Urban Super Almighty Student

Chapter 41 - Grandmaster

Lan Qingqing caught the wary look in Ye Hao's eyes and offered a slight smile.

“I've heard you're quite the casino whiz, so I thought I'd pay you a visit,” Lan Qingqing said, her slender hand still suspended in midair.

After a moment's contemplation, Ye Hao took Lan Qingqing's hand.

It was soft and smooth to the touch.

Holding her hand, Ye Hao felt an unexpected reluctance to let go. His body, enhanced by the Divine Blood, granted him formidable willpower and self-control.

Yet, even after releasing her hand, the urge to grasp it again lingered.

Ye Hao didn't want to deny his gambling prowess and replied, “I wouldn't call myself a casino expert. I just play a few hands when I'm bored.”

“I'd love to witness your gambling skills firsthand,” Lan Qingqing said, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

“Alright,” Ye Hao agreed with a nod.

As the head of the casino, Lan Qingqing had an extensive network of contacts.

The incident with Lu Ziming had made Ye Hao realize the importance of expanding his own connections.

Without a doubt, Lan Qingqing was someone Ye Hao considered worth getting to know.

“However, I need to discuss this with my parents first,” Ye Hao mentioned softly.

“Of course,” Lan Qingqing responded with a smile.

Ye Hao closed the door behind him and headed back to his room.

“Hao, are you certain there's no danger involved?” Ye Zhiguo asked with a hint of concern.

Looking at his parents, Ye Hao reassured them, “I suspect Miss Lan simply appreciates my gambling talent. So, there's no need to worry about my safety. Besides, I'm not easily threatened.”

“Hao, when did you start learning martial arts?” Ye Zhiguo inquired further.

Ye Hao paused to think and then answered, “After I got better, I visited the park and met an old man with a white beard. Let's leave it at that. Even if you were to ask more, I couldn't say.”

Once Ye Hao had left, Ye Zhiguo expressed his worries, “Hao is becoming more and more enigmatic.”

“All that matters is that he's our son,” Guo Xiu said, not overthinking the situation.

“You're right,” Ye Zhiguo agreed, nodding.

Lan Qingqing was quite statuesque, nearly matching Ye Hao in height. She exuded a subtle, pleasant scent that was delightful to the senses.

“What kind of perfume is this?” Ye Hao inquired.

“It's called Aegean Sea,” Lan Qingqing responded gently.

“I've never heard of it before,” Ye Hao admitted, surprised.

Ye Hao wasn't clueless about perfumes. He had been keeping up with various news since the SATs ended.

“This perfume is a special commission by the Swedish Royal Family. If you like it, I can give you two bottles later.”

That explained it! Such exclusive products typically weren't available on social media. They were the purview of the elite.

“No, thank you,” Ye Hao declined.

He was well aware of the steep price tag attached to such perfumes and couldn't justify accepting such an extravagant gift without cause.

Lan Qingqing simply smiled, offering no further comment.

The Swedish Royal Family produced only five thousand bottles of Aegean Sea annually, and it was unattainable for those without significant social standing. Clearly, Lan Qingqing's supply was limited.

Lan Qingqing was willing to gift Ye Hao a bottle of Aegean Sea, but only if he proved himself worthy.

Ye Hao accompanied Lan Qingqing to a VIP lounge.

“There,” Lan Qingqing indicated a middle-aged croupier, “is Ma Yezhi, a seasoned dealer at Nubeat Casino.”

Ye Hao gave the croupier a respectful nod.

“Are you ready?” Lan Qingqing asked, turning her attention to Ye Hao.

He nodded in affirmation.

With a subtle cue from Lan Qingqing, the middle-aged dealer began his task.

Ma Yezhi lifted his hand, overturning the cup and securing six dice beneath it. He then started shaking the cup at a steady rhythm.

Yang Mo watched intently, deep in thought.

He observed that Ma Yezhi's shaking was much faster than the previous dealer's. The quicker the cup's shaking, the more rapidly the dice numbers changed, making Ye Hao's task of guessing the outcome increasingly difficult.

Lan Qingqing and the two black-clad bodyguards were utterly still, concentrating intensely. They understood the importance of not disturbing Ye Hao at this critical juncture.

As soon as Ma Yezhi set the cup down, Ye Hao declared, “Two.”

Ma Yezhi's expression turned to one of astonishment. He had known the dice's outcome before he even placed the cup down.

As Ma Yezhi lifted the lid off the cup, Lan Qingqing and the rest were astonished to see that five out of the six dice were stacked on top of each other. The die at the very top showed a one, and the solitary remaining die also landed on one.

“Ma Yezhi, it's time to bring your A-game,” Lan Qingqing commented with a smile.

Ma Yezhi inhaled deeply and placed the six dice back into the cup. This time, Ye Hao noticed that Ma Yezhi's little finger would quiver ever so slightly as he shook the cup. With each subtle tremor of his finger, the dice inside the cup would spin rapidly.

Once Ma Yezhi set the cup down, Lan Qingqing complimented him with a grin, “Ma Yezhi, your technique is becoming increasingly refined.”

“I'm just a beginner,” Ma Yezhi replied modestly.

“Six,” Ye Hao stated succinctly.

Ma Yezhi's face involuntarily shifted as he asked, “I used the Technique of Steady Whirl. How could you still guess it?”

The Technique of Steady Whirl is a crucial indicator of a croupier's mastery, as it causes the dice to spin at high velocity, making the outcome much harder to predict.

Yet, Ye Hao guessed the dice's points with ease.

If Ye Hao were closer in age to Ma Yezhi, it might make sense, but he appeared to be merely seventeen or eighteen!

“Please fetch Zhou Qishan,” Lan Qingqing instructed a bodyguard by her side.

The bodyguard nodded and departed swiftly. Shortly thereafter, he returned with an elderly gentleman dressed in a suit to the VIP hall.

“Hello, Miss,” Zhou Qishan greeted Lan Qingqing with a respectful bow.

“You're too kind, Zhou Qishan,” Lan Qingqing replied with a smile.

After exchanging pleasantries with Lan Qingqing, Zhou Qishan turned to Ye Hao and inquired, “You must be Young Master Ye, am I correct?”

“Ye Hao,” he corrected, not comfortable with the formal address.

Zhou Qishan chuckled and approached the dice table, advising, “Young Master Ye, pay close attention now.”

Ye Hao nodded in agreement.

With his vision having reached an extraordinary level, Ye Hao could easily spot details that escaped others. He observed that Zhou Qishan's little finger was trembling at a frequency three times faster than that of Ma Yezhi.

When Ye Hao activated his X-ray Vision, he noticed that the dice were spinning rapidly, making it impossible for him to discern the numbers on them.

Ye Hao observed the dice for three seconds before ceasing.

After all, his X-ray Vision wasn't limitless in duration.

As Master Zhou set the cup down, Ye Hao gave an OK sign.

“What does that mean?” Master Zhou inquired, taken aback.

“Three.”

With a look of confusion, Master Zhou lifted the cup. The six dice were stacked in pairs, each of the top dice showing the number one.

Master Zhou turned to Ye Hao, his expression one of sheer astonishment. “Young Master Ye, has your skill in deducing the sum of the dice in the cup by sound reached the Grandmaster level?”