Zhao Qiang did not return to the government office as he had said. After leaving Liu Ming'an's house, he went straight to a home in Lotus Flower Village.
"Chief Zhao, you're here. Have a seat," said a burly man with a tiger-like build. If Jiang Ning were present, she would surely recognize him as Huzi, the bouncer from Gold Jade Hall.
What Jiang Ning didn't know was that this Huzi was actually from Lotus Flower Village. His full name was He Zhenhu, the son of Aunt Li Er and husband of Li Xiangyun.
That morning, when Aunt Li Er and Li Xiangyun saw He Zhenhu, who had been away from home for a long time, they were initially surprised and delighted. However, He Zhenhu barely acknowledged them, only shouting, "We're having a guest this afternoon. Keep quiet and remember not to mention this to anyone else."
Aunt Li Er felt uneasy upon hearing this. She knew her son worked at a gambling house and frequently visited brothels and taverns. She worried that the friend he mentioned might be some unsavory character, though He Zhenhu himself was no saint.
Li Xiangyun had been having a tough time lately. Ever since she had provoked Liu Ming'an and woken up in the place where He Wen had died, Li Xiangyun was convinced she had encountered a ghost. She was afraid to leave the house and spent her days in constant fear.
Perhaps due to her obsessive thoughts, Li Xiangyun had actually dreamed of He Wen several times. Upon waking, she always felt as if she were possessed, breaking down in uncontrollable sobs. At first, Aunt Li Er patiently tried to comfort her, but as it happened more frequently, she grew irritated, saying Li Xiangyun was "just a nuisance who did nothing all day" and "an eyesore."
Li Xiangyun lived in a daze, unsure of what to look forward to in life. When He Zhenhu suddenly returned home today, a glimmer of hope sparked in her heart. Unfortunately, her husband hadn't even spared her a glance since he arrived, and even when she tried to initiate conversation, He Zhenhu remained indifferent.
With this, Li Xiangyun's last hope died.
Zhao Qiang arrived at He Zhenhu's house carrying a bronze gong, carefully avoiding people along the way as they had arranged.
Upon entering, Zhao Qiang looked at He Zhenhu, then at the two women in his household. He nodded slightly as a greeting before sitting down on a stool by the door.
"Chief Zhao, would you like some water? Something to eat?" He Zhenhu asked solicitously, remembering the instructions from Old Six Hu and Houzi.
Zhao Qiang waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Don't mind me. Go about your business." He then closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, motionless.
He Zhenhu responded with a "Very well" and turned to go lie down on the bed to rest. As he reached the doorway, Aunt Li Er approached him, constantly glancing at Zhao Qiang while speaking in a hushed voice, "Huzi, how do you know Chief Zhao? What is he doing in our home?"
He Zhenhu looked back at Zhao Qiang, who still had his eyes closed, and replied in an equally low voice, "Mother, don't worry about it. Just let him sit there. It's something that will benefit us."
The room was too small for their whispers to go unnoticed. Though Zhao Qiang couldn't make out exactly what they were saying, he knew they were talking about him.
Zhao Qiang reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled paper that had contained medicine powder. He stared at it intently for a while before a bitter smile crossed his face.
Although Zhao Qiang had lived half his life recklessly, at worst he had only engaged in petty theft as a child, committed minor misdeeds, gambled, and drank as a wastrel. How had he ended up in this situation today?
"It's my own fault for being too greedy!" Zhao Qiang told himself.
Zhao Qiang let out a long sigh and closed his eyes again, his mind involuntarily drifting back to that day.
He owed Gold Jade Hall six thousand six hundred and fifty taels of silver, a sum he had never even dared to imagine before. There was no way he could come up with that money, nor could he ever pay it back. He felt so desperate he wanted to cry.
Fortunately, he had a good friend – Houzi.
Houzi was a loyal person. He told Zhao Qiang that Old Six was kind-hearted and suggested that he beg for mercy, saying there might be a chance to turn things around.
When Zhao Qiang heard this, it was like seeing a ray of light in a dark dungeon. How could he refuse?
He followed Houzi upstairs, where he was led to a room. Inside sat an elderly man with graying hair and a serious expression, appearing to be in his sixties and exuding an unapproachable aura.
Zhao Qiang knew this must be the legendary "Old Six Hu," the owner of the dominant Gold Jade Hall, who had ruled the gambling world for years, unrivaled and legendary in the eyes of gamblers.
Normally, Zhao Qiang would have been thrilled and excited to meet such a figure, but now he felt only trepidation.
"Old Six, I have a friend here..." Houzi said to Old Six Hu with a fawning smile and utmost respect.
Old Six Hu grunted in acknowledgment without looking up, continuing what he was doing.
Seeing Old Six Hu's demeanor, Zhao Qiang thought there was no hope. He became extremely anxious, his face turning pale. He looked to Houzi for help, but Houzi just smiled reassuringly and mouthed one word: "Wait!"
Zhao Qiang managed to calm down a bit and continued to watch Old Six Hu nervously.
Old Six Hu was holding two large bowls filled with a colorful array of densely packed dice, seemingly forty or fifty in total. He then inverted one bowl over the other and began to shake them slowly.
Zhao Qiang watched in awe, wondering what could possibly come of shaking so many dice.
The three men in the room remained silent, with only the sound of dice clattering against each other like a sudden rainstorm.
After a moment, Old Six Hu steadily set down the bowls and exhaled. He then removed the top bowl.
Houzi and Zhao Qiang instinctively craned their necks to look inside.
In the black bowl, dozens of dice were arranged in neat circles. Except for the outer two rings where the numbers varied, all the dice in the center showed sixes.
Zhao Qiang marveled silently, finally witnessing Old Six's skill. He knew he couldn't achieve such gambling prowess even if he practiced for a hundred years.
Unexpectedly, Old Six Hu stared at the pile of dice with a grave expression. After a long while, he sighed and muttered to himself, "Fifty dice, and I can't even roll three hundred points. How did she manage to roll three hundred and ninety?"
His words carried a sense of resignation mixed with lingering disbelief.
Zhao Qiang didn't understand what Old Six Hu was talking about, but Houzi's eyes flashed with understanding. The reason was simple: Houzi had witnessed this scene too many times in the past few days, and he was starting to wonder if his uncle was obsessed.
Old Six Hu listlessly pushed the bowl aside and finally looked up, scrutinizing Zhao Qiang from head to toe.
Zhao Qiang forced a smile on his face, meeting Old Six Hu's gaze with a nod. After a moment, he heard Old Six Hu speak to Houzi, "Tell me, what's the situation?"
Zhao Qiang's heart immediately leaped into his throat, like a criminal awaiting sentencing.