Vol 7 Ch 10

Playing poker, keeping one’s expression unreadable so the opponent cannot guess the strength of the hand is called a poker face.

That was its origin, but by now, its usage had broadened quite a bit. When dealing with people, when facing a boss at work, even between lovers, there were days when a poker face was needed. And today was a day when a mask was more necessary than ever.

“Well now~ it was hard to catch a glimpse of your face, but to think you’d be here like this.”

Joo Hawon looked at Tex’s CEO, who was chattering away, but did not show a trace of emotion.

“I feel the same.”

To Tangbang, who responded in turn.

“Shall we continue with Hold’em poker?”

Joo Hawon tossed the used cards into the collection box with a sharp snap.

“Mm, should you really act so arrogant in front of VIP clients?”

“Shall I take them back out and put them in again?”

“It’s fine. I’m a generous man, after all.”

Seeing Aeil, who had once again become Tex’s owner, the arrogance brought to mind not a snake but a young dragon. A reptile, in any case, that would never become a true dragon.

“Hawon, you know, I—”

“I’m the dealer, not Hawon.”

Tangbang studied Joo Hawon’s face as he retorted without fail, but his expression remained as businesslike as ever.

Why had the two of them appeared at Joo Hawon’s table at the same time? It wasn’t because of some deal or arrangement. Their timing had simply overlapped. To make matters worse, it was while attending a gathering of bored casino owners.

“Fine then, dealer. What I was saying is this—I went to Korea some time ago.”

As Joo Hawon shuffled the fresh deck, he let Tangbang’s words in one ear and out the other.

“That day, you weren’t at the villa. Man~ the security was so tight, I thought they were guarding a head of state.”

He crossed the arched stack of cards in an instant, shuffling them.

“How do you know where I live?”

“You’re quite the celebrity. Saw you right on television, didn’t I? Even Jahan became the rich man’s son, following his real father. Now who am I supposed to amuse myself with?”

“Take your medicine.”

When Joo Hawon muttered this, Tangbang waved a hand by his ear and said, “That business has been closed for ages.”

As for Tangbang, so be it—but Aeil visiting Macau meant the departure date of the Max was drawing near. He should have been inspecting the ship instead of wasting time pestering Joo Hawon.

“Mr. Louis.”

Just as he was about to deal the cards, Aeil stopped him.

“I’ve cut back on the drugs lately.”

“And what exactly do you expect me to do about that?”

“I’ve even taken a liking to masturbation.”

“Good for you.”

At least he wasn’t dragging others down with him.

“Koreans call it ‘side dishes,’ don’t they? The things they think of while they’re at it? My side dish is—”

“To even need side dishes while masturbating makes you an even greater pervert.”

The partner he had once been forced to entangle with was babbling so absurdly, he wanted to shove the entire deck of cards into his mouth.

“What’s he talking about?”

Tangbang asked, not Aeil, but Joo Hawon.

“If you’re not going to play, I’ll close the table.”

“Come on now, have a little mercy. Taeha at least found himself a lover, but look at me. My engagement’s broken off, I’ve got no one to see, I’m a lonely man.”

“But you did become Tex’s CEO.”

“Ah, that’s true.”

Aeil’s pupils seemed once again to glisten like those of a snake.

“In my eyes—”

Joo Hawon looked alternately at the two men seated side by side.

“You two seem well-matched.”

Two snake-like men entangled would surely be a sight. Tangbang turned his head away from Aeil and pretended to gag, “Uwek.” Aeil, smiling, still betrayed discomfort.

“Mr. Louis, do you know something?”

“……?”

“You must be living well these days. Before, you had a certain sting to you. But now… it’s as if you’ve gone soft.”

“Oh, come to think of it, Hawon really has mellowed. Could it be someone’s influence…?”

To the two who found common ground, Joo Hawon replied.

“It’s not that I’ve died down. It’s because it’s good, so we compromise with each other.”

Neither of them had ever imagined Joo Hawon would say such a thing.

“Gentlemen, are you going to play?”

Joo Hawon drove the nail into the dumbfounded pair.

***

Tangbang’s bankroll was 1.5 billion won, while Aeil’s bankroll had no set limit. As the game went on, a few VIP clients sat by them and left, and today, at least, Tangbang’s luck was running high.

After about two hours of play, even Joo Hawon grew a little weary. Maybe it was the cigarette smoke in the VIP room, but his stamina was depleting faster than before. Only an hour more and his shift would be over. He could endure until then.

