Hu Li had quietly arranged for guards to prevent outsiders from approaching. When Wulin noticed him, he stepped into the middle of the alley and said, "It's me. There's no one else, you can relax."

Wulin didn't recognize Hu Li and was about to subdue him, but Huayan quickly intervened, "He's one of us."

By this time, Hu Li had already approached. "Huayan, we need to talk."

Wulin wanted to ask who Hu Li was, but Huayan, troubled and silent, walked to the far end of the alley, turning her back to Hu Li. Hu Li placed his cold hand on her shoulder and hugged her from behind.

"Huayan, I've missed you," he murmured, his head buried in her neck.

"How could you miss me..." Huayan shivered, recalling the scene of Hu Li passionately kissing Cai Cai. She struggled, trying to pry Hu Li's fingers away, even pinching him, but Hu Li refused to let go. Huayan was so angry that tears started to fall.

The warm tears turned cold in the wind. Hu Li's hands were already cold, so he couldn't feel the temperature of the tears, but he sensed the chill from them.

"Huayan, did you see the photos of me and Cai Cai? Is that why you left without a word?"

"If you know that, why did you come?"

Hu Li internally cursed Cai Cai for setting him up. "Huayan, the photos only show part of the truth. There's more that you don't know. Please let me explain everything before you decide to ignore me, okay?"

"Let go of me first!"

Hu Li released Huayan and saw her clothes were torn. He took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. Speaking slowly, he recounted the events of that day in great detail, afraid of missing anything crucial. Finally, he told her about Cai Cai's plot at the entertainment center.

After a long time, Huayan roughly understood what had happened. She still felt uncomfortable, but she was less upset. Her first impression of Cai Cai was that she was competent, straightforward, and had a boyish demeanor. She never expected Cai Cai to be so irrational and crazy about love.

"Huayan, that day I rinsed my mouth over twenty times after I got back. I was really upset too."

"Pfft, a grown man being taken advantage of by a woman, how embarrassing. When I'm free, I'll have to use the Hua family law on you. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, but what is the Hua family law?" Hu Li was willing to do anything as long as Huayan talked to him and forgave him, even if it meant braving the harshest punishment.

This method of punishment was something Huayan had heard as a joke while working before her rebirth. "You kneel on instant noodles for an hour without breaking them."

"Instant noodles? Those things break at the slightest touch!"

Knowing this, Huayan had no intention of changing the punishment method. She smiled wickedly, and Hu Li shivered. "I'll forgive you this time, but if something like this happens again..."

"It won't, I promise." Hu Li was firm in his assurance. In his heart, he decided that from now on, he would have Hu Da or Hu Er stick close to him, maintaining a one-meter distance from any woman except his mother. Even if people thought it strange, it was better than facing such a situation again. Another incident like this would scare him to death.

"We're currently on a mission, so it's not convenient for us to meet."

"Is gambling at the casinos part of the mission?" Observing their repeated appearances at small casinos, Hu Li guessed they might be waiting for a big fish.

"Yes."

"Huayan, we should keep our affairs confidential," Wulin suddenly appeared and said.

Huayan looked at Hu Li, who was frowning, then at Wulin, who was scrutinizing Hu Li. She smiled and said, "I won't reveal the important parts."

"I won't harm Huayan... I can save you a lot of time. Your next plan is probably to gradually win at larger casinos without arousing suspicion, showing off your gambling skills to attract the big fish.

I can help you get into big casinos quickly. I can also ensure your personal safety with the casino's protection. No one will suspect a thing."

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

Wulin hesitated, unsure whether to trust Hu Li, but Huayan was intrigued. "We'll have to discuss this with our superiors before making a decision."

"I'll be staying in Caocang City for the time being. You can call me anytime. You haven't deleted my number, right?"

Huayan nodded, making Hu Li feel even more reassured. He smiled sweetly, a smile that made Wulin secretly marvel at how charming this man could be.

"My people have checked the area; it's very safe now. You can leave," Hu Li said, pulling Huayan into his arms for a hug before letting go.

On the way back, Wulin remained silent. Once they reached their place, he finally asked, "Huayan, who is that man? Why do you trust him so much?"

"He's my boyfriend, and he's trustworthy. Of course, whether we accept his help for our mission depends on Lao Qiao. I've told you everything. Now go wash off that stinky sweat."

After explaining the situation to Lao Yang, he called in Lao Qiao.

After hearing the details, Lao Qiao pondered for a few seconds and then asked, "Lao Yang, do you think Hu Li is reliable? We can't find any background information on him."

"I think he is. This time, Huayan is the main player," Lao Yang replied.

Lao Qiao looked at Huayan and asked, "What do you think?"

