Chapter Thirty-Five: Old Zhou Dares to "Defuse the Bomb"—Just the Right Touch

Underworld Card Games: From Dou Dizhu to Six-Chong, Volume 2, Chapter 35: Old Zhou Dares to "Break a Bomb": A Perfectly Timed Move

After the Judge departed with his "abacus for counting cards," half a bowl of unfinished sweet soup remained on the stone table. Granny Meng was about to clear it away when Xiao Bai stopped her: "Auntie Meng, don't clear it yet! This is a pivotal round; if they win this, they'll make it to the semi-finals!"

The atmosphere at the table had grown tighter. The spectating ghosts crowded around, some clinging to the legs of the stone table, terrified of missing the action. The opposing team's captain, a gaunt, tall ghost who reportedly had a three-game winning streak, touched his cards with a smug smirk: "Ma's team, if you lose this hand, your chances are finished!"

Wang Er-Ma didn't respond, his eyes fixed on his cards—a pair of Jacks, three Queens, and a few single cards. He didn't have much to counter with. Xiao Li leaned in, glancing at the tally on his yellow paper ledger, and whispered, "Boss Ma, they just played a pair of 9s and a pair of 8s. They almost certainly have a pair of 10s. I don't have any pairs to beat that."

Old Zhou sat to the side, gripping his cards until his knuckles turned white. He was holding a "bomb" of four 6s—a set he had secretly hoarded when drawing his hand. In the past, he would have clutched them to the very end, refusing to break them even if it meant losing. But after watching Wang Er-Ma plead for melon seeds on his behalf before the Judge left, and remembering a previous time he had "accidentally" won with a bomb, his resolve wavered.

"My turn!" the opposing captain announced, slapping two cards onto the stone table. "A pair of 10s! Can you beat that, Ma's team?"

Wang Er-Ma frowned. He could beat it with his pair of Jacks, but if he played them now, he feared he would have nothing left to suppress the opponent later. Xiao Li shook his head, and Old Zhou remained silent, his grip tightening on his cards.

"What? Can't beat it?" the captain laughed. "Then I'll take the points for these 10s. Once I win this hand, you lot..."

"Wait!" Wang Er-Ma suddenly shouted, turning to Old Zhou. "Old Zhou, do you have any pairs?"

Startled, Old Zhou shook his head frantically: "N-no... I only have single cards..." Before he could finish, a card slipped from between his fingers—it was a 6.

Xiao Li, sharp-eyed, pointed immediately: "Old Zhou, isn't that a 6? Do you have a pair of 6s?"

Old Zhou blushed, pulling his cards closer to his chest, and whispered: "I... I have four 6s... a bomb..."

"Four 6s?" Wang Er-Ma's eyes lit up. "Perfect! Break them into a pair of 6s, and you can beat his pair of 10s!"

"Break... break a bomb?" Old Zhou panicked, his hands trembling. "Last time I broke four 2s into singles, you called me a 'team-wrecker'..."

"That time you did it wrong!" Wang Er-Ma patted his shoulder. "This is different. The opponent played a pair of 10s. If you break them into a pair of 6s, you beat them exactly, and you'll still have two 6s left—you can pair them up or play them as singles. Nothing goes to waste!"

Granny Meng chimed in: "Listen to Boss Ma, Old Zhou! Break them! If you win this round, I'll brew you more sweet soup with extra sugar!"

Xiao Li pulled out his yellow ledger and improvised a poem on the spot: "Old Zhou, don't panic when you hold a bomb, break it into a pair of 6s to beat the 10s! Win this round and reach the semis, with melon seeds and sweet soup as your reward!"

The spectating ghosts joined in: "Break the bomb, Old Zhou! Break the bomb!"

Old Zhou looked at the faces around him and touched the four 6s in his hand. If he kept the bomb, it might be useless if the opponent played a higher one later. By breaking it, he could win this round immediately. He took a deep breath, spread his cards on the table, and after a moment of hesitation, pulled out two 6s. He placed them on the table, his voice low but clear: "A pair of 6s—that beats your pair of 10s!"

The captain’s smile froze. He hadn't expected Old Zhou to dare break a bomb. He stared in disbelief for a long time before shaking his head: "I can't beat that... Pass."

Wang Er-Ma quickly played his pair of Jacks; the opponent couldn't beat them. Xiao Li played three Queens with a single 4, and again, the opponent was powerless. With this round, Ma's team gained 8 points, leaving them only 2 points away from the semi-finals.

Old Zhou looked at the cards on the table and the cheering ghosts. He suddenly smiled. He used to think he had to hoard his bombs for security, but breaking them to win felt better than losing while holding onto them. He touched the two remaining 6s and whispered, "Turns out, breaking the cards really... really feels better than saving them..."

"No kidding!" Wang Er-Ma patted his shoulder. "Don't treat your bombs like precious treasures from now on. Break them when you need to. Be flexible, and you'll win more!"

Granny Meng brought over a fresh bowl of sweet soup and handed it to him. "Drink up, Old Zhou, to celebrate the first time you dared to break a bomb!"

Old Zhou took a sip; the warmth of the soup traveled down his throat, warming his heart. Looking at the two 6s in his hand, then at Wang Er-Ma and Xiao Li, he realized that winning at cards wasn't just about the hand you were dealt—it was about the support of your teammates. Without Wang Er-Ma's encouragement, Xiao Li's poem, and Granny Meng's cheers, he might still be clutching those four 6s, only to regret it after a loss.

As the next round began, Old Zhou was clearly more relaxed. When he had a pair of 8s and the opponent played a pair of 7s, he beat them instantly. He even dared to play his three 9s with a side card. Xiao Li laughed and improvised another poem: "Old Zhou has changed, he's no longer stingy, playing cards with spirit and no hesitation, a true brother of Ma's team!"

The opposing captain, watching Old Zhou's transformation, couldn't help but remark: "I never thought a miser like you would dare to break a bomb. Truly, one must look at a man with new eyes after three days apart!"

Old Zhou blushed, but his tone was firm: "I... I've learned how to play, I'm not a miser!"

Laughter filled the hall. Sunlight shone through the window, illuminating the cards on the stone table. As Old Zhou sipped his soup, he thought to himself: If I draw another bomb in the future, I'll break it when the time is right. Maybe I'll win even more, earn more underworld currency, and save it up—just like Wang Er-Ma said, "Winning while keeping your wealth is the only way to live without suffering."

The match concluded, and Ma's team won, successfully advancing to the semi-finals. Xiao Bai and Xiao Hei ran over, surrounding Old Zhou. "Brother Zhou, breaking that bomb was amazing! Next time you do it, we'll cheer for you again!"

Old Zhou nodded with a smile. He finished his soup and carefully tucked the melon seed shells into his blue cloth bag. This time, he hadn't just collected seeds—he had gathered the confidence that came with "breaking a bomb to win," and that was more precious than anything else.