Chereads / Phantom Rose / Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: Psychological Warfare

Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: Psychological Warfare

James Edwards entered the Casino at exactly 9 PM. Normally, Fujima would have followed him but this time it was impossible, he is underage after all. Going through the front entrance as a high school student is pretty much impossible. 

Fujima went to an alley just beside the casino and figured out a way to enter the building without going through the front entrance. The alleyway was filled with trash and puddles of water. The foggy feel of the alley and the blinking lights felt like it was some part of the USA. He saw a pipe that leads to the roof deck of the casino which he climbed carefully. Halfway through the climb, he heard a metal creak so he moved faster. It looks like the pipe can't hold on to his weight any longer. It was starting to crumble bit by bit so Fujima rushed to the top. It was a close call but Fujima managed to reach the roof deck just before the pipe broke. . 

As soon as he reached the deck, he went inside the building to survey the area. The casino wasn't a prestigious one so people are dressed casually unlike the high end ones where people are dressed up quite formally. Despite not being a prestigious one, it felt like it. There were lots of slot games that made the place shine in different colors of lights and the sound of the machines made Fujima feel that he really was in an adult place despite being underaged. 

According to the information sent to him by Mr. Takamura, James Edwards would always frequent table 1 of the poker section right at the very first floor. Fujima can just easily eliminate his target when he decides to go to the bathroom but he had other plans. His plan was to ruin his target's psychological being before dealing the final blow. And the first thing he thought of is to get all his money through poker. 

As Fujima reached the poker section, he bought chips and sat at the table where James Edwards seemed to be enjoying himself. Fujima sat just right across from him. There were 3 other players on the table aside from him and his target. James is definitely drunk, but he had the largest towers of poker chips amongst the players on the table. 

Fujima already had a strategy to make this man go bankrupt. James Edwards is by no means a smart man, he is dumb, short tempered, and arrogant. All he had was money and muscle. Fujima's plan was set in motion the moment he sat at the table. He knew that the other players are irritated at James considering how he got all of their chips and his not so pleasant attitude. His plan was only a simple but he knew that this arrogant James Edward would fall for it. 

The first round came as Fujima got some decent cards. A king of diamonds and a four of spades. James Edwards would raise on his first turn making most of the other players fold in frustration, you can say that James is a big bully in that table. But Fujima on the other hand just called and matched James' raise. Then came the flop (the first three cards placed in the middle for a game of poker). As those cards were laid out, James just checked. 

"Hmmm. A check might be a bait and raise the bet later but I'll get along with it for now." Fujima tought to himself.

The turn (the 4th card brought down by the dealer in poker) was placed, and by this time, Fujima already had two pairs. The frustrated look on James Edwards is radiating around the table. So to add on to this frustration, Fujima raised which James Edwards matched quickly. As the river (last card amongst the five cards set down by the dealer) was placed in the middle, Fujima had a full house. 

"How lucky! I guess I'll raise." Fujima thought to himself once again.

Fujima made another raise which James Edwards matched again. James thought that Fujima might just be bluffing. 

The Banker then asked them both to show their cards to decide who won the round. Fujima had a full house while James had a pair. Fujima smirked as he gathered the chips he won to irritate James even more. And it was definitely effective as veins on James' forehead started to appear. The other players were obviously happy with the result so they placed all their hopes on the young kid who just sat at their table to get revenge for them. 

That round cost James ¼ of his chips which would frustrate most people. In the next rounds, James is eager to fight another battle with Fujima. But in the next few rounds, Fujima folded even when he had great cards. This is to make James Edwards believe that Fujima will only fight when he has great cards. In the next few rounds, Fujima fought until the flop was shown before folding. This planted the thinking that he will only fight if he has a sure ball card. 

After a few rounds of folding, Fujima now started to go along with James' game as he raised and raised the bet. By the time that the turn card was shown, James already raised the bet by a lot, costing him half of his total poker chips. 

This time though, Fujima had bad cards. But why did he go along with James' game? 

"I have already won the psychological warfare, I'll throw an all in right now." Fujima thought to himself. 

As Fujima pushed all of his poker chips, signifying an all in, James' face became worried. Fujima knew for sure that he would fold. Why is that? 

"For the first round, I beat him with good cards. And for the next few rounds I folded. It's already been planted in his mind that a boy like me would only go all the way if my cards are good. After all, he thinks of me as a kid not capable of bluffing. But it doesn't end here." 

And James really did fold out of frustration. 

Right after winning a bluff, Fujima intentionally showed his cards before giving it back to the dealer. The frustrated face on James realizing that he was bluffed was a sight to watch. His frustration can be felt around the whole table, and the soft laughing of the other people sitting on the table got into his head. James Edwards felt like he was played on by a young boy. 

The very next round, Fujima tried his hardest to hold back his smile, after all, he already had a pair of aces in hand. What he did was raise the bet. Looking how frustrated James is, he is sure to bite the trap. And he did. The first 3 cards on the flop were a pair of 2 of spades and 2 of hearts. The third card is another ace. This time, Fujima raised the bet that would make James bet all of his remaining chips. Fujima knew that all of the players would fold except for James. By this time, James was in a war with his on mind whether to go along with the game or just fold. But he didn't, he's already in too deep. He already raised a lot of chips on the pot and he also thought that Fujima might be bluffing once again. And as expected, the frustrated James Edwards bet off of his remaining chips thinking that Fujima was again bluffing. But this time, he isn't. As the turn and the river were set in place, James Edwards stood up and proudly showed his 2 pairs. 

"Ha! You won't get me with another bluff you kid! I'm not that dumb." 

Fujima leaned back on his seat.

"I guess you are dumb after all. You got played by a kid like me so easily." Said Fujima, as he revealed his full house that made James Edwards kneel on the ground grabbing his head while shouting. The rest of the players were laughing at the frustrated James Edwards as Fujima stood up and gave all of his chips to the other players. 

Considering how he played James Edwards, Fujima was happy deep inside that this target would be so frustrated before his final moments. An evil action indeed. He could've just killed him but he chose to make him suffer psychologically first before his death. All that's left to do now is kill him