Chapter 148

Chapter 148 – Phantom’s Counterattack #3

Bluff Poker was basically a game consisting of 20 cards numbered from 1-10 . Once the dealer drew a card and placed it in front of the player, they would raise it to their forehead without checking it . They would look at the opponent’s card and make a bet .

Yet something strange was happening . Caterina had the perfect poker face and freely used card counting . She also had an eye for seeing through her opponent’s bluff so she didn’t need a lie detector . However, she couldn’t win even once .

“Huu, huuuu…”

Caterina groaned tearfully .

It was the same with Yamaguchi .

“Haha . ”

Due to Mister Park’s schemes, the dealers here were loyal servants of the Yakuza . When he gave a gesture, they would either deal him the card he wanted, or tell him what the opponent had . Even so, he failed to win even once .

Li Zheng laughed and tapped the table with his fingers .

“Am I not winning too much alone? I’m truly very sorry about this . ”

Li Zheng’s funds, which started at 1 . 14 billion won, suddenly increased by 200 million . On the other hand, Yamaguchi and Caterina’s money had been reduced by 100 million each .

Yamaguchi clicked his tongue as he looked at Li Zheng .

“I had a lot of confidence in this game, but it seems like you came up with the best winning strategy . ”

It was a face that Yamaguchi badly wanted to slice apart with a samurai sword . The fact that he couldn’t do that was really unfortunate .

“Cough!”

Caterina was also watching the game with nervous eyes . She had to do something, but it was a situation where her head would be blown away if she did anything wrong .

“……”

There was a sniper rifle outside the door, so what could she do?

“…It is my mistake . ”

Why didn’t she notice such a simple trick? The subordinates she brought were waiting outside the building . The rule was that only the boss and their lieutenant could enter . Finally, a weapon couldn’t be brought into the casino .

This applied to all teams . At first glance, it seemed to be a rule that aimed for competing in pure skills rather than force . But in reality, there were gaps in the conditions that would lead to foul play .

If she had been thinking calmly, then she would’ve read Li Zheng’s intentions when he wanted to send out their lieutenants . However, Caterina and Yamaguchi had gotten carried away with their winning strategies . Thus, they didn’t think of the simple method of ‘threatening the opponent with a gun . ’

“A mafia boss shouldn’t use such a lowly trick . ”

Caterina glared at the man aiming the gun from outside the door . He fired a bullet and destroyed a table . If Caterina didn’t follow Li Zheng’s words, then she would end up like that .

“Kuohh, huhuhu… I won . ”

Li Zheng swept up the chips with a cheerful expression . Caterina asked with a humiliated look .

“Can you finish it quickly? Yes . You won . ”

A laser pointer was aimed at her head while playing the game . It was a horrible feeling .

Li Zheng smiled .

“I’d love to, but I can only bet a few chips at once . Still, if it continues like this then I can become first within the time limit . Oh, Girlie . You seem quite good at calculating in your head . Calculate how long it will be until I want a drink . ”

Li Zheng smiled at Caterina with a relaxed expression . There was nothing she could do .

“Don’t blame me too much . I just brought the most useful subordinate . ”

An emotionless dealer gave a card to Yamaguchi and Li Zheng . Thanks to the incense, the dealers would follow Yamaguchi’s orders . However, it was impossible for the dealers to overpower the opponents armed with guns .

“Oh, what a shame . You picked a 10 . Will you forfeit straight away? You can save some time . ”

“C-Cough!”

Yamaguchi narrowed his eyes and coughed . But the Yakuza boss, who had thousands of subordinates, was just a weak old man . He would be lucky if he didn’t lose his life . However, being deprived of Phantom was a very painful thing . The initiative of being active in South Korea would be passed to the opponent . In particular, the Yakuza still had something to do in South Korea so they absolutely wanted to prevent another organization from obtaining it .

“Ah, yes . There was that number . ”

Yamaguchi closed his eyes and tried to come up with a plausible plan . There was a saying in Japan about turning over the table . It would happen when there was an unpleasant situation . Overturn the table itself .

More than this…

Li Zheng grabbed the chips again and said,

“There are a lot of complaints because I keep winning . Sorry . Then let’s replace the players . Next, I should obtain some chips from the girl . ”

“……”

Caterina swapped places with Yamaguchi silently . Up to this point, it seemed like the fight over Phantom would end with Li Zheng’s complete victory .

@

Tae-hyuk waited for the perfect timing .

The bosses who participated in the mafia game didn’t notice the most important condition . It was decided with mutual agreement that the game would take place in three rounds . Regardless of the middle ranking, the person with the most chips at the end would get Phantom .

So what would happen if the game ended and all of the mafias had the same amount of money? The answer was that nothing would change . Phantom would continue to operate freely without belonging anywhere . The mafia would have a subtle war of nerves in South Korea .

It was the mafia game itself that Tae-hyuk was aiming for .

“Everybody has prepared one winning strategy for the mafia game . It is the same with me as well . ”

The third round was reaching its end . Right now, the mafia’s money was perfectly tied at 1 . 43 billion won . And there was a 10 million won chip on the table . The winner of this round would be Phantom’s owner .

“I guess I have to go . ”

Tae-hyuk put on the opera mask and headed to the casino .

“P-Phantom?”

