After confirming Xia De's identity, Mr. Walker warmly spoke to him, but Miss Louisa rudely interrupted him:
"Stop it, Walker, Xia De has no reason to help you, and besides, he only has a knight's title, he can't help you get that train car full of contraband out. We are not involved in your moonshining business. Alright, alright, let's get back to business, can you lower the price or not?"
Miss Louisa was wasting time here not only because of the police's arrival just now, but also because when she received the goods, she learned from Mr. Walker that the parchment made from the hides of wild three-horned antelopes she had ordered was suddenly going to increase in price.
It wasn't that Mr. Walker wanted to rip off Miss Louisa, but rather the sudden events on Thursday night caused a significant change in the cost price of these rare materials being transported into Tobesk from other places:
"Originally, 20-inch parchment sold for 12 pounds 3 shillings, now I've only raised it to 17 pounds, which isn't much."
"But the price increase happened after Miss Louisa placed the order; this is an unexpected event. Your actions show a lack of respect for the spirit of the contract."
Xia De spoke up to support her, but the middle-aged man shrugged his shoulders:
"I deeply respect the spirit of the contract, but I also need money to spend. No one's pounds fall from the sky, and I can't let myself suffer a loss."
"Oh, Walker, don't think I don't know, the price you get the goods for from out of Town definitely doesn't exceed 11 pounds 7 shillings. Listen, I can pay you a maximum of 13 pounds, otherwise, this deal is off."
Miss Louisa said with a frown, making a move to turn and leave with Xia De:
"15 pounds, that's the lowest price."
The middle-aged man shook his head, showing no intention of stopping Miss Louisa:
"For a while now, because of those damned lunatics, all material prices in the Tobesk region will increase. I know it's wrong to inform you of a price increase at the time of delivery, but I also need money to support my family."
"What family do you support, you bachelor? I think you're going to the club to play rhode cards."
The Golden-haired girl sarcastically remarked without mercy:
"I know your team leader too, and he's told me about your bad habits."
"Playing rhode cards is as important as eating for me."
Mr. Walker responded with a smile, and Xia De, who was standing by, suddenly raised an eyebrow; he had an idea:
"Want to play rhode cards?"
Miss Louisa looked at him in surprise, but Mr. Walker smiled, showing a very interested expression. Xia De was very familiar with this expression; the other party was definitely a rhode cards player.
"Mr. Hamilton, what do you mean?"
"We'll play a game of cards. If I win, Miss Louisa buys those parchments for 13 pounds. If you win, we buy your goods for 15 pounds."
"Do you have special cards? I don't play with players who use regular decks."
Mr. Walker narrowed his eyes, and Xia De also smiled.
He pulled out the cards from his formal suit pocket, and amidst Miss Louisa's expression of "Why do you carry these things with you?", he tidied them up slightly, put away two Founding series cards, and then pulled out 【ancient fairy tale - match girl】, 【Coldwater Port City】, 【Tis Lake of the Old Continent's Eastern Landscape】, 【Original Steam Engine - Mark IX】, and 【Moon Dance Festival of Carson Rick's Southern Folk Customs】—five cards for the other party to inspect.
Although he carried his deck with him, he couldn't possibly carry authentication documents.
Mr. Walker's eyes widened as he looked at the five cards, clearly not expecting the young Detective to have so many good things. Xia De watched his expression; the middle-aged man didn't seem to notice anything special about the Moon Dance Festival card.
"How about it? Want to play a game with me?"
Xia De asked again, assuming the other party would definitely agree. But this time he was wrong; Mr. Walker reluctantly handed the cards back to Xia De, then shook his head:
"You have so many special cards, you must be a seasoned player. And this time you're the one who proposed playing with me, so your chances of winning are very high. In this situation, what reason do I have to play with you?"
This was the first time Xia De had encountered someone refusing to play rhode cards. He gestured for the Golden-haired girl not to speak for now, then quietly asked:
"Are you not confident in your rhode cards skills?"
Such a simple provocation would certainly not work, so Xia De added another sentence:
"As a rhode cards player, if you refuse when someone proposes a match, can you still call yourself a true player?"
The middle-aged man's face tensed as he hesitated, listening to the opera music from afar. He thought for a long time before speaking:
"I can bet with you, but not just on rhode cards. We'll bet three times, best two out of three. The last game will be rhode cards, and for the first two games, each of us proposes what to bet on once. I'll go first."
Xia De glanced at Miss Louisa, and seeing her nod, he said:
"Alright, then what do you want to bet on first? Drawing cards to see who has the higher value? Dice rolls?"
"Of course not, we'll have a race. Without attracting the attention of ordinary people, move 30 feet (about 9m) from the current position. The faster one wins."
"Oh, that's not fair!"
Miss Louisa said with a frown, tugging at Xia De's hand. She knew about Xia De's 【Raglai's Leap】:
"I know your Miracle, Xia De can't win against you."
"There's nothing unfair about it, it's best two out of three anyway."
