Chapter 18
C18 – The Test
After settling Wen Huaimu’s winnings, the Zhuang family hit the dice bell once more. Amidst the ensuing clatter, they waited for the bets to be placed.
This round, the Zhuang family’s gaze was fixed on Wen Huaimu, eager to discern if his luck was genuine.
Yet, the other gamblers scarcely gave Wen Huaimu a second thought. A single win was hardly out of the ordinary.
“What’s our wager this time?” Miss Zhuang asked, a peculiar glint in her eye as she whispered in Wen Huaimu’s ear.
Tickled by her breath, Wen Huaimu stole a glance at the dice bell and declared with a confident grin, “I’m betting big again. I’ve always had a preference for the larger stakes.”
His suggestive tone prompted Miss Zhuang to coyly roll her eyes, though she snuggled even closer to him. She wriggled gently in Wen Huaimu’s embrace, sending shivers down his spine.
The Zhuang family’s mouth twitched involuntarily upon hearing Wen Huaimu’s bold claim. Indeed, they had rolled big once more. What was most perplexing was that their seasoned eyes could detect no hint of the usual gambler’s sleight of hand in the young man. Could he truly be on a lucky streak?
One by one, the gamblers laid down their bets, quickly amassing mountains of plastic coins on the table.
Most were repeat bettors from the last round, all hoping for a repeat of the previous miracle.
Before Wen Huaimu’s arrival, many had eagerly anticipated the outcome, completely overlooking his stroke of luck.
With a subtle smile, Wen Huaimu pushed his two hundred thousand purple coins onto the high bet, watching the Zhuang family with a knowing smile.
“Wow!”
The gasps around the betting table grew louder.
This was, after all, a run-of-the-mill betting table where bets typically topped out at a few thousand yuan. Wen Huaimu’s performance today had captured the attention of many gamblers. Could he possibly be a gambling deity?
The banker, poised to lift the cup, now hesitated.
Two hundred thousand was no trivial sum. On an average night, the banker’s take-home was only in the hundreds of thousands, from which they would extract a mere 5% commission. Now, Wen Huaimu’s gamble threatened not only to erase the banker’s night’s work but potentially to bring about even more dire repercussions.
“Keep the bets high for him, but go low next round.”
Amidst the banker’s hesitation, a more commanding voice echoed in his ear.
With no further doubt, the banker promptly opened the cup.
“Wow! This kid’s hit the jackpot!”
The shouts of astonishment drew the gaze of numerous onlookers. Two hundred thousand was no trivial sum, especially considering most casual gamblers here barely had a few hundred thousand to their names.
“Hehe, sis, looks like I’m still on a lucky streak. I might just be able to treat you tonight.” Wen Huaimu turned and planted a kiss on Miss Zhuang’s cheek, chuckling merrily.
“You little show-off,” Miss Zhuang said with a giggle, her hand covering her mouth, her eyes reflecting a growing amazement. The young man she had singled out was proving to be more than just an ordinary lad.
As four hundred thousand was laid before him, Wen Huaimu simply smiled, his inscrutable demeanor sparking curious thoughts among the sharper gamblers.
“Sis, what do you think the dealer’s reaction would be if I went all in next? He’s already looking pale,” Wen Huaimu murmured to Miss Zhuang.
“Go for it,” she replied, delighting in the potential chaos.
The dealer’s eyes darted towards Wen Huaimu, filled with unease.
Now, the crowd at the gambling table had thinned, their attention fixed on Wen Huaimu. Would the fortunate young man continue to bet big?
Wen Huaimu just smiled, saying nothing. His gaze swept over the surrounding gamblers, his heart brimming with glee.
The elfin had finally taken notice of him.
The elfin imparted a small trick to Wen Huaimu.
Elementary psychic force control.
Distinct from magic, this was a simple technique for manipulating psychic force.
In Wen Huaimu’s own words, he could use his psychic force to move objects through the air and even attack from a distance—a formidable ability.
Naturally, Wen Huaimu’s current level of psychic force wasn’t strong enough for such feats, but he could manage to move small objects nearby. The timely skill provided by the elfin was something Wen Huaimu treasured. The elfin was truly amazing!
“Of course, I’m betting on the high roll,” Wen Huaimu said nonchalantly as he slid his entire four hundred thousand towards the ‘high’ option.
The other gamblers, who had been watching in silence, followed suit, tossing their plastic chips on the same bet, their faces filled with eager anticipation as they eyed the dice cup.
A flicker of disdain crossed the dealer’s face, his expression momentarily softening. So, Wen Huaimu was just another young guy trying to act cool. The thought that Wen Huaimu had kept him on edge for so long was quite embarrassing.
The dealer, maintaining a poker face, reached out to lift the dice cup.
Wen Huaimu, holding Miss Zhuang’s hand, allowed himself a slight smile. Yet, beneath the surface, he gave his psychic force a subtle shake, and the dice numbers in front of the dealer shifted from 2, 3, 5 to 5, 6, and 6. Since he was manipulating them with psychic force, there was no sound—a detail the machine-operating dealer failed to notice.
“5, 6, 6! High roll! I’m rich!”
The crowd around the gambling table had swelled, buzzing with excitement. As they caught sight of the dice numbers, they erupted into wild exclamations, their gazes turning to Wen Huaimu with fervent admiration. Wen Huaimu was a legend in the making! They could cash in on his success!
Upon seeing the dice, the dealer’s face drained of color. He pointed at Wen Huaimu, panic-stricken, and blurted out, “You’re cheating.”
The table erupted into a frenzy. The crowd shot bewildered looks at the dealer, while curiosity rippled through the onlookers.
Wen Huaimu chuckled coldly. “Cheating? And how would you know that? Can you see the dice inside the cup?”
The gamblers’ curiosity turned to suspicion, their expressions hardening as they directed their cold stares at the dealer.
Sweat beaded on the dealer’s forehead as he stood there, trembling, unable to utter a single word.
“No! How could I possibly know the dice numbers? But the total has been over nine three times in a row, and you’ve been betting big each time. You must be cheating,” the dealer accused, his face turning a deep shade of red as he pointed at Wen Huaimu, his accusation more of a desperate outburst than a reasoned claim.
Wen Huaimu let out a scoff, poised to counter, when Miss Zhuang fixed the dealer with a displeased glare and challenged him, “I wasn’t aware that cheating was part of the game. Isn’t the dice cup right in front of you? Or do you take us all for fools, believing my brother could silently manipulate the dice inside the cup?”
“Exactly! The dice are under the dealer’s watch. Wen Huaimu is seated directly across from him, a whole two meters apart. And you’re suggesting he could subtly alter the dice from that distance? You must be joking! Not even a gambling deity could pull off such a feat. What do you think he is, some kind of supernatural being?”
As Miss Zhuang’s words sank in, the rest of the gamblers caught on, their gazes turning sly as they eyed the dealer. Was it possible that the odds were so steep that the dealer was looking for an excuse not to pay out the winnings?
Nighty Night had been in business for many years, and as far as anyone could recall, there had never been an incident like this before.