"Then thank you, Fourth Wife..."
Zhuang Rui changed the subject, saying, "I will go all out in this bet, but I don't understand the specific rules. I'll have to trouble Fourth Aunt to explain them to me, so I don't make a fool of myself..."
With such thoughtful hospitality, Zhuang Rui would feel really bad if he didn't reciprocate. Fortunately, there were only three slots for the gambling license, and he was confident he could help Mr. He secure one.
After pouring Zhuang Rui another cup of tea, Fourth Wife began, “There are a total of 12 companies participating in this gambling license competition. Each company has put up $500 million in chips. The game will be played at two tables, with six people at each table… The game will last for two days, 12 hours each day. At the end of each day, the person with the fewest chips at each table will be automatically eliminated. Three people will remain at each table for the final round. The companies represented by the three people with the most chips will receive the gambling licenses awarded by the Macau government…”
"Huh? Didn't you leave the table only after you'd lost all your chips?"
After listening to the rules explained by Fourth Aunt, Zhuang Rui was stunned. If he followed these rules, it was hard to say how much money he could win.
It's important to understand that at such a high-stakes gambling table, very few people would go all in, and some might not even place large bets. So, if you follow the rules that the fourth wife mentioned, it's quite normal for the final wins and losses to be only a few hundred thousand.
This made Zhuang Rui feel a little depressed. He secretly cursed Old Master He. No wonder the old man was so generous. He gave him the money he won in the gamble as soon as he opened his mouth. It turned out that he knew all along that the rules meant that the wins and losses would not be very big.
Of course, there are exceptions. In the event of a King vs. King situation where both players have strong hands, it is very possible to go all in like in Texas Hold'em. However, given the mental fortitude of skilled gamblers, this possibility is extremely small.
"Of course not. Texas Hold'em is quite time-consuming and tests one's patience. If it were a game where you lose all 500 million chips to determine the winner, it could take up to a week..."
Fourth Mrs. shook her head, a little puzzled, and then asked, "Mr. Zhuang should be very familiar with Texas Hold'em, right?"
"Uh... I checked the rules yesterday, and they're pretty much the same as Texas Hold'em, so I should be able to get the hang of it quickly..."
Zhuang Rui was a little embarrassed, but he still told the truth. He had been forced into this job by Grandpa He, and not knowing how to gamble was nothing to be ashamed of.
"puff……"
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Fourth Wife, who was holding a teacup with two fingers, spat out the mouthful of tea she had just taken a sip of. She looked up at Zhuang Rui and said, "Mr. Zhuang, you...you've never played Texas Hold'em?"
"Yes, I've only played Texas Hold'em before, once on a gambling ship in Hong Kong, and another time at Mr. Ho's casino. As for other places, I've never played it..."
Zhuang Rui was a little annoyed. "It's not like I wanted to gamble. I only agreed because I fell for your old man He's sweet talk."
"How...how could this happen? Uh, I'm sorry, Mr. Zhuang, I lost my composure..."
Fourth Wife has relatively strong self-control. After a brief moment of distraction, she quickly recovered, though a slight frown appeared between her brows.
Before Mr. Ho had his fourth wife come to receive Zhuang Rui, he had already made it clear that if the gambling license could be obtained, he would re-register an entertainment and gaming company, which would be fully managed by his fourth wife.
Although in the past ten years or so, the fourth wife has been involved in the internal affairs of SJM Holdings, and can be said to be a person second only to Mr. Ho in SJM Holdings, whose word is law.
However, in many things, the fourth wife cannot do as she pleases. She is still subject to Mr. Ho's constraints and cannot fully implement her ideas according to her own wishes.
Now that she has the opportunity to run a company on her own, Fourth Wife is naturally going all out. However, she doesn't know much about gambling and didn't know that Zhuang Rui was a novice in the gambling world.
Of course, based on Zhuang Rui's performance in the previous two betting games, he can be considered a very lucky novice.
However, when she heard Zhuang Rui say that he had never played Texas Hold'em before, Fourth Wife lost her composure. She never expected that Mr. He would find such a person to help Boao participate in this gambling game.
"Mr. Zhuang, that's the general rule of the betting game. Is there anything else you don't understand?"
Thinking of this, Fourth Wife lost all interest in talking to Zhuang Rui. What she wanted most now was to call Mr. He and ask what was going on. If she didn't want to fight for the gambling license, there was no need to make Zhuang Rui look bad. This was just an attempt to offend someone.
"No, that's all. If you don't understand anything, you can just look it up online. Fourth Aunt, it's getting late, I won't bother you any longer..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head. He only needed to know how to play Texas Hold'em. As for skills, bluffing, and other tricks, they were useless against him. He could see through Zhuang Rui's hole cards, so how could anyone bluff him?
After Zhuang Rui left, Fourth Wife waved the maid out and paced back and forth in the room. Several times she reached for the phone, but ultimately did not dial the number.
Fourth Wife has been with Mr. Ho for thirty years. In this third of a century, she has almost never seen Mr. Ho misjudge a person. Even in his later years, Mr. Ho's eyes were still very sharp.
