The Deal

Wong Chi-shing hesitated briefly before agreeing. If this really was a drug case, detaining Baki for twenty-four hours was only proper. As for the material used in stab-resistant vests, the police had no shortage of it. Such vests offered excellent protection against hacking and stabbing, but did little against firearms and other weapons.

Stab-resistant vests had never been popular with the Hong Kong Royal Police. They had guns to deal with criminals wielding knives, and bulletproof vests to deal with those carrying guns. Stab-resistant vests were simply too useless in comparison.

Thinking it over, he agreed to Wang Xuan's request directly. However, Wang Xuan had to give him the casino's information first as a deposit.

With the deal settled, the two had nothing more to discuss. Wong Chi-shing hurriedly ate a few bites before getting up to leave. Wang Xuan courteously saw him to the door. Watching the car drive away, he shook his head, unable to describe what he was feeling. In his previous life, he had quite liked the various roles played by Anthony Wong, but when the two stood on opposing sides, that fondness vanished without a trace.

It was better to keep one's distance from idols!

After returning to the nightclub, Wang Xuan waited for the several underlings he had sent out. He found one who could draw and had him sketch a fairly neat map based on the others' descriptions.

After Wong Chi-shing received the map, he arranged for one of his informants to verify it. Once the information was confirmed accurate, he immediately reported it to his superiors and began planning a large-scale anti-gambling operation.

A large number of officers were assembled, and their communication devices were confiscated. Wong Chi-shing took command, while only a few people around him knew the precise target of that night's operation.

Everyone received notice only when they were close to the destination. A detailed operation plan had already been prepared, and by the time the underling keeping watch noticed something was wrong, it was too late.

With both the front and rear entrances blocked, the police brought in heavy equipment and smashed through the door. The thick iron gate was no match for it. Before the lookout could even run inside, a roar sounded behind him, followed by a final crash that sent clouds of dust billowing into the air.

The underling guarding the entrance scrambled into the casino hall and screamed at the top of his lungs, "The cops are here!"

Before his voice had even faded, a large number of police officers charged out of the dust behind him, each heading straight for the front desk, storerooms, private rooms, rear entrance, and other key locations.

As the police stormed in, the hall fell into chaos. The gamblers fled in every direction, desperately seeking an escape, but even more people took advantage of the confusion to snatch cash from the tables and floor. The uproar made the scene even more disorderly.

Seeing this, Wong Chi-shing, who had entered the casino behind the main force, knitted his brows tightly and ordered the people beside him, "Fire warning shots. Stop the chaos. Gather evidence and check the gambling funds. Find the organizers and restrain them. Send some people to gather the gamblers in one place. Don't let a riot break out."

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three consecutive gunshots instantly silenced the chaotic scene. One by one, the gamblers clasped their hands over their heads and crouched on the ground without moving. They were all remarkably practiced at it—clearly veterans of many such situations.

Dozens of police officers searched every part of the casino. Because the raid had come so suddenly and been arranged so thoroughly, the large quantities of gambling ledgers, cash, and other items had not had time to be hidden. The police seized everything.

Watching stacks of cash and account books being placed at his feet, Wong Chi-shing revealed a satisfied smile.

After the final count, the cash alone amounted to over a million. Still unsatisfied, Wong Chi-shing ordered the casino manager brought over. "Talk. There's no way this is all the money. Where did you hide the rest? If you confess, some of your punishment may be reduced. If we find it ourselves, your responsibility will be much greater."

The manager was not stupid. He understood that confessing leniently would still mean spending the rest of his life in prison. He shook his head like a rattle. "Sir, that's really all there is. How much money can a small casino have?"

Seeing him refuse to cooperate, Wong Chi-shing sneered. "Fine. I'll search it myself. You can wait to grow old in prison."

"Take apart every place where anything could be hidden, including the false ceiling and the toilets. Search everything carefully!"

After another search, they found a checkbook beneath the ceiling. It contained checks worth more than two million. In addition, a large number of controlled knives and a small quantity of drugs were discovered. Finally, a pistol and twenty rounds of ammunition were found in a hidden compartment inside a drawer.

Only then, fully satisfied, did Wong Chi-shing order everyone to withdraw. The haul from this operation was considerable and could be considered a major case—enough to make him famous throughout the police force.

At this rate, he was confident he would soon rise another level.

More than a hundred people were transported back, and the entire police station erupted into activity. The casino's manager and the gamblers were detained and interrogated separately. Before long, a large number of testimonies had been compiled one by one.

At the same time, when Baki received the news, his head began to buzz. The casino had been destroyed, and aside from the lost money, simply bailing people out would cost a considerable sum. Moreover, he could no longer operate the casino, causing a huge drop in his income. It pained him terribly. He had no idea which deity he had offended; lately, everything had gone wrong.

But once the matter had happened, he could not avoid it. Though it hurt to spend the money, he had no choice but to send people with cash to the police station for bail. Those who could not be bailed out also needed arrangements made for their lives in prison. After all, all his underlings were watching this time. If he abandoned them, no one would work for him in the future.

Baki had suffered a financial loss, Wong Chi-shing had gained achievements, and Wang Xuan had managed to vent some of his frustration.

However, this still wasn't enough!

Wong Chi-shing had just finished dealing with the matter when he received a call. The moment he recognized Wang Xuan, he understood what it meant: Wang Xuan wanted him to fulfill his promise.

"It would be best to act alongside new criminal evidence. That would make it convenient for me to detain Baki."

Wang Xuan pondered briefly before nodding in agreement.

He already had information about drug transactions, but it was all scattered information about small shipments distributed to minor dealers. The advantage was that there was a lot of it, making arrests easy.

Baki was extremely meticulous. Wang Xuan had not yet uncovered the source of his large-scale drug supply, and it was impossible to find it in a short time.

Therefore, Wang Xuan abandoned the idea of relying on the police to take down Baki and instead gave Wong Chi-shing some of the scattered information he had collected.

Wong Chi-shing was somewhat dissatisfied that they were all small fry. After enjoying a grand feast, he had begun to look down on such minor operations. Fortunately, there was a great deal of information, and it might still be possible to follow the trail and catch the bigger fish.

After receiving the satisfactory answer, Wong Chi-shing said they would raid Baki's establishments the day after tomorrow. He said nothing else and immediately ended the call.

After receiving the confirmed information, Wang Xuan also began preparing for the operation to seize the territory the night after next.

Wang Xuan did not inform Baki. He had his own little plan in mind. This operation was certain to succeed, so there was no need to let Baki and the organization take a share of the spoils.

As the time drew closer, Wang Xuan gathered quite a few key men in advance. He also put on the stab-resistant vest he had obtained from Wong Chi-shing. Once everything was ready, he only had to wait for the police operation to begin.