The evening gambling session concluded after three hours, with Emperor Company emerging victorious, winning over four thousand yuan.
The group returned to the hotel, where Sixi handled the profit distribution. After deducting expenses, the net profit amounted to three thousand yuan. Yang Jian's two shares were six hundred yuan, with one share being three hundred. The car expenses were two hundred yuan, bringing the total income for the day to eight hundred yuan.
"Little Yang, I told you your gambling luck was good. You hit the ground running, while we lost for two days straight when we first arrived."
Song Jianhao's four shares totaled over a thousand yuan. While this was less than his earnings from running his own casino back home, he was still pleased. He felt Yang Jian's arrival would bring good fortune to their team.
Gamblers are often superstitious, especially those who frequent casinos; they would offer incense to the God of Wealth during festivals.
Yang Jian chuckled, "A good start is indeed great. Brother Hao, how many venues are we currently operating?"
"We have one tomorrow afternoon. We'll go to today's venue again in the evening. For now, we only have two. Don't worry, I've been scouting locations. Starting tomorrow, Old Wu and I will be busy finding more venues, and you and Sixi will be in charge of the casino operations."
"Sixi brother can be in charge of the operations. I'll just handle the money."
Yang Jian was not yet familiar with the local scene and was hesitant to take the lead.
"Alright, you managing the money is most suitable. With your imposing figure, standing at 1.8 meters, you can intimidate quite a few people. But be careful, some people might target Emperor Company's money manager."
"Mr. Wu mentioned this before. They were even robbed. Have you encountered anything like that?"
"Last year, we only operated in small casinos, bringing only ten to twenty thousand yuan each time. We never encountered such incidents. In larger establishments, these things happen frequently. As we grow bigger, we might face them. However, we can't let our guard down now. Some desperate addicts, when they've lost it all, can do anything. This place is much more complicated than Xinhe."
"Understood, I'll be cautious."
Upon arriving here, Yang Jian had prepared himself for potential conflicts. People who work in casinos are not to be trifled with. As long as their bottom line isn't crossed, it's best to endure. If enduring is impossible, then action is necessary. Being too weak will only invite trouble.
The venue for the next afternoon was near Sanjiao Road. Everyone except Song Jianhao and Old Wu went, walking there instead of driving. This casino was even smaller, with only about a dozen gamblers. San Pang was the dealer, with Sigou and Liangliang as the croupiers.
After San Pang's inspection, the casino was deemed reasonably legitimate. The games were genuine, and the process went smoothly. By the end of the session, Emperor Company had lost two thousand yuan.
Thus, they operated in these two small venues for half a month, experiencing both wins and losses. Yang Jian's total income was two thousand yuan. Just as his sister called asking for living expenses, Yang Jian took the opportunity to drive her the money himself that morning, also buying her some fruit.
"Second brother, how did you get here so quickly? Were you already in Hancheng?"
At the campus entrance, Yang Rui looked surprised. Her brother had appeared less than thirty minutes after her call. In reality, Yang Jian was not far from her, only a ten-minute drive away.
"I've been here for half a month. Rui Rui, you've only been back at school for a little over a month, but why do you look so much thinner? Is the school food not good, or are you just not spending money on meals?"
"Brother, it's nothing. I'm on a diet."
"You're not even fat, why are you dieting? Tell me, what's going on?"
"Brother, you have so much debt. I have to be frugal. Also, I've taken on several tutoring jobs, and I've been a bit tired lately. If the tutoring fees weren't due to be settled next month, I wouldn't have asked you for living expenses."
Yang Rui didn't hide anything, briefly explaining her situation.
"Let's go, I'll treat you to a big meal. You know this place well, order whatever you want."
Seeing his sister's thoughtfulness, Yang Jian felt a pang in his heart. He needed to earn money quickly and not let his family worry about him.
Yang Rui was still hesitant to spend too much, so she took Yang Jian to a small restaurant next to the school. She ordered boiled shredded pork, Mapo tofu, and stir-fried oilseed rape.
"Rui Rui, quit your tutoring jobs. Your priority now is your studies. The little money you earn can't solve my problems, and I'm not so incapable that I can't afford your living expenses. Believe me, I'll pay off that debt soon."
Yang Jian felt heartbroken. Looking at his sister eat, it seemed like she hadn't had meat in a long time.
"I'm fine, Brother. Tutoring is good. Perhaps I'll become a teacher after graduation. It's like an early internship."
"Don't give me that nonsense. I'm telling you, from now on, focus on your studies and prepare for postgraduate entrance exams. You're the only university student among all our relatives. Everyone hopes you'll stay in the big city, join a large company, and bring honor to our Yang family."
"But..."
"No 'buts.' You don't need to think about anything else right now. Studying is your most important task. If you don't get into graduate school, see how I deal with you."
"Alright, I'll focus on preparing for the exams. Actually, out of the six students in my dorm, four are planning to pursue postgraduate studies. Only Su Ya and I aren't."
"Su Ya? Has she tried to tempt you into going to nightclubs again?"
This was Yang Jian's true purpose for visiting his sister today – he was worried she might be tempted into those pleasure establishments and go astray.
"Don't worry, Brother. My temper is completely unsuited for those places. After the big trouble last time, how could I possibly go back there? However, Su Ya has gone again."
"Gone again? We had such a good talk last time. She said she'd quit after making some money. It seems she still can't resist temptation."
"You can't entirely blame her. I heard her younger brother has a severe kidney disease and needs a lot of money for a transplant. She's really desperate and has no other choice but to return to her old ways. She's quite pitiful, really. It's not easy for a rural girl to get into university. Not only does she have to earn money for her studies, but she also has to support her family. Compared to her, I'm much happier."
Yang Jian was stunned. He had just been looking down on Su Ya, thinking she was ultimately a vain woman who sought pleasure. He never expected her life to be so difficult and filled with hardship.
"Rui Rui, no matter how difficult life gets, I won't allow you to go down that path. That's a fundamental principle of being human. Do you understand?"
"Brother, I understand. And I believe my life won't be as difficult as hers because I have older siblings to shield me from the storms. I also believe my brother is someone destined for great things. The current difficulties and setbacks are just tempering him. After the storm, we'll see the rainbow."
"Wow, you're really flattering me. I'm getting goosebumps."
"Hahaha, just trying to encourage you."
The siblings laughed as they finished all three dishes.
"Brother Jian, Brother Hao asked you to come back early. We've taken on a new venue this afternoon, and it's a bit far. We need to get there in advance." Yang Jian had just paid the bill and was planning to visit his sister's school with her, to experience university life and fulfill his own past university dream. Liangliang suddenly called to urge him back, forcing him to abandon the opportunity.