Due to the scale of Bai Zheng's casino exceeding Yang Jian's expectations, he suspected a trap in Bai Zheng's invitation for him to invest.
After much deliberation, Yang Jian called Yang Fan.
"Xiao Yang, how did the chat with my senior brother go?"
Yang Fan's familiar voice came through the phone.
"Brother Fan, how are you? I had a good talk with Brother Zheng."
"I'm doing great, living like a god here."
"Brother Fan, I have something to tell you. Brother Zheng has already involved me in a beverage business, and he also wants me to participate in the casino."
"The beverage business is quite good, it's a high-profit industry. When we were in Hancheng, we monopolized the beer business on the barbecue street, and it was very profitable. My senior brother did mention the casino to me. If you want to invest, I can help you out with some funds."
"Brother Fan, I'm at Brother Zheng's entertainment city right now. I only realized how large the casino he's planning to open is after arriving here. It's about five thousand square meters."
"So big? A five-thousand-square-meter casino isn't much here, but opening such a large casino in the mainland carries significant risks. My senior brother didn't mention this to me."
"Brother Fan, Brother Zheng plans to arrange for Ah Feng to go to Hong Kong to study casino management. After he returns, he will be appointed as the casino supervisor. It's not that I don't trust Brother Zheng, but I feel there are significant hidden dangers in this matter. What do you think?"
Yang Jian confided all his thoughts to Yang Fan because he trusted him implicitly.
Yang Fan pondered for a moment, "Xiao Yang, I haven't seen my senior brother for several years, so I'm not particularly familiar with his current situation.
However, my senior brother wouldn't harm me. He told me there are two reasons why he wants you to be involved in the casino.
Firstly, because the casino you opened in Hancheng was not small, he believes you have the experience and courage. Furthermore, you've made a name for yourself in Dongjiang, so he values you highly.
Secondly, he is securing a fallback for himself. He might know that he will eventually be targeted by the police. He has already planned to invest with me, and if he faces danger on his end, he will seek refuge with me, as my location is not subject to pursuit by Interpol.
However, the scale of the casino he's opening is beyond my expectations. Under these circumstances, you and Ah Feng should indeed be cautious. You already have a criminal record, and if anything happens again, the sentences will be severe."
With this explanation, Yang Jian finally understood the reason behind Bai Zheng's attempt to win him over. The primary reason was that Bai Zheng was securing a fallback for himself, with Southeast Asia being his refuge.
The casino shares he offered were actually for Yang Fan, and Yang Jian and the others were essentially Yang Fan's proxies.
"Brother Fan, if Brother Zheng is securing a fallback for himself by roping us in, I'm not too worried. Let's just follow him and get the casino up and running first."
"Yes, remember one thing: know when to quit. Don't follow him all the way to the end. With such a large casino, I can foresee that my senior brother's ultimate destination will be here with me. If he's unlucky, he might get caught and spend the rest of his life in prison."
"Thank you, Brother Fan. I'll remember your words. I'll discuss it with Ah Feng and the others when I get back tonight."
"Yes, you four should discuss it thoroughly. You are all adults. Once you've decided on something, you must be prepared to bear all the consequences. If something happens, you can't blame anyone else.
Xiao Yang, I suggest you set a goal, for example, once each of you earns ten million, withdraw immediately. Nothing lasts forever. Based on our experience in Hancheng, casinos in the mainland are shut down by the police in as little as a few days, or at most a year or two. I haven't heard of any big shot who can keep a casino running for three to five years."
"Okay, setting a profit target is indeed a good idea. Please also remind us frequently. I'm worried that we might lose our way here, be enslaved by desire and money, and ultimately face eternal damnation."
The lesson from the Xunsi River Casino was too profound. Yang Jian did not want to repeat the same mistakes. However, in this decadent place, it was not easy to maintain a clear head, as human desires would continuously expand with increasing income.
Yang Fan, as an outsider, could use his status as a brother and disciple to warn and remind them at critical moments, prompting them to brake and turn back in time.
Having received the answer from Yang Fan, Yang Jian's mind was put at ease, and he began to focus on the construction blueprints.
Since he had taken on the task, he intended to do it with all his heart, as this was Yang Jian's usual style. Therefore, he planned to transition into the role of supervisor as soon as possible.
The entertainment city had an employee cafeteria where food and drinks were provided, and one could rest on the sofas in the lobby during lunch.
After finishing work precisely at five in the afternoon, Yang Jian returned to Century Grand Mansion to find only Ah Feng and Ah Nan at home.
Phoenix City had assigned personnel, with Ah Nan and Jun Jun serving as team leaders for the day and night shifts respectively.
The day shift primarily involved assisting Xiao Song in delivering beverages to various entertainment venues. They were responsible for bookkeeping and also for supervising and inspecting each entertainment venue to ensure they did not purchase beverages privately, as the profit from private purchases would be greater.
The night shift only required supervising incoming and outgoing trucks and occasionally inspecting the entertainment venues. For the most part, they could stay in the monitoring room, which had beds for shift changes and sleep.
"Ah Feng, Ah Nan, I have something to inform you about. Let's discuss a plan."
Knowing that both of them had also eaten, Yang Jian explained the situation with Bai Zheng's casino and the content of his conversation with Yang Fan.
"Brother Jian, I didn't expect Senior Uncle to open such a large casino and appoint me as supervisor. I feel a bit uneasy."
Ah Feng was a very calm person and also felt that the casino Bai Zheng was opening might face immense risks.
"Ah Feng, if you feel the risk is too great, we can withdraw. It hasn't started yet, so Brother Zheng won't blame us. Brother Fan also said that we are all adults. Once we make a decision, we must bear all the consequences and cannot blame him if something happens.
Besides, it's fine if we don't engage in illicit activities. Our family factory can still cover the expenses for our brothers."
This matter could be life-threatening, so Yang Jian did not dare to make the decision alone and had to seek everyone's opinion.
The pressure was on Ah Feng. If he became the casino supervisor, he would be the first person to be closely scrutinized if the police targeted them.
Ah Feng pondered for three minutes before speaking, "Brother Jian, I've made up my mind. Since Senior Uncle and Master have given us this opportunity, let's take a gamble. This casino should be safe enough in the short term. We'll make a large sum of money and then leave."
Ah Nan nodded, "I agree too. Opportunities like this are rare in a person's life. Horses don't get fat without night fodder, and people don't get rich without windfalls. Society favors the bold. At worst, we can go abroad like Master."
"Since you both agree, I'll ask Jun Jun later. The bottom line is, once we make a decision, we must be united as brothers. Brother Fan said we should set an expectation, and as soon as we reach it, we withdraw immediately. No one can object, and we must withdraw unconditionally."
With their opinions unified, Yang Jian began to lay down the rules. He was, after all, the backbone of the group.