Not a detective

Page 165

“Go write it over there, we can’t see it.”

Moyue pointed to the side.

There's a corner on the rooftop, a small cubicle at the top of the stairs. The only remaining sunlight hangs down from the wall, creating a blind spot.

Asakawa Riku said helplessly, "If you can't look, why don't you just turn your backs? Why do you have to order me around?"

Even so, he didn't want to dawdle, so he went over and wrote down the numbers.

He randomly wrote ten numbers on ten blank sheets of paper, within the specified range of 6 to 64. He wrote them casually without much thought, since he didn't know the rules and there was no point in thinking about them.

The ten numbers that came out in the end didn't seem to follow any pattern; at most, they were just distributed somewhat evenly. Asakawa Riku didn't pay much attention to them, simply folded them up, and took them home.

"You've written it, so what's next?"

"Then, go downstairs and hide the numbers."

"That's not right, isn't the rule for hide-and-seek that you each hide separately, one time hiding and the other looking?"

"That rule is obsolete; now it's 'Air Poker'."

Mo Yue shook her head: "We know each other too well. We could probably guess where the other is hiding, which would be no fun. It would be more challenging if you were the one hiding."

Asakawa Riku thought what she said made sense, and after looking at Hoshino, she agreed:

"Then I'll go."

It was getting late, so he said goodbye to the two of them and went downstairs with ten sheets of paper with numbers written on them.

...

Asakawa Riku hadn't actually decided where to hide yet. The rules said he couldn't enter rooms like classrooms or toilets, so there were very few places left to hide.

That left only spaces like corridors and stairwells. After careful consideration, he chose places such as "behind a mirror," "on the floor at a corner," and "under the handrail of the stairs."

These are places that are difficult to spot at first glance, but not so tricky as to be overly obscure.

He thought for a moment, if he hid it too well, neither of them would be able to find it, and neither of them would be able to get the paper, and the game would not be able to continue.

After all, this is not the previous rule. If the person hides the playing cards and the ghost cannot be found, the person can still go and get them in the next round.

Under this new rule, if you can't find it, you simply can't find it.

Therefore, Riku Asakawa chose some locations with moderate difficulty, and distributed the ten sheets of paper evenly on floors 1-5, hiding two sheets on each floor, and carefully placed them all.

...

After doing all that, about fifteen minutes later, Asakawa Riku returned to the rooftop empty-handed and found Suezuki and Hoshino still there.

"I am back."

However, they did not exchange words or respond to Asakawa Riku's greetings. Instead, they stood facing each other from a distance, their eyes inexplicably solemn, and it was unclear what they were thinking.

The master and servant usually have a good relationship. Even though Moyue sometimes acts like a spoiled young lady, Xingyu always tolerates her with a smile, and doesn't seem to care even if she is scolded.

But today, they're so confrontational... It seems the problem lies with Xingyu; she seems to have made a decision today, which is why she's being so direct.

Regardless, the game has already begun, and a winner must be determined.

"Then, let's begin, Miss."

"Okay, come on."

Zashiki-warashi no Aki: Chapter 40 Card Patterns

“Let’s go down and look for it together. We have ten minutes. Whether we find it or not, we have to come back to the rooftop. If we don’t find it, we automatically lose. If both of us find it, we’ll compare the card combinations. The winner gets one point. We’ll have five rounds, and at the end, the scores will be tallied, and the winner will be the one who wins. Is that alright, miss?”

"Okay, but we need to add a rule: while going downstairs to look for the note, you must not enter the classroom or any other room, because the note cannot possibly be hidden there. You also cannot communicate with anyone in this building or ask for help such as 'Where is the note hidden?' After all, the process of hiding the note could be seen."

"Okay, I have no objection. Now, let's start the timer—begin."

...

【first round】

...

After exchanging a few last words, the two set off at the same time, quickly heading downstairs.

Asakawa Riku stood there, still a little dazed.

He didn't understand what game these two were trying to play. Wasn't he the referee? Even the referee didn't understand the rules; how could they start like this?

Thinking back to what they said...

Comparing hand rankings? How do you compare hand rankings based on numbers? Is it simply a matter of who has the higher number?

It can't be that simple... That would just be a matter of pure luck, with whoever finds the bigger number winning. It's not that boring.

Asakawa Riku remembers that they said the game was called "Air Poker".

So it must be related to poker, and specifically to Texas Hold'em... After all, the previous game used the same rules, so it couldn't be completely unrelated.

Card types... Card types, what card types are there with numbers?

A hand requires a combination of numbers to form a card, so why do they compare scores every round to accumulate points?

Asakawa Riku pondered deeply, his mind racing, when he inadvertently felt something in his pocket.

...playing cards.

The card that Hoshino was holding just now has been replaced by paper and numbers by Asakawa Riku because the current rules no longer use playing cards.

But the moment he held the deck of cards, he seemed to realize something, his eyes widened, and he unconsciously took a deep breath.

……yes.

Why, why can't numbers be card combinations?

In that moment of inspiration, Asakawa Riku suddenly understood the true rules. He was just about to talk to someone when the two of them came up to him.

First came Shinonome Suetsuki, then Hoshimi Kouha. The two came up almost at the same time, with only a ten-second difference between them.

"So fast?"

He glanced at the time; only about two minutes had passed, far from the ten-minute time limit. He hadn't expected to be back so quickly.

