Chen Fan was led to a seat by the floor manager.
Yu Fuguo, however, sat aside and did not join the game. He instructed the manager, "Bring a million in chips!"
"A million isn't enough, should be at least ten million, right?"
Chen Fan said without looking up, his tone leaving no room for argument.
His bold declaration drew the attention of the four gamblers present.
Some frowned, while others smirked with disdain.
Their chips were mostly in the hundreds of thousands, with the highest being just over a million. Chen Fan's ostentatious display of wealth elicited varied reactions.
The manager hesitated, looking at Yu Fuguo.
Yu Fuguo did not falter and ordered him to comply.
The beautiful dealer dealt the cards and explained the rules.
The ante was ten thousand, raises had to be at least double the previous bet, and the first three rounds were capped at one hundred thousand.
Chen Fan chuckled; this was getting interesting. With his deep pockets, he could easily pressure the others.
However, in a game of show-down, the player with fewer chips after the final reveal determined the outcome. Having more chips didn't directly guarantee victory.
The game began quickly.
No one looked at their hole card, which was dealt face down.
Chen Fan didn't even glance at his hole card. When it was his turn to bet, he immediately bet or raised to one hundred thousand.
His bet caused the other four players to look at their hole cards and fold.
Show-down, besides luck, was largely a psychological game.
Each player received five cards. The first round dealt two cards, one face down and one face up. The player with the highest face-up card started the betting.
This continued round by round, with the ultimate goal being to have the best hand at the end.
Chen Fan, with his deep pockets, bet one hundred thousand in the first round. The risk for other players to call was too high, so they naturally folded.
Smiling, Chen Fan continued this strategy for the next three rounds.
All four opponents folded.
At this point, an older man stood up and said, "This is boring, I'm out!"
Another middle-aged, overweight man thought for a moment and then stood up, saying, "I'm out too!"
Their chips were clearly insufficient. Being suppressed by Chen Fan, the probability of a comeback was low, so they decided to quit.
After all, not every member was willing to wager large sums of money.
Losing money here was less profitable than spending it on other services, which was far more worthwhile.
The remaining woman smiled and said to Chen Fan, "Handsome guy, you're quite high-profile!"
"Since we're here to play, we might as well make it exciting, don't you think?" Chen Fan replied with a smile.
There was also a young man in a white suit. He smiled and signaled the dealer to continue.
In the fifth round, the man in the suit received a good hand and bet twenty thousand.
Chen Fan immediately raised to two hundred thousand. The woman folded.
The young man was unfazed and continued to call.
At the final reveal, Chen Fan's hand was significantly weaker. The opponent won forty thousand from him.
Chen Fan remained unconcerned.
"So, he's a money-loser?" the white-suited man said with a smug smile.
Chen Fan did not get angry. "This is just the beginning. If you have the skill, feel free to win it all."
A flicker of disdain appeared in the woman's eyes.
Chen Fan's playing style was essentially gifting them money, and there was no reason for them to refuse.
The game continued.
Yu Fuguo bid Chen Fan farewell, saying he was going to the restroom.
Chen Fan waved him off indifferently.
Yu Fuguo left the private room and entered another, where he made a phone call.
Soon, a tall, slender young man in his mid-twenties entered the room.
"Young Master Yu, he's playing show-down, betting the table limit every hand, and seems completely indifferent to winning or losing," Yu Fuguo told the newcomer.
Young Master Yu smiled, "It seems he doesn't care about this small amount of money. Truly rich and extravagant."
"He mentioned he obtained an investment plan from Longteng Headquarters, worth one billion!"
Yu Fuguo narrowed his eyes and said, "He's seeking thrills and has a strong gambling streak. Such a person is easy to control."
Young Master Yu said, "The nephew of a Longteng elder and the general manager of the Kyoto branch, this Chen Zhuo is indeed valuable. Listen, I'll go meet him. You continue to build trust with him!"
With that, he pushed the door open and headed towards Chen Fan's private room.
Entering the room, Chen Fan's chips, which had been ten million, were now less than half.
