PNB Chapter 17 Should I really call him Master?
Chapter 17 Should I really call him Master?
There is no game in the world that cannot be won, unless you are not cunning enough.
Gu Zhibei agreed with this statement, but not entirely.
To win in real-world games, besides having a smart enough mind, you also need the strong courage to remain calm even when the mountain collapses, in short, to be thick-skinned.
Fortunately, he had both of those things.
However, more than the outcome of the game, Gu Zhibei, who was now confident of victory, was curious whether his opponent would reveal his true emotions after his crushing defeat.
Or will he maintain his usual cold and indifferent expression?
Time slipped away amidst the repeated ringing of the school bell.
Fridays, which usually seem long, felt unusually short today, and lunch break time arrived in the blink of an eye.
Gu Zhibei found an excuse to let Shiba Inu and Xiaoyu have a lunch for two that his little cousin was extremely jealous of.
He walked out of the classroom and happened to run into Pei Qingning, who had come looking for him.
Without saying anything more, the girl walked ahead of him and began to lead the way.
Just as Gu Zhibei was wondering where she was going to take him, Pei Qingning stopped in front of a door.
The sign on the door had a few words printed on it.
[Principal's Office]
Gu Zhibei: ?
He quickly asked, "What are you doing here?"
"play cards."
"...You want to play cards in the principal's office?"
"Um."
Pei Qingning turned around and stared at him for two seconds, as if wondering if he wanted to back out.
She pushed open the door and went inside.
Gu Zhibei hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not choose to leave.
With a top-ten ranking in the entire school as a shield, Principal Wang is unlikely to aid and abet evil, helping the wicked capitalists suppress future pillars of society.
He walked into the room, and the principal's office was completely different from what he had imagined. There was no desk, let alone pens and paper.
More like a cozy little haven for rest and relaxation than an office.
In the corner was a soft little bed, with traces of someone having slept on it.
Several game consoles were piled on the coffee table in the middle, including PS5, Switch 2, and Xbox.
On the other side was a large glass cabinet containing many figurines of various sizes, including old-fashioned figures like Umaru-chan, Jeanne d'Arc Alter, and Demon's Embrace, which Gu Zhibei could still recognize.
Is this really the principal's office?
Gu Zhibei suddenly noticed that besides Pei Qingning, who sat down on the sofa with ease, there was another woman in the room.
The woman had a capable and efficient demeanor, and there were obvious signs of exercise on her arms.
Upon seeing Gu Zhibei, who followed her in, she was first taken aback, then her expression became somewhat strange:
"Please don't mind me, I'm just Miss's personal assistant."
"Don't get me wrong, I'm here to play cards," Gu Zhibei explained.
The woman's expression immediately became even stranger.
Boy, girl, small room.
play cards.
She didn't say anything more and silently retreated to a corner.
Under the girl's gaze, Gu Zhibei sat down opposite her.
He wasn't overly reserved.
Now that we're inside, it's impossible to just linger outside.
She probably won't budge.
Gu Zhibei took out the prepared playing cards and placed them on the coffee table:
"Playing a whole set is too slow. How about we pick ten pairs to make it simpler and faster?"
"Um."
Pei Qingning's face remained calm and composed, seemingly unconcerned about his ulterior motives.
However, the more she acted this way, the more wary Gu Zhibei became.
Where does this confidence come from?
He picked out ten pairs and a King, and said without changing his expression:
"Should we check it?"
"..."
This time, Pei Qingning did not answer him.
She stared blankly up at the sky with her little face upturned.
The kitten on the boy's head was wearing a rather cute but sinister smile.
The girl was a little confused.
She lowered her head, staring intently at the playing cards on the table, her calm tone revealing a hint of seriousness:
"I need to check."
Her pronunciation was extremely soft and light, yet it sent a chill down Gu Zhibei's spine.
His attitude changed after he looked up once?
Could there really be something dirty inside?
Gu Zhibei maintained a calm expression and casually handed over the playing cards.
Even if she could spot the slightest dawdling, it wouldn't prove anything; it would only raise suspicion of cheating.
