153: Are you going to go this far?

Governors Mansion.

The Steward knocked on the door of the Governor's office, but the response was a female voice, which confused him slightly.

He opened the door and saw Shui Meng sitting in the Governor's office chair, curiously looking him over, instantly causing him to feel a sudden dread.

A flurry of thoughts immediately erupted in his mind.

He had served in the Governors Mansion for several centuries and had seen many favored women, but this was the first time he had ever seen one who could enter the Governor's office and sit on the Governor's throne.

In just three seconds, the Steward had formed an extremely high appraisal of Shui Meng.

"Madam, do you know where the Governor went?"

Shui Meng was startled. Madam?

This was probably some kind of misunderstanding.

But her mind worked quickly, and she immediately connected this to the alien suppressed on the moon, who was likely the Governor this person was referring to.

And the reason the Human Sovereign could bring them here was likely because he had usurped the identity of the Governor and thus controlled the entire planet.

"I don't know."

The Steward bowed respectfully, and just as he was about to leave the office, He Ming, clad in battle armor, walked in.

"What is it?"

"Governor, this is an invitation from the Star Empire."

He Ming took the invitation, and with a thought, he instantly understood the information within.

The Star Empire holds a Governor-level gathering every ten years.

"Understood. We can depart now."

"Governor, the entourage for this trip..."

The Steward's words were cut short.

"I only need to bring one person."

The Steward glanced at Shui Meng, who had stood up and was walking towards them, lowered his head in acknowledgment, and backed out, closing the door.

"Here, call me Governor."

Shui Meng: "Yes, Governor!"

"This time, you will accompany me."

"Where are we going?"

He Ming: "Somewhere to make money."

... Boarding the spaceship, He Ming sat in the pilot's seat, and with a thought, entered the coordinates of the venue for the banquet into the control panel.

"Strap in."

"Oh."

She sat in the co-pilot's seat, and the seatbelt automatically fastened.

The spaceship left the hangar, vanished without a trace the moment it ascended, and the next second, appeared in deep space 100 light-years away.

Before them appeared an incredibly massive space city, encircled by three layers of constantly rotating energy rings, with ships coming and going incessantly.

A magnificent palace floated in the center of the city, emitting a mysterious seven-colored radiance.

Shui Meng: "Wow, this city is a hundred times more spectacular than the Starport—no, a thousand times!"

A trace of surprise flashed in He Ming's eyes.

This was the foundation of a peak Level 3 civilization, the Star Empire... It was indeed massive; the total area of the Starport was less than one-tenth of this space city.

Shui Meng's eyes were shining, and her mouth was open wide enough to fit a goose egg.

"Wow, it's so big!"

The spaceship entered the port, and after landing steadily, the hatch opened, revealing an energy layer shimmering with water-like patterns.

"Is this a Space-Time Bridge?"

He Ming: "In the Star Empire, this thing is called a Stargate, and the transmission distance is not on the same level."

Passing through the Stargate, the two were teleported to the large reception hall inside the palace.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of He Ming's mouth. This was hardly a reception hall; it was clearly a massive casino.

Through the omniscient notebook, He Ming learned that the Star Empire holds a Governor-level gathering every ten years. To put it nicely, it is meant to enhance cohesion and promote friendship and trade between star systems.

The true purpose is to skim profits from the Governors to fill the treasury.

Although the Royal Family does not participate, they take a cut. Regardless of win or loss, as long as a bet is placed, 5% of the chips are deducted from any form of gambling.

Shui Meng tugged at her somewhat tight dress, leaned close to He Ming, and whispered, "Governor, isn't gambling a bit inappropriate? My dad doesn't let me touch this stuff."

"It's fine. Just don't tell your dad."

Shui Meng: "..."

He Ming led Shui Meng to the service counter, took out his terminal, and was about to exchange for chips when a frivolous voice suddenly came from beside him.

"Governor Wang, are you planning to wipe away your previous shame this time?"

He Ming turned his head to look at the man dressed in pure black armor with long golden hair draped over his shoulders.

With a thought, the basic information of the person before him appeared in his mind.

Chris, Governor of the Yuanyang Star System, had some bad blood with Wang Chao, having won over a hundred trillion credits from Wang Chao at the gambling table ten years ago.

"Chris, I won't lose again this time."

Chris put his arm around his female companion's waist and chuckled, "Together?"

He Ming: "Sure."

Chris: "How big do you plan to play this time?"

He Ming: "Five hundred trillion."

Chris suddenly turned his head, a trace of confusion flashing in his eyes. Playing this big?

"Are you sure?"

He Ming: "Are you in or out?"

Chris was extremely confident in his gambling skills, especially since he had managed to win seven or eight trillion credits at each of the last ten gatherings.

"I'm in. Why wouldn't I be?"

"With you covering the bottom line for me, how could I possibly lose? Hahahaha..."

He Ming handed over his terminal and told the clerk, "Ten trillion credits in chips."

Chris's expression became slightly more serious. This banquet would last for a full month, and exchanging so many chips right at the start meant he was serious... The clerk took the terminal, entered the amount, and handed it back.

"Ten trillion credits have been loaded for you."

He Ming did not have a good impression of Chris, so he planned to skin this man first.

Chris: "One trillion credits in chips."

He Ming waited for Chris to finish exchanging chips, then said calmly, "What do you want to play? Feel free to choose."

Chris was stunned, momentarily feeling confused.

Anyone who could become a Governor was an astute person, naturally aware of the true purpose of the decade gathering.

Therefore, to avoid being fleeced too badly by the Star Empire, most Governors specialized in mastering two or even just one type of gambling game.

"You're letting me choose? Are you sure?"

He Ming: "Choose. Anything goes."

A cold light flashed in Chris's eyes. He Ming's nonchalance made him feel like he was being humiliated.

That indifferent demeanor seemed to say: No matter what you choose, I can beat you.

"You said it. Then let's play 50 Points."

He Ming had a thought.

[Rules of the 50 Points Game]

[1-100 numbered cards, Crown, Scepter, totaling 102 cards. Crown and Scepter cards are wild cards and can be used as any number. Two cards are dealt initially. The pot starts at ten million. Betting occurs after drawing each card, totaling five cards for addition and subtraction. The player closest to 50 wins and takes the pot. If the points are the same, the winner is determined by the highest value card.]

After seeing the answer, He Ming already had a plan.

The rules of the game were not complicated; they were similar to Texas Hold'em, which he had played in his previous life, requiring observation of the opponent's micro-expressions and betting proportions to deduce their cards.

Chris sneered inwardly: "Wang Chao, I play 50 Points every day. I've specifically practiced this for over three hundred years. You're still too green to play against me."