Baccarat, a card game originating from Italy, was introduced to Macau’s casinos last century and quickly became a cash cow for the city’s gambling hubs.
There are countless strategies for playing baccarat, with experts touting various betting methods to boost win rates… but truthfully, none of that matters much. You can bet randomly if you want. If those so-called experts could reliably predict outcomes, Macau’s casinos would’ve shut down long ago. Since skill isn’t critical, Yu Wei brought Wen Ying and the other three to try baccarat as a taste of the casino.
No need for gambling expertise—newbies rely purely on luck!
Wen Ying had boasted to Xie Qian about her great luck, but at the table, she bet cautiously, observing for a long time before placing just one chip at a time.
Yu Wei had exchanged their chips at 100 yuan each, giving Wen Ying 20 chips total.
When Wen Ying placed her bet, Xie Qian followed suit, as did Qin Jiao. Only Qin Yi bet differently.
“Why are you all copying my bets?” Wen Ying asked.
“Didn’t you say you have great gambling luck?” Xie Qian replied.
His comment drew the attention of nearby gamblers, who glanced at Wen Ying.
Plenty of people in casinos claim to be lucky, but someone as young as Wen Ying was rare. Seeing her youthful appearance, the gamblers quickly lost interest and turned away.
Whether she was of age wasn’t their concern. The casino let her in, and as long as her chips were real, she could play.
Qin Jiao’s reason was even more half-hearted—she followed Wen Ying’s bets because she couldn’t be bothered to think for herself.
Her attention was drawn to a performance in the adjacent hall, and she found the casino’s atmosphere unappealing.
Humans differ from animals because of reason and self-control.
But in the casino hall, people crowded around tables, their emotions—joy, anger, sorrow—manipulated by the games, which clashed with Qin Jiao’s worldview.
She disliked the place and had no interest in gambling. Following Wen Ying’s bets felt like going through the motions—if Wen Ying won, she’d win too; if Wen Ying lost, even better. Losing the 2,000 yuan quickly meant she could head to the performance sooner!
A passive gambler like Qin Jiao was probably the casino’s worst nightmare.
She didn’t care for free drinks, wasn’t swayed by attractive staff, and was nearly impossible to turn into a regular.
Logically, Xie Qian should’ve been similar, perhaps even more detached than Qin Jiao… at least, the old Xie Qian. The current Xie Qian had no interest in gambling but worried Wen Ying might.
Xie Qian could bet with better odds on his own, yet he deliberately followed Wen Ying.
Knowing Wen Ying’s personality, she wouldn’t care much about losing her own money but might feel reluctant to lose someone else’s.
Like Qin Jiao, Xie Qian hoped to burn through the 2,000 yuan quickly. If Wen Ying ran out of chips, she’d behave herself for the rest of their time in Macau.
It’s fine to spend money on a lesson, but not learning from it would be a waste!
Casinos weren’t exactly wholesome, and with countless other travel destinations worldwide, Wen Ying didn’t need to fixate on Macau’s gambling scene.
Yu Wei’s eyes scanned the four.
Wen Ying was a tag-along, not worth his attention.
Xie Qian’s background was unclear, with no ties to the Qin family—not a priority.
Qin Jiao, Qin Xianming’s daughter, was dearly loved, but that love only went so far. When it came to inheritance, the family business would go to the son.
Yu Wei’s gaze shifted, sidling up to Qin Yi: “Young Master Qin, if this game’s not exciting enough, I can take you to try something else.”
Qin Yi tossed a chip in his hand, turning to him, “Oh? What do you want to show me?”
Yu Wei whispered something Wen Ying, Xie Qian, and Qin Jiao couldn’t hear. Qin Yi actually grabbed his chips and followed.
Wen Ying clicked her tongue, quietly asking Qin Jiao, “This bootlicker’s got his eye on your brother. You’re not stopping him?”
Qin Jiao was indeed worried but didn’t chase after them.
“If it’s not Yu Wei, it’ll be Li Wei or Zhang Wei. I can stop him now, but when the next Wei shows up, I might not be around. This is my brother’s business.”
When Qin Yi started university, Qin Xianming had a long talk with him.
Leaving his familiar environment, Qin Yi would encounter all sorts of people. He’d have to judge who was trustworthy, what he could or couldn’t do—parents couldn’t watch him forever.
Qin Xianming warned Qin Yi that he’d face more temptations than Qin Jiao. As the son, outsiders assumed he’d inherit the family business, making him a target for schemes that could not only harm him but also damage the Qin family.
Qin Jiao, at worst, might face romantic troubles—maybe a bad boyfriend or a broken heart. To Qin Xianming, those were trivial.
With the family’s support, what heartbreak couldn’t be overcome?
If 100,000 yuan couldn’t heal a broken heart, throw in a million. Spending money wouldn’t ruin the family—squandering it through ignorance would.
Qin Jiao had overheard from outside the study when her father solemnly told her brother: no matter what outsiders thought, the Qin family didn’t play favorites between sons and daughters. Young people should strive first and rely on the family second. When he retired, both children would have equal inheritance rights.
Qin Jiao retracted her worried gaze and asked Wen Ying, “When are you going to lose all your chips?”
“…I’ll try to speed it up.”
With two passive gamblers watching, Wen Ying almost felt winning was a crime.
Lose it, lose it all—it’d be a vivid lesson for Xie Qian on quitting gambling!
Wen Ying shifted her mindset and started betting recklessly.
Whatever she bet, Xie Qian and Qin Jiao followed.
Two hours later, the pile of chips in front of Wen Ying grew higher, and several gamblers crowded around, urging her to keep betting.
“Little lady, first time gambling?”
“Newbie dominating the table…”
“Quick, quick, what’re you betting this round?”
Wen Ying was baffled.
The more someone wanted to win, the more they lost.
She, wanting to lose, kept winning.
Could it really be that saying, “unlucky in love, lucky in gambling”? Was she killing it at the casino because He Zhen was cozying up with his senior in the UK?
Wen Ying frowned, puzzling over it. Such unscientific nonsense—she shouldn’t believe it!
A hand pulled her out of the crowd.
Xie Qian was exasperated.
Tonight, Wen Ying seemed blessed by the gambling gods, winning every bet. If she hadn’t kept her bets small, she’d have won even more.
But this was completely against Xie Qian’s intentions!
“You still want to play?”
If Wen Ying did, Xie Qian was considering switching tables to lose her chips. To his surprise, she shook her head, “Nah, it’s boring. Winning’s too easy, no challenge, no chance to show my brilliant mind!”
“…Brilliant mind?”
Xie Qian wasn’t sure she had one, but her unshakable confidence was something else.
At least with that confidence, she found winning every bet dull. Xie Qian seized the chance: “Then let’s stop.”
Qin Jiao had been itching to watch the performance next door. The three, who’d entered with fake IDs, took their pile of winnings and left for the show, leaving the gamblers hoping to ride Wen Ying’s luck staring at each other.
That night, Wen Ying, Xie Qian, and Qin Jiao left the casino with their 2,000 yuan turned into 23,000—a beginner’s luck miracle.
Qin Xianming wasn’t so fortunate. Playing in the VIP room until dawn, he lost over five million!
