A cold glint flashed in Cao He's eyes, but he said calmly, "Xiao Yao is the 'Two of Hearts,' the head dealer. How can she not be worthy of the title?"
“But…” Wang Shuo wanted to say something for Xiao Yao, but Cao He interrupted him.
"Xiao Yao, come here." Cao He waved his hand, his face smiling, but it looked like a demon demanding a life.
When the King of Hearts spoke, Xiao Yao dared not disobey. He glanced at Wang Shuo again before walking step by step toward Cao He.
He stopped when he was still two arm's lengths away from Cao He, bowed and said, "Mr. Cao, what can I do for you?"
Cao He chuckled twice. "Come closer. Would I harm you?"
Xiaoyao stepped forward nervously, a hint of worry in her eyes.
Although he was naive, he wasn't stupid. He could sense that Boss Cao's call for him wasn't for anything good.
Cao He stood up, straightened the boy's clothes, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "I haven't visited your father since he died."
Xiaoyao lowered her head, not knowing what Caohe wanted to express.
The latter continued, "After all, you are a key member of our City of Hearts. As a high-ranking member of City of Hearts, it is my duty to visit you and offer my condolences. Besides, you have an elderly mother to support, don't you think?"
Xiao Yao's face darkened, and an ominous premonition swirled in his heart. He tried to calm himself down and replied, "President Cao, you're too kind. My daily salary is enough for my family's livelihood. There's no need for the higher-ups to go to such trouble."
Cao He squinted, the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes looking like they could trap two flies. "Hey, don't be so formal. I had someone visit your mother yesterday, and it seems she's having a really tough time..."
He paused, then gripped Xiaoyao's shoulder tightly. "So, I specially brought the old lady to my place last night. From now on, if I have food, the old lady will have food too. You are my own brother, and I am your own brother!"
As he spoke, Cao He stuffed a gauze scarf into Xiao Yao's arms.
Xiao Yao's face turned deathly pale instantly; it was the scarf his mother always carried with her.
Cao He had already said this much; if he still couldn't understand what he meant, then he would have lived in vain all these years.
The man in front of me had actually taken advantage of last night to keep my mother under house arrest on his property.
If I win this match, that's fine; if I lose...
Xiao Yao had no idea what Cao He would do to his mother.
Unfortunately, Cao He hasn't done anything yet, so even if Xiao Yao wanted to speak, she wouldn't have any evidence.
Chuanliu, Wang Shuo, and the others, who were standing not far away, also noticed Xiaoyao's change. They exchanged glances and had a bad feeling.
Immediately afterwards, Xiaoyao walked forward with a deep sorrow on her face, holding a woman's scarf in her hand.
Chuanliu's heart skipped a beat, and he whispered to Wang Shuo, "Does Xiaoyao have anyone important to her, and doesn't she live with him?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Shuo gasped and closed his eyes in deep sorrow.
Seeing this, Chuanliu understood a little and said nothing more.
At this moment, Cao He, beaming with pride, forked a grape from the fruit plate, put it in his mouth, and said to Xiao Yao with a smirk, "Xiao Yao, you'll be replacing me. Do you have any objections?"
Xiaoyao swayed, but forced herself to stay awake, "No, no objection."
"Does Miss Chuanliu have any objections?" Cao He looked at the girl again.
"I have no objection to the people chosen by President Cao." Chuanliu's gaze swept over, and he nodded to Susan.
Susan pursed her lips, pondering her plan.
She hadn't expected to involve Xiao Yao, let alone that Cao He would be so insidious, using the opportunity of last night to coerce Xiao Yao's mother. She felt a deep sense of guilt towards Xiao Yao, and an unspeakable resentment towards Cao He.
But since things had come to this point, she couldn't change anything and could only deal with whatever came her way.
After gathering her thoughts, Susan led the two to the game table. "In that case, let's continue according to the rules, best two out of three."
Xiaoyao nodded, her mind a jumble of thoughts.
In his heart, Chuanliu was his good friend, as well as Shuo Ge, Qian Liu Ge, and Susan Jie's good friends. He shouldn't do anything to betray his good friends.
But his mother, his most important and only relative, was in Cao He's hands, and he couldn't let his mother get hurt.
The boy took a deep breath, and two opposing thoughts were constantly battling within his mind.
"Xiaoyao."
At this moment, Cao He's voice rang out again, like a death knell, "If you lose, we both lose."
The man's voice was dark and low, like a prompt or a warning.
Xiaoyao's heart skipped a beat; her previously conflicted thoughts felt as if they had been struck by a massive hammer.
He cannot lose; he must win.
Despite his grief, he had made up his mind. He looked up at Chuanliu with concern and said, "I will do my best."
Chuanliu gestured for him to continue, reassuring him, "Don't be nervous, just do it the way you did before."
Chuanliu's words were undoubtedly a comfort to him, easing his psychological burden somewhat. Xiaoyao took a deep breath and said to Susan, "I'm ready."
Susan walked to the center of the game table and opened the two dice cups.
In each of the two dice cups, six dice were placed quietly.
Susan said, "The check is correct, the number of dice is correct, I will randomly distribute the two dice cups to the two of you."
As she spoke, she spun the dice cup a few times, then pushed it toward Chuanliu and Xiaoyao respectively, saying, "Please double-check that the number of dice in the cup is correct."
Having learned her lesson from the previous match against Kawaryu, Haruka carefully checked the number of her dice and Kawaryu's dice again. Only after confirming that she had them were she able to close the dice cup.
Susan continued, "First round, shake the cup, begin."
Her words were like a bolt of lightning, shattering the stillness of the air.
Almost as soon as they finished speaking, Chuanliu and Xiaoyao sprang into action. They each gripped their dice cups tightly, their fingers lightly tapping the sides. The dice spun rapidly in their hands, producing a crisp, rhythmic clinking sound that quickened the pace of one's heart.
Their eyes were focused and serious, as if the whole world had been concentrated in this small dice cup.
Chuanliu's expression was calm, revealing a composed confidence; while Xiaoyao appeared more nervous, with beads of sweat on his forehead and a hint of unease in his eyes.
"Please place your cup."
At Susan's further instruction, the two almost simultaneously slammed the dice cups onto the game table, making two "thump" sounds.
Then, Susan's voice rang out again: "Please open the pot."
All eyes were focused on the two dice cups.
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