"That's not quite right..."
Cold sweat broke out on Xiong Gu's forehead, and he instinctively wanted to refuse.
He was startled when Ayanokoji suddenly spoke, thinking that something had gone wrong with his and Xiong Gu's cooperation and it had been exposed.
"What I wanted was the top card from before the cards were scattered, but now the cards are mixed up, and the card I wanted to draw has also been shuffled into the deck. Isn't that your fault?"
This was his mistake, and Xiong Gu couldn't clear himself, but he still instinctively tried to stop Ayanokoji: "According to the rules, you can only take the top card..."
"According to the rules, once you say 'draw a card,' you can't go back on your word."
Before Xiong Gu could finish his sentence, Ayanokoji interrupted him. He turned to look at Kuroki Ya and said unhurriedly, "Since you've chosen to change your mind, then I can also slightly change the rules, right, Kuroki Ya?"
Ayanokoji's words cornered Kuroki Ya.
Ayanokoji had just helped him, so he had no standing to refuse Ayanokoji now.
He either agreed to Ayanokoji drawing a card from the deck, or he himself couldn't go back on his word and had to take another card.
Kuroki Ya was at a loss for a moment and instinctively looked at Xiong Gu.
Although Xiong Gu had a bad premonition, they both had no right to speak, so he could only nod slightly.
"Okay, I agree!" With Xiong Gu's support, Kuroki Ya let out a breath and nodded in agreement.
Drawing a card from the deck was much more exciting than simply taking the top card. The people around not only didn't stop him but even encouraged Ayanokoji.
"Hey, newcomer, draw the leftmost one!"
"You should draw the second to last!"
"The fifth card from the left in the middle!"
Ayanokoji did not stop their chaotic suggestions. He stacked all the cards into a pile, then pressed one corner of the top card with his thumb as a pivot, and then swept his palm across the cards, drawing an arc.
In an instant, the playing cards on the table fanned out evenly like a fan, forming a semicircle that covered the table.
This was the simplest card flourish. Although Ayanokoji had not yet learned high-level card-cutting techniques, he could do this level of card-cutting.
This trick Ayanokoji demonstrated was not complicated; more than half of the people still in the casino knew this trick.
However, this trick had an unparalleled impact on Xiong Gu.
These students from Hyakkaou Private Academy had been exposed to gambling since middle school, so it was not surprising that they knew this trick. But Ayanokoji, as a new student, knew simple card flourish techniques.
This indicated one thing — Ayanokoji was definitely not a newcomer who knew nothing about gambling!
His sudden request to choose a card by drawing it was definitely not an unwise move; he must have his own ideas!
An alarm bell rang in Xiong Gu's mind. He felt that if Ayanokoji drew that card, he and Kuroki Ya might have to swallow the bitter fruit of defeat.
He instinctively wanted to stop him, but unfortunately, it was too late; Ayanokoji had already chosen a card.
club a.
This was the card Ayanokoji drew.
Instantly, Xiong Gu was struck by lightning.
It didn't matter if Ayanokoji got a Diamond A, a Heart A, or a Spade A; none of them would have shocked him as much as getting this card.
...How did Ayanokoji discover and draw this card, which was his hidden card?
Could it be that... Ayanokoji was not a fool, but a hidden master, and all his little tricks had been seen by Ayanokoji Kiyotaka?
Did he also know about his and Kuroki Ya's cooperation and had been laughing at him internally all this time?
Xiong Gu fell into a dazed state, but at this moment, no one cared about him anymore. Everyone's attention was focused on Ayanokoji and Kuroki Ya's final reveal.
21 points against 20 points.
The game with a 400,000 yen stake ended just like that.
Ayanokoji drew a Blackjack at the last moment, undoubtedly becoming the winner.
"How is that possible? How could his hole card be an 8!?" Upon seeing Ayanokoji's hole card, Kuroki Ya's pupils constricted, and he shouted in disbelief.
Ayanokoji's hole card was an 8, plus the face-up card of 10, he already had 18 points when the cards were dealt, and he still dared to ask for another card?
18 points — 20 points — 21 points.
How dared Ayanokoji do that?
Especially the last time, how dared he gamble on such a low probability from the deck to get an A?
Only then did Kuroki Ya understand Xiong Gu's unusual actions, why his signals kept changing — Xiong Gu had tried his best to help.
"Kuroki Ya, it seems I've won this gamble."
Ayanokoji looked up with a smile, as if the victory in this game was very easy, showing no excitement, forming a stark contrast with Kuroki Ya.
In reality, it was indeed so; Ayanokoji felt that this gamble was won with remarkable ease.
After Xiong Gu dealt the cards, the system's voice rang in his mind. Initially, it instructed him not to act, then, after Kuroki Ya drew a card, the system also instructed Ayanokoji to follow suit and draw a card.
For the final card draw, Ayanokoji also acted under the system's guidance.
When those playing cards were fanned out before his eyes, the back of the target card the system instructed him to draw emitted a golden-yellow light, guiding Ayanokoji to pick up the card.
The system marked a total of four cards, and Ayanokoji just happened to pick club a. He did not know Xiong Gu's complex psychological activity.
Compared to this effortlessly gained victory, Ayanokoji was more concerned about his safety net system.
Through this gamble, Ayanokoji realized that the system's "safety net mechanism" changed in real-time based on actual developments.
This meant that... the system did not have the ability to conjure cards out of thin air or perform deus ex machina. Its safety net mechanism was more like an omniscient and omnipotent deity secretly guiding you to victory, but the specific operations still depended on you.
This was Ayanokoji's own analysis —
He did not know that Xiong Gu was secretly counting cards and manipulating the gamble, nor did he know about Xiong Gu's sudden lightheadedness.
Speaking of which, if he didn't follow the system's guidance and deliberately disobeyed instructions, choosing to surrender voluntarily, then how would the system maintain his certain victory?
Many ideas had already surged in Ayanokoji's mind, eager to test the various mechanisms of this safety net system.
However, now was not a good time.
Ayanokoji extended his hand, asking Kuroki Ya for his 400,000 yen.
"Kuroki Ya, can you give me the money now?"
This money was originally his, so it was just returning what belonged to him.
Kuroki Ya was quite unwilling, but he had to honor the bet, so he could only hand the money back to Ayanokoji.
But upon seeing Ayanokoji's smile, a nameless anger suddenly flared up in his heart. He impulsively slammed the table in anger: "Ayanokoji, you must have cheated! How could you draw two cards in a row without busting? I don't believe it!"
That's right, this guy must have cheated! Otherwise, how could he have won against him, who had Xiong Gu's help!?
The more he thought this way, the more convinced he became.
Ayanokoji sighed helplessly: "Kuroki Ya, this deck of cards was brought out by you, the Dealer was found by you, and even this casino is my first time visiting. Why would you say I cheated?"
Although he did indeed cheat, he certainly couldn't admit it. Moreover, even if he admitted it and said he won with the system's power, probably few people would believe him.
"I know you're upset because you lost, but a loss is a loss; you should accept the facts."
Ayanokoji placed the 400,000 back on the gambling table and said calmly, "If you're still not convinced, I can gamble with you again. This time, the stake will still be 400,000 yen."
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