Trapped in the Same Day for a Thousand Years: All In!

Welcome to Trapped in the Same Day for a Thousand Years, exclusively produced by Feilu Novel Network. Written by Sang Ze and narrated by Wang Xiaomo and Lao He.

True masters of gambling were neither young nor old. Most were middle-aged.

Older players had plenty of experience, but they lacked the stamina to sit at a table for hours, sometimes more than ten. Once their concentration slipped, opponents could easily spot an opening.

Young players, meanwhile, simply hadn't spent enough time at the tables. They lacked experience.

Gambling skill depended heavily on talent, but it also required experience—perhaps even more than talent.

Talent helped with practicing sleight of hand. It did little for psychological maturity.

Developing that maturity and learning to read an opponent took years of gambling against all kinds of people.

People called cheating a gambling skill, but gambling skill was more than cheating.

A gifted young magician might have astonishingly quick hands, yet he would still struggle to win money from a master gambler.

A master could judge what an opponent was thinking from a facial expression or the slightest movement, then work out what cards he held. There was no need to fear a weak hand: fold and lose the ante. No one had a bad hand every time, and no one dared cheat every hand. Getting caught meant losing a hand—literally.

That was why master gamblers were usually talented middle-aged people.

Wu Chen carried himself well. In his new clothes, he no longer looked like a college student, but like a rich young heir.

Shen Guangnian didn't know Li Ruobing, so he couldn't guess Wu Chen's identity. He probably thought Li Ruotai had run out of people. On that point, he was right: Li Ruotai's best player had already lost.

Wu Chen wasn't one of Li Ruotai's men. He was his brother-in-law.

Li Ruotai didn't fleece his own people. Even when wealthy businessmen close to the Li Family visited his casino, he wouldn't send a master gambler to take their money. He let luck decide. The casino took a cut anyway, so it wouldn't lose. Only billionaires with no connection to the Li Family became his marks.

Shen Guangnian truly didn't know Li Ruobing. He knew Li Ruotai had an older sister, but he had never met her. Besides, he couldn't imagine the Li Family's famously proud eldest granddaughter coming to a casino.

Li Ruotai kept shooting Li Ruobing looks. She frowned and shook her head. She didn't care if her younger brother learned that she had no idea whether Wu Chen could gamble. That had nothing to do with dating him.

None of them had expected Wu Chen to step in. Shen Guangnian had already mocked Li Ruotai; changing players again would cost him all face. "Deal."

Wu Chen raised a hand to signal the dealer.

The dealer worked for Li Ruotai and was a skilled gambler himself, though he would never enter a game. His main job was to stop guests from cheating.

A machine shuffled the cards, and guests could ask for the deck to be cut at any point before the deal.

Dealers weren't allowed to touch the cards with their hands. They used wooden paddles.

Li Ruotai was fairly trustworthy—or perhaps he simply wasn't ruthless enough. He only arranged for master gamblers to play against his marks and win more money.

Everything else in the casino was aboveboard. Neither the staff nor the electronic equipment offered any room for cheating. When an unfamiliar tycoon or a billionaire competing with the Li Family came in, finding a stronger player was enough to beat him.

"You don't need to prepare too much money. Can you do this or not?"

Li Ruobing leaned over behind Wu Chen and whispered into his ear.

To anyone watching, she looked like the woman Wu Chen had brought with him.

A rich man gambling with a beautiful woman at his side was nothing unusual. "There are only a few million left. It's my call."

Wu Chen turned his head and answered quietly.

The shuffling machine clicked. The dealer sent out the cards, sliding them across the table with a wooden paddle.

Wu Chen's face-down card landed a little crooked. As though he couldn't stand it, he straightened it so its long edge faced him, then slowly lifted a corner to look.

His second card arrived. Wu Chen straightened that one too and glanced at it before turning it over: the seven of spades.

They were playing stud. Each player received two cards to start: one face down and one face up. The ante was five hundred thousand.

His opponent's exposed card was the five of hearts. Wu Chen's was higher, so he spoke first. "Five hundred thousand."

Wu Chen tossed in his chips. Across from him, the refined-looking middle-aged man adjusted his glasses and smiled at him.

