Chapter 592: Macau

I gave the bank card to Qian Youyu without saying a word.

The Macau trip arranged by Dai An took place on the third day. Accompanying me, besides a cadre from the Discipline Inspection Commission, were two people from State Security.

Before leaving, Dai An specifically instructed me that this time, I must cooperate well with the Macau side's actions and strive to obtain the final trump card.

I knew the mission was significant, and I couldn't help but feel apprehensive inside.

The two State Security personnel maintained a serious demeanor throughout the journey. I wanted to chat with them, but they never answered me with more than three words. Chatting like this was dull, so I simply shut my mouth and learned to say nothing like them.

I was not the main person in this operation; the person in charge was the cadre sent by the Discipline Inspection Commission.

Upon arriving in Macau, we went straight to a hotel. From my observations, it seemed everything had been arranged long ago.

The two State Security personnel locked the door tightly as soon as they entered the room, and I shared a room with the Discipline Inspection cadre.

The Discipline Inspection cadre was clearly of some age, with an inscrutable air about him. I wanted to chat with him, but to my surprise, as soon as I opened my mouth, he waved his hand at me, signaling for silence.

I was extremely unhappy in my heart and felt extremely annoyed at Dai An's arrangement. Since they arranged for me to come, why was everyone so guarded against me? If I were an outsider who shouldn't know the inside story, why go through the trouble of calling me here?

Since no one was talking, wouldn't it be a wasted trip if I didn't go out and walk around in this bustling world of Macau?

So I made up my mind to go out and wander around.

As soon as I proposed the idea, the Discipline Inspection cadre flatly refused. I asked in confusion, "Why won't you let me go out?"

The Discipline Inspection cadre said seriously, "We are here to execute a mission, not to travel."

"You are, but I'm not!" I retorted, almost in a roaring state.

He was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said with a grin, "You are one of us, and I am responsible for you."

"Responsible?" I asked in confusion. "What can you be responsible for regarding me?"

"Mainly safety. Of course, our discipline has regulations. As a cadre of the Party, you know what discipline is."

I was speechless; his reasons were high-sounding. If I continued to pester him, I would appear completely inappropriate.

Seeing that I had calmed down, the Discipline Inspection cadre handed me a cup of tea he had already brewed, turned on the TV, and said, "Let's watch TV for now and wait for someone to come."

"Wait for whom?"

"You'll know when they get here."

I wanted to lose my temper again. You people, everything is kept so mysterious, as if it has nothing to do with me. If I am considered one of you, why not tell me what the mission in Macau is?

As night fell, our door was knocked on.

The Discipline Inspection cadre moved as if he had springs under his seat, rushing over to open the door in one stride. As the door opened, I saw the two State Security personnel who had come with me standing by the door, and behind them stood a burly man.

I didn't recognize this man; he had a full beard and a weary expression. But the light in his eyes was like a sharp arrow, seemingly piercing through my chest.

We all sat in the room, each taking a look at the other, and the Discipline Inspection cadre spoke first to introduce him.

Only then did I learn that the visitor was the security manager of the largest casino in Macau. A so-called security manager is someone who watches the casino to prevent chaos and people skipping out on their debts. Most people who engage in this kind of work are desperate men.

The security manager before me seemed different from the legendary ones. I could see a shrewdness in his gaze that was uncommon for ordinary people.

Macau is only a place the size of a palm. This palm-sized place was forcibly occupied by Portugal during the Qing Dynasty; although the signed agreement was a lease, the time was to be a century. After a century, we took this place back, but we could never change its original state of life. This old-fashioned colony, even after returning to our embrace, ultimately felt like a child adopted by others; even if you get it back, it always lacks its original simplicity and enthusiasm.

Macau is not big, but it has the world's largest and most luxurious casinos. Every year, people from all over the world come here to gamble, bustling and noisy, all coming for profit and going for profit.

Macau is a veritable money-burning vault. How many rich people become beggars overnight, and how many penniless people become rich overnight? I heard of a person who took less than ten thousand yuan from his family's sugarcane sales, went to Macau to gamble for a night, and became a billionaire the next day.

