This time, Li Dabiao played with a bit more caution.

After all, he only had thirty thousand left. Of course, I didn’t plan to wipe him out completely. These last thirty thousand were the root I left for him. As long as this root remained, Li Dabiao would find ways to keep gambling with Old Hei.

As long as he gambled, he would sink deeper into this quagmire, until he could no longer extricate himself.

After playing for a while, Li Dabiao managed to win back over ten thousand. He now had more than forty thousand in hand. On the other side, Old Hei had already won over two hundred thousand.

The two had already agreed that no matter who won, they would end the casual game at 12 o’clock and have drinks. It was already past eleven. The game was about to end.

This round, Old Hei was dealing cards. Li Dabiao took his cards, pretending to look at them slowly and carefully.

But in reality, he was cheating. He hadn’t given up hope just yet.

Just as Li Dabiao was about to reveal his cards, suddenly, there was a “thud.” Li Dabiao, along with his chair, fell to the ground.

The person who kicked him was the one responsible for collecting the rake.

“What the hell are you doing?” Li Dabiao struggled to get up from the ground and shouted at the rake collector.

“What am I doing? I’ve been watching you for days, and you dare to cheat here!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the door to the room was pushed open with force. Several thugs who watched over the gambling den, escorting a manager, walked in. Clearly, they were prepared.

And I couldn’t help but frown.

My plan was completely ruined by this sudden kick. Originally, I wanted Li Dabiao to continue borrowing money and gambling until he couldn’t find any more. But I never expected that this rake collector would turn out to be the gambling den’s undercover agent.

“When did I cheat? What proof do you have that I cheated?” Li Dabiao argued with a red face, standing his ground.

The undercover agent didn’t speak. Old Hei, however, tried to mediate:

“Calm down, everyone. Let’s not resort to violence. It’s impossible, he couldn’t have cheated. If he did, how could I have won so much?”

Old Hei’s words seemed to be breaking up the fight, but there was something off about his tone. It was clearly sarcasm. Old Hei was bad enough to not only kill but also to crush one’s spirit.

The undercover agent remained silent and began to pick up the cards that Li Dabiao had tampered with from the table.

“You think by cheating on the edge of the cards, I wouldn’t notice? This one is Diamonds 7, Hearts 9, Hearts J…” The undercover agent called out all the cheats Li Dabiao had made.

“What are you talking about? I have no idea…” Li Dabiao struggled in vain.

“Heh, quite stubborn! Come on, don’t disturb the others playing outside. Let’s go to the office…” The gambling den’s supervisor said, then looked towards Old Hei and me.

“Old Hei, you come along too!”

“Alright, Brother Zhao!”

The supervisor’s surname was Zhao, and Old Hei had known him for a long time. As for catching a cheater, Old Hei didn’t take it seriously. He knew that with my skills, this undercover agent definitely wouldn’t have noticed.

After packing up the money, the group went straight to the office on the first floor.

Passing by the kitchen, the hustle and bustle continued. The chef who had been chopping ribs when we arrived was now stir-frying dishes, apron tied around his waist.

As soon as we entered the office, Brother Zhao walked straight up to Li Dabiao.

Looking at him, he asked, “Brother, I won’t make it hard for you. Just one question, do you admit it or not?”

Li Dabiao was already scared witless, but he knew what the consequences would be if he admitted it.

He braced himself and said, “Brother, I really didn’t cheat. I don’t know what’s up with those cards?”

Brother Zhao suddenly laughed.

“Really, I…” Li Dabiao didn’t finish his sentence.

Brother Zhao’s expression changed abruptly. Suddenly, he lifted his foot and kicked Li Dabiao’s abdomen hard. With just one kick, Li Dabiao was lifted off the ground and then slammed down heavily. He curled up on the ground, writhing in pain.

I hated Li Dabiao.

But this scene didn’t give me any sense of revengeful satisfaction. Compared to my previous plan, this physical torture was child’s play. What a pity! I didn’t know if there would be another chance in the future.

Brother Zhao squatted down. He patted Li Dabiao’s now pale face.

“Our gambling den is very reasonable. Without evidence, no one will touch you!”

With that, he reached out his hand, and the undercover agent handed Brother Zhao a mini DV. It turned out that they had recorded everything from the start.

“From the first time you came here, we felt something was off. The second time you came, we started watching you. Did you really think your skills were so good that no one noticed? Do you want me to play it for you now?”

Brother Zhao’s eyes were filled with a deadly aura. Li Dabiao, lying on the ground, painfully shook his head. He knew that no matter how tough he acted, he couldn’t escape this calamity.

“Brother, I was wrong, I admit it. Whatever punishment you decide, I accept. Just please don’t chop off my hands…” As he spoke, he suddenly burst into tears.

Back when he beat me, he mocked me for not feeling pain and never crying. And now, after just a couple of kicks, he cried like a child over two hundred pounds. I really wanted to laugh. Of course, it wasn’t a laugh of successful revenge, but a scornful sneer at Li Dabiao.

“Get up!” Brother Zhao said.

Li Dabiao clutched his stomach, enduring the pain, and slowly got up.

Brother Zhao looked at the two who lent money at high interest and asked:

“First, settle the money he owes. We’ll deal with the rest later. How much did he take from you?”

“Thirteen, plus a watch, for a total of thirty thousand!”

Brother Zhao then asked Old Hei.

“What about the money he owes you?”

Old Hei was enjoying the drama. He immediately shook his head and said:”I don’t owe anything, but someone was cheating in your gambling den. Don’t you think you owe me some compensation?”

Brother Zhao gave Old Hei a fierce glare, ignoring him. Then, Brother Zhao pulled a machete from the drawer.

With a “bang,” the machete slammed into the worn office desk.

“Come on, let’s settle the money first. If you handle it well, I’ll chop off two of your fingers as a gesture. Handle it poorly, and today I’ll chop off both your hands and feet!”

Brother Zhao’s gaze was sharp. Everyone knew he wasn’t joking. Li Dabiao was shaking like a leaf. Trembling, he took out his cell phone and dialed a number.

Since it was already midnight, the phone rang for a while before someone answered. At Brother Zhao’s insistence, he put it on speakerphone.

“Lingling, I, I’m in trouble!”

“What’s wrong?” The girl on the other end, still groggy, asked. By her voice, she seemed not yet fully awake.

“I’m at the old street’s card room, got caught cheating. They want, want money, come save me quickly. They’re going to chop off my hands and feet…” Li Dabiao cried inconsolably, his speech broken and intermittent.

“How could this happen? Dabiao, don’t be afraid, wait for me. Don’t let them hit you, I’m coming right over…” The girl named Lingling said in shock.

I had never noticed. The average-looking Li Dabiao actually had the ability to live off a woman.

In the office, we were idly smoking, quietly waiting. But actually, I had a doubt in my heart. The one caught cheating was Li Dabiao, and the evidence was conclusive. But why did Brother Zhao, the manager, keep us here and not let us go?

About half an hour later, the office door was forcefully pushed open. The girl named Lingling rushed in, flustered. She had arrived.

But she didn’t come alone.

Behind her followed seven or eight burly men in suits.

And standing among these imposing men,

Was a man in his fifties.