Luo Jianhua spoke of Hong Xing's Xinhe Chamber of Commerce with a face full of helplessness.
Yang Jian knew that doing business outside was difficult and they would face ostracism and bullying from locals. He hadn't expected that the locals wouldn't trouble them, but instead, they would be exploited by their own kin.
"Cousin, how many Xinhe drivers do we have in Nanhai?"
Yang Jian continued to ask.
"Probably over a thousand."
"Are all these people controlled by the Xinhe Chamber of Commerce?"
"More or less. Because all the brick kilns in Nanhai City are concentrated in these few towns nearby, he only needs to control the kilns to control all the drivers. And most of the people opening kilns here are our Xinhe people.
To be honest, Hong Xing's father did contribute to the economic development of Xinhe. He was the one who facilitated our Xinhe bosses coming here to open brick kilns.
This led to a large number of Xinhe people coming here to work, transport goods, and do business. Among the coastal cities, Nanhai has the most Xinhe people.
I must say, we people have indeed made money here, and from the bottom of our hearts, we are grateful to Hong Xing's father. However, Hong Xing has gone too far in recent years, and we dare not speak out despite our anger."
"This is extortion. Can't you report it to the police?"
Luo Jianhua gave a wry smile, "How can you report it without concrete evidence? They have outsiders extort us, and then they step in to play the good guy. How can you accuse them? You wouldn't dare, unless you don't want to work here anymore.
Moreover, anyone who offends them will not only suffer their retaliation here but will also have no peace back in Xinhe. Hong Xing's influence in Xinhe is currently the greatest. Who would dare to offend him?"
These were the tactics of thugs playing dirty tricks. Yang Jian knew that even if the police intervened, it would be difficult to investigate and collect evidence.
"Cousin, how many people does Hong Xing have here?"
"I don't know the exact number, but there should be dozens, maybe a hundred. And he also colludes with local underworld forces. He has connections in both the legal and illegal realms."
"Is Hong Xing here now?"
"I don't know. I don't go to the Chamber of Commerce every day. But he should be back in Xinhe at this time, because Chinese New Year is approaching, and the kilns will be closed for the next couple of days. We all have to go back, and they do too. They usually come back after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month to open casinos in their hometown."
Hong Xing wasn't here, so this trip was in vain. Yang Jian was a bit disappointed.
Luo Jianhua knew his purpose for coming. "Xiao Yang, you came looking for Wu Laizi, right? Wu Laizi went back to surrender himself. He's not here either."
"Cousin, I know about Wu Laizi surrendering. We came today to understand Hong Xing's situation. Since he's not here, then forget it. We'll come back next year."
"You want to deal with Hong Xing? Xiao Yang, I know your capabilities. You even crippled Liu Ming. But I still want to advise you, don't act rashly. Hong Xing is not like Liu Ming. His influence is too great, and his connections in official circles are very strong. You are still wanted and cannot show yourself. You can't fight him right now."
"Thank you, cousin. I know what I'm doing and won't act recklessly."
"That's good. I wonder when Biao Biao will be released. He just started to turn his life around with you and quit his drug addiction, making his family's life better, but now he's been arrested again. We have no connections or influence to help."
"Don't worry, cousin. I'll take care of Biao Biao's matter. His family has already arranged for a lawyer to handle his case, and he shouldn't be sentenced too heavily. Also, he has shares in my factory. No matter how long he stays inside, he will continue to receive income."
Luo Jianhua was a bit surprised. "Really? His family doesn't know about this?"
"It's true. How about this: when you go back, tell his parents to find my cousin Jing Yongli in Yangli Village at the end of the year. They can collect five thousand yuan from him every month from now on."
Yang Jian suddenly remembered that Chinese New Year was approaching. Those brothers in prison wouldn't be able to come out for a while, and their families must be very sad. They should be compensated and comforted.
"That's great, Xiao Yang. I thank you on behalf of Biao Biao."
"No need to thank me. It's my fault for not taking better care of them. By the way, cousin, do you know Liang Liang's parents?"
"Yes, I do. I'm the nephew of Songjiacun, so I know most of the people from their village."
"Then please also inform Liang Liang's parents to collect a salary, and also the sixteen brothers that Biao Biao brought with him. Notify their families and have them all go."
"Five thousand every month? That's too much?"
"All of them will receive five thousand. Please tell them that when Biao Biao and the others are released, I will also provide them with further compensation."
"I will definitely convey your message. Xiao Yang, you are truly righteous. Biao Biao and the others are not at a loss following you. They even get so much money while in jail. I even want to go to jail for you, haha."
Luo Jianhua joked, but in his heart, he had a completely new understanding of Yang Jian's character. In his impression, people involved in society were all profit-driven and unfeeling.
Including his nephew Biao Biao, who was also a hooligan in the past, never returning home all year round. Except for showing some care for his younger brother who was studying, he never spoke kindly to his parents or relatives.
Since following this Yang Jian, not only did he quit his drug addiction, but he also continuously sent money home to improve their lives. Especially this year, he even bought a house in the county town, and his father's bank account had millions of deposits.
Furthermore, his personality had also changed considerably. He would greet his relatives with a smile and bring a large pile of gifts when visiting.
It was precisely because of these changes that he was willing to accept Biao Biao's entrustment to investigate Wu Laizi here. If he were still the same as before, he would not have bothered with these troublesome matters.
"Cousin, I'll leave the family matters to you. We won't be eating here. We'll come see you after the New Year. You also put in time and effort investigating Wu Laizi a while ago, so you must accept this money. Otherwise, I won't feel comfortable asking for your help next time."
Yang Jian noted down Luo Jianhua's mobile number and slipped the five thousand yuan into his pocket.
Luo Jianhua couldn't refuse such kindness and accepted it. He didn't ask where they were staying and saw them off after they got out of the kiln.
"Brother Jian, listening to cousin's explanation, this Hong Xing isn't easy to deal with. Mainly, with cousin's abilities, it's hard to track Hong Xing's whereabouts. Should we contact our master? I heard his fellow disciples are doing well here, and we can seek their help."
On the way back to Dongjiang, Ah Feng made a suggestion.
Ah Nan, who was driving, also agreed. "I think it's a good idea. We're unfamiliar with this place, and it's difficult to get things done. Those Xichuan people are unreliable, and that Brother Cheng only wants to use us as his thugs."
Yang Jian thought for a moment and said, "I haven't contacted Brother Fan for a long time. I don't know how he is doing over there. I don't have his phone number. You try calling him."
Yang Jian wanted to deal with Hong Xing personally. Threatening his two young nephews was something he could not tolerate. However, being wanted made it inconvenient to travel anywhere, so he had to seek help from others.