Since Mr. He chose Zhuang Rui, there must be a reason. Perhaps not explaining it to her is a way of tempering her character? Fourth Aunt knew that she was no match for Mr. He when it came to judging people.
"Great things require composure!"
Remembering a phrase Mr. He often used, Fourth Mrs. He's anxious mood finally calmed down. She returned to the living room and started making tea. Rather than saying she suddenly had confidence in Zhuang Rui, it would be more accurate to say she had even more faith in Mr. He's judgment. ...
For Zhuang Rui, participating in the gambling in Las Vegas was just a promise. After resting in his room for a night, he continued to wander around Las Vegas the next day.
Over the decades, Las Vegas has evolved from a mere gambling city into a comprehensive city integrating entertainment, leisure, and vacation. The world-renowned shows alone could keep you entertained for half a month without repeating a single one.
Fourth Wife seemed to have confidence in Zhuang Rui and did not disturb his enjoyment of the trip until the morning of the third day, when she had breakfast with him to prepare for the gambling game later.
Today's gambling will begin at 8:00 AM and last for 12 hours. During this time, there will only be two opportunities to eat, and each person must be accompanied to the restroom. These rules are customary and Zhuang Rui has no objections.
The casino was located inside the MGM Grand Hotel where Zhuang Rui and his group were staying. After breakfast, Zhuang Rui and his party, led by a hotel waiter, took a private elevator to the eighth floor of the hotel.
After exiting the elevator, Zhuang Rui discovered that the entire eighth floor was under complete lockdown. Every four or five meters, a security guard in a black suit stood guard, with a pistol casually hanging at his waist, and sharp eyes scrutinizing Zhuang Rui and his companions.
Such a scene is unheard of in China. Apart from the armed police force carrying out missions, even special agents protecting national leaders must conceal their guns in their clothing.
Chapter 1035 The Whereabouts of Jarvis
The United States is a country that prides itself on freedom, and it is much easier to apply for a gun license than a driver's license. Yet, the United States is also the country with the most mass shootings in the world, which is a great irony.
However, the presence of these security guards did indeed make people feel very safe. What Zhuang Rui didn't know was that when gambling in Las Vegas, no one needed to worry about their safety.
If someone wins a large sum of money, and if they are American, the casino will provide bodyguards to safely escort them to their home in the United States.
The casinos in Las Vegas are even more extravagantly decorated than those in Macau, exuding luxury in every aspect. At this moment, Zhuang Rui and his group are standing in front of a magnificent golden gate. The decorations on the gate alone could probably scrape off several layers of gold dust.
After security personnel checked everyone with electronic equipment, the door was opened, and Fourth Wife walked in front, leading Zhuang Rui into the casino.
The casino was quite large, probably around 400 or 500 square meters, but it only had two round gambling tables inside. A cordon was set up around the tables, and outside the cordon were coffee tables and sofas. The onlookers, the bosses, were clearly not going to treat themselves badly.
Zhuang Rui and his group entered the gambling hall at 7:50 a.m., and almost everyone had already arrived. Their arrival attracted the scrutinizing gazes of many people.
Who is that woman?
"I heard she's Mrs. Ho from SJM Holdings in Macau, a very powerful woman..."
"Impressive? Are you suggesting we let a woman gamble?"
"That's hard to say. Didn't Japan have a very formidable female gambling queen a few years ago?"
The moment Zhuang Rui and his group appeared in the casino, they caused a stir. Many people sitting in the VIP seats began to whisper among themselves.
SJM's strong financial strength is undeniable. However, many people present knew that the fourth wife had always been involved in the management of SJM and would never participate in gambling at the table. As a result, everyone's attention turned to the people around the fourth wife.
Zhuang Rui, who was standing slightly to the back, was immediately overlooked by the crowd. The reasons were simple: firstly, Zhuang Rui was relatively young, and secondly, his years of experience in the antique business had given him a refined and elegant demeanor, which was quite different from those in the gambling world.
Although Zhuang Rui has made several moves and defeated two world gambling kings, both of those games were held in private venues without the participation of anyone in the gambling world. As a result, many people have heard of Zhuang Rui's name but have never seen him in person.
As for Peng Fei, who was walking behind Zhuang Rui, he seemed even less likely to be the one. This made the people who had arrived earlier in the casino wonder if the Fourth Wife would really represent SJM at the casino table.
"Mrs. Ho, please have a seat here..."
An elderly man with a full head of silver hair, who looked to be in his seventies or eighties, stood up and greeted Fourth Aunt.
"Uncle Lü, I didn't expect you to come in person..."
Fourth Aunt didn't dare to be negligent upon seeing this person. She quickly went over to help the old man sit down, then turned to Zhuang Rui and introduced him, "Mr. Zhuang, this is Mr. Lü from Galaxy Entertainment..."
"Hello, Mr. Lü..."
Zhuang Rui greeted Lui Che-woo with neither arrogance nor servility. Although Lui Che-woo was a tycoon on par with Li Ka-shing in Hong Kong, Zhuang Rui's perspective had changed from a few years ago, and he didn't feel anything special about these super-rich people.
