As expected, there was no one in the neighboring house.

After searching for half a day, Ling Shu and Shen Renjie finally found a square iron cover under the carpet in the living room.

There was a handle on the cover, which could be pulled open. However, Ling Shu looked at it for a few seconds and did not touch the handle. Instead, he covered the carpet back to its original state and signaled for Shen Renjie to leave the house.

Shen Renjie followed him out of the backyard, panting. Even though there was no one around, he couldn't help but look around nervously.

He couldn't believe that he, an officer who collected protection fees and lived a luxurious life, was now involved in burglary.

"Don't you think we shouldn't alert the enemy? Let's go back to the police station now, gather some people, and surround this place when it's daylight. We can catch everyone inside in one fell swoop. It'll save us a lot of trouble, won't it?" Shen Renjie suggested.

He spared no effort in persuading Ling Shu, hoping he would abandon the idea of confronting the other side head-on.

Ling Shu shook his head.

Shen Renjie's heart sank halfway: "Do you still want to go down and find them?"

Ling Shu asked strangely in return: "Why do we need to find them? Can't we wait for them to come up? If you catch those two now, at most you can save Mrs. Sun's life, but you may not be able to uncover the secrets behind them. Mrs. Sun's life won't in danger for a while. Let's keep an eye on them for now. Maybe we can follow the clues and catch the people behind them."

It was indeed hidden enough here, in the corner, with grass in front of them, but they were squatting here...

The weather was getting hotter. Were they going to feed the mosquitoes for a few nights?

Shen Renjie frowned, thinking to himself that every time he ran this guy surnamed Ling, he would be unlucky.

From now on, he couldn't be associated with him no matter what price Yue Dingtang offered.

He couldn't afford to be weak-willed!

Lost in self-pity, Shen Renjie suddenly felt Ling Shu poke his arm.

"Look ahead!"

Shen quickly turned to see two figures emerging from the Sun family's small house.

It was Sister Song and Lu Zude!

Shen Renjie didn't feel excited, but instead a wave of sadness washed over him.

Why did they have to come out at this time?

As expected, Ling Shu whispered to him, "Looks like we're lucky tonight. We'll make a discovery. Let's follow them!"

What kind of luck was this? Shen Renjie was silently cursing in his heart, but before he could come up with a good excuse to escape, Ling Shu had already stood up and followed the two people.

He had no choice but to reluctantly follow behind, tears streaming down his face.

It was the middle of the night and there were not many people on the road. After walking along the street to the end, Lu Zude and Sister Song turned right into a small alley, and their movements became more mysterious.

They avoided the main roads and went straight into the dark alleys, twisting and turning, sometimes walking in circles and deliberately stopping to see if anyone was following them.

At first, Shen Renjie didn't notice and was about to chase after them when Ling Shu quickly pressed him against the wall.

Soon enough, the two people continued to move on.

Shen Renjie broke out in a cold sweat and dared not wander off again, only focusing on following Ling Shu. After half an hour, he saw two people enter a dance hall from afar.

Usually, there is a curfew after 9 pm, and no one is allowed to linger on the streets. However, there are exceptions, such as the one in front of him. Such exceptions are obviously backed by connections and allowed to operate. There are also many cars parked outside.

Sister Song and Lu Zude are not really maids or a young master who came from the countryside, and seem to have been here before. They don't even need to look at the sign and just push the door in.

Ling Shu knew they recognized him and didn't dare to approach rashly. He waited for a while before bringing Shen Renjie forward.

There was no waiter at the door, and shortly after entering, they saw a dance floor in the center, surrounded by tables and chairs. There weren't many people, scattered around, some dancing, some sitting and talking quietly.

It looked no different from a normal dance hall. Coming to a place like this, Ling Shu was very familiar with it. He waved his hand and called over a waiter, not even asking for a specific drink, just saying to bring the same as the table in front of them. He also gave a generous tip and mentioned that his acquaintance, a dancer, was not there today and asked the waiter to recommend two others.

The waiter understood and quickly went off with a smile on his face.

Shen Renjie was worried and anxious, "Could this be their meeting point? What if we blow our cover?"

Ling Shu shook his head, "I know the customers at the table in front of us. It's Young Master Liu Qi, who loves to indulge in pleasure and is known for visiting every dance hall in Shanghai and dancing with every dancer. He's a charming and dashing figure, unmatched by anyone. His family is eager to send him abroad for further studies, so he's unlikely to be involved in this kind of thing. Therefore, there are still normal customers here."

The implication was that shallow people like Young Master Liu Qi were unlikely to get involved in this kind of thing because they didn't have the brains for it.

Although the two appeared to be chatting casually, Ling Shu kept his eyes peeled, scanning the surroundings.

He didn't see any trace of Lu Zude or Sister Song, otherwise he could easily recognize them by their figures.

He planned to find an opportunity to ask about them.

And that opportunity came quickly.

The waiter returned with two bottles of foreign liquor and two dancing girls.

