121. Into the Mountains

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Inside a blue coach.

“Clap, clap…”

A young man in his early twenties with dyed blond hair stood at the front of the coach and clapped his hands. “All right, folks, same rules as always. Turn off your phones and hand them over to me.”

“Knife Boy, this phone is brand-new. Don’t break it,” said a balding man in his forties.

“Come on, Old Ma. Don’t act so important. It’s just some off-brand phone,” Knife Boy snorted.

The man called Old Ma did not take offense. He chuckled and asked Wang Deli, who was sitting nearby, “Old Wang, how much did you bring today?”

Wang Deli had been lost in thought. He glanced at the man beside him. Old Ma’s real name was Ma Gaochi—the very person who had introduced him to the gambling operation in the first place.

“Old Ma, what did you say?”

“I asked how much money you brought.”

“Ten thousand.”

“Why so little?” Ma Gaochi pressed.

Zhang Hailong had a rule: anyone taking part in the gambling had to bring at least ten thousand in starting capital.

“I wanted to bring more, but the problem is, I don’t have any money.” Wang Deli sighed.

“Old Wang, why put on an act with me? Didn’t you win quite a bit at the last game?”

“Don’t bring that up.” Wang Deli sounded irritated.

“What happened?”

“I got robbed.”

“Seriously?”

“Why would I lie to you? Every time I think about it, I get furious. If I ever find that bastard, I’ll beat him half to death,” Wang Deli said through clenched teeth.

He truly was angry.

If he had not been robbed, he would not have lost all his money.

His wife would not have called the police.

And he would not have become a damned informant.

Whenever he thought about the equipment the police had given him, fear seized his heart. If Brother Biao discovered it, he would surely be beaten badly and thrown into the mountains.

“You really got robbed? Didn’t you report it?”

“Report it?” Wang Deli snorted. “Do you think I’m stupid? I’d lose the money and end up behind bars myself.”

“Fair point.” Ma Gaochi laughed.

Wang Deli was not stupid, and he had never intended to call the police. It had all been his wife’s doing.

…

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Inside an off-road vehicle that had been shut off and parked by the roadside.

Through the window, Han Bin watched a coach drive past.

“Binzi, should we follow it?” Li Hui asked impatiently.

“What do you think, Zhao Ming?” Han Bin turned and looked at Zhao Ming in the back seat.

Zhao Ming was staring intently at the screen, making occasional adjustments with his hands. “We can wait a little longer. It’s hard to see at night, but as long as the coach keeps its lights on, we won’t lose it.”

Just then, Han Bin’s radio crackled, and Zheng Kaixuan’s voice came through. “Binzi, we’ll go first. You take the second position.”

“Understood.”

Barely had the radio gone silent when a black sedan drove past them.

“Damn it.” Li Hui complained, clearly displeased. “What’s going on? They won’t even let us take the lead.”

“There are two local officers in Captain Zheng’s car. They may have decided that the locals know the terrain better.”

“It’s fine. We have a drone. Even in second place, we won’t lose them,” Zhao Ming said confidently.

Li Hui started the vehicle and followed.

After driving for several minutes, they entered a winding mountain road. Darkness surrounded them on every side. Apart from their headlights, there was not a trace of light. Han Bin glanced outside and felt a chill run through him.

“Brother Hui, there’s a fork ahead. Turn right,” Zhao Ming warned.

“This road is unbelievably winding. If I’d known, I would have brought a car with a lower chassis,” Li Hui muttered.

“It’s fine. The coach is moving even more slowly than you are. Just drive normally and we won’t lose it.” Han Bin kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

“Driving a coach on a road like this in the middle of the night takes some nerve,” Li Hui remarked.

“Huh?” Zhao Ming said in surprise. “Captain Zheng’s car has passed them.”

“No way. How are we supposed to track them if they’ve overtaken them?” Li Hui asked, confused.

A moment later, Zheng Kaixuan’s voice came through the radio again. “Binzi, slow your vehicle immediately.”

“Captain Zheng, what happened?”

“The coach may have noticed us and deliberately slowed down. To keep them from becoming suspicious, we had no choice but to pass them. You’re farther behind, so you still have time to slow down.”

Zheng Kaixuan sighed. At the next junction, they would probably split from the coach.

“Understood,” Han Bin replied.

Li Hui had heard everything and was already reducing speed. “Damn, this coach is pretty sharp. They’re more alert than I expected.”

“We need to be careful too. It’s better to lose them than to be discovered,” Han Bin said solemnly.

“Don’t worry, Brother Bin. With me here, we won’t lose them.”

Zhao Ming chuckled. “Brother Hui, you can slow down even more. The drone signal is strong. Its control range is farther than I expected.”

“You’re pretty good, kid. If you can follow them all the way to the casino, Captain Zheng will definitely give you first credit,” Li Hui said with a laugh.

Han Bin was not nearly so optimistic. These people were extremely cautious. Following them all the way to the casino would require the utmost care.

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With a drone monitoring the road ahead, Han Bin and the others kept their distance and avoided detection by the coach. Meanwhile, Zeng Ping led a team behind them, following Han Bin’s vehicle.

“There’s a fork ahead. Turn right,” Zhao Ming warned.

The area was remote, and it was Li Hui’s first time driving there. Han Bin had therefore been helping him watch the road. Just as they were nearing the junction, Han Bin suddenly spotted a glint on the slope beyond it.

A pair of binoculars? A phone?

Or merely an illusion?

Han Bin could not be sure. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Keep going straight. Don’t turn right.”

“What’s wrong, Binzi?”

“I think I just saw a flash of reflected light on the slope above the junction.”

“I didn’t see anything.” Li Hui frowned.

They were almost at the fork. Han Bin urged him, “Keep going straight.”

“But then we’ll lose them.”

“Better to lose them than alert the people at the casino.” Han Bin sighed.

He had no idea whether his judgment was correct. He had simply chosen the safest option.

“Damn it.” Li Hui was frustrated, but he still followed Han Bin’s instructions and continued along the main road.

“Brother Bin, what about the drone?” Zhao Ming asked, sounding dejected.

“Bring it back.”

“Should we notify Captain Zeng and have them follow?” Zhao Ming suggested.

They had taken a road completely different from the one the coach was using. Even if someone was watching the junction, they should now dismiss their suspicions. With another vehicle between them and the coach, the chances of being discovered were low.

“Without the drone guiding them, they won’t be able to follow for long,” Han Bin said helplessly.

If they followed too closely, the coach might detect them. If they stayed too far back, they might lose it.

“Well, looks like all three cars are out of luck.” Li Hui slapped the steering wheel.

“Find a safe place and pull over,” Han Bin said. He then reported the situation to Zeng Ping and Zheng Kaixuan over the radio.

The three men got out of the vehicle. As Zhao Ming retrieved the drone, he asked, “Brother Bin, does that mean we’ve wasted the entire night?”

Han Bin lit a cigarette. The slight frustration he had felt earlier had already vanished. Smiling, he said, “The night has only just begun. Our methods are far more sophisticated than this…”

The Enchanting Book House

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