Marvel: The Superman Survival Guide

Chapter 8 Psychology and Microexpressions

What Link didn't know was that Wilson and Alexandra were there, largely because his actions in Hell's Kitchen had given them an opportunity.

They had originally intended to cooperate, but had only made initial contact. However, the opportunity had arisen, so they naturally did not want to let it go and quickened their pace.

Since it wasn't appropriate to talk in New York, they went to Las Vegas to meet secretly.

As for Tony Stark and Justin Hammer, they were rivals from the start, clashing at a party in New York, and then they ended up here.

Setting up a poker game is not easy, especially since Stark wants skilled players, which is why Link is here.

Link tried psychology again, and deliberately lost the first few rounds to observe the four people.

Hammer is a fool, and it's easy to see what he's thinking, while Stark's competitive nature is too strong, which is also not hard to observe.

Wilson is more difficult, as he's involved in both the legitimate and criminal worlds, but he also has weaknesses because he's distracted. Alexandra, however, is a different story.

This is an old monster who has lived for hundreds of years, and he doesn't easily reveal his inner thoughts.

Stark was displeased at this point and looked at Link, asking, "Are you really a master? Or just a drunkard?"

"Winning first doesn't count as winning!" Link chuckled, pouring himself another glass of bourbon. He'd already downed half a bottle, but he wasn't drunk at all. "I'm about to unleash my power, Mr. Stark, so you'd better get ready!"

Alexandra suddenly spoke up, "This Mr. Lin has been observing all of us. Is Mr. Lin an expert in psychology?"

Link didn't hide anything and said, "That's right, I studied psychology in college, and now I'm a police officer, working at the West Central City branch."

"I'm here on vacation, and I didn't expect to meet you all at the card table. I have some impression of Mr. Wilson, but I have absolutely no impression of Mrs. Alexandra."

“I’m usually in London,” Alexandra said. “It seems I need to be careful now; Mr. Lin has completed his observation.”

Stark became interested and immediately urged the cards to be dealt. Sure enough, Link started winning.

He quickly won back the more than one million he had lost before, and then began to exploit the four of them. Only then did the four of them show that they took it seriously. Money was a small matter, but losing face would be embarrassing.

Alexandra, in particular, believed she hadn't revealed the slightest flaw and wondered if the other party had truly seen through her.

Link then discovered a weakness in Alexandra's defenses. She was very wary, and Link hadn't been able to see through her before. However, he was using cheat codes, so he naturally dominated the battlefield.

Now that the opponent has revealed a weakness, the more composed the old man was before, the more unsettled he becomes now that he has lost.

Winning or losing is secondary; the key issue is that she believes Link has seen through her, which is not a good thing for her.

Wilson became interested; this young police officer had such a high level of knowledge in psychology—he was a real talent!

Before midnight, the four of them had lost all their money. Stark asked curiously, "Lin, did you really see through us?"

Link began, "Mr. Hammer is the easiest to see through..."

Justin Hammer's face darkened, while Stark burst into laughter.

Link continued, "Mr. Stark is too competitive. You don't care about money, but you care about winning or losing."

Stark nodded slightly, acknowledging this point.

Link turned to Wilson Fisk. "Mr. Wilson is distracted; he's thinking about something else."

Wilson said, "Indeed, Mr. Lin is very accurate in this regard."

"The only one I haven't figured out is Ms. Alexandra. She is the most composed of you three, even more composed than you three gentlemen," Link commented on the last person.

Alexandra asked curiously, "So I still lost in the end?"

"Micro-expressions—I'm not just good at psychology, I also observe micro-expressions. Human facial expressions are generally very difficult to control," Link said. "Especially the eyes; whatever they see will be reflected in their eyes immediately and subconsciously."

"Next are the facial muscles, especially the corners of the mouth, nose, and ears. Unless you have undergone rigorous training, you can basically see some things about them."

"Ms. Alexandra was clearly used to being in control, and eventually, doubts began to creep into your mind."

"This is a psychological trap. Everyone knows I'm knowledgeable in psychology, but they don't know I can observe micro-expressions."

"Brilliant!" Wilson Fisk exclaimed. "Today's trip was worthwhile; I've witnessed a true master."

Alexandra breathed a sigh of relief and asked with a smile, "So you're saying we can't beat Mr. Lin?"

"No, beating me is easy. Just throw money at me and then it's all down to luck. Let's see who's luckier," Link said.

Indeed, if he does that, there's a high chance he won't win, considering there are five of them!

Of course, he could choose not to follow and wait until he has the best hand before going all out.

But that would expose a flaw, and people might not follow suit then.

The game ended early; no one got carried away trying to win. Everyone here is a different kind of player, and Link also "demonstrated" his skills by finding a source of funding.

He had the hotel issue him a certificate to prove the source of his funds.

During the rest of the holiday, Link stopped going to the casino and instead spent his time sunbathing, eating lavish meals, and watching shows, fully enjoying his vacation.

Meanwhile, the casino also publicized the game, making people aware of Link's skill.

This time the casino didn't take a cut, since they had bullied Link before. Link was indeed that powerful, and they didn't want to offend him. What if Link wreaked havoc in the casino?

The casino didn't send out its top players either, lest they lose and it look bad.

……

With three days left in his vacation, Link packed his bags, booked a plane ticket, and prepared to head straight home.

After all, just playing around can be tiring, and the hotel waived all his expenses. However, they hope that Link can attend any big card games.

Link naturally didn't refuse; this was money being offered to him, so he readily agreed.

However, he won't come if the child is too young; it has to be at least five million, otherwise it's not worth the trip.

Back in his long-missed home, Link was about to start cleaning when the doorbell suddenly rang.

Link was very puzzled. He had been away for more than ten days, so why was someone coming to his door as soon as he returned?

Could it be a gunman from the Irish gang?

(End of this chapter)