Chapter 600: The Request of a Playboy
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Li Du was pretty close with the Playboy. As the Playboy had helped him on many occasions, Li Du had always wanted to help him if the chance ever arose.
Without a doubt, the easiest way to help the Playboy was in a storage unit auction.
However, the Playboy did not seem to be short of money and had only entered the industry because he found it fun. It was evident from him driving his Ferrari and chasing girls every day.
As such, Li Du was of no help to him with storage unit auctions.
Some things in this world were indeed very coincidental. He was thinking about how he could help out the Playboy and return his favor from earlier that afternoon when the man called him in the evening.
"Hi Li, are you in Las Vegas?"
"Yes," Li Du joyfully replied. "I'm here, staying in Caesars Palace. What about you? I heard from Dickens and the others that you are here too. Want to meet up?"
The Playboy sighed. "Sure, but I can't at the moment."
From his tone, Li Du sensed that he was tired and asked, "What's up with you? You seem very tired."
The Playboy sighed again. "I am not physically tired but mentally tired. Actually, friend, I'm calling you because I need your help with something."
"What's the matter? Feel free to tell me." Li Du was confident that he could help him with whatever he needed.
The Playboy hesitated for over ten seconds. Just when Li Du thought the line might be cut off, he opened his mouth and said, "I would like you to help me out with a gamble."
Li Du was taken aback—he hadn't thought the Playboy would put forward such a request. When he'd been plotted against in the Native American's casino, he told the Playboy that he would never step foot into a casino again after The Playboy had helped him out.
During the silence he was taken aback, the Playboy was tactful enough to sense his contemplation and quickly said, "That's just a thought. It's nothing much friend—"
"What method of gambling is it?" Li Du cut him off after realizing that he had mistaken his intentions. "Against who?"
After hearing his words, the Playboy's spirits lifted. "You're willing to help me?"
"I would like to hear the situation first," Li Du said logically. Although he was happy to help out the Playboy, this was a gambling city, and he needed to be careful gambling here.
The Playboy said, "The opponent is a formidable fella, an experienced gambler, and a genius. You don't have to care about the wager, you only need to care about the cards. Regardless of the outcome, I will bear the consequences."
"How are we gambling? Li Du asked. "With dice?"
"Blackjack!"
Li Du knew the rules of blackjack. The game was not complicated, and he'd learned it after observing fellow townsman Lin Ping and the others play a few rounds at the Comanche Casino.
Firstly, the players would place their bets. After which, the dealer would give each player two cards, both facing up. The dealer would then give themselves two cards, with one, called the upcard, face up with the other, called the hole card, face down.
The result was determined by comparing the total value of each player's cards, using a calculation method where cards numbered two through nine were given their face value while K, Q, J, and cards numbered 10 were given a value of 10.
In addition, the ace card could be calculated as one point or eleven points, based on the player's own decision.
After the players received and looked at the value of their cards, they would try to get the total value as close to 21 points as possible. The closer it was to 21 points, the better, with getting 21 points being the best.
The players could continue to request cards if they were not yet at 21 points. During this process, if the total value of a player's cards exceeded 21 points, it was known as a "bust," and the player would lose, ending the game for them.
If the player didn't bust and stopped requesting for cards, the dealer would then flip open the hole card.
In the case where the total value of the dealer's cards was lower or equal to 16 points, the dealer was required to continue giving himself cards until the total value was greater than or equals to 17 points.
If the dealer's total value was greater than or equal to 17 points, the dealer must stand. In the case where the dealer busted when dealing cards to themselves, they were considered to have lost.
If the dealer did not bust, each player would compare the total value of their cards with the dealer's and the one with the bigger value would win. If both values were the same, it was considered a tie and the player could take back the wager.
Another scenario was that if the player's first two cards was an ace and a ten-point card, it was a blackjack and was unbeatable among the different possible 21-point combinations.
At that moment, if the dealer did not have a blackjack, the player would win one-and-a-half times the amount of the wager.
Another unbeatable combination was the player having five cards in hand without busting after requesting the cards in succession. Under such circumstances, the combination would beat every other combination.
All in all, when there was a blackjack, it would win all other combinations. If there was no blackjack, the strongest combination was having five cards in the player's hand with a total value of exactly 21 points.
After remembering the rules of blackjack, Li Du became more confident. The little bug's ability was extremely useful in the game as it allowed him to shamelessly look at the other players' cards and also cards that had not yet been issued.
After agreeing, the Playboy gave him a location, which was a casino called the "Dark Knight."
Li Du called up Hans, Godzilla, Lu Guan and Big Quinn as they could all help him. The situation this time around was a little unclear.
"Big Quinn, Godzilla, you guys focus on the situation. Once it starts going south, immediately find a place to run. Boss Hans, you focus on the developments of the game and inform me of the things I am unclear with.
"And Lu Guan, listen closely to what the other party says. You must inform me if there is anything crucial."
After Li Du ordered them in a stern manner, the four of them nodded their heads and, together with Li Du, began to feel nervous.
The Dark Knight Casino was very famous in Las Vegas, one of the top five casinos. It was supposedly controlled behind the scenes by gangs in Europe.
Li Du and the others drove to the casino. They could see the Playboy after getting out of the car.
The Playboy was smoking, leaning against a knight stone sculpture at the door in a melancholy manner. With a lock of blonde hair hanging down, dashing, furrowed eyebrows, and a sad expression, the ladies passing by were trying to win him with their stares.
His spirit was raised after seeing Li Du. He walked over and said, "Hey Li. Hey boss Hans. Hey everyone. Welcome."
"What exactly is going on?" Li Du asked. "You have to make this clear to me."
The Playboy laughed bitterly. "It's not that serious. I can swear to you that regardless of the results of the gamble, it has nothing to do with you—on the condition that you don't cheat."
Li Du replied, "You can rest assured that I will not cheat. So tell me, what's going on."
The Playboy started laughing bitterly again and said, "To be specific, it involves some absurd matters of mine in the past, which are too troublesome to explain. Anyways, your opponent is Small Boy Kim . . . "
"F*ck, Small Boy Gold?" The look on Hans's face changed after hearing the Playboy's words.
Li Du laughed, "What's the matter? Does gambling with a child scare you?"
Hans gave him an unpleasant look. "Idiot—are you seriously laughing when you're about to face imminent defeat? Do you know who Small Boy Kim is? He's one of the top, most ruthless people on the Las Vegas Hall of Fame and blacklist."
"The gambling city also has a Hall of Fame and a blacklist?" Li Du curiously asked.
"F*ck, can you focus?" Hans said, exasperated. "Is that the main point here?"