Chapter 152: Snooker

The balls were properly set, and the caddie stepped aside. Huang Tang walked up to the table with a smile, then, imitating Long Fei’s stance, he forcefully smashed the cue ball into a scattered mess across the table. This could be considered returning the favor to Long Fei. He had absolute confidence in defeating Long Fei, believing the latter to be a complete novice at the game just like anyone else.

"Oh damn, this guy is an absolute idiot." Long Fei chuckled inwardly. In the first frame, he had indeed deliberately scattered the balls, and his loss was well within his expectations; he had simply been waiting for Huang Tang to break like this in the second frame. In other words, he intentionally made Huang Tang lower his guard in the first game. Of course, he hadn't been entirely sure he could beat Huang Tang from the start, which was why he had put on such a goofy facade.

Long Fei grinned broadly. "Are you going easy on me? Aren't you afraid I might just clear the table in one go?"

Huang Tang made a polite gesture with his hand, shaking his head with an expression of utter contempt.

Crack. The first red ball dropped into the pocket. Long Fei's stance looked awkward, but the shot itself was executed brilliantly, prompting Ye Qian to cheer out loud from the sidelines. Realizing that everyone was staring at her with peculiar glances, Ye Qian hastily clamped her mouth shut, her cheeks flushing slightly.

After potting a single ball, Long Fei felt an abnormal surge of confidence. He had just tested the waters and realized that billiards was all about the coordination of angle and force. As long as you lined up the proper angle, applied the correct amount of force, and calculated the trajectory of the ball, potting shots was an exceedingly simple task.

"You're finished." Long Fei stood up and moved to a different position. Although there were plenty of colored balls available on the table, after much deliberation, Long Fei chose the number 7 ball. Naturally, a higher point value meant a greater thrill, but potting this 7-point ball seemed to genuinely present a certain level of difficulty. At least, it couldn't be accomplished purely through blind luck the way he had managed at the end of the previous frame. However, as Long Fei bridged his cue, he suddenly raised his head and flashed a cheeky grin at Huang Tang.

Huang Tang was almost on the verge of laughter. Wasn't it just a single red ball? If he could actually pot this 7-point ball, that would truly require skill. Yet, he refused to believe Long Fei could actually pull it off. Amateurs watch the spectacle, while experts watch the technique. Judging merely by Long Fei's bizarre and unsightly posture, Huang Tang firmly refused to believe Long Fei was any sort of expert.

"Go ahead, please. You'll only prove your skill if you actually pot it," Huang Tang smiled faintly.

Long Fei laughed, "Alright, I'll let you witness this young master's prowess and see who among us truly clears the table in one go."

Aiming, calculating, gauging the force and the angle—thwack! The black number 7 ball actually dropped straight into the pocket. Though it was a nail-biter, it genuinely went in.

Gouzi laughed unrestrainedly and yelled, "Nice!"

Encouraged by his shout, Tieniu followed suit from behind, "Big Brother Fei, awesome!"

Naturally, Ye Qian joined in the chorus, shouting, "Great shot!"

Yet, deep down, Ye Qian felt a trace of nervousness. This particular shot required a certain degree of technique, though it wasn't overwhelmingly difficult. However, to actually pull off a total clearance in a single visit seemed quite challenging. At the very least, she wouldn't dare make such a bold claim, and perhaps even Huang Tang wouldn't dare either.

Seated to the side, Wang Ji and Bai Yaowu remained expressionless, maintaining their composure in the face of Long Fei's brilliant play. Huang Tang’s expression, however, flickered slightly. He shook his head, attributing Long Fei's success entirely to sheer good luck. Sharing Ye Qian's sentiment, he steadfastly refused to believe Long Fei could actually clear the table in one go.

Nodding to himself, Long Fei stood up and began to circle the table slowly. His actions baffled everyone present, leaving them clueless as to what he was plotting.

"Hey, are we going to keep playing or not? Don't waste time just because you potted one ball. There are pocketed balls all over the table; you can't possibly claim you don't know how to play, can you? Didn't you say you were going to clear the table in one turn? I'm waiting to watch your wonderful performance," Huang Tang said, growing somewhat impatient.

Long Fei ignored him and continued pacing around the table, the expression on his face shifting constantly—his brows furrowing and relaxing in turns. After roughly five minutes, amidst Huang Tang's renewed and impatient urging, he finally broke into a smile. Glancing at Huang Tang, Long Fei's smile carried a rather peculiar tint.

"Alright, I'll let you see what a real table clearance looks like. You should take notes on how billiards is actually supposed to be played."

With that, Long Fei initiated his turn. This time, he moved almost without pause. With a single fluid stroke, he released the cue, and without even waiting for the ball to drop, he immediately shifted his position. Every single ball he targeted found its way into the pocket exactly as he had foreseen, and the white cue ball obediently rolled to the precise spots he had predetermined.