His name was Yao Bin, one of the top gamblers in the whole of Aozhou City.

A true master never underestimated an opponent. The psychological battle was crucial in gambling; underestimating someone was as good as handing him money.

Wu Chen, however, did underestimate Yao Bin. He had learned that Yao Bin was in East Sea more than nine hundred years ago, and he knew exactly what the man could do.

As for Wu Chen's own gambling skill, it was no exaggeration to say he could win at any casino in the world.

To everyone else, Wu Chen was a young man in his early twenties who couldn't possibly have much experience. In truth, he was an old monster who had lived for a thousand years.

When the fourth card was dealt, Yao Bin folded. Wu Chen's exposed cards included a pair of eights. Yao Bin was in no hurry to win, and he didn't care about the small swings in Wu Chen's stack. He wanted a big win. For the first few hands, he watched Wu Chen's habits, his reactions, and his state of mind.

Yao Bin liked playing against young opponents. He was even willing to lose a little to them first; once he provoked them, he could win big.

Wu Chen might not have many chips, but the casino had plenty.

Li Ruotai had already lost over two hundred million. He wasn't going to call it quits easily.

Once Wu Chen ran low on chips, the casino would certainly supply more.

Over five straight hands, Wu Chen won three and lost two, folding outright on one of them. Overall, he came out well ahead.

"Raise the ante?"

Yao Bin suddenly spoke.

He looked to Wu Chen for an answer.

Wu Chen smiled and nodded.

Yao Bin would never casually suggest raising the ante to a veteran, who would see through his trick too easily. He reserved that move for young players.

"Boss Shen, your friend's luck seems to be turning bad."

Li Ruotai spoke.

"Heh. Perhaps Young Master Li's luck is finally turning around."

Shen Guangnian laughed, apparently unconcerned.

He truly wasn't concerned. He knew what Yao Bin, the man he had brought, intended to do.

Before entering Crown Club, Yao Bin had explained some of his methods to Shen Guangjun.

Another five hands passed. Yao Bin deliberately held back, and Wu Chen still won more than he lost. His stack reached twenty-five million.

On the eleventh hand, Wu Chen straightened his face-down card without looking at it. He went straight to his second card and turned it over: the ace of hearts. This wasn't the first time he had done that. In earlier hands, he had left his hidden card untouched, as if he trusted his luck.

Yao Bin's exposed card was the king of spades. "One million." Wu Chen tossed in chips. Yao Bin matched him. Another card, another call. Card, call. Card, call. The fifth cards were dealt.

Wu Chen's four exposed cards were the ace of hearts, six of clubs, seven of clubs, and three of spades.

Yao Bin's were the king of spades, ten of spades, six of hearts, and four of diamonds.

Neither player had much showing. At best, either could make a pair.

Judging by the exposed cards alone, Wu Chen had the better chance. If both ended with high cards, his ace would win. But he hadn't looked at his hidden card, and everyone was watching intently to see what it was.

Knowing Wu Chen hadn't checked his hidden card, Yao Bin pushed forward a hill of chips and smiled at him.

Yao Bin had gone all in.

He had shoved over what looked like tens of millions, but that wasn't how the wager worked. In stud, the player with fewer chips set the limit. Wu Chen had twenty-one million left, so Yao Bin's all-in bet was twenty-one million.

Wu Chen could call and compare hands, or he could fold.

He looked at Yao Bin and put a hand on his hidden card. He still hadn't seen it. Now, at last, he slowly lifted a corner, then lowered it again and pushed all his chips forward.

"Mr. Wu, would you consider raising it?"

Yao Bin watched Wu Chen's expression as he asked.

They had spoken a few times during the game. Yao Bin had asked his surname, and Wu Chen had told him it was Wu.

"How about another fifty million?"

Yao Bin asked.

"Bring fifty million in chips."

Before Wu Chen could answer, Li Ruotai turned and signaled to Bao Wei, the casino manager standing by the door.

"Wait." Wu Chen raised a hand, then turned his head. "Bring a hundred million."

He looked back at Yao Bin and smiled. "I raise you a hundred million."

