Page 18

Che Zaiqiang is actually dealing drugs – powder, no less!

"Another hit! Another hit!"

"Sugar Water Sister really has the knack!"

"Woah, how did he manage that?"

"A'Qiang is truly peddling drugs?"

"No kidding? The O Branch is here in person. Can it be anything else?"

"No wonder he said he was busy. Of course he'd have no time with a prison sentence hanging over his head."

Che Zaiqiang's expression shifted dramatically. He picked up the tray of soup and flung it at the officers before turning to run.

"Checking up on your mother, huh?!"

The uniformed officer, having shown his ID, immediately gave chase, "Don't you dare run!"

Jade Market's long street bustled with vendors peering out from their stalls.

Che Zaiqiang, in his rush, ignored the cries of the stall owners as he snatched boxes of cassette tapes and hurled them at the uniformed officers. "I'd be a damn fool if I didn't run!"

He had always believed that his drug dealing and powder peddling activities were well concealed. Never did he expect someone to come knocking on his door. This time, he was determined to escape.

He had even imagined fleeing with his wife by his side.

But it all turned out to be an illusion.

She had ruined his prime years without bearing him any children. If he didn't cut ties with that woman, it would be a miracle.

Unfortunately, plainclothes police lay in wait ahead. One of them swept Che Zaiqiang's legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Stay still!" Shi Pingzhi pinned Che Zaiqiang facedown on the pavement, swiftly handcuffing him in silver bracelets. His fellow officer crouched behind, aiming his gun at Che Zaiqiang.

With one hand, Shi Pingzhi lifted Che Zaiqiang's collar, kicking his posterior before yanking him up. "On your feet!"

"Sir!"

Che Zaiqiang was pulled back by the force, startled to see the gun, raising his hands in surrender as he was forced to stand up with his head tilted backward. He landed on the concrete, scraping a large patch of skin from his knee, causing him to grit his teeth in pain. "Sir, please be gentle."

"Gentle?" Shi Pingzhi slapped Che Zaiqiang's head. "When you were running faster than a horse, why didn't you think about being gentle then?"

Feeling utterly defeated, Che Zaiqiang replied, "Sir, I didn't expect to get caught."

Shi Pingzhi threatened with another kick. "Still going to run?"

Che Zaiqiang waved his hands in defense. "No, no more."

Shi Pingzhi turned, locking eyes with Chu Yuening.

The girl tilted her head, then calmly looked away, as if she had just witnessed an ordinary spectacle and was completely unaware of what had transpired.

Shi Pingzhi had been at the scene for some time and naturally observed the commotion at the dessert stall. His colleague, having returned the gun to his waist, was puzzled. "Sir Shi, how did she know that Che Zaiqiang was dealing drugs? Did she really predict it?"

"I wish I knew," Shi Pingzhi said, pushing Che Zaiqiang, cuffed behind his back, towards his colleague. His gaze returned to the dessert stall where the crowd had dispersed, and the girl had resumed selling her desserts.

It seemed as if the brilliant strategist from just now wasn't her at all.

Her colleague was utterly perplexed and frustrated. "She even said that Che Zaiqiang only had one minute left."

"Could it be that someone in the Public Relations Department accidentally leaked the information?"

The Kowloon West Police Station's Public Relations Department mainly handled communication with the media, disseminating positive news about the police force to the public. During interviews, they would also address societal concerns to soothe public anxiety.

"That's impossible," Shi Pingzhi grumbled, feeling a headache coming on. The operation had been impromptu, with minimal preparation, so there was no chance that information could have been leaked.

"It's like encountering a ghost in broad daylight."

Shi Pingzhi decided not to dwell on it any further and led his team back to the police station.

Che Zaiqiang was indeed taken away.

Those who were convinced that Chu Yuening would be chased off never imagined this turn of events.

Who would believe that so much could be predicted through divination unless they saw it with their own eyes?

The record store opened on time, and the melodic sounds of Cantopop filled the air of Temple Street as one shop after another unlocked their doors for business.

Tinwong Hui appeared like a zombie, his hair disheveled like a bird's nest, and the buttons of his shirt were askew, exposing a glimpse of his undershirt. He stumbled as he walked, swaying from side to side.

Zhang Jiande pulled up the rolling shutter door, only to turn around and see Tinwong Hui's miserable state, nearly dropping the smoking pipe in his right hand from the shock.

He quickly took a puff and said, "Tinwong Hui, why do you look like someone just beat you to a pulp?"

Tinwong Hui seemed lost, repeatedly muttering, "Gone, all gone."

Zhang Jiande instantly knew what had happened. He removed his pipe from his mouth and said, "You missed out big time! If you had shown up just half an hour later yesterday, you would've witnessed the spectacle of three women going against one man at the Peninsula Hotel. But no, you just had to rush off to buy that Sixth Ring Lottery ticket."

Zhang Jiande spoke with a tinge of emotion.

"It's truly the first time I've seen a master offering guidance and insisting on courting death at the doorstep."

"Master?" Conesun, with his bewildered expression, seemed to have heard a ray of hope. He lifted his head abruptly. "Yes, Master Chu must have a way to help me."

A sugar cane juice stand.

With a gentle smile, Chu Yuening just finished packing a bowl of mango sago balls for a customer. "Remember to eat it while it's cold; otherwise, the taste will change."

"Master Chu, save me!"

After receiving the customer's payment, Chu Yuening carefully placed it in an outer pocket of her apron before turning to the weeping Ice Cream Huī. "You lost it all?"

"Yes, I should have listened to your advice and not bet on that stall yesterday."

Wearing a sorrowful expression, Ice Cream Huī pleaded softly, "Master Chu, please help me check which day is auspicious for me to make a fortune. If you tell me in advance, I can rely on that day to recoup my losses."

"Abandon your hopes," Chu Yuening said without even bothering to spare him a glance. "You'll never have the fortune to strike it rich in this lifetime."

Conesun was taken aback. He was incredibly superstitious. If someone had told him in the past that he, Conesun, would never strike it rich, he would have cursed them relentlessly. But now, it was Chu Yuening, known for her clairvoyance. If she said he was bound for bankruptcy, he couldn't afford to doubt her.

In his entire life, nothing thrilled him more than gambling.

What's the point of living if he can't gamble?

"Master Chu," Ice Cream Hui quickly scrambled to his feet and asked cautiously, "I've heard that there's such a thing as changing one's destiny?"

"Unorthodox means," Chu Yuening yawned. "Reckless endeavors demand retribution. Though you seem destitute yet long-lived, don't stray onto the wrong path."

Ice Cream Hui sagged with disappointment. "I have elders to support and children to care for. It's truly pitiful to be penniless. Master Chu, please help me?"