Nanhu Garden Villa District.
A black sedan slowly stopped in front of Villa No. 68.
The first to get out was a strong young man. He surveyed the surroundings before pressing the doorbell, and the electric gate automatically opened.
Brother Xiong got out of the car, accompanied by another bodyguard. The three of them quickly entered the villa, and the car drove away.
The lights on the second floor were on, and everything seemed normal.
The two bodyguards rested downstairs; there was a dedicated bedroom for them on the first floor.
Brother Xiong went upstairs alone. Zhou Tong had been his mistress for seven years. Since graduating from university, she had given him her best years without regret, so there was still some affection between them. Even though Brother Xiong had a new lover, he still visited her twice a week.
"Tongtong, get me some water, I want to take a bath."
Brother Xiong shouted halfway up the stairs, but there was no response from above.
Brother Xiong didn't pay it any mind. Zhou Tong sometimes threw small tantrums, mainly out of jealousy. Having many women around was indeed troublesome.
He reached the second floor. The living room lights were on, the bedroom door was open, and he could hear the sound of running water from the bathroom. Zhou Tong was clearly taking a bath.
Brother Xiong immediately closed the bedroom door, stripped himself naked, and pulled open the bathroom door, ready to join her for a romantic bath.
The moment he opened the bathroom door, someone suddenly appeared behind him, kicked him into the bathroom, and then closed the bathroom door again.
The two doors provided sound insulation, so any commotion downstairs could not be heard.
The two bodyguards drank tea in the tearoom on the first floor for half an hour, and then retired to their rooms to rest.
An hour later, a thudding sound of kicking a door came from upstairs. The two bodyguards were instantly startled awake and rushed upstairs, only to be greatly shocked.
The sound was made by Zhou Tong. She was tied up with ropes, her mouth sealed with tape. The way she lay at the doorway indicated that she had struggled for a long time to get there, and she had used her head to bang against the door to attract the attention of the bodyguards downstairs.
One bodyguard immediately pulled off the tape sealing her mouth. "Sister Tong, what happened? Where is Brother Xiong?"
"In the bathroom, hurry and save him."
Zhou Tong spoke weakly, clearly exhausted from struggling for so long.
The other bodyguard immediately rushed over and opened the bathroom door. The scene that greeted him almost made him faint.
Brother Xiong lay naked on the floor, his body brutally hacked, and the floor was covered in blood. It was a gruesome sight.
"Brother Xiong is dead, call the police quickly."
The bodyguard felt Brother Xiong's pulse but found no signs of life.
Zhou Tong, who had just been untied, rushed over, screamed, and then fainted.
The news that Brother Xiong, who had been a notorious figure in Xunsi River for over a decade, was hacked to death in his mistress's home spread throughout Hancheng's underworld the next day.
Yang Jian arrived in Hancheng with ten thousand yuan. Song Jianhao hosted a welcome dinner for him at a hot pot restaurant on Sanjiao Road. The only others at the dinner were Old Wu, Biao Biao, Liang Liang, and San Pang, all of whom had come with Song Jianhao before.
"Little Yang, have you sorted out the family matters?"
Song Jianhao was very happy to finally have this important figure arrive.
"I can only say that things are getting on track. The factory is still under construction, and the company registration is still being processed. It will take another month or two to start production. My cousins are handling it, so I need to hurry and make money, otherwise, life will be difficult."
"That's true. Little Yang, I have some explosive news for you: Brother Xiong was killed the night before last."
Yang Jian was a little surprised. "Brother Xiong? Brother Xiong from Xunsi River? How did he die?"
"Yes, him. I heard he was hacked to death in his mistress's home. The news has spread all over Hancheng. That scoundrel is finally dead. He smashed our casino and seriously injured Si Hai and the others. I've always held a grudge. I'm so happy to hear he's dead."
"Who did it? Xiao Wu?"
"It wasn't Xiao Wu. Xiao Wu is already in a vegetative state and is incapable of this. You're close with Li Jin, you can call him and ask."
"I deleted all my old numbers when I changed my phone last year. I don't have his number, and there's nothing to inquire about. It's better that someone like Brother Xiong is dead; society has one less menace. It has nothing to do with us."
"That's true. When you're in the Jianghu, you're bound to get hurt sooner or later. For people like them, dying an unnatural death is their inevitable end."
As Song Jianhao said this, he felt a sense of shared misfortune. The reason he had always kept a low profile was that he had seen too many powerful figures in the underworld end up in prison or dead on the streets. Those who managed to go legitimate and retire successfully were few and far between.
"Brother Hao, let's not talk about him. How are things on your end? Do you have any good venues?"
Yang Jian was now concerned about how to make money quickly.
"For now, I've taken on two underground money-making venues to get by. I'm still asking people to find bigger venues. Don't worry, we've just arrived. Good food is worth the wait. Just like Wang Chun and the others, as soon as we find a good venue, we'll take off."
"Underground venues are fine too. I didn't bring much money with me. Since my family is investing in the factory, I only brought ten thousand yuan. Is that enough?"
Yang Jian was a little apprehensive. This was his first time officially joining the Emperor Company, and he was worried that bringing so little money wouldn't be enough to sustain himself.
Although he had been a dealer in Xichuan, he had San Pang cheating for him, ensuring steady profits. This was fundamentally different from the Emperor Company, which required not only capital reserves but also luck. The future seemed uncertain.
Song Jianhao patted him on the shoulder. "Ten thousand yuan is enough. I don't have much money either. When you're out mixing, it's not like you bring money from home. We'll start with small venues and gradually accumulate capital. Once we have more capital, we'll go for bigger venues."
Yang Jian was a bit surprised. "Why don't you have money? You must have made over two hundred thousand yuan during the New Year."
Song Jianhao looked a bit embarrassed. "The money I made during the New Year was all used to pay off debts. I suffered huge losses last year and borrowed some money at high interest, but I've finally paid it all off. Now that you're here, and with Old Wu overseeing things, we'll work together to develop this Emperor Company."
This statement revealed Song Jianhao's true situation, and his intention to get rich without investing. Yang Jian's confidence was instantly shattered.
He had originally hoped that Song Jianhao would help him out, and if his own funds were insufficient, he could ask Song Jianhao to cover for him. But given the current situation, that was impossible. Song Jianhao was also struggling to stay afloat.
Alas, since he was here, he would make the best of it. Everyone's funds were insufficient, so they would start with small venues. Anyway, he only had ten thousand yuan. If he really couldn't hold on, he would have to go home and join Wu Wangchun's team. At that point, he couldn't afford to worry about his reputation.
Wu Wangchun was more capable and more generous than Song Jianhao. As long as he asked, he would be given a stake in the company even without investing a single cent.
However, Song Jianhao had ultimately helped him a lot, especially during the New Year, when he helped him earn eighty to ninety thousand yuan. He couldn't abandon him now; he would just go along with things for now.
Yang Jian settled down, ready to embrace his upcoming career as an Emperor Company dealer.