Chapter 074: A Lifesaving Straw

This story is purely fictional.

Xiao Jin sat in the living room, watching an E-Super League match. At times, he shouted excitedly, yelling, “Shoot!” He slapped his thigh with loud smacks, cursing, “Damn, what a lousy shot! How could you kick like that? Kicking it into the sky? Damn it!”

Jin Yan saw Xiao Jin so caught up in the game that she simply picked up her purse and left the house.

Exhausted from his journey, Chi Zhaoming slept for a long time after returning home that night—so long it was as if he could never wake up, lost in a deep slumber. His behavior on returning made Du Juan suspect that her husband was hiding something from her, that there was something he hadn’t confessed during their half-month trip.

Zhaoming, reflecting on his situation, realized he already had one foot over death’s threshold; as for when the other might follow, he didn’t dare to think about it. Lying in bed with his eyes closed, he was not really asleep at all.

While Du Juan slept soundly beside him, he kept his eyes open, staring at his beloved wife, trying to imprint her image deep in his memory before it faded away.

Time ticked by. The watch on his wrist—bought for him by Du Juan when he returned from the army—served as both a birthday gift and a keepsake marking his new life. Du Juan had hoped he would cherish their time together, value the present, live honestly, and work diligently.

He gazed at the watch, his eyes fixed on the dial, the ticking of the second hand impossibly clear. By noon, he still lay under the covers, unwilling to get up. He couldn’t think of any way out of his predicament. In less than half a month since the trip began, his life had changed dramatically. The transformation had been both rapid and sudden. His debts had grown from less than twenty thousand yuan before he left to nearly eighty thousand now. Like a snowball, the problem began small enough to be managed, but when he failed to stop gambling, it grew into an iceberg—now impossible to melt away.

~~~~~~

Inside the Dahe Public Security Bureau’s building, Xiao Jin assembled a special police squad for a meeting in a conference room. All those present were trusted confidants of Ma Shengwei, men who usually followed his orders as though they were royal edicts.

With Wu Zhengzhe on leave, Ma Shengwei felt unburdened. Normally, he found Wu Zhengzhe’s presence restrictive, his uprightness and skill in investigations making Ma uneasy. Ever since Wu made a name for himself at the provincial department’s competition and caught the eye of a leader there, Ma had been particularly wary—especially after learning that Wu had recognized a familiar figure at the scene of a murder. That alone had left Ma trembling.

Ma Shengwei’s grand ambitions seemed constantly thwarted by this righteous outlier. Wu Zhengzhe was a master investigator. No matter how tangled the case, he could always find a glimmer of hope, a breakthrough in the darkness. Wu was the man Ma feared most.

He had tried many times to remove this thorn in his side from the major crimes unit, but provincial leadership had Wu’s back, and Ma never found the right opportunity. Now, with Wu on leave, Ma could finally relax a little.

For the first time, he was executing an external mission: forming a police emergency squad to be on standby at Dahe Sports Center to maintain order.

“You’ll wait at the sports center for my orders. According to intelligence, a small group may try to stir up trouble during today’s match. Your job is to handle any unrest. Unless you receive my orders, you’re simply to wait until the Dahe match is over—then your task is done. The mission seems simple, but don’t use your batons carelessly. Whatever happens, exercise restraint. No fatalities, understand? Once you’ve completed the task, there will be a sum of money transferred to your accounts as a reward for your service. Above all, keep this confidential; anyone leaking information bears the consequences themselves.” The meeting over, they boarded a bus, heading in secret to the sports center.

At the same time, a group of thugs led by Du Hao also gathered in an open area in the company plaza. Black Tiger, Du Hao’s henchman, addressed the crowd. Ever since Gao Yating had spared him after the last incident, Black Tiger had become utterly loyal to her.

Inside the Supreme soccer bar, Gao Yating was on a call with Will from headquarters. Will said, “According to MC betting data, there are serious anomalies in today’s Dahe versus Tomato match. Since the game is at your home ground, I’m putting you in charge of smoothing things over.”

