124 A Stroke of Luck

“Officer, what are you doing?”

Li Hui grabbed the suspect by the hair and lifted him up. “Don’t you have any idea what crime you committed?”

At that moment, Zeng Ping arrived and restrained the Sword God, though with less forceful methods.

“Search him,” Zeng Ping ordered.

“Stand still,” Han Bin barked, pressing down on the suspect’s arm and allowing Li Hui to conduct the search.

Li Hui patted the suspect down thoroughly but shook his head. “No weapons found.”

“Officer, are you sure you have the right person?” the suspect shouted.

“Your name?”

“Li Zhichao.”

“Where are your accomplices?”

“What accomplices?”

“Don’t play dumb with me.” Han Bin gripped his arm firmly and lifted it.

“Ouch! That hurts!” Li Zhichao raised his chin and pointed at the Sword God. “We’re partners; we’re in this together.”

Han Bin sensed something was off. “Captain Zeng, what about the taxi the suspect took?”

“Zhao Ming and Tian Li went after it,” Zeng Ping replied, then turned back to the suspect. “We suspect you are involved in a robbery. You’re required to accompany us to the station for questioning.”

“I... a robbery? I’m innocent! Who did I rob?” the suspect shouted.

“Officer, you’ve got the wrong person. We have nothing to do with the robbery,” the Sword God interjected.

“What’s your name?”

“Chen Jinbo.”

“What’s your relationship with him?”

“We’re friends.”

Zeng Ping frowned, sensing the situation was more complicated. “Take them in for interrogation.”

“Yes, sir.”

Regardless of whether Li Zhichao was the robbery suspect, both had been involved in illegal gambling and would inevitably have to visit the police station.

...

Back at the station, Han Bin felt uneasy and immediately began interrogating Li Zhichao.

He activated the body camera, opened his notebook, and started the routine questions.

“Name, gender, age, ethnicity, place of origin...”

“My name is Li Zhichao, male, 33 years old, local.”

“Li Zhichao, do you know why you were brought in?”

“I don’t know. I’ve always abided by the law and never done anything wrong. Are you sure you didn’t catch the wrong person?” Li Zhichao protested.

“If we brought you here, we have evidence. Sitting there quietly and cooperating is your smartest choice—don’t make things difficult for yourself or us,” Han Bin warned.

“I... I...” Li Zhichao stammered, clearly conflicted.

“What’s your relationship with Chen Jinbo?”

“Card buddies.”

“Why were you following him?”

“Not following. We arranged to meet,” Li Zhichao explained.

“Bang!” Li Hui slammed the table. “Nonsense! You two got off the same bus. If you wanted to talk privately, why not take a single taxi? Why two separate vehicles?”

“We... didn’t want others to see us together,” Li Zhichao hesitated.

“What shameful secret do you have? Spill it,” Li Hui pressed.

“Nothing shameful. We’re just good friends and worried other card players might get suspicious,” Li Zhichao answered perfunctorily.

“Listen, we know all about your gambling operation. Now we suspect you were involved in a robbery, targeting Chen Jinbo. If you can’t clearly explain your relationship, we have every reason to believe you’re connected to it,” Han Bin admonished.

“Officers, you’re mistaken. Chen Jinbo and I are on the same side. Why would I rob him?”

“How so?”

“When we play cards, we deliberately feed each other cards. Half of what Chen Jinbo won yesterday was mine. Why would I rob him?”

“Damn, you two cheat!” Li Hui exclaimed.

“This little casino isn’t even official, just messing around,” Li Zhichao smiled bitterly. “We know it’s risky, so we keep our distance and meet up just to split the money.”

Han Bin ran his hand through his hair. Though he had suspected they weren’t robbers, confirming it only deepened his disappointment.

“How many times have you gambled?”

“First time.”

“Think carefully.”

“Really the first time,” Li Zhichao said sincerely.

“Do you know Rong Ge? He’s met you more than once,” Han Bin pressed.

“Rong Ge was arrested too.”

“More than just Rong Ge was caught. If you lie, they’ll gladly testify against you,” Han Bin said coldly.

“I... I’ve been about four or five times.”

“Bang!” Li Hui hit the table again. “Be precise.”

“Nine times.”

“How did you get into the gambling circle?”

“Brother Biao pulled me in.”

Han Bin’s interest peaked. “You know Brother Biao?”

“We used to play cards together.”

“Do you know his real name?”

Li Zhichao shook his head. “No.”

“How much do you know about this Brother Biao?”

“Brother Biao is from Nanqiao Town. I know where he lives,” Li Zhichao revealed.

This was unexpected.

“Specific address?”

“Brother Biao is married but rarely stays at home. He lives alone elsewhere. If you go to his house to arrest him, you won’t find him. Once he gets wind of it, he’ll run,” Li Zhichao hinted.

“We’ll value your information and consider leniency,” Han Bin understood the implication.

“Thank you, officer,” Li Zhichao smiled faintly. “Brother Biao is cautious. According to him, big things start with small steps. He rents a room outside, and hardly anyone knows about it.”

“How do you know that?”

“I live nearby, have seen him, even drank with him once. That was when he got me into the gambling circle,” Li Zhichao explained.

Han Bin tapped the table, urging him. “Where exactly?”

“Lianbei Town, Beiwa Village residential area.”

“Be more specific.”

“That’s all I know. I didn’t dare pry further—it’s a rule in our world. Asking too much is foolish,” Li Zhichao said earnestly.

“Stop flattering yourself. If you followed the rules, would you cheat with others?” Li Hui scoffed.

Li Zhichao laughed awkwardly. “Officer, since I gave you a lead, can that reduce my sentence?”

“We’ll report it truthfully. Whether and how much leniency you get depends on your future cooperation,” Han Bin replied, jotting down the address.

“Officer, I’m willing to cooperate and make more contributions.”

“Do you know the exact location of the casino?”

Li Zhichao frowned. “Roughly. We just came to play and didn’t pay much attention. It’s dark at night, surrounded by mountain roads that twist and turn—it’s easy to get lost.”

“Can you find it during the day?” Han Bin asked.

“The casino is built in the mountains. I know roughly where it is. If you send more officers to search, you’ll find it. But...” Li Zhichao hesitated.

“Speak.”

“One time I asked Brother Biao if the casino was safe. Guess what he said?” Li Zhichao countered.

“Stop stalling. Tell us,” Li Hui grew impatient.

“He said he keeps people watching the mountains. If anyone approaches, he gets the message. If police show up nearby, he won’t hold the gambling session but waits until things cool down.” Li Zhichao sighed.

He had joined thinking the casino was safe, only to be caught by the police.

Han Bin thought to himself how lucky they were. If he hadn’t been cautious last night, the casino might have discovered them. Then not only would there be no evidence, but even Wang Deli himself would be in danger.

If Wang Deli had obtained enough evidence last night, they could arrest Brother Biao immediately...