Guardian Youth: "In the fifth inning, player number 1 won. Since player number 5 didn't lose all their points, both players can advance to the next inning."
The two girls present looked at Xiao Lou and breathed a sigh of relief.
Xiao Lou smiled as he took back the 5,000 ante from the fifth round, his own 4,000 bet, and the 4,000 bet from player number 5, for a total of 13,000 coins.
Guardian Youth: "Sixth round, game begins. Cards dealt randomly."
The cards had been dealt counter-clockwise in the previous rounds, and now one round had already been completed.
This round of card dealing was random, and it happened to be number 7.
Girl number 7 folded immediately, followed by Xiao Lou. Numbers 2 and 3, Yu Hanjiang, also folded. The cards that the four of them threw into the discard pile all had a total value of more than 10.30, and were all bad cards like 7+8 and 9+5.
It's number 5's turn.
Because the other four players all busted, exceeding 10:30, player number 5 did nothing and won effortlessly, receiving a 5000-coin ante.
By this point in the game, even the slowest person would understand how to survive.
If you have a bad hand, fold immediately; you'll only lose your 1000-coin ante. If you're forced to call, call only a small amount; survival is key—as long as you have coins, you won't be eliminated.
However, each person only has five chances to fold.
Player 5 went all-in in the first round, called in the fifth, and won the sixth without a fight. He only folded three times and still had the chance to fold again. He had over 10,000 coins, so if he folded in the seventh round, he could win immediately.
The remaining four players have all used up their chances to fold.
In the seventh round, all four players must call simultaneously.
But by this point, everyone had reached a tacit understanding—to bet the minimum amount to survive.
The order of dealing cards is random, and Xiao Lou is randomly assigned to the seventh round.
At the start of the game, Xiao Lou received an Ace.
Guardian: "Second round of dealing, number 1, please choose."
Xiao Lou glanced at his cards, his gaze sweeping across the entire table, and suddenly smiled, saying, "Pass your cards, call 1000."
Everyone was stunned for a moment.
To reach a score of 10.5, you need at least two cards. This is only the second round, and he only has one card in his hand. Why isn't he passing? Is it because his hand is too high-value, and he's afraid of exceeding 10.5 if he passes? Or is it…?
The Number 2 girl sitting on the right rolled her eyes, then suddenly her eyes lit up as if she had realized something, and she said, "Call 1000, pass!"
Yu Hanjiang (player number 3) immediately understood: "Call, pass."
Number 5 shrugged and, as expected, discarded all his cards to win.
Girl number 7 understood and threw a gold coin into the prize pool: "Call 1000, no cards."
Xiao Lou took the lead in stopping drawing cards in the second round, which was a hint to everyone - don't draw cards, everyone stop drawing cards at the same time, let the game end in the second round, directly draw the dealer, and the loss can be minimized.
At this point, no one has a Luck Bead, so getting 10:30 by sheer luck is almost impossible.
In the final round, all four players must call. According to the game rules, for each additional round of dealing, an additional 1000 coins must be bet. Why throw away those coins to gamble on luck? Wouldn't it be better to keep them in your hand?
At that moment, all four players, with remarkable tacit understanding, simultaneously chose not to play any cards.
The game will automatically end.
Guardian said, "The dealing is finished. Please show your cards."
No. 1 Xiao Lou: Red Heart A;
Girl #2: Diamond A;
No. 3 Yu Hanjiang: Ace of Spades;
Girl with ponytail #7: Plum Blossom A.
—All four players had the exact same card, point A!
Since player number 5 folded and the other four players tied, there was no winner in this round, and the bet coins will be reclaimed by the Guardian.
The boy indeed said, "The seventh round ends in a draw, game over."
He took the gold coins from the table and said, "Congratulations to the five of you for successfully completing the Plum Blossom 2 Secret Room [Challenge 10:30]. The remaining gold coins in your hands are your reward for this level."
Everyone: "..."
Thanks to Xiao Lou's decision to stop betting in the second round, everyone only lost 2000 coins in this round. If they had continued to call and bet, the loss would have been as high as 5000 coins by the fifth round.
When it's certain that everyone will survive—the wisest decision is to avoid greed and cut your losses in time.
Number 2 Girl, sitting next to Xiao Lou, glanced at him admiringly and secretly gave him a thumbs up. He led the way in stopping the game, successfully saving everyone an extra 3,000 gold coins in reward.
Just then, player number 5 suddenly smiled and said, " Plum Blossom, you've been secretly controlling the cards all along, haven't you?"
Plum Blossom Youth turned to look at him expressionlessly.
Number 5 continued, "I've played at least a thousand card games, and the probability of a 'King of Cards' hitting a 'Five Small Cards' is less than one in ten thousand. And in the last game, everyone started with Aces—unless you were controlling the hand, such a coincidence is simply impossible."
As soon as he said that, everyone perked up their ears, and Xiao Lou also looked up.
Xiao Lou had already noticed this.
It's hard to explain the clashes in the second and third rounds if it weren't for the Guardian controlling the cards.