Yet, Chen Fan still appeared unconcerned.
The man in the white suit and the woman had both won a considerable amount.
Even at the Cloud Club, guests willing to lose money like this were rare.
After entering, Young Master Yu observed for a moment, then suddenly sat down and instructed the manager to bring him ten million in chips.
Chen Fan looked at him, memorizing his features.
The game resumed.
Chen Fan was winning small pots and losing big ones, his chips dwindling.
He seemed to be losing his composure, appearing slightly anxious. He finally glanced at his hole card and chose to go all-in on the fourth round.
The man in the white suit hesitated. His hand seemed decent, so he called all-in.
The woman had folded early. Young Master Yu, however, was hesitant. After a pause, he also called all-in.
The three hands were revealed.
Chen Fan had a full house, while the man in the white suit had a flush, which was a weaker hand than Chen Fan's. His face instantly turned grim.
To his surprise, the newly joined Young Master Yu had four sevens, a stronger hand than Chen Fan's.
"It seems my luck is quite good!"
Young Master Yu said with a smile.
At this point, Chen Fan's chips were all gone.
"What bad luck!"
Chen Fan's face was grim. He turned and said, "Get me another ten million in chips!"
The manager hesitated.
"What, afraid I don't have money?"
Yu Fuguo had not yet returned. Chen Fan pulled out a Bauhinia Dragon Card and slammed it on the table.
The appearance of this Dragon Card drew startled glances.
The Bauhinia Dragon Card of the Longteng Group offered unlimited overdraft, making ten million a trivial amount.
The manager quickly exchanged chips for Chen Fan.
Chen Fan, his face dark, said, "Continue!"
Young Master Yu glanced at Chen Fan, lost in thought.
The game continued, and the man in the white suit also exchanged more chips.
The woman, however, remained composed, winning more than she lost.
Chen Fan changed his habit and started looking at his hole cards before deciding whether to call or fold.
Over the next hour, he still lost more often than he won.
He lost almost half of his ten million chips again.
The game of show-down involved not just luck and psychology, but also observation.
Personal habits and small gestures could reveal whether a player had a good or bad hand. His habits seemed to have been figured out.
Young Master Yu watched Chen Fan with amusement. He had been winning more than losing, and his ten million chips were now nearing twenty million.
Amidst Chen Fan's hesitation, in this round, the man in the white suit had a pair of Kings, and he chose to go all-in.
After losing on the last all-in, he was now a loser, but he still appeared calm.
He believed he had figured out Chen Fan's habits. Chen Fan's hand wasn't strong, but it was too good to fold.
Chen Fan stared at the man in the white suit, looking annoyed.
Then, he said in a deep voice, "Can I raise the bet?"
"If the opponent agrees!" the dealer replied.
"I'll raise by ten million, do you dare?"
Chen Fan challenged the man in the white suit fiercely.
The man in the white suit glanced at both their hands.
His hole card was a 10, making his hand two pairs: Kings and Tens.
Chen Fan's face card was a pair of Sevens, with no Ace. Unless he drew another Seven, he could only win if he had a better hand.
However, a Seven had already appeared among the cards dealt to others.
This meant Chen Fan needed the last Seven in the deck, a highly improbable chance.
If that were the only factor, he wouldn't have dared to allow Chen Fan to raise... He had observed Chen Fan for a long time. When Chen Fan had a good hand, his lips would curl slightly, and he would exhibit small tells.
This time, there were none.
Furthermore, from Chen Fan's initial behavior of betting recklessly without even looking at his hole card, it was clear he lacked patience when playing cards.
"Yes!"
Steel-nerved, the man in the white suit agreed to Chen Fan's request.
Both sides raised by ten million.
"Unless your hole card is the last Seven, you're destined to lose!"
Revealing his hole card, the man in the white suit said with confidence.
"Sorry, my hole card is indeed a Seven!"
Chen Fan smiled and revealed his hole card.
The man in the white suit's eyes widened in disbelief, his face instantly turning ashen.