Upon entering, no one paid me any attention. The gamblers scattered across the various gaming tables were all engrossed in their play.
The spotters in the establishment moved among the diverse clientele.
Some wore solemn expressions, others, sinister ones...
The scene was no different from any ordinary casino.
I wasn't sure if Su Liuli was secretly observing me, or if she knew I had arrived at her establishment.
All I knew was that she didn't answer my calls and didn't reply to my messages.
To avoid any unforeseen circumstances, before coming, I had no choice but to call Han Qingmei and inform her of my current predicament.
On the phone, Han Qingmei told me to go directly to the establishment and that she would contact Su Liuli.
Finally, she added that for safety, she would send her subordinates from Longxi to assist me.
Hearing Han Qingmei say this, my heart finally felt a little more at ease.
Honestly, this was the first time I had ever encountered a sting operation conducted in such complete darkness, relying on blind guesswork.
In the past, when listening to Uncle Tuo recount his sting operation experiences, under normal circumstances, the host would have everything meticulously arranged from start to finish.
The person responsible for the sting would only need to walk around and observe the suspicious tables based on the information provided by the host.
Once a table was identified as problematic, they would pose as a gambler and play a few hands, observing the other gamblers up close.
Even if they couldn't catch the cheaters red-handed on the spot, they would at least have accurate targets and directions.
The next step would be a critical juncture where endurance, intellect, financial resources, and even external factors like skill would come into play.
As long as the targeted cheater remained unaware and continued to try and win money through cheating, there would inevitably come a moment of being caught in the act!
However, without this basic information, it would be like the old saying goes.
Every beginning is difficult!
The crux of a sting operation lies in the first step.
And it is also the most crucial step.
How to accurately pinpoint the target?
Those who have watched gambling movies should know that with the advancement of technology and economic development, casinos nowadays, regardless of their size, are equipped with some up-to-date high-tech equipment.
And those who dare to cheat and make money in casinos rack their brains and devise schemes to counter the casino's high-tech equipment and its visible and hidden spotters.
Items like card-changing bags, single-operator analyzers, card-changing waistbands, baccarat shoe changers, card-changing clothes, and a dazzling array of other black technologies are all products created by cheaters to facilitate their schemes.
Therefore, how to identify, at a glance, those cheaters who are secretly making subtle movements amidst the bustling crowd of gamblers becomes the paramount task of the sting operation!
But everyone knows that gamblers who come to casinos are generally not to be trifled with!
These people are long-time gamblers who have become experts through experience. While they may not dare to cheat with impunity like professional cheaters, they engage in a multitude of subtle actions, both overt and covert.
It is precisely for this reason that those unscrupulous cheaters are provided with a perfect and convenient cover...
So, without the informational hints provided by Su Liuli, I couldn't narrow down the scope.
I would have to resort to the most primitive and clumsy method – searching for a needle in a haystack, painstakingly searching table by table.
Furthermore, as I didn't have much money on me, chips naturally became a problem.
As the saying goes: One can never be too careful!
Without being able to ascertain Su Liuli's character, or whether she had people watching me, I wouldn't foolishly spend my own money to buy chips.
If, by chance, the other party reneged, there would be no one to turn to for recourse.
These were the two major predicaments I was facing.
Without someone to advance me chips beforehand, I couldn't buy them myself.
So, I had no choice but to wander around the establishment with Cheng Minglang, like a headless fly, looking this way and that...
There were quite a few people aimlessly wandering in the casino. Apart from a small number of hidden spotters and gamblers with ulterior motives, most gamblers were observing with purpose and deliberation.
Although they currently appeared hesitant and indecisive, once they selected a gaming table, they would typically sit there for half the day.
When they left, they would either be flushed with success or pale with defeat.
These gamblers were what ordinary people called gambling addicts, and those on the verge of becoming gambling addicts!
The gamblers, who appeared insane to outsiders, were almost exclusively honored guests at major casinos!
Of course, this was only if the gambler still possessed considerable value to be exploited...
Thus, I took Cheng Minglang around Su Liuli's establishment for about four or five laps, a full three hours.
During this time, I didn't notice anyone secretly following me, nor were there any unusual occurrences in the establishment.
After repeated confirmations, I reluctantly left.
Just like when I arrived, no one stopped me even though I hadn't exchanged chips or played.
The sting operation on my first day in Longxi ended without any leads or progress.
Back at my lodging, unlike Cheng Minglang who fell asleep immediately, I began to review every scene I had witnessed in the establishment that day...
Apart from various harmless minor actions, the gamblers in Longxi seemed to be playing quite by the rules.
And unlike in Anhai, the casinos in Longxi not only had dealers at every table but also assigned a dedicated person to watch the table.
To cheat, one would have to get past the table watcher in addition to the dealer.
Under such stringent multi-layered surveillance, unless the cheater's sleight of hand was exceptional, or the frequency of cheating was very low, getting caught was merely a matter of time.
After all, even the most skilled cheaters were ultimately flesh-and-blood humans, albeit with much stronger skills and overall capabilities than ordinary cheaters.
However, even so, under prolonged surveillance and high-pressure conditions, it was impossible to maintain a consistent level of performance.
How to accurately identify cheaters mixed within the crowd of gamblers became the key to breaking through the sting operation!
As time slipped away unnoticed, as I pondered, a whole night passed in the blink of an eye...
The second day in Longxi.
Early in the morning, I was awakened by the urgent ringing of my phone.
Taking out my phone, I saw it was Su Liuli's call.
As soon as I pressed the answer button, I heard Su Liuli on the other end of the line say apologetically, "I'm so sorry! I was busy yesterday and overlooked you. Fortunately, Sister Qingmei called me."
"By the way, where are you staying now? Sister Qingmei is sending her subordinate to help, and I can't get away these days, so I'll have him arrange things for you."
Actually, whether things were arranged or not was secondary; the most important things were the target and the chips.
Thinking of this, I stopped beating around the bush and directly asked her if she could give me a general area and then provide me with some chips, so I could do my work more conveniently.