Suspicion can never be used to convict.
Fortunately, the worst did not happen. Although Pei Qingning looked a little confused, she put down the playing cards after several rounds of unsuccessful checks.
Gu Zhibei breathed a sigh of relief, but was equally puzzled.
The other person acted as if they had discovered they had cheated.
But she obviously didn't know where she cheated, or how she found out about it.
With a heavy heart, Gu Zhibei began to shuffle the cards.
The ace, which had been stretched a little too wide, felt somewhat strange to the touch, and he placed it at the very bottom.
There are 21 cards in total. Whoever draws first will draw the Joker card.
"You go first," Gu Zhibei said with a polite, deferential smile.
To his surprise, Pei Qingning simply stared at him silently, her meaning quite clear.
You go first.
Gu Zhibei's eye twitched slightly.
To avoid being exposed, he reached out and touched a card.
However, before officially beginning, he cautiously proposed a rule:
"Best two out of three, how about that?"
"Um."
The girl didn't care at all about this.
This made Gu Zhibei even more certain of his guess.
The fact that Pei Qingning cares whether he cheated shows that she wants to win.
Having previously agreed to various conditions favorable to him, he now clearly appears to be very confident of his victory.
Just like his mindset of secretly cheating and having victory in his grasp.
Gu Zhibei vaguely understood the other person's feelings at this moment.
You clearly know there's something wrong with the other person, but you just can't figure out what it is.
"Let's see whose cheating methods are more sophisticated."
Gu Zhibei calmed himself down and placed the Joker card on the far left.
If the opponent draws the Joker, he cannot draw the Joker that he himself marked on the back.
He didn't believe that Pei Qingning's luck was good enough to keep avoiding this card.
After drawing their cards, the two players first played out the pairs they had.
Gu Zhibei played two pairs, leaving him with seven cards in his hand.
Pei Qingning only played one pair, leaving her with eight cards.
It may seem like a slight advantage, but in reality, as long as you have the Joker in your hand, it's like a ticking time bomb.
The first round was Gu Zhibei's turn. Since he had the Joker in his hand, he randomly drew one.
They played a pair of Kings.
With six cards left in her hand, Pei Qingning's probability of drawing the Joker card has become one in six.
And then it was her turn.
Unlike him, Pei Qingning didn't act quickly and decisively. Instead, she slowly stretched out her hand, her index finger hovering above a card.
She didn't draw a card, but instead looked up, as if observing his expression.
Gu Zhibei didn't even look at her; his gaze lingered unconsciously on the small hand in front of him.
This hand is exceptionally small, with soft fingertips and neatly trimmed nails. The natural light pink color adds a touch of girlish charm.
For some reason, her fingertip moved to another card.
She moved her fingers again and again until she touched the card on the very edge.
This one happens to be the Joker.
Gu Zhibei remained motionless, like a professional agent who wouldn't budge even with a gun pointed at his forehead.
As soon as she drew this card, the gun was handed to him.
To Gu Zhibei's disappointment, the girl quickly moved her hand away and instead pulled out the card she had just taken out.
"She can't always be so lucky," he consoled himself.
He then drew cards, played a pair, and the number of cards became five.
It was Pei Qingning's turn again.
Without even looking at it, she drew a card directly from the middle.
The movements were swift and decisive, without any hesitation.
A sense of foreboding crept into Gu Zhibei's heart.
It's too late to back out.
He had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue smoking.
After playing another pair, you have three cards left in your hand.
If the opponent doesn't draw the Joker this time, Gu Zhibei will only have two cards left in his hand.
That means he lost.
Because of his turn, he must draw a card.
That is, Pei Qingning's last card.
All that will remain on the field is the Joker card in his hand.
Whether you draw or not, it's all over.
However, Gu Zhibei didn't believe that her luck was really that good.
A one-third probability, how can you say that... um?
Just as he was feeling anxious,
With a swift motion, the girl drew a card.
Gu Zhibei stared blankly.
The last card in my hand...
It's a joker.
Lost.