Yao Bin's expression changed at once. From watching Wu Chen throughout the game, he believed the young man put a great deal of faith in luck.

But Wu Chen was cautious, too. He had even folded in the first round before.

Only when his first exposed card was strong would he leave his hidden card unchecked. If his exposed cards put him at a disadvantage, he would look at it.

This hand had begun with Wu Chen's ace of hearts face up. His exposed cards had stayed ahead, so he hadn't checked his hidden card until the end. Then he had called the all-in bet.

Something was wrong. Yao Bin lifted a corner of his own hidden card and checked it again. It was the king of diamonds, giving him a pair of kings. To beat him, Wu Chen needed an ace underneath to make a pair of aces.

But Wu Chen hadn't checked that card earlier. Statistically, the chance of it being an ace was extremely low.

That was why Yao Bin had gone all in and challenged him to raise. Whether Wu Chen called or refused the raise and showed his cards, Yao Bin thought he was certain to win. He had hoped Wu Chen would call, and Wu Chen had—but now he wanted to add a hundred million.

Under the rules, this was the final round. Yao Bin still had nearly two hundred million in chips, but his all-in bet was limited by the amount Wu Chen had on the table. To raise it himself, he had to ask Wu Chen, who could refuse and go straight to the showdown.

Wu Chen, however, needed no permission to raise. He only had to have the chips brought over, provided his raise didn't exceed Yao Bin's stack. Bao Wei soon returned with a small box of twenty gleaming gold chips. They were Crown Club's highest denomination: five million apiece.

Wu Chen pushed the box forward and smiled. "I raise."

Yao Bin's face stiffened. From what he knew of Wu Chen, the young man wouldn't dare make that move unless he had a genuinely strong hand.

And there was Wu Chen's expression. His left hand still rested on his hidden card.

Yao Bin had noticed that Wu Chen unconsciously kept a hand there only when that card truly mattered.

"Mr. Wu, you're too impatient."

Yao Bin suddenly smiled. "You got a strong card and rushed to win back the money your boss lost. If you hadn't raised by a hundred million and had stuck to my fifty million, you could have won another fifty million from me."

With that, Yao Bin revealed his hidden king. He had another king face up, giving him a pair. Then he scooped up his cards, turned them face down, and tossed them aside.

He wouldn't call Wu Chen's raise. Folding cost him a little over twenty million, nothing more. He had already won over two hundred million. It was a small price to pay for learning how impulsive Wu Chen could be.

Wu Chen smiled without responding to Yao Bin's lecture.

"Was your hidden card an ace?"

Li Ruobing, who had been standing beside him, couldn't help asking.

Wu Chen had looked at the card too quickly for her to see it. She would have had to lean right over the table.

Li Ruobing didn't gamble, but she understood the rules.

In that situation, Wu Chen could only be certain of winning if his hidden card was an ace.

Who would dare raise a hundred million without a guaranteed winner?

"No. It's the two of hearts."

Wu Chen smiled and turned over his hidden card.

An eerie silence fell over the private room.

Wu Chen's cards were the two of hearts, ace of hearts, six of clubs, seven of clubs, and three of spades.

Yao Bin had the king of diamonds, king of spades, ten of spades, six of hearts, and four of diamonds. Wu Chen had only an ace-high hand. Yao Bin had a pair of kings. Yao Bin's hand was better.

If he had called Wu Chen's hundred-million raise, he would have won.

But he thought he had worked out Wu Chen's habits and assumed the hidden card was an ace. He hadn't dared call.

With a weak hand, Wu Chen had won Yao Bin's twenty-one-million all-in bet. Counting the earlier bets that hand, he had taken twenty-five million.

"Hahaha!"

Li Ruotai suddenly burst out laughing, breaking the silence.

He clapped Shen Guangjun on the shoulder. "Boss Shen, your friend doesn't have much nerve!"

"Haha!" Shen Guangjun had been needling him all along, and Li Ruotai finally had the chance to hit back. He had been holding it in.

He had won back only a little over twenty million, yet he looked as delighted as if he had recovered two hundred million.

Shen Guangjun's face darkened. He said nothing.

At the same moment: "You bluffed me!"

Yao Bin stared at Wu Chen.

