Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 238 - 237 High-end Game

Chapter 238: Chapter 237 High-end Game

At ten o’clock in the morning, Yang Yi called Boer Stupike to confirm the time and place of their meeting, as well as whether he could bring a female companion.

At one fifty in the afternoon, Yang Yi and Xiao Ran arrived punctually at the poker VIP room at Caesar’s Palace.

VIP rooms differ from one another. A gambling game with a minimum bet of one hundred US dollars could grant access to a VIP room, significantly reducing the number of gamblers, but the game organized by Boer was confined to a single small room, with no other person permitted entry.

When Yang Yi and Xiao Ran reached the most prestigious poker room of Caesar’s Palace, Boer Stupike had just arrived as well.

Upon seeing Yang Yi, Boer took the initiative to extend both hands, shook hands with Yang Yi, and then reached out to Xiao Ran, smiling, "We met last night."

Xiao Ran returned the smile, "Yes, we did."

Boer said nothing more, and did not probe whether Xiao Ran was a stooge for Yang Yi. He simply whispered to the person following him, "Exchange one million in chips for Mr. Yang."

After speaking, Boer smiled at Yang Yi, "The game will start at two o’clock, Mr. Yang. Let’s wait in the lounge for a little while."

Yang Yi replied softly, "Thank you for your kindness, but there’s no need to arrange chips for me, Mr. Stupike. I’ll exchange for them myself. However, I appreciate your generous invitation again."

Boer was slightly surprised but promptly smiled, "My apologies, please come this way."

It’s a pleasure to deal with well-mannered people. Yang Yi was sure that Boer had arrived early for the sake of waiting for him, aimed at saving him face.

Had Boer offered Yang Yi chips in front of other gamblers, or had he indicated in front of other guests that he would pay for Yang Yi’s chips, Yang Yi would certainly have been looked down upon. Hence, Boer arranged to meet with Yang Yi ten minutes earlier.

Boer did not enter the gaming room; he invited Yang Yi into a lounge connected to the gaming room. The two sat opposite each other, with Xiao Ran sitting beside Yang Yi, while the people accompanying Boer stood behind him.

Yang Yi wanted to chat with Boer, but Boer didn’t seem inclined to speak. Soon, another person joined them—a very unassuming middle-aged man dressed quite ordinarily.

Participants of the gambling game arrived one by one. Some dressed casually while others dressed formally, but aside from Yang Yi, there was only one other person with a female companion, and she wasn’t a particularly beautiful young model, but rather a fifty-something middle-aged man’s wife.

Boer greeted everyone warmly, showing his familiarity with each person. When five gamblers had arrived, Boer stood up and addressed everyone, "Today, we have a new face with us. Let me introduce him; this is Mike Yang."

Yang Yi gave a slight bow to the crowd, "Hello everyone, I’m pleased to meet you."

Boer went on to introduce each person to Yang Yi by name only, never divulging any details about their backgrounds or occupations.

The atmosphere of the gambling game was completely stripped of the usual gambling spirit. Each person was polite and respectful, making Yang Yi feel certain that the shouting and raucous behavior typically associated with gambling would not occur here.

The six players moved to the gaming room where the croupier was already in position. They all unconsciously took their seats at the gambling table in the same arrangement as in the lounge.

Within the room, there were not just one croupier but almost a servant for each player. Once everyone was seated, Boer casually said, "The same old rule applies—one million US dollars in initial chips for everyone. Any objections?"

No one raised an objection, and the attendants quickly placed boxes of chips in front of each gambler.

In the casino, there are no kinships; even in the most high-end games, one must first purchase chips with real money. Gamblers who arrived alone handed over checkbooks or signed their names, and Boer had someone behind him provide a signed check.

As for Yang Yi’s side, it was Xiao Ran who swiped the card to exchange for chips. Whether paying by check or card swipe was equally convenient, as the attendants carried POS machines with them.

Only one person, a forty-something middle-aged man named Makas, did not pay. He made no indication of doing so but still received one million in chips just the same.

Once the chip exchange was completed, Boer smiled, "Alright, let’s begin. Please deal the cards."

It’s clear that those attending this gambling game were all wealthy individuals, but Yang Yi continually wondered about Boer’s intention in inviting him.

If Boer thought he was a good card player and hoped to collaborate to win others’ money, this seemed the least likely reason since Boer had never mentioned such an arrangement, and his financial resources seemed ample enough not to resort to such schemes to win money.

If Boer was not aiming to win money but rather wanted someone else to lose, that didn’t seem quite right either.

Perhaps Boer just wanted to play cards and invited Yang Yi because he was impressed by his skills. This also seemed improbable since it’s unlikely one would invite a stranger to play, then offer him one million in chips to lose freely.

Yang Yi felt Boer might not care about the money but was very much concerned with winning and losing. Nobody likes to lose, even in small games, so Boer’s invitation must have been for Yang Yi to lend a hand at the right moment.

However, once the game began, Yang Yi realized that Boer’s invitation to play was unconditional; he was impressed by Yang Yi’s play and that was all.

This was an elite game.

Not elite in terms of large winnings and losses, but elite because the players were exceptionally skilled.

This was a game for a high-IQ community, where every player was formidable, truly formidable.

The game progressed slowly because everyone played seriously, and Yang Yi had to be fully alert, painstakingly avoiding traps. Only when he saw no definite chance of winning did he immediately fold his hand. Even so, he could manage only to minimize his losses instead of winning.

Yes, not only was Yang Yi not winning any money, he was also losing. Although it wasn’t by a significant margin, it seemed his good fortune had been exhausted the previous night when he turned his fifty-thousand-dollar stake into one million two hundred thousand. Consequently, it was challenging for him to come across a good hand in today’s game.

The game unfolded without excitement, even bordering on dull. No one went all-in, and there were no heated showdowns between two good hands. Thus, the game seemed uninteresting—for instance, Xiao Ran found it especially tedious to watch a group of million-dollar chip holders struggle over a few thousand dollars. Where was the fun in that?

But the players found the game exceptionally stimulating. This wasn’t merely gambling; it was a clash of intellects, a battle of skills. It was the thrill of meeting a worthy opponent; the couple thousand dollars at stake were merely incidental—the true allure lay in the game itself.