Blood Poker

The hall, which had seemed leisurely and almost peaceful just moments ago, immediately erupted into noise and chaos.

"What?"

"In one hour?"

"Everyone has to participate? Isn't this too sudden?!"

Clearly, many people were completely unprepared for this mentally.

When the basic rules had been introduced in the hall yesterday, it had been emphasized that "the arcade could open at any time," but everyone had still been caught off guard.

More importantly, this game required everyone to participate.

According to the basic rules introduced earlier, the arcade's games had a certain degree of selectivity.

They might select only some people to participate, and participation would not necessarily be mandatory; there could also be voluntary cases.

That had given many people a faint sense of wishful hope.

They had thought the Judgment Game would not begin so soon, and even if it did, it would not necessarily fall on them immediately.

Now, the shattering of that hope only intensified the panic.

Some people sat helplessly on chairs or sofas, their faces pale, while others anxiously paced around.

"Everyone, don't panic. We still have an hour!"

"Since this game is called 'Blood Poker,' it must be related to playing cards. Think carefully about the rules of card games!"

Wang Yongxin was the one speaking. It was obvious that he was anxious as well, but he was still trying to calm himself down.

Li Renshu's voice was steadier.

"This is the first game we've encountered. Since everyone has to participate, it shouldn't be too difficult."

"The most important thing right now is to stay rational and calm."

At the same time, she held the hand of Qin Yao, who was trembling beside her, and gently patted it in reassurance.

Their words had some effect, and the panicked crowd gradually settled down.

Cai Zhiyuan hurried toward Fu Chen with a book in his hand.

He had clearly found it in the library reading area.

When Fu Chen saw the title, his eyes lit up. He quickly said loudly, "Everyone, gather around. There's a book here about the rules of playing cards."

"We still have an hour. Let's quickly learn the basic rules of different games. It might help."

Everyone looked at Cai Zhiyuan and Fu Chen with gratitude.

Clearly, apart from a small number of people like Cao Haichuan, who had strong mental fortitude, most people were extremely panicked during this hour.

Though cramming at the last minute might not necessarily prove useful, it was enough to steady everyone's nerves.

Fu Chen rapidly flipped through the book. Naturally, he could not explain it from beginning to end; there simply was not enough time.

"I'll focus on several popular games: Texas Hold'em, Blackjack, Fight the Landlord, Golden Flower, Rummy..."

"Let's start with the most likely possibility: Texas Hold'em."

Everyone listened intently as the seconds ticked away.

00:01

00:00

As the countdown on the large screen reached zero, everyone's vision went black, and they lost consciousness.

"Beep—"

A shrill alarm sounded, and Qin Yao gradually woke up.

She immediately realized that she was tightly bound to an iron chair.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

Qin Yao tried speaking, but received no response.

A special metal mechanism around her neck restricted the movement of her head.

Not only that, her thighs, waist, and other vital areas were locked to the chair. Her left hand was locked onto the table in front of her, with her elbow, wrist, and even fingers firmly secured, unable to move in the slightest.

Her right hand could move freely, but when she tried touching the mechanisms, they were seamless and utterly immovable.

Qin Yao looked around. This was an extremely cramped single-person compartment, less than 1.5 meters wide. A single dim ceiling lamp hung overhead, making her instinctively afraid.

The table before her was covered with a green cloth. On it sat a deck of playing cards and two mechanical arms that looked simple yet rough.

On the wall of the compartment to her left was information about exchanging chips.

On the wall of the compartment to her right were the rules for Simplified Golden Flower, along with detailed illustrations of the card combinations.

Qin Yao felt her heartbeat accelerating and her body temperature rising. Clearly, this unfamiliar and oppressive environment was placing immense psychological pressure on her.

Suddenly, a sound came from ahead.

Qin Yao followed the sound and found a tiny speaker, made up of only several simple round holes, so its audio was muffled and unclear.

Combined with the emotionless electronic voice, it made the atmosphere even more terrifying.

[Welcome to "Blood Poker".]

[You are currently in the game's Chip Exchange Area.]

[The machine before you is the "Chip Exchange Machine," used to exchange the chips required for multiplayer gambling games.]

[During an exchange, you must gamble against the "Chip Exchange Machine" according to the rules of "Simplified Golden Flower".]

[For every 10,000 chips exchanged, you must play at least 1 round and at most 20 rounds before you may leave.]

[After the gambling rounds conclude, the "Chip Exchange Machine" will issue the player their exchanged chips according to the outcome and permit the player to unlock the restraints and move freely.]

[Please state the number of chips you wish to exchange, in units of 10,000 chips. Your first exchange must be at least 20,000 chips.]

The compartment fell silent again, leaving only Qin Yao's slightly hurried breathing.

After a moment passed without another electronic prompt, Qin Yao gradually sorted through her chaotic thoughts.

"This machine can exchange chips. What are the chips for? They should be needed in the upcoming game."

"But the exchange isn't direct. I have to gamble against this machine first..."

"And it uses blood as payment."

Qin Yao looked at her left hand, which was firmly fixed to the table by the mechanism, then looked at the suspended device above her to the left.

It was some kind of special blood-drawing device. Its needle glinted coldly, and it was connected to a huge blood storage tank, smooth and transparent, with different markings in units of 100 ML.

It made Qin Yao instinctively resist and feel afraid.

But she knew she had no choice. If she did nothing, the game could not continue.

[Please state the number of chips you wish to exchange, in units of 10,000 chips. Your first exchange must be at least 20,000 chips.]

The muffled prompt sounded again.

"The first exchange requires at least 200 ML? That amount of blood... shouldn't be dangerous, right?"

Qin Yao thought for a long time before finally gathering her courage. "Exchange... 20,000 chips."

[Exchange beginning.]

After the muffled electronic voice ended, the mechanism above her left began moving with a harsh scraping sound.

Qin Yao felt the restraints around her left arm tighten instantly. The icy metal rings bit painfully into her skin, making the veins in her arm bulge.

The sudden pain made Qin Yao's body tremble involuntarily. The blood-drawing needle had already pierced her vein, and crimson blood flowed through the needle and tube into the storage tank.

It did not stop until it reached the 200 ML mark.

The piercing sound of metal scraping rang out again. The needle was withdrawn, and the mechanism returned to its original position.

At the same time, the mechanism locking Qin Yao's left hand pressed a small cotton ball against the wound left by the needle to help stop the bleeding.