Chapter 363 - 362: Incompetent Command
Inside the bamboo house, a few people had pushed the beds together and borrowed a deck of cards from a member of the production crew to play Fight the Landlord.
"Captain, are you gonna play or not? If you lose, we’re swapping you out!"
Melody Monroe glanced at the cards in her hand: a pair of 2s, both Jokers, and three single cards—a 3, a 4, and an 8. ’This is a tough hand to play!’ she thought. ’And I really want to win in style!’
Suddenly, Melody Monroe’s phone started to ring.
Nana Owen was sitting right beside her and thought it was her own phone, so she answered it. Realizing at once that it wasn’t hers, she quickly handed it to Melody Monroe.
"Captain, it’s your phone."
The moment Melody Monroe took the phone, she saw Evan Fairchild’s face on the screen. She was so startled she almost dropped it.
The moment Evan Fairchild saw Melody Monroe, his brow furrowed tightly.
’What is this getup?’
’What are those things stuck to her face?’
Melody Monroe covered her face. Everyone who lost had strips of paper stuck to their faces, and since she’d lost, she was too embarrassed to pull hers off.
’Why would Evan Fairchild video call me right now?’ she lamented inwardly. ’Of all the times for him to see me looking like this!’
"What are you doing?"
"Playing cards. Fight the Landlord," Melody Monroe answered in a small voice.
Evan Fairchild’s heart sank.
’So, she’s not busy or tired at all,’ he thought. ’Quite the opposite, she has enough free time to play cards. Just no time to think about me, it seems.’
"I’m almost done with this hand, just wait a second, okay?" Melody Monroe got really absorbed when she played games, whether they were on her phone or a deck of cards.
"Let me see your cards."
Melody Monroe froze for a second, surprised that Evan Fairchild would make such a request. She adjusted her phone, aiming the camera at the cards in her hand.
Evan Fairchild got a clear view of the cards just played on the table, as well as the ones in Melody Monroe’s hand.
"Captain, are you going to play on that?"
"The Jokers," Evan Fairchild’s voice came through the phone again.
Melody Monroe was speechless.
The others at the table looked completely baffled.
’Who is this guy?’ they wondered. ’He’s really into it, isn’t he? Playing by remote control, even.’
"So the Captain had the Jokers all along!"
"Captain, are you sure you want to play them?"
"You’re the Landlord, you know!"
"The Jokers!" Melody Monroe, figuring it must be right to listen to Evan Fairchild, threw down both Jokers. Then she played a single 3.
"A single 3!"
"A single 2!" Shaun Owen immediately slapped down a card.
Melody Monroe shook her head. "Pass."
"A sequence of pairs!" Shaun Owen exclaimed excitedly.
"Pass!"
"A straight!" Shaun Owen played another combo. "Captain, I only have three cards left! Now I’ll play a 7."
"A single 2!" Cynthia Jacobs immediately beat it.
Melody Monroe was speechless.
She looked at the pair of 2s, a 4, and an 8 in her hand, completely baffled.
Cynthia Jacobs now had the lead. She played four pairs in one go, leaving her with five cards.
"A single 7!"
"A single 2!" Melody Monroe immediately played her card. ’I’m the only one with 2s left now,’ she thought triumphantly. ’Looks like this round is mine! Evan’s suggestion to open with the Jokers was risky, but the payout for winning is much bigger this way.’
’That’s Mr. Fairchild’s style, all right.’
’Decisive and direct! And so bold!’
"A single 4!" Melody Monroe played, certain her victory was sealed.
"Four 5s!" Cynthia Jacobs slammed all her remaining cards onto the table.
Melody Monroe was speechless.
"Captain, you lost big time!"
"Swap me out, swap me out!" Melody Monroe jumped up, grabbed her phone, and ran outside.
Before turning the camera back around, she frantically tore off all the paper strips from her face, smoothed out her hair, and only then did she flip the camera to face her again.
"If I hadn’t listened to you and just split up the Jokers, I might’ve still had a chance to win."
"I don’t know how to play cards."
Melody Monroe was speechless.