Chapter 17: Thanks for the Television, Buddy

A person’s life is spent passing through countless alleys and walking through countless doors.

Not the biological ones, but the physical ones.

However, Zhai Da had to admit that he had not expected this evening’s turn of events. He had originally assumed that Lu Wei had come to this dilapidated Da Mao residential complex to deliver documents to a coworker. But after winding through the labyrinthine paths to the bungalow district at the very back, he was met with quite a different scene.

At the edge of the old complex, lights had suddenly appeared. Wires were strung from the houses and wrapped around a tree, tethering a massive lightbulb. A group of men, some shirtless and others in black T-shirts, were playing cards amidst a thick haze of smoke. Many of them were tattooed.

The surrounding bungalows seemed to have been bought or rented out to enclose a relatively private space. Several grease-stained tables were set up in the clearing, with smoke swirling around them like mist in a fairy realm.

"Straight flush! I’m taking the whole pot, hand it over, hand it over!" A burly, tattooed man laughed heartily, raking the fifty- and hundred-yuan bills on the table toward himself.

This was a hidden gambling den, and judging by the setup, it was no temporary operation, but a long-term one.

A gaunt man in his forties slammed his hand onto the table in frustration and irritably opened a cigarette pack, only to find it empty. As he turned his head, he caught sight of the two figures who seemed to have stumbled in by mistake. One of them was wearing a school uniform, looking completely out of place.

The gaunt man beckoned, but Lu Wei shook her head. He had no choice but to stand up and walk over. "Where are the cigarettes?"

Lu Wei handed over the pack of Hongliqun she was holding. While he was busy unwrapping and lighting one, the gaunt man looked at Zhai Da, his gaze filled with scrutiny, but in the end, he said nothing.

After taking a drag, he said, "Didn't you get paid today? Where’s the money?"

Lu Wei pulled a thin envelope from her pocket and handed it to him. The gaunt man opened it, took a look, and spat on the ground. "Why is there only five hundred? Isn't it thirteen hundred a month?"

Lu Wei’s voice remained devoid of emotion. "The probationary period only pays eighty percent. I messed up one plate, so I was fined a little, and I kept three hundred for myself."

The gaunt man scoffed and waved his hand. "Go on, get out of here. Women are bad luck; my winning streak is gone."

Lu Wei stood motionless until Zhai Da took her hand and turned her around. He could already feel several pairs of eyes sizing them up. The gaunt man watched Lu Wei as she walked back into the darkness, his eyes thoughtful as they lingered on their joined hands.

It wasn't until they had completely cleared the illuminated area that Zhai Da spoke. "Is that your father?"

Lu Wei nodded.

Zhai Da sighed, his tone grave. "You shouldn't have done that."

"What?"

"You could have told me in advance. Even if you asked me to wait when we were almost there, that would have been fine. Instead, you let me see it with my own eyes—that puts me in a difficult position, and it’s not safe, either."

Lu Wei remained silent for a long time before finally responding, "I'm sorry."

*Why do I always forget... that people should only show their best sides...*

The walk back seemed darker, but Zhai Da did not take Lu Wei’s hand again. Lu Wei’s footsteps also fell silently a few paces behind him.

Until she heard Zhai Da say, "If I report them now, they’ll suspect a high schooler did it tonight..."

Lu Wei: ...

Zhai Da pulled out his phone. "Let me be clear: I have always been diametrically opposed to gambling and drugs. I hate evil with a passion. Even if it is your father, I won't let this chance to make some money... I mean, to clean up these corrupt practices, go to waste."

Lu Wei stood there blankly, her brain seemingly having suffered a system crash.

"You don't have any objections, right? After all, you don't want your old man to keep gambling, do you? I’m helping you by putting him inside to sober up for a few days—it’s for your own good!"

An ordinary student would likely have had weak knees at the sight of those tattoos, but not Zhai Da. He knew that the waiters in big-city restaurants, the delivery guys, the barbers at hair salons, and the "pure-love warriors" at matchmaking agencies all had tattoos. And they all provided excellent service with the sweetest smiles.

Tattoos weren't a sign of malice; they were merely traces of desolation.

Of course, that wasn't the point.

According to the rules of the local province, there were rewards for reporting illegal gambling. With a single phone call, he could get a reward of 3-6% of the confiscated gambling funds—at least five hundred yuan. He wondered how much cash was in this small-time pot...

The only regret was that he had accidentally shown his face; if they were raided immediately, they would surely connect it to him. In Zhai Da’s eyes, this wasn't a gambling den—it was his own personal vault...

*Thanks for the TV, guys.*

Zhai Da pulled Lu Wei to the side and whispered, "Here's the plan. I’ll wait two days before I strike. Don't let anything slip."

Lu Wei finally returned to normal, and for the first time, Zhai Da saw an expression of shock on her face. It was as if she were asking: *Can you even do that?*

"Remember, keep it a secret."

Lu Wei nodded heavily. "I won't tell anyone else. Dad really... does need to cool off."

Zhai Da nodded. "This place might not run a game every day, so let's keep in touch. When your dad comes back, find me—at my place, at the school gate, it doesn't matter. We’ll split it 80/20. You’ll get your share."

Lu Wei shook her head. "I don't want the money..."

Zhai Da retorted, "Stop pretending, you poor thing!"

As for the "provisioning" relationship between Lu Wei and her father, Zhai Da didn't say much. It was nothing more than a cowardly mother, a gambling father, and a broken daughter. He had seen too many such people and heard too many such stories.

The indifference of adults exists because they know that reasoning cannot save anyone, and taking real action requires too high a cost.

If Lu Wei kept giving her meager wages to her father to gamble with... he’d just report it again!

As long as he kept his connection with Lu Wei and brought her onto his side... his little vault would become a mobile ATM.

The TV was finally within reach; he had almost resorted to low-quality entrepreneurship...

The corner of the alley was too dark for Zhai Da to see Lu Wei’s expression. He also couldn't see the smile on the corners of her mouth as the ice began to melt.

On the way back, Zhai Da gave some instructions to his "partner." As for the darkness, he was no longer afraid. His heart was now filled with the light of righteousness.

Unconsciously, his right hand was taken by a slightly cool, slender hand.

Zhai Da: "What? Are you afraid of the dark now?"

Lu Wei held back for a long time before blurting out, "Lecher..."

Zhai Da: "...You know that humor is not something you can just copy-paste, right?"

"I know now..."

This girl, usually so devoid of emotional fluctuations, occasionally had a bit of a screw loose.

The journey back was much faster than the way there. At the entrance of the complex, Yu Xiaoli was still there, though a taxi was now idling in front of her while she haggled with the driver.

"Why is it twenty to Sunmazhuang? Fifteen is plenty. You take Xintian Road, turn right at Xingfu Road..."

Seeing the two of them emerge, Yu Xiaoli beamed, while Zhai Da quietly pulled his hand away from Lu Wei’s.

"Little Lu, there’s a taxi going to Sunmazhuang. Don't wait for the bus this late; it’s not safe."

Lu Wei shook her head. "Taxis are too expensive."

Yu Xiaoli: "It’s fine, I’ve already negotiated it. Only ten yuan, no meter."

The taxi driver tried to interject, but eventually gave up. In the end, Lu Wei couldn't refuse and got into the taxi.

Yu Xiaoli didn't forget to add, "Driver, be careful on the road. I’ve already written down your license plate number—don't try to raise the price halfway there."

Zhai Da silently gave her a thumbs-up.