Chapter 35

Chapter 35 – Ill-Fated Relationship from a Past Life #6

Tae-hyuk looked down at the vitamin boxes, which had increased to a total of three boxes . The money that he first brought into the casino was 30 million won, the total amount of money that he had saved up . The total had now increased by five times .

The dealer and the players that he was playing with disappeared after someone called them away .

‘SY lost a lot of money, so it isn’t over yet . ’

Han Sang-won’s ability was being able to stretch out the profits . For example, he had led Tae-hyuk to a table with four card cheats, who had been waiting for the appropriate target to appear . If there was a mixture of regular guests, then there wouldn’t be a large amount of profit . He was able to perfectly deceive them because they were card cheats .

A bellboy pushing a drinks cart passed by Tae-hyuk .

“Can I have a drink?”

“Of course, Guest-nim . ”

As the lounge of a luxury hotel, it offered free drinks . There was whiskey with ice in it, cocktails made with sweet fruity liqueur, and Vodka with kahlua .

They were easy and quick drinks . Drinking two glasses would make a person’s self-control go away .

Tae-hyuk picked a cherry cocktail without any alcohol in it . He sipped it while watching the other tables before someone walked up behind him .

“Guest-nim, you are better than I thought . ”

“Ah, if it isn’t Han Sang-won . However, where did the people playing the game go? I wanted to play for longer . ”

Han Sang-won smiled but his fingers were trembling .

“Everybody is busy . Um, I want to introduce you to another table . I don’t think there are any more empty seats . If you don’t mind, I have made a special place for you . How about it?”

“I don’t care who they are today . It doesn’t matter . ”

Han Sang-won asked me again to confirm .

“Where is Detective Park?”

“Well, he became very drunk so I told him to go and rest . ”

“Is that so? Then let’s go . ”

Tae-hyuk didn’t miss Han Sang-won’s mouth going up .

‘The protector is gone, so he can act as he like . But is that really the case?’

Han Sang-won led Tae-hyuk to the manager’s room .

There was a dealer with a bandage around his arm and a man with sharp eyes waiting for him .

“Guest-nim . This is Kim Shin-hyeong . He is someone with some knowledge about how to play poker . I think it will be a good game . ”

“Han Sang-won, is this your idea? A one-on-one game is no fun unless the stakes are higher . ”

“… Haha . Don’t worry . I will raise the basic bet to three million . Are you satisfied with that?”

It meant that he had no intention of drawing this out for a long time . In fact, Tae-hyuk was the same .

“The more the merrier . ”

Han Sang-won gritted his teeth at Tae-hyuk’s appearance . He was a man who started at the bottom, and rose through the ranks to the position of manager of the branch office .

However, it was the first time he met a type like Seo Tae-hyuk . At first, he thought it was due to Park Jung-bae . However, that attitude didn’t change, even after he had disappeared . What caused such self confidence?

This was their territory . The opponent hadn’t realized that he walked into the mouth of a lion . If he just used a little strength, then he could kill this wannabe brat .

Han Sang-won trembled with a strange joy at the thought .

“Then let’s get started right away . It seems like the dealer isn’t feeling well, so I will deal the hands . ”

Tae-hyuk greeted Kim Shin-hyeong, who he would be playing a big game with from now on .

“Please take care of me, Ajusshi . ”

“Play well, child . ”

Kim Shin-hyeong’s eyes were different from the other card cheats that Tae-hyuk had met so far . He seemed to relax after seeing Tae-hyuk’s appearance .

‘He has the eyes of a lion about to catch a rabbit . ’

Tae-hyuk licked his lips .

Until now, it was just a simple massacre .

The game right now could be called the beginning of the fight .

The Seven Card Stud Poker game progressed quickly until the third hand . Tae-hyuk smoothly received the cards .

He had three cards in his hand, a pair of 7s and one Ace . In this situation, it was natural to open with the Ace and hide the pair . However he didn’t do just that . On the next turn, if he got an Ace and got two pairs, then it would be difficult to raise the pot . Tae-hyuk didn’t hesitate to reveal one of the 7s .

His eyes drifted over to Kim Shin-hyeong’s hands . The latter had revealed a 2 earlier than Tae-hyuk, so it was likely that he was in the same situation as Tae-hyuk . He was probably holding either an Ace, King, or Queen in his hand, and had only revealed one of the pair of 2s . Tae-hyuk guessed that he was probably aiming for a higher two pair .

Even so, it was too early in the hand to confidently say so . It was almost at the same time that he received the cards . No matter how skilled a card cheat Kim Shin-hyeong was, it wasn’t a judgment that could be made quickly .

Did he have a triple 2? Or, he might be making a bluff .

Tae-hyuk frowned . The opening hand alone could cause a psychological warfare . This was what the top-ranking professional gamblers were all about .

‘Can I accept it as an acknowledgment of my abilities? Then, I am sorry, as I can see all of his cards . ’

Tae-hyuk manipulated the Demon Revealing Mirror and used the ‘Spying’ skill . The cards that Kim Shin-hyeong currently had appeared on the mirror .

‘It is also a pair of 2s . ’

The hand wasn’t that special, so he was probably trying to make it seem like a triple . Kim Shin-hyeong must have skills if Han Sang-won was so confident in bringing him to the table . Then Kim Shin-hyeong drew two successive 2s and took the victory .

Tae-hyuk’s first defeat .

Color started to return to Han Sang-won’s face . Tae-hyuk wasn’t as good as he thought . Just as he was thinking this,

“Let’s start the next hand . ”

After that, Tae-hyuk kept on forfeiting . That’s how overwhelming Kim Shin-hyeong’s hands were . It was like his clothes were becoming wet with rain .

