Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 704 - 710: Stay Calm

Chapter 704: Chapter 710: Stay Calm

With just a phone call, the business had expanded, and Yang Yi found it amusing.

If it had been easy, Justin would have already taken care of it himself; hence, the task at hand was bound to be challenging, but Yang Yi decided that if there was a chance, he would lend Justin a hand. After all, by doing so, he would be helping himself.

Justin’s mention of a competitor most likely indicated it was someone within the family, as many of his intelligence agents were from the Cicero Family rather than Justin’s own people. Only this way could Justin’s people be betrayed so thoroughly.

The Organization of Water was now closely related to Justin but had no relation to the Cicero Family, so securing Justin’s position naturally meant helping himself.

However, the Organization of Water’s main mission at the moment was the Black Devil; no matter how much money Justin offered, no matter how much Yang Yi wanted to help, the assassination of Mark Schappo would have to be postponed.

But McDonald was coming back. He hadn’t accomplished anything after being borrowed by Justin for so many days, and it was unclear if Justin would still pay McDonald what he had promised.

Yang Yi quietly pushed open the door, then tiptoed out. With nothing much to do these days, everyone liked to hang out in the living room. He wanted to join them for a while, so he decided not to bring up Justin’s matter for now. It was inconvenient to discuss many things while living with Jethro.

Yang Yi arrived in the living room and, pretending to be natural, glanced over and noticed Xiao Ran watching television. He immediately turned and went to the bathroom.

After coming out of the bathroom, just as Yang Yi was about to quietly return to his room, he heard Zhang Yong bellow, "Hey, Kiddo, come here."

Walking away when called would seem suspiciously guilty, so Yang Yi turned around and said, "What is it? I’m a bit busy here."

"What’s the matter?"

"Um, just tell me what you want."

Zhang Yong, impatient, said, "You come here first, talk after."

Yang Yi had no choice but to walk over to the living room sofa pretending to be natural, and then he saw the playing cards on the coffee table, while Xiao Ran was apparently watching the news.

"Anything new in the news?"

In an effort to appear unbothered, Yang Yi first asked Xiao Ran, and only then did he sit down on the sofa. He then looked at Zhang Yong and said, "Hey, we agreed not to call me ’Kiddo’ anymore, didn’t we? What did you want to see me for exactly?"

Zhang Yong had a poker face as he tapped on the coffee table, his tone forceful, "Can’t you see? I’m being polite calling you ’Kiddo.’ Remember your promise to me? You said as long as I taught you martial arts, you’d ensure my success at the gambling table. So what’s happening now?"

Yang Yi scanned the room and realized that Chris had cards in front of him, Rodriguez had cards, Xiao Ran had a hand of cards behind her while watching TV, and Roman and Sergei clearly had won with their smiling faces.

Scratching his head, Yang Yi said in resignation to Zhang Yong, "Ever heard of ’the house always wins’? How many people that frequent casinos win money? It’s not a question of skill when you’re up against a casino, it’s about probability, okay? Even Boer and I wouldn’t dare to promise a win every time. We win when lucky and, at worst, break even when not. Plus, we leave when luck turns bad. You can’t win consistently with lousy hands. With the way you gamble, it would be odd if you weren’t losing."

Zhang Yong sneered, "I may not be as smart as you, and I’ll accept that I can’t beat the casino, but explain how I’m losing so badly against these guys!"

Zhang Yong’s forehead veins were bulging as Yang Yi looked around and asked, "How much did you win from him?"

Rodriguez grinned, "I didn’t win much, just twenty thousand or so. Roman won the most, he’s got about fifty thousand US dollars."

Yang Yi looked at Zhang Yong, astonished, and said, "No way! You’ve burned through two hundred thousand already?"

Zhang Yong replied irritably, "Who told you I was cleaned out? I still have... one thousand six hundred! Stop distracting me, give me an explanation first, or I’ll ruin your martial arts skills for being a traitorous disciple!"

"Hey, now we’re talking about ruining martial arts skills? I don’t have any internal energy for you to ruin, so what skills are you talking about?"

"Understood the spirit!"

Zhang Yong slapped the table and shouted, then he said fiercely, "We had an agreement! If you can’t do it, you’re lying to me, and there are no good outcomes for deceiving me!"

Yang Yi exhaled and asked, "What are you playing? Texas Hold’em?"

"It’s Golden Flower!"

Yang Yi scratched his head again, a look of helplessness on his face, "You’re losing so much at such a game lacking technical difficulty, even Rod can beat you, what am I supposed to say? When I taught you, it wasn’t like this, Brother Yong, now I have only one way to save you."

"What way?"

"Stop gambling. Never gamble again. Others might lose nine out of ten times, but you lose every single time. Even if you start winning money, you’ll end up giving it all back. Even if luck is on your side, you’ll still lose."

Zhang Yong said viciously, "Little Egg, you’re not keeping your word..."

Yang Yi swallowed and then cleared his throat twice before saying, "Do you still remember what I taught you?"

"Mmm, counting cards? Uh, that..."

"You forget it all once you start betting, I know. Once you’re gambling addictively, you probably don’t even remember your own last name, let alone calculate probabilities or anything of the sort, right?"

Zhang Yong didn’t speak, but Rodriguez laughed and said, "That’s right, that’s right! I can win a thousand bucks from him with just a pair of nines, him betting five hundred in the dark and me raising immediately."

Yang Yi shrugged and said, "Go on, keep playing."

Zhang Yong, with an embarrassed look, said, "I’ve only got sixteen hundred left. Can I get an advance, just one hundred thousand this time?"

Yang Yi glared at Zhang Yong and said, "Who said you can’t win it back with sixteen hundred? You better not run off after winning the money. Hundred-dollar base, right? Come on, the ante’s down, deal."

Chris, looking wary, said, "You’re not allowed to play. I’ll deal."

"I’m only teaching, and I won’t look at anyone else’s cards."

Chris dealt the cards, and Zhang Yong was about to throw in some cash, but after glancing at Yang Yi’s expression, he sheepishly pulled the money back and picked up the cards on the table for a look.

Yang Yi said indifferently, "Smart move. Remember, never bet in the dark. The odds of winning are too low unless you have ridiculously good luck. In that case, you can play however you want. Hmm, it seems like you don’t have much luck."

Three, six, ten, a terrible hand. Just as Zhang Yong was about to toss his cards, Yang Yi looked at him, and he pulled the cards back, waiting until it was his turn to speak before Yang Yi finally said, "Throw the cards."

"Does it make a difference whether I throw them now or later?"

"It does make a difference. At least remember one thing, when playing cards, don’t let others realize you’re a rookie. Even if you are one, pretend you’re not. Now, I’m going to teach you the most important thing, which I should have taught you earlier. It’s the most critical principle, the only secret that can save you at the poker table."

"What is it? Tell me quick!"

"Stay calm!"