Mr. Walker revealed a confident smile, then snapped his fingers, a faint crackling sound appearing in their ears. He lunged forward, his entire being seemingly transforming into a flash of electricity as he appeared 30 feet away. He smiled and looked back at Xia De, signaling that it was his turn.
Xia De looked at Miss Louisa, and amidst her barely concealed smile, he took out the extract and dabbed it on the tip of his tongue, then said to Mr. Walker:
"Don't blink."
He took one step forward, and his next step appeared directly beside Mr. Walker. The latter's mouth dropped open in surprise:
"Space-type ability? Louisa, when did your team get a Ring術士 who mastered this kind of ability?"
"Walker, don't casually pry into other people's secrets."
Miss Louisa said with a smile:
"We won the first round, Xia De, what should we play for the second round?"
"I want to bet..."
Xia De wanted to say drawing a 4, whoever draws it first wins. But Mr. Walker immediately interrupted him; in the current situation, he couldn't let Xia De make the challenge:
"Let's bet on rhode cards for the second round!"
"The third round is rhode cards."
Xia De wouldn't do anything useless; if he could win easily, he wouldn't play cards.
The middle-aged man knew he was in the wrong. He proposed another condition, waving his hand as he said:
"You and Louisa really tricked me just now. Don't be so quick to refuse. I want to say, the race just now doesn't count. We'll still follow your original suggestion and use rhode cards to determine the winner. If I win, I'll still sell you those parchments for 15 pounds. If you win, I'll not only sell you the materials at a low price, but I can also give you a piece of information."
He looked at Xia De, his expression very serious.
"What information?"
Xia De asked, though there was no harm in agreeing.
Seeing Xia De ask, Mr. Walker smiled, knowing Xia De was tempted:
"Do you know that Mr. Sari Pierrot, the Thirteen Ring Sorcerer 'Steel Right Hand' who was originally stationed here, has not been in this City for two months?"
"I even know that he led a team to a Town in the countryside to deal with an Angel-level (Grade 1) relic out-of-control incident."
Xia De said. He had heard this news from Miss Bei Ya Si (Chapter 177), when they discussed the return of the Prophet Association president.
"You know? That's right, but do you know exactly what that angel-level relic is?"
Mr. Walker asked again. Xia De shook his head, so the middle-aged man in the black formal suit smiled:
"The additional information is about that angel-level relic. Note, the Orthodox Church almost completely wiped out the 【Mercury Blood】, but they still didn't find the sage-level relic 【god's gift box】 in the underground ruins. Now, information about that relic can fetch 100 pounds on the black market. So an Angel-level one would surely be higher. This bet won't be a loss for you. Oh, you must agree, otherwise, you're not a true rhode cards player."
He used Xia De's own words from earlier.
Xia De put on a hesitant expression, then quietly agreed.
"No problem, I'll play cards with you."
The Golden-haired girl glanced at him; she knew Xia De's skill level at rhode cards:
"Xia De, there's really no need to take this risk."
Her tone expressed great concern.
"Louisa, Mr. Hamilton has already agreed, he can't back out!"
Mr. Walker hurriedly said, then pulled out his deck for Xia De to inspect. This gentleman had two special cards, and his deck looked a bit old, clearly indicating frequent use.
"By the way, when I was a merchant in Carson Rick, I had the title of 'Gambling King of Sicar Mountain'."
Sicar Mountain is a mountain range stretching across the central-eastern coast of the continent, serving as an important boundary between Carson Rick and Delarion. Captain Lades won the 【gun of kindness】 at the Windy Path front line, which is located on the northern foothills of Sicar Mountain.
And Mr. Walker saying such a thing was an important "trash talk" stage before strangers played rhode cards. On one hand, it was to show that he was an experienced player, and on the other, to intimidate his opponent and overwhelm them with his aura.
Xia De smiled:
"I'm not trying to boast, but I haven't lost a single game since I started playing rhode cards. Yes, I can swear to Mr. Dawn that what I, Xia De · Su Lun · Han Mi Er Dun, just said is absolutely true."
Mr. Walker was stunned:
"Never lost a game? Oh, no, you won't scare me, Knight, tonight will be the moment you face defeat. Come this way."
The three walked together to the window at the end of the corridor, outside was the night view of Tobesk. Under the warm yellow gaslight, Xia De and Mr. Walker shuffled their cards, then placed their respective decks on the windowsill:
"One game to decide the winner."
Xia De suggested:
"I'm still thinking about the opera."
"No problem."
Mr. Walker nodded, his eyes narrowing as he looked at his deck.
But no one suggested that Miss Louisa, who was observing, act as the dealer. According to the unwritten rules of rhode cards, the dealer can only be male.
The two each drew their first card. As per custom, this was the hole card, which could be revealed last. Xia De's card was a 13, while Mr. Walker looked at his hole card, paused, then smiled and flipped it over:
"See, I'm lucky tonight."
【Modern Girl - Flower Shop Girl】, suit Moon 7.
