When Yang Jian asked his question, Wu Wangchun did not answer immediately. This was because Wu Zhi, who was shaking the dice, had rolled a "familiar" number. The Emperor's company had won big this round, at least a hundred thousand yuan.
"Little Zhi, toss over ten thousand yuan."
Seeing the dealer draw the Emperor's water dice, Wu Wangchun beckoned to Wu Zhi.
Wu Zhi, without hesitation, tossed over a stack of ten thousand yuan cash, bound with a rubber band.
Wu Wangchun took two thousand from this ten thousand yuan and placed it in the paper box in front of Yang Jian. He then counted out five thousand and three thousand, handing them separately to Lu Yao and Wei Xia.
"Two beautiful ladies, this is for you to have a good start since it's your first time here. Take it."
"Why are you giving us money?"
Wu Wangchun's actions startled Lu Yao and Wei Xia, neither of whom dared to accept the money.
"You are Yang Jian's friends, and it's your first time here. You should receive some good luck money. Take it."
"No, no, we haven't done anything, how can we take your money?"
Lu Yao didn't understand what he meant by "good luck money." She only knew that she shouldn't accept money from strangers for no reason, especially since she didn't know them.
Yang Jian turned his head and smiled, "Yao Yao, take it. This is a rule of the casino. If you take this money, they will win more. If you don't take it, they will be unhappy."
"There's such a saying? Then I'll take it."
Lu Yao, half-believing, accepted the five thousand yuan. Although her family was well-off, five thousand yuan was not a small sum; it was equivalent to several months of her salary.
Seeing Lu Yao accept the money, Wei Xia also politely took the three thousand yuan. Her family's financial situation was not good. Her parents were laid-off workers, and they had spent all their savings on her university education. She also had a younger brother in high school. They were currently living on a street stall, enduring hardships.
Lu Yao placed her right hand on Yang Jian's shoulder and leaned down, whispering, "Jian Ge, I didn't expect to earn money by coming out with you. If I didn't go to work and just followed you every day, haha."
As a university student of the new era, Lu Yao did not have the feudal concept of men and women not touching. Simple physical contact was normal, but her action appeared very intimate to others.
"Manager Yang, so this beautiful lady is indeed your girlfriend. Here, this is a small token of my appreciation."
Boss Fu, who had been playing here all along, suddenly tossed over two thousand yuan, stunning Yang Jian. The misunderstanding had escalated.
Lu Yao, however, didn't notice what others were saying and maintained her posture, waiting for Yang Jian to speak to her.
Yang Jian smiled awkwardly at Boss Fu, "Thank you, Boss Fu."
He then handed the two thousand yuan to Lu Yao.
"Ah, why are you giving me money again?"
Lu Yao hadn't reacted, but Wei Xia understood. She quickly pulled Lu Yao and whispered something in her ear.
Lu Yao's face instantly turned red. "Let's go, let's go watch the show."
Yang Jian, however, pushed the money into her hand, "Take it. This is from Boss Fu, you can't refuse it."
Since it was a rule, it couldn't be broken. Lu Yao took the money and, pulling Wei Xia along, squeezed through the crowd and rushed out of the ancestral hall as if fleeing.
"Xiao Xia, you say the casino rules are really strange, giving money for no reason, and you can't refuse it."
Outside the ancestral hall, Lu Yao split the two thousand yuan with Wei Xia, still muttering.
Wei Xia laughed heartily, "Are you too naive? Can't you see this? They are giving us money because they value Yang Jian's face. Otherwise, with so many onlookers in the casino, why are they only giving it to us?"
Lu Yao scratched her head, "That's true. There are quite a few women watching, and they didn't give them any money. But those people have such poor taste, thinking I'm Yang Jian's girlfriend."
"But I think you two look quite compatible. Although Yang Jian is from the countryside, he is very handsome, and there's a natural dominance about him when he sits there, very manly and full of vigor."
As she said this, Wei Xia's face also turned red.
Lu Yao stared at her with wide eyes, "Xiao Xia, you haven't fallen for Yang Jian at first sight, have you? Shall I play matchmaker for you?"
"Don't drag me into this. I'm just saying you two are quite compatible. I can see that Yang Jian treats you very well."
"Which eye of yours saw him treat me well? He treats me like a sister. He's my dad's apprentice, and my brother is his close friend. It's normal for him to treat me well, but it's definitely not the kind of good you're talking about. As for you, you've studied medicine for eight or nine years, why haven't you found a boyfriend yet? However, Yang Jian isn't suitable for you either. The educational gap between you two is too big. You're a master of medicine, and he only graduated from high school. You have no common language."
Lu Yao shifted the topic to Wei Xia.
"Dating and marriage aren't academic research; why do you need common language? As long as two people get along, it's fine. No matter how cultured or high-ranking someone is, they can't escape the mundane matters of daily life like food, clothing, housing, and transportation."
"Good heavens, you're not really interested in Yang Jian, are you?"
"Not really, I just think he's very bright. My only focus right now is to work hard and improve my family's living conditions. My brother is taking the college entrance examination this year. I can't let my parents pay for his university tuition again in the fall. They've sacrificed too much for my education over the years, and I want to give them the best life."
"Alas, those are two different things. Dating doesn't affect your work. With your excellent academic record from a medical university, you're being underutilized in a small local hospital like Xinhe. Before long, you'll stand out and become the most outstanding surgeon in the district people's hospital. Improving your family's life will be a simple matter."
As they chatted, the two arrived at the theater and were immediately attracted by the fragrant snacks. They hadn't eaten enough at noon and were ready to feast.
In the ancestral hall, the gambling continued smoothly, with some excited and some dejected. Yang Jian and Wu Wangchun continued their hushed discussion about Yu Feng.
"Little Yang, I'm not very clear about the Yu family's specific situation, but I know Yu Feng's father is a gambler. I heard he lost hundreds of millions in assets over the past few years. Dongsheng Group is no longer the top private enterprise in Xinhe."
"Sister Feng told me about this. Her father was dragged down by Pan Wenbin. I just can't understand why her family, with such strength and connections, would borrow Pan Wenbin's influence back then. After Pan Wenbin collapsed, she was afraid of Old Gui. Couldn't her connections in the police force help her deal with the dark forces?"
Wu Wangchun patted Yang Jian's shoulder, "Little Yang, you're still inexperienced and don't understand the inside story of the underworld. The Yu family has money and connections, but people like Pan Wenbin and Old Gui also have backers and protection. The Yu family are legitimate businessmen, but Pan Wenbin and Old Gui are scoundrels. Even if the Yu family used their connections to warn or suppress them, not to mention their backers would protect them, they would secretly use some underhanded tactics that the Yu family couldn't handle. The police can't protect her family or her businesses twenty-four hours a day, can they?"
"Then why didn't she support her own forces?"
"Isn't Pan Wenbin someone her father supported? In the end, he couldn't get rid of him. As I said, people in the underworld are not to be trifled with; they'll do anything for profit. I think Yu Feng has been showing you favor because she wants to use your influence to deter others, but she won't support you to become a dark force, fearing you might become another Pan Wenbin. Therefore, your current relationship is the best, good for both you and her."
Yang Jian didn't understand, "Good for me?"
"Little Yang, don't be ungrateful when you're blessed. Although Yu Feng has the intention of using you, she can also help you solve many problems that you can't solve yourself. You'll realize in the future how difficult it is to have no connections in this small place. So, remember, don't get too close to her, but also don't be too distant. Such a relationship is needed by both of you."
Wu Wangchun's words were a bit profound, and Yang Jian didn't fully understand, but he agreed with his final advice.