Chapter Fifty-Eight: Confrontation

When Hai Feng awoke, the members of the White Tiger Squad had already gathered in his room, ready for an action briefing. Hai Feng looked at his spirited teammates and felt a deep sense of pride. Ever since joining forces with these outstanding young people, he had found himself more energized, a feeling he had never experienced before.

As Hai Feng had once told Qiu Zhiyong, this was a team he could rely on, the very kind he had hoped for in his report. Now, he believed the White Tiger Squad was even more formidable and exceptional than any special unit he had previously imagined. Before forming this group, Hai Feng had felt powerless against cybercrime, unable to confront the sinister forces hiding in the shadows and harming the country’s innocent citizens. But this squad gave him hope; he felt brimming with confidence, as if he’d returned to the days when he could utterly crush criminals.

For a moment, Hai Feng felt as though he was back in those glorious years.

He gazed at his trustworthy teammates and began, “Li Weiwei and Zhao Zhijie have already found evidence of criminal activity on SpinachNet. Our task now is to confirm the details about SpinachNet and identify everyone involved.”

“Based on the information we have, there are many people implicated. It’s impossible to apprehend them all at once, but we must figure out their numbers and identify the mastermind. Only then can we proceed.”

“Additionally, another goal for this operation is to uncover the elusive ‘Teacher Song.’ He’s appeared in several previous cases and always managed to escape, but Zhao Zhijie has tracked down a lead. This time, we cannot let him slip away.”

Hai Feng looked at the group and said, “According to our intelligence, ‘Teacher Song’ is likely involved in money laundering. Money laundering is always a crucial link in criminal operations. So this time we must not only take down the gambling syndicate but also drag ‘Teacher Song’—the one hiding in the shadows—into the light.”

He paused, then continued, “We have no backup on this operation, only ourselves. So be careful and keep hidden.”

With that, everyone grew solemn, leaving the room to pursue their mission.

Meanwhile, Pan Lun’s men prepared to leave the casino and head towards the hotel where the White Tiger Squad was staying. After receiving photos and passport details from Song Xin, Pan Lun immediately arranged for someone to track down the squad’s location. He knew they’d be staying at a hotel, and once he had their information, he planned to strike at night, bribing officials to cover it up as a disappearance. That would solve everything, leaving no loose ends.

But Pan Lun had overestimated the efficiency of the local operatives. Compared to home, their work ethic was appalling. Pan Lun had handed over the passport information as soon as he received it, yet the reply didn’t come until nine in the morning. Frustrated but unable to waste time, Pan Lun sent the hotel information and photos to his subordinate, Li Zishen, ordering him to deal with Hai Feng and his team.

When the White Tiger Squad reached the hill near the casino, they stopped the car and got out to stretch. Zhao Zhijie took out an electronic binocular, adjusted it toward the casino, and handed it to Hai Feng.

Hai Feng looked through the binoculars toward the casino. People were already arriving to play cards, and soon the entrance was bustling with traffic. Just as he was about to direct the squad to move, Zhao Zhijie approached with his tablet and said, “Chief Hai, someone has entered our room!”

Hai Feng turned in confusion, and Zhao Zhijie passed him the tablet. On the screen, several men dressed in black linen shirts, armed with machetes and clubs, appeared in their room, rifling through their belongings.

Li Weiwei, standing beside Hai Feng, exclaimed angrily, “Who are these people? Just rummaging through someone else’s things? This is a hotel! The security here in Manchica is atrocious!”

Wen Yuxin added, “Don’t be angry. Clearly, they’re no good. Look, they’re carrying weapons. Lucky we’re not in the room, or there might have been bloodshed!”

Liu Zhiyang replied, “Afraid of them? No need. With me here, these bastards are nothing. They dare to come looking for trouble—Hai Feng, what now? Should we go back?”

“These fools are asking for it. Why don’t you all stay here and handle the mission, and I’ll go back alone? They dare to rummage through our luggage—really have guts! I want to see where they came from.”

“They sneaked into our room while we were out, bold as brass. If we don’t teach them a lesson, they’ll never know who they’re dealing with.”

“It’s been years since I’ve fought anyone; honestly, I’m itching for it. If I don’t make them beg on their knees, I’ll write my name backwards. Carrying knives—they think they’re performing tricks? Overestimating themselves. Waving a feather like a command token, sticking a scallion and pretending it’s an elephant, stuffing a dead rat in their belt and claiming to be hunters. I wonder who gave them such confidence.”

“They don’t even know what they are—never bothered to look in a mirror? Wearing black to impersonate gangsters? Since they want to play at being gangsters, they deserve to be beaten until all they see is black. If I don’t make them see stars and search for teeth on the ground, I’d be letting their skins off too lightly.”

Li Weiwei, who had been furious, couldn’t help but laugh at Liu Zhiyang’s tirade. “Captain Liu, with your eloquence, you shouldn’t be a policeman—you should be a comic performer! Your jokes are spot on!”

Wen Yuxin and the others laughed as well. Hai Feng smiled at Liu Zhiyang, saying, “No rush. Right now, it’s too late to go back. Let them gloat for a while; we’ll finish up here first, then deal with them.”

Then Hai Feng turned to Wen Yuxin, “It seems we might have been exposed. Just in case, could you disguise Zhang Mufeng? If he needs to enter the casino, he won’t be recognized.”

Wen Yuxin nodded, took out her makeup kit, and transformed Zhang Mufeng into a local Manchican. Zhang Mufeng admired himself in the mirror, marveling at Wen Yuxin’s skill, but then asked Hai Feng, “Chief Hai, my appearance is fine, but I don’t speak Manchican! I can’t just stay silent inside.”