“I’ll replace the cards.”

He said as he tore open the wrap on a new deck.

“Mr. Louis, how about a round with me?”

Aeil shook a black chip.

“Seven poker.”

It was the same game they had played at the illegal gambling den. Joo Hawon fell into thought. In the inner pocket of his vest, he had just enough funds to join the match, and lately, he had been riding a streak of luck far beyond Tangbang’s. Even so, whether that luck would extend to Aeil was uncertain. After all, the only games he had played in casinos were slots.

Of course, it was galling that Aeil had seized both the Mega Float and Tex’s presidency.

Joo Hawon pulled something from his pocket.

“Dealer’s personal bankroll, 500 million won.”

It was a Füssen Casino membership card.

“Well now~ did Taeha give you an allowance?”

“Something like that.”

“I’m out.”

Tangbang quickly raised his hand.

He had observed Joo Hawon’s card games several times in illegal gambling dens, and on days when his goal was clear, he never lost. Even if he had to cheat. And right now, there was something resolute in Joo Hawon’s eyes.

A shame, really. Properly cultivated, he could have ruled like a king. But since that card had already been shredded to pieces, Tangbang could only smack his lips in regret.

“Then, Mr. Aeil Kwon, will you play one-on-one with the dealer?”

“No, at least three are needed.”

It sounded as though he were saying he would wait for Kwon Taeha.

“It will take another two or three hours before the ceo’s schedule is finished.”

“Then there’s no helping it. Why don’t you join?”

Aeil tried to drag Tangbang in.

“I’ll just watch.”

“No guts.”

“Haha, my bankroll is small as well.”

Joo Hawon summoned a staff member and had all his points converted into chips.

“Don’t you have a friend to join you?”

“Ah~ my only friend is Mr. Louis.”

“I’ll decline.”

“Cold as ever. Well then, shall we at least start, just the two of us?”

“Understood. Since there are only two players, we’ll proceed with free betting.”

Joo Hawon arranged the chips by denomination and shuffled the cards.

“Is it acceptable if the dealer distributes the cards?”

“No problem.”

“Three cards will be dealt.”

Joo Hawon slid one card to Aeil, one to himself, and so on, until three cards lay face down before each of them. Out of these three cards, one had to be opened. That was how seven poker began.

[♠K, ◆9, ◆A]

They were Joo Hawon’s cards.

“Have you checked your cards?”

“Of course.”

“Then choose one card to open, ‘UP.’”

Without hesitation, Joo Hawon revealed the ◆A, and Aeil turned over the ♥J.

“Since the dealer’s card is the highest, the betting begins with the dealer.”

Joo Hawon tossed in four $5,000 chips. For a VIP room, it was a rather small opening bet. Was Aeil also intending to start at a moderate level? No matter how much Kwon Taeha was beside him, given the environment he had grown up in, he thought it unlikely Aeil would wager big right away.

“Call.”

Chips clattered from Aeil as well.

“Cards will be dealt.”

The fourth card dealt was an upcard, allowing each of them to see the other’s hand.

On the surface, Aeil’s hand was [Hidden, Hidden, ♥J, ♥2], while Joo Hawon’s was [Hidden, Hidden, ◆A, ♠J]. Once again, it was Joo Hawon’s turn to bet.

“Die.”

He declared it without even properly looking at the cards. After pushing the chips toward Aeil, he collected the cards. In the VIP room, decks were usually discarded after three uses.

“Shall we reuse these cards, or switch them?”

“Reuse is fine. But Mr. Louis, why did you fold?”

“Do I need a reason?”

Aeil laughed softly. His hidden hand had been ‘♥5, ◆8,’ which meant he might have been aiming for a heart flush.

“Cards will be dealt.”

With a steady rhythm, Joo Hawon laid down another three cards.

***

Including the folds, Joo Hawon’s record stood at five wins and fifteen losses.

Tangbang had gotten up midway, but as the game stretched on, spectators began to gather. Since it was the VIP room, there were fewer than at the ordinary tables outside.

During a brief pause, one of Aeil’s men who had exchanged chips handed him the bag. Aeil opened it and glanced toward Joo Hawon’s seat. This must be what it felt like to be chasing a mirage. His win rate was higher, yet Joo Hawon had more chips.

“Since the exchange is done, shall we resume?”