“C-Cough . ”

“Oh, have you come to celebrate my victory?”

Li Zheng laughed as he played the last game at the table .

“Now we are on the same side . Despite the past, we should get along now! There is still something I want from Phantom . ”

Of course, Li Zheng would dispose of Phantom after a year or so . Before that, he wanted to know the secret of Phantom’s abilities . While hiding such darkness, Li Zheng welcomed Phantom with a smile .

Tae-hyuk approached the table and asked,

“But didn’t you notice one strange thing?”

“Strange?”

“Why is everyone in here, except for you, wearing a mask?”

“T-That is because they are your fellow Phantoms . ”

“That is a preconceived notion . Why didn’t a person with a similar victory strategy notice it?”

“D-Don’t tell me…!”

Tae-hyuk pulled out a plastic sheet folded under the opera mask . After some manipulation, it became a good gas mask . Phantom wasn’t using a plain mask .

“Now, do you all understand?”

Tae-hyuk sent a signal and the cameramen all turned their masks into gas masks . The spellbound dealers just stared into the air blankly .

“D-Damn! Phantom deceived us!”

“You should always be aware of the situation . Gas! Gas! Gas!”

At Tae-hyuk’s orders, the cameramen took something out . Gray smoke poured out from it .

“Phantom…!”

Li Zheng tried to escape the smoke but couldn’t because it happened so quickly .

“Now have a good sleep . Everything will have ended once you wake up . ”

“G-Greenhorn…”

“Phantom… W-Why…”

Yamaguchi and Caterina stared at Phantom with confused eyes . However, it didn’t last long . The powerful sleeping gas put them to sleep in an instant .

“……”

“………”

“………… . ”

Li Zheng was fast asleep without being able to protest the unfairness of the situation . Tae-hyuk placed the remaining red chip on the table into his pocket and muttered .

“After the game is over, the chip left on the table is a tip right? There is still a little bit until the end . It will be tough to break them before that, so I will use the tip well . ”

Li Zheng, Yamaguchi and Caterina all had 1 . 43 billion won in chips . However, there were still 10 minutes until the mafia game finished .

“Ah, yes . Shall I play doctor while I am bored waiting?”

Phantom brought out a surgical tool . Tae-hyuk alternated between looking at it and at the mafia bosses collapsed on the ground . Then he laughed like a criminal .

“…Illegal Surgery . Start . ”

@

“Ugh…”

“This place…”

“…P-Phantom!”

As the sleeping gas wore off, the participants of the mafia game woke up . They were lying on top of chairs that had been brought from somewhere . Tae-hyuk spoke from where he was organizing his surgical tools .

“Everyone was tired from playing games all night so you slept like logs . But what should I do? The game time ran out while you were sleeping . ”

“Y-Y-You put us to sleep with a gas!”

Tae-hyuk smiled gently at Li Zheng .

“Can you say that?”

It was a reminder that he had threatened the other bosses with guns just two hours ago . He never thought he would be the one tricked . Li Zheng’s anger boiled up .

“Then let’s do the final closing . The Triad has 1 . 43 billion . ”

“Damn!”

“The Yakuza has 1 . 43 billion . ”

“K-Kuhuk!”

“The Red Mafia has 1 . 43 billion . ”

“……”

Tae-hyuk declared proudly .

“Unbelievable! Coincidentally, all three teams have tied . The game is null and void . ”

Yamaguchi and Li Zheng dropped their heads after realizing they had lost the game . They never thought that at the last minute…

At that moment, Caterina quietly said,

“N-No Phantom . The game can’t end in a tie . Clearly, the total betting amount if 4 . 3 billion . Once divided between teams, there should be 10 million won left . ”

“Oh, that 10 million won? The chip left at the table is the dealer’s tip . I am grateful for it . ”

Caterina had the most desire for Phantom among the three people so she stuck to it until the end .

“Isn’t that just the case in a regular casino? Obviously there wasn’t such a rule in the rules that you gave us . ”

“Hrmm, that’s right . ”

Certainly .

Yamaguchi and Li Zheng also added .

“Yes . The game isn’t over . ”

“I also agree . ”

Caterina glared at Li Zheng for interrupting . He had tried to kill her so why was he suddenly pretending to be friends?

However, the game wasn’t finished yet . Tae-hyuk licked his lips and nodded .

“Then let’s start the fourth round of the mafia game . There will just be one difference . ”

“W-What?”

“Me too . ”

“A-Aren’t you the master of the casino? If you want, then you can increase your chips as you like . It is unfair!”

“You don’t have to worry about increasing the chips . ”

“What does that mean?”

“I mean, I’m going to win with this one chip . ”

Tae-hyuk raised the 10 million won chip .

“The rules of the 4th round are simple . If you make me broke, then you win . ”

“P-Playing with just one chip? T-That is ridiculous! Bluff Poker is an overwhelmingly advantageous game when there are a lot of chips!”

“If you want then I can fight all three people at the same time . Bring it on . ”

Phantom’s declaration of war caused the fighting spirits of the participants to burn .

“I haven’t given up yet Phantom . ”

“Huhu, this will be fun . ”

“I-I am going to win . ”

The bosses had a total of 429 chips . Phantom had only one!

With this ridiculous difference, the last Bluff Poker of the mafia game began .