333: You're celebrating too soon.

Atapong picked up the poker cards on the table and began to shuffle them seriously.

He shuffled very carefully, splitting the deck into several portions, repeatedly rubbing and interleaving them to ensure every single card was thoroughly mixed.

He shuffled for several minutes before stopping, placing the cards on the table, and saying, "Alright, I'm done shuffling."

He thought to himself that with such thorough shuffling, even a god wouldn't be able to cheat. He would definitely win this time.

Lei Jun nodded, picked up the cards Atapong had shuffled, and began to deal.

Her movements were still very casual, as if she didn't care about the cards at all.

Atapong, on the other hand, looked nervous, his eyes fixed on Lei Jun's hands, fearing she might pull some trick.

He thought to himself that he must watch closely and not let her cheat again. Soon, the cards were dealt.

Atapong took a deep breath and slowly picked up the cards in front of him.

His hands trembled slightly, his heart filled with both nervousness and anticipation.

When he flipped over the first card and saw it was an Ace, his heart skipped a beat.

When he flipped over the second card and saw it was also an Ace, his breathing grew ragged, and his eyes filled with the light of excitement.

When he flipped over the third card and saw it was yet another Ace, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

It was actually three Aces!!!

He clutched the three Aces tightly in his hand, a look of pure ecstasy appearing on his face.

Great! This is wonderful! He shuffled the cards himself and still got three Aces! This meant his luck had arrived! He was definitely going to win this time!

No matter how skilled Lei Jun was, it was impossible for her to get a hand better than three Aces!

Seeing the three Aces in Atapong's hand, Nala was also incredibly excited. She ran over, grabbed Atapong's arm, and said excitedly, "Atapong! That's great! You got three Aces! You've definitely won!"

Songphong was also very excited: "Three Aces! It's really three Aces! Wonderful! Wonderful!"

The people around them also crowded in, and upon seeing the three Aces in Atapong's hand, they all let out exclamations of surprise.

"My god! It's actually three Aces again!"

"Atapong's luck is just too good! He got three Aces even when he shuffled the cards himself!"

"Ms. Lei Jun is definitely going to lose this time, right? Three Aces is the highest hand!"

"I think so too. No matter how amazing Ms. Lei Jun is, she can't possibly get a hand better than three Aces!"

Listening to the crowd's discussion, Atapong became even more smug.

He walked up to Ms. Lei, slammed the cards in his hand onto the table, and said loudly, "Ms. Lei, see for yourself! Three Aces! The highest Leopard! You're finished this time!"

He thought to himself, Lei Jun, you have no way out this time, do you?

Atapong said excitedly, "If we were outside, with a hand like this, I would follow to the end even if it meant losing everything I own!"

Hearing this, Nala's expression changed instantly. She quickly tugged on Atapong's arm and whispered, "Atapong, don't talk nonsense! Didn't we agree yesterday that you would never gamble again?"

Why was Atapong saying such things again? He really forgets the pain once the wound heals! Hadn't he learned his lesson after losing so much money yesterday?

Atapong waved his hand and said, "I'm just saying. I won't actually gamble again. But with this hand, I'm definitely going to win!"

He looked at Lei Jun, his eyes full of smugness and provocation.

Haha, Lei Jun, you've lost this time!

Lei Jun looked at Atapong's smug, carried-away manner, her face remaining expressionless.

What a childish fellow, getting so excited over three Aces.

"Atapong, you celebrated too early!"

"Don't forget, in golden flower, there is no such thing as the 'highest hand'!"

This sentence made everyone freeze for a moment.

No highest hand? What does that mean? Aren't three Aces the ultimate Leopard?

Atapong's smile froze on his face. Forcing himself to stay calm, he snorted, "Ms. Lei, what do you mean by that? If three Aces isn't the highest, are you saying there's such a thing as four Aces?"

Lei Jun didn't speak; she simply flicked her wrist.

Three cards were revealed simultaneously, displayed before everyone's eyes.

The first card: 2 of Diamonds.

The second card: 3 of Clubs.

The third card: 5 of Hearts.

2-3-5!

The smallest hand in golden flower! As small as it gets!

Anyone can beat a 2-3-5, but a 2-3-5 can beat the highest hand like three Aces!

Time seemed to stretch out at this moment.

A deathly silence fell over the table.

Everyone's eyes widened, staring intently at those three small cards, as if they didn't recognize the numbers and suits on them.

The diamond pattern of the 2 of Diamonds, the clover of the 3 of Clubs, the heart of the 5 of Hearts... combined, they emanated a heart-stopping power.

"Wh... what? This!" Songphong sounded as if he were being strangled.

He rubbed his eyes vigorously and leaned in closer, his face almost touching the cards.

Su Cha and Pinya's mouths hung open. They glanced at each other, both seeing disbelief in the other's eyes.

2-3-5 beats three Aces?

They... they knew this rule, but seeing it with their own eyes, especially in this manner, the impact was too great!

Nala looked dazed, glancing between the Aces in Atapong's hand and the 2-3-5 on Lei Jun's table, her mind unable to process it for a moment.

The smallest hand... beat the largest hand? How is that possible? A coincidence? How could there be such a coincidence!

Su Qing took a soft breath. Although she had a premonition, seeing such an extreme result still sent a chill through her.

She looked at Lei Jun; Ms. Lei's face was still calm and rippleless, as if she had just done something perfectly ordinary.

This sense of absolute control made Su Qing admire her immensely.

Su Ya's eyes were sparkling. This was like the most brilliant magic trick—no, more miraculous than magic, because you know magic is fake, while this... happened right before her eyes, completely real.

The one most affected was, of course, Atapong.

The ecstasy, smugness, and provocation on his face—all his expressions froze completely in the split second Lei Jun revealed her cards, then shattered like glass struck by a heavy hammer.

His eyes bulged, staring fixedly at those three glaring cards: 2, 3, and 5.

"Ms... Ms. Lei... you... this!"

His voice was dry and hoarse.

"How... how is it that I have a Leopard of Aces and you have a 2-3-5! This... this is too much of a coincidence! How could there be such a coincidence!"

Coincidence? In golden flower, the probability of getting three Aces is already extremely low, and the probability of the opponent getting a 2-3-5 at the same time is even lower. To have such an extreme showdown occur while he shuffled the cards himself and kept a death grip on his defense... the probability of such a coincidence was outrageously low!

If it wasn't a coincidence... Atapong suddenly remembered his meticulousness while shuffling and how he had stared at Lei Jun's hands without blinking while she dealt.

He could swear that Lei Jun definitely hadn't swapped or hidden any cards. Her movements could even be described as somewhat nonchalant. He had placed the shuffled deck on the table himself, and she had merely picked it up to deal.