"My fiancée was kidnapped by my rival, crying and begging me to save her. My rival taunted, ""Bet me. If you win, I'll return your fiancée and transfer my assets to you. ""If you lose, I'll take your assets, and your life!"" My fiancée, her face streaked with tears, subtly urged me to accept. I knew it was an elaborate trap they had set together. But I still accepted the wager. 1 ""Jason, save me!"" My fiancée, Selena, was crying, her face streaked with tears. She was bound to a chair, unable to move, her large eyes continuously shedding tears as she looked at me. Around her stood several burly bodyguards, each one incredibly muscular. There was no way for me to get close to Selena, let alone rescue her from such a heavy guard. The one who had kidnapped her was my sworn rival, Derek Jensen. He was my company's biggest competitor. We had battled for years, countless business wars, and had long become thorns in each other's sides. Previously, I had always bested him, building my company into the industry leader. He hated me to the core; every time he saw me, he wanted to flay me alive. A day ago, Selena had gone out alone for a nail appointment and hadn't returned. Her phone was also off. It wasn't until evening that I received a desperate call from Selena, saying she had been kidnapped by Derek. To save my fiancée, I came alone to the rendezvous. The location was a Jensen family construction site, a building not yet topped out. We were on the rooftop of the 20th floor. Derek sat on a sofa smoking a cigar, while Selena was bound to a chair not far away, surrounded by Derek's men. He looked at me, applauding approvingly: ""Good, coming alone. You've got guts."" ""What are your terms to release her?"" I looked at him coldly. What he wanted was nothing more than for me to give up the bidding for the land in Southfield, or perhaps to leave the industry entirely. Sure enough, Derek stood up, still exhaling smoke: ""It's simple. You and I make a wager. If you win, I'll release Selena and transfer all my assets to you, withdrawing from the real estate industry forever. ""If you lose, you give all your assets to me, and… your life."" ""Of course, publicly, you'll announce your successful retirement and take care of yourself. I'm a law-abiding citizen, you see, haha."" With that, he pulled out a contract and waved it: ""I've already drafted the contract; it's real and legally binding."" ""A wager?"" I hesitated for a moment. Selena cried even louder, her face soaked with tears. ""Jason, save me, I want to go home."" ""Please save me! It's just a gamble, you can definitely win."" Selena's mournful cries echoed in my ears. Derek laughed: ""Time is running out for you. Decide quickly. If you don't agree, I'll throw her down."" As he spoke, two burly bodyguards lifted Selena from the chair and forcefully suspended her from a crane hook, leaving her dangling 20 stories high. Selena screamed, terrified, continuously yelling: ""Save me, Jason, I'm so scared, put me down."" ""It's best not to struggle, or you'll fall and splatter into a mess of flesh and bone,"" Derek chuckled, threatening her. Selena didn't dare to open her eyes and look down. With that reminder, she stopped squirming. She stared straight at me, crying. ""I'm so scared, save me……"" ""So? Have you decided? She can't hold on much longer."" Derek turned his head to look at me, smugly. I was still hesitating. My father was known as the ""King of a Thousand Aces"" in the gambling world. With his incredibly skilled gambling, he had held the title of World Gambling King for over a decade. Afterward, he retired honorably and started in the real estate industry. It was then that he set a rule, forbidding his descendants from touching gambling. But now, I was about to violate the family rule. Seeing my prolonged hesitation, Selena's face was etched with despair: ""Jason, actually, yesterday I wasn't getting my nails done. I was at the hospital for a check-up… I'm pregnant. You're going to be a father, Jason."" 2 At that, I froze, immediately turning to Derek: ""Put her down."" ""You agree to bet with me?"" Derek raised an eyebrow. The first rule of my family was never to gamble, and never to reveal our skills in front of outsiders. But now, I had to choose between saving her and violating that oath. Seeing me still hesitate, Derek laughed heartily: ""If you don't dare to gamble, then let's skip that part. Just transfer all your assets to me. I won't even take your life. You pack your bags and leave this city immediately."" Selena choked up: ""Jason, my stomach hurts so much. The baby might not hold on much longer. Weren't you looking forward to our baby? Please save me, I can't take this anymore."" ""But if I save you, I have to gamble with him. If I lose, I'll become a disgrace to my family,"" I said with difficulty. Selena, hearing this, cried even harder: ""Are the baby and I not as important as your money? You might not even lose if you bet him. If you win, everyone will be happy."" ""But you know I never play cards. Derek, he's a veteran of many casinos, called the 'Young Gambling King.' How could I possibly win against him?"" I said helplessly. Selena looked