The Republic of China: I, Xiangzi, a Hero in a Chaotic Era

Liu Jiaxiang sat in the main seat, wearing a brand-new police sergeant uniform. His gaze slowly swept over everyone, taking in the barely suppressed fatigue of the patrol officers.

"These past few days,"

Liu Jiaxiang spoke, his voice not loud, but it made every patrolman instinctively straighten his back.

"I know you bunch of brats have all been put through a lot of hardship and feel like you've been tortured."

The patrol officers' eyes flickered, and no one dared to answer, though their fingers, hanging by their trouser seams, unconsciously twitched slightly.

"An army is raised for a thousand days, but used for only one."

Liu Jiaxiang leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the edge of the table, his fingertips lightly tapping the surface.

"Tonight is your time to shine."

His gaze shifted to the tall, thin patrolman standing on the right side of the front row:

"Zhang Kui".

When his name was called, Zhang Kui immediately tensed up, took a small step forward, and said in a nervous voice:

"Yes, Chief!"

"Tell everyone what you found."

Liu Jiaxiang spoke in a flat tone.

Zhang Kui swallowed hard, trying to make his voice clear and steady:

"Yes, sir! The brothers have investigated thoroughly these past few days."

"The target is in that courtyard house in the back alley of Maojiawan; it's a clandestine casino."

"The venue opens at 6:45 PM (around 6 PM) and closes at 3:00 AM (around 1 AM) every day."

He licked his slightly dry lips and continued:

"Behind him is a thug from Tianjin, known in the underworld as 'Sea Dog.' He has only three or five henchmen under him. They look fierce, but their weapons are ordinary, just some short sticks and daggers at most."

"The venue isn't big; there are probably only four or five gambling tables inside, where you can play small games like dice and dominoes. They take a pretty big cut."

Zhang Kui paused, his eyes filled with caution:

"They were quite cautious; one of them was squatting at the alley entrance, and another under the old locust tree at the back wall of the courtyard, serving as a lookout."

"The lookouts are very sharp-eyed; if a stranger gets too close, they'll get the information right away."

After listening to Zhang Kui's words, Liu Jiaxiang nodded slightly and looked around the room again.

The patrol officers held their breath, the rustling sound of their new uniforms against the silence was particularly clear.

"Did you understand the situation clearly?"

Liu Jiaxiang asked.

"Understood, Chief!"

The crowd responded in unison, their voices carrying a hint of suppressed excitement and tension.

"it is good."

Liu Jiaxiang stood up, put his hands behind his back, and walked to the front of the crowd.

"Now I will explain the action plan."

He stopped in his tracks, his eyes sharp as knives:

"You don't need to worry about those two lookouts on the outside, I'll take care of them. All you have to do is wait for my signal, then rush in and arrest them."

Liu Jiaxiang paused, then raised his voice, his tone carrying an undeniable warning:

"Remember, we're going there to make money, not to risk our lives! Once we're in, our primary targets are the money on the gambling tables and the house's rake! Hold them down tightly!"

Liu Jiaxiang's gaze swept across every face, his voice low and filled with cold calculation:

"If those thugs fight back like madmen, grabbing their weapons and fighting desperately, then you should avoid their attacks, protect the money box, and keep the people inside. Don't be stupid and rush upwards."

"Ensuring the safety of the gambling funds is the most important thing."

"As for those gamblers,"

A faint, disdainful smile curved his lips.

"They're all cowards. They'll wet their pants if you scare them. They're not very strong."

"Arrest as many of these people as you can and stuff them into jail."

"After they're brought back to the station, they can collect another fine. That's all hard-earned money."

Upon hearing the words "golden silver," the patrol officers' breathing became noticeably heavier, and the tension in their eyes was replaced by greed and excitement.

The burly patrolman couldn't help but rub his fingers together, and the young patrolman's Adam's apple bobbed.

"Did you understand everything?"

Liu Jiaxiang confirmed it last.

"Understood, Director!"

The crowd responded with their chests puffed out.

"Chief, you can rest assured!"

The burly patrolman rushed to speak, his face hardening.

"The brothers will definitely not back down; they'll give you a great start!"

"Yes! A great start!"

The other patrolmen echoed, their voices filled with longing for the silver dollars that were about to be theirs.

Liu Jiaxiang looked at his patrolmen, whose morale was high thanks to the new clothes and money, and nodded indifferently without any expression on his face.

"No one in the station is allowed to go home tonight. Everyone will have dinner at the station and await my orders. Alright, everyone can leave now."

Despite the deep darkness of night, the unassuming courtyard house deep in the back alley of Maojiawan was brightly lit.

Inside the west wing, the sounds of voices, the clinking of dice, and the clattering of coins and silver dollars mingled with the pungent smell of cheap tobacco, almost lifting the low roof off.

Two dim gas lamps hung from the roof beams, casting swaying, blurred halos of light that cast shifting shadows on faces contorted with excitement or despair.

In the center of the room, four greasy square tables were pieced together to form a huge gambling table.

The tabletop, already gleaming black from sweat, grease, and countless pats and rubs, was now covered with piles of scattered gambling money.

The strings of copper coins were piled up like small mountains, a golden expanse, interspersed with some badly worn ten-cash copper coins.

Silver coins and silver horns of varying qualities were scattered among them, occasionally flashing with a dim silver light.

The most eye-catching thing was several stacks of silver dollars hastily tied with red paper, ten dollars in each stack, heavily pressing on a corner of a table, with a dozen or so single silver dollars scattered around, reflecting a cold, hard luster under the light.

"Place your bet! Place your bet now! Once you've placed your bet, you can leave!"

A burly man with his chest exposed, revealing tattoos on his chest, had veins bulging on his forehead and was pressing his hands firmly against a violently shaking dice cup.

The dice jumped and collided wildly in the rough pottery cup, making a dense, rain-like sound that drew the attention of dozens of bloodshot eyes gathered around the table.

Sweat dripped down the gamblers' tense jawlines, landing on the table where it was instantly evaporated by the sweltering air.

"Big! I'm betting big this time! Five silver dollars!"

A middle-aged man wearing a silk jacket with frayed cuffs suddenly slapped several silver dollars onto the area marked with the character "大" (big), the veins on the back of his hand bulging.

"I'll bet on big too! Three dollars!"

"Pah! This is weird, four 'small' hands in a row? I don't believe it! Ten bucks, bet on 'small'!"

Another gambler, desperate after losing, slammed a small stack of silver dollars onto the word "small" with bloodshot eyes.

The dice cup was slammed onto the table, and the ear-piercing clanging stopped abruptly.

All breaths seemed to stop, and countless eyes were fixed on the rough pottery lid.

The dealer—a lean man with triangular eyes, a faint, cold smile playing on his lips—slowly lifted the lid of the pot.

"Four, five, six, fifteen points—big!"

"Fuck him!"

The gambler who bet on the small amount slammed his fist on the table, causing the copper and silver coins to bounce.