The casino was in Jiangnan. After driving across the Han River Second Bridge, a drive of less than ten minutes brought them into the Shahu Building Materials Market.
The market was vast, covering at least a hundred mu. It primarily wholesaled and sold hardware, plumbing, steel, tiles, sanitary ware, furniture, and more. It was extremely bustling, with a constant flow of people and vehicles.
After parking their car in the market's dedicated parking lot, Song Jianhao and his group walked for five minutes to a relatively secluded three-story building. From its appearance, it seemed to be a warehouse for the market.
The large iron gate of the warehouse was closed. Song Jianhao stepped forward and knocked. Immediately, a small window, about a foot square, opened in the middle of the iron gate.
A man's voice came from within: "Who are you looking for?"
"Emperor Company Number Three, arranged by Brother Xi."
"How many people, and what's the leader's surname?"
"Ten people in total, my surname is Song."
The person inside checked the information, and after a minute, opened the main gate.
Yang Jian was the last to enter. He observed that there were two cameras at the entrance and he didn't see the person who opened the door.
After walking about ten meters down a two-meter-wide corridor, there was another iron gate. Above this iron gate, there was also a camera.
Song Jianhao knocked and verified the information again, just as before. The iron gate opened, and a sturdy young man stood at the entrance. He scrutinized each person entering, said nothing, and let them pass.
After passing this gate, they began to ascend. The casino was clearly on the third floor. There were iron gates at both the second and third-floor stairwells, both guarded by cameras and personnel.
To enter the casino, one had to pass through a total of four iron gates, all locked from the inside. No wonder Song Jianhao said it was very safe; with just these few iron gates, the police would have a hard time breaking in quickly.
Upon reaching the third floor, there was a large hall. It was crowded with people and very lively, a stark contrast to the deserted scene outside.
The hall was about two hundred square meters. The windows on all sides were tightly covered, and lighting was provided solely by over a dozen pendant lamps.
There were standing air conditioners in the four corners, maintaining a moderate temperature. There was clearly also a ventilation system, as the enclosed space did not feel stuffy.
Before he could finish observing the layout of the entire casino, Song Jianhao led Yang Jian to a room in the right corner of the hall.
It was an office. Inside, four sturdy young men sat on a large sofa watching television. Behind the desk sat a man in his forties, wearing glasses, looking like an accountant managing the books.
"Manager Mao, we are the three o'clock shift. Here is our deposited fifty thousand yuan. Please count it."
As soon as Song Jianhao entered, he asked Yang Jian to take out all the cash from his bag and place it on the desk. He was clearly familiar with the man surnamed Mao.
The man surnamed Mao nodded at the two of them. "Mr. Song, it's fortunate you came today. Otherwise, your qualification to be a banker would have been canceled. There are still four or five Emperor Companies waiting in line."
"Heh heh, it's mainly because we are simultaneously acting as bankers in several venues, and we have long-standing relationships. It's not easy to just withdraw, which led to a shortage of personnel. Otherwise, we would have been here long ago."
Song Jianhao was bragging without a second thought, turning his timidity and reluctance to come into a statement about being short-handed, making them appear as a powerful Emperor Company.
Manager Mao smiled. "That shows your Emperor Company has strength. Mr. Song, please have a seat for a while. You guys, come and count the money."
The four young men quickly got up. One brought a stool for Song Jianhao and Yang Jian and poured them tea, while the other three used a banknote counter to count the fifty thousand yuan.
Yang Jian took the opportunity to look around the office. He noticed that it offered a view of the street outside the window. Behind the desk, there was another wooden door, which likely led downstairs.
"Mr. Song, the money is correct. You can wait outside. You'll take over the shift precisely at three o'clock."
Manager Mao put the counted fifty thousand yuan into the safe behind him.
Yang Jian, carrying his empty bag, returned to the hall with Song Jianhao, not having said a word the entire time.
"Xiao Yang, this is Brother Xi, the on-site manager of the casino. He's also from our Xinhe area. His brother-in-law is Zhou Tao from Chengguan."
Song Jianhao then led Yang Jian to a thin man sitting by a small table, drinking tea. This man was about 1.63 meters tall, around Song Jianhao's age, with a buzz cut. He looked fair-skinned but had a fierce expression, seeming difficult to get along with.
"Greetings, Brother Xi."
Yang Jian nodded at him. Yang Jian had heard of Zhou Tao; he was very familiar with Yu Feng and was an established underworld boss in Chengguan. He monopolized the sand mining in Da Xinhe and had been gradually legitimizing his business in recent years, thus maintaining a low profile.
Brother Xi sized up Yang Jian, then stood up and offered him a cigarette. "You must be Yang Jian. Old Song has been talking about you coming, and I thought he was lying. I see you today. Your build is indeed suited for fighting."
Yang Jian took the cigarette. "Thank you, Brother Xi. Fighting isn't a good thing. I almost went to the gates of hell not long ago."
"Cough, in this line of work, who hasn't had the experience of licking blood from a blade? That's your capital. You can walk sideways in Chengguan now, and no one dares to provoke you. Even my brother-in-law admires you. I'll treat you to a meal sometime. We should interact more."
"Okay, I'll treat you when I have time. We also have to thank you for letting us enter this venue."
"It's nothing. I arrange the Emperor Companies for this venue. As long as you have sufficient funds and can hold your own, I can arrange for you to be a banker here continuously. Making a few million is no problem at all."
"Thank you, Brother Xi."
As they were talking, a gambler walked over from the gaming table, holding over a hundred thousand yuan in cash. He dropped ten thousand yuan into Brother Xi's arms. "Brother Xi, I'm not playing anymore today. I won over twenty. This is for your tea. When can you arrange for our company to take a shift as bankers?"
It turned out he also wanted to be an Emperor Company banker. Song Jianhao quickly pulled Yang Jian away, saying it wasn't necessary to linger when people were discussing business.
"Brother Hao, this Brother Xi has a lot of influence. Being the general manager in this venue is no small feat. It's clear he's making a fortune."
Yang Jian became interested in Brother Xi.
Song Jianhao smiled. "It's all thanks to his good brother-in-law. Zhou Tao has an excellent relationship with Old Pan, so this lucrative position was arranged for his brother-in-law. Never mind what Old Pan gives him in terms of benefits; just the daily 'red envelopes' from the Emperor Companies and some gamblers amount to tens of thousands. Plus, he also lends money, so his daily income is no less than a hundred thousand."
"Wow, that's millions a month in income?"
"Indeed. He's already bought several properties in Hancheng and Chengguan, and he owns a large restaurant in Chengguan. However, he also leads a group of brothers, so his expenses are also considerable."
"Do we have to give him money every day we act as bankers?"
"You have to give him money if you win. If you lose, you don't have to. Otherwise, he won't arrange banker shifts for you."
"How many Emperor Companies are banking here?"
"This casino operates twenty-four hours a day, with shifts every three hours. There are eight shifts of Emperor bankers daily. The gambling company alone collects four million yuan in deposits from the Emperor Companies. They then use this money to lend, doing business without capital. Coupled with the commission, their profit-making is faster than a printing press."
The casino's model overturned Yang Jian's understanding. He had to admire the operators' intelligence. They not only exploited the gamblers but also fleeced the Emperor Companies, and these companies willingly, even eagerly, sent money.