On the third floor of the Yellow Dragon Casino, there was a huge, well-hidden room filled with surveillance monitors.
An Asian man in his forties stared at a group of ethnic Chinese high rollers gambling lavishly on one of the screens, a faint sneer hovering at the corners of his mouth.
"Tell the dealer in VIP Room No. 3 not to use any special tricks for the first ten rounds. Give the guests a little taste of sweetness first, then draw in the net and slaughter the fish." The man calmly issued his instructions in the language of the British Commonwealth.
"Yes, Mr. Wei."
"When you inspect the slot machines on the second floor this afternoon, lower the payout rate by five percentage points while you're at it. They've paid out a little too much this morning.
"Also, keep an eye on the guests at table eighteen on the first floor. They seem generous with their money and should be quite wealthy. Send a host over and invite them to play in the VIP lounge."
The middle-aged man swept his gaze over the other monitors and continued issuing orders. From time to time, someone relayed his instructions by phone.
"Oh, Mr. Wei, a little while ago, two of the Mao Lineage's men working security saw a guest cash out more than three hundred thousand pounds in our first-floor hall. They quietly followed him out." A man dressed like a manager hesitated, then reported this in a low voice.
"When did this happen? Don't they know that if something happens to a guest right after he wins money, it will seriously damage the Yellow Dragon Casino's reputation?
"How did this guest win? Was he cheating? Was he a guest from the VIP lounge?" Mr. Wei grew angry at the news.
"Mr.