Chapter 21: Observing Human Nature Through the Card Game

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Zheng Qian had a knot in his heart.

Although Jin Lu wasn’t exactly the latter type mentioned earlier, she was also with him for money.

A relationship built on such foundations was certainly not entirely pure.

But Jin Lu herself was probably of the former kind.

If she weren't after money, she wouldn't be working in a bar.

Jin Lu’s father, before going in, must have been no ordinary man; otherwise, Jin Lu wouldn’t possess that innate pride etched into her bones, nor the cold decisiveness in her eyes that could chill anyone to the bone.

If Jin Lu weren’t working in the bar for financial reasons, she would never have humbled herself to such a job. Her achievements should at least match those of Chen Weiqiang, Liu Shiqi, and the others.

As for Xiao Yu, Zheng Qian was unsure.

With Jin Lu, he didn’t want to get to know another girl working in a place of bright lights and wine.

But from Xiao Yu’s earlier behavior, it seemed her heart was not as pure as her surface suggested. If it weren’t for Brother Tao’s self-control, a little money might have been enough to win her over.

The four of them didn’t seek out girls but went to a bathhouse together.

As for Xia Qianqian, she was stationed at Dexian Building waiting.

“I wonder what business President Zheng was in before?” Han Huahao asked Zheng Qian.

“I wasn’t in business before. I recently got a sum of money and invested it in President Chen’s project.”

Han Huahao just hummed and nodded, then said no more.

After washing up, Jiang Tao said he had to meet a client tomorrow and took his leave from Han Huahao, asking him to greet Chen Weiqiang and Liu Shiqi.

Han Huahao nodded and let him go.

The three arrived at a private room in Dexian Building.

Han Huahao saw Chen Weiqiang inside, lighting a cigarette, sitting on the sofa laughing heartily.

“How come you finished so quickly? Has your ability declined? Need me to get you some Liuwei Dihuang Pills next time?”

Chen Weiqiang stopped talking to Xia Qianqian, stood up, and greeted them.

“Impossible. I’m a tough guy. You just got here, and you’re already here.”

The four sat down first and called for a beautiful dealer.

She wore a Japanese-style kimono, her hair tied high, with a red shoulder-length dragon tattoo on her body, looking exactly like the dealer from the movies.

“Strange, why isn’t President Liu here yet?”

“Look, President Liu’s even tougher than you. You really need to take some supplements,” Han Huahao joked. A man in his forties, he liked to joke about such things, always dropping risqué jokes effortlessly.

“What are you talking about? I really am a tough guy. Don’t believe me? Watch next time.”

“Get out of here, I’m not watching you.”

Hearing this, Xia Qianqian’s face blossomed like a peach flower, her eyes sparkling like autumn waters. Naturally, as a female assistant, she was quite shy.

“Boss Han, let’s talk less about these topics; there are ladies here,” Chen Weiqiang noticed his assistant’s unusual expression.

“Alright, alright, no more,” Han Huahao said with a laugh.

Everyone laughed as Liu Shiqi entered.

Her hair was still wet and loose on her shoulders, as if she had just come from a shower.

Once seated, she complained, “Boss Han, what kind of bodies do your male models have? They look strong but have no stamina.”

“President Liu, they’re just companions, not professionals in this area. That’s good enough,” Chen Weiqiang explained.

“I’m just giving you a heads-up, Boss Han. You’re hiring all showmen with weak muscles. They look good at first glance but are actually no good.”

Zheng Qian never expected Liu Shiqi, at her age, to have such demands—two male models still not enough for her to play with?

Apparently unsatisfied, seeing the time was nearly up, she hurried over.

The beautiful dealer began distributing chips.

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“President Zheng, twenty thousand in chips each. I’ll cover yours,” Chen Weiqiang pointed at the neat stack of blue chips in front of Zheng Qian.

“I won’t play. I’m not good at this. I’ll just sit behind Xiao Qian and watch you guys play,” Li Tao tactfully moved his chair behind Zheng Qian.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t play, but he couldn’t afford to.

He couldn’t put up 200,000. Even if Chen Weiqiang covered him, he’d owe a favor in the future.

After the dealer explained the rules again to Zheng Qian, the game began.

Zheng Qian didn’t look at his cards cautiously; he even showed Li Tao his hand.

His luck wasn’t good—he had the four of clubs and nine of spades.

Li Tao maintained a neutral expression, showing no reaction.

No community cards had been dealt yet, but Zheng Qian’s hand had little chance of winning.

