A Secret Pact in the Teahouse

In the old city district, teahouses were booming, mostly frequented by the unemployed, jobless, or retired. Cuntoucao was a regular here, but after joining Long Wen's crew, their usual hangout shifted to Mengjing Teahouse, located next to Hongdu Plaza.

The teahouse owner was accustomed to Cuntoucao's usual spot. It was a small wooden room on the second floor facing the street, offering a wide view.

Early in the morning, Cuntoucao arrived at the attic on the second floor of Yuelai Teahouse. He brewed his favorite, local Longjing—Yunfeng Maojian. After taking a couple of sips, he leisurely watched the street traffic. Street performers were enthusiastically promoting the upcoming opening of Night Fragrance Hotpot, beating gongs and drums while dancing their usual waist drum dance and pushing mobile advertising boards. Cuntoucao took out his phone and sent a message to Tong Haojing: "Urgent meeting, Yuelai Teahouse. Let's talk face-to-face."

Tong Haojing was on his way to the police station after breakfast when his phone, which he was holding, beeped. He knew it was a message, and upon opening it, he saw it was from Cuntoucao, asking to meet. Tong Haojing knew that Cuntoucao wouldn't be this urgent unless it was something important. Wearing a short-sleeved fashionable shirt, Tong Haojing quickened his pace upon seeing Cuntoucao's message, his heart tightening slightly. He hurried to the station, said a few words to Old Jiang, and then headed straight for Yuelai Teahouse.

Without Old Jiang by his side, Tong Haojing clearly felt that Old Jiang had been spending less time with him in the community. He regretted his own conspicuousness, especially when the Anti-drug Brigade arrested Agen, which had caused Old Jiang to lose face. This made his own prominence even more apparent, making Old Jiang uncomfortable.

On the first floor of Yuelai Teahouse, a young waiter was showcasing his tea-making skills, pouring tea without spilling a drop, earning constant praise from the customers. Tong Haojing's arrival didn't draw the attention of the tea drinkers, but the owner immediately noticed him. For teahouse owners, community police officers were always people they paid attention to; they recognized the officers, though the officers didn't necessarily recognize them.

Pi Zhong, a loafer who often frequented the place for tea and cards, was there. Tong Haojing had to warn him. They already knew each other because Pi Zhong was a frequent visitor to the detention center, having been detained multiple times for public order offenses. Following closely behind him was Wang Neng, a two-faced individual who often relied on Pi Zhong for handouts, asking for money every few days. Their relationship was quite close.

Tong Haojing deliberately avoided acknowledging Pi Zhong and Wang Neng.

Cuntoucao saw Tong Haojing from upstairs. He signaled to a waiter on the second floor, saying, "Go call that tall young man who just came in."

The waiter turned and went downstairs, his footsteps echoing. At the corner of the first floor, the waiter saw Tong Haojing looking around at the counter.

"Excuse me, sir, someone's looking for you upstairs!"

"You are..." Tong Haojing understood. He followed the waiter upstairs, navigating through corridors, and entered a small wooden room. He saw Cuntoucao sitting alone at a glass table in the attic, leisurely sipping tea with his legs crossed.

"Quite the leisure!" Tong Haojing remarked.

"You flatter me!" Cuntoucao stood up and bent over to invite Tong Haojing to sit, acting like a servant greeting a master, which made Tong Haojing a bit uncomfortable.

Tong Haojing said, "Cuntoucao, don't be so formal. We're friends!"

Cuntoucao replied, "Rules are still important. You are my great benefactor, and I respect you immensely. It's only natural." In reality, Cuntoucao's words stemmed from genuine respect and gratitude towards Tong Haojing, not from any intention to flatter.

Tong Haojing said, "What rules? They're all man-made. Let's not stand on ceremony between us!" Tong Haojing's tone became a bit firmer, and Cuntoucao sensed he was getting annoyed. He quickly smiled and said, "Okay, we are friends. I'll be more mindful in the future."

Cuntoucao began speaking without reservation, getting straight to the point: "Officer Tong, the thugs were selling drugs last night."

Hearing Cuntoucao proactively share information with him, Tong Haojing felt that the emotional investment and effort he had put into helping troubled youths hadn't been in vain. A warm current spread through him, invigorating every pore. He felt completely refreshed and at ease!

Tong Haojing asked, "What kind of drugs? Narcotics?"

Cuntoucao replied, "A new type of drug that just came in. They were having a birthday party for someone named Xiao Hu."

Tong Haojing asked, "Did you see it yourself?"

Cuntoucao said, "No, the thugs didn't let us handle it. They just told us to go 'make a scene' [slang for causing trouble/making a scene]. It's obvious they don't trust us!"

"Where did the drugs come from?"

The thug lowered his head and remained silent for a moment, looking distressed. He lit a cigarette, took several deep drags, and then said, "I'm truly sorry, but I can't say right now! Long Wen's gang is ruthless and capable of anything. It's not that I'm afraid for myself, but I have a ten-year-old daughter. I need to ensure her absolute safety!"

Tong Haojing said, "I understand. It's best to be cautious. Call me when you're ready to talk!"

