Indeed, according to the rules of the Tie Lin competition, even former teammates could end up as sworn enemies by the end.
If they were asking around, it was likely for revenge.
Moreover, recalling his experiences in the Tie Lin competition, Li Zhonglou could only think of Henry and a few others who might be involved. But it shouldn't be to this extent, should it?
As for Garnishaw and Xi Wen, they had their own contact methods and wouldn't possibly be asking people about him.
Therefore, what Green Ox said was merely a piece of trivia to him. However, Li Zhonglou became vigilant upon hearing it.
Yet, Li Zhonglou didn't reveal anything. Green Ox's sudden mention of this matter wasn't entirely idle chat; he was subtly probing them. To avoid drawing attention, Li Zhonglou could only act as if he knew nothing.
Ah Niu's efficiency was quite high, and he returned in about half an hour.
"Boss, I have news."
Ah Niu walked in quickly.
Green Ox stated directly, "Speak."
"I have a friend who once took him as a subordinate. Two days ago, this person named Ah Bao sought refuge from my friend. My friend didn't help him. But it's speculated he might be at a place called Hong Guan."
"Hong Guan?"
"It's a casino unique to Huang Bao. Even if you are a national fugitive, as long as you pay to apply for asylum, you can stay safely for a period. They will have dedicated people to tip you off."
Green Ox's expression turned serious, and he murmured, "That should be the place. After something like this happened, he wouldn't hide anywhere else."
But then the question arose: why would Ah Bao do this?
Or was it the Flying Gang's doing, and they made him hide to cover their tracks?
Li Zhonglou was also pondering this question. However, for now, regardless of the reason, the most important thing was to find the person.
So, Green Ox didn't delay. After Ah Niu provided the address, he, along with Li Zhonglou and the others, left the scrap recycling station.
While in the car, Li Zhonglou quietly sent a message to Black Blade, asking him to investigate if there was someone named Ah Niu who ran a scrap recycling station within the Green Gang.
The location of Hong Guan, mentioned by Ah Niu, was in the West District. Although the territories of the four major gangs were intertwined, judging by their general areas, they each had their strongholds, and Huang Bao's base was precisely in the West District.
As for this Hong Guan, it was the first time Li Zhonglou had heard of it. Ah Niu had only briefly mentioned it was a casino, so Li Zhonglou also asked Black Blade about it.
In about ten minutes, Li Zhonglou received a reply from Black Blade.
First, regarding Ah Niu, Black Blade was still inquiring due to the short time. Hong Guan, on the other hand, provided more detailed information.
It included its scale and personnel, but in summary, Hong Guan was equivalent to a five-star underground casino.
It was somewhat similar to the South Australian Casino, except it was hidden underground.
Upon learning this, a suspicion suddenly arose in Li Zhonglou's mind.
When he had gone to find Ah Bao before, his neighbor had mentioned that this person loved gambling. From his words, it was basically confirmed that Ah Bao was hopelessly addicted to gambling, and one of the two addresses provided earlier was also a casino.
So, could it be that he simply went to Hong Guan for gambling?
Or perhaps he was in debt and could only try to turn his fortune around through gambling?
The thought of debt immediately reminded Li Zhonglou of the Sen Wolf brothers.
These two had previously been involved in this line of work.
"Perhaps those two might know something?"
As fellow professionals in the same field, Li Zhonglou believed they would definitely have contact with each other. So, he sent another message to Black Blade, asking him to inquire with Sen Wolf.
The reason Li Zhonglou was doing all this was to guard against Green Ox.
Only naive newcomers like Yue Hai would completely trust Green Ox.
After all, Green Ox was using the pretense of repaying a life-saving favor. Let alone Yue Hai, anyone who wasn't a seasoned veteran would generally believe him.
However, Li Zhonglou had encountered too many cunning people. Forget life-saving favors; some would stab even their own family in the back!
Therefore, he had to confirm the veracity of this information. Otherwise, if he was led into a trap, it would truly be a case of capsizing in a ditch.
Sen Wolf quickly provided a response.
"Ah Bao? This guy owes my company over two hundred thousand. I had put out a kill order for him before."
Li Zhonglou was stunned upon seeing this. He never expected that the person he had taken so much effort to find had clues right beside him!
"Uh, if I had known this earlier, I should have just brought the three of them here this time."
Li Zhonglou's face suddenly showed an expression of mingled amusement and exasperation. Yue Hai, sitting beside him, happened to see it.
"What's wrong, Brother Li?"
"It's nothing, Third Brother. How much longer?"
Li Zhonglou shook his head and changed the subject.
It now seemed that Green Ox wasn't playing any tricks, and Ah Bao was likely within this Hong Guan. After all, there was no place that could generate money faster than a casino, especially a secure one.
"About ten more minutes, but there's a stretch of road where we'll have to go on foot."
Third Brother reminded him. Green Ox added, "That's indeed the case. I've been to Huang Bao's Hong Guan once. The security is very strict, to prevent sudden raids by the police."
Li Zhonglou nodded.
About ten minutes later, Third Brother's car stopped outside an alley.
This was a rather secluded area, with forests visible within the line of sight. The alley was almost at the edge of the residential area, and beyond it, there were no tall buildings to be seen.
After they got out of the car, Li Zhonglou left Third Brother to provide backup outside, while they followed Green Ox into the depths of the alley.
About halfway through, they saw a blonde man leaning against a pillar.
The man was about twenty years old. Not only did he have dyed blonde hair, but he also had a half-sleeve tattoo of a tiger-leopard-like animal on his arm. He was wearing tight-fitting clothes, making him look like a street punk at first glance.
Seeing them approach, the blonde man eyed them with a vigilant gaze.
Green Ox smoothly walked up to him.
"Xiang Fu Yi Ba."
"Three Sixes?"
"Take one away."
The blonde man's eyes immediately lit up, and his vigilant expression turned into a smile.
"Newcomer or veteran?"
"Just want to get rich."
The blonde man's smile widened. He took out a pack of good cigarettes from his pocket, expertly flicked out a few, and offered them to Green Ox.
Green Ox accepted without being polite, took one, and lit it with his own lighter. However, when the blonde man reached out to Li Zhonglou and the others, his movements suddenly paused.