Because the odds of forming a strong hand in Texas Hold’em aren’t very high.

The pot was 500; Han Huahao raised to 3,000, and the other two called. Zheng Qian also called, deciding to see the flop.

The three community cards were: jack of spades, king of clubs, and two of diamonds.

Liu Shiqi folded immediately.

Han Huahao smirked and bet 20,000.

Chen Weiqiang smiled and matched the 20,000.

Their hands probably weren’t bad; at least they had a pair or hoped for a straight or flush.

Zheng Qian’s hand was unpaired, not sequential, with little chance of winning.

Li Tao thought Zheng Qian would fold, but he didn’t.

“All in.”

Zheng Qian pushed all his chips forward.

“What the hell kind of hand do you have to play like that?” Chen Weiqiang was amused moments ago, but seeing Zheng Qian so bold, going all in right away, he was surprised.

He then folded.

Li Tao glanced at Zheng Qian, wondering what he was thinking. Since Han Huahao dared to bet 20,000, his hand must be strong. Zheng Qian’s hand had a small chance of winning—why go all in?

He couldn’t understand Zheng Qian.

Han Huahao didn’t say a word, furrowed his brows, thinking for a good thirty seconds, then prudently folded.

“Boss Han folded such a big hand?” Chen Weiqiang analyzed. Han Huahao must have had at least a pair of kings or jacks, but he still folded.

“Playing it safe. I think President Zheng had an even better hand,” Han Huahao laughed.

Second round.

Zheng Qian’s hole cards were two of diamonds and two of hearts.

Chen Weiqiang bet 10,000, so his hand was probably good.

Han Huahao and Liu Shiqi both called; Zheng Qian also called.

Community cards were nine of spades, four of clubs, and five of clubs.

Zheng Qian had the smallest pair, still a low chance of winning.

“30,000,” Liu Weiqiang confidently raised.

Han Huahao and Liu Shiqi folded immediately.

“President Zheng, call?”

“I call, and raise another 50,000.”

Raise another 50,000?

So no chance to see the cards?

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Chen Weiqiang had ace of clubs and nine of diamonds—a top single card and a pair of nines.

“I call,” Chen Weiqiang gritted his teeth and put down 50,000.

The fourth community card: king of hearts.

Useless for both.

“100,000,” Zheng Qian bet.

The pot was already huge. Zheng Qian pushed half his chips forward.

Chen Weiqiang glanced at his hole cards again: “Call.”

The last card: nine of hearts.

Chen Weiqiang breathed a sigh of relief.

When both revealed their cards, Chen Weiqiang had three nines, beating Zheng Qian’s pair of twos.

“President Zheng, doing business is like playing poker.”

“The business world is a battlefield without smoke. A successful person must have ambition, ruthlessly seizing all resources in society—women, money, status. You can’t be greedy, you can’t be ruthless.”

“Just like this hand—if I weren’t ruthless, how would I know the last community card was a nine?”

At this moment, Chen Weiqiang imparted to Zheng Qian the most basic truth before entering the commercial sea.

Third hand.

Zheng Qian got lucky with ace of spades and ace of hearts.

He called 20,000 and saw the community cards: queen of diamonds, five of diamonds, jack of spades.

Han Huahao and Chen Weiqiang both folded.

Liu Shiqi stayed, holding king of diamonds and nine of diamonds.

Her hand could form a straight or flush, with a good chance.

Both called 50,000 to see the last community card.

Now the community cards were: queen of diamonds, five of diamonds, jack of spades, jack of clubs, four of diamonds.

There was a pair on the table. Although Liu Shiqi could form a flush, she feared Zheng Qian might have three of a kind plus a pair—a full house.

From Zheng Qian’s consistent calls and raises, Liu Shiqi guessed he held at least one jack, making three of a kind. Whether he had a pair, she wasn’t sure.

If Zheng Qian held a queen or five, he’d have two pairs from the start and wouldn’t have bet so high, probably making smaller bets to lure her to raise.

“All in.”

Zheng Qian pushed all his chips forward again.

Going all in again?

Liu Shiqi, accustomed to numbers, silently calculated. Her winning probability was about 70%.

If she had a 70% chance, why hesitate to call?

She went all in.

After revealing the cards, naturally Liu Shiqi won.

Zheng Qian exhaled lightly, “Lost it all, hahaha. I won’t play with you guys anymore. Brother Tao, shall we go back together?”

“Let my assistant see you off,” Chen Weiqiang offered.

“Alright.”

The three watched Zheng Qian’s retreating figure, each lost in thought.