Chapter 78

Just after noon, a young man dressed fashionably, with a trendy center-parted haircut and chewing gum, exuding a shady air, arrived at Hongqin Gambling House under the guidance of a runner nicknamed Monkey.

The room was already crowded; at a table surrounded by four players, Zhu Haitao, with his yellow hair, stood out conspicuously—he had hidden himself here after completing that job, where food and lodging were guaranteed, and most importantly, he was safe!

His table was playing Three-Card Brag, and today his luck was terrible—he had lost two straight flushes to a bald man!

Watching his chips dwindle bit by bit, Zhu Haitao grew increasingly anxious!

At that moment, the center-parted youth approached their table; seeing the hand had just ended, he smiled and said, “Guys, mind if I join?”

The bald man, who had been winning, glanced at him and said, “Base bet 100, cap at 500—you in?”

The center-parted youth was Gao Ye, disguised as a gambler; hearing this, he was startled—this was serious money! Would the cash Gu Changzheng gave him last even a few hands?

Though nervous inside, he kept his cool, smiling indifferently: “Fine, good enough to play.”

Meanwhile, Zhu Haitao, still fuming, glanced at him—stranger face, and the runner trailing him was Monkey. He knew Monkey wasn’t full-time; the few clients he’d brought weren’t professional players. Could this be another “fat sheep” today?

Thinking this, he immediately grinned: “Brother, come on! More people, more fun—sit down!” He nodded sideways, indicating the seat beside him.

Gao Ye dramatically flicked his bangs, pulled out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes, and passed one to each player at the table, then sat down calmly beside Zhu Haitao.

The game resumed; it was Zhu Haitao’s turn to deal…

After a few hands, Gao Ye had won nearly ten thousand yuan on the first hand but had lost every hand since. Yet, whether because he’d disrupted the feng shui or not, Zhu Haitao—who had been on a losing streak—suddenly began winning several hands in a row!

Delighted, Zhu Haitao tossed a 500-chip token to Monkey, who stood watching; Monkey caught it with a grin: “Tao Ge’s in top form! Thanks, Tao Ge!” In the gambling den, all players were clients—anyone with money was a boss, so no one could afford to offend anyone. Runners who received tips from gamblers naturally had to thank them, but a dry “thank you” lacked sincerity. To directly wish someone more wins would offend other gamblers. So runners who received tips would loudly shout, “So-and-so Boss is in top form!”—this gave the tipper face and prestige, while other gamblers didn’t resent it; sometimes, gamblers even competed to give bigger tips!

Just like those “big brothers” who tip online streamers, all wanting to be the #1 supporter! Haha—human nature is just like that.

Zhu Haitao, elated, suddenly remembered he’d slept until nearly noon and hadn’t eaten since sitting down. He’d been too focused on losing to feel hungry, but now his stomach growled loudly. He called to Monkey: “Go get me something to eat!”

Monkey was about to leave when Gao Ye said, “Monkey, I haven’t eaten either—bring me one too, yeah? Same as Tao Ge’s.”

Monkey nodded eagerly and went to notify the kitchen.

Gu Changzheng’s team had agreed on a plan: Gao Ye would pose as a gambler, and Monkey would bring him in at the right moment. After discussion, they chose the time around meal hours—why?

Two considerations: First, minimize time spent inside the gambling den due to limited funds. The longer you linger without playing, the more conspicuous you become, the more suspicion you attract, and the harder it is to get close to Zhu Haitao!

Second, to lure Zhu Haitao away from the table, only two methods existed: wait for his drug craving to hit—but this was quickly dismissed. Since Zhu Haitao planned a long stay, he’d surely stockpile enough drugs; even if cravings struck, he could satisfy them without leaving the den!

So the other method was to engineer an accident forcing him to leave the den—best if it happened to him personally!

Thus, mealtime was the perfect opportunity! Moreover, the arrest team had already learned via the informant Monkey that Zhu Haitao had been at the table since waking near noon and hadn’t eaten.

Everything was ready—only the wind remained.

Huang Laoliu’s apprentice, Zhang Shunli, had introduced a new helper today to work in the kitchen (a kitchen assistant who supported the chefs, usually a chef’s apprentice). The kid looked honest and simple, though he appeared older than his years. Huang Laoliu grumbled inwardly but didn’t interfere—he wasn’t cooking anyway, so it didn’t matter.

A request for two portions of Thai fried rice came in—Zhang Shunli’s specialty, perfected under Huang Laoliu’s tutelage. Naturally, Zhang Shunli took the wok; the assistant moved swiftly, preparing the aromatics and rice. Soon, two identical portions emerged from the same wok, plated neatly, and the assistant even carefully wiped the rims of the plates clean.

When the rice arrived, Gao Ye had just lost another big hand, while Zhu Haitao won again. Zhu Haitao now regarded Gao Ye as a lucky charm, grinning and clapping him on the shoulder, inviting him to play dice later.

Gao Ye looked dejected, as if chasing losses, shoved the rice aside, and said, “Again!” Zhu Haitao grinned: “Brother, don’t rush—time’s early. If you’ve got cash, you’ve got chances to win back. Even if you’re short, I’ll talk to Qin Jie for you—just borrow from the house. No problem, okay?”

As he spoke, he wolfed down his food. Seeing Monkey watching him, he glared with narrowed eyes: “Bring me some tea, you idiot!”

He devoured the entire plate of fried rice in ten minutes—without missing a single win.

Honestly, this win-loss pattern wasn’t Gao Ye’s design. Could he really be bringing this loser luck?—Gao Ye began to believe in feng shui and mysticism.

Zhu Haitao, flushed with triumph, howled with joy—this hand, he’d drawn three Aces, a triple pair! He won over thirty thousand in one go!

He was still howling with delight when suddenly, his tone changed—from “Aaah!” to “Oww!”

He clutched his stomach in pain; soon, a series of gurgling sounds erupted, followed by a loud, unmistakable “pfft!” Then, an unbearable sour stench spread from Zhu Haitao’s seat.

“What the hell did you eat? That smell!” The others at the table gagged, covering their noses and standing up. Zhu Haitao, mortified, opened his mouth to make some excuse—but before he could speak, another violent churn surged in his gut.

Monkey beside him said, “Tao Ge, you ate something bad? You need to go to the hospital!”

Zhu Haitao’s face turned ashen with pain; he nodded frantically, signaling Monkey to help him out. Even as his stomach twisted in agony, he thought: Well, I won big—I’m not losing by leaving now.