prince

At 3:15 a.m., the lights went out as the Tsar VIP room closed.

When Viktor flicked the 100,000-yuan chips to Yu Chen, he looked at her seriously for the first time.

His black hair reached his shoulders, the ends of which were cold and sharp, like ink cut by a knife.

Her skin was like the glaze of oriental porcelain, so white it was almost translucent;

The lips are pale in color, but the lip line is sharp; even without speaking, it's as if he's dealing cards silently.

What's most captivating are those eyes—

It was pitch black, with a slightly damp, cold sheen, like obsidian that had been soaked in lake water for a long time.

Her face was neither flattering nor warm, yet somehow it made you want to look at her again.

Viktor stroked his chin with his fingertips and commented, "Pleasing, but not overly affectionate."

It's not that they like it, it's just that hunters are interested in seeing rare furs.

"Dealer, dare to play a one-on-one game with me?"

His voice was deep and had a strong Russian accent, as if he were inviting someone, or testing the waters.

Yu Chen stacked the chips neatly, his voice cold and drawn-out: "I don't have enough chips."

Vickery laughed, revealing his golden canine teeth: "If you lose everything, it's on me; if you win even one point, it's yours."

The condition is—come with me to see someone.

He paused, then added, "My son, Ah Lin. He's been autistic for many years and doesn't speak."

The doctor said I needed "new stimulation." You, you're to my liking.

Yu Chen tapped the back of the card lightly with his fingertips, as if resetting a timer to zero.

She looked up, her gaze passing through the crystal chandelier, and briefly met Vivi's eyes—

"Deal. But I want to specify the rules—"

No Limit Texas Hold'em, Blinds 200k/500k

Play only one round, until one side goes all in and loses everything.

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to draw the attention of the bodyguards around her.

Viktor raised an eyebrow, his golden canines flashing under the light: "Alright, one round."

The card game was played in a private room on the top floor.

The dealer is a machine; he deals cards without emotion, but the chips smell of blood.

In the first lap, Yu Chen deliberately played slowly, allowing Wei Qi to win against Xiao Chi;

In the second round, she gave away half of her chips to create the illusion of a "tight starter";

On the third round, the river card fell, and she held two pairs, but she went all in.

The chips were piled up like a small mountain, like a grave that had been prepared in advance.

Vicki reveals his hand – a straight flush, the Ace of Spades to the 5.

He spread his hands, his voice tinged with amusement: "You lost."

Yu Chen remained expressionless, shoving the cards face down into the discard pile, his voice chillingly cold:

“I admit defeat. Now, take me to see him.”

She stood up and pushed the empty chip tray forward, as if handing an unexploded bomb to the other party.

Vickery laughed, thinking it was a dry, sarcastic admission of defeat, but little did he know—

What she wanted was to "lose everything"—

Only by losing everything can one be taken into that closed castle;

Only by losing everything can Vucic lower his guard;

Only by losing everything can one get close to the most hidden name on the enemy list.

Victor Lin, Arlin, the prince who has been withdrawn for many years, the key.

Four o'clock in the morning, at Tsar's private estate in the back hills.

The iron gate slid open automatically, and the cedar trees on both sides of the driveway stood solemnly, like guards forgotten by time.

The main hall was brightly lit, yet eerily quiet.

Vicky led her through the long corridor and stopped at the end in front of a black wooden door:

"He's inside, he's not saying anything, don't scare him."

The door was pushed open—

A 190 cm tall boy stood by the floor lamp, his back to the door, his black hair slightly curly, the ends brushing against the collar of his white shirt;

The shoulder lines are clean, like jade polished by lake water over a long period of time;

He turned around, his gaze briefly meeting Yu Chen's—

Those were extremely light brown pupils, like diluted honey, carrying a long-standing sense of bewilderment, yet inexplicably pure.

Vich raised his hand, his voice unusually soft: "Alin, this is Cheng Yan."

She lost her hand and came to talk to you.

The boy didn't speak, only nodded slightly, his amber eyes falling on Yu Chen's knuckles—

There, there are thin calluses and old scars, like the key to another closed castle.

Yu Chen took a step forward, her voice low and steady, speaking in Chinese:

"I lost the game, and I lost the conversation."

Now, I am yours.

She extended her right fist and lightly touched the boy's shoulder, as if giving a boxing salute to a stranger.

It was so light that it didn't even stir the wind.

Ah Lin lowered his eyes, looking at the thin calluses on her knuckles. After a long while, he uttered two words very softly:

"...Does it hurt?"

That was the first time he had spoken in three years; his voice was hoarse, yet warm and gentle like honey.

Yu Chen shook his head, his gaze passing over the boy's shoulder and briefly meeting that of Viktor outside the door—

It's like the dealer is aimed at the last hole card:

"It won't hurt, it'll be your turn to feel pain soon."

She successfully entered the manor as a "card dealer who lost all her chips," and her mission was to "accompany the autistic prince."

No one knows her true trump card—

It was the death certificate he had written himself, which was inside the red boxing glove bag.

It's the most well-hidden name on the USB drive insider list.

It is the softest yet most deadly blow from behind the muzzle of a gun.

She lost all her chips.

But they won the key—

Arlin,

The prince, who had been withdrawn for many years

This will be her last trump card aimed at Viktor's throat.

Help? ...No.

Exploitation is the real purpose.