Seeing that Fo Ye had accepted the fact of withdrawing from Phoenix Street, Bai Zheng also eased his attitude.
"Xiao Chen, I'll tell you the second thing. The New Year is coming soon. Before the end of the year, arrange for someone to settle all the accounts between you and me. You don't have to pay me any more money in the future."
Fo Ye was stunned: "Godfather, what do you mean by this?"
"I'm going to transform. You will go independent from now on. Whatever happens will have nothing to do with me, and don't use my name to cause trouble outside. If I find out, don't blame me for being rude."
"Godfather, the misunderstanding with General Yang was my fault, and I paid a heavy price. You shouldn't abandon me, should you?"
"This has nothing to do with Xiao Yang, nor is it aimed at you alone. Brothers like you who have established themselves must go independent. I will not interfere with or obstruct any of your businesses, nor will I charge you any fees."
"Is Godfather going to wash his hands of the basin and retire from the Jianghu?"
"Not exactly, I'm planning to set up an entertainment city specifically for foreign businessmen."
Bai Zheng didn't explain further, as the casino that only served Hong Kong businessmen didn't need to be publicized.
"Then how will the accounts of the fruit market be handed over?"
The fruit market was funded and built by Bai Zheng, with Fo Ye responsible for collecting rent and operations. This territory was difficult to snatch away or completely sever.
"I will use my own company to sign new contracts with the merchants in the fruit market. Don't go too far. Don't extort protection fees from merchants by cheating. I've known about this for a long time. As long as you don't drive my merchants away, I can turn a blind eye. But if even one merchant flees the market because of you, I will not forgive you."
Bai Zheng issued a serious warning. The fruit market was one of his important assets. The market was currently prosperous, and rents were increasing year by year, but it was unrealistic to completely prevent Fo Ye's actions within it.
"Thank you, Godfather. I will definitely restrain my brothers, protect the merchants, and ensure I don't cause you any trouble."
Having lost Liuqiao Village, the bus station, and Phoenix Street, Fo Ye's territory had significantly shrunk. The only thing that made money quickly was the fruit market.
The fact that Bai Zheng left this place for him was due to some personal connections.
He truly regretted it now, for not backing down from Yang Jian. In fact, for him, the incident of the small shop owner in Liuqiao Village being hacked was a minor matter, as dozens of such incidents happened every year.
Yet, it was this minor incident that almost brought disaster to his entire Yuzhou Gang, with Phoenix Street alone suffering tens of millions in losses annually.
More importantly, he was now disabled. Doctors had clearly told him that his knee would not fully recover, and he would either use a wheelchair or crutches to walk in the future.
It was a lie to say he didn't hate Yang Jian. From the moment he was rescued by A Bao, he had sworn to hire professional killers with a large sum of money to deal with Yang Jian.
However, what he never expected was that Yang Jian would appear in his hospital room with Bai Zheng, having transformed into Bai Zheng's brother.
This made him temporarily abandon the idea of retaliating against Yang Jian, as Bai Zheng was someone he dared not disobey, unless he no longer intended to operate in Dongjiang.
"Meiyun, we're leaving. Do you want to come with us?"
Bai Zheng was reminding Meng Meiyun to seize this opportunity to break ties with Fo Ye, stay away from this fat pig, and start a normal emotional life again.
Meng Meiyun naturally understood her godfather's intentions. She stepped forward and placed the fruit she had bought on the bedside table.
"Fo Ye, I don't want to talk about our grievances anymore. From today onwards, we are officially parting ways.
I'm not young anymore, and my parents are urging me. I plan to return to a normal life and find someone to marry.
Let's not contact each other anymore. I will block your number, and you shouldn't look for me either."
"Alright, Meiyun, thank you for accompanying me these past few years. I'll have Xiao Song clear out the nightclub office for you tomorrow. I won't bother you anymore."
The relationship between them was originally based on mutual benefit. Since Bai Zheng had given up on them, Meng Meiyun's role had disappeared, and parting ways with her was inevitable. Fo Ye did not dwell on it.
"Xiao Chen, take good care of your injuries. We're leaving."
Bai Zheng said goodbye and turned to leave.
Meng Meiyun also followed him out without any hesitation.
"Yang Jian, I'll call Meng Meng out. Let's find a place to sit together."
At the hospital entrance, Meng Meiyun quietly suggested to Yang Jian.
"I don't have time today. Brother Zheng asked me to go see Qin Ming with him tomorrow. I need to explain the situation to Fang Zhicheng and the others tonight, otherwise, the meeting tomorrow will be awkward."
Yang Jian was reluctant to get too close to her and politely refused.
Bai Zheng also overheard their conversation: "Yes, Xiao Yang, this is a good idea. Informing them in advance will make communication with Qin Ming smoother tomorrow.
Meiyun, give Xiao Yang the office in your nightclub. Redecorate it, replace the old furniture. Xiao Yang will work there from now on."
"Okay, I'll personally arrange it tomorrow. Yang Jian, you can move in the day after tomorrow."
Meng Meiyun became excited. She knew this was her godfather looking out for her. With Yang Jian overseeing the nightclub, no one from the Xichuan Gang would dare to cause trouble.
"Alright, I'll follow Brother Zheng's arrangements."
Yang Jian reluctantly agreed. Since he was to oversee Phoenix Street, he did need a place to stay.
"Xiao Yang, after you finalize things tomorrow, arrange for someone to go to Hong Kong to learn casino management."
Bai Zheng made another request. "When will they go? The New Year is in less than two weeks."
"After the New Year, but visas and permits need to be processed in advance. Once you select the person, I'll have A Bao help them with the procedures."
Yang Jian turned to look at A Feng. He was the most suitable candidate. At the Xunsi River casino, he was responsible for all operations and was very experienced.
A Feng took out his ID card: "Uncle Master, the three of us have committed offenses in Hancheng, and not just once. I don't know if they have been registered with the Dongjiang police. Can you help us check?"
Because they couldn't be sure if they were wanted fugitives, A Feng and the other two lived in Dongjiang with trepidation, always afraid of being stopped by the police for an ID check, and they didn't even dare to go to internet cafes.
"No problem, this is a small matter. Just send me your ID numbers. Don't worry, even if you are wanted online, you are safe in Dongjiang. I can guarantee this.
If you are indeed on the wanted list, then we can only ask someone from there to train you for a period of time. Wanted fugitives cannot pass security checks."
"Thank you, Uncle Master. How many days will it take to get the results? If there are no records online, we want to go home for the New Year. We've been away for too long, and our families are very worried."
Bai Zheng checked the time: "It's too late today. Tomorrow. I'll find someone to help you check tomorrow, and you'll have the results the same day.
However, I must remind you that the current police system has not truly achieved nationwide networking. The absence of wanted information online does not mean that the police station in your hometown has no criminal record.
The best way is to have someone at home inquire at the police station, otherwise, you might be walking into a trap."
Those involved in illegal and criminal activities will study the law to circumvent it. Similarly, released prisoners will study law in prison. Some of them understand the law better than lawyers.