The van took Yang Jian and the others to the entrance of the Century Huating residential complex. Old Wu paid the three hundred yuan fare. The distance was less than ten kilometers, but because of the urgency, Old Wu had voluntarily increased the price; otherwise, they wouldn't have found a car so quickly.
"Old Wu, Biao Biao, don't go up yet."
Just as they were about to head upstairs, Yang Jian stopped everyone.
Biao Biao, who was in front, turned back. "What's up, Brother Jian?"
"Old Wu, everyone here took a big risk today. I suggest we split the extra twenty thousand yuan we got. What do you think?"
"No problem, I agree. We should have given Biao Biao and the others a bonus last time at the Qingjiang Casino."
Old Wu was a reasonable person. The five of them had cooperated very well today. If it had been someone else, they would have lost all their money, and even if they had noticed the gambling company cheating, they wouldn't have dared to resist. Therefore, they deserved a reward today, but Song Jianhao was not a generous person.
Yang Jian nodded. "In that case, we'll split the twenty thousand yuan five ways, four thousand each. Liangliang, count the money."
"Brother Jian, you and Old Wu are company shareholders. You should take more. The three of us don't need that much."
Biao Biao knew Yang Jian was good to his brothers, but he was the one who turned the situation around today.
"Stop the nonsense. When we were fighting, others wouldn't distinguish between shareholders and employees. This twenty thousand yuan was earned by the five of us cooperating and risking our lives, so it should be split equally."
"Little Yang is right. Liangliang, count the money."
It was then that Old Wu truly felt Yang Jian's charisma. It was no wonder Biao Biao and Liangliang had unhesitatingly confronted the gambling company's people earlier; it was because they knew Yang Jian wouldn't abandon them, and they also wanted to do their best to protect Yang Jian's interests.
The forty thousand yuan was in Liangliang's hands. He returned the principal to Old Wu and then split the remaining twenty thousand equally.
Song Ge had only recently entered society and had never received so much money at once in his life. He was a little excited. "Brother Jian, if you ever need me, just say the word. I won't back down."
Old Wu smiled. "Little Song, follow Little Yang closely. He treats his brothers well. Liangliang and the others earned over a hundred thousand yuan following him last year."
"Over a hundred thousand?"
Song Ge was shocked. For him, earning two hundred yuan a day was already a lot. Although it wasn't every day, he could guarantee more than three thousand yuan a month, which was much better than working outside. He had never even imagined earning ten thousand a month.
Yang Jian didn't want to form factions within the group. He patted Song Ge's shoulder. "Follow Brother Hao diligently. There are plenty of opportunities to make money."
Old Wu understood his meaning. "Little Song, don't talk about the money distribution when we get back. Just say we only got our principal back."
"I understand. I definitely won't tell anyone else."
As they were talking, the group took the elevator back to their rented apartment on the eighth floor.
Song Jianhao was very surprised that they had returned so early.
Old Wu reported the entire incident to him.
Only then did Song Jianhao look them over. "Is anyone injured?"
"No one is injured. Brother Jian caught them off guard and stunned everyone."
Biao Biao excitedly recounted the situation at the scene again.
Song Jianhao gave Yang Jian a thumbs-up. "Little Yang, I told you you're our lucky star. Ever since you arrived, we've significantly reduced our losses."
Yang Jian, however, paid no mind to his praise and instead asked, "Old Wu, what was the gambling company's trick today? How did the porcelain cup have wires in it?"
There were outsiders in the car earlier, so it wasn't convenient to discuss matters in the casino. Now that they needed an explanation, Song Jianhao called everyone out to listen to Old Wu's explanation.
"This is called a 'television cup.' A miniature camera is installed at the bottom of the cup and concealed with porcelain powder. Due to its exquisite craftsmanship, I didn't discover it yesterday. If Biao Biao hadn't suddenly shaken it hard today and knocked off the porcelain powder, I still wouldn't have found it. Although this isn't new technology, it's very well concealed, and even magnets can't interfere with it."
Old Wu felt a bit guilty, as this was supposed to be his area of expertise.
Yang Jian was very curious. "Since there's a camera, there must be someone monitoring it, right?"
"Yes, this camera is used to view the dice rolls. There must be a monitoring television screen in a room near the casino, where someone is stationed. Through wireless transmission, that person knows the outcome of every bet and then transmits it via a wireless earpiece to a gambler on-site. The dealer is essentially exposed."
"This is truly high-tech."
"It's not exactly cutting-edge high-tech. There are many micro-cameras sold on the market now, and with a little modification, they can be used in casinos. Just like last time at the Qingjiang Casino, this is mainly used to target the 'Emperor' (the house)."
"I've now seen these cheating gambling tools. Remote dice are used to target gamblers, and the television cup is used to target the 'Emperor.' These tools are controlled by the gambling company, so both the 'Emperor' company and the gamblers are their lambs to be slaughtered."
"Yes, the initiative is always held by the gambling company. If a casino has many gamblers, and thus more 'juice' (commission), the gambling company usually won't resort to these methods. But once the casino is in decline, the gambling company will have wicked intentions, either targeting the 'Emperor' or the gamblers."
Old Wu was indeed a veteran cheat. He not only understood various cheating gambling tools but was also clear about the dark side of casinos.
The risk for the 'Emperor' company was too great. In such a short period, they had encountered being tricked twice. Yang Jian couldn't quite figure out how Wu Wangchun and the others managed to win millions a year.
"Old Wu, does every gambling session require a master like you to identify these tricks? Is there a simpler method to detect or block these schemes and scams by the gambling companies?"
Old Wu gave a wry smile. "Even the most skilled master can make mistakes. Just like today, I made an error. The cheating tools are becoming more advanced and harder to guard against. I'm getting old, and I'm not exposed to many advanced things. However, I know of a tool that can detect most cheating devices."
"What is it?"
"I'm just guessing, but it's like the electronic sensor that airport security personnel hold during baggage checks. This device can detect all metal items, even if they are sealed in ceramic. However, it's not available on the market yet."
"That's a pity."
Yang Jian had never flown on a plane, so he didn't know what it looked like.
Seeing that it was almost three o'clock, Song Jianhao looked at the brothers sitting in the room and said, "Little Yang, you should still go to Hongqi Street. Old Wu and I will go look for another venue. We can't have so many people idle."
"Alright, find a place with a lot of people. Avoid places with only a dozen gamblers like Baihuating. Those casino owners don't have much background. Not to mention whether they'll cheat us, even the police can't handle them, so our safety is not guaranteed."
"Okay, I'll be careful. You guys take a taxi."
Song Jianhao was a bit frustrated. Having too many brothers meant higher expenses, thousands of yuan a day. But they kept encountering venues that targeted the 'Emperor.' Fortunately, the Hongqi Street venue was still stable and profitable; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to sustain themselves.