In no time, 50 million won of Tae-hyuk’s money had disappeared . The power of the default three million won bet was bigger than he thought .

Han Sang-won’s expression kept getting brighter and brighter . Now, the only thing left was to take away everything Tae-hyuk had left .

He quietly issued new instructions to Kim Shin-hyeong .

Tae-hyuk looked at the cards in his hand . A triple Ace had come on the fourth turn .

Compared to that, Kim Shin-hyeong just had random cards . It seemed like the best he could get was a pair .

‘It is a trick to make me think that I have good luck . ’

Tae-hyuk grasped Han Sang-won’s plan at a glance . This could determine victory . Tae-hyuk couldn’t avoid the game .

“I will go half . ”

“Uh huh . This kid is good . Still, I’m pretty tough . I will take it on . Call . ”

The stakes on the table had become 30 million won .

On the sixth card, Tae-hyuk received another Ace and completed the four of a kind . Tae-hyuk had two Aces in front of him . It was a hand that he could bet all of his possessions on .

Kim Shin-hyeong had a 3, 10 and 4 exposed . Because the pattern of the 3 and 4 were the same, there was the possibility of a straight flush . However, for that to happen, all his hidden cards had to be a hit .

The probably was like winning the lotto . In a situation where only the last hidden card remained, Tae-hyuk confirmed his hand through Spying .

‘The 5 and 6 of spades… It is also a straight flush . ’

However, the hidden card had to be a 2 or 7 of spades .

Kim Shin-hyeong said .

“In fact, I still haven’t completed my hand . Based on the showing cards though, you should have at least a triple . I will bet everything on the last hidden card and declare all-in . ”

He declared all-in before receiving the hidden card . If Tae-hyuk accepted it, then the two people’s hands would be revealed and the hidden cards drawn .

Tae-hyuk bet 150 million won . With the 150 million won that Han Sang-won had prepared, the pot added up to a total of 300 million won . If he died here, then he would lose 30 million won . However, if he accepted then he would win 300 million won and would be a big winner .

Obviously, Tae-hyuk was in a favourable situation . Tae-hyuk already had four of a kind . On the other hand, Kim Shin-hyeong had to draw one of two cards to complete his hand .

Tae-hyuk immediately answered like it was a no-brainer .

“Call . ”

“Hahahaha! Your face hasn’t changed despite possibly winning 300 million . It really is amazing . You have guts . I will pull out the last hidden card . ”

Tae-hyuk said .

“Wait a minute . I don’t know what type of trick you might use, so put the card on the table . I will check the card first . ”

Kim Shin-hyeong declared .

“It doesn’t matter . ”

Han Sang-won chuckled from where he was watching .

“Hahaha! Guest-nim! Surely you don’t think there will be a trick at the end? I heard that Guest-nim also enjoys tricks . Won’t you win even if you don’t use it? Uhahahahaha! Let’s see what will happen!”

In the end, their two hands were revealed . Kim Shin-hyeong had an unfinished hand, and needed to pull out a 2 or 7 of spades . Meanwhile, Tae-hyuk already had the Ace card that completed his hand .

Tae-hyuk pulled a card to stop any cheating and laid it out on the table . Kim Shin-hyeong then pulled out the next one on top and turned it over .

It was a 7 of spades! Kim Shin-hyeong completed the straight flush .

Han Sang-won started to laugh as he saw it .

“Bravo! As expected of Kim Shin-hyeong! Truly great to watch! Guest-nim, I’m truly sorry . This game seems to be our victory!”

Han Sang-won tried to gather the 300 million won that was piled on the table .

However, Tae-hyuk reached out and obstructed his actions .

“What? It’s surely over . What is this? Do you want to do this? Try it, you fucker!”

“No . I haven’t drawn my hidden card yet . The game isn’t over . ”

“Kuhahahaha! What is this? Guest-nim! Your hand is a four of a kind! Four, of, a, kind! It has already been completed! Are you trying to draw a card to make a royal straight flush or something?”

“That still remains to be seen, so I’ll pull a card anyway . ”

“Just try it! Even you can’t win, unless you are a god!”

Tae-hyuk said .

“A god . The god of gambling . I have something similar . Then I will choose my hidden card . ”

Tae-hyuk pulled out a card and turned it over .

Then, he said .

“That reminds me, poker only uses 52 out of the 54 cards right? The two remaining ones are pitiful, so I mixed them in . ”

He pulled out a card from his sleeve .

“……”

Tae-hyuk had chosen the joker card . It was a card with the potential to be anything .

“I will turn the joker into an ace . My hand will now have five aces, becoming the strongest hand . I think it is my victory . ”

“T-This bastard! Playing a prank…!”

Han Sang-won cried out with agitation .

“Don’t think you can play around like this! Everybody, come in and pull out this crazy brat!”

Tae-hyuk shrugged .

Then he said .

“In fact, I already knew . It wouldn’t even matter if I won 300 million, or even three billion . Han Sang-won wouldn’t ever give me that money . ”

“Of course! You are crazy if you think I will give money to you! Fuck . Do you have eyes? Are you looking down on me? I will throw you into the ocean today . Shit! What are they doing? Come in and drag this kid out!”

However, no one replied to his calls .

“There is one thing . I definitely came with Detective Park Jung-bae, but what is he doing right now?”

“… He went to rest after becoming drunk… Wait a minute . Perhaps…!”

Tae-hyuk laughed .

“You were so focused on the game that you didn’t even hear the fuss outside . ”

“……”

“It seems that I should be the one say checkmate . ”