I also heard of billionaires who fell to eating instant noodles on the street overnight.

This was my first time here, and I had long heard that this was a bustling world of mortals. Unfortunately, the accompanying Discipline Inspection cadre wouldn't let me go out, keeping me locked in the hotel, so I couldn't feel its prosperity and noise at all.

The security manager was called Lao Wei, and the Discipline Inspection cadre addressed him as Wei xiansheng.

The Discipline Inspection cadre introduced me, and Wei xiansheng looked at me several times, reached out his hand, and said, "Nice to meet you, nice to meet you!"

The State Security people still spoke little, and they brought a laptop with them. This thing was very precious; I didn't have one when I was in Chunshan County, and the Letters and Visits Bureau wasn't equipped with one either.

Wei xiansheng took out a disc and signaled for us to close the room door tightly and draw the curtains.

I sneered in my heart; we came all this way, surely not just to watch a disc?

After the laptop made a few clicking sounds, figures began to appear on the screen.

This was a scene from a casino! I exclaimed in my heart.

Judging from the recording footage and quality, the content on this disc was secretly filmed. Sometimes the footage jumped and you couldn't see anyone, leaving only an empty carpet or the legs of chairs and tables on the screen.

The video played slowly, and we watched in hushed silence. Suddenly I exclaimed, and they all looked up at me in unison. I pointed at the screen and stammered, "It's Lao Can."

That's right, it was Lao Can on the screen. But I looked carefully, and at this time Lao Can shouldn't have been Lao Can yet, because his ten fingers were still there, and he was nimbly flipping through the cards in front of him.

Wei xiansheng pointed at Lao Can and said, "This person is a card sharp."

We all nodded at the same time, but our eyes never left the screen for a moment.

The footage began to move again, and the lens fell on the person beside Lao Can. Although it was just a fleeting glance, my heart felt as if it had been fiercely grabbed by someone.

It's him! I shouted secretly in my heart.

Although this shot was fleeting, I had already clearly seen this person.

No way! I struggled in my heart, impossible!

Wei xiansheng seemed to have sensed my abnormality and said to me with a smile, "Director Chen, what did you see?"

I shook my head and said, "I didn't see anything."

He smiled without a word, closed the laptop, and signaled for us to open the curtains.

"Comrades, I have three discs here. I received notice from my superiors that I must cooperate well with you this time. As long as you have needs, just tell me. As long as I, Lao Wei, can do it, I will certainly do it for you."

We applauded together. Lao Wei speaking like this meant that we were comrades. So it should be said that Lao Wei was not an ordinary security manager; he was a special person who appeared in the casino with a mission.

Sure enough, after Lao Wei left, the Discipline Inspection cadre explained things to me. Lao Wei was a person from the Discipline Inspection system. As for what level he belonged to, the Discipline Inspection cadre didn't say, and I didn't dare to ask. But judging from his tone and respectful attitude toward Lao Wei, this Lao Wei's identity was absolutely extraordinary.

State Security people all carry out tasks different from others; if it weren't for particularly large cases, State Security wouldn't take action. Our trip to Macau this time could basically be seen from the structure of the personnel; the mission was not light!

Three discs, but only one laptop.

I suggested borrowing one from the hotel, but as soon as the words fell, the State Security people flatly refused without any courtesy.

My suggestion was rejected, and I felt a fire in my heart, so I simply lay flat on the bed, staring at the ceiling in a daze. I'm not in the mood to squeeze together with a bunch of men to watch discs!

They didn't call me, and the three of them squeezed their heads together, scrutinizing every second of the content with rapt attention.

My stomach was growling with hunger, so I got up and searched, but didn't find anything like instant noodles in the room. So I cursed impolitely, "Damn it, what a crappy hotel!"

Hearing this, they all looked up, and after staring at me for a long time, the three of them burst into laughter together.

The Discipline Inspection cadre rubbed his stomach and said, "I am indeed hungry! Let's go eat something."

The State Security people didn't object, so the four of us locked the door and went downstairs together.

When passing through the hotel lobby, I even wanted to ask the front desk why they didn't put drinks or instant noodles in the room. This was standard equipment back home. ===== CHAPTER 593 =====