Luck Bead, you can be sure you'll get a good one.
Card.
But when two people use Luck Bead at the same time —is it really just a matter of luck who has the better hand?
No, that's not the case.
Who stays and who gets eliminated – the initiative in this game has always been in the hands of plum blossom. In the hands of the Guardian.
In the second round, Yu Hanjiang and player number 6 both used the Luck Bead. Player number 6's hands were shaking nervously throughout, while Yu Hanjiang remained calm and composed. Guardian decided to eliminate player number 6, so he controlled the cards to let Yu Hanjiang get the King, and player number 6 was eliminated.
In the third round, both the skinny girl (number 2) and the curly-haired woman ( number 4) used the Luck Bead. The woman in number 4 lost her composure and went all in at the start. Although the skinny girl in number 2 was thin, she played steadily until the end. As a result, the guardian manipulated the woman in number 4's hand, making it weaker than the woman in number 2's hand, and she was eliminated.
The coincidence of two consecutive games makes no sense from a probability standpoint.
In addition, there's the Guardian's quote: "Luck is also a form of ability."
Xiao Lou immediately understood the secret of the Plum Blossom Secret Chamber — the Guardian controlled the cards and eliminated players based on their strength.
Keywords: luck, ability.
The Plum Blossom Secret Chamber doesn't rely on luck, but on skill.
In the fourth round, Xiao Lou hinted that player number 7 should use Luck Bead. Since no one else was using the same car as player number 7, the girl won without any problems.
In the fifth round, player number 5 called, not to force Xiao Lou out, but because he had also figured out the secret of the Plum Blossom Secret Chamber and was conducting an experiment. He had 14,000 coins; even if he lost 4,000, he wouldn't be eliminated, so testing the waters was understandable. If Xiao Lou lost his composure at this point, and the two went head-to-head, Guardian might control Xiao Lou's hand and eliminate him.
Fortunately, Xiao Lou managed to stay calm.
Luck Beads should not be used blindly before the cards are dealt.
Instead, it depends on the timing and your hand to decide whether to use it.
Using Luck Beads recklessly before the cards are dealt is truly entrusting your fate to unknown "luck." The Guardian might be unhappy and just give you a bunch of AA222s.
Only after you draw two cards can you use Luck Bead to deduce the final hand you will receive based on your hand – there is always a list of five hand rankings on the big screen for comparison.
For example, if you get J and Q at the start of the game, and then use Luck Bead, the best hand is "JQK with a small five".
In the fifth hand, Xiao Lou started with Plum Blossom K and Plum Blossom A. At this point, if he were to use Luck Bead, his best hand would be a "king" – he was certain he would get a king, so he calmly called until the end.
Guardian was clearly satisfied with Xiao Lou's performance and immediately handed him a hand full of plum blossom aces.
...
Upon hearing number 5's question, the young man casually swept his gaze across the room: "Does anyone else have questions about the game?"
Xiao Lou smiled and said, "The four secret chambers each have their own rules. The Plum Blossom Secret Chamber certainly won't eliminate people by luck. I agree with player number 5's point of view. This game is not a gambling game, but a game of mentality. From the first round, you have been controlling all of our hands. In the fifth round, I drew the Plum Blossom King first, and then the Plum Blossom Ace. I guessed that you would give me a flush of Plum Blossom Kings, right?"
Yu Hanjiang: "..."
No wonder Xiao Lou was so calm; he had already guessed that he would win.
Thinking back carefully, the way the boy shuffled the cards so quickly, with his slender fingers, was dazzling. Logically speaking, after shuffling so many times, he should have shuffled all 52 cards evenly, and it was impossible for anyone to happen to get A234K or JJJJK.
Statistically speaking, this possibility might not occur even after tens of thousands of dealings. Yet, it happened multiple times in today's games, and in the final round, everyone's starting cards were all Aces—it couldn't be clearer.
There's only one explanation— Guardian was manipulating the game.
He can secretly arrange the order of the cards; whoever he wants to get the Ace will get it immediately.
Why control the cards?
Everyone simultaneously recalled his calm statement when the woman number 4 questioned him: "Luck is also a kind of strength."
I see!
Guardian assesses everyone's strength and manipulates their hand values to ensure that the strongest players survive to the end.
The Plum Blossom Secret Chamber is actually a test of each person's mental fortitude.
Girl number 7 paused for a moment, then said softly, "So, there's actually a perfect way to beat Plum Blossom Secret Chamber. If all seven of us have a tacit understanding from the start, and each of us takes turns using Luck Bead in one round, and each of us wins once, while the others fold or only call 1000, then after seven rounds, everyone will have coins in their hands, and no one will be eliminated."
"That makes sense." Number 2 Girl chimed in softly, "It's a pity that we don't know each other and are suddenly pulled into a gamble. It's impossible for us to have the tacit understanding to survive together… People are selfish. They all think about how to win for themselves, and they don't think about how to make others win with them."
The girl's words hit the nail on the head, causing the room to fall silent once again.