Everyone's eyes widened in astonishment. Although Long Fei's stance remained as awkward as before, he exuded an effortless casualness, projecting an aura of grand mastery and a strong, unshakeable self-confidence of someone in absolute control of the entire situation. Meanwhile, his break score steadily skyrocketed.

Beads of sweat began to form on Huang Tang's forehead. The contempt in his eyes was entirely gone, replaced by pure admiration—a deep, heartfelt respect born from a battle between powerhouses. He finally understood the stakes in a clash between strong competitors: it wasn't just about technique, but psychological warfare as well. He now realized why Long Fei had spent so long pacing around the table earlier; calculating every single ball with absolute precision within five minutes was certainly not something an ordinary person could achieve. At the very least, Huang Tang knew he couldn't reach that level, and even many professional players would fall short.

Even Wang Ji watched Long Fei with a gaze full of appreciation, while Bai Yaowu furrowed his brows. It seemed that from this frame, he had gained a deeper understanding of Long Fei. Yet, what he perceived extended far beyond Long Fei's newly displayed exceptional skill, encompassing many elements that transcended the game of billiards itself.

Ye Qian had sprung to her feet in excitement, her eyes sparkling with adoration. She found it impossible to accept that Long Fei could become so formidable in the span of a single moment. Compared to the first frame, Long Fei had transformed instantly from a rookie into a master, leaving her feeling both thrilled and utterly incredulous. Furthermore, Ye Qian no longer dared to cheer out loud; Long Fei's shot execution was simply too flawless, and she feared her voice might disrupt his state of focus.

Gouzi was somewhat bewildered as well, yet his admiration for Long Fei knew no bounds. He knew Long Fei was a genius among geniuses; having grown up together, he was well aware of Long Fei's extraordinary innate talents in numerous fields. Still, he genuinely hadn't expected Long Fei to play billiards this well. Long Fei had mentioned earlier that this was only the second time in his life he had ever touched a cue, and Gouzi believed him. Viewed in that light, Long Fei's talent defied any ordinary description of a genius.

Tieniu continued to wear his foolish, hearty grin, his mouth stretched so wide it was almost comical—looking somewhat silly, yet endearing all the same.

As the frame drew to a close, Long Fei deliberately chose not to pot the final 7-point ball. Instead, he struck it hard enough to send it flying off the table, where it clattered onto the floor. Shaking his head, he chuckled, "Ah, my bad, I lost my grip. Come, come, you can finish off this frame yourself; there's still one ball left unpocketed."

Long Fei beckoned with a wave of his hand, signaling the pale-faced Huang Tang to proceed. However, Huang Tang lacked Long Fei's thick skin and simply stated with great difficulty, "I concede this frame. Rack the balls."

"Oh, come on, how can you start something without finishing it? Even a single ball counts as a ball! Who knows, you might even avoid getting skunked. Come on!" Long Fei shamelessly rubbed salt into the wound, teasing his opponent even after winning.

"Break the ball," Huang Tang said, gesturing for Long Fei to take the opening shot. No longer daring to look down on Long Fei, he inwardly cursed himself for his earlier carelessness. Had he not broken the balls so widely apart, Long Fei might not have won quite so effortlessly, nor would his own defeat have been so humiliating.

Resting the cue across his shoulder, Long Fei said with a grin, "This is the deciding frame, but don't you worry—in this frame, I won't pot a single ball, yet I'll still make you submit in utter defeat. Do you believe me?"

Long Fei's remark left people somewhat baffled. How could someone win without potting any balls? Yet, it didn't take long for everyone to figure out his intention: Long Fei must be planning to trap Huang Tang in a snooker. That was far more difficult than simply potting balls. Besides, with the entire table covered in red balls, just how far could he possibly go with this strategy?

Therefore, despite the formidable strength Long Fei had displayed in the second frame, everyone still regarded his statement as sheer boasting, viewing him as far too arrogant. Ye Qian looked ready to leap out of her seat; Huang Tang was no slouch, and had Long Fei played normally, his odds of winning would have been slightly higher. But if he genuinely refused to pot a single ball, how could he possibly avoid losing?

"Oh, is that so? Then I'd love to see how you plan to beat me!" Huang Tang snapped, thoroughly provoked by Long Fei.

"You don't believe me?" Long Fei chuckled.

Huang Tang retorted angrily, "Of course I don't!"

"You may not believe it, but I do!" Two men suddenly appeared at the doorway. Striding in front was the fierce-looking Yang Batian, followed closely by another towering, broad-shouldered young man. Upon entering, the two of them walked straight over and took seats opposite Bai Yaowu, right beside Ye Qian and her group.

