While everyone else was still in shock over Ben Yao's audacious cheating, Ethan Wu, without a word of warning, swiftly dragged Yao to the table and chopped down hard with the knife!
The knife was one Isabella Li had just gone out to get from her bodyguard.
When Ethan asked her to fetch it after the cards were sealed, she hadn't understood his intention. If he'd wanted to try something dangerous, she had a gun on her — so why ask for a knife? Despite her resistance to being "ordered around" by Ethan, she had gone to get it anyway.
Now Isabella finally understood: Ethan intended to enforce the universal casino rule for cheaters — chop off the hand! This was a standard penalty, whether on high-seas casino cruises or in underground casinos worldwide.
Ben Yao felt a sharp tug as Ethan yanked him forward, throwing him off balance. Stumbling, he felt a searing pain in his hand.
"Agh! My hand! Aaaaaah!" Yao's screams jolted everyone.
But soon, he stopped screaming; the pain had hit such an extreme that he grew numb and became entirely dazed.
Ethan had actually chopped it off.
Ben Yao's left hand was now forever severed from his body.
A few drops of blood splattered onto Ethan's clothes, with a bit landing on his face.
Clang.
Ethan tossed the bloody knife onto the table, casually glancing down at his clothes — his blue suit, white shirt — both splattered with some blood, with a few drops on his hand and face.
"Anyone got a tissue?" Ethan asked in an unusually calm tone, gesturing to those around him. His composure was chilling, as if he hadn't just severed someone's hand.
His calm demeanor only made him seem scarier.
This wasn't an act; it was something he was used to.
During his thousand-year loop, he'd spent a period honing his gambling skills to pass the time.
Ethan had frequented nearly every underground casino in Sea City, getting into more than a few conflicts, being chased by dozens of people down countless alleys — and once, turning the tables to chase them in return.
With no need to worry about consequences, knowing everything would reset, Ethan had become utterly fearless during that period, constantly seeking thrills.
What hadn't he seen?
This was a mere trifle.
Isabella retrieved some tissues from her bag and handed them to Ethan. Wayne Bao, who had just grabbed a box of tissues to offer, quietly put it back upon seeing the young lady hand Ethan a tissue first.
Ethan wiped his face with the tissue, cleaned his hands, and dabbed at the bloodstains on his clothes.
Seeing this, Isabella leaned over and whispered something to her bodyguard.
"In truth, you didn't need to cheat at all. You couldn't have beaten me. Breaking the rules is either something you shouldn't do, or if you do it, make sure not to get caught. Once you're caught, it's over," Ethan said, looking down at Yao.
From the thirty-fifth to the thirty-eighth rounds, Yao had kept a stolen ace of spades hidden, but he hadn't even had the chance to use it.
For a hidden card to work, it has to match the hand in play, so Yao had been waiting for the right moment.
Ethan could understand Yao's mindset.
When Yao had first arrived at the Crown Club, he probably hadn't intended to cheat, but then he'd encountered Ethan.
Before the thirty-fifth round, Yao had just over 100 million left in chips. Although he was still technically up, he couldn't regain control, watching as his money trickled back to Ethan with no way to stop it.
Grant Shen had hired him for a substantial fee, and Yao had made promises — not only to win back the three hundred million Shen had previously lost here but to bring home more on top of that.
Realizing he couldn't beat Ethan without cheating, Yao took the risk.
What he hadn't realized was that his expert techniques were laid bare to Ethan's eyes, every move as clear as day.
Now, Yao lay on the floor, clutching his left wrist with his right hand, his face pale, his body trembling.
The blood loss was rapid. If he didn't get medical help soon, he would die from blood loss in a matter of minutes.
"According to casino rules, with stakes this high, cutting off just one hand isn't sufficient. Normally, both hands and feet would be forfeit. However, since you were just a player for hire, and not the mastermind, I'll let it go this time," Ethan said, tossing the bloody tissues aside and sliding his hand into his pocket. Then, he turned to Grant Shen, who was standing by the door, visibly trembling.
