The surrounding crowd fell silent for a moment before erupting in disbelieving exclamations.
“Holy shit! Three balls sunk on the break?”
“This beauty’s got skills!”
“Lucky shot, right?”
The man in the floral shirt, who had been completely relaxed moments earlier, instantly turned serious, his eyes growing solemn.
Gu Xingnian seemed oblivious to the surrounding comments as she moved to the next shooting position, bending over once more to take aim.
Her movements flowed seamlessly, without the slightest hesitation.
“Thud!” “Thud!” “Thud!”…
The remaining colored balls rolled into the pockets one after another as if programmed, following flawless trajectories.
Smooth as flowing water, accomplished in one breath!
Six perfect shots cleared the table! When the final Golden 9 dropped into the pocket.
The entire billiards area fell completely silent, leaving only the music drifting from the speakers.
Everyone stared dumbfounded at the elegant beauty, as if seeing her for the first time.
Several seconds later, thunderous cheers and screams nearly blasted through the roof!
“Incredible—! One-shot Clear!”
“Holy crap! She’s a master!”
The atmosphere ignited completely at that moment, becoming at least ten times more intense than before!
Upstairs, in the prestigious VIP booth with its panoramic view.
Several men in tailored suits stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling window, their powerful auras marking them as wealthy and influential.
The man at the forefront stood tall and straight as a pine tree, exuding an intimidating chill that warned others to keep their distance.
He held a glass of whiskey in his hand, the amber liquid swirling gently, reflecting his profound and inscrutable eyes.
His gaze pierced through the boisterous crowd, landing precisely on the figure bending over to take shots downstairs.
He watched her calm, focused profile, her crisp and accurate movements, the moment she set the venue ablaze.
Fu Beichen’s expression was complex, carrying a trace of curiosity and… admiration that even he hadn’t noticed.
So, this woman had such a side to her.
Flamboyant, confident, radiant.
She was completely different from the Gu Xingnian in his memories—always meek, quiet, and subdued.
Had he never discovered this before, or had she always hidden it too well?
Downstairs, the bet continued.
Beads of sweat had appeared on the floral-shirted man’s temples.
He knew he had encountered a tough opponent.
This time, it was his turn to break.
He took a deep breath, striving to calm himself, carefully aiming to ensure precision, not daring to be the least bit careless.
“Bang!”
A decent break—one ball sunk.
He played steadily, putting great effort into maintaining accuracy with each shot, trying hard to avoid any mistakes.
Then he pushed the balls into the pockets one by one.
In the end, he also cleared the table in one turn.
Although fairly impressive, compared to Gu Xingnian’s break that sank three balls directly—requiring two fewer shots—the difference was clear.
Sheng Weiwei crossed her arms, smiling like a cat that got the cream.
“Handsome, you lost. Time to fulfill your promise, isn’t it?”
She even made a deliberate “please” gesture toward the temporarily set-up small stage nearby.
The crowd erupted in teasing once more.
“Get on stage! Get on stage!”
“Strip! Strip! Strip!”
The floral-shirted man’s face turned pale then flushed, clearly not expecting to lose, and even less expecting his opponents to be so relentless.
A public striptease? This was social suicide!
Unwilling to concede, he gritted his teeth.
“Wait! That was just me being careless! Let’s play another round!”
He pointed at Gu Xingnian and declared loudly, “If I lose this round, I’ll cover everyone’s expenses here tonight!”
The moment these words were spoken, the entire venue erupted even more!
“Holy crap! Boss is generous!”
“Another round! Another round!”
“Beauty! Agree to it! Get us some benefits!”
Everyone cheered, wishing they could step in and play for Gu Xingnian themselves.
Sheng Weiwei looked at Gu Xingnian, silently seeking her opinion with her eyes.
Gu Xingnian, however, was indifferent and nodded in agreement.
Sheng Weiwei immediately made the decision: “Fine! We’ll give you another chance! But this time, no backing out if you lose!”
