Medical Sage

”It seems Jack ate something that disagreed with him and isn’t feeling well. Sir, how about we play something else? What about poker?” Ke Xiangdong proposed as he re-entered the VIP room, a smile on his face that didn’t reach his eyes.

As he spoke, a bald man walked in. He was built like a tank, with a bowl-sized scar on his forehead. This, combined with a pair of narrow eyes that immediately gave one the impression of a sinister character, made him stand out. A defiant, cold smirk was fixed on his lips.

”Boss Ke, you called for me?” the bald man asked respectfully, but the corner of his eye was already sizing up Chen Fei and the mountain of chips stacked before him. He involuntarily licked his lips, his gaze filling with a mix of gravity and excitement.

Clearly, just like Jack the Magician before him, he understood that a whale had come to the Nine Heavens of the Milky Way to spend a fortune.

But is he a whale, or a fat sheep? Heh! A teasing smile played on the bald man’s lips.

”Play something else? Why? I’m having a perfectly good time,” Chen Fei suddenly said with a laugh, looking at Ke Xiangdong with a teasing smirk.

Ke Xiangdong froze for a moment, then began awkwardly, ”Well, it’s just that Jack seems to have an upset stomach. Besides, poker can be more entertaining and fun than just betting on dice...” He scrambled for an excuse, naturally avoiding the real reason: they were terrified of playing dice with Chen Fei any longer.

Seeing this, the bald man’s lips curled into a cruel smile. He feigned a casual tone as he taunted, ”Sir, you’ve won so much from us today. Shouldn’t you give us some face and cough a little of that back? Or are you scared to play poker with me?”

”Face?” Chen Fei chuckled, glancing toward the bald man with a slight curl of his own lips. ”Face? That sounds strange. Who the hell are you? Why should I, Chen Fei, give you any face?”

”You...”

The cruel smile on the bald man, Scarface, instantly froze. A flash of anger crossed his handsome, rugged face.

He couldn’t believe Chen Fei would dare disrespect him so blatantly, mocking him in front of everyone with such contempt. It was an insult that cut to the soul. Yet, he just stood there stammering, ”You... you...” unable to form a rebuttal. His gaze toward Chen Fei now held a trace of apprehension.

He was no fool. He knew he was just a gambler cultivated by the Nine Heavens of the Milky Way. The man opposite him, however, could be a major figure with a terrifying background. Who else would dare to cause a scene and gamble so extravagantly at their casino?

At this thought, a sense of awe crept into his heart, and he fell silent.

”Sir, I admit you are incredible at dice. Even our casino’s own Jack couldn’t beat you. But you’ve already won three hundred million US dollars from the Nine Heavens of the Milky Way. You see...” Ke Xiangdong began, his expression pained.

He was cut off by an impatient Chen Fei. ”Three hundred million US dollars? Why don’t you bring the money out first before we talk? A casino this big doesn’t even have a few hundred million on hand?” It turned out they still hadn’t brought him the chips or the cash.

”...My apologies, sir. That was our oversight. I’ll have the chips sent up immediately,” Ke Xiangdong said, his face flushing with embarrassment.

At this, Chen Fei gave a slight, impatient nod. ”Fine, I’ll play poker with you. But can you not run away after two or three hands? What’s the point of that? I’m not here to waste my time!”

You’ve already won three hundred million, you bastard, and you’re calling it a waste of time? Fuck! Ke Xiangdong cursed inwardly but maintained an apologetic expression. ”Please rest assured, sir, that won’t happen again. It was just because Jack ate something...”

He was about to repeat his bullshit excuse, but a mocking glance from Chen Fei silenced him. He gave a sheepish laugh and changed the subject. ”If we’re playing poker, sir, what’s your preference? Blackjack? Texas Hold’em?”

Chen Fei looked at him, then declared, enunciating each word with dead seriousness, ”I want to play... Golden Flower! Golden! Flower!”

GOLDEN! FLOWER!

What?

What the hell?

Golden Flower!?

Not only were Ke Xiangdong and Scarface dumbfounded, but even Chen Yaoyang and the One-eyed Elder standing behind Chen Fei were stunned. A peculiar expression appeared on all their faces.

Golden Flower? In a top VIP room of the Nine Heavens of the Milky Way, one of Macau’s six elite casinos, against world-class gamblers?

This move was something none of them had seen coming. It was utterly baffling.

”Uh, sir, I’m afraid two people can’t play Golden Flower,” Ke Xiangdong said, wiping the cold sweat from his brow as he stepped forward.