The perfect strategy for clearing Plum Blossom Secret Chamber involves seven players working together seamlessly, taking turns using the Luck Bead, and each winning a round. But who can selflessly think of "win-win" from the very beginning? And even if you do, how can you guarantee the other six will cooperate?
Human nature is unpredictable. Unless everyone knows each other and has a tacit understanding to "survive together," it's impossible to perfectly complete the Plum Blossom Secret Chamber.
Hearing this, the boy's tightly pursed lips finally curved into a smile. He nodded to everyone and said, "You're all very smart—that's right, I've been controlling the cards from the beginning. Who stays and who gets eliminated depends entirely on your performance. The seven people who came to challenge yesterday..."
"In the end, only three survived the battle. The fact that five of you survived is already quite remarkable."
Everyone: "..."
Xiao Lou felt a chill run down her spine upon hearing this.
The Guardian is secretly controlling the game; are they manipulating everyone?!
The boy seemed to see through Xiao Lou's thoughts and said, "The D-level Plum Blossom Secret Chamber is the initial screening for Challengers. I eliminate players by observing your strength and controlling your cards, which is fair. If it were really a gamble, none of you would necessarily be lucky. People like No. 4 and No. 6, whose mental fortitude is too poor and who are not suitable for Card World, should be eliminated early, which is merciful to them."
Xiao Lou frowned and said, "How can you guarantee that the elimination of contestants is based on everyone's strength, and not on your personal preferences?"
Number 4 stood up to argue with him, and in the next round, he kicked Number 4 out. Strictly speaking, Number 2, being a thin girl, was also not suitable to continue surviving in Card World. If Number 2 and Number 4 were to compete, it would be reasonable for either of them to be eliminated.
The boy said, "In my hands are the scores for all of you in the other secret rooms."
With a casual wave of his hand, a passing score of S, A, B, etc., appeared in front of everyone. The eliminated players, numbers 4 and 6, had all received C scores in the first three escape rooms…
The boy said, "I know the Guardians from Hearts, Diamonds, and Spade. Plum Blossom 2 is the initial screening round, which will definitely eliminate some contestants who perform poorly. As the Guardian, I will decide who stays and who goes based on your overall performance. Setting up a gambling game is the final test of your mental fortitude—any more questions?"
Everyone: "..."
By now, everyone understood the rules of the Plum Blossom Secret Chamber.
The d-class secret room is the simplest, but everyone overcomplicates the Plum Blossom Secret Chamber games. The first reaction to hearing about playing cards is often, "Will my luck be bad?" This subconscious thought makes everyone nervous.
In fact, the moment you enter the Plum Blossom Secret Chamber, Plum Blossom Youth already has a comprehensive evaluation report card to determine who will stay and who will be eliminated.
Plum Blossom 2, a secret room turned into a poker game, is everyone's last chance to turn the tables.
If you can maintain your composure in this high-pressure card game, you'll get good cards. Even if you don't do well in the first three rounds, you might still survive in the plum blossom round.
Players like #4 and #6, who have inherently poor mental fortitude, struggled in the early stages. They were even more prone to mental breakdowns during the tense Plum Blossom round, making it impossible for them to survive to the end. Player #5, on the other hand, was the complete opposite—he scored a C in Hearts, a C in Diamonds, and an A in Spade, yet he survived the Plum Blossom round. He was incredibly brave, relying solely on psychological warfare to turn the tide from the start.
Girl number 7 looked at Xiao Lou and said softly, "Thank you." If Xiao Lou hadn't seen through the rules, hinted that she should use the Luck Bead, and folded to avoid clashing with her, she would definitely have been the next one eliminated. You could say that Xiao Lou gave her the win.
Xiao Lou smiled and said, "You're welcome. The escape rooms will be even more difficult in the future, so be careful."
Girl number 7 nodded gently: "I know."
Silence fell in the room once again.
Plum Blossom Youth glanced at everyone and calmly said, "After this experience, you should have realized that the Plum Blossom Secret Chamber, as a [challenge chamber], will be a direct confrontation between Challengers. Whether it's playing cards or any other form of confrontation, as long as you enter the Plum Blossom Secret Chamber, you may be eliminated—before entering the Plum Blossom Secret Chamber in the future, you should all be mentally prepared for a one-way trip."
The five survivors were still shaken and never wanted to experience the plum blossom level again.
Just then, Yu Hanjiang, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "Now that we've finished the four D-class secret rooms, can we team up for the next C-level secret chamber?" He then glanced at Xiao Lou.
Xiao Lou immediately understood and asked, " Can we buy the contract book needed for the team now?"
I counted the gold coins in my hand, and it was exactly 10,000—finally, I could buy a contract book!
Author's Note:
The Plum Blossom Secret Chamber beginner level is a psychological screening level. After reading the explanation, go back and look at the first two chapters, and it should be easy to understand.
In the later Plum Blossom levels, there aren't many poker games; each level presents a different type of challenge, so those who don't play poker don't need to worry. If you really don't understand, don't overthink it, just yell "666" at Lou Ge!:)
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