However, Asakawa Riku quickly figured out the reason. There were still ten notes downstairs, which was the largest number of notes available, and statistically speaking, it was also the easiest time to find them.

Moreover, he didn't hide it particularly well. Even if you just wander around and try your luck, you might find it. There's no need to look for it specifically at first.

This probability may become increasingly difficult to find as the game progresses, and by the last round, it may become impossible to find.

They each held a slip of paper in their hands, and judging from the creases, they had already opened and read it.

"Asakawa-kun, may I borrow your pen?"

Hoshino said to him, and Asakawa Riku then handed her the pen.

Then Hoshino wrote a line on the note and passed the pen to Suezuki, who also wrote a line before returning the pen.

At this moment, Asakawa Riku was no longer so confused; he roughly guessed what was going on:

"...You guys are writing down [card patterns], right?"

"Oh my." When Mo Yue handed the pen back to him, she raised her eyebrows in surprise: "You figured it out so quickly. As expected of my assistant, you are very smart."

"Stop gossiping."

Hoshino abruptly interrupted them, took out her own piece of paper, and flipped it over: "Asakawa-kun, you're right, let's begin [showing the hand].

The two faced each other and opened their slips of paper:

末月：“36——黑桃8方块8红心8梅花8方块4，四条8。”

星羽：“15——黑桃A黑桃2黑桃3黑桃4黑桃5，同花顺。”

The two said at the same time.

The numbers on the note were "36" and "15" that Asakawa Riku had written down earlier, and below that was a line of smaller characters that had just been written down, which was the string of "card types" that followed.

"So this is how air poker is played."

Asakawa Riku's guess was confirmed.

The core rules of air poker can be explained in one word: number decomposition.

Yes, the random numbers written by Asakawa Riku should not be viewed as a single number, but rather as the sum of several numbers.

就拿末月的“36”做例子，“36=8+8+8+8+4”，所以，它刚好能拆分成“五个数字”。

Adding the suits of spades, diamonds, hearts, and clubs to these five numbers creates a "playing card".

When combined, these form the "hand combinations" in Texas Hold'em.

Riku Asakawa immediately understood why it was called "Air Poker".

这个分解组合完全由自己想象，比如36这个数字不仅可以像末月那样分解，还可以分解成“黑桃7方块7红心7梅花7方块8”的四条七，或者“黑桃6方块6红心6梅花6方块Q”的四条六，又或者“黑桃10方块10红心10梅花3方块3”的10葫芦……

They all add up to 36.

Why was the last four 8s chosen? Because this hand is the strongest. As the rules state, the larger the four of a kind, the stronger the hand. Four 8s is the optimal solution.

同理，星羽这边也是一样，她找到了15这个数字，15这个数字可以分解成“黑桃A方块A红心A梅花A方块J”的四条A，“黑桃2方块2红心2梅花2方块7”的四条2，又或者“黑桃A方块A红心A梅花6方块3”的A葫芦……但是她最后选择了同花顺。

Because a straight flush is the second highest hand, after a royal flush.

She also found the optimal solution.

This poker game is unlike ordinary poker, where you hold actual playing cards in your hand.

Instead, it involves making wild guesses, breaking down a number into countless choices, and then finding the optimal solution with the greatest card strength!

It really was playing cards in the air...

Asakawa Riku marveled at the aptness of the game's name, but also at how formidable Suezuki and Hoshino were. He had just been racking his brains just thinking about how to break down the cards, and there were probably still many overlooked options. Yet, they had returned to the rooftop as soon as they received the slip of paper, and in less than two minutes, they had come up with the optimal solution so quickly…

How awesome.

But at the same time, he also had to announce the result of this round:

"A straight flush is greater than four 8s, therefore, Xingyu wins the first round, with a score of 1:0."

Zashiki-warashi no Aki: Chapter 41 The Card Treasury

Riku Asakawa realized that there was a certain element of luck involved in this game.

He wrote ten numbers, each of which was different, thus there were some "powerful numbers" and some "weak numbers".

For example, "15" can be easily broken down into a straight flush.

However, with a score of "36", no matter how hard you try, the maximum you can get is four, and it's impossible to find a better option by splitting it up.

In this round, both Moyue and Xingyu actually achieved the optimal solution, but the different numbers they received determined the outcome of the battle.

"No wonder you didn't tell me the rules in the first place. The people who write the numbers should not know the rules for the best effect."

Asakawa Riku understood: "If I knew the rules, I might have deliberately created certain card combinations when writing it, or intentionally hidden important numbers in hard-to-find places..."

This kind of randomness is exactly the kind of game they want.

"That's right, Asakawa-kun really understands my feelings."

Xingyu smiled, then looked at Moyue provocatively: "Well, Miss, if you don't show your true skills, you might lose to me, you know?"

"It's only the first round, there's still a long way to go." Mo Yue's expression was calm, seemingly unconcerned about falling behind. "Let's begin, next round."

She maintained that nonchalant, indifferent attitude, which left a deep impression on Asakawa Riku... In the past, when she acted like this, she always managed to win.

But Hoshino didn't seem to share the ominous feeling or sense of unease that Asakawa Riku had; she simply smiled confidently.

"Okay, let's continue then."

...

【second round】

...

The game progressed faster than Asakawa Riku had imagined. He was still thinking about what kind of card combinations the previous group's numbers could be broken down into when they went down to look for slips of paper again.

This time it took about 4 minutes. Moyue went upstairs first, and then Xingyu followed. It was still not much different.

"—It was hidden there."