The third place was an underground casino in the northern part of the city.
The casino was hidden inside an abandoned warehouse. From the outside, it looked shabby and run-down, but inside was an entirely different world. It had been decked out like a small gambling resort, with everything from baccarat and roulette to pai gow, along with all kinds of gambling equipment.
When Jia Dan and his men charged in, the place was in full swing. Dozens of gamblers crowded around the tables, shouting and hollering.
“Nobody fucking move! This is a crackdown on prostitution and illegal publications—no, wait! Everybody get down on the ground!”
Jia Dan nearly got his slogans mixed up. He was simply too worked up.
The gamblers were terrified when they suddenly saw dozens of men storm in and immediately scattered in every direction. Several tried to run past Jia Dan and his men, only to get clubbed in the legs and collapse with screams.
The casino was run by a lean man with a crew cut, known in the underworld as Ah Jiu. He was a fairly influential figure in the area.
When Ah Jiu saw Jia Dan throwing his weight around, his anger intensified. He shouted directly at him, “Rascal Egg, have you fucking lost your mind? This is Young Master Cheng’s place! You actually dare hit Young Master Cheng’s territory? You must be tired of living!”
When Jia Dan heard someone call him by his nickname, he blurted out, “How the fuck did you recognize me?”
Ah Jiu glanced at his shiny bald head gleaming under the lights and inwardly muttered, You came to smash up someone else’s place, so the least you could’ve done was wear a hat. With a head like that, it’d be hard not to recognize you. You stick out like a sore thumb.
Jia Dan had lost his hat by accident while wrecking the KTV earlier. Perhaps because everything he had done that night was so thrilling, he had been running on pure adrenaline and hadn’t even noticed that he was missing the hat on his head.
Seeing that someone had recognized Jia Dan, Wumao immediately shouted at him, “Brother Jia, this guy must’ve betrayed Young Master Cheng! Think about it—this is one of the Ten Thousand Dragons Society’s establishments. Why else would he be here?”
His words jolted Jia Dan awake.
Before Jia Dan could figure out what was going on, Wumao had once again led him astray. Jia Dan immediately pointed at Ah Jiu and roared, “So it’s true! Ah Jiu, you actually betrayed Young Master Cheng and joined the Ten Thousand Dragons Society!”
Ah Jiu stared at him in bewilderment. “What Ten Thousand Dragons Society? This place has always belonged to Young Master Cheng! When did I ever join them? Jia Dan, did you get water in your brain?”
Wumao snorted coldly beside them. “Brother Jia, don’t listen to his excuses. One look at him and you can tell he’s bad news—shifty-eyed and suspicious. For all we know, he’s a spy planted by the Ten Thousand Dragons Society beside Young Master Cheng, specifically to pass along information.”
Ah Jiu’s face changed dramatically when he heard Wumao slandering him. “Who the fuck are you? Don’t make wild accusations! I’ve followed Young Master Cheng for five years. How could I possibly betray him?”
Wumao continued fanning the flames. “Brother Jia, we can’t let this man live. He knows too much. If we let him go, everything we’ve done tonight could be exposed.”
Jia Dan nodded, his eyes turning vicious. He waved a hand. “Beat him! Beat him to death!”
Before Ah Jiu could react, several thugs pinned him to the ground and gave him a savage beating. His face was covered in blood, and his nose was broken.
“Ptooey!”
Jia Dan spat at him. “That’s what happens to traitors!”
Ah Jiu, lying on the ground, was so wronged he could barely stand it.
I’m not a traitor!
But the other side refused to listen to his explanation. They didn’t even give him a chance to prove his innocence, just kept beating him relentlessly.
“Search the place! Turn the whole damn place upside down!”
The underlings immediately began looting. Chips, cash, expensive watches, valuable gambling equipment—anything they could carry, they took.
Just then, one of the men suddenly ran out from a back room, holding several small transparent plastic bags. His face was alight with excitement.
“Boss, look what I found.”
Jia Dan took them and looked inside. His expression instantly changed.
It was drugs!
He had committed plenty of crimes in the past—highway robbery, fighting, even human trafficking—but drugs were one thing he truly didn’t dare touch.
Anyone who mixed with the underworld knew that once you got involved with this stuff, it wasn’t merely a matter of spending a few years in prison. You could end up eating a bullet.
“Where did you find these?”
“In the back room. They were hidden at the very back of a cabinet, taped beneath the bottom of a drawer. There are several packets.” The underling spoke excitedly.
Jia Dan turned to look at Ah Jiu, who was sprawled on the floor with blood all over his face. His expression was one of disbelief.
“You even dare touch this stuff? Are you fucking tired of living?!”
Ah Jiu had been beaten so badly that he could barely speak. “N… not mine. It’s… it’s Young Master Cheng’s…”
“Bullshit!”
Jia Dan planted a foot on his face and cursed, “Would Young Master Cheng touch this kind of thing? You got yourself killed, and now you’re trying to pin it on Young Master Cheng? Is he that kind of person?”
Ah Jiu: “…”
For a moment, he couldn’t tell whether this lunatic was on Young Master Cheng’s side or was actually Young Master Cheng’s enemy.
On the one hand, he had brought a crew to raid a place Young Master Cheng had personally looked after. On the other, he was defending Young Master Cheng with all his might.
This guy had to be fucking insane!
As soon as Wumao saw the packets of contraband, he said to Jia Dan, “Brother Jia, we have to keep this somewhere safe. We can hand it over to Young Master Cheng later. It’s solid evidence.”
Jia Dan nodded repeatedly. “Right, right, you’re absolutely right. This stuff is incredibly important. I’ll personally deliver it to Young Master Cheng. Catching him with the goods will definitely earn us a major merit.”
He then carefully placed the packets of drugs into a black bag and tied it tightly. After that, he handed it to one of his most trusted men and solemnly instructed him, “Keep this on you at all times. If you lose it, I’ll take your life. Got that?”
“Don’t worry, Boss. I’ll make sure it reaches Young Master Cheng.” The man accepted the bag with both hands and gave his guarantee.
Jia Dan nodded. He then had his men search the casino one more time. Only after confirming that nothing had been overlooked did he lead them away in triumph.
Before leaving, he looked back at Ah Jiu, who was lying on the floor half-dead, and spat.
“Traitor!”
Ah Jiu: “…”
Fuck you!