Ye Qian had never met Yang Batian before and had no idea whether these two men were friends or foes, causing her to frown slightly. Bai Yaowu, however, merely offered a faint smile, "Young Master Yang, I wouldn't have guessed you had such an interest in billiards."

Yang Batian laughed heartily, "I certainly have an interest, though Huang Tang plays better than I do, I have to admit. But today, I'm placing my bet on Long Fei to win! Haha, I despise him. Huang Tang, if you have any backbone, beat him today. If you really manage to win, I, Yang Batian, will treat you to drinks tonight!"

Yang Batian rarely offered to treat anyone to drinks, so this condition served as an extremely lucrative reward for Huang Tang. Flattered and somewhat overwhelmed, Huang Tang immediately replied, "I'll definitely take Young Master Yang up on those drinks."

With that, he nodded toward Bai Yaowu, whose expression remained unchanged.

Hearing that the newcomer beside her was none other than Yang Batian, Ye Qian's eyes widened in realization. She quickly lowered her voice and asked, "You're Yang Batian? The 'Yang' of the Southern Tiger and Northern Sheep?"

Hearing this, Yang Batian turned his head to look at Ye Qian, frowning slightly. "There's only one Yang Batian in Yanjing, but it's not the Southern Tiger and Northern Sheep—it's the Northern Sheep and Southern Tiger, got it? Hehe, what right does that mustache have to put his name before mine? Every time he comes to Yanjing, don't I knock his teeth out? Oh, right, are you with Long Fei?"

Ye Qian nodded excitedly. "Sister Danni and I are good friends! I've heard your legendary name for ages, just never had the chance to meet you! So you're actually like this!"

Yang Batian couldn't help but chuckle dryly, "What do you mean, 'like this'? Did you expect me to have three heads and six arms? Oh, I get it now—you must be the daughter of Ye Wentian and Qi Yufei? The fiancée of that pretty boy over there?"

Pointing toward Bai Yaowu opposite them, Yang Batian made a rather blunt remark. Yet, Bai Yaowu likely understood Yang Batian's personality and temperament well enough not to take offense; if anything, he secretly felt a twinge of gratitude toward Yang Batian for inadvertently reminding Ye Qian of her own background.

Looking somewhat displeased, Ye Qian muttered, "I'd never agree to be a daughter-in-law to their Bai family. Don't bring that up; if you do, I'll get mad at you."

Whenever Ye Qian felt unhappy, her willful side immediately surfaced, her mischievous nature slowly revealing itself. Yang Batian blinked in surprise. Get mad at him? Very few people dared to get mad at him. Consequently, he found Ye Qian rather amusing. "Alright, I support you! Hehe, I hate those political marriages too!"

Finding a kindred spirit, Ye Qian nodded and said happily, "I'm going to stick to my guns till the end, hmph!"

"Alright, let's watch the good show and see how Long Fei toys with that weasel," Yang Batian winked at Ye Qian, conveniently bestowing a nickname upon Huang Tang.

Ye Qian immediately furrowed her brows. "You really think Long Fei can win?"

"You'll see in a moment. I rarely place bets, but I never miss. Hehe, if I say Long Fei wins, he definitely won't lose. You really think I invite people to drink just for the heck of it? Tsk, I'm selective about who I treat. But I think you're alright—if there's a chance, I'll treat you and Long Fei to drinks," Yang Batian whispered with a grin.

"Great, I'll hold you to that treat then!" Ye Qian felt a rush of excitement. To her, Yang Batian had always been a legendary figure, someone who could walk unhindered through Yanjing. Receiving an invitation for drinks from him was naturally a thrilling prospect.

Standing before the table, Long Fei unslung the cue from his shoulder and smiled, "Time for me to break."

Executing a smooth stroke with moderate force, the white cue ball traced a few graceful arcs across the felt before gently grazing a red ball. Bouncing softly off the cushions along an eccentric trajectory, it rolled back to a stop directly behind the 1-point ball, resting against it as though glued in place.

"Your turn!" Long Fei winked at Huang Tang. The force behind his stroke had been calculated to absolute perfection, and the trajectory of the cue ball had been envisioned long in advance, resulting in an impeccably flawless snooker right on the opening shot.

"Long Fei is too ruthless. That weasel is going to cry now," Yang Batian whispered with a laugh to the young man beside him.

The young man, named Wen Hua, was considered a core member of the elite circles. His grandfather served as a member of the Political Bureau Standing Committee, while both his parents held critical positions within the State Council. Unlike others in his social standing, Wen Hua maintained a relatively low profile, rarely frequenting clubs and preferring to spend his time pursuing music—making him somewhat of an anomaly among Yanjing's upper-crust youth.

Wen Hua kept his nose clean and maintained friendly relations with many within the circle, though those interactions were usually superficial pleasantries. Yet, he held a particularly close bond with Yang Batian, which explained why he rarely attended such gatherings unless personally invited by him.

