To talk about opening casinos, you open yours, I open mine, and we don't interfere with each other. Most people would think Yang Jian is meddling or being too overbearing.
Other businesses tend to cluster, but casinos cannot be too close to each other, especially in a small area. A casino represents a force.
If there is a second casino within one's own sphere of influence, it means that territory has been infiltrated, which is highly frowned upon in the underworld.
Although Xunsi River was not solely dominated by Li Jin, and he wasn't the sole decision-maker for the seven construction sites, the first casino they opened after the demolition was a joint venture between him and Yang Jian.
First come, first served. If anyone else opened a casino in this area, it would be seen as deliberately opposing Yang Jian and Li Jin, a rule of the underworld.
Allowing Song Jianhao to open a casino in this area was essentially slapping Yang Jian and Li Jin in the face. If Li Jin hadn't partnered with Yang Jian and respected Yang Jian's wishes, Song Jianhao's casino wouldn't have been able to open at all.
If Song Jianhao wasn't feigning ignorance, he should have understood the implications.
Therefore, Yang Jian's direct threat didn't make him uncomfortable. He knew this day would come and hoped that Xiong Er could resolve the matter.
"Xiao Yang, please wait a moment. Xiong Er wants to talk to you in person."
In less than two minutes, Song Jianhao finished his call and walked over.
"Talk in person? Talk about what? Hao Ge, didn't I make myself clear? If you open a red-money establishment, you're blocking my financial path. There's no room for negotiation, only confrontation."
Yang Jian had no interest in meeting Xiong Er. Greeting Song Jianhao was a courtesy.
Song Jianmin walked over and pulled Yang Jian back. He was called by Sixi. When Yang Jian was speaking harshly, Sixi heard everything and felt that only Song Jianmin could persuade Yang Jian.
"Yang Jian, do me a favor and wait a moment, okay? Let's see what Xiong Er has to say. We really can't make the decision."
Song Jianmin also felt a bit embarrassed. He had personally promised to only open black-money establishments.
"Alright, I'll give you face. Let's see what Xiong Er has to say."
After speaking, Yang Jian gave Anan a look.
Anan immediately walked to a secluded spot and made a call.
Ten minutes later, four vans sped over and stopped at the foot of the railway embankment. Over twenty young men armed with cleavers and pitchforks emerged from the vehicles.
One red-haired young man, holding a pump-action shotgun, followed closely behind Xiong Er, aggressively directing the other young men to the railway line, surrounding Yang Jian, Anan, and the Song brothers.
The sheer scale of the operation terrified the gamblers, making it impossible for them to continue playing. They all fled to the opposite side of the railway to watch the spectacle.
Before Xiong Er and his men arrived, Yang Jian and Anan had already positioned themselves with their backs against the houses to avoid being attacked from multiple directions.
"Mr. Yang, we meet again. I heard you won't let us open red-money establishments. Isn't that a bit too overbearing? If you can open one, why can't I? Do you really think you're the boss of Xunsi River?"
Xiong Er was as arrogant as ever, as if he had forgotten the lesson of being stepped on by Yang Jian.
Yang Jian looked at him mockingly. "I'm not the boss of Xunsi River, but my casino has been open for several months. Anyone who opens another casino in this area is blocking my financial path, and the consequences will be severe."
"You damn fool, you're tired of living. Tell me, how severe?"
The red-haired young man next to Xiong Er, holding the pump-action shotgun, raised his weapon and aimed it at Yang Jian.
Song Jianmin quickly moved to stand between them. "Don't be impulsive. We can discuss this."
Song Jianmin hadn't expected the meeting to be like this. Otherwise, he wouldn't have kept Yang Jian here. If Yang Jian were to get hurt, it would be entirely his responsibility, so he unhesitatingly stepped in front of him.
Yang Jian didn't even blink as he thrust his head forward. "Come on, shoot here. If you don't shoot today, you're a cowardly wimp."
The red-haired young man was genuinely prepared to pull the trigger. He had experienced such situations before; it was a test of who had the guts. If he didn't dare to shoot, they would lose today. If he shot, at worst he'd go to jail, as Xiong Er had already promised a large sum of money to his family.
However, Song Jianmin blocking his path made him hesitate. Xiong Er's instructions were to shoot Yang Jian directly; only by incapacitating him would Xiong Er be in charge of Xunsi River.
Song Jianmin was not the primary target. Harming him would be meaningless, especially since he was on Xiong Er's side.
"Everyone, put down your weapons, or don't blame us for being impolite."
From outside the crowd, Li Jin's voice suddenly rang out. Following that, forty to fifty people rushed in from both ends of the railway, all armed with clubs and cleavers, completely surrounding Xiong Er's men.
The two young men accompanying Li Jin were both holding pump-action shotguns, one aimed at Xiong Er, the other at the red-haired young man.
Xiong Er's face changed dramatically, and he hastily moved towards the larger group.
The red-haired young man, somewhat flustered, was about to swivel his gun and pull the trigger when Anan, who had been poised for action, struck his wrist with a club.
Before the pump-action shotgun could fall to the ground, Yang Jian delivered a lightning-fast kick to the red-haired man's stomach.
The red-haired man let out a cry of pain and was sent flying backward, crashing into his companions behind him, knocking two of them down.
The red-haired man, clutching his stomach and rolling on the ground, was unable to utter a sound, writhing in extreme pain. The kick was so powerful it nearly cost him his life.
Watching the red-haired man being beaten, none of the men brought by Xiong Er dared to step forward. Some tried to escape, but they were intercepted by Li Jin's men.
"All of you, kneel down, or I'll break your legs."
Li Jin intended to establish his authority today. He had tolerated Xiong Er for too long, and this was actually a plan he had discussed with Yang Jian.
Yang Jian knew that Xiong Er had been wanting revenge for being stepped on by him. Hearing that Yang Jian was coming with only two people, he was bound to make a move.
And when Yang Jian set out for the casino, Li Jin had already gathered forty to fifty men to wait nearby. As soon as Xiong Er dared to make a move, they would decisively deal with his core group.
Except for Xiong Er, everyone else dropped their weapons and knelt on the ground obediently. At this point, no one dared to play the hero.
The opposing side had too many people, and there was no chance of winning, especially with Yang Jian and Anan, two skilled fighters. Without firearms, the two of them could handle these twenty-odd men.
Song Jianhao's face turned ashen. He never expected Xiong Er to be so cowardly, completely unlike his elder brother, Brother Xiong.
It was over now. The black-money establishment had been running smoothly, generating tens of thousands of stable income daily. Even if it ran for half a year, let alone a year, he could have earned millions. With a thirty percent stake, he could have made a million to two million and completely turned his life around.
But now the situation was dire. Not only could the red-money establishment not open, but the black-money establishment was likely lost as well. He had ruined such a great opportunity to turn his life around.
Song Jianhao was filled with regret because opening the red-money establishment was his suggestion. He was primarily driven by greed after seeing Yang Jian and the others rake in hundreds of thousands in commission daily. He naively believed that Yang Jian was honorable and wouldn't act against him. With Xiong Er's connections, even if they ran it for a month, they could quickly turn their fortunes around.