Afeng and the other two were also wanted by the police, so they dared not take the train. Instead, they took a long-distance bus to Dongjiang.
After more than twenty hours, the three arrived at the Dongjiang Bus Station on the afternoon of the third day after their call with Yang Jian.
Yang Jian and Ma Yuan were already waiting at the station entrance.
"Brother Jian."
"Afeng, Anan, Junjun."
Upon meeting, the few unfortunate brothers embraced each other. After more than three months of hardship and being on the run, they were finally reunited, their excitement evident.
The sight of several grown men hugging drew sideways glances and a crowd from passersby, but no one mocked them. Everyone knew that only brothers with deep affection would act this way upon meeting.
Ma Yuan was filled with envy. He could see that these three were Yang Ge's sworn brothers. To gain their recognition, he would have to offer all his sincerity and effort.
"Brother Jian, you've lost weight and gotten darker. What kind of life have you been living these past few months?" Anan asked with a smile, carrying his suitcase towards the parking lot.
Yang Jian shook his head. "It's hard to put into words. I spent a month squatting in parks. To save money, my staple food was steamed buns and mineral water. Then I did manual labor, moving cement, and working as a truck driver and mover. I was out in all weather, with not a single day off. How could I not lose weight and get darker?"
"Damn, you've really been going through a trial by fire! You even did cement work?"
"What else could I do? The money I brought was almost gone, I couldn't use my ID, factories wouldn't hire me, and even construction sites were off-limits. If I didn't do manual labor, I wouldn't even have food to eat. What about you guys? How did you get through these past few months?"
"Haha, we were much luckier than you. After escaping the casino, Xiao Zeng brought us to the construction site of Dongsheng Group for three months. Every day, we wore hard hats and acted as safety supervisors for the site. Although we couldn't go out and wander, the food at the construction site was good! We ate at the small canteen with the project department and even gained weight."
"Alas, as long as we're safe, suffering a little is nothing. Think about how difficult it must be for Biao Biao and Liang Liang in prison right now."
Afeng nodded. "Yes, more than a dozen of our brothers were arrested. We don't know how long they'll be sentenced. Brother Jian, when these brothers get out, we'll have to give them some compensation, otherwise, there will be trouble."
"I know. Before you guys came, I didn't know the situation, and I was only thinking about how to survive. Now that I know they've all been arrested, I naturally have to consider compensating them. So, we need to make money so that our brothers can have a good life when they get out."
Having been in the underworld for so long, Yang Jian understood its rules. Anyone arrested while working for a boss or leader would feel resentful. Upon release, demanding compensation from the boss or leader became an unwritten rule in the underworld.
Bosses or leaders who were loyal would not only visit their brothers in prison but also provide them with living expenses and either arrange for their resettlement or give them money upon their release.
However, some stingy or arrogant bosses or leaders completely disregarded the feelings of these brothers. Upon their release, they would be indifferent or make various excuses to brush them off.
The ultimate result was that all these brothers became sworn enemies of their bosses or leaders, and instances of bosses or leaders being injured or killed were common.
Yang Jian was naturally not someone who lacked loyalty. The brothers who were arrested were brought from Xinhe by Biao Biao and Liang Liang. Initially, there were only eight of them. Later, as the operations expanded and they needed more people to collect money, eight more were added. Including Biao Biao and Liang Liang, a total of eighteen people were arrested.
Even if each person received a compensation of 100,000 yuan, it would amount to 1.8 million yuan. This money could not come from the factory; Yang Jian would have to bear it all himself. Given Yang Jian's current situation, this was still a very difficult task.
Therefore, honest labor would not suffice; he had to resort to unconventional means. This was also one of the main reasons for calling Afeng and the others over. After all, he couldn't manage everything alone. Relying on outsiders like Fang Zhicheng was ultimately unreliable; they might even sell him and help count the money.
As for Li Jin's brothers, they were beyond his control. For Yang Jian, if he could successfully clear his name, he would still need to take care of Li Jin's family.
According to Jing Yongli, Li Jin would not get out of this one. He would either be sentenced to death or life imprisonment. His assets were all sealed, so his family would surely be in a difficult situation. Even if he were released with a reduced sentence, he would be in his late forties or early fifties, and his later years would be bleak.
Therefore, this also required planning for an expenditure.
"Wow, Q7, Brother Jian, you said you were doing manual labor here, how come you're driving such a nice car?" Junjun exclaimed immediately as they entered the parking lot and Yang Jian pressed the remote.
"This is a car a friend temporarily lent me. What happened here was also quite complicated. I'll tell you all about it when we get back." Yang Jian opened the trunk and personally loaded their luggage.
The journey from the main station to Jiarong Community was only about ten minutes. When they returned to the community, they found Fang Zhicheng waiting at the entrance. Yang Jian had informed him in advance that some brothers from his hometown were coming. After all, Fang Zhicheng had rented this apartment, and he needed to know if more people were moving in.
"Brother Cheng, this is Afeng, Anan, and Junjun." Upon meeting, Yang Jian introduced them to each other.
"Hello, Brother Cheng." Afeng and the other two proactively shook hands and greeted him.
"Hello, brothers. Welcome. I'm treating everyone tonight to a welcome dinner." Seeing these three, Fang Zhicheng was secretly surprised. Their physique and demeanor clearly indicated they were trained fighters, and they all exuded a killer aura. He didn't have a single brother like them under his command.
No wonder this Yang Wu could run such a large casino. These people were likely his loyal brothers. Fang Zhicheng had a vague feeling that the arrival of these individuals could very well change the landscape of Dongjiang's underworld.
Yang Wu alone was already ruthless and troublesome enough that even Master Buddha couldn't do anything about him. Now, with these few more, Master Buddha's good days were likely numbered. It was fortunate that Boss Zheng had foresight and immediately gifted a Q7, pulling Yang Wu to his side. Otherwise, these individuals might have become his opponents as well.
Once inside the house, Ma Yuan, being very astute, brewed tea for everyone. The rooms had already been tidied up. It was a three-bedroom, two-living room apartment. Yang Jian had one room to himself, Afeng and Anan shared another, and he shared the third with Junjun. Additionally, Ma Yuan voluntarily offered to take on the responsibility of cooking at home from now on. He admitted he wasn't good at fighting, but he was capable of handling logistics. Moreover, people from Xichuan had a talent for food, and he was fully capable of fulfilling this role.
While they sat down for tea, Yang Jian recounted his experiences over the past three months, including his conflicts with Cheng Guang, Master Buddha, and others. Fang Zhicheng then introduced the customs, culture, economic development, and underworld structure of Dongjiang City, with a particular focus on the power distribution in the East District where they were currently located, giving Afeng and the others a preliminary understanding of the city.