Will took a sip of water and set his cup down, his expression grave. “This is a test of your effectiveness and execution in Dahe. You told me the local police follow your every word. Let’s see if you’re as reliable as you claim. That Director Ma has taken plenty of our money, but has yet to accomplish anything to earn my trust. This time, I’m counting on you, darling!”

“Please go on,” Gao Yating replied.

“Dahe desperately needs points to avoid relegation, and the club has ordered a full three-point win. But Tomato needs at least one more point to clinch the championship. We tried some things before, but the two clubs have longstanding grudges from previous seasons. Neither is willing to budge, and coordination isn’t going well. We considered approaching the referee, but he said that favoring either side would endanger his life. His family has already received death threats, and he insists on impartiality.”

“Is that so?” Gao Yating asked.

“Yes—on the surface the match looks calm, but there are dangerous currents beneath. Dahe has the home advantage, but Tomato is the stronger team. Right now, Tomato is favored to beat Dahe by half a goal on the road. Most of the money is being wagered on Tomato, and betting is now badly out of balance, with nearly a hundred million at risk. If Tomato wins, we’ll suffer huge losses. So, handle things today to steer the match our way. If that’s impossible, stop the match—drag it out, so it can be replayed another day.”

“Understood. I’ve already spoken to Ma Shengwei and we’re in agreement. Don’t worry,” Gao Yating replied crisply.

Black Tiger received Gao Yating’s instructions, and the police emergency squad was also brought into the sports center by bus.

Before the match began, Dahe’s Steel Horn fans seemed to have forgotten the pain of the last game, beating their war drums with renewed vigor. The cheer squad had a national reputation and were loyal followers of the Dahe team, having accompanied them through many campaigns and even pulled the club back from disaster more than once.

Zhaoming, lost in his fitful sleep, felt as though he were dreaming when the sound of drums and gongs from the nearby sports center reached his ears. He suddenly sat up, blinking in a daze, just as his phone rang. Seeing the caller, he knew at once it was a debt collector.

He hesitated to answer, but ignoring it was no solution. He might as well pick up.

“Director Chi, today’s the repayment day. You lost quite a bit this time—the deficit’s nearly eighty thousand. Do you have the money ready?” the collector asked.

“I’m still out of town, but I’ll be back in a few days. Don’t worry, I’ll get you the money on time,” Zhaoming replied.

“If you need a couple more days, I’ll give you three. But you should know that your betting account will be frozen until you settle up. Once you clear your debt, we’ll restore your limit immediately,” the collector said.

“Can you raise my limit just this once?” Zhaoming pleaded, flustered.

“No. We’re doing this for your own good, to keep you from digging a deeper hole. It’s for your own safety. See you in three days.” The call ended with a busy tone.

He nearly broke down, overwhelmed by unprecedented despair. Staring at his computer screen, he realized the match was about to start. Suddenly, he thought of Xiao Jin and called him.

“Hello, Director Chi, are you back yet? What’s up?” Xiao Jin’s voice came through, with the noise of the stadium in the background.

“You’re at the sports center?” Zhaoming realized Xiao Jin was on site.

“Yes, my colleagues and I are here maintaining order for the Dahe match,” Xiao Jin shouted over the crowd.

“I haven’t managed to repay my debt because I’m not home—now the collector’s frozen my account and I can’t place bets. Can you lend me an account so I can keep playing?” Zhaoming was desperate.

“It’s too noisy here. I’ll text you my account’s composite password—use it for now, but be careful. Don’t lose control, understand? There’s something fishy about today’s Dahe match. I don’t know what it is, but we’re supposed to follow orders in the end,” Xiao Jin said, then quickly sent the password by text.

Receiving the message was like seizing a lifeline. Zhaoming was determined to make one last gamble.

He opened the betting page—it wasn’t the old Crown site, but a new one called Broadcasting. He was pleasantly surprised by the odds, but most importantly, Xiao Jin’s account had a one million yuan limit, with a maximum single bet of fifty thousand. The interface was clear and smooth.

A sense of relief washed over him—he had the weapon to fight again.

Chi Zhaoming began plotting how to make the most of the lifeline he’d been handed.

(To be continued)