Wen Hua smiled faintly, "This Long Fei actually has some genuine tricks up his sleeve. To pull off a shot like that—looks like your bet on him might actually be the right one."

"He doesn't just have a few tricks; he's got bottomless depths, I'd say. His impressive qualities go far beyond this; you'll see in time," Yang Batian chuckled.

"Is he a close friend of yours?" Wen Hua suddenly asked in a calm tone.

Yang Batian paused slightly, the smile fading from his face. "We can say we know each other."

His answer carried a hint of ambiguity. Did they know each other? Certainly, they knew each other, so it wasn't a lie.

This was a sensitive period. Despite his rough exterior, Yang Batian was far from foolish. When it came to critical matters, he saw through things more clearly than most, handling situations with greater care and stability than his peers.

Ye Qian stared in utter astonishment, while Gouzi grinned continuously, giving Long Fei a enthusiastic thumbs-up. Tieniu merely maintained his simple, honest smile toward Long Fei, showing little surprise—perhaps because, in his eyes, Long Fei winning was simply a matter of course.

Wang Ji looked at Long Fei with even deeper admiration, though he continually cast himself as an outsider and refrained from displaying excessive emotion. Even Bai Yaowu seemed stunned by Long Fei's maneuver. To an ordinary observer, this shot merely demonstrated high-level skill combined with a ruthless style of play, but to Bai Yaowu, it conveyed much more. Such a shot required exceptionally precise calculation and control over force, well beyond the reach of an ordinary player.

Equally dumbfounded was Huang Tang. He probably never dreamed in his wildest dreams that Long Fei could pull off such an exquisite snooker. Naturally, a layout like this was virtually impossible to escape, even for an international master. How could Huang Tang possibly compare to a world-class professional? His brows knitted tightly together, and though he paced anxiously around the table inspecting the layout from every angle, he found himself utterly devoid of options or confidence to break out of the trap.

"No rush, I can wait for you patiently," Long Fei chuckled, strolling over to sit beside Ye Qian and tossing his cue aside, completely confident that Huang Tang had no way to resolve the situation.

With a complexion as dark as charcoal and a look of utter despair, Huang Tang paced the table several times before finally being forced to bridge and shoot. Striking the cue ball as anticipated, it merely brushed against the 1-point ball, failing completely to reach any of the reds. Naturally, with the white and the 1-ball pressed tightly together, it was physically impossible to move without contact.

"Continue," Long Fei said ruthlessly, demanding that Huang Tang play another shot, deducting four points from his score.

By this point, the caddie viewed Long Fei with newfound respect, resetting the balls to their original positions to allow Huang Tang another attempt.

Repeated several times over, Huang Tang tried ten shots without managing to break the stalemate. Desperation and frustration were etched across his face; he wanted to concede out of lingering reluctance, yet knew he couldn't crack the layout if he stayed.

Quietly exchanging a glance with the caddie, the latter subtly cheated on the next reset, leaving a microscopic gap between the white ball and the 1-ball. Poor Huang Tang still missed the 1-point ball entirely on that try, failing to reach the reds and suffering another four-point penalty.

In truth, many present noticed the caddie's subtle adjustment, yet remarkably, no one spoke up. Perhaps they felt that even with the adjustment, Huang Tang still couldn't crack the puzzle, or perhaps everyone simply grew weary of the protracted stalemate and wanted a swift conclusion to determine the victor.

Only Ye Qian wanted to cry out, but Long Fei silenced her with a cautionary look. He had all the time in the world to toy with Huang Tang.

On his fifth subsequent attempt, Huang Tang caught a lucky break. After tracing an erratic path across the felt, the white ball finally managed to graze a red ball, scattering several of them across the table. Coincidentally, one red ball came to rest right at the edge of the corner pocket. Without exaggeration, even someone who had never played billiards before could easily pot that red ball.

Though the game swung heavily back in Long Fei's favor—giving him every opportunity to finish the match with a single clearance—Huang Tang felt a wave of relief. Though the means had been ungraceful, he had finally broken the trap, making a potential defeat easier to swallow. Otherwise, continuing to accumulate penalty points meant the match would drag on endlessly, resulting in a catastrophic loss with resignation as the only remaining option.

Picking up his cue once more, Long Fei didn't even bother glancing at the target ball. He merely offered a quirky, mocking smile to the sweat-drenched Huang Tang, casually executed his stroke, and watched as the cue ball slid once again behind the 1-point ball amidst a chorus of gasps, coming to rest tightly against it once more.

The stalemate returned. It was yet another masterclass snooker.

Huang Tang felt so humiliated he seriously considered jumping off a cliff. Was there truly no end to Long Fei's cruel form of torture?