Still caught in terror, Shi Erli caught sight of the uncontainable delight spreading across Miao Chunsheng's face.
A thought struck him. He reached out and turned over the three cards. They were, unmistakably, a two, a three, and a five.
In an instant, the casino hall, which had been roaring with excitement, fell utterly silent. Hundreds of people filled the hall, yet at that moment, not even a breath could be heard.
After a long, stunned silence, Gong Xian suddenly let out a retch, then spat out a mouthful of blood. The light faded from his eyes.
"This is impossible! Absolutely impossible! I remember clearly: four fives were dealt this round."
In the dead silence, Long San began shouting like a madman. "I understand now! I understand everything! There's something fishy about these cards, there has to be..."
Miao Chunsheng sneered. "Can't take a loss? We all checked the cards before the gambling match. We can check them again right now!"
Long San shouted, "Then let's check!"
As he spoke, he slapped open the transparent cover of the dealing machine and quickly turned over all the remaining cards. His eyes burned with feverish intensity as he roared, "My lord! My lord! I wasn't mistaken, and I didn't say anything wrong. There aren't any fives left in here. That proves all four fives were dealt!"
The scattered light in Gong Xian's eyes suddenly blazed. He glared coldly at Shi Erli. "You, Shi! What do you have to say now?"
Shi Erli looked toward Xu Yi. For the first time, Gong Xian also turned his attention to Xu Yi, who had taken on the appearance of an ordinary middle-aged man. He found the man strangely familiar, but for a moment couldn't remember who he was.
Just then, Xu Yi clapped lightly and