Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 453 Arrest and Interrogation

Liu Huasheng said, "It's nothing, it's just a casual remark. The specifics depend on the situation. But we shouldn't associate with this idiot anymore. Damn, so many people were clamoring for me to partner with them someday, and you still say he's not brainless?"

Huang Laowu laughed, shook his head, and said, "By the way, if you need the money, just say so in advance. If you're not in a hurry, don't take your share yet. Xiaowei said this business is going to expand. I've already negotiated with the food suppliers. This time, we'll have twenty tables. Your money will go directly into the food supply."

Liu Huasheng said, "Really? That's great. Okay, you guys figure it out. I'm not good at business, and it's not really my thing. You'll have to save up some money for your wives."

Huang Laowu said, "I reckon it'll be a hit after we move there. The place there is much bigger, definitely much better than this one."

Liu Huasheng nodded and said, "Be extra careful usually. Too many people can cause chaos. Be careful with your money and valuables. I'll have someone check on you every few days. Be careful with gambling and stuff, but don't go too big. Small bets are fine, but if it gets too big, it changes the nature of the business. Look at this black man, look what he's become, right? We can't control others, but we can control ourselves, including in business."

Huang Laowu nodded and said, "I understand. Xiaowei also talked to me about this. We absolutely cannot become a gambling place. I know that. Don't worry, I know how to handle it."

Liu Huasheng was stacking the transcripts on the table and putting them away when he looked up at Huang Laowu and asked, "Xiao Wei said that too? What did he say?"

Huang Laowu thought for a moment and said, "It seems that there was a billiards match that day, fifty yuan a hand. Xiao Wei happened to come over and said not to let them gamble in the billiards hall. He said that gambling is a never-ending thing. The more you gamble, the more you want to gamble. When you run out of money, you start to think of ways to gamble. At that time, people only had money in their eyes and were capable of doing anything."

Since the gambling happened here, the winners would definitely hate us too, and it wouldn't be worth it if anything happened to us. Then he asked me to turn the ball game into a competition. Anyone who wanted to participate would pay ten yuan, ten people per group. The first place winner would receive fifty yuan, and the second and third place winners would each receive fifteen yuan. As a result, quite a lot of people participated.

"There are hardly any people playing table tennis anymore. When they have free time, they just organize matches. Haha, they organize it themselves. If they have ten people, they pay me a hundred yuan to start the match. We can even make twenty yuan per round. It's more profitable than running a table tennis club, and nobody gets angry."

In this game, only two balls are placed on the table, one for heading and one for fancy shots, at two tee spots. You can only pot the bottom pocket, and you have to call out the pocket when you pot the ball. Pots that are potted by mistake or bounces don't count. It's a game that really tests your skills.

Liu Huasheng nodded and said, "Xiao Wei is quick-witted; this is a really good idea. Once the billiards hall opens, you can organize matches whenever you have time. It attracts people without hurting feelings, which is great."

Huang Laowu said, "We're ready. We'll hold it once a month, and we'll set aside a few tables specifically for the competition."

Less than an hour later, Lao Kua was brought back.

Liu Huasheng interrogated him personally, and Lao Kua didn't resist much, quickly confessing.

He was a rural resident with no proper job. He usually liked to play cards and gamble for small amounts of money. Later, he met Third Brother. After playing together a few times, Third Brother heard that he lived alone in Jingou. He suggested that he come to his house to play and give him 10% of the winnings, no matter who won. He agreed.

His underground gambling den had been operating for over a year since the winter of 1989. His largest single takeaway was over 20,000 yuan, and the total winnings and losses that night exceeded 200,000 yuan. The gamblers were several people from out of town.

Normally, Third Brother and his group don't play for such high stakes; they might spend a few thousand yuan a night, or even tens of thousands.

Later, when they became really familiar, he started helping Third Brother "slaughter" the sheep. This meant everyone would bet on each other to win money, and Hei Zi was one of those sheep being slaughtered. It looked like the players changed every day, but in reality, they were all Third Brother's acquaintances and friends. Most of the gambling money was provided by Third Brother; no matter who won, Third Brother always won. These people were all slackers, unemployed, and Third Brother gave each of them a few hundred yuan a month, like a salary.

After giving his statement and affixing his fingerprint, Liu Huasheng brought his third brother over.

Liu Huasheng offered his third brother a cigarette and said, "Old man, you've got nothing to say, have you?"

Third Brother lit a cigarette, took a puff, and said, "I didn't do anything. We just played cards together when we had nothing to do. I admit I gambled, but I didn't rob anyone. Hei Zi did all the work. He just told me he would take me to get the money. I really don't know anything else. I'm still confused."

Liu Huasheng said, "Normally, playing cards is a small matter. Although you guys were betting a bit too much, your uncle's influence is there, and you know what's going on, right? But this time things are a bit tricky. Do you know what kind of people are behind the owners of these shops?"

Third Brother shook his head and said, "Hei Zi said that there are also people holding shares in the police station, so no one dares to act tough here."

Liu Huasheng laughed and said, "He just means I have a share. You're not exactly an outsider. Your uncle also has businesses outside. How can you live on that meager salary if you don't do some business these days, right? But to tell you the truth, I don't actually own this shop. I just run errands for him."

Let me put it this way: the billiards club and the Jubinge restaurant upstairs have the same owner. On opening day, our bureau chief accompanied the mayor for drinks—and it wasn't an invitation, they were invited by someone else with just a phone call. Do you understand?

Third Brother was shocked and said, "Holy crap, that's awesome?"

Liu Huasheng said, "It's the provincial leaders. So this time, no one can suppress it, and no one dares to suppress it, you understand? If your uncle gets involved, it means he doesn't want to work anymore. If I suppress it and don't report it, it's no different from resigning, understand?"

Third Brother then started to get nervous. After thinking for a while, he asked, "Brother Liu, what should we do? We don't have any ideas at all!"

In the 90s, the strict regulations on gambling in Northeast China were so severe that they made many southern citizens question their existence.

Playing mahjong for two or five cents a game—you have to understand, Northeast mahjong is an old style of play, it doesn't have as many scoring combinations as in the South, it's basically a poor hand. Playing cards for five or one cent a game—if you get caught like that, you'll be detained and fined, a fine of three or five thousand yuan at a time, and if you don't pay, your workplace will be notified. Don't even mention the big gamblers like Brother San; they'll almost certainly get three to five years in prison.

In reality, if you were sentenced, it would just be labor reform, which isn't that scary. What's scary is that you have to go to a detention center first. If you're lucky, you'll be sentenced in a few months, but if you're not, you might be locked up for six months or a year. That's real suffering. Many tough guys aren't afraid to fight with knives. A five- or ten-year sentence is just like changing places to eat, but the mere mention of a detention center makes them shudder. That's true.

Liu Huasheng said, "It's late now, you guys stay here for the night and behave yourselves. I'll call them tomorrow morning to ask, I really can't make the decision on this. Let's see what they say."

Third Brother said, "Can I return the money? You can punish me if you deserve it, I'll accept it."

Liu Huasheng said, "According to Lao Kua's confession, you guys were involved in hundreds of thousands of yuan in gambling this year. I didn't realize you were so rich. You even took tens of thousands of yuan in commissions from his venues."

Third Brother said, "There aren't that many. A few times outsiders came to play, but they're big, how could we afford to play like that? It's only a few thousand yuan. Even if we put in a lot of effort, we can only make fifty or eighty thousand yuan a year at most."

(End of this chapter)