His father wanted to avoid trouble, which was understandable. The eldest daughter's family had been repeatedly harassed by hooligans, and his daughter and son-in-law had been injured to the point of nearly losing their lives.
This family was already scarred and could not withstand any further upheaval. If they were to confront Wu Laizi and his ilk head-on, the two young grandsons would also be unsafe.
"Dad, I'll listen to you. We'll let the court handle Wu Laizi's case. However, the lawyer has already been hired, and the money can't be refunded. I'll have Yongli notify him, and we'll just go through the motions."
During the New Year, Yang Jian didn't want to add to his parents' worries, so he agreed for now.
"That's for the best. Your sister said she'll renovate your house after the New Year, and you can move in directly as a bridal home when you return. With our family's conditions, finding a wife won't be difficult. Once you're settled, don't mess around anymore. Staying with Chunfeng Lou, you'll be well-provided for your entire life."
With Lu Hao's assurance, Yang Shuanglin felt that his son would return soon. In the future, he wouldn't let him take crooked paths.
"Alright, let's renovate my sister's house too. I'll be doing business outside and will regularly transfer funds to Yongli."
Jing Yongli quickly said, "Brother, don't worry about the money. It's not easy for you out there. If you need money, tell me. The bank card I gave you is a secondary card. I also have a passbook here, and we can deposit and withdraw from each other's accounts. The money I deposit here, you can withdraw directly outside."
"Yongli, don't use company funds for the renovation. The company is currently expanding its production capacity, and the cash flow pressure is high. My business outside is on the right track, and I don't lack money. I'll transfer money to you for the renovation after the New Year."
"Okay, then. We'll be installing the equipment for the decorative materials after the New Year, and the financial pressure is indeed a bit high, but the loan is coming through soon, so don't worry."
"Yes, Peng Chaoyang is quite a man of his word, really getting the loan. By the way, has Xu Zheng caused any more trouble?"
"No, ever since he was dealt with by Afeng and the others, he's been behaving. He doesn't dare to interfere with matters in Yangli Village."
"What about Wu Wangchun? Has his casino opened?"
"It's open, but it's not large-scale. Ever since he was tricked by Brother Mao that time, local gamblers have been drawn to the casinos run by Hong Xing and Baoguo."
"Wasn't Baoguo arrested?"
"Baoguo was arrested and released after more than two months. Your family's losses weren't significant, and there was no direct evidence linking him to your grandfather's death. The lawyer couldn't do anything."
"Alright, we'll talk about this later."
His parents were on the phone, and Yang Jian didn't want to discuss Baoguo further.
"Second son, I have something else to tell you. Your aunt is coming back on the third day of the Lunar New Year, along with your uncle and your two cousins. The whole family is coming."
Yang Shuanglin didn't want to hear his son talk about the people and events in the casinos anymore and started chatting about family matters.
"Aunt? She hasn't been back in over ten years. How did you get in touch?"
Yang Jian was a bit surprised. His aunt, Yang Shuangyan, was ten years younger than his father. She married and moved to Xiangnan before he was even a year old. She had been married for over twenty years and had only returned twice, the last time being twelve years ago. She had practically lost contact with the family; she didn't even return when their grandfather passed away.
"She wrote a letter back, saying she'll be here on the third day of the Lunar New Year."
"Oh, then I won't be able to see her. Your two cousins must be in their twenties by now?"
"They're twenty-three. The twins are two years younger than you. They visited once twelve years ago, and I can't even recall what they look like now."
"It's good that they're coming. Grandma will be very happy."
The family chatted for over an hour. If not for the barking of the wolfdog at the entrance, they wouldn't have wanted to hang up.
Jing Yongli quickly ran out to check and saw the police car from Xinqiao Police Station pull up at the entrance. He recognized the two officers who got out, one surnamed Chen and the other surnamed Yuan.
"Officer Chen, it's the thirtieth today, and you're not on holiday yet? What instructions do you have for coming here?"
Jing Yongli stepped forward and offered two cigarettes.
"Mr. Jing, we just went to Yang Jian's house. His neighbors said his parents are both at the factory, so we came to understand the situation."
Jing Yongli was quite a celebrity in Xinqiao now, being the legal representative of two companies, so most of the town's civil servants knew him well.
"Yes, my aunt and uncle are indeed here. It's the New Year, and the workers have been given time off. They came to guard the factory. Please come inside."
Jing Yongli explained as he led them to the office.
"Old Yang, has Yang Jian called back?"
Officer Chen also knew Yang Shuanglin and had visited several times regarding Yang Jian's case. After some pleasantries, he got straight to the point.
Yang Shuanglin was mentally prepared: "No, he hasn't contacted the family since the incident. It would be best if he died outside. I, Yang Shuanglin, will act as if I never had such a son. He has utterly disgraced our Yang family."
"Oh, Old Yang, don't say that. Yang Jian is actually quite accomplished. He's built factories and repaired roads, and he has a good reputation in the Xinqiao area. Opening a casino isn't a particularly serious offense. If he returns and surrenders, he won't be sentenced too heavily."
Officer Chen and the others were there to persuade Yang Jian's parents to urge their son to return and surrender.
The New Year is a peak period for the police to pursue fugitives, and it is also the most effective. Many fugitives contact their families around the end of the year, and some, longing for home, even sneak back to see their wives, children, and parents.
As for Yang Shuanglin saying Yang Jian hadn't contacted the family, they didn't believe it at all.
Working on the family's mindset is one of the important means of pursuing fugitives. Officer Chen deliberately downplayed Yang Jian's offense to induce Yang Shuanglin to persuade his son to return and surrender.
"I also want to persuade this scoundrel to surrender, but I can't contact him. I don't even know if he's dead outside."
"Old Yang, don't say such unlucky things during the New Year. Yang Jian is still very young, only in his twenties. He has such a large enterprise at home. If he voluntarily surrenders, the judge will give a lighter sentence with consideration. He'll only serve two or three years in prison and then be released.
At that time, he won't even be thirty, and it won't affect him getting married and having children.
However, if he is apprehended by the police, the situation will be different, and he will definitely be severely punished.
Our police system is accelerating its upgrade, and soon it will be networked nationwide. The second-generation ID cards will also be fully replaced in the coming years. Through a comprehensive population census, all fugitives will have nowhere to hide.
Therefore, Yang Jian hiding outside is truly not a long-term solution; he will be caught by the police sooner or later.
Rather than being caught, it's better to surrender voluntarily, return early, close the case early, and get out early.
Don't be foolish. This will ruin his entire life because he can't hide outside forever."
Officer Chen had said similar things to Yang Shuanglin many times. Although the effect wasn't very good, with repeated persuasion, it would still shake Yang Shuanglin's resolve and break through his psychological defenses, ultimately persuading his son to return and surrender.