Shen's face was pale with fear.
Although he hadn't been the one whose hand got chopped off, Yao was his man, playing on his behalf. He couldn't completely distance himself from the cheating incident.
"So, Mr. Shen, what do you have to say?" Ethan asked, flashing a smile.
It was a habitual smile, but to Shen, it looked like the smile of a demon.
"I… It has nothing to do with me! I didn't make him cheat; it was all his idea! I didn't know!" Shen stammered in a panic, his face drenched in sweat, then fell to his knees.
"Mr. Li, you know my character. I, Shen, may be a gambler, but I've never cheated! It has nothing to do with me!"
Shen clung to Tyler Li's pant leg, pleading desperately.
He didn't dare appeal to Ethan, who seemed even more terrifying than Tyler at that moment. Ethan had severed a hand without hesitation and looked as if nothing had happened afterward.
"Handle it," Ethan gestured around the room at Tyler, then said, "I'll be leaving now," and headed toward the door.
As he passed behind Tyler, he leaned over and whispered in Tyler's ear, "Don't touch Grant Shen here in the club. Let him take his people and leave."
Tyler nodded.
He didn't know why he felt the sudden urge to follow his "brother-in-law's" instructions, but he did.
Ethan and Isabella exited the Regal Mansions suite, with her bodyguards following them.
On their way to the elevator, Isabella casually slipped her arm through Ethan's, with her bodyguards trailing behind.
"How does it feel to chop off someone's hand?" Isabella asked softly.
"Nothing special," Ethan replied, smiling slightly at Isabella.
"Nothing?" Isabella's expression grew more complex, her gaze toward Ethan filled with a curious fascination.
She felt as though she might have stumbled upon some "world's unsolved mystery."
Because she couldn't understand Ethan. He claimed to be an information broker — fine, she could believe that for now. But he was also skilled in gambling, enough to defeat a top expert. He talked about chopping off someone's hand with an unsettling calm…
Her intuition told her that Ethan had probably killed someone before.
Women's intuition is often pretty accurate.
All of Ethan's oddities — his nearly psychic-level intel, his calmness, his hidden skills, and his ruthless decisiveness — would have seemed normal if not for one thing:
Ethan was too young.
At just over twenty, it seemed impossible for him to have had so much life experience.
"It's not my hand I chopped off, so why should I feel anything?" Ethan said, smiling as they entered the elevator.
…
Returning to the eleventh floor, they entered a large suite instead of the previous meeting room where Tyler and Jack Zhao had gathered.
It was spacious, elegantly decorated in a minimalist style.
The framed photos on the coffee table and the art on the walls suggested it was likely Tyler's private suite.
"Your brother has decent taste. That lotus painting by Lewis Cui is quite interesting," Ethan said, pausing to look at the painting near the entrance.
"He has no taste. It's all pretentious decor for clients," Isabella scoffed, rolling her eyes.
"You know about art? Interested in painting?" she asked, turning back to look at him.
"I know a bit," Ethan replied modestly, gesturing at the painting. "That one's a fake. The original should be with a collector in Hong Kong." He walked further into the suite, glancing around the living room.
The understated decor had a staged, show-home feel.
As Isabella had said, it was for hosting important clients, meticulously decorated but unused.
There was even a Steinway piano by the window. If Tyler could play, it would be a miracle.
The piano was just a prop.
"My bodyguard is getting some clothes. They'll bring them shortly. Would you like a drink in the meantime?" Isabella asked, moving to the bar.
"Dom Pérignon P2, vintage 2000, thanks," Ethan replied casually.
Isabella turned back, her face showing slight surprise. It was her favorite champagne.
Isabella didn't usually serve anyone, but after Ethan's performance tonight, she didn't mind — it felt like a fitting reward.
While Isabella poured the champagne, Ethan sat at the piano, opened the keyboard cover, ran his fingers lightly over the keys, and began to play.
Soothing, melodic piano music filled the room.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]