Era: Rise from the Wilderness

He didn't toss the cards into the air or create a dazzling long run like in the movies.

First of all, these bad cards are not easy to manipulate.

Secondly, in his previous life, he enjoyed watching short videos, especially those featuring card games and magic tricks, and he learned many impressive tricks from them.

These tricks are flashy and showy, and he didn't want to scare Gao Fu and his country bumpkins into not daring to play with him.

Finally, showing off my skills in front of Gao Fu and his group put me at a disadvantage!

He simply didn't believe that Gao Fu's meager funds could cover his performance fees!

He simply divided the cards into two piles in the most ordinary way, then pressed his thumb against the side of the cards, allowing the two piles to fall quickly and evenly in an alternating pattern.

The movements were not fast, even somewhat slow and methodical, but exceptionally smooth. The cards rubbed together with a soft "swish" sound, like the autumn wind blowing through dry fallen leaves.

Gao Fu and his friends, cigarettes dangling from their lips, glanced sideways with disdain on their faces.

Who can't do this kind of reshuffling?

But soon, their eyes changed.

Li Yunjing's shuffling began to accelerate.

It's still the same simple alternating motion, but the frequency is getting faster and faster.

The two stacks of cards seemed to come alive in his hands, transforming into two black and white intertwined phantoms that rapidly merged, separated, and merged again within a small space in his palm.

The "swish" sounds flowed in unison, dense and even, carrying a strange sense of rhythm.

What's even more eye-catching is that no matter how fast he shuffles the cards, those dozens of cards remain perfectly still, with not a single one flying out, and without any pauses or jams.

His fingers seemed to possess some kind of magic, precisely controlling the trajectory and landing point of each card.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns of light onto the fluttering playing cards, making one's eyes glaze over.

Gao Fu forgot to smoke the cigarette in his mouth, and didn't even notice that the ash had burned a hole in his pants.

The long-haired guy next to him had his mouth agape and his eyes glazed over.

The other two also stopped laughing and unconsciously sat up straight.

Lu Ruoxi, watching from behind, held her breath.

She didn't understand cards, but the fluid, almost uncanny technique and the sudden tension in the air made her even more anxious.

Less than twenty seconds later, Li Yunjing's movements came to an abrupt halt.

"Smack."

With a soft thud, he gently patted a complete deck of cards onto the center of an old newspaper, face down, neatly arranged, the edges as if measured with a ruler.

The entire process was fast, stable, and quiet.

There are no flashy techniques, but it exudes a restrained and controlled power that flows smoothly like clouds and water.

There was silence for a few seconds under the shade of the tree.

Only the faint noise from the distant playground and the incessant chirping of cicadas overhead could be heard.

"Wow! You're pretty skilled!"

Gao Fu's Adam's apple bobbed, and he chuckled dryly, trying to regain his composure: "It's just shuffling the cards, what are you pretending for?"

But anyone could hear the hint of guilt in his voice.

"Deal the cards."

Li Yunjing spoke calmly, as if he had just dusted himself off.

Changmao glanced at Gao Fu, who then gave him a knowing look.

Longhair stiffly reached out and picked up the deck of cards that had been shuffled "excessively" neatly, and began to deal them. His movements were noticeably more cautious than before, and his eyes kept glancing at Li Yunjing.

The game officially began.

Lu Ruoxi's heart rose and fell with each turn of the playing cards.

She couldn't understand the card patterns, but she could see the money moving around.

In the first few rounds, Li Yunjing had both wins and losses, and the twenty yuan in his account fluctuated, but he never lost it all.

Gao Fu and the others gradually relaxed, realizing that Li Yunjing was just bluffing by shuffling the cards and might not be that good in a real game, so they started shouting again.

Li Yunjing remained silent throughout, but each time it was his turn to shuffle the cards, his frighteningly steady hands would cause the air under the shade of the tree to freeze for a moment.

His speed and control in shuffling the cards were increasingly astonishing, as if they were not tools for entertainment, but precise weapons extended from his fingers.

Before we knew it, the wind direction had changed.

The loose banknotes in front of Li Yunjing began to slowly but steadily thicken.

Five dollars, ten dollars, twenty dollars... He started winning some games, not too big, not too small.

Gao Fu won quite a few times, but each time he won small amounts while his losses started to become large.

The joy on Gao Fu's face instantly froze, turning into a distorted expression.

He stared intently at the cards in Li Yunjing's hand, then suddenly looked up at the long-haired man dealing the cards.

Longhair's face turned pale, and his eyes darted around.

"you……"

Gao Fu forced out the sound through his teeth.

"The cards were dealt by your people."

Li Yunjing calmly interrupted him, glancing at the other two, "I've been sitting here the whole time, and I haven't touched the deck."

No one can refute that.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Li Yunjing did indeed simply receive the cards, look at them, and reveal them.

Gao Fu's chest heaved violently, but in the end, his face turned ashen, he pushed over a pile of money in front of him, including several "big unity" bills.

The other three petty thugs came from ordinary families and didn't have much money; they had almost all of it borrowed from Gao Fu.

Now they've lost everything too, and the anger in their eyes is undisguised; they almost want to beat Li Yunjing to death.

However, a few days ago, Li Yunjing had single-handedly defeated three people. Changmao and his gang were the ones involved, so they naturally knew how powerful Li Yunjing was and didn't dare to challenge him.

Li Yunjing collected the money and tidied up, his movements unhurried and deliberate.

Then, he took out two ten-yuan bills, turned around, and handed them to Lü Ruoxi, who was completely stunned.

"Here you go."

Lu Ruoxi mechanically took it, her fingertips icy cold.

Looking at the noticeably thicker pile of money in front of Li Yunjing, and then at the frustrated expressions of Gao Fu and his group—looking as if they had lost their parents but dared not speak out—her mind was in turmoil.

shock?

Have.

Feeling relieved?

Perhaps a little.

But more than anything, it was a feeling of unfamiliarity and confusion.

Li Yunjing, he seems to be... different.

As Gao Fu watched Li Yunjing slowly stuff the thick wad of money in front of him into his pocket, he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

That wasn't just money; it was irrefutable evidence that he had stolen the family's "secret stash"!

It means being beaten with a belt, kneeling on a washboard, and a miserable life of darkness for the next few months or even longer!

"Wait...wait a minute!"

Gao Fu suddenly stood up, his voice trembling with urgency, and the fierceness on his face was replaced by a pleading panic.

"What's wrong?"

Li Yunjing paused, looked up at him, his gaze calm and unwavering, as if he were looking at a stranger.

"I...I..."

Gao Fu's face flushed red, and under the astonished gazes of his henchmen and Lü Ruoxi, he managed to squeeze out a few words with difficulty, "Let's...let's play a few more rounds! I...I'm out of money, could you...could you lend me some?"

Even he felt embarrassed saying those words.

Just a moment ago they were swaggering around, and now they're bowing down to their "enemy" to borrow money—it's an utter disgrace.

But compared to the torture he would suffer after returning home, what did this little bit of face matter?

"Borrow money?"

"Gao Fu, given our relationship, isn't it inappropriate to talk about lending money?"

Li Yunjing's lips curved almost imperceptibly, but the smile was icy and devoid of any warmth.