Football: Starting with the Crescent Moon Slash

"Who is this person, chatting so enthusiastically with that ice queen Lina?"

"He looks unfamiliar. Is he some young master from a wealthy family?"

"Wait...look! That looks like Real Madrid's rising star—Jiang Yan!"

"Asian? Does Lina like this type?"

"Hey! Stop talking now, the young master from the Borghese family will be here soon. He's a huge admirer of Miss Lina, and if he hears you, you're in for it!"

"Shh—don't say anything, he's already here!"

The murmurs of the crowd abruptly ceased, followed by an exceptionally jarring voice.

"Lina, what are you doing here? The last activity is about to start, let's talk about how our two companies' collaboration is going?"

Look in the direction of the sound.

The man was so thin that he looked like he could be blown away by a gust of wind. His face had a somewhat effeminate look. He wore an extremely well-tailored bespoke suit, but it couldn't give him any presence. Only his leather shoes were polished to a shine, reflecting a cold light.

When Lina saw him, her gentle features instantly turned frosty, and her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Miss Lina, who is he?" Jiang Yan asked casually, holding a glass of red wine.

"Lucas, the son of Borghese. My company has recently had a collaborative relationship with his family."

Upon Lucas's arrival, the crowd spontaneously made way for him.

"Lina, who is this?" Lucas looked Jiang Yan up and down. "Yellow skin... and Asian? He's come to such a formal banquet in an ill-fitting suit?"

He raised his hand to cover his nose in disgust, as if he had smelled something filthy. His voice was not loud, but it was enough for everyone around him to hear clearly: "It smells like poverty and squalor, it's practically defiling the air here."

"Lucas, you're not qualified to speak of my friend like that." Lina stood protectively in front of Jiang Yan, her face displeased.

"Miss Lina, how can people from the upper class and the lower class be friends?" He ignored Jiang Yan's presence and reached out his hand directly to Lina. "Come back to me. This is where you belong."

Lina didn't even glance at the hand, her gaze fixed coldly on him.

"Mr. Lucas, I remember that a few days ago, my superior was negotiating a contract with your company and things went very smoothly, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure your father doesn't want this collaboration to fall through either... right?"

Lina's expression was extremely serious, and the icy chill in her eyes sent shivers down one's spine.

"You...you did this all for an Asian!"

"Mr. Jiang is my friend. I hope you can watch your mouth."

"Okay...okay...okay!"

Lucas's face turned pale and then red, seemingly angered by Lina's words, and he angrily pointed at Jiang Yan.

"What kind of man are you, hiding behind women like that! If you've got the guts, come up here and fight me one-on-one during the event later!"

Hearing such blatant provocation, Jiang Yan naturally wouldn't tolerate it.

He gently placed his hand on Lina's shoulder and calmly stepped out from behind her. Years of training had made him incredibly upright, like an unshakeable mountain in front of the slender Lucas.

"Hehe," Jiang Yan met Lucas's gaze, his tone flippant yet brimming with confidence, "I'll play along to the end."

……

After Lucas left, Lina immediately put on a worried expression.

"Judging from Lucas's performance, he seems to already know the schedule for the upcoming event. Are you really okay with this?"

There is an old Chinese saying: "When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Arthur rushed over, panting, and said:

"Idol! I heard you just had a conflict with that Lucas, and even arranged a duel later!?"

"Yeah, probably. But these spoiled brats don't have much real talent or skill, so don't worry about them."

Jiang Yan wasn't afraid of him; he was only doing it for Lina's sake. After all, if the cooperation between the two companies really fell through, Lina's company would also be affected.

From what Lina said earlier, he could roughly guess that Lina was probably a junior manager in some company. For her sake, Jiang Yan didn't lose his temper in public.

"This is Lina, my neighbor."

"This is Arthur, who currently helps me manage the company; their main business is investment..."

After a brief introduction, Jiang Yan asked:

"Do you even know what that guy meant by 'duel'?"