at me affectionately, saying: ""Jason, I believe in you. Even if we lose, I'm willing to be a poor couple with you. We'll never abandon each other."" ""Enough with the nonsense, are you betting or not?"" Derek prompted, a little impatient. I closed my eyes, letting out a heavy breath: ""I'll bet you."" ""Gutsy. Have a seat!"" Derek smirked. ""Shouldn't we sign the contract first? What if you go back on your word?"" I said calmly. Derek scoffed: ""I've been gambling since I was a teenager, always winning. Almost no one has ever beaten me. Are you so eager to sign the contract because you're afraid you won't lose your family fortune?"" With that, he tossed the contract onto the table. I sat across from him, picked up the contract, and meticulously reviewed every clause, ensuring there were no issues or hidden clauses. Finally, I signed my name and affixed my fingerprint. ""Your turn."" I pushed the contract towards him. He sneered, a look of disdain on his face, as if certain he would win this time. After signing the contract, I took it back to photograph and video record it. He smugly pulled out a cigar. Derek held a silver lighter between his fingers, the flame flickering on and off. After taking a deep drag, he said: ""We'll play Blackjack, simple rules. The dealer deals, everyone gets two starting cards. Points are the sum of the card faces. Aces are 1 or 11, Jacks, Queens, Kings are all 10. Whoever gets closest to 21 without going over wins. Best two out of three. Even if you've never played, you understand the rules, right? Don't say I'm taking advantage of you."" My fingertips tapped the table. I watched him expertly tear open a new deck of cards, the red and black faces fanning out and closing neatly in his palm: ""Who's the dealer?"" ""We'll take turns. I'll deal the first round."" Derek's shuffling was mesmerizing, the backs of the cards colliding with a crisp ""swish-swish"" sound, like opening drums for this wager. This clearly showed he was a master of the casino. His deal was clean, two cards slapped in front of me, then two for himself, one face-up—the Diamond 10—and a face-down card tucked under the corner of the table. My starting hand was a Heart 5 and a Club 7, totaling 12 points, quite a distance from 21. ""Hit me."" I pushed the cards forward. Derek glanced at me, his eyes showing his usual nonchalance. He drew a card and slid it to my hand—a Spade 8. My total instantly jumped to 20. This number was tricky. Another card might bust me, but standing pat put the pressure on the dealer. ""Stand."" I arranged my three cards in a neat line. Derek's gaze lingered on my cards for half a second. His slender fingers flipped his face-down card—a Heart Ace. His current total was 11. He said without hesitation: ""Hit me."" The first additional card was a Diamond 3, bringing his total to 14. The second was a Spade 6, making his total exactly 20, matching mine. The air in the private room seemed to solidify. Derek's fingertips rubbed the edge of his cards. The lighter flickered again. This time, he lit a cigarette. In the swirling smoke, his voice carried a hint of a smile: ""Another round. You deal this time."" I took the cards he offered. When I shuffled, I deliberately slowed down, my fingertips feeling the texture of the cards. Although my family rules forbade gambling, my father had taught me knowledge and techniques of the card table since childhood. Just by touch, I could clearly know what card was under my hand. 3 When dealing, I intentionally revealed my face-up card slowly. My face-up card was a Heart Queen. Derek’s face-up card was a Club 9. He glanced at his own card, then at my face-down card under the table, raising an eyebrow: ""If your face-down card is an Ace, I'll surrender immediately."" I didn't reply, flipping over my face-down card—a Diamond 2, making my total 12. Derek's face-down card was a Diamond 5, totaling 14. He immediately raised his hand: ""Hit me."" I drew a card and pushed it over—a Spade Jack. His total instantly soared to 24, a bust. ""Tsk, bad luck."" Derek threw the busted cards on the table, extinguishing his cigarette butt in the crystal ashtray. Sparks flew up and quickly died out. My fingertip tapped the Heart Queen. My gaze fell on his ears, slightly reddened from losing, and I slowly spoke: ""Last hand."" He chuckled at that, gathering the cards again. The shuffling sound was louder than before: ""Alright."" I picked up the cards from the table, drew a Heart Ace, and placed it face down in front of him: ""I'm still the dealer."" The shuffling sound resumed. This time, Derek's gaze was fixed on my dealing hand, as if trying to see through my fingers to the suit of each card. I dealt him his cards first. His face-up card was a Diamond 9. I then dealt myself a Heart 6. My face-up total was just over half, not much of an advantage in Blackjack. Derek immediately flipped his face-down card. It was a Club 8. His fingertip tapped the card face: ""17 points, very stable."" I glanced at my face-down card, a Spade 3, total 9. ""Hit me."" I pushed the card forward. Derek scoffed, his action of drawing a card showing a hint of condescension: ""You dare to chase