The duty officer at the entrance of the Public Security Bureau was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.

He looked scholarly and relatively mild-mannered.

“Who do you want to report?”

“I want to report that there’s organized gambling happening at No. 84, Daqing Hutong Alley.”

The duty officer frowned and asked, “Is the information accurate?”

“Yes, I saw it with my own eyes.”

The duty officer said, “Come with me for a moment.”

Su Banxia followed the duty officer into the office and repeated what she had just said. The staff in the office replied, “Understood. You can go back for now.”

Su Banxia looked puzzled.

She had come all the way to report this—were they really not going to take action?

The officer noticed her confusion and explained, “Oh, it’s like this—we’ve been investigating this matter for the past few days. Don’t worry, we’ll handle it.”

They had already been looking into it but hadn’t pinpointed the exact location of the group.

Now that the specific address was confirmed, things would be much easier.

Upon hearing this, Su Banxia felt somewhat disappointed.

“Thank you, comrade. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

“Alright, thank you for your effort.”

Su Banxia thought of Zhang Xia, who had been badly beaten that morning, and couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy.

As for those gamblers, she had done all she could.

As Su Banxia left the office and walked toward the main gate, Political Commissar Liu, who was in Director Wang’s office, spotted her in the bureau’s courtyard and was surprised.

What was she doing here?

Director Wang of the Public Security Bureau asked, “Old Liu, what are you looking at?”

Political Commissar Liu glanced at Jiang Guo’an beside him and said to Director Wang, “That female comrade who just passed by didn’t look too happy. Is something going on?”

Director Wang looked out the window but only caught a glimpse of Su Banxia’s retreating figure.

Director Wang said, “I’ll go ask.”

With that, Director Wang left the office and headed to the duty room.

He returned shortly after.

With a smile, he said, “That female comrade came to report organized gambling. It’s the same case we’re working on.

Moreover, she provided the exact location of the gambling operation. This is a huge help to us.”

Political Commissar Liu wasn’t surprised by Su Banxia’s actions, but Jiang Guo’an was taken aback.

Jiang Guo’an knew she had a tendency to gamble, but he never expected her to be the one to report it.

Political Commissar Liu smiled at Jiang Guo’an and said to Director Wang, “Since that comrade has provided the detailed address, I don’t think we need to delay any longer. We can take action now.”

Director Wang replied, “Good. We’ll have to trouble you with this again.

Many of our bureau’s officers are in the provincial capital right now, so we had no choice but to ask for your help.

We apologize for the inconvenience.”

Political Commissar Liu laughed heartily. “Don’t stand on ceremony with me. The military and the people are one family. We’re all serving the people—it’s our duty.”

Political Commissar Liu had come to the city today precisely to deal with this gambling ring.

These people were causing serious harm, and if left unchecked, more victims would suffer.

No sooner had Su Banxia left the Public Security Bureau than she heard hurried footsteps behind her. When she turned around, she caught sight of a familiar figure in military green darting into a nearby alley.

That back figure… why did it look so much like Jiang Guo’an?

It probably wasn’t him, right?

Su Banxia didn’t dwell on it. She took a deep breath and headed toward North Street Agricultural Market.

It was already past two in the afternoon. In these times, those who came to the market usually did so early in the morning.

Since there was no market in the county town today and fewer people around, the streets were practically empty by this hour.

She had been out since morning and hadn’t eaten yet. As she passed by a wonton stall, Su Banxia paused, her stomach growling.

The woman selling wontons was in her thirties—slim, tall, and tidy, with a light pink handkerchief tied into a bow on her low ponytail. She looked clean and efficient.

She smiled warmly at Su Banxia. “Miss, would you like some wontons?”

Su Banxia returned the smile politely. “Yes, ma’am. Could I have a bowl, please? Extra seaweed shreds, thank you.”

“Sure thing! You’re in luck—this is the last bowl, and it’s a larger portion. I’ll cook it all for you and just charge you for a regular bowl.”

“Ma’am, that’s too kind. I can’t take advantage of you like that. Running a business is hard enough. Let me pay an extra twenty cents.”

The woman was struck by Su Banxia’s attitude—it was different from most. In these times, many people looked down on self-employed vendors.

A bowl of wontons piled high with peanuts and seaweed shreds was placed in front of Su Banxia. The woman beamed. “Go ahead and eat.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

Su Banxia took her time, drizzling chili oil and vinegar over the wontons. The aroma instantly intensified.

She took a bite—these wontons were far tastier than the rice noodles she’d had last time.

Glancing around, she realized there was no one else to ask at this hour. This woman, selling wontons here, probably knew a lot about the area.

“By the way, ma’am, could I ask you something?”

“Of course, dear. Go ahead.”

The woman cheerfully sat down across from Su Banxia.

“I wanted to ask—is the town always this empty around this time?”

“Yes, most people come for the morning market. It’s not easy for many to make the trip into town, so they come early and leave by midday.”

“Also, ma’am, I wanted to know—if I wanted to sell clothing here, would I need to register for a self-employment business license?”

The woman chuckled. “Oh, dear, you’re quite informed!

You’d need to register, but there’s no official certificate yet. Still, people in our line of work are often looked down upon.

Everyone thinks it’s better to pull strings and get a ‘proper’ job—that’s considered more respectable.”

Su Banxia said, “What’s so respectable about that?

We earn our keep honestly, supporting ourselves through our own hard work. That’s a skill in itself—it’s not like we’re stealing or cheating.”

Her words resonated deeply with the woman.

“Dear, I really like hearing you say that. You understand how it is.”

The woman smiled, glanced around, and leaned in closer, lowering her voice. “Let me tell you—I make seventy or eighty yuan a month.”

Su Banxia’s eyes lit up.

Selling wontons was hard work, yet this woman could earn that much. If she sold clothing instead, wouldn’t she earn even more?

This conversation only strengthened Su Banxia’s resolve to become self-employed.

“Ma’am, can I ask you one more thing? Are you from the city?”

“Yes, I live just behind this alley.”

“Then, ma’am, could I trouble you with one more request?”

“What is it?”

After chatting for a while, Su Banxia sensed the woman was kind-hearted.

After all, who would share their earnings with a stranger after just a few compliments?

“Ma’am, to be honest, I’d like to start a small business in the city. Are there any rooms for rent near your place? I’d like to rent one.”