. Nan Zhou was standing right next to Jiang Fang. He must’ve seen the card that Jiang Fang got! Therefore, the card that Jiang Fang drew must be an overwhelming victory!

There was a full stack of chips in front of him and it was like a mountain suddenly crushed Qu Jinsha’s heart, causing him to sweat uncontrollably. He wanted to wipe his forehead with a handkerchief but after taking it out, he could only hold it to absorb the sweat on his palm. He heard himself telling the waiter in a dry and hoarse voice, “Bring another tray.”

He said this but in fact, his confidence had long been drained. Every heartbeat was like a hammer hitting hard against his chest. A lot of worried thoughts rushed to his head. What did Jiang Fang draw?! How did he dare bet like this? Was he cheating again?!

Then enlightenment flashed in Qu Jinsha’s mind. Could it be that this person had drawn the 2 of Spades? 

In just half a minute, the sweetness of the pomegranate juice quickly fermented into a sour and bitter taste in his mouth. The smell of vodka in the air mixed with the smoke and sweat from the crowd of onlookers, making Qu Jinsha’s otherwise sober mind dizzy.

The dealer had put away the unused cards and Qu Jinsha couldn’t verify how many big cards with marks were there. Jiang Fang also covered the back of his card with the vodka glass. If he got the 2 of Spades…

No, he must’ve drawn it! So… so…

Qu Jinsha was the dealer in this round and would have to pay three times the loss! What did it mean to pay three times the loss? In this situation, Qu Jinsha even felt a bit grateful for the high bet. If he had really cheated and used the 2 of Spades hidden in his sleeve while Jiang Fang happened to draw the 2 of Spades, there would be the dilemma of having two 2 of Spades in the deck. 

Once it reached that point, his body would be searched and it would be revealed that the owner of Douzhan Casino had cheated on a kindergarten-level card game like big and small. Then all the customers and reputation that Douzhan Casino had accumulated so far…

However, the current situation wasn’t much better. If he cheated then he would have a 2 of Spades along with the opposite 2 of Spades. If not, the 2 of Hearts in his hand would lose to the 2 of Spades and he would lose the 36,000 points he earned with his painstaking efforts.

Qu Jinsha watched the waiter approaching with another tray of chips and a chilling cold gradually enveloped Qu Jinsha. Adrenaline was quickly secreted, making his hands and feet cold and his head buzz. Once the waiter was only a few steps away from the gaming table with his tray of chips, Qu Jinsha abruptly raised his head. “I…I fold.”

The dealer folding meant giving up all the bets he made earlier. It was recognizing that his card wasn’t enough to fight against the opponent and stopping a loss in time. 

Qu Jinsha suddenly announced this and there were boos from the crowd.

“Is this okay? Does Qu have a kidney deficiency?”

“It isn’t easy to get a big one. Yawn.”

They didn’t get to see the excitement they wanted to see so it was natural to say a few words. This was undoubtedly a big blow to Qu Jinsha’s face and his skin turned the color of pig liver. The corners of Jiang Fang’s lips raised slightly while his eyes were drooping. It was hard to tell if he was feeling regret or happiness. 

Qu Jinsha forced a smile on his face and turned over his own card while suggesting, “Jiang Fang, let me see your good luck.”

“Good luck?” Jiang Fang repeated Qu Jinsha’s words while his eyes fell on Nan Zhou. “There is no such thing. My luck was used up a long time ago.”

He placed his hand on the table, one finger touching the corner of the card worth 12,000 points. He exerted a downward pressure and the card popped up lightly into his palm. He raised the card. There was a sudden silence with him in the center.

A moment later, there was an uproar! He had a 4 of Clubs in his hand. It was barely smaller than the lowest 3. 

“Are you crazy?!” Qu Jinsha lost control of his demeanor after seeing that Jiang Fang got such a card. He abruptly stood up and almost lost his voice. “How could you bet with such a card?”