aggressively with 9 points? Be careful not to bust yourself."" The card slid in front of me—a Diamond 5, bringing my total to 14. ""Hit me again."" My words had barely finished. Derek's laughter came through: ""There's a limit to showing off. Look how stable I am at 17, standing pat. Unlike some people, who insist on gambling when they clearly don't have the luck."" He said, leaning back in his chair, his legs crossed high. His gaze swept over my cards with disdain. ""You're bound to lose this hand. Why don't you admit defeat now, call me 'Daddy,' and kneel to me? I might even consider leaving you two thousand to buy an electric scooter to deliver takeout, since you'll be broke after losing."" I didn't pick up on his taunt, just raised my hand again: ""Hit me."" Derek, this so-called ""Young Gambling King,"" was nothing more than trash in front of me. His little tricks were just entertainment I used to pass the time when I was bored as a child. Derek's smile deepened. He deliberately paused for two seconds before drawing a card, as if savoring my final struggle. This card was a Heart 4. My total stopped at 18. ""Stand."" I placed the three cards steadily. Derek immediately sat up straight, tapping the table with his fingers: ""18 points? Looks good, but unfortunately, it's still a bit short compared to me."" He said, about to collect the cards, but I gently pressed his wrist: ""What's the rush? The dealer hasn't finished drawing cards yet."" Derek froze, then raised an eyebrow: ""Oh? You dare to draw another card at 18 points? I'd like to see how you bust."" I drew a card from the deck. Instead of flipping it immediately, I pinched the corner of the card and spun it half a turn. Derek's gaze was practically fixed on that card. The smile on his lips hadn't dropped once: ""Hurry up and flip it! Are you scared? I told you early on that you're no match for me."" 4 Before he finished speaking, I had slapped the card on the table. A Spade 3, totaling exactly 21 points. The air instantly solidified. Derek's smile froze on his face. He abruptly leaned forward, his finger pointing at the Spade 3, his voice changing pitch: ""Impossible! How did you get a 3?"" He frantically flipped over my cards one by one—Heart 6, Diamond 5, Spade 3. The sum of the numbers was clearly laid out before him. His earlier arrogant mockery was all caught in his throat. He stared wide-eyed, his ears turning from flushed to crimson, his fingers unconsciously clenching the tablecloth, his breathing becoming ragged: ""What's wrong with these cards? Did you cheat?"" I gathered the cards again and pushed them towards him: ""A bet is a bet. Or are you going to go back on your word?"" ""This is impossible, you cheated!"" Derek roared, slamming his fist on the table. He glared at me, his eyes red: ""Didn't you say you never gambled? Are you playing dirty?!"" ""I don't gamble, but that doesn't mean I don't know how. A bet is a bet."" I smiled faintly, turning my head to glance at Selena. Selena was now stunned, her pupils dilated. She looked at me in astonishment: ""You won?"" ""Aren't you happy I won? I can save you right away."" I smiled slightly. Selena nodded: ""Happy. I'm really happy for you."" Watching her force a smile, I remained silent, not exposing her true thoughts. ""Now, can we leave? When will Mr. Jensen transfer the assets to me?"" I looked at Derek, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Derek tore the contract in his hand into shreds. He laughed ferociously: ""Hahahaha, do you understand the law? From a legal standpoint, this contract has no legal effect whatsoever. The Civil Code explicitly prohibits gambling and civil acts for gambling purposes. An agreement centered around gambling is directly considered invalid because it 'violates mandatory provisions of laws and administrative regulations.'"" ""Dream on about taking my family fortune."" Derek smugly scattered the contract fragments across the floor. I raised an eyebrow slightly: ""I didn't expect you to be quite clever, making thorough preparations, even thinking of an escape route beforehand."" Such a gambling agreement, legally speaking, indeed had no legal effect. Even if both parties agreed, the old guard on the board wouldn't approve. But with this agreement, I could make a big deal out of it. I had thought of a perfect plan from the beginning. ""I'm the Young Gambling King. How could you possibly beat me?"" Derek gritted his teeth. I chuckled: ""Because I can feel the value of each card with my fingers."" ""That's impossible!"" Derek countered, then fanned out the cards, looking at me. ""I don't believe it, unless you demonstrate it now."" ""Alright, to convince you."" I reached out, touched a card, and said calmly: ""Spade Ace."" ""Again."" Derek was unconvinced. I touched three more cards, saying: ""Diamond Four, Heart Three, Club Six. How's that? Did I get them right?"" ""Rumor has it that only the legendary 'Ghost Hand' Gambling King knew this trick of feeling cards with his fingertips. Could you be… the son of the Gambling King?"" Derek's eyes widened in shock, looking at me incredulously. I stared back, not speaking, just smiling faintly. He