Lina shook her head.

"This banquet wasn't organized by our family, so I'm not entirely clear on the specific procedures."

"If it's the final stage, I heard something about it, something called 'card duel' that costs money, and all the money from the loser will be donated to charity in the winner's name."

"This sounds a lot like a game played in China..."

……

"Next up is the final activity of this evening's banquet... a card duel!"

"The specific rules are as follows: two lucky players each receive three cards, and the winner is determined by betting and comparing the card rankings!"

"Specific hand rankings: Three of a Kind > Straight of the Same Suit > Same Suit..."

After the rules have been read aloud.

Lucas stepped out of the crowd and joined the card table.

"So it's Lucas, the young master of Borghese. Is there anyone in the audience who dares to fight him?"

All eyes turned to Jiang Yan in the front row.

After all, the conflict between the two was common knowledge, and since it involved Miss Lina, everyone was watching with amusement.

"Hmph, I'm afraid some cowards won't dare to come forward. Maybe they don't have much money in their pockets."

All eyes were fixed on Jiang Yan like spotlights.

Some people reacted with mockery, some were waiting to see him make a fool of himself, and others were secretly sweating – after all, Lucas's words were clearly a double provocation using both "money" and "courage".

Jiang Yan put down his wine glass, the bottom of which made a crisp, light sound as it touched the table.

He didn't rush to get up. Instead, he turned to Lina and gave her a reassuring look before turning to Arthur beside him: "It seems we won't have to worry about charity events for the next year."

The next second, Jiang Yan sat down opposite Lucas.

Lucas's expression froze for a moment, then was replaced by an even deeper arrogance.

He chuckled, tapping his fingertips lightly on the card table, then spoke in a low voice only the two of them could hear:

"I didn't expect an Asian guy like you to actually dare to come up here."

"Mr. Lucas, on behalf of the children in the mountains, I thank you."

……

The duel begins.

"I need to have my license checked!"

Lucas took the playing cards and examined them carefully.

"The cards are fine."

Jiang Yan also quickly ran through the playing cards.

After both sides confirmed that there were no errors, the duel officially began.

After a simple shuffle, the three bottom cards were pushed in front of the two players.

Lucas was the first to lose his composure, secretly glancing at his own hand.

"K...K...still K!"

"It's a three-of-a-kind with three Kings!"

"This is truly a stroke of luck!"

After revealing his trump card, Lucas tried his best to control his emotions and prevent his opponent from noticing anything amiss.

But Jiang Yan, sitting opposite him, didn't even glance at his own hand.

Two million euros.

Two million euros?

Betting without even looking at your hole cards?

Lucas's smug expression froze instantly, and his heart skipped a beat.

He had a three-of-a-kind, one of the strongest hands in the game, but his opponent's nonchalant demeanor made him inexplicably uneasy.

"Pretending!" Lucas gritted his teeth and sneered. "I'll go with it! Add another two million!"

Jiang Yan lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, without even lifting his eyelids:

"Add another three million."

Seven million euros.

The entire banquet hall was eerily quiet.

Almost all eyes in the room were on the two of them.

Without even glancing at their cards, they dared to bid seven million, even though football players generally enjoy good salaries and commercial endorsement fees.

But you can't find many people in all of Europe who would bet seven million euros without even looking at the options.

Lina, sitting in the audience, clenched her fists and even held her breath.

He knew Jiang Yan had a strong heart, but he never expected him to gamble so recklessly in such a completely unknown game.

Lucas's face turned pale and then red.

He had a triple flush (KKK), which theoretically guaranteed a win, but the calmer Jiang Yan remained, the more terrifying his opponent's hand seemed.

Could it be that he really got the "enemy" card?

"What...what exactly is your card?"

Jiang Yan raised his eyes indifferently, his tone contemptuous:

"you guess."

Lucas was so agitated that his blood boiled.

