"Alright then." Lin Shiyun, seeing the confident look in Ye Feng's eyes, reluctantly followed him, looking like a little wife resigned to her fate, trailing behind him as they walked into a small room inside the factory.
"What's with that expression?" Ye Feng chuckled as he sat down on a chair beside an empty gambling table, pulling Lin Shiyun onto his lap.
"You…" Lin Shiyun gave him a reproachful look, but seeing the playful grin on his face, she couldn't bring herself to scold him.
"Don't worry. Once we win some money, we'll go home." Ye Feng leaned close, whispering in her ear with a warm breath, watching as Lefty's face darkened with anger upon seeing them together.
"Ahem, shall we begin?" Brother Biao, sitting across from Ye Feng, cleared his throat, visibly unsettled by Ye Feng's confident demeanor.
"Yes, yes, let's begin," Ye Feng responded, glancing mischievously at Lefty before adding, "But it wouldn't be as fun with just the two of us. How about inviting Lefty here to join? It must be dull for him just watching."
Lefty, unable to resist the taunt and still fuming at the sight of Lin Shiyun on Ye Feng's lap, hesitated briefly before replying, "Fine, since you've invited me so generously, I'll oblige."
"Fantastic," Ye Feng replied with a feigned naivety, shuffling a fresh deck with seemingly careless hands. "Who will deal?"
"I'll do it," Lin Shiyun volunteered, rising from Ye Feng's lap and taking the cards. She wanted to ensure no one cheated, not realizing that Ye Feng had already made subtle adjustments to the deck with a few flicks of his fingers.
"Sure, let's have the lady deal," Brother Biao grinned, exchanging a knowing glance with Lefty. Ye Feng noticed, smirking inwardly, Play your tricks, if you dare. Let's see who outsmarts whom.
Lin Shiyun, though inexperienced, dealt the cards methodically, soon laying out a spread before each player.
"Hold on, hold on," Ye Feng said as the other two reached for their hands. "How high are we playing?"
"Your call," Lefty replied, eager to begin.
"Since it's just for fun, how about ten thousand per hand? We'll play five hands—fifty thousand total." Ye Feng proposed casually, masking his glee at their reaction.
"Ten thousand per hand?" Lefty's face twitched—ten thousand was a hefty sum for him. But remembering where they were, he nodded with feigned bravado, unwilling to lose face before Lin Shiyun.
"Alright then, ten thousand it is," Brother Biao agreed, suppressing a smirk. "Let's see what this kid's got."
"Good, that's settled," Ye Feng replied, putting on a clueless expression while handling his cards.
Looking at his hand—a flawless spread of pairs, sequences, and high cards—Ye Feng stifled a grin, maintaining his look of fake disappointment. Lefty, oblivious, scanned his own cards with a smug look, eager to trounce Ye Feng.
"Who wants to be the dealer?" Ye Feng asked, masking his amusement at Lefty and Brother Biao's subtle hand signals.
"I'll do it," Lefty said quickly, picking up the role eagerly, confident in the strength of his cards.
"Alright, be my guest." Ye Feng feigned nervousness, glancing over to Brother Biao and quipping, "Look out for me, Brother Biao."
With a forced grin, Brother Biao nodded, exchanging another signal with Lefty. Ye Feng, however, was aware of every move.
"Hey, cheat all you want," Ye Feng chuckled inwardly as he saw them settle into the game.
"I'll open with three fives and a six," Lefty played confidently, casting a gloating glance at Ye Feng.
"Pass," Brother Biao muttered, although his hand was strong. With his earpiece feeding him information, he already knew that Ye Feng held the winning combination. He followed the plan, biding his time.
"I'll counter with a bomb," Ye Feng said, tossing out four threes after a moment of dramatic hesitation, feigning uncertainty.
Lefty laughed, "Not enough! Here's my bomb!" Lefty threw down four fours, thinking it'd be the perfect setup for the winning streak in his hand.
"Pass," Brother Biao conceded with a darkened expression as he watched Lefty's hand play out, feeling the game slipping.
"Fine by me," Ye Feng grinned as he placed his pair of kings down, playing along.
"Pass," Lefty declared again, his face smug. He could already taste the victory.
Ye Feng placed his winning combination down, revealing his hand. "Sorry, looks like I win."