Chapter 34: Can You Feel It?
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Ka-drrum
Ka-drrum
Following the crisp sounds of b.a.l.l.s potting into holes, the number of red b.a.l.l.s on the table were decreasing at speeds visible to the naked eye. Ye Yingying’s score was also steadily increasing from 10 to 17, 25, 30.
“Yingying is going to clear the table!”
“Even the veteran in snooker, Uncle Da, almost lost to Yingying. She has to be good.”
“Clear the table, let that guy score a big fat zero, haha…”
Fang Shulan’s and Ye Yingying’s friends became tinged with irony and teasing.
Seeing that Ye Yingying had cleared all fifteen red b.a.l.l.s and only six colored b.a.l.l.s remained, Fu Jiawei felt the urge to look at Xiao Luo’s expression, thinking it would be interesting. But when he turned around and looked at Xiao Luo, he was startled because Xiao Luo was at that time sitting on the chair while holding a gla.s.s of red wine that came from nowhere. He had his legs crossed and was drinking ever so leisurely without a hint of anxiety.
He went over and asked with feigned concern, “Xiao Luo, my brother. Yingying is about to clear the table. How can you even think about sipping wine?”
“It’s fine. There are still six colored b.a.l.l.s left, which hold a total of 27 points,” Xiao Luo said calmly.
What the f*ck? Just how big is your ego?!
Fu Jiawei, who had always been courteous previously, couldn’t help but spout an expletive in his heart. Then he sneered with a gloating expression, “Well, now, you have only 22 left.”
As he spoke, Ye Yingying had already potted a yellow and a green ball. Immediately after that, she potted a brown ball. She was on fire.
“Eighteen points left!” Fu Jiawei glanced at Xiao Luo from the corner of his eye.
“Ka-drrum~” A blue ball went into a hole.
Fu Jiawei had a playful smile on this face as he lifted his volume, “13!”
Xiao Luo kept silent as he continued to sip on his red wine unhurriedly.
“Haha… that poser is going to be barking soon.”
Chu Yue was elated. She could finally let Xiao Luo experience some exquisite humiliation.
“I hope Xiao Luo won’t be angry at you after he finds out you’re behind this,” said Bai Ling shaking her head without mincing words.
“He dares to be angry at me?”
Chu Yue lifted her chin proudly, “Well, I didn’t beat him up physically or verbally. I only just let him learn how to bark like a dog. Why would he be angry?”
“Young mistress Chu, guys care a lot about their dignity, all right!” Bai Ling rolled her eyes in disbelief.
“I know, I know. Geez! Didn’t he join my team? As team captain, I need to let him have of a taste of my authority, lest he steps above my head in the future,” Chu Yue exclaimed angrily.
Pouting, Bai Ling refused to say another word.
…
Ye Yingying was knitting her eyebrows as she thought he didn’t estimate her strike well enough, landing the white ball in an awkward position.
She was confident about potting the pink ball. But at the same time, after the white ball knocked the pink ball, it had more than a 90% probability of falling into another bottom hole. If the white ball were potted, Xiao Luo would gain six points without doing anything.
This wasn’t the result she wanted!
What she wanted was an overwhelming victory–Not to mention that six points would bring him exceptionally close to ten, and she didn’t want him to gain even one point.
Hence, Ye Yingying chose to play defensively. She gave the cue a light thrust. The white ball gently knocked the edge of the pink ball, touched the short side of the table at a tricky angle, rebounded, and stopped near the black ball. The three b.a.l.l.s were almost aligned. It could be said that the black ball had the pink ball blocked, and the white ball could never directly touch the pink ball.
“Nice ball!”
The guests praised her. This move was a good strike of the outermost defense.
Subsequently, everyone turned to look at Xiao Luo. What would he do now?
Would this guy create a miracle, or would he finish with a big fat zero?
Many were antic.i.p.ating the outcome. After all, Xiao Luo looked calm and serene without a tinge of panic. The pink and black ball totaled 13 points. If he could pot both b.a.l.l.s, he would’ve still won the game.
But no one was rooting for Xiao Luo. What kind of joke would that be? Why would a guy who slipped nine out of ten times pot the b.a.l.l.s? There would be zero suspense regarding the outcome.
“Your turn!”
Ye Yingying turned around and yelled at Xiao Luo.
Xiao Luo wasn’t affected. He put down his wine gla.s.s and said to Fu Jiawei next to him with a smile, “See? I still have a chance.”
“Ye, yeah! You still have a chance, bud! The black and pink ball totals at 13 points, which is over ten. Hehe.”
Fu Jiawei was cracking up. What an oddball. Why would he still think he had a chance at this point? No wonder he failed to notice that he had provoked my princess Chu Yue.
Xiao Luo circled the table, and his eyebrows became almost knitted together.
“The white ball can never touch the pink ball with one rebound. It will need at least two rebounds. To accomplish this feat, not to mention me, I’m afraid that even the internationally renowned grandmasters would have a less than 50% success rate. That’s an outstanding play, Ms. Ye.”
“Looks like you’re not that big of an idiot after all. Since you are well aware that you will never get to pot the pink ball, you should give up,” Ye Yingying, who was holding the winning ticket, said while smiling proudly.
“Give up?”
Xiao Luo shook his head, “Why should I?”
Ye Yingying said, “Do you think you’re better than the grandmasters that you can pot the pink ball with the white ball being at such a position?”
“Never try, never know,” Xiao Luo said while spreading his hands.
Fang Shulan was getting impatient and yelled, “Why are you talking so much nonsense? Are you going to hit the ball or not?”
“Exactly! You are so naggy! You’re nothing like a man.”
“Do it quickly if you so wish to try! And bark if you admit defeat.”
“Aside from barking, you still have to rub Yingying’s heels clean.”
A bunch of people echoed.
Xiao Luo smiled indifferently. He bent down, made a groove with his left hand, and aimed his cue. He took a deep breath, brewing his strike unhurriedly.
“Jiawei, can you feel it?”
His words confused Fu Jiawei as he replied while containing his laughter, “Feel what?”
“Me, potting the ball, of course,” Xiao Luo said seriously.
Are you potting the ball?
Fu Jiawei was taken aback. He couldn’t contain his laughter any longer. He almost cried as he thought, “Your club isn’t even pointing in the right direction and has almost a 180 degrees deviation with the pink ball. You dare claim that you can pot the ball?”
You are a weirdo, my brother!
However, he said, agreeing, “I didn’t feel it at first. But after what you said, I immediately felt it. You can get the ball potted.”
“Hahaha…”
The guests burst out laughing, amused by Xiao Luo’s ignorant and funny words.
“Get in, ball!”
At this time, Xiao Luo shouted. His eyes abruptly turned sharp as he forcefully struck the cue on the white ball.
Clack
The static white ball morphed into a ray of white light, rus.h.i.+ng out at an extremely high speed. It randomly spurted across the entire table as if it had lost control, consecutively colliding four times with the edges of the table. Finally, following a “cluck,” it knocked on the pink ball.
The pink ball attained a surge of energy and went rolling directly to the bottom hole. Amid the crowd’s incredible expressions, the ball went into the hole following a “Ka-drrum.”
Clean and neat! Done in a stretch!
The clattering in the venue abruptly halted.