The Years I Was The Gambling God

Filla also fixed her gaze on Ranulph.

The two of them held each other's eyes for quite some time.

Suddenly, Ranulph turned to me and said,

"I wager my girlfriend! Lupan. If you win this hand, she's yours for the day. Do as you wish, how about that?"

Ranulph's words left everyone present dumbfounded.

No one had anticipated that Ranulph would bet his girlfriend.

Such is the way of gamblers.

When consumed by greed, familial ties are forgotten.

What astonished everyone even more was that Filla didn't object.

With a mocking tone laced with provocation, she addressed me,

"Lupan, if you win, I'll accompany you today. Whatever you wish, I'll comply, I'll be at your disposal! Do you dare to play?"

Filla knew Ranulph's hand.

That's why she dared to use herself as a bargaining chip.

I gave Filla a cold glance.

In my eyes, she wasn't even worth a hundred, let alone ten thousand.

But because she had just insulted my parents.

Today, I had to make her understand the cost of her vulgar tongue.

"Very well, I agree. Let's reveal our hands!"

The room fell silent instantly.

All eyes were fixed on Ranulph's three cards.

At that moment, Ranulph's face was flushed with excitement.

However, to feign ignorance of his cards, he continued his act.

He picked up the deck of cards, raised it high, and shouted,

"God, bless me with a great hand!"

Thud!

The three cards were slammed onto the table.

Huh?

As the cards were revealed, a collective gasp escaped from the onlookers!

Three Aces!

Ranulph had managed to draw three Aces.

The highest hand in Three Card Poker.

Ranulph had known his hand all along.

Yet he continued to act, looking at his hand and laughing heartily.

"I told you I wouldn't keep losing forever! With this hand, I'm turning the tables completely!"

Saying that he excitedly reached for the money on the table.

Filla also began to celebrate.

They had won.

They had won over ten thousand dollars.

Just as Ranulph was about to collect the money, I suddenly spoke in a cold tone:

"Wait a moment!"

Ranulph looked up at me.

Everyone in the room turned to look at me.

"Does three Aces guarantee a victory? What if I have a 2, 3, 5?"

2, 3, 5 is the lowest hand in Three Card Poker.

But according to our local rules, a 2, 3, 5 can beat three Aces.

And only three Aces.

"Dream on. Still daydreaming about 235? Who do you think you are, a gambling deity?" Filla sneered at me.

Ranulph, on the other hand, didn't believe for a moment that I could have 235. He bellowed, "Quit the nonsense and reveal your hand!"

I reached for the cigarette box.

Slowly, I unveiled the first card.

The 2 of spades.

Ranulph's brow furrowed involuntarily.

Then, I slowly revealed the second card.

The 5 of diamonds.

The atmosphere in the room immediately grew tense.

All eyes were fixed on the last card under my palm.

Ranulph's hands resting on the table also began to tremble.

Suddenly, I shouted, "Bring out a 3..."

With that shout, I dramatically unveiled the third card.

A 3 of hearts lay brightly on the table.

The room fell into a profound silence.

Everyone looked dumbfounded.

It seemed as if they couldn't believe what was unfolding before their eyes.

A triplet of Aces encountering 235.

Such a hand had not been seen in decades.

And yet here it was, unfolding before them.

After a moment, Ranulph slumped back in his chair, utterly dazed.

He had been so sure that the over ten thousand dollars belonged to him.

In an instant, it became mine.

And he had also lost his girlfriend to me.

Even if only for a day.

"How could this be so coincidental?"

Ranulph stared at me for only a dozen seconds before looking up.

"Lupan, you damn well cheated. How else could this happen?"

Ranulph wasn't foolish; he could guess that I might have cheated.

And indeed, I had cheated.

But could his dog eyes discern the methods I had employed?

I still wore a look of disdain and leisurely said,

"Ranulph, you chose the venue, you invited the people, you bought the cards. Yet you accuse me of cheating. Do you think that's fair? Furthermore, do you have any evidence?"

In catching a thief, you catch the loot.

In the world of gambling, it's the same.

Even if you're certain your opponent is cheating, unless you have evidence, it's all just talk.

That's why, when Varg taught me how to cheat, he made it clear.

Whether in a small gambling den or a grand casino.

When cheating, don't leave any dirt behind.

As long as the opponent lacks evidence, even if the heavens descend, it's futile.

I collected all the money on the table.

This round brought a substantial gain.

After deducting my initial stake, I had won over five thousand.

After collecting the money, I turned to Ranulph.

"Ranulph, you've lost. Shouldn't your girlfriend come with me now?"

Ranulph's expression turned extremely sour. Without waiting for Filla to speak, he immediately said,

"No way!"

I snorted.

"Fine, she doesn't have to come with me. Have her kneel before me, apologize, and call me 'sir,' Lupan sir! Then we'll call it even!"

I had never intended to take Filla with me.

I had no interest in such a woman, almost like a harlot.

I simply wanted to teach her a lesson for her foul mouth.

"I won't kneel, and I won't call you anything!"

Filla glared, her eyes fixed on me.

"Then you must come with me!"

I stood my ground.

We stood there in a standoff.

Suddenly, Dark patted my arm and said,

"Buddy, enough is enough. You've won the money, do you have to take her home? Give me face, let's call it off!"

Dark exuded the air of a worldly-wise person.

But he and I lived in different worlds.

Looking at Dark, I coldly retorted,

"If he had won this round, would he let it go like this?"

"What do you mean?"

Dark sounded a bit displeased.

"In chess, one must play without regret; in gambling, one must be willing to accept defeat. The stakes were set by the two of them, so they must abide by them!"

Dark hadn't expected my straightforward rejection.

He blinked his large eyes and said indignantly,

"You mean you won't give me face and insist on taking her away?"

I nodded.

Dark stood up abruptly.

"So you don't want to give me face, huh? Then don't blame me. Come on, step outside with me. Let's see how you'll take her away today!"

I furrowed my brow involuntarily.

In my first foray into the world, I encountered Dark, a reckless man who didn't play by the rules.

Yet I rose and followed him out of the supermarket.

Varg once said,

A skilled gambler plays with technique, relying on skill.

Whoever wins, takes it all.

Otherwise, what's the point of honing cheating techniques?

Outside the supermarket.

Dark stood like a tower, arms crossed, standing angrily by the roadside.

The people who had just left the room followed us outside.

They stood by, watching the commotion.

"Now leave, and it's settled. If you still want to take Filla away, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Dark issued me a final ultimatum.

And I, with a stern expression, calmly replied,

"Then you are being impolite to me..."

As the words left my lips, Dark's eyes widened.

He took a large stride forward, and his fist, the size of a basin, swung towards my face.

It was clear that Dark was furious.

His iron fists whistled through the air.

I hurriedly raised my hand to block.

Although I blocked the punch, I stumbled and fell to the ground.

Dark's fist was heavy.

Just one blow and I felt a sharp pain in my arm.

"Do you give up? Will you still take her away?"

Dark stood over me, looking down from a height.

But I remained silent.

Slowly, I got up from the ground.

Looking at Dark, I coldly said,

"Again!"

This was a duel where there was no victory, only defeat.

Dark was a professional fighter, and I had never learned any martial arts.

But I should thank my detestable uncle and my ruthless cousin Rolf.

Through countless beatings and stick fights, they taught me a skill: endurance.