With the leopard in his hand, he refused to believe he could lose!

"I'm betting! And I'm going all in! All the liquid assets I have, a total of twelve million euros!"

He slammed his hand on the table. "Do you dare to go along with it?!"

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

This is no longer a game; it's a death match where dignity and wealth are at stake.

However, Jiang Yan's gaze was completely calm at this moment.

"I agree."

The two words were uttered softly.

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

Twelve million euros is a sum that would move many wealthy families.

Even the wealthiest family can't withstand such a turmoil, right?

Lucas's hands and feet were ice-cold, but he was already in a bind.

He stared intently at Jiang Yan, when suddenly an idea struck him.

"I need to verify my capital!"

Upon hearing the words "verification of funds," Jiang Yan's expression shifted almost imperceptibly.

He was indeed confident of victory, but even with his companies and available funds combined, it was still far from enough to reach 12 million.

Seeing that Jiang Yan remained silent, Lucas smiled smugly.

"I knew it! How could someone as unknown as you possibly pull out so much money? I almost fell for your act!"

Jiang Yan's mind raced as he began to consider his next move.

Such a great opportunity, are we really going to give up all our efforts just because we don't have enough money?

Just then, a clear, cold female voice came from below the stage.

"No need for verification of funds. I will cover all of Mr. Jiang's expenses today, swearing by Lina... Lina Steider."

Not only the two people on stage, but also the audience members were speechless with shock at such a speech.

This is the only daughter of the highest-ranking person in Audi's Spanish region, and she was willing to bear a loss of twelve million for a poker game with an uncertain outcome... for an Asian person.

"Lina...Lina Steider?" Jiang Yan felt like he had heard the name somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where he was looking for it.

Lucas on stage was practically insane with rage, hysterically yelling, "Lina! You really trust this Asian man that much?"

"Just like believing in myself."

"Okay...okay...okay!"

Lucas was so angry he was speechless, and he could only pin his hopes on these three small playing cards.

"Then please both sides open..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Yan suddenly interrupted the host.

Jiang Yan glanced briefly at his hand and then spoke:

"By the way, can a level 235 eat a leopard?"

These words immediately sparked a chorus of discussion in the room.

"No way, he dared to bet twelve million without even understanding the rules?"

"I can only say I admire him. To have such courage, this Jiang fellow is definitely no ordinary person."

"After all, for Real Madrid to see him as the core of their future, he definitely needs to have a big heart!"

"His ball skills are good, but his gambling skills... well, that's hard to say."

"Normally, 235 should be able to take down a leopard, but since it wasn't mentioned beforehand, doesn't that mean Lucas can do whatever he wants?"

"Jiang Yan is in danger now!"

Not only the audience, but even Lina was worried for him.

It wasn't that she couldn't afford to lose the twelve million euros; she just didn't want to see Jiang Yan lose. In her heart, Jiang Yan would never lose.

Everyone hopes for the blessing of Lady Luck, but in Lina's eyes, Jiang Yan is her lucky god.

But when she looked at Jiang Yan...

The other person was looking at her with gentle eyes, and the meaning in those eyes was—trust me.

On the stage.

Lucas finally breathed a sigh of relief and said casually:

"You dare to play cards without even understanding the rules? It turns out to be a mixed suit of 235. You're overestimating your luck."

After saying that, he turned over his cards one by one.

K, K, K!

"It's a three-King leopard! Oh no! Jiang Yan is doomed to lose!"

"Yeah! We had to ask that one more question. If we hadn't asked, we could have denied it if we lost, but now we're completely in a precarious position!"

"This young Jiang is still too young. Young people are always so... arrogant!"

Seeing that the host remained silent, Lucas gave him a look.

The other party then slowly spoke, "According to the rules, 235 cannot eat a leopard."

Hearing the host's words, Jiang Yan finally smiled.

"That scared me to death! I'm relieved that 235 doesn't eat leopards."

