155: Are you going to go this far?

The Governors Mansion.

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

He opened the door and saw Shui Meng sitting in the Governor's office chair, curiously looking him over. He instantly felt a tightening sensation.

A flurry of thoughts immediately erupted in his mind.

He had served at the Governors Mansion for centuries and had seen countless favored women, but this was the first time he had seen someone who could enter the Governor's office and sit in the Governor's seat.

In just three seconds, the steward had formed an extremely high opinion of Shui Meng.

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

Shui Meng was stunned. Madam?

This was probably some kind of misunderstanding.

But her mind worked extremely fast. She immediately connected this to the alien suppressed on the moon, who was likely the Governor this person was talking about.

The reason the Human Emperor could bring them here was probably by taking over the identity of the Governor and thus controlling the entire planet.

"I don't know."

The steward bowed respectfully. Just as he was about to exit 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. With a thought, he immediately understood the information within.

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

"Understood. We can depart now."

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

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 toward them, bowed his head in acknowledgment, and backed out, closing the door.

"Here, call me Governor."

Shui Meng: "Yes, Governor!"

"This time, you will accompany me on a trip."

"Where are we going?"

He Ming: "Somewhere to make money."

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

"Buckle up."

"Oh."

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

The spaceship flew out of the hangar and vanished without a trace the moment it ascended, reappearing a second later in deep space, 100 light-years away.

Before them appeared an impossibly large space city, surrounded by three constantly rotating energy bands, with ships coming and going nonstop.

A magnificent palace floated in the center of the city, radiating mysterious, colorful streams of light.

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

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

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

Shui Meng's eyes shone brightly, and her mouth was wide open, big enough to fit a goose egg.

"Wow, it's so huge!"

The spaceship entered the harbor. After landing, 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. The transmission distance isn't on the same level."

Passing through the Stargate, the two were teleported into the palace's large reception hall.

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 held a Governor-level gathering every ten years. To put it nicely, it was to enhance cohesion and promote friendship and trade between star systems.

The real purpose was to skim off a layer of profit from the Governors to fill the treasury.

Although the Royal Family did not participate, they took a cut. Regardless of win or loss, as long as a bet was placed, 5% of the chip value from any form of gambling would be taken.

Shui Meng tugged at her slightly tight dress, leaned close to He Ming, and whispered, "Governor, isn't gambling a bit improper? My dad doesn't allow me to touch it."

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

Shui Meng: "..."

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

"Governor Wang, are you planning to redeem yourself this time?"

He Ming turned his head and looked 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. He had some history with Wang Chao, having won over a hundred trillion 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 high are you planning to play this time?"

He Ming: "Five quadrillion, I suppose."

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

"Are you sure?"

He Ming: "Are you in or out?"

Chris was extremely confident in his gambling skills. Especially in the last ten gatherings, he had managed to win seventy or eighty trillion every time.

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

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

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

Chris's expression became slightly more serious. This banquet would last for a whole month. Cashing in so many chips right at the start... this guy 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 fleece this person first.

Chris: "One trillion in chips."

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

Chris was taken aback, feeling somewhat confused for a moment.

Anyone who could become a Governor was an intelligent person and naturally knew the true purpose of the decade-long gathering.

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

"Let me choose? Are you sure?"

He Ming: "Go ahead and choose. Anything is fine."

A cold light flashed in Chris's eyes. He Ming's casual attitude made him feel insulted.

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 for 50 Points]

[1-100 numbered cards, Crown, and Scepter, totaling 102 cards. The Crown and Scepter cards are wild cards and can represent any number. Two cards are dealt initially. The pot starts at ten million. Betting occurs after drawing each card. A total of five cards are used 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 card.]

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

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

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