Hearing this, Chen Fei gave him a look as if he were a complete moron. ”If two people can’t play, can’t you just call a few more people over? Don’t tell me this dump of a casino only has one card player?”

Ke Xiangdong was rendered speechless. He was right. As one of Macau’s top six casinos, the Nine Heavens of the Milky Way had countless expert card players.

Of course, hearing Chen Fei call their establishment a ”dump of a casino” still made a flash of anger surface in his eyes. Damn it! If the Nine Heavens of the Milky Way is a dump, there are hardly any professional casinos left in the world! This kid is too arrogant, completely looking down on us! Fine! You want to play Golden Flower, is that it? You want me to find players for you? Okay, let’s see how many of us you can take on by yourself! I can’t wait to see you lose!

”Sir, will five players be acceptable?” A few moments later, Ke Xiangdong returned, personally leading three men. They all had Asian features, looking like they could be from the Philippines or Huaxia. They walked in and sat down at the gambling table, their faces filled with mockery and sneering confidence.

And why wouldn’t they be confident? With their world-class card-playing skills, if four of them couldn’t beat one man, they might as well go home and raise pigs instead of embarrassing themselves here.

So, it was obvious that the three newcomers, along with their most skilled player, Scarface, all believed victory was already theirs. There was no room for any other outcome. They exchanged subtle glances, their lips curled in unrestrained, cold sneers.

Once everyone was seated, Ke Xiangdong personally walked over to the dealer’s position. ”Sir, I’ll be shuffling the cards myself. I trust you don’t mind?” he said with a grin.

”Whatever,” Chen Fei replied, not caring in the slightest.

Seeing this, the smugness on Ke Xiangdong’s face vanished, replaced by a neutral expression. ”What are the stakes, sir? How about an ante of one million chips, a minimum bet of five hundred thousand, and a maximum of ten million. For blind bettors, the multipliers to call will be 2x, 5x, 7x, and 10x. How about it?”

”Fine,” Chen Fei said with the same nonchalant demeanor, which was infuriating to behold.

”In that case, I will begin dealing.” Ke Xiangdong took a deep breath. His hands began to shuffle the cards, moving like fluttering butterflies. The process was a mesmerizing display, as smooth and fluid as flowing water. At the same time, a subtle, cold smirk touched his lips, his eyes glinting.

Clearly, Ke Xiangdong hadn’t climbed to the position of general manager at a top-tier casino like the Nine Heavens of the Milky Way by being incompetent. He had some real ”skills” of his own. This was why he had volunteered to act as the croupier.

A moment later, five sets of three cards were dealt to Chen Fei, Scarface, and the other three players. Each man put down a one-million-chip ante. The Filipino player to Ke Xiangdong’s left was the first to act.

”First hand, might as well take a look,” the Filipino said. He had a wide mouth, and when he smiled, his whole face resembled a grinning monkey. He reached for his cards, having carefully watched Ke Xiangdong’s shuffle and seen no obvious tricks. He wasn’t expecting a miracle on the first hand; he was just testing his luck for the day.

”Looks like my luck isn’t bad,” the Filipino murmured after a quick peek at the corners of his cards. His eyes lit up, though he tried to hide it. He casually tossed a one-million Australian dollar chip onto the table. His gaze swept over the other four players as he announced with a grin, ”One million.”

”I’m out.”

Scarface, next in turn, glanced at his cards and quickly folded.

”I’m out, too,” another player said, discarding his hand.

It was now the turn of the player third from the Filipino. He was a tan-skinned Asian man with a very cold and calm demeanor. He nonchalantly picked up his three cards, looked at them, and then tossed out two one-million-dollar chips. ”I raise. Two million.”

”Interesting. It seems you all have good hands.”

Finally, it was Chen Fei’s turn. He rubbed his hands together with a smile, then surprisingly threw two two-million-dollar chips into the pot. He grinned. ”In that case, allow me to raise the stakes for you. How about it?”

At this, the expressions of the other four players at the table changed. Some sneered with open mockery, while others felt an unexpected jolt of anxiety in their hearts.

”Mainlander, trying to scare me? Sorry, but this hand won’t be scared away so easily. I call your raise and go all in! Ten million!” the Filipino man said with a wide grin, casually tossing chips worth ten million Australian dollars onto the table. He was utterly confident; there was no way he could lose this hand.

Because he had a flush! A Queen-King-Ace of spades! The best possible flush, second only to a bomb