"Mrs. Ho, and who is this?"
Lui Che-woo is more than 20 years younger than Stanley Ho, but he is still in very good spirits. He originally thought that Zhuang Rui was a junior of the fourth wife, but judging from the fourth wife's words, it doesn't seem like it.
This made Lui Che-woo very curious. You see, although the fourth wife is a woman, she is very capable and has exceptional skills. In Macau, apart from her own Galaxy Entertainment and Wynn Resorts, there are very few people who can rival her.
Although Mrs. Leung, the fourth wife, usually appears amiable, those who know her well know that her humility is merely a way of dealing with people; in reality, she has very high standards and rarely praises anyone.
But now that the Fourth Wife is being so polite to a young man, not only Lui Che-woo, but everyone present who knows the Fourth Wife is listening intently.
"Mr. Lü, Mr. Zhuang is representing SJM in this betting game..."
Fourth Wife paused here, glancing around intentionally or unintentionally, before continuing, "Although Mr. Zhuang isn't in the gambling world, his record is remarkable. Gambling King Stevenson and Jarvis are both his defeated opponents..."
Fourth Wife was communicating with Lui Che-woo in Cantonese. As soon as she said those few words, the people around who understood Cantonese immediately went wild. When they looked at Zhuang Rui, they looked at him with the same kind of rare and precious gaze they would give a giant panda.
It's important to know that Stevenson and Jervis were not just famous for nothing. They had been in the gambling world for one or two decades and were highly renowned. Their gambling skills were among the top 10 in the world. When the news came out, it caused a sensation in the world of gambling.
As a result, Zhuang Rui's name was known to almost everyone in the gambling world, but very few people had actually seen him. Today, the arrival of this mysterious person caused a stir among the crowd.
Those who didn't understand Cantonese stared intently at Zhuang Rui with a curious look after hearing the translation, trying to discern what made him so extraordinary that he could defeat two world gambling kings in a row.
In an instant, the noisy gambling hall fell silent, and the atmosphere became somewhat eerie.
"Ahem, another expert has emerged in our gambling world, that's a good thing..."
A voice broke the silence in the casino, immediately drawing everyone's attention. Zhuang Rui looked in the direction of the voice and saw a middle-aged white man in his forties, dressed in a well-fitting gentleman's suit, smiling at him.
Zhuang Rui nodded politely to the man, then turned to Fourth Aunt and asked, "Who is that person?"
If this were a gathering of people in the jade gambling circle or the jade trading industry, Zhuang Rui would definitely be in his element. However, those present were all gamblers or gambling bosses, and Zhuang Rui was completely unrelated to them.
Fourth Wife glanced at the white man and said, "That's Walter, the runner-up in last year's World Gambling Championship. Jervis snatched the championship from him for two consecutive years..."
"Damn it, turns out he's not a good guy either..."
Zhuang Rui cursed inwardly. This guy was being nice to him because he had beaten Jervis and helped him vent his anger. But if he beat him again today, he wondered if this guy would still be able to laugh.
Just as Zhuang Rui was lost in thought, a foreigner suddenly walked up to him and said in English, "Chinese man, I have something I'd like to ask you..."
"Who are you?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned for a moment. The foreigner in front of him was over 1.9 meters tall and had a face full of fierceness. He was obviously not a good guy.
Before the man could answer Zhuang Rui's question, Fourth Madam, standing beside Zhuang Rui, turned cold and said in a chilling voice, "Mr. Herbert, that matter is already very clear. Please do not disturb my guest..."
After warning the man, Fourth Aunt whispered in Zhuang Rui's ear, "He owns one of the top ten casinos in Las Vegas and is also an oil tycoon with monopolistic businesses in several African countries..."
"Africa?"
Zhuang Rui nodded slightly, but he didn't understand why such a person would come to him. Could it be that he knew that Zhuang Rui had killed Muta and wanted to help that bastard get revenge?
“Oh…no, beautiful lady, those despicable fellows have vanished without a trace, so I wanted to ask this gentleman, since he personally defeated Jarvis, and Jarvis disappeared afterward…”
The white man named Halbert didn't really listen to Fourth Sister, and his eyes remained fixed on Zhuang Rui.
"Jervis? Okay, what's up now? You can ask..."
Zhuang Rui was relieved to hear this. It wasn't Muta's business, but how did that deadbeat Jervis get involved again?
After wiping out Hui Ge's gang, which had turned from a group of swindlers into a pirate organization, Zhuang Rui did learn of Jarvis's whereabouts. However, poor Mr. Jarvis had already been caught by Hui Ge and taken down by sharks.
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Halbert's expression softened slightly, and he said, "I want to know where Jervis went after leaving the casino?"
It's important to know that Jervis, the world's gambling king, wielded immense influence as the chief technical advisor of Halbert Casino. After Jervis disappeared, countless people eager to make a fortune while he was away, along with gambling experts secretly sent by other casinos to cause trouble, flocked to Halbert Casino.
Lacking the deterrent power of Jervis and the gambling skills to keep things in check, Halbert lost nearly $800 million in just one month, and his casino became a cash cow for gambling experts.