002. Gambling Money With Black Widow

Black Widow frowned as she looked at John Doe's chips on the table.

In reality, she was at the casino on a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. mission.

At first, when John had sat down and suggested gambling with her, Black Widow thought he had discovered her cover.

But now, looking at him, she realized that the man sitting in front of her was just another casual gambler, albeit a charming one.

A surge of contempt rose in Black Widow's heart.

Still, since they had come this far—and considering the fact that most people wouldn't even dare to bet with just $200—she decided to make quick work of him.

Black Widow gave John a disdainful glance and said, "Since you only have $200, and can't double it, let's change the game."

John nodded and replied, "Sure."

With a hint of mockery in her eyes, Black Widow continued, "Let's compare our luck. We'll remove the jokers. Cards A through 10 will have values from 1 to 10, and J, Q, and K will all be worth 11."

"Each of us will get five cards, and whoever's total is closest to, but not exceeding 21, wins. How about that?"

John nodded again, agreeing to the terms.

Black Widow signaled to the dealer to reshuffle the deck.

Once the shuffling was complete, the dealer dealt five cards to both John and Black Widow.

Without even looking at her cards, Black Widow spoke confidently, "I'll go first."

She revealed her cards one by one, then looked at John with a smug grin.

"The sum is 20!"

"Wow! She's got 20 points! She's definitely going to win now."

The crowd of onlookers buzzed with excitement upon seeing Black Widow's hand.

Indeed, getting five cards with a total that doesn't exceed 21 points is rare. Even getting close to 21 is tough. If two of your five cards are worth 10 or more, you're already in danger of busting.

Once you go over 21, you lose.

It was impressive that Black Widow's five cards totaled 20.

With a slight tilt of her chin, Black Widow confidently said, "Your turn. If you're ready, you can take your $200 and leave."

John smiled and turned to the dealer, saying, "Go ahead, reveal my cards."

The dealer hesitated, ignoring John at first.

Impatient, Black Widow glanced at the dealer and ordered, "Do it. Let's put this to rest."

At her command, the dealer started revealing John's cards one by one.

"What?! No way! It's 21!"

"Oh my God, it's blackjack! Five cards, and he hit 21 exactly!"

"This is insane! The odds of this happening are like winning the lottery!"

The crowd erupted in disbelief as they saw John's hand.

They had all assumed Black Widow's 20 points was a guaranteed win, but to their shock, John had hit 21 with five cards—something that seemed nearly impossible.

Black Widow, who had been impatient and ready to wrap things up, suddenly stood up when she heard the crowd's reaction.

She checked John's cards two or three times, confirming that he indeed had a perfect blackjack.

Her eyes narrowed as she glanced at the dealer, who shook her head, indicating she had no idea how this had happened.

The truth was, Black Widow had been so confident in her victory because the dealer was actually working with her. The dealer, another S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, had rigged the game to make sure Black Widow would win.

When the cards were being dealt, the dealer had made a subtle switch, ensuring that John's total would exceed 21—except, somehow, it hadn't.

As Black Widow watched John happily gather the chips in front of him, he raised his eyebrows at her and, with a sly smile, asked, "Want to go again?"

Inwardly, Black Widow cursed, a string of profanities running through her mind as she debated whether or not to say them out loud!