111 Two Birds with One Arrow (Early Dawn, Please Subscribe!)

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“Who’s there?”

“He’s called Brother Rong; I met him at the gambling den.”

“He was involved in the gambling too?”

“Yes.”

“What’s his real name?”

Wang Deli shook his head. “No one uses their real name at the gambling den; everyone goes by a nickname.”

“What’s your nickname?”

“Three Virtues.”

“Why do you suspect him?”

“Last night, I won money from several people, including Brother Rong. Later, he lost all his money and came to borrow from me. I refused, and we got into an argument. He even slapped me.”

“So, you suspect him just because you had a conflict?”

“It’s not over. Because he caused a scene at the gambling den and broke the rules of the casino, Brother Biao gave him a lesson—two slaps. On the way back, he threatened me to be careful from now on.” Wang Deli sighed deeply.

“What else do you know about this Brother Rong?” Han Bin pressed.

Wang Deli thought for a moment and shook his head. “Nothing else.”

“Keep thinking. If you recall anything, tell us immediately,” Han Bin said.

“Understood.”

Then Han Bin and Li Hui left the interrogation room.

Li Hui rubbed his stomach. “Bin, this case is pretty complicated.”

“What does your stomach have to do with the case?” Han Bin teased.

“You don’t even notice the time? We should have had lunch long ago.”

“You mention lunch, and now I remember—my mom said she’d cook something delicious for me today,” Han Bin shrugged helplessly.

“No appetite at all.”

“I’m so hungry I’m weak. Give me a bowl of instant noodles, and I’d swear it tastes like lobster,” Li Hui swallowed hard.

“Don’t mention lobster—it just makes me hungrier.”

They chatted casually as they quickly returned to the second team’s office.

As soon as they entered, a rich aroma of cooking filled the air.

“Wow, what’s that smell? It’s so good!” Li Hui exclaimed, eyes wide with exaggeration.

“Perfect timing. Let’s eat. I just got back from the observation room,” Zeng Ping said, handing chopsticks to Han Bin and Li Hui.

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“Goodness, braised intestines, crispy pork, pan-fried tofu, garlic romaine, and stir-fried pancakes as the main dish. Today’s meal is quite lavish,” Li Hui marveled.

“It’s past lunchtime; the cafeteria is closed. This is takeout ordered by Captain Zheng. He knows you’re working hard on the weekend and wanted to treat you,” Zeng Ping explained.

“See, Captain Zheng really cares about us,” Li Hui said while quickly grabbing a piece of braised intestine and popping it into his mouth.

“Delicious!”

Han Bin picked up a piece of crispy pork and tasted it. “This takeout really tastes good.”

“I think the pan-fried tofu is the best—it reminds me of my childhood,” Zhao Ming said, savoring the taste.

Zeng Ping glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost two o’clock and knowing they were starving, he smiled: “Eat quickly. After this, we still have the case to handle.”

Han Bin took a few bites of the stir-fried pancakes to fill his stomach. “Captain Zeng, you heard about the gambling ring, right?”

“Yes, it’s basically two cases intertwined. We have to be extra careful and aim to solve both.”

“According to Wang Deli, there are twenty to thirty people involved in the gambling. We can’t catch them all by ourselves,” Li Hui said vaguely.

“I’ve reported this to Captain Zheng. He’ll coordinate additional police forces when the time comes,” Zeng Ping assured them.

“Captain Zeng, should we arrest the gamblers first or the robbery suspects?”

Zeng Ping hadn’t decided either. “Let’s eat first. We’ll discuss it after.”

In less than twenty minutes, they finished the meal, and the empty containers were thrown into the trash.

Han Bin brewed a cup of green tea to aid digestion, Zeng Ping poured himself some black tea, and Tian Li and the others had plain boiled water.

“Bin, this tea smells pretty good,” Li Hui remarked.

“If you want some, brew it yourself,” Han Bin smiled. Dragon Well tea is mild in flavor and not very fragrant.

“It’s already September. I thought with students back to school, fewer tourists, the cases would decrease, but we still have to work overtime on weekends,” Zhao Ming sighed.

“You’re from a privileged family—why don’t you just stay home and enjoy life instead of doing this job?” Li Hui gulped down his water and went to fetch tea leaves for Han Bin.

Zhao Ming chuckled. “Being a cop has always been my dream, you know that.”

“Then stop complaining.”

“It’s like my mom’s cooking—always the same old dishes. I complain, but when I don’t get to eat it for a few days, I miss it terribly,” Zhao Ming shrugged.

“Oh wow,” Li Hui exaggerated, “I didn’t realize you had so many twisted arguments.”

“I learned it all from you,” Han Bin laughed.

“Bingo! As expected from Brother Bin—right on the money,” Zhao Ming gave a thumbs up.

After chatting for a while, they shifted their mindset. Obsessing over the case can sometimes lead to dead ends.

After drinking some tea, Zeng Ping called out, “Gather around. Let’s discuss the case.”

Han Bin and the others took out their notebooks and sat around Zeng Ping.

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“Tian Li, give us a report on the interrogation of Xie Rong,” Zeng Ping ordered.

The two interrogations were happening simultaneously in different rooms, with separate observation areas. Zeng Ping had been focusing on Han Bin and the others’ interrogation room and hadn’t observed Xie Rong’s.

“Xie Rong used to work at a company that went bankrupt. She was laid off and mainly took care of her husband and son, selling some items online via WeChat,” Tian Li paused, flipping through her notes. “She found her husband collapsed in the hallway around 7 a.m. and called the police. After her husband realized what happened, she scolded him, but it was already forty minutes after the call, and the report couldn’t be canceled. That’s why today’s scene unfolded.”

“Did Xie Rong know her husband was involved in gambling?” Zeng Ping asked.

“Yes,” Tian Li replied, scanning her notes. “She said Wang Deli had been there seven or eight times.”

“Heh, an unexpected discovery,” Han Bin chuckled.

Wang Deli himself only admitted to three or four visits.

“Tsk tsk, Wang Deli is really something. Still not telling the truth,” Li Hui muttered.

Zeng Ping smiled; he was used to such evasions by now.

“There’s not much to glean from Xie Rong’s side. The key is Wang Deli’s interrogation.”

At Zeng Ping’s signal, Han Bin recounted the interrogation of Wang Deli to Tian Li and Zhao Ming.

“A gambling ring of twenty to thirty people—that’s impressive,” Zhao Ming said in surprise.

“Yes, our team has landed on a big case this time,” Zeng Ping sighed.

Big cases are a double-edged sword. Solving them brings glory, but they’re usually more dangerous and challenging. Many become cold cases due to missing clues, causing loss of face for all involved.

Zeng Ping surveyed the group. “Everyone’s up to speed. Feel free to share any ideas.”

Li Hui thought for a moment, stroking his chin. “Captain Zeng, I have an idea that might kill two birds with one stone—solve both cases at once.”

Zhao Ming winked. “Sounds good, Hui. No surprise you’ve watched the entire Detective Conan series!”

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