Hai Feng laughed, “Didn’t you and the others play ventriloquism so well before? Why the hesitation now?”

Zhang Mufeng was still puzzled when Wen Yuxin spoke to him in Manchican, “Don’t worry, I speak Manchican.” He turned to her, not understanding, and she explained, “Just now, I said in Manchican, ‘Don’t worry, I speak Manchican.’”

Hai Feng smiled, “Problem solved, right?”

Zhang Mufeng nodded, “With Sister Yuxin here, no problem at all. I’ll get the job done.”

With that, they got in the car and drove toward the casino.

At that moment, Pan Lun was drinking, waiting for good news from Li Zishen. But when Li Zishen called, Pan Lun instantly lost interest in his drink—his men had come up empty-handed. He grumbled about the inefficiency in Manchica; what should have been settled the previous night was still unresolved.

Pan Lun felt that bureaucratic incompetence was a killer. For the first time, he missed home, where at least things got done—if someone shirked, a bit of money would fix it, unlike the blunders he faced now. He told Li Zishen, “Never mind, just lie in wait at the hotel. Move when they show up.”

With that, Pan Lun lost all interest in drinking. Having been up all night, he felt exhausted and returned to his room to sleep, convinced things would be sorted out when he woke.

After arriving near the casino, Zhang Mufeng stepped out of the car. Dressed in a white cotton-linen shirt and black-rimmed glasses, he strode toward the casino. He wandered through the casino with chips he’d exchanged, turning left and right, occasionally placing a few chips and playing a few hands. To onlookers, he was indistinguishable from an ordinary gambler.

As Zhang Mufeng played and explored, the images he captured were sent back to the car. Li Weiwei played the footage on her laptop for the others.

Watching, Li Weiwei said to Hai Feng, “SpinachNet’s address should be here. I didn’t expect such a large casino—looks like they operate both online and offline!”

Hai Feng asked, “Can you confirm this is SpinachNet’s location?”

Li Weiwei shook her head. “Not yet. Zhang Mufeng is still in the main hall; I haven’t spotted any SpinachNet servers. Even if their office is here, it should be upstairs.”

Hai Feng nodded and spoke into the mic, “Mufeng, we’ve seen the casino layout. Don’t linger in the hall. Try going upstairs and see if SpinachNet’s office is there.”

Zhang Mufeng received the instruction and started toward the upper floors.

Before coming to Manchica, the White Tiger Squad hadn’t realized SpinachNet was hidden inside such a grand casino, nor had they expected such luxury. Nearly a hundred meters tall, the glass tower gleamed, its interior lavishly decorated. The hotel’s sign bore the Manchican words, “Treasure Gathering Hotel.” The glittering casino hall occupied the ground floor, with guest rooms, spa rooms, restaurants, and pools above—no less than a five-star hotel.

Zhang Mufeng explored floor by floor, the images gradually revealing the hotel’s layout to Hai Feng and his team.

When Zhang Mufeng tried to reach the sixteenth floor, several bodyguards stopped him. They spoke in Manchican, “Sorry, sir, the upper floors are staff areas; guests are not allowed.”

Wen Yuxin instructed Zhang Mufeng, “Sorry, I didn’t know this was a staff area. Could you tell me which floor the massage rooms are on?” Zhang Mufeng repeated her question, and the guards told him the relevant floor, prompting him to leave.

Meanwhile, Wang Zhizheng sat in the surveillance room, watching Zhang Mufeng’s every move. When security reported a guest wandering floor by floor, Wang sensed something was off. Though the hotel was large, and new guests were often curious, few explored every floor.

The hotel’s amenities were listed in the brochures, which every guest could easily access—making this guest’s behavior seem even stranger.

Wang recalled Pan Lun’s earlier warning: Li Zishen had failed to catch Hai Feng’s team, and they might appear at the casino. Wang was to keep watch and report any anomalies, so he hurried to the surveillance room.

But when he saw the man on the sixteenth floor speaking Manchican to the guards, Wang felt reassured. He knew Hai Feng’s team weren’t locals and wouldn’t speak Manchican, so he considered it a minor incident, telling the guards to stay alert but not reporting to Pan Lun.

After watching a bit longer and seeing Zhang Mufeng return to the casino, Wang left the surveillance room. He’d just received word a distinguished guest was arriving, and went to welcome them.

Zhang Mufeng wandered the casino again. Hai Feng realized that without confirmation, there was no point in staying longer. He told Zhang Mufeng, “Come back. We’ll need other means to confirm SpinachNet’s existence. Let’s head back and deal with those intruders in our room!”

Zhang Mufeng lingered in the casino a while longer before leaving and heading back to the team.

Li Zishen and his men were nearly asleep waiting in Hai Feng’s room, having rifled through everything. Bored, they lounged on the beds or sat in chairs, while Li Zishen, having bribed security, waited in the surveillance room for any sign of Hai Feng’s team.

After nine o’clock, the White Tiger Squad didn’t return directly to the hotel but instead went to sample Manchican street food, laughing and chatting as they enjoyed the local cuisine, seemingly unconcerned about the intrusion in their room.

Zhao Zhijie, watching Li Zishen’s group on his tablet, chuckled, “These guys are pitiful, just waiting around, not even eating. Their conditions must be pretty rough.”

Liu Zhiyang replied with a grin, “No worries, they’ll soon get their fill—a feast of fists! Let’s give them a proper meal!” The others burst out laughing.

When they finished dinner, watching the bored black-clad intruders in their room, they stood up and prepared to return to the hotel to reclaim their territory.

Bathed in the golden glow of sunset, the White Tiger Squad finally set out for the hotel, ready to confront the interlopers.