Chapter 96: Disaster Strikes

Changmao and Juanmao turned pale and quickly stepped back two paces, holding their steel pipes horizontally in front of them in a defensive stance.

They had heard the name Zhou Andong thunderously—Langtou had been crippled by this guy. Daobā, who even Xing Ge gave some respect to, had been beaten half to death and was still lying in the hospital over a month later.

They finally remembered why Zhou Andong looked familiar—he’d come to the arcade before, accompanied by a very arrogant woman who had slapped Fei Ge across the face.

“What’s going on?” Three police officers arrived late.

Seeing the police, Changmao and Juanmao eagerly said, “Officers, these three people disrupted public order and smashed things inside the arcade, causing us massive losses. Such troublemakers must be dealt with severely, and they must compensate us for our damages.”

Seeing the police, Sun Dahai and the other three suddenly grew tense, stealing a glance at Zhou Andong; only when they saw his calm smile did they slightly relax.

“You two watch them. I’ll go inside and check.” A thirty-something, heavier officer entered the arcade, saw that many game machines were indeed destroyed, turned around, and came out—while Erfei never said a word the whole time.

“Take these three back.” The heavy officer turned to Changmao and Juanmao. “You two come with me for statements.”

“Wait!” Zhou Andong said. “You can’t just take people away without investigating. That’s inappropriate.”

The heavy officer frowned, bent down, and picked up the banner from the ground. “Do we even need to investigate? Disrupting public order, gathering to riot and smash things—aren’t those clear?”

Zhou Andong took one last drag from his cigarette, then tossed the butt on the ground and crushed it under his foot. “You don’t investigate how Tenglong Arcade lures minors into gambling, destroying countless families, breaking up marriages, and leaving people homeless?”

The heavy officer’s face darkened. “Don’t speak recklessly. Do you have proof?”

Zhou Andong smiled and pointed to the second floor of the arcade. “Like you said, do we even need to investigate? Just go up to the second floor and see for yourselves. I’m sure someone’s still playing slot machines right now.”

“So what’s wrong with slot machines? Aren’t they game machines too?” With police present, Changmao’s courage surged. “Who told you playing slot machines is gambling?”

The heavy officer coldly told Zhou Andong, “Move aside. Don’t interfere with our duties, or I’ll arrest you too.”

Zhou Andong said nothing more. He pulled out a newspaper from his pocket and handed it to the heavy officer. “Here, take a look—this report from Renbao.”

Zhou Andong tapped a spot on the newspaper. “Tenglong Arcade made big headlines—front page of Renbao. Our Jiangzhou is now famous nationwide. Do you think your superiors have seen this news?”

The heavy officer stared at the newspaper, his expression unreadable, but his hand holding it trembled slightly—clearly, he was growing uneasy.

Zhou Andong leaned close, whispering into his ear: “Zhao Jianlong must’ve paid plenty, and you’ve eaten your share too, right? But none of that matters now. What matters is what you do right now.”

The officer suddenly looked up, eyes locked on Zhou Andong.

Zhou Andong leaned closer again, his voice barely a whisper: “You know opening a gambling den and luring minors into gambling is no small crime. Do you think Zhao Jianlong can walk away clean? So before your superiors react, this is your chance to earn merit.”

The heavy officer’s eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he pulled his gun and pointed it at Changmao and Juanmao. “Hands on your heads. Go over there and squat down.”

Changmao and Juanmao were stunned. What the hell? They glanced at Zhou Andong—what the hell did this bastard say? How did the cops flip so fast?

“Qin—”

“Shut up!” the heavy officer barked. “Drop your weapons, or I’ll shoot.”

The two looked at their steel pipes, resentful—but seeing the officer’s grim face, they froze. With a clatter, they dropped the pipes on the ground and obediently walked to the wall, hands on their heads, squatting down.

“And you!” The heavy officer stepped toward Erfei. “Go over. Squat down.”

Erfei’s face darkened. He glared coldly at the officer, then lumbered over to Changmao and Juanmao. He tried to squat, but his bulk wouldn’t allow it—he plopped heavily onto the ground. All those years of brotherhood, and now they turned their backs. Fuck this—I’ll settle this score later.

The heavy officer turned to the other two officers. “Xiao Ma, stay here and watch them. Wang Dong, come with me upstairs.”

The two officers were confused but followed orders.

The heavy officer and Wang Dong entered the arcade and rushed upstairs. “Police! Everyone raise your hands and squat where you are!”

For gamblers, unless the world was ending, nothing would make them stop. They didn’t care about what was happening outside—especially those red-eyed from losing. They glanced up once, then went right back to playing.

“Bang!”

The heavy officer fired a warning shot. “Raise your hands! Squat where you are! Now!”

This worked. Everyone froze, raised their hands, left their chairs, and squatted down obediently.

The heavy officer told Wang Dong, “Watch them. I’ll notify higher-ups—this is a mass gambling operation with minors involved.”

Before he could leave, loud footsteps echoed downstairs—over a dozen police officers ran up, led by a middle-aged man.

“Captain Feng!” the heavy officer called out.

Captain Feng smiled at the heavy officer. “Lao Qin, your nose is sharp—you got here faster than the bureau.”

Lao Qin chuckled, but inside, he felt a chill of dread. If not for that kid’s warning, he’d have been ruined today.

Captain Feng scanned the scene, then walked to a teenager. “Stand up!”

The teenager rose. Captain Feng asked, “How old are you?”

The teenager replied, “Fourteen!”

Captain Feng waved his hand. “Take them all away. Seal all gambling machines.”

Zhou Andong crouched down to Sun Dahai and the other two. “The police have called an ambulance for you—it’ll be here soon. Remember what I said: don’t crack. Don’t be afraid. Stick to it, and you’ll have a good life for the rest of your days.”

Sun Dahai hesitated. “Will he really pay?”

“Trust me,” Zhou Andong smiled at the three. “He will.”

The three looked at Zhou Andong and nodded firmly. “Alright. We’ll follow your lead.”

The ambulance arrived. The three were loaded in and taken away. Soon after, sixty to seventy gamblers were dragged out, and the arcade’s front door was sealed with official tape.

Only now did Erfei, Changmao, and Juanmao realize—disaster had struck.