"He must be confident in his suggestion. If you think this method is feasible, I fully support it."

"Huayan, you're too trusting. Our enemy is still unclear. Hu Li was originally in Haibin City and suddenly appeared here. We can't be sure of his intentions," Wulin reasoned logically, his analysis devoid of personal feelings. However, Huayan genuinely believed Hu Li wouldn't harm or use her.

With differing opinions, Lao Qiao took Lao Yang aside for a private discussion. Wulin, clearly unhappy with Huayan's hasty decision, angrily said, "I'm going downstairs. Think this through again," before leaving.

Huayan wasn't angry at the doubt. It was simply that infiltrating Caocang City on their own would take too long. Initially, they thought it would be easy to blend in due to the city's diverse population, but it turned out to be much more complex than it appeared.

In the end, Lao Qiao decided to meet Hu Li in person before making a final decision. The meeting was scheduled for the next evening. Huayan informed Hu Li, who smiled and agreed, having anticipated this hurdle.

Initially, Hu Li hadn't intended to get involved, given the constraints of working with the government. However, seeing Huayan beaten in the alley stirred his compassion, prompting him to take on the trouble.

The next day, after meeting Hu Li, Lao Qiao remarked that it would be fortunate not to have such a person as an enemy and decided to cooperate with him.

Subsequently, Huayan and Wulin were introduced by some local thugs to a mid-sized underground casino. With an introduction from acquaintances, they faced less hostility and decided to win ten out of eleven games.

Sitting side by side, Huayan kept her hand on the table, pretending to consult Wulin while secretly seeing the dice results and advising him whether to bet high or low. After five rounds, Wulin had several stacks of chips in front of him.

As the games continued, more people around the table and those standing behind began to follow Wulin's bets. Despite changing the dice shaker several times, the winning streak continued, and everyone who followed Wulin's bets was a winner.

In a secret room, those watching the casino's monitors were sweating, unsure of what to do.

A middle-aged man in a white suit entered and asked, "You still haven't figured out how that brother and sister are cheating?"

A sharp little man quickly explained, "Tiger, we've reviewed all the footage, checked them constantly, and found nothing suspicious. They don't have any high-tech devices on them."

"Idiots, do you think they have some sort of precognitive ability?"

"Tiger, if things continue like this, more and more people will start following them to place bets. The losses to the casino would be immeasurable; we might end up losing several months' worth of income," Tiger's follower cautiously remarked.

Tiger's face darkened, and he ordered, "Bring them here, I'll ask them myself."

"Or, I could take a few of our brothers and beat them up, then threaten them with their innocent little sister. I bet they'll spill everything then," the follower suggested sycophantically.

Tiger's gaze turned fierce as he punched the follower and scolded, "Are you stupid? Can't you see who brought them here? The big shot behind that little punk is not someone we can mess with. Our boss still needs to show him some respect."

Hua Yan and Wu Lin were brought to a small room, accompanied by the little punk. He dared not neglect the people his boss instructed him to protect.

"Brother Hun is also here. I just want to ask a simple question. Brother Hun, are you too worried?" Tiger joked.

"Tiger is kidding. These two are treasures our boss recently found. They came here today just to gain some reputation, not to disrupt Tiger's operation," the little punk replied calmly, smiling at Tiger.

Tiger glanced at Hua Yan and Wu Lin and said with a smile, "But these treasures make our casino lose face."

"Don't worry, Tiger. Our boss instructed that they know nothing and need your guidance," the little punk reassured.

"What does that mean? Why are your people asking me to guide them?" Tiger inquired.

"Our boss sees you favorably, Tiger. He decided to place them under your care, specifically to play with those who are particularly fond of gambling and have capital. Our boss doesn't want a share of the winnings, just ensure their safety and meals," the little punk explained.

Tiger was intrigued by the opportunity. Among his boss's dozen or so casinos, he was in charge of the least popular one, always handing over the least amount of money each time. It made him feel inferior when dealing with others who managed better casinos. "Such a good opportunity. Is your boss just going to give it to me for nothing?" Tiger pondered.

"Tiger, you're overthinking. Our boss only wants them to gain more experience, to be more proficient for future use. Besides, this conversation is just between us. Are you worried we have some trick up our sleeves?" the little punk asked.

After that, Hua Yan and Wu Lin didn't stay at the accommodation Tiger arranged for them. They slept during the day and went to the casino to run a special session for three hours at night. Many wealthy individuals came, attracted by their reputation, and tried their luck against Hua Yan and Wu Lin. However, none of these people ever won a single round.

Gradually, Hua Yan and Wu Lin's reputation grew, and the big fish they had been waiting for began to take notice.