Having said that, he gently spread out the three cards in front of him.

A…A…A！！

"Sorry, I have three As."

"Three Aces?!"

The host lost control and shouted.

The audience below the stage was filled with amazement.

"Does the God of Gamblers really exist?"

Lucas's smug expression was still frozen on his face, his eyes fixed on the three cards Jiang Yan had laid out.

No matter how you look at it, it's still three Aces.

It's bigger, more ruthless, and more domineering than his KKK.

The voices that were just moments before mocking Jiang Yan for "not even understanding the rules" and "being doomed to lose" now turned into harsh slaps, striking his face hard.

Lucas trembled, his face turning from blue to white, then from white to gray, and finally deathly pale.

"Impossible, impossible...impossible!"

Lucas's legs went weak, and he almost collapsed into the chair.

Seeing this, Jiang Yan quickly added:

"On behalf of the children in the mountains, thank you."

Upon hearing this, Lucas completely rolled his eyes and fainted, with white foam still at the corner of his mouth.

Twelve million euros.

All donated.

Not only did he lose all his cash, but he also became a laughing stock in the entire Madrid high society.

Jiang Yan stood up, didn't look at Lucas again, and walked straight off the stage.

In full view of everyone, he walked up to Lina, bowed slightly, and spoke in a voice so gentle that only she could hear it:

"I told you, we'll deal with whatever comes our way. I'm sorry to have worried you."

Lina's heart skipped a beat, a rare blush rose to her cheeks, and she gently shook her head.

I trust you as much as I trust myself.

Arthur, standing nearby, was so excited he almost jumped up, and roared in a low voice, "Idol! You're such a great actor! My heart was about to explode!"

Jiang Yan chuckled and then pulled out six cards from his sleeve.

"There's no such thing as a guaranteed win in cards. I just made two preparations."

It turns out that Jiang Yan had already hidden the three Aces and the 235 in his sleeve when he was checking the cards.

No matter what Lucas says, Jiang Yan will win.

He had studied similar card tricks long before he time-traveled, but he never expected to use them in this situation.

"This is what they call 'Eastern Magic,' but thankfully I was wearing a size too big, and I also owe it to that not-so-professional host. If a professional had dealt the cards, I probably would have been figured out long ago!"

Arthur stared in disbelief, and after a long pause, he managed to stammer, "Idol... this isn't just playing cards, this is a scheme!"

Jiang Yan smiled faintly, his tone relaxed: "There's no need to follow any rules when dealing with spoiled brats who only know how to use their family background to intimidate others."

"You've planned out all your escape routes from the very beginning, haven't you?" Lina said, her eyes filled with admiration.

Jiang Yan turned his head, his gaze falling on her flushed cheeks, his voice deep and magnetic:

"I'm only sure of one thing—with Lina...Miss Lina Steider on my side, I can't possibly lose."

Lina Steidl's body trembled.

"You recognized me?"

Jiang Yan smiled and nodded.

"Benzema told me about you. It's like a plot from a novel that a beautiful female CEO of that caliber lives right next door to me."

Lina blushed, then wrapped her arms around Jiang Yan's neck and pressed her lips to his ear.

"Then tonight, I'll come to you. Will you teach me your so-called 'Eastern magic'?"

"I would be delighted."

Just as the two were deeply in love, Lucas was carried off the stage.

"Make way! Make way! The patient needs emergency treatment!"

After tonight, the entire Madrid high society will remember one name – Jiang Yan, the rising Chinese star of Real Madrid.

This is the God of Gamblers who single-handedly outmaneuvered a wealthy young master, won millions in matches, and even won the heart of a beautiful woman.

Not far away, Lucas, who was being carried away, would only become the most insignificant joke in this legend.

Jiang Yan, with his arm around Lina's waist, slowly walked away amidst the awe-inspiring gazes of the crowd.

……

Lena Steider: "Oh, by the way, just so you know, I'm going to be on top."