The briefcase of chips was worth about five billion won. Aeil clearly meant to crush him with a larger bankroll. Joo Hawon, meanwhile, tallied the chips neatly arranged before him. Starting with five hundred million won, he was now up to about 3.5 billion. It was about time to raise the stakes.

Joo Hawon dealt the cards.

[♠Q, ♠K, ♣Q]

He had a fairly strong one-pair right from the start. But unexpectedly, he revealed the ‘♣Q.’ If even one more ‘Q’ appeared among the next four cards, it would look like a mere one-pair, and if Aeil’s hand wasn’t strong, he might fold. Not that Joo Hawon cared either way.

Since Aeil had shown ‘♥K,’ the betting began with him.

“You said this is free betting, right?”

“That’s correct.”

Aeil tossed in ten black chips. That was more than fifty million won.

“Half.”

Joo Hawon pushed in half of Aeil’s bet.

A grave silence spread around them. Neither man at the table could read the other’s expression.

The next cards revealed: Aeil [Hidden, Hidden, ♥K, ♥J], Joo Hawon [Hidden(♠Q), Hidden(♠K), ♣Q, ♠10].

On the surface, Joo Hawon’s hand did not look especially good. Aeil had two consecutive hearts, so there was a chance of a flush, though there was no guarantee his hidden cards were hearts. Probability suggested it was slightly more likely, however. Meanwhile, Joo Hawon had no hearts at all.

“Half.”

Joo Hawon said.

“Half.”

He restrained the corners of his lips from curling upward, guessing that Aeil’s hand wasn’t as good as it seemed. If it had been strong, he would have raised higher in this situation.

“Half.”

“My, you’re coming on strong. I’ll match it.”

This time, Joo Hawon called in order to keep his cards.

Since three raises were permitted each round in the VIP room, the pot swelled in no time. To the onlookers, it seemed the two must both have strong hands to be raising like this, but the outcome would only be clear once the hands were shown.

The fifth cards were dealt. Aeil now had [Hidden, Hidden, ♥K, ♥J, ♥10], while Joo Hawon had [Hidden(♠Q), Hidden(♠K), ♣Q, ♠10, ♥A]. Low murmurs rippled through the crowd.

On the surface, one had a high chance at a flush, while the other seemed to hold nothing particularly strong. To some, it even looked like Aeil might be headed toward a royal straight flush. But what blocked that possibility was Joo Hawon, who held the ♥A.

Even so, if Aeil were to draw ‘♥Q’ and ‘♥9,’ he would have a straight flush for certain. If that happened, victory would be his.

“Half.”

Joo Hawon opened with a raise.

“Call, and half.”

Aeil was quick to follow.

“Half.”

“Mr. Louis, don’t you think this is a bit much?”

“I’m keeping it reasonable. What will you do?”

“Well, of course I’ll go half.”

Each round, the two of them exchanged the maximum three raises. To Aeil, it was baffling—just what kind of formidable hand was Joo Hawon hiding to attack like this?

Now they were down to the final hidden card. Joo Hawon’s mouth felt parched, and his eyes were weary.

“The final hidden card will be dealt.”

With practiced hands, Joo Hawon laid down one card each.

Aeil’s hand: [Hidden, Hidden, ♥K, ♥J, ♥10, ♠9, Hidden]
Joo Hawon’s hand: [Hidden, Hidden, ♣Q, ♠10, ♥A, ♠J, Hidden]

At first glance, neither man’s hand looked far stronger than the other’s. If just one of Aeil’s hidden cards were a ‘Q,’ at minimum he would have a straight.

Having the lead, Joo Hawon let out a light breath.

“Dealer.”

He pushed all his chips into the center.

“I’m going all in.”

It was his way of declaring the end—there was no need for more unnecessary raises.

Joo Hawon’s final stake was 3.5 billion won. Now, Aeil either had to fold or match that all-in with his own chips.

“Hmm. All in, is it…”

“Yes, all in. Shall I give you some time to think?”

“Let’s see. If you had more chips, Mr. Louis, would you have bet more?”

“As you can see.”

“If I follow and lose, I’ll be down about three million dollars. If I win, I’ll gain even more.”

“If you truly had a straight flush, would there be any need to hesitate?”

“Oh? So what you’re saying is, you don’t hold a hand that can beat a straight flush.”

Joo Hawon smiled faintly.

“Such a pity, to waste a smile like that.”

