At the vegetable market, an egg vendor sat on the ground, crying loudly and cursing. Curious passersby stopped to watch.
"What's wrong with Egg Sister?"
"She got a fake 100-yuan bill and lost days of work," someone explained.
A middle-aged man, about forty, tall and slim, wearing glasses and looking scholarly, overheard the conversation. He walked up to her and smiled.
"Hey there, why are you crying?"
"The bastard! The shameless son-of-a-gun gave me fake money!"
The man laughed and asked to see the bill. The egg vendor took out a red note. He held it under the sunlight for inspection.
"This is real money."
Hearing this, the woman's mood lifted.
"I've been in business for decades. I can tell real from fake, but I hadn't seen this new version. I gave it to my supplier, and they said it was fake!"
The man smiled, took a 100-yuan note from his bag, and compared it in the sunlight.
"Don't worry, this is genuine," he said, returning it and carrying on with his shopping.
The egg vendor looked at the note again — indeed real.
"Damn it! The supplier tricked me and made me cry."
A butcher snickered: "Relax. The supplier didn't trick you. You just met a good person. He saw you crying and replaced your fake bill with real money."
"Ah… how can that be?"
The egg vendor realized the truth and wanted to return the money, but the market was crowded; the man had already gone.
"Don't look for him. I know him," said a nearby vegetable seller.
"He's Chen Yaodong, the village chief of Tasha Village, a model citizen, and a representative of the people."
…
Back in the village, Chen Yaodong's expression darkened.
"Where's Chen Hao? Call him here!"
"Uncle Dong, Hao went to the city to meet a client. He should be back soon."
"Tell him to come to the ancestral hall immediately!"
Chen Hao returned and was summoned to the hall. As he entered, Chen Yaodong's face was stone-cold.
"Uncle Dong, what's wrong?"
BAM! Chen Yaodong slapped the fake bill on the table.
Chen Hao glanced at it, confused.
"This bill was used in the market. Why is our money circulating locally?"
Chen Hao was alarmed. He didn't know either. They had been repeatedly warned: fake money must only be sold outside their hometown, to protect locals and avoid tracing the source.
"I don't know," Chen Hao said obediently.
"Uncle Dong, don't be mad. It could be re-exported locally."
Chen Yaodong's expression eased slightly.
"Check it. If it's re-exported, forget it. But if it was spent by our own people, there will be consequences."
Chen Hao nodded, then shifted the topic with a grin:
"Uncle Dong, I have a major client asking for a billion right away."
Chen Yaodong's eyes twitched. His instincts told him this was abnormal — likely the police.
"You're smiling at a danger approaching?!"
"I suspected that too. I did some testing. Their chances of being police are extremely low."
Chen Yaodong knew Chen Hao well. Smart and decisive, if he said so, there must be some truth.
"Explain in detail."
"One of my agents took our money to a major casino in Dongguan and successfully exchanged it. The young man is a subordinate of that casino owner and tracked it back to me."
"The casino owner is Tang Shaojie, a powerful Yi He Association boss in Dongguan. Daily cash flows are in the tens of millions."
Chen Yaodong shook his head, sipping tea.
"A billion? How can they pull off such a deal?"
"They said the casino handles millions daily. Slipping 100–200k into daily outflows can clear the amount quickly."
"Is that your guess or theirs?"
"They told the bald guy."
Chen Yaodong slammed down his cup, angrily scolding: "I always thought you were the smartest in the family. Now you believe such nonsense?"
Chen Hao, used to scolding, remained unfazed.
"What's the most important thing for a casino?"
"Background — without connections, you can't operate."
"Besides that?"
"Customer base is crucial too."
"And?" Chen Hao hesitated.
"Reputation. Without credibility, how can a casino grow?"
Chen Yaodong continued: "You said their daily cash flow is in millions. The 'rake' must be huge. But exchanging fake bills for customers will ruin the reputation. How can they sustain business?"
Chen Hao realized his mistake and nodded.
"Uncle, I was wrong. I'll handle those two now."
"Stop. We take money, not lives. Killing two police officers would provoke the authorities."
"What to do then?"
"Where are they? Anyone tracking them?"
"They're at the Seaside Hotel."
Chen Yaodong nodded. "Just monitor them. Also, call Chen Jun."
Soon, Chen Jun arrived.
"Uncle Dong, Hao."
Chen Jun, a cousin of Chen Hao, was around the same age.
"You have many friends in Dongguan. Go check on Tang Shaojie, and see if he has a subordinate named…" Chen Hao answered in time:
"Cao Yang."
"Tang Shaojie — I know him. Top dog in Dongguan. What do you want to find out?"
"See if he has a subordinate named Cao Yang."
Tang Shaojie is real, but Cao Yang's identity may not be. Perhaps the police are using Tang Shaojie's reputation to manipulate them.