swallowed, wanting to say something but closed his mouth, wary. Having grown up in casinos, he naturally knew my father's name. Although my father had retired from gambling for many years, his legends and connections still circulated in the underworld. My father was famous in the gambling world back then, known to everyone, though few knew his real name, only revering him as the Gambling King. Thirty years ago, my father rose to prominence in the Hong Kong and Macau region, but he also secretly offended many enemies. After several assassination attempts, my father came to the mainland with his money, starting his business with his first pot of gold from gambling. The old poker deck with ivory edges in my father's study was a testament to his reign in the entertainment city casinos. After his real estate business stabilized, my father married and had children. On the day I was born, he, in front of everyone, threw that deck of cards, which had won countless fortunes, into a brazier, completely retiring from gambling. He even chopped up the mahjong table at home for firewood. My father used to say that the card table was an abyss: however crazy you were when you won, that's how miserable you would be when you lost. 5 ""A bet is a bet. Let her down."" I looked at Selena, who was still dangling. Derek chuckled: ""I don't care who you are, you're not leaving today. I only wanted your assets initially, but if you insist on opposing me, I'll have no choice but to be ruthless."" ""Do you know about human sacrifice for building foundations? Today, I'll use you to consecrate my family's new development. Get him."" Derek commanded, and several bodyguards immediately rushed towards me. I stretched my limbs and chuckled, ""Bring it on. You only get one chance to take me down."" Derek retreated to a safe distance, watching me and yelling: ""So what if you have ghost hands? So what if you have a Gambling King for a father? Today, you're going down."" The bodyguards swarmed me, their moves vicious and aimed to kill. But I wasn't to be underestimated. Every punch I threw landed with power, and in less than half an hour, I had knocked down a dozen bodyguards. I twisted my neck and walked towards Derek: ""Your turn."" ""I underestimated you, you're quite a fighter."" Derek was shocked, then gritted his teeth and glared at me, seemingly not expecting my formidable skills. I had boxed underground for a few years, a fact many people didn't know. ""Being a good fighter is useless, you bastard. You wait for me."" Derek stood on the edge of the rooftop, gave me the middle finger, and then leaped off. Selena screamed, but then saw Derek had a paraglider strapped to his back. After jumping, he quickly deployed the paraglider and flew into the nearest patch of woods. A coward, thoroughly prepared. Even if he hadn't anticipated my gambling and fighting skills, he had still made sure he was foolproof. The bodyguards on the ground, seeing their boss flee, also scrambled up and ran towards the stairwell. Only Selena and I were left. Selena's voice was hoarse from crying. Her face was pale and distraught: ""Jason, please put me down."" I gently lowered her and held her in my arms: ""Are you alright?"" ""I, I'm fine. I knew you would win,"" Selena said, reaching up to touch my face, forcing a smile. ""I'll do anything for you. Thankfully I won, otherwise, you would truly suffer with me in the future. I didn't know you would be willing to sacrifice so much for me. I failed to protect you, but I promise I will never let you get hurt again."" I looked into her eyes, full of tenderness. Selena's complexion was very poor, likely due to being suspended for too long. She was about to speak, but her eyes rolled back, and she fainted. I immediately took her to the hospital. The doctor said she was just traumatized and needed to be hospitalized for a few days for observation. When Selena woke up, it was already evening. I sat by her hospital bed, holding her hand. ""You're awake. I was so worried about you,"" I said. ""What happened to me?"" Selena asked weakly. I poured her a glass of warm water, then said through gritted teeth: ""You were so frightened you almost had a miscarriage. The doctor said you must stay in the hospital for observation now."" ""Is the baby okay?"" Selena immediately clutched her stomach in alarm. I comforted her for a while, telling her she had to stay in bed for a few days. Then I added: ""You rest well. I'm going to the police station now to report this. We absolutely cannot let that scoundrel who hurt you get away with it."" ""No."" Selena grabbed my hand, her voice clearly anxious. I frowned, looking at her in confusion: ""What's wrong? That bastard Derek hurt you and almost killed our child. I must make him pay. I'm going to accuse him of kidnapping and assault."" Selena shook her head. ""Can we report it after I'm discharged? Or, after the bid is over, then deal with these things. I don't want you to be distracted because of me."" At Selena’s repeated pleas, I agreed not to call the police for now. But I still gritted my teeth and said, ""I won't let him off the hook."""
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