Chapter 13 – Poker

The movie was about a married couple, each hiding their true identities. Due to an unexpected event, they discovered each other’s secrets and ended up working together to defeat a common enemy. The plot was somewhat similar to a classic film from over a decade ago, but it also had its own charm.

“I think it was pretty good. Maybe it’s because the main cast are newcomers, so they’re not that well-known,” Kagumo said after the movie.

“Yeah. Although the storyline is familiar, it’s a classic formula, and it has its own unique twists,” Mo Ying agreed.

“This movie was better than I expected. I can forgive the chairman’s half-hearted effort this time,” Ansel said.

They chatted about the film all the way back. As they got out of the car, Mo Ying paused for a moment and glanced to the right. No one was there. She withdrew her gaze and entered the building.

“So sharp.” A man with black hair murmured from the shadows.

The movie lasted nearly two hours. By the time they returned to their apartment, it was close to eleven. Everyone went back to their rooms.

Yvette glanced at her phone again after returning to her room, sighed, and headed next door to find Davis.

“Davis,” Yvette called as she entered the room.

“My dear Yvette, what brings you here?” Davis asked from the bed.

“I just received a message from someone in the Special Operations Division. They want us to assist in investigating the recent series of murders involving Affinity Users.” Yvette showed Davis the message sent by Colton.

“The Special Operations Division, huh? I remember we agreed to help them when needed.” Davis said, then noticed Yvette frowning deeply.

“Is there something wrong with the case?” he asked.

“Scroll down and see for yourself,” Yvette said.

“The serial murders are believed to be connected to... Poker. Ah!”

“Poker? What’s that?” a rookie named Emilia asked during a Special Operations Division meeting.

“It’s a well-known assassination organization. Some say the world’s best killers are part of it,” Amanda replied.

“And all the assassins are Affinity Users,” Colton added.

“I’ve never heard of it,” Emilia said.

“That’s normal. Ordinary civilians usually wouldn’t know about an assassin organization,” said another member, Matthew.

“Since Emilia is new, let me give a quick introduction,” Amanda said. “Each member of the organization carries a playing card as their ID. Their rank is based on the suit—Spades at the top, followed by Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs.”

“Oh, but don’t playing cards have jokers too?” Emilia asked.

“You’re right! Above Spades, there’s another tier—the top ten assassins in the organization. Each holds a Joker card and has a code name. It’s said that the top three are demigods,” Amanda explained.

“That sounds like something out of a TV drama or anime,” Emilia said, intrigued.

“It does,” Colton continued. “The organization used to operate in a gray area. In fact, even official organizations have hired them before.”

“So they play both sides?” Amelia asked, surprised.

“Exactly. But they don’t accept just any job—they only kill those who are utterly irredeemable. That’s why some people see them as vigilantes delivering justice,” Colton said.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Hence the ‘gray area’ label,” Matthew added with a shrug. “Personally, I don’t think killers should decide who lives or dies. But they’ve taken out people the law couldn’t touch.”

“Hm, but you said ‘used to’? What about now?” Amelia caught the detail.

“Good catch, rookie.” Amanda nodded approvingly. “Recently—about a month ago—some members of Poker stopped being selective. They started accepting all kinds of contracts, regardless of the target, and even began attacking innocent civilians.”

“We don’t know why they changed their approach. Based on current intel, both the armed group and the murders are linked to Poker,” Colton said, bringing the conversation back to the case.

“That’s why we’re using Poker as the entry point for this investigation,” Matthew said, placing a playing card on the whiteboard to represent the organization.

But that was easier said than done. Poker was a notoriously elusive organization. Finding leads or members wouldn’t be easy, leaving the Special Operations Division frustrated.

They decided to approach the case from a different angle. The armed group included not just Affinity Users, but also ordinary people. That could be a useful starting point for gathering intel about Poker.

“Still, if only some of Poker’s members changed their methods, what about the rest? Are they just letting it happen?” Amelia asked as the meeting neared its end.