"You didn't dare call. How is that my fault?"

Wu Chen spread his hands and smiled.

Yao Bin gave a cold laugh, then smiled again and adjusted his glasses.

He quickly regained his composure. He also thought he had discovered another of Wu Chen's playing habits.

"Take these away."

Wu Chen looked up at Bao Wei and told him to remove the small box containing the hundred million in chips. They had only been brought over for the raise; Wu Chen didn't need them now.

They continued playing. Wu Chen had fifty million in chips, while Yao Bin had a hundred and ninety million: thirty million in starting capital and a hundred and sixty million in winnings.

Over the next twenty-odd hands, Yao Bin discovered that even without holding back, he struggled against Wu Chen. He lost more often than he won.

Wu Chen was strange, even contradictory.

He trusted his luck and bluffed, yet at times he acted remarkably timid.

Sometimes Wu Chen folded without warning, leaving Yao Bin unable to win anything with an excellent hidden card.

Other times, Wu Chen's exposed cards were poor and even his best possible hidden card could give him no more than a pair, yet he called all the way to the end.

Yao Bin realized that Wu Chen was, in fact, an expert.

He still seemed to have obvious flaws: he trusted luck, and his luck today was unusually good. But he was definitely an expert.

What Yao Bin didn't know was that Wu Chen wasn't lucky, nor did he believe in luck.

Wu Chen understood Yao Bin. Yao Bin, by contrast, knew next to nothing about him.

On every hand, Wu Chen saw every change in Yao Bin's bearing before and after he looked at his cards.

Wu Chen was the one who could truly judge an opponent's hand from his expressions and tiny movements.

Against Wu Chen, Yao Bin never stood a chance.

The thirty-seventh hand ended when Wu Chen folded in the second round.

By then, Wu Chen's stack had reached a hundred and fifty million, while Yao Bin had only ninety million left.

On the thirty-eighth hand, Wu Chen straightened his hidden card and left it alone. He looked at his second card and turned it over: the nine of clubs.

Yao Bin's second card was the three of clubs. A bet of two million was called; then a bet of three million was called. Both players stayed in until the final round.

Wu Chen's four exposed cards were the nine of clubs, seven of hearts, three of hearts, and six of spades.

Yao Bin's four exposed cards were the three of clubs, six of clubs, nine of hearts, and seven of diamonds.

Both players' cards ranked nine, seven, six, three—exactly the same, apart from their suits.

"All in." Yao Bin pushed in his chips. Wu Chen checked his watch, then smiled at him. "It's getting late. I need lunch. Shall we speed this up?"

"What do you mean?"

Yao Bin asked.

"Let's settle the whole thing on this hand."

Wu Chen said, "My luck's been good today. So besides calling your all-in bet, I'll raise you another hundred million. What do you say?"

"You're trying to bluff me again?"

Yao Bin broke into a grin. He knew Wu Chen still hadn't even looked at his hole card.

This wasn't a bluff anymore. Wu Chen was genuinely betting on his luck.

Their exposed cards were the same rank, but Yao Bin had the edge in suits because he held the nine of hearts. What was Wu Chen so confident about?

Suddenly, someone leaned over and whispered in Yao Bin's ear.

It was Shen Guangnian. Yao Bin had gone all in and had no money left. Wu Chen had proposed raising the stakes, and if Yao Bin agreed, Shen Guangnian would put up the money.

"Mr. Shen, I've been watching him the whole time. He hasn't looked at his hole card. And I..." Yao Bin tilted his head toward Shen Guangnian, who was bent close, and spoke in a whisper. He also carefully showed Shen Guangnian his own hole card.

It was the nine of diamonds. In other words, Yao Bin had a pair of nines. Unless Wu Chen's hole card was the nine of spades, he couldn't win.

"Are you sure he hasn't looked at his card?"

"He hasn't. And the odds of all four nines showing up in one hand are incredibly low. The kid's gotten carried away. His luck really has been good today."

After their hushed exchange, Shen Guangjun straightened and thought for a moment. Then he clapped Yao Bin on the shoulder and declared boldly, "All right! We'll match your raise!"

That concludes this episode. Please keep listening!