Chapter 24: So, she had to lose.

Gu Mingzhu's two cards were a 7 and an 8, totaling 15 points.

This score could be considered an awkward one in blackjack. If she continued to draw cards, she could easily exceed 21 points, which would result in a bust and a loss.

If she didn't draw, the chances of winning with 15 points were not high.

Gu Mingzhu looked at the dealer and said softly, "Hit."

Immediately, the dealer dealt another card to Gu Mingzhu, revealing an Ace.

The crowd around stared intently at the electronic display, some even craning their necks to get a better look. In just a short ten minutes, the noisy casino had fallen silent.

Yang Shihao looked at Gu Mingzhu's third card and pretended to kindly suggest, "You have 16 points, you could draw another card."

Gu Mingzhu smiled faintly and replied, "Let's listen to Manager Yang and hit again."

As she spoke, murmurs of disagreement arose from the crowd. It was clear that many believed she was likely to bust.

A cold smile flashed across Yang Shihao's eyes; she was still naive. He didn't believe she could outplay him.

The dealer quickly dealt another card to Gu Mingzhu, a 3, bringing the total to 19 points.

Yang Shihao's throat tightened. He pressed harder on his hidden card and his gaze grew colder.

The girl's luck was surprisingly good; she hadn't busted with four cards!

Yang Shihao looked at Gu Mingzhu and said with feigned concern, "19 points is quite good, maybe you should stop now."

In fact, Yang Shihao was no longer as relaxed as he seemed. His total was 18 points, one less than Gu Mingzhu's. If she stopped drawing, he would lose.

Worried that persuading Gu Mingzhu too obviously might give away his hand, he did the opposite. He hoped she would think he had more than 19 points and continue to draw.

Gu Mingzhu saw through his intentions with a deeper smile.

Yang Shihao would never have guessed that she wasn't just a beginner.

Moreover, she had always been incredibly lucky since she was young. In Xu Xingbai's words, her luck was "astoundingly good."

From a young age, she noticed her luck in card games, lotteries, and even mahjong was enviable. However, her exceptional luck often made her a target, leading to losses.

So, she started studying card counting and even cheating. Over time, she had become almost unbeatable in gambling.

She didn't invest all that effort to watch Yang Shihao strut his less-than-impressive physique around.

So, she had to lose.

Ignoring the reactions of the others, Gu Mingzhu looked at the dealer and said, "Hit."

Seeing her take the bait, Yang Shihao breathed a sigh of relief but still kept a close eye on the dealer.

The dealer dealt again, and everyone held their breath, watching the cards.

After a moment, the cards were revealed to be a 3. There was a collective sigh of pity.

"3 points plus 19 points equals 22 points, Gu Mingzhu busts and loses!"

"What a pity... she shouldn't have drawn that last card."

"But her luck was indeed good, busting only on the fifth card."

"Look! Yang Shihao has 18 points, if she hadn't drawn that last card, she would have won!"

"Does Gu Mingzhu even know how to play? It's foolish to draw at 19 points..."