Chapter 88: The Beginning of the Manipulation War
"You are absolutely going to lose this round..."
Amelia watched the scene unfold with a deep bewilderment penetrating the depths of her small eyes.
In a matter of moments, the gaming table had transformed into an unexpected battlefield. Instead of a casual round where everyone amused themselves, the four children had consolidated into a single front, leaving Amelia—without her having lifted a finger—crowned as the leader of the "villains" alongside Albert.
Initially, she had only played out of pure kindness; she didn’t want this poor boy, Albert, to return home miserable only to be scolded by his harsh aunt, whom he mentioned often rebuked him. But now, she discovered that he had been deliberately losing the entire time just to elevate her status and ensure her victory.
This gesture deeply touched her small heart. Although she disliked exploiting his innocence, his current enthusiasm exceeded all her expectations.
Albert leaned toward her, whispering with an absolute confidence that completely defied his age:
"Do not worry, Miss Amelia... these guys barely pose any noteworthy challenge to you!"
Amelia’s eyebrow twitched upward slightly.
’Four against two?’
From a purely strategic standpoint, the opponents’ victory was a mathematical certainty. No matter how extraordinary their luck might be, combining the cards of four people and unifying their tactics would crush any probability of a win. Yet Albert was burning with ardor. Amelia initially assumed this was merely blind, childish stubbornness, and that after their first five consecutive defeats, he would grasp the grim reality of the numerical disparity.
Nevertheless, she decided to play along with him. In the end, she didn’t care about the concept of losing in children’s games, and her father, Cain, would surely resolve his issues with his organization soon and come to retrieve her. Once she returned to the Lower Continent, she wouldn’t have another chance to see these children anyway. ’At the very least... I will create unforgettable memories for this boy and leave him with companions who will remember him.’
Amelia smiled internally and spoke in a solemn tone:
"Very well, Albert... let us begin!"
The Battle Unleashed
Scott opened the round by coldly tossing down a [9 of Spades], declaring in a confident tone:
"Victory... victory and nothing else!"
Yet, Albert’s features did not waver in the slightest. On the contrary, his childlike facial expressions abruptly shifted, replaced by a majestic composure and a chilling silence that caused the atmosphere around the table to grow heavy.
Snap!
Albert slammed the [Joker] card onto the table—the ultimate card that granted him the absolute authority to dictate the format of the play and deploy whichever combination he desired, ranging from one to three cards. He chose to drop three cards at once:
"I choose to play a trio of ones... Hearts, Spades, and Diamonds!"
Amelia’s eyes widened in silent shock. Playing three ones meant completely shutting down any possibility of a tie for this entire round if the set was finalized! She quickly glanced at the four cards in her own hand and caught sight of something that made her arches rise; she was holding the final one, the [1 of Clubs]! This meant that if her card hit the table, the round would lock down entirely, escalating into a bone-crushing war of attrition with no room for retreat or surrender.
Brandon scoffed mockingly as he stared at the discarded cards:
"Ha! What are you going to achieve with three cards of the one-tier? If you had chosen three nines, your winning probability would be a fraction higher! Now you’ve locked yourself out of even a tie!"
Albert did not dignify the mockery with a response. Instead, he directed a swift, sharp glance toward Amelia. She caught the signal instantly and flung her card down, completing the four-of-a-kind on the table with a sharp, resonant slap.
Cathy protested loudly, "I am supposed to play my card now, and then it’s Hayne and Brandon’s turn... but this isn’t fair! You two are rushing the play!"
Scott intervened, pacifying Cathy in an arrogant tone: "Let them amuse themselves for a bit, Cathy... they stand no chance anyway. We are the absolute victors; they are merely digging their own graves with their own hands."
At this, Albert let out a short, mocking laugh—a chuckle carrying a distinct undertone of contempt and condescension—and stared directly into Scott’s eyes:
"Do you truly believe that? If I didn’t possess the absolute capability to come back and turn the tables... why would I have done this from the very beginning?"
Scott remained completely unswayed by Albert’s commanding demeanor, countering confidently:
"Your being foolish and reckless poses no problem for me. I am starting this round with nearly sixteen cards in our team’s hands... and I can always repay you tenfold!"
Amelia marveled at these words; were these truly the minor squabbles of children?
Cathy raised her hand to draw a card and play it—the exact card Scott had subtly gestured for her to use—but Albert cut her off in a decisive, calm voice:
"You, Cathy, are undoubtedly on the verge of pulling out the [6 of Diamonds]. Since the round is locked against a tie, your conventional and highly predictable option is an immediate offensive with that card... it is entirely transparent."
In that fleeting microsecond, Amelia caught something deeply bizarre and unsettling in Albert’s eyes; his pupils flashed with a mysterious, unnatural brilliance for a fraction of a second before reverting to their normal state. Amelia initially assumed her fatigue was playing tricks on her, but the psychological impact was instantaneous!
Cathy’s face went entirely pale, and her hand trembled violently as she thought in sheer panic: ’Impossible!.. How did he know my card?! No... that’s out of the question! I must change it immediately!’
Overwhelmed by pure anxiety, Cathy altered her mind, pulling an entirely different card and throwing a [4] onto the table.
Scott turned toward her, his face darkening as his eyes narrowed into sharp slits:
"What are you doing, Cathy?! Why did you play such a stupid card? Wasn’t it glaringly obvious which card you needed to drop for us to secure the win?!"
Cathy looked at him in terror, stammering defensively, but Albert exploited the opening immediately, training his gaze on Scott with a malicious smirk:
"Hold on, Scott... are you questioning Cathy’s judgment and capabilities now? Aren’t you supposed to be a unified, cooperative team? Furthermore, isn’t the outcome entirely in your favor regardless, just as you claimed? Why then are you reprimanding her and shouting in her face like this?"
Albert’s words struck a raw nerve within Cathy. Her fear instantly morphed into childish fury directed at Scott, and she raised her head with overinflated confidence, snapping:
"He’s right, Scott!.. You have no right to question my judgment and my style of play! We are going to win in the end anyway, so stop acting so arrogant toward us!"
Amelia’s eyes widened to their limits as she witnessed the scene unfolding, barely able to believe her own sight...
’This boy... Albert... he is absolutely no ordinary child!’ Amelia thought in profound shock and intense fascination. At this very moment, Albert was effortlessly manipulating the minds of the other children!