The evening breeze brought a cool breath to the city of Haizhu.
"What? Xia Lei's been discharged?" Ma Xiao'an's jaw nearly hit the floor at the nurse's station.
"His eyes are fine," the nurse said, barely looking up. "We're short on beds, so we let him go early."
"Wait—his eyes are... fine?" Ma Xiao'an was even more shocked.
"You got a problem, go ask him yourself," the nurse snapped. "I've got things to do. Don't hold me up."
"Sorry..." Ma Xiao'an backed off and turned around. He pulled out his phone and tried to call Xia Lei, but the line was dead—his phone was turned off.
Standing near the elevator, Ma Xiao'an muttered, "What the hell is this guy up to?"
Ding! The elevator doors slid open—and out stepped Chen Chuanhu, flanked by a few punk-looking youths.
Ma Xiao'an froze. He turned to walk away, but the punks quickly moved in and boxed him in.
"Wh-What do you want?" Ma Xiao'an stammered, already trembling.
"What do I want?" Chen sneered. "You and that bastard Xia Lei scammed me, that's what! I just called the hospital—the doctor said Xia Lei's eyes are fine. That little shit burned up my welding machine and transformer, then conned me out of ten grand in 'medical bills.' What do you think I want?"
"It's... a misunderstanding," Ma Xiao'an said, voice shaky.
"Misunderstand your ass!" Chen barked. "Beat his face in, then we'll go find Xia Lei. I don't believe that kid can hide forever!"
The punks pounced. Fists and feet rained down.
Ma Xiao'an curled up on the floor, covering his head, his mind screaming: Lei! Run! Don't go home!
But Xia Lei wasn't home. At that exact moment, he was stepping through the grand entrance of the Grand Lisboa Casino in Macau.
Macau sat just across the water from Haizhu City, a black-market boat ride away for only 200 yuan. That's how Xia Lei came—phone turned off, no one knowing where he was going.
A casino was the fastest way to cash in on his new x-ray vision.
He exchanged ¥8,000 for chips at the front desk and headed to a blackjack table.
Seated at the table was a woman in a tight black dress. Her curves were flawless, her aura cold and unapproachable. She was stunning, but intimidating.
Xia Lei dared not stare—afraid he'd waste a peek on something other than money.
The woman gave him a quick glance and immediately looked away. He was decent-looking, sure, but his clothes were cheap. She wasn't interested.
Just as Xia Lei reached the table, the dealer and the woman finished a round. The dealer had 19, the woman 17—dealer wins.
"Damn it. Haven't won a single hand," the woman muttered, frowning. She stood up and walked away, frustrated.
Xia Lei sat down, carefully placing his chips on the table.
"Would you like to play, sir?" the female dealer asked with a professional smile.
Xia Lei nodded.
"Place your bet, please."
He didn't rush. Instead, he locked eyes on the card shoe.
In a flash, his left eye activated—piercing through the top card. Its back turned translucent, and the front appeared clearly in his mind.
Ace of Spades.
"Sir?" the dealer prompted.
"I'm deciding how much to bet," Xia Lei said casually.
The dealer eyed his measly chips with thinly veiled disdain. Another poor wage slave from the mainland trying to get lucky.
But Xia Lei had already seen the top four cards:
Ace of Spades
9 of Hearts
King of Spades
Ace of Hearts
By the table's rotation, his hand would be Blackjack—21 right off the bat. Double payout.
He smiled and pushed all his chips forward. "8,000. All in."
The dealer smirked, already picturing his defeated face.
Playing the role, Xia Lei peeked under his hole card dramatically. "C'mon... Black Ace, Black Ace..."
The woman in the black dress had stopped nearby. Her eyes lingered, filled with contempt.
"Blackjack!" Xia Lei flipped the card excitedly.
The dealer blinked at her own cards—20 points. Her face turned green.
From 8,000 to 24,000 in one hand.
"Place your bet," she said again, forcing a smile.
This time, Xia Lei peeked at the card shoe and saw:
His hand: 6♦ + 7♣ = 13
Dealer: 9♥ + Q♦ = 19
Next card to draw: 9♠ = bust
A guaranteed loss.
He bet 500, the minimum.
"Just 500 again?" the dealer asked. "You've got hot hands. Don't waste your luck."
"Nope. Just 500," he said flatly.
She leaned forward, cleavage on full display. "Come on, sir. Believe me—you're on fire tonight. Go big."
Xia Lei smirked and glanced down.
Fake. Stuffed. Small. His x-ray gaze had revealed the truth.
"Too small," he muttered.
"Excuse me?" the dealer blinked.
"Nothing. Deal the cards."
"Smart-ass," she cursed under her breath, tossing the cards.
Xia Lei busted on purpose. Lost 500.
She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.
Next round, he pushed all his chips again.
This time: 20 vs dealer's 19. He doubled his chips to 27,500.
The woman in black hadn't left. Now, her gaze held curiosity—maybe even... respect?
In ten minutes, Xia Lei placed 11 bets.
Lost 6 (all 500)
Won 5 (all-in each time)
Final stack: 210,000.
The dealer was sweating. Not from fear of the money, but from how unnatural this kid was.
Right as she was about to press the alert button, Xia Lei stood up.
"Luck's running dry. I'm out."
The dealer stared, stunned. That slap to the face... ouch.
It wasn't that Xia Lei couldn't win more. He could—but he was exhausted. The power drained him fast. And winning too much? That attracted attention. 200K was plenty. Enough to pay his sister's tuition.
He split the money: 180K in one card, 30K in another.
Then he walked out of Grand Lisboa. The ocean breeze hit his face. He felt refreshed.
But something strange had happened during his last hand. When he glanced at the dealer's hand, he didn't see a card—he saw... a pink vibrator.
A hallucination.
He shook it off.
As he stepped down from the steps, ready to catch a boat home, he saw a tall woman waiting nearby. High heels. Curves. Tight dress. Gorgeous.
It was the same woman from the blackjack table.
Is she trying to hit on me for that 200K I won? Xia Lei thought. But then he noticed her LV bag—worth tens of thousands. Yeah... she's out of my league.
She didn't look at him. Didn't say a word.
So cold... What kind of man can handle this type?
Then suddenly—Xia Lei's eyes snapped upward.
Across the street, on a rooftop, a man in a baseball cap lay prone. A sniper rifle in his hands.
Aiming—straight at the woman beside him.
"Look out!" Xia Lei shouted, grabbing her waist and tackling her to the ground.
Bang! A bullet slammed into the spot she had just been standing. Sparks flew.