Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 90 - 89 Pale as Death

Chapter 90: Chapter 89 Pale as Death

Zhang Yong’s poker cards were somewhat old, but still intact. Yang Yi reached out his hand, and said to Zhang Yong, "Can I check the cards?"

"What are you thinking? Do you believe I would cheat? Or do you think there’s something wrong with my cards?"

"Uh, neither. I’m not a professional gambler, but I know gamblers are very cautious. Inspecting the cards is like a ritual. So, can I check them?"

Zhang Yong shook his head, yet he handed the cards to Yang Yi, then he gestured dismissively, "Check all you want. Hey, buddy, this is just for fun. If you cheat I will be really mad, I’ve got sharp eyes."

Yang Yi smiled and started to inspect the playing cards, glancing at both the front and the back, but he did it quickly.

Zhang Yong, somewhat dissatisfied, said, "I really don’t know what you’re looking for. Is it necessary to check each card like this?"

"It is quite necessary. Just a tiny mark on a few key cards can affect the whole game. I’m not doubting you, Brother Yong, it’s just a basic requirement among gamblers."

Zhang Yong, thoroughly disdainful, replied, "Come on, I’ve been playing for so many years and have never seen the need to check the cards like this. Don’t try to bluff me."

"In a casino that’s not necessary, but this isn’t a casino. Alright, I’ve checked them, there are no marks. You can deal now."

Zhang Yong shrugged, took back the cards, and after a casual shuffle, was ready to deal. But at that moment, Yang Yi urgently said, "Wait a second, Brother Yong, where’s the bet?"

Zhang Yong shrugged his shoulders, smiling, "Forgot about that. I don’t smoke, so I don’t have any on me. It wouldn’t be right to owe you since you’re new here. Um..."

Zhang Yong turned his head and shouted, "Hey, Marvin, Marvin! Are you listening? Do you have cigarettes?"

A black man, surrounded by a few other black men and chatting happily, was momentarily startled by Zhang Yong’s call but then he called loudly, "Are you calling me?"

Zhang Yong waved, "That’s right, calling you. Got cigarettes, buddy? Give me two packs, I’ll return them later."

Marvin felt around his person, produced half a pack of cigarettes, exchanged a few words with the person next to him, then walked over with two half packs of cigarettes.

"Why do you need cigarettes? Here you go, don’t bother returning them."

Marvin appeared very polite. Zhang Yong took the cigarettes, grinning, "Just using them as betting stakes. I’ll return them later."

Pulling out a cigarette, Zhang Yong placed it on the bench and said with a smile, "I don’t have many cigarettes, so let’s bet one at a time. Come on, let’s start the game."

Yang Yi opened a pack of cigarettes, placed one, and then Zhang Yong started dealing.

Yang Yi’s face-up card was a 9, while his face-down hole card was a Queen, giving him 19 points. Zhang Yong’s face-up card was an Ace.

Looking at Zhang Yong’s face-up card, Yang Yi smiled, "Hit me."

Zhang Yong shrugged and dealt Yang Yi a card, which was a 2.

"I’ll stand."

Zhang Yong laughed and flipped his hole card, which was a 9, meaning his total was twenty points.

"I’ve got twenty. Show your cards."

Zhang Yong appeared very confident; Yang Yi smiled, turned over his hole card, and said, "Sorry, 21. I win a cigarette off you."

Zhang Yong seemed surprised. He examined Yang Yi’s cards, then tilted his head in disbelief, "You had 19 and then you kept hitting until you got 21?"

"Yeah, that’s right. I was lucky."

Those who don’t understand the rules of blackjack may not realize just how risky Yang Yi’s play was. It could be said that by stopping at 19, he would have had a winning chance of at least 60%. But by continuing to hit and getting any card over a 2, he would have busted, losing worse than if he hadn’t hit at all.

But Yang Yi had the guts to hit, and then he beat Zhang Yong until he was out of spirits.

Shaking his head, Zhang Yong said with a steady face, "You’re good, let’s continue."

Yang Yi’s face card was an 8, the hole card was a 3, so he smiled and said, "Hit me."

After getting another four, reaching 15 points, Yang Yi thought for a moment and then smiled, "Hit me again."

Yang Yi then got a 2, bringing him to 17 points, but that wasn’t the key; the key was that if Zhang Yong dealt another card, it was supposed to be a K, and with Zhang Yong’s own hand being a 9 and a 6, drawing a K would bust him.

"I’m staying."

Zhang Yong took another card, then with a steady face threw his cards away.

The black guy who had been giving Zhang Yong cigarettes watched for a couple of hands, then, looking at Yang Yi in amazement, said, "This kid’s luck is really good, man, hey, TNT, can I join in?"

Zhang Yong shook his head and said, "No, don’t rush, buddy, it’s a showdown between the two of us, let’s go again."

Yang Yi lost one hand, but he won seventeen.

The hand he lost couldn’t be helped; the hand Yang Yi ended up with was 18 points, while Zhang Yong had 20 points. To hit would mean a bust, to stay would mean a loss; there was no way around it, so he could only lose that hand.

Each bet was just a cigarette, and they couldn’t raise the stakes, but Zhang Yong had already lost all his cigarettes.

Yang Yi smiled and said, "Shall we continue?"

Zhang Yong was already starting to sweat, and he said resentfully, "I’ve never flinched at the casino when blowing hundreds of thousands in an instant, what’s this?"

Zhang Yong turned his head and shouted to a group of Mexicans, "Carlos, buddy, come over here!"

A Mexican, followed by several underlings, swaggered over, bumped fists with Zhang Yong, glanced at the black guy called Marvin, and then asked in a low voice, "What’s up my friend?"

Zhang Yong took a breath and said, "Loan me some cigarettes, I’ve lost all mine, help me get some more for the stakes."

Carlos twisted his mouth and looked towards Yang Yi. Zhang Yong quickly said, "Hey, don’t get me wrong. This is a fair game; I just need some stakes."

Carlos tilted his head and immediately one of his lackeys shouted, "Take out all the cigarettes you have, quick! Hurry up!"

Soon, a large handful of cigarettes was placed in front of Zhang Yong, mostly single cigarettes, very few half-packs, with only one unopened pack.

Seeing the cigarettes, Zhang Yong smiled and said, "Now that I have the stakes, I’ve got the guts, too. Let’s raise the bet, ten cigarettes at a time, how about that?"

"Sure, bring it on."

Yang Yi still wore a smile, but the sweat on Zhang Yong’s face grew more copious until Marvin couldn’t hold back and shouted angrily, "You’re cheating, you must be cheating!"

Yang Yi’s collar was suddenly grabbed, and he quickly raised his hands, saying loudly, "Hey, man, I’m not the one dealing the cards."

Zhang Yong sighed and said, "Marvin, don’t touch him; it’s a fair game."

No wonder Marvin was anxious, because the equivalent of nearly four or five boxes of cigarettes that were in front of Zhang Yong had all moved in front of Yang Yi.

Offhandedly grabbing a cigarette from his stakes, Zhang Yong put it in his mouth while someone immediately lit it for him.

After blowing a smoke ring, the pale-faced Zhang Yong distributed the last few cigarettes to the people around him, then nodded at Yang Yi, "You got the better of me. Let’s continue tomorrow. You can rest assured, no one here will lay a finger on you; we’ll continue this tomorrow!"

Yang Yi smiled and said, "Alright, until tomorrow."