The players at the table couldn’t see their opponents’ hole cards; the four competitors could only view the upcards.
Madam Ruyan’s upcards included a pair of 8s and an Ace, while Balkovi had a pair of Kings and a 4, Lei Dongcheng had a small straight six-seven-eight, and Huo Sining held a pair of Queens and a Jack.
Unable to guess each other’s hole cards, no one dared to make a rash move.
Song Chaoying and Song Chaojing were sitting in the surveillance center, their hearts clenched tight. Although Huo Sining had a good chance of winning, nobody could be certain of the outcome until the fifth card was dealt.
By now, the situation had become extremely tense; the spectators, who had never witnessed such an unusual set of hands, focused intently on table four where Huo Sining and the others were seated.
Those who had bet on Huo Sining to win felt a secret thrill, praying incessantly for a miracle with the last card.
The croupier began to deal. Madam Ruyan was the first to receive her card, and sure enough, it was a Diamond Ace.
This meant that no matter whether Balkovi could catch that King or not, Madam Ruyan’s hand would be bigger than his.
Upon seeing the third Ace, Madam Ruyan maintained an impassive face, but inside she was exuberant.
Balkovi was the second to receive his card, a Diamond Jack, which did not give him three of a kind.
This result made Balkovi’s face fall instantly.
He knew the round was over for him, and it was time for him to leave, as his pair of Kings couldn’t beat Lei Dongcheng’s small straight.
Next was Lei Dongcheng, and as the fifth card swept across the table, everyone in the surveillance center held their breath. But upon seeing that striking red 5, everyone couldn’t help but let out an exclamation.
5, 6, 7, 8, 9—no one expected that Lei Dongcheng’s hand would actually turn into a straight!
Naturally, a straight was stronger than the three Queens in Huo Sining’s hand. It looked like Huo Sining was doomed before even reaching the final, let alone competing with the Ye Xiang families for the position of major shareholder.
The Ye Xiang families watching the game cheered in unison, and Xiang Zhenhua even gave Song Chaoying a provocative glance, flaunting the contract in his hand, while a blatant lascivious grin spread across both brothers’ faces.
Song Chaoying had signed a contract with the Xiang Brothers. If she lost, her first night would fall into the hands of these sleazy siblings, and it was unknown what kind of torment she would endure.
At this moment, the Song Sisters’ faces instantly turned deathly pale. Song Chaojing bit her lip fiercely, her eyes glaring hatefully at the Xiang Brothers.
But before the Xiang Brothers’ grins could fade, Huo Sining’s fifth card was dealt by the croupier.
Upon seeing that card, not just the onlookers but even Ye Rongbin’s smile froze on his face.
Huo Sining’s fifth card was actually a Club Queen!
As the fifth card came out, the room fell into a dead silence, quickly followed by a stir among the spectators!
Four Queens! Huo Sining had actually gotten four-of-a-kind!
Now, nearly everyone’s gaze turned towards the Song Sisters. Regardless of Huo Sining’s gambling skills, no one could stop this woman’s luck!
After a brief moment of shock, Song Chaoying quickly came to her senses, her complexion swiftly shifting from ashen to flush with triumph and joy that she could hardly conceal.
However, the game had to continue, and the final result was still unknown. No one knew who would win in the end. After all, Huo Sining hadn’t checked her hole cards, while Madam Ruyan and Lei Dongcheng had seen theirs; no one could be sure whether Huo Sining would fold due to having a smaller hand.
By this point, Balkovi had already folded and been eliminated from the game.
Among the remaining three contenders, Huo Sining had the most chips, while Madam Ruyan and Lei Dongcheng each had only one million four hundred thousand left.
Based on the face-up cards, Huo Sining’s three Queens were the highest, so it was her turn to call.
Huo Sining didn’t follow up with more; she simply threw down two hundred thousand.
However, she hadn’t looked at her cards, so if Madam Ruyan and Lei Dongcheng wanted to call, they would have to double it, staking four hundred thousand.
Madam Ruyan glanced at Huo Sining, a sly light flashing in her eyes, and without any hesitation, she called with four hundred thousand.
Lei Dongcheng had seen the hole cards, and he was confident in his hand; even if Madam Ruyan had three aces, they couldn’t beat his straight.
Now Lei Dongcheng was betting on Huo Sining. As long as Huo Sining’s hole card wasn’t the Queen of Diamonds, he was certain to win, so he too threw down four hundred thousand without any hesitation.
Round after round, the three players gave no quarter, and none of them intended to fold.
Seeing this, Huo Sining laughed.
She had clearly seen the confidence in the eyes of the two, who must have felt they could win after seeing their own hidden cards.
But she wasn’t about to give them that many opportunities.
Huo Sining didn’t even look at her hole cards; she simply pushed the entire row of chips in front of her to the center of the table.
"Playing is no fun. I’m all in. You can fold or go all in, it’s up to you,"
she said with a smile, seemingly unconcerned.
This move by Huo Sining made Madam Ruyan and Lei Dongcheng exchange glances, especially with Huo Sining’s brazen words which left them both somewhat speechless.
However, these two were not easily intimidated. They had come this far; why would they back down just because of Huo Sining’s simple declaration? Thus, they quickly went all in along with Huo Sining.
At this point, everyone’s money was gathered at the center of the table, except Balkovi still had eight hundred thousand in hand. Success or failure hinged on this moment.
Madam Ruyan was the first to reveal her hand, pulling out the Ace from her hole cards and looking at Huo Sining with a confident smile:
"Miss Huo, thank you for your generosity. My hole card is an Ace."
Lei Dongcheng couldn’t help but shake his head; Madam Ruyan, after all, was a woman and couldn’t keep her composure.
He flipped over his 5, and the smile on Madam Ruyan’s face froze, her eyes filled with nothing but regret.
"Ladies, thank you for your generosity. A straight, higher than your three of a kind,"
he said, signaling the croupier to push the chips toward him.
"Mr. Lei, I haven’t revealed my hole card yet. Isn’t it premature to conclude now?"
Huo Sining’s face was devoid of loss and anxiety; instead, she stood up and looked at Lei Dongcheng with a smile brimming with implication.
"Three Queens to beat my straight? Miss Huo, the only way for you to win is if your card underneath is the Queen of Diamonds!"
Huo Sining tucked her hair behind her ears with a smile and said:
"That’s correct, unless my hole card is a Queen. But it doesn’t mean I don’t have a chance of winning, does it? And I’m sorry to say, Mr. Lei, my hole card—"
she said, pausing suddenly and casually flipping over the card, tossing it on the table.
"—is indeed the Queen of Diamonds!"