“Correct. Based on our findings, the recent killings and the armed group’s activities involve only a portion of Poker. The rest of the members have shown no response to what could be considered a betrayal of their organization,” Colton explained.

“Maybe they don’t see it as betrayal. Assassins tend to act alone and don’t care what others think or do,” Matthew added.

That was a possibility. But their understanding of Poker was limited, and they couldn’t draw further conclusions.

After the meeting, Colton checked his messages and sighed. Still no reply. So much for their promise to help...

The next day, Amanda visited the detention center to interrogate a recently captured member of the armed group.

She entered the interrogation room. A teenage boy with handcuffs sat lazily in the chair with his legs crossed, completely undisciplined.

Amanda sat across from him. “Andy, I have some questions. Please answer honestly.”

Andy dropped his legs and replied impatiently, “Didn’t you ask me stuff yesterday?”

“Today’s questions are different. I want to know—do any Affinity Users in your group carry playing cards?”

“Playing cards, huh... nope.” Andy changed posture, thought for a moment, then shook his head.

“Lying,” Amanda said immediately.

Andy looked up at her and finally sat properly. He clicked his tongue. “A Mental Affinity User?”

“Correct. I can detect lies. So answer properly,” Amanda said.

“I refuse. What can you do about it~” Andy replied in a deliberately annoying tone.

Amanda mentally cursed. Why can’t I read minds, memories, or use hypnosis? Those would be so convenient for a Mental Affinity...

“If your testimony helps the investigation, you could get a reduced sentence,” she offered.

“Oh, I don’t care,” Andy replied.

“You’ve got a younger sister, right? She’s not an adult yet. Don’t you care about her?” Amanda brought up his personal info—Andy’s parents were dead, and he lived with his sister.

“She has a boyfriend,” Andy said nonchalantly.

Andy’s sister was fifteen. The records didn’t mention a boyfriend, but Amanda had already checked his home before coming here.

“That’s true. But he’s only seventeen—and a delinquent. Do you really think he’s reliable?” Amanda asked, revealing what she had learned.

Andy’s expression changed. He clicked his tongue again, then reclined lazily. “So, if I give you info, you’ll help my sister?”

“Yes. I’ll contact the appropriate agencies to assist her,” Amanda promised.

Andy looked a bit surprised, then a flash of joy crossed his face. He finally said, “Yeah, I saw playing cards. Some high-level members in the organization had them during meetings. I was standing guard outside and saw them by chance.”

“Do you remember the suits?” Amanda asked.

“Hmm, let me think. I have good eyesight, so I saw them clearly. I remember all four suits were there—Hearts and Diamonds seemed more common. Oh, and I think I saw a Joker card.”

Amanda frowned. A Joker...!

“That’s all I know. I’m just a low-level guy, don’t push me,” Andy said, indicating he had nothing more to offer.

Amanda exhaled. “Alright. Thank you for your cooperation.”

As she got up and opened the door, she suddenly turned around. “You brat. You planned to trade that info for my help from the start, didn’t you?”

Andy, who was about to lean back again, froze and sat up straight. “No, I didn’t.”

Then he remembered Amanda could detect lies. He sighed. “Fine, yes. But you already promised to help my sister, so you can’t back out.”

“You’re not a good person, but you’re a good brother,” Amanda said.

She shut the door and took the elevator back to the ground floor.

From her pocket, she pulled out a Clubs Three card found on one of the captured members. She flipped it over—nothing unusual. It looked just like any card you’d buy in stores.

“A Joker, huh? This just got complicated,” Amanda muttered.

The card was flipped again. The Clubs Three had turned into a Joker. The Joker wore a white mask, its eyes arched, mouth wide open, grinning wickedly and slyly.

“That trick was amazing! Can you teach me?” a child clapped excitedly.

A young man with black hair sat by the street with a small table in front of him, scattered with cards and magic props. He smiled gently. “Nope, I can’t.”