One was named Nana and the other was named Linlin. Such names were ubiquitous in the dance halls of Shanghai, and Ling Shu didn't believe they were their real names.

Everyone was just passing through, playing their roles for the occasion. Nana was an experienced hand, while Linlin seemed a bit naive, probably because she had just arrived not long ago.

Her movements were clumsy, and she almost spilled the wine on Ling Shu. Ling Shu pretended to be angry, but Nana quickly intervened and took Ling Shu to dance on the floor.

As they danced to the second song, they pulled and tugged at each other, becoming more familiar. Ling Shu's appearance made Nana's heart flutter, and she found herself being led by him.

"I'll tell you a little secret," Ling Shu's breath almost sprayed on Nana's face, carrying the scent of cologne that she couldn't resist.

"What is it?" She was a bit dazed.

Ling Shu said, "To be honest, this is my first time here."

Nana laughed, "Mr. Yue doesn't live nearby, how would you know about this place?"

Ling Shu said, "Someone told me about it, and they also said that there would be a huge surprise waiting for me here. But after drinking for so long, besides you, there's nothing that can be called a surprise."

Nana was amused by him, "That's because you haven't found the right way!"

Ling Shu got the answer he wanted and knew what was going on. He also laughed along, "Does the Third Master's name enough weight?"

Nana was surprised and stopped laughing, "Do you know the Third Master?"

Ling Shu replied, "As a small fry like me, how could I know the Third Master? It's someone who knows the Third Master's men, and they told me."

Nana asked, "What's his name?"

Ling Shu made up a name on the spot, "He told me that everyone calls him Ah Kang."

Nana pondered, "I haven't heard of this name. He might be lying to you."

Ling Shu didn't care: "Who cares, I'm just drinking buddies with him. But if what he said is true and you're also true, then this trip won't be in vain."

Nana laughed, "Do you always try to make girls happy like this?"

Ling Shu looked at her, "You're the first girl to say that to me."

Despite feeling like this man was trying to flatter her, Nana was still quite happy.

"Let me show you the way."

"Hmm?"

"Do you see the table in front of you?"

"The one with Liu Qi?"

"Do you know him? That makes it easy. Find a chance to introduce yourself to Liu Qi later, and you can follow him to broaden your horizons."

"Does he know Third Master?"

"He's also here for the first time, but he was introduced by someone reputable, unlike you, little scammer."

"I'm not a little scammer. At least I'm a big one." Ling Shu took out a brand new, unopened lipstick from his pocket and handed it to Nana.

"You still carry lipstick with you?" Nana was surprised and delighted when she saw the brand. "Who were you planning to give it to?"

"I originally bought it as a birthday gift for my sister, but after seeing you, I felt like you were more deserving of it."

Ling Shu's expression was sincere, so much so that Nana couldn't doubt him.

After the dance was over, Ling Shu prepared to go find Young Master Liu Qi.

Nana stopped him.

"It's one thing to go out and see the world, but don't get addicted to it and go too far. That's not a place you should be going to."

If she hadn't said anything, it would have been fine, but now Ling Shu was even more interested.

"I understand."

He went back to pour himself a drink and then went to strike up a conversation with Young Master Liu Qi.

As soon as Ling Shu introduced himself as Yue Zhile, and came with a familiar attitude, Young Master Liu Qi, who was originally impatient and confused, gave him some face. When Ling Shu wants to please someone, he can make them feel like they can pluck stars from the sky, let alone Young Master Liu Qi, who is ignorant and incompetent.

After being flattered by Ling Shu, Young Master Liu Qi was immediately impressed and the two of them drank and chatted, talking about various topics from women to the nightlife of Shanghai. Ling Shu had already become Young Master Liu Qi's confidant.

When a waiter came over with a number plate to invite Young Master Liu Qi to the casino, he didn't hesitate to bring Ling Shu along. Even when Ling Shu suggested bringing his friend Shen Renjie, Young Master Liu Qi readily agreed.

Together with the entourage following Liu Qi, the four of them crossed the dance floor. The waiter opened the back door and lifted the heavy velvet curtain, and a wave of heat and deafening noise hit them in the face.

People.

As far as the eye could see, the place was packed with people.

Around the intricately arranged gambling tables, every gambler was surrounded, shouting and cheering with bloodshot eyes fixed on the cylindrical container in the dealer's hand, as if it contained not dice, but their future fate.

Some winners were ecstatic and danced wildly, but they were in the minority. Many others lost again and again, and finally wept bitterly and refused to leave. They were dragged out by the casino staff, their cries for mercy piercing and shrill, but the people around them seemed not to hear, their eyes still fixed on the gambling tables.

Shen Renjie never expected there to be a gambling den hidden behind the dance floor, and he was momentarily stunned. Nowadays, gambling was not uncommon, as those who ran gambling dens often had various kinds of power behind them.

But if that was the case, why was this particular den so secretive, as if afraid of being discovered?

After all, wasn't it better for a gambling den to have more customers?

With this question in mind, Shen Renjie approached to take a closer look.

As his gaze fell upon the gambling table, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.