Aeil felt desire, but what he coveted had already slipped from his grasp.

“Even just by appearances, there is no hand in my possession that could beat a straight flush. Even if I held four of a kind, it would not be enough.”

“There is no way you could be hiding three Aces, Mr. Louis…”

“In that case, one of the Aces must be among Vice CEO Aeil Kwon’s hole cards.”

“Fine. Things have gone this far, I should follow through.”

At Aeil’s words, Joo Hawon’s eyelids twitched ever so faintly. He truly had not expected Aeil to follow. It was a fleeting reaction that most people would never notice, but Aeil caught it.

“I’ll match Mr. Louis’s all-in, and I’ll call.”

He pushed forward a mountain of chips.

“The game ends here.”

Joo Hawon rang the game’s closing bell.

“I will reveal the cards one by one.”

Quick and precise, Joo Hawon flipped the cards over with a sharp flick.

Aeil’s hand: [◆K, ♣10, ♥K, ♥J, ♥10, ♠9, ♣K]
Joo Hawon’s hand: [♠Q, ♠K, ♣Q, ♠10, ♥A, ♠J, Joker]

When Aeil saw the Joker, the corner of his lips twisted upward. It was laughter that dripped with incredulous scorn.

“Dealer, the wildcard (Joker) will be converted into the Ace of Spades.”

A roar of cheers burst from those around the table. Joo Hawon lightly clenched his fist before arranging the revealed cards according to their rank.

[♥K, ◆K, ♣K, ♥10, ♣10]
[♠10, ♠J, ♠Q, ♠K, ♠A]

“Vice CEO Aeil Kwon holds a [K, 10] full house. The dealer holds a royal straight flush.”

Another wave of cheers erupted, and Joo Hawon looked at Aeil as he declared,

“The dealer wins.”

As Joo Hawon reached to collect the chips, Aeil seized his wrist in a firm grip.

“Let go.”

It was the same spot where the tattoo had once been inked.

“You know something? Do you know who you owe your survival to?”

“No. And I have no desire to know anything about you, Vice CEO Aeil Kwon.”

With a sharp exhale of laughter, Aeil finally released his wrist, as though resigning to his loss. Lighting a cigarette, he let out a long stream of smoke and muttered,

“So it wasn’t a bluff.”

The smoke drifted close to Joo Hawon’s face, threatening to make him cough, but he pressed his lips tightly together.

“But how did you know a Joker would come up?”

The question implied suspicion of trickery.

“If you wish, I can have you review the footage of my table and this casino room.”

“Well, it’s not as if a dealer here could get away with cheating. So was it really just luck?”

“Perhaps. My luck has been rather extraordinary lately.”

It was long past the end of his shift. Joo Hawon swept the chips into his case.

“Still, luck like this is unbelievable.”

“Perhaps you should try nearly dying once, Vice CEO.”

Aeil took another deep drag of his cigarette.

“The next dealer will be along shortly, so I’ll be going.”

Click. He closed the chip case. Aeil made a move to keep him seated. Why not play a little longer? He still had chips left.

“It’s nearly time for the chairman’s arrival.”

Joo Hawon gave a crisp bow, holding the case, and stepped away from the table. Then, as though he had remembered something, he stopped, turned back toward Aeil, and smiled.

“Today has been the most enjoyable time since I first met you, Vice CEO.”

That dazzling smile was enough to make Aeil want to crush the man’s body in his hand. Yet he returned a polite smile instead.

“When you grow tired, come to me, Mr. Louis.”

“I doubt that will ever happen.”

“Will it, though?”

He pressed insistently.

“Even if it did, I would not come to you, Vice CEO Aeil Kwon.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re not to my taste.”

“Ha, so it really was mixed-bloods you liked.”

Aeil exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

“Give me a chance to take my revenge soon.”

“No. Tonight was the last time. I won’t be gambling again.”

Joo Hawon strode out of the VIP room.

He opened his briefcase and poured seventy billion won worth of chips into the STA charity box. Applause broke out around him, and feeling a little self-conscious, Joo Hawon scratched his cheek.

“Vice CEO Aeil Kwon.”

At his raised voice, Aeil turned. Joo Hawon tore off his name tag, removed his vest, and declared himself no longer a dealer for STA Füssen. He raised his middle finger at Aeil, then casually draped the vest over his arm. Aeil bared his teeth in laughter, and Joo Hawon left the VIP room in the highest of spirits.