The thug nodded helplessly.

Tong Haojing then asked, "Does Hongdu's boss know about last night's events?"

Cuntoucao replied, "He might. Xiao Hu called the boss for his birthday."

Tong Haojing asked, "What's their relationship?"

Cuntoucao thought for a moment and said, "Actually, there are two groups of people who come to Hongdu Entertainment City to cause trouble. You know, one mountain can't hold two tigers, and two evil forces are bound to clash. A while ago, Long Wen's people had a fight with the other group, and they haven't been back since. Originally, the boss didn't dare to offend either group. He might need something from us!"

"Who is the other group?"

"Brother Zhang Tou. He doesn't have many men and has only been in this business for a few years!"

"What are they doing at Hongdu?"

The thug looked at Tong Haojing and smiled, "What do you think?"

"Selling drugs?"

"What good things could these scumbags be doing in there? Nothing more than eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, drug use, selling, trafficking, etc.!" In fact, under Tong Haojing's guidance and education, Cuntoucao had truly begun to detest these ugly phenomena. His sense of right and wrong had clearly changed—this was the principle of "near ink one gets stained, near vermilion one gets colored." Tong Haojing felt gratified that Cuntoucao could say such things, knowing how difficult it was to change the ugly soul of a drug addict.

"Where do they get their supplies?"

"They all get it from one place. No, from Zuoshen, or maybe somewhere else..."

"Who is Zuoshen?"

"You'll find out slowly later. Just pretend I didn't say anything!"

"Why are you being so hesitant and evasive?" Tong Haojing's expression darkened. "What benefits did he give you?"

Cuntoucao replied, "I don't know. This might be something Long Wen is dealing with them on."

Tong Haojing knew that it would take time for Cuntoucao to fully trust him and tell him everything. Haste makes waste; there would be opportunities later.

Tong Haojing suddenly remembered something and asked, "Officer Lan, why didn't you tell Lu Tong about the fight?"

Cuntoucao was taken aback. He glanced at Tong Haojing, a hint of anger on his face, and said, "I just can't stand them!"

Tong Haojing said, "It can't be that serious, can it? Did someone provoke you!" He noticed Cuntoucao's unnatural expression and pressed on, "Are you worried? Afraid to speak up? Someone said he found an ID card on the spot?"

Cuntoucao was startled. "Who said that?"

"That's none of your business!" Tong Haojing didn't explain, secretly observing Cuntoucao's facial changes.

"What's there to be afraid of? I was really sleepy that day and was about to explain when someone outside called Officer Lan away. After a few words, Officer Lan came back, kicked me twice angrily, and said I was lucky. He never asked me again."

Tong Haojing asked, "Who was that?"

Cuntoucao replied, "I don't know. Judging by the voice, it was definitely someone from your station."

Tong Haojing vaguely remembered that night. When he left the station, he saw Tang Changan and Deputy Director Liu Yang still in the office. Could it have been him, or...

"If you don't want to say, that's fine. It's not too late for you to tell me when you're ready!" Tong Haojing said calmly.

"It wasn't me..."

"Let's not talk about it!"

Tong Haojing's mood suddenly became heavy. He didn't dare to think further and fell into deep thought.

Cuntoucao felt he shouldn't have brought it up, as it clearly put Officer Tong in a difficult position. Cuntoucao quickly apologized to Tong Haojing, "Officer Tong, I shouldn't have pried!"

Tong Haojing didn't blame Cuntoucao. Instead, he asked, "Anything else?"

Cuntoucao said, "Last night was too dangerous. Those thugs and those brats were ruthless and carried knives at all times. If they had found out you were following them, they would have been desperate and done anything."

Cuntoucao's well-intentioned warning made Tong Haojing gasp, but he still felt a warmth in his heart.

Cuntoucao added, "Oh, right. Long Wen rewarded me with ten thousand yuan for my trouble. I don't know what to do with it because I promised you I would turn over a new leaf. I don't want to hang out with them anymore, but the thugs want me to help them. I'm in a dilemma, whether to participate or not."

This was the first time Tong Haojing had encountered such a situation. He didn't know how to respond to Cuntoucao and could only brush it off, saying, "Don't get too involved. Tell me immediately if you get any important information." It was clear that Tong Haojing didn't object to Cuntoucao mixing with the thugs.

Cuntoucao replied, "I will!"

Tong Haojing and Cuntoucao agreed on contact methods and reminded him not to use text messages next time, as they could be monitored. Just as he was about to leave the attic, Cuntoucao quietly said to Tong Haojing, "Around ten in the morning, the thugs might be doing something big. Interested?"

"No rush, take your time!" Tong Haojing got up again and pulled the door, ensuring it was tightly shut before feeling relieved.

"At ten in the morning, at the food factory next to the West City Hotel, the thugs are going to do something. They called us to help with a stakeout. I guess it's definitely about gambling. Because I overheard the thugs saying Ma Shaokang was going to a money house to do something for Long Wen. That place is a new hideout."

Tong Haojing had obtained crucial information. He wanted to pass it on to Teacher Jiang immediately to strike a blow against the arrogance of the thugs and Long Wen's gang.