“How?” Jiang Fang stood up, placed his hands on the table and met Qu Jinsha’s horrified gaze. “…Perhaps I was drunk.”

He moved the whole stack of cards to the side, watching the frightened dealer sweep the chips to him. He smiled happily and grabbed all the chips. “Boss Qu, thank you for your hospitality. Let’s stop here for today.”

The adrenaline that hadn’t faded was still stimulating Qu Jinsha, almost making him blurt out, “Come again.” 

Fortunately, he controlled it.

Jiang Fang didn’t intend to care about this person. He turned around and handed all the chips to Li Yinhang. “Go and redeem them.”

Jiang Fang’s 4 of Clubs made Li Yinhang have goose bumps all over her body. The ups and downs of life also caused serious damage to Li Yinhang’s careful liver. She numbly responded and her hands were trembling when she went to pick up the chips.

Qu Jinsha didn’t ask for them to continue gambling, didn’t make them forcefully stay and even said goodbye to them politely. After watching Jiang Fang’s group step into the elevator, Qu Jinsha stared at the closed elevator door for a long time with a strange expression on his face. A bate-ficha timidly talked to him. “Boss Qu…?” 

“Huh?”

“You’re just going to let them go?”

Qu Jinsha glanced at him. “Do you remember what game this is?”

The bate-ficha immediately shut up. They rented land in Paper Gold so they were naturally subject to basic constraints and rules. Paper Gold had its own NPCs to maintain order. Qu Jinsha couldn’t do anything on the surface. Even if he lost, he had to pay it. In addition, the loss of these points wasn’t too painful for Qu Jinsha. 

Qu Jinsha folded his arms. In his opinion, Jiang Fang would definitely live for a long time in this game. They were all in the Forces of Temptation game so as the game progressed, they would inevitably compete in the future.

“…He will be back.” Qu Jinsha muttered to himself while the smile on his face grew wider. After this, he probably knew what type of person Jiang Fang was. Next time, he was afraid it wouldn’t be so easy for Jiang Fang to win.

***

Jiang Fang leaned against the wall of the elevator car. He raised his head as he adjusted his choker around his neck. His breathing was a bit heavy so the movement of his Adam’s apple against the choker was clearer. 

Li Yinhang was immersed in the emotional ups and downs just now and her mind hadn’t returned.

Nan Zhou stared at Jiang Fang. He really did all three things that he promised. He didn’t lose the 100 chips that Qu Jinsha gave him. He returned the buffet fee. There was no loss.

Jiang Fang glanced at the dazed Li Yinhang and a small smile appeared on his face. Then he shifted his gaze to Nan Zhou, “Are you surprised by this result?”

“I saw it when you checked,” Nan Zhou replied. “It was a 4 of Clubs.” 

“You saw this yet you still believed in me?”

“I knew what you wanted to do so why shouldn’t I trust you?”

“Didn’t you think I was a lunatic for betting over 10,000 points?”

Nan Zhou thought about it. “A little bit.” 

He added, “Fortunately, it was fine.”

Jiang Fang smiled again and turned away, closing his eyes. He was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to help kissing Nan Zhou if he kept looking.

Nan Zhou had a question. “Did you do something in the second game?”

Ding. 

The elevator arrived at the first floor. Li Yinhang went straight out.

Nan Zhou asked curiously, “Is it cheating? How did you do it?”

Jiang Fang wondered, “Do you think I cheated?”

Nan Zhou nodded honestly. Jiang Fang lightly hooked his finger and motioned for this person to hand over his ears. Nan Zhou came over. A voice that was like new wine with a hint of ice slid against his ears. “…Prove it.” (Spoken in English) 

Nan Zhou was stunned.

Jiang Fang laughed and strode out of the elevator, his silver braid that had been on his shoulder slipping off it.

Nan Zhou touched his slightly hot cheeks and ears. He couldn’t understand why he felt so hot. Perhaps the degree of alcohol in the vodka was so high that smelling it also made him drunk.