Gu Xingnian raised her hand and gestured, “Ladies first, but gentlemen can go ahead.”
This time, the man in the floral shirt didn’t pretend to be polite.
He walked to the table, his expression unprecedentedly serious and focused.
“Bang!”
The kickoff!
His control of force and angle was excellent.
Three balls went in!
The onlookers gasped in amazement—it seemed the guy was bringing out his real skills.
Then, he raised his cue again!
Holding his breath, he calculated precisely and struck!
This time, it was another One-shot Clear, practically flawless.
He had played at the level the beauty displayed in the first round, and the atmosphere grew tense.
Everyone felt it would be hard for the stunning beauty to win now. If she wanted to, she would have to sink four balls with her first shot.
That was as difficult as climbing to the sky.
The man’s gaze fell on Gu Xingnian, carrying a hint of pride and a touch of challenge.
It was Gu Xingnian’s turn to break. At that moment, all eyes in the room were fixed on her.
She unhurriedly walked to the cue rack and exchanged her cue for a heavier one.
Approaching the table, she picked up the cue ball, her fingertips gently stroking its smooth surface. Her eyes were calm and unruffled, as if this weren’t a high-stakes game under everyone’s watchful eyes but just an ordinary practice session.
She didn’t set up the balls right away. Instead, she circled halfway around the table, seemingly searching for the best angle.
For a medical genius, mathematical angles were child’s play. After just a few glances, the trajectories of all nine balls were already mapped out in her mind.
Her composure and calmness stood in stark contrast to the noisy surroundings.
Finally, she stopped and placed the cue ball in the break area.
She leaned forward slightly, her posture graceful and focused.
Her cue-holding hand was steady and firm, while her other hand formed a standard bridge, resting on the dark green felt.
Squinting slightly, she took aim.
In that moment, the entire world seemed to fall silent, leaving only her and the balls before her.
“Whoosh—Bang!”
The cue shot out with immense force, yet it was perfectly controlled!
The cue ball, like an arrow released from a bow, struck the apex of the diamond-shaped rack with precision!
The next second, something unbelievable happened!
The colored balls exploded as if enchanted!
Instead of scattering randomly as before, they traced bizarre yet precise arcs.
One, two, three… a full nine colored balls, as if drawn by magnets, rolled one after another into different pockets!
“Thud!” “Thud!” “Thud!”
The sounds of the balls dropping were dense and clear, striking at everyone’s hearts.
One shot!
Nine balls pocketed!
The legendary “Golden Kickoff”!
The entire club fell into deathly silence, the music abruptly cutting off.
You could have heard a pin drop.
Everyone’s eyes widened and jaws dropped as if witnessing something straight out of a fairy tale.
Those who had just been cheering for the man’s two-shot clearance now looked as if a collective pause button had been pressed.
Three seconds later.
“Holy shit!!!”
“Am I seeing things? One shot! All nine balls sank?”
“Oh my god! What kind of divine move is this?”
“Nine-ball Queen! She’s definitely the Nine-ball Queen! GOAT!”
“Ah, this is amazing, am I hallucinating?”
“I’m stunned, seriously, I’m completely mind-blown!”
Screams, exclamations, and cries of disbelief erupted like a tsunami, nearly lifting the club’s roof off!
The atmosphere grew at least ten times more intense than before!
Meanwhile, in the VIP booth on the second floor.
Those sharp eyes, which had been hidden in the shadows, now clearly reflected the earth-shattering scene unfolding downstairs.
A flicker of astonishment passed through them.
He watched the woman who had just performed the miracle, observing her calm profile as she withdrew her cue, the corner of his mouth curling into an almost imperceptible faint smile.
“Holy shit, that woman is really… Gu… sister-in-law?” Gu Shaoheng blurted out uncontrollably.
Had he not seen Sheng Weiwei, he would never have believed his eyes.
Fu Beichen set down his wine glass, the slight clink echoing as it met the table. Then, without hesitation, he strode on his long legs and turned to head downstairs.
Gu Shaoheng hurriedly followed after him.