Yang Jian largely agreed with Biao Biao's analysis, but letting Wu Laizi go was out of the question.
"Biao Biao, your analysis is good, but no matter the situation, it won't stop me from chasing Wu Laizi. Give me your uncle's contact information. I'll make time to visit after September 1st."
"Brother Jian, don't be impulsive. Listen to me. Our establishment is making the most money right now, and you're just starting out. Accumulating wealth is the most important thing. You can't let hatred cloud your judgment. Wu Laizi isn't going anywhere, and we'll eventually deal with him. Why the rush?"
Biao Biao knew very well that Yang Jian couldn't afford any accidents right now. Going to the South China Sea was too risky, and he had to stop him, to persuade him.
"But my sister is still in the hospital. Every time I see her, my hatred for Wu Laizi grows. I feel like I'm letting my sister down by letting him live another day. You can't understand this feeling."
"I understand. Precisely because your sister isn't out of the hospital yet, you can't be impulsive. The risk of going to the South China Sea is too great. If anything happens, can your sister handle it? What about your parents? And who will manage the template factory and Chunfeng Lou, these two big ventures?"
This statement left Yang Jian speechless. He knew he couldn't be compared to a year ago; he now carried too much responsibility.
If something happened to him, Chunfeng Lou would be half-finished, and his brother-in-law wouldn't have the ability to manage it, plus there was a large outstanding construction payment.
The template factory was just starting, with over a million yuan in outstanding funds for the templates. If he had an accident, this money would be unrecoverable.
Not to mention his parents' feelings. They had been through too much in the past two years and couldn't bear any more blows.
"Brother Jian, I discussed Wu Laizi's matter with A Feng. He said Yang Fan's fellow disciples have considerable influence in the southern coastal areas. He suggested you contact Yang Fan and see if his disciples can handle it. It would just cost more money, or you could go over after some time and have them cooperate. This would be much less risky."
Biao Biao continued to persuade him. None of them wanted Yang Jian to have an accident; this casino was their great stage to turn their lives around.
Yang Jian nodded. "Yang Fan mentioned this to me before. If needed, we can contact them anytime."
"Exactly. I think hiring them is the best option. We don't understand the situation there. Going in blindly could easily lead to a counterattack from Hong Xing. That place is much more complicated than the mainland. People from all over the country are there, a mixed bag, and cases involving firearms are not uncommon."
"Alright, I'll consider it. I'll talk to Yang Fan when I have time. Have Liang Liang swap out A Nan. Let's go deal with Brother Hao's business first."
Yang Jian was also wary of Song Jianhao and needed to bring a skilled person with him. A Feng had to manage the casino, and Jun Jun hadn't fully recovered and his combat strength was still lacking. Bringing A Nan was the most reliable option, as he had seen him acting as a dealer earlier.
Song Jianhao's casino was still set up under a large iron shed by the railway tracks, but the number of gamblers had increased significantly compared to before. Consequently, lookouts were stationed at every intersection.
As soon as Yang Jian and A Nan entered the lookouts' surveillance range, Song Jianhao knew. He immediately came out of the casino to greet them.
"Xiao Yang, you're here. Has the road construction at home gone smoothly?"
Song Jianhao offered cigarettes upon meeting them, appearing particularly enthusiastic.
Yang Jian didn't have a smoking habit but occasionally smoked for social reasons. He took a cigarette and smiled, "It's okay, just that it's all on credit, and we're short on funds."
As they walked and talked, they entered the casino and met Si Xi, Si Gou, Song Ge, and others, who all greeted Yang Jian warmly.
Song Jianmin, working as a dealer on the floor, tossed Yang Jian a pack of cigarettes.
"Xiao Yang, want to play a few rounds? I'll arrange a spot for you."
Song Jianhao knew Yang Jian didn't like gambling and asked casually.
Yang Jian, however, answered indirectly, "Brother Hao, your casino is very lively. It's comparable to the one on Hongqi Street. You must be making forty to fifty thousand in rake daily, right?"
"No, the scale of the casino is similar to Hongqi Street. Most of the patrons are construction workers, and their bets are quite enthusiastic. However, we only take a seven percent rake, unlike Hongqi Street's ten percent. We only make over thirty thousand a day."
"That's still good. It's much more stable than being the house."
"It's stable, but I only have a thirty percent stake, so the income isn't much, not even as much as Biao Biao and Liang Liang."
Song Jianhao knew Liang Liang had bought a car and guessed Yang Jian had given them shares. He spoke with a hint of sourness because he had personally asked Yang Jian for shares before and was refused.
Yang Jian, of course, heard his dissