Chapter 209: Despair Casino (6)
Although the rules of blackjack are simple, there are still some complex regulations between the dealer and the players.
A single round of explanation only gave Ji Ning a rough idea of how to play. To actually sit at a table and gamble against others, she would still need Song Weiyang's guidance.
However, to prevent Ji Ning from slipping up in front of a bunch of NPCs, Song Weiyang took the seat while Ji Ning watched beside him.
After observing several rounds, Ji Ning learned that if the dealer has a blackjack, they must reveal it immediately. If both the dealer and player have blackjack, it's a push; otherwise, the dealer wins.
If it's not a blackjack and the dealer's upcard is an Ace, players can buy insurance. If the dealer's hole card is a 10, the player gets back their original bet and loses nothing.
It was a five-player table using two decks, with all player hands dealt face-up.
Song Weiyang acted as a player four times and the dealer once. With one push and four wins, he earned nearly two hundred thousand in chips in less than twenty minutes.
Ji Ning understood now. Although this game seemed purely luck-based, every card dealt required mentally calculating the remaining card types and quantities to estimate the probability of busting. One also had to observe the expressions of other players after they received their cards.
The back-and-forth between dealer and player was a constant psychological battle.
Song Weiyang was extremely decisive every time he hit or stood. Even holding an 18 or 19, he projected the confidence of someone holding a 21.
His appearance was also highly deceptive. The other players initially thought they could bleed him dry, but after a few rounds, they returned defeated. Those with smaller bankrolls had already left the table.
Switching tables frequently in a casino was normal. Song Weiyang gathered his chips, stood up, and walked with Ji Ning to a corner.
Seeing him open his case to take out chips and telling her to open hers too, Ji Ning stepped back. "What are you doing!"
"I started with six hundred thousand and now have over eight hundred. I'm splitting some with you." As she retreated, Song Weiyang advanced a step, trapping her against the wall and rubbing his body against hers.
Like a lecher trying to take advantage.
Such titillating scenes were common in this luxury-and-decadence-filled casino. Players and servers alike were unfazed, and no one spared them an extra glance.
Ji Ning pressed a finger against Song Weiyang's chest. "The mission is the same for both of us. A few hundred thousand doesn't make much difference. I don't want your money."
Song Weiyang lowered his head and kissed her finger, refusing to yield. "You have to take it, or it means you don't like me."
Ji Ning: ?
Wasn't this emotional blackmail? It was like being pressured to drink at a dinner table with "If you don't drink, you look down on me."
She was almost successfully blackmailed, but seeing this big boy so considerate and docile in front of her, she couldn't help wanting to tease him.
"If I don't like you, I don't have to take it? Then I don't need to take it." Ji Ning held back a smile.
"Tch." Song Weiyang's handsome brows furrowed. Anxious, he stepped forward again, closing the distance further. "No, you have to like me."
To keep gamblers in a constant state of excitement, the casino was even continuously pumped with oxygen.
Under the influence of alcohol and perfume, the atmosphere was already ambiguous. Standing so close, their attention was completely drawn to each other's bodies.
"No reward without merit." Ji Ning fiddled with his little bow tie. "Then can I crash in your room tonight? Save on the room fee."
"You can crash in my room." Song Weiyang lowered his head and rubbed his chin against the back of Ji Ning's hand. "You can crash me too."
Since he put it that way, Ji Ning still accepted the freshly won, still-warm two hundred thousand in chips.
Now they each had six hundred thousand, back on the same starting line.
Only after all forty orange chips were transferred into Ji Ning's case did Song Weiyang feel comfortable.
Since both needed to earn money, staying together the whole time was inconvenient. They had long agreed to split up once Ji Ning learned blackjack. She would play blackjack, and Song Weiyang would go play something else.
"If anything unexpected happens, call me immediately." Song Weiyang was not entirely at ease and repeatedly reminded her before they parted.
Ji Ning nodded emphatically. "Okay, I'll remember. You be very careful too."
…
It was time to fight alone.
Ji Ning circled the blackjack area, looking for tables where players seemed to have more chips.
Fortunately, because blackjack was simple to play, had fast table turnover, and was a player-versus-player game not controlled by a dealer, many people played it. Over a dozen tables in one corner area were all blackjack battlegrounds.
Ji Ning not only learned quickly but also summarized two techniques.
First, when she knew her point total was lower than others, even if she had an awkward total prone to busting—like seventeen or eighteen—she would still hit, gambling on a comeback.
Second, although the dealer dealt quickly, Ji Ning mentally calculated the cards already played. If more high cards than low cards had been dealt, she would be more confident in hitting.
For three full hours, Ji Ning played with increasing ease, losing less and winning more. She more than doubled her eight hundred thousand, turning it into over one million seven hundred thousand.
She felt she had given it her all and was very satisfied with the results. Yet compared to the final target of ten million, she was still far off.
The night was deep. Aside from those staying overnight or gambling through the night, the other guests were dwindling. Because she had won too much, the player drain in the blackjack area was even more severe.
Unable to play here anymore, Ji Ning had to return to the most basic games, switching back and forth between the Sic Bo and Fight the Landlord areas.
The men's gazes followed the beautiful figure in the champagne-colored dress, never losing track of her movements.
The system required a 48-hour mission time limit. The brief time and the pressure of the high-stakes mission kept Ji Ning from stopping.
At three in the morning, she was yawning continuously while playing Fight the Landlord, so tired that tears welled up in her eyes. Still, she pulled herself together to start a new round.
Song Weiyang came to find her. Seeing how sleepy she was, he placed one hand on the back of her chair and the other on the table in front of her. "Finish this hand and come with me. Time to cash in the benefits I traded my chips for."
With people around, it was best for the two of them to play the part of a "casino one-night stand" couple.
Ji Ning nodded. She really couldn't play anymore.
She had accumulated two million five hundred thousand in chips. She would figure out the rest tomorrow.
After this round of Fight the Landlord ended, the two walked side by side to the elevator to go upstairs and get a room.
Once the hotel front desk was clear, Yan Qiao stepped forward and handed chips to the server. "One room. Put me next to that couple who just went up."
Get instant access to all chapters now.
Post a Comment