Chapter 24: If there's anything in the future, come to me.

Police Chief Chen Shijie was overjoyed when Hou Yong reported that a gambling den had been raided, with about seven to eight thousand yuan in gambling funds seized. With the New Year approaching, the police station had no surplus funds, and as the chief, Chen Shijie had been worrying about this every day. Now, with Hou Yong's success, the pressure on him was greatly reduced.

"Chief Chen, there's another matter I need to report. I received a tip that there are two more gambling dens, one on each end of the street," Hou Yong said with a smile. Chen Shijie had been in a terrible mood lately, and he hadn't been in a good mood with anyone. Today, his words clearly showed how pleased he was.

"What? What are we waiting for? Send people immediately. Hou Yong, you're really something. If you're going to act, you do it big. Three places at once, you've got it," Chen Shijie said, unable to contain his joy. He gave Hou Yong a pat on the shoulder and chuckled.

"I'm only able to do this under your wise leadership, Chief Chen. If we hadn't been working hard for the past few days, we wouldn't have achieved this today," Hou Yong said with a smile.

"Good, I won't go. You go and arrest them, and I'll handle the interrogations at home. We'll report to the bureau first thing tomorrow morning," Chen Shijie said after a moment's thought.

"Alright, I'll arrange it right away," Hou Yong replied.

He called back all the officers who were staking out and then went to the place where he had agreed to meet Zhu Daodong. With the success of the previous raid, Hou Yong was now very confident in Zhu Daodong. Under Zhu Daodong's guidance, they indeed found two more gambling dens, one on each end of the street.

Seeing these two places, Hou Yong couldn't help but marvel at the ingenuity of the people involved. One of the dens was on the second floor's dome. The houses on the street were generally two-story buildings, but above the second floor, there was a triangular dome, usually used for decoration and insulation, and often for storing miscellaneous items. However, these people had climbed up there, and if it weren't for Zhu Daodong's precise information, even if they had burst in, they might not have discovered the gambling taking place right under the roof.

The other place was even more ingenious, located above a pigpen. In Shulin Ridge, almost every household raised pigs, and the pigpens, though lower than the living quarters, were usually two-story structures, with the lower level for the pigs and the upper level for storing dry straw or other items. These people had actually thought of gambling up there, and even Hou Yong was impressed by their creativity.

After receiving guidance from Zhu Daodong, Hou Yong led the team to raid both places simultaneously, capturing all the gamblers. These people knew the risks were high but still dared to take them, either because they were bored or had a strong gambling addiction. Although the amount of gambling funds seized at these two places was not as much as at the middle school, the total was still significant. More importantly, there were more people involved. At the middle school, only four people were caught, but at these two places, twelve people were arrested. Even if each person was fined five hundred yuan, that would amount to eight thousand yuan. Given the dire situation at the police station, would Chen Shijie be lenient?

"Hou Yong, I'm really curious. How did you find these places that were so well hidden?" After all the statements were taken, Chen Shijie, feeling excited, invited Hou Yong to smoke in the office. The arrests at the middle school had only reduced his pressure by half, but with these two additional places, the station's bonus for the year was secured.

"Chief Chen, to be honest, I received a tip. Otherwise, even with two noses, I wouldn't have been able to find them," Hou Yong said, lighting a cigarette for Chen Shijie and smiling.

"Whose nose is that sharp?" Chen Shijie was genuinely curious. Knowing one gambling den was not unusual, but knowing three, and such well-hidden ones, was truly remarkable.

"Well, he asked to remain anonymous, but it's actually a teacher at the middle school, named Zhu Daodong," Hou Yong said. Although he had promised to keep Zhu Daodong's identity confidential, this did not include Chen Shijie. He had already hinted at it, and he believed Chen Shijie would not reveal the information.

"Zhu Daodong?" Chen Shijie repeated the name, but it didn't ring a bell.

"He's a new teacher this year, and he's my son's homeroom teacher. Don't underestimate him; he's really good at teaching. You know my son, Hou Tianming, who's like a sow climbing a tree when it comes to studying. But under Mr. Zhu's guidance, he's changed a lot this semester. Now he knows to study on his own, and his grades have improved. For the first time in his life, he passed all his subjects in the final exam," Hou Yong said, genuinely grateful to Zhu Daodong. Even without the events of tonight, the fact that his son could now study on his own was enough to make him grateful to Zhu Daodong for life.

"Looks like he's a real talent," Chen Shijie said, knowing Hou Tianming's reputation for mischief. He often heard Hou Yong talk about his son with a worried face, but now, when Hou Yong mentioned his son, there was a sense of pride.

"Chief Chen, I need to ask for your approval. Since Zhu Daodong's tip was so helpful, should we...?" Hou Yong asked.

"Given the significant help he's given us, we can't let him down. When we distribute the funds to our officers, we'll give him the same amount," Chen Shijie said, waving his hand. He wasn't surprised that Zhu Daodong could teach Hou Tianming, but the fact that he had reported three well-hidden gambling dens in one night truly piqued his interest.

"Chief Chen, isn't that too much?" Hou Yong was surprised. The total amount from the raids, including the fines, was at least twenty thousand yuan. Even after the bureau's share, the station would still receive at least twenty thousand. According to past practices, the five officers at Shulin Ridge would each receive at least a thousand yuan. Of course, the chief, deputy chief, and political instructor would receive more. But even a thousand yuan was a significant amount, equivalent to three months of his salary.

"No problem. Just for guiding your son onto the right path, it's worth it. You can also tell him that I remember this favor, and if he needs anything in the future, he can come to me," Chen Shijie said with a smile.

"Thank you, Chief Chen," Hou Yong said, knowing that this was a gesture of respect for him and a way to repay Zhu Daodong. The last part of Chen Shijie's statement was particularly significant, as Hou Yong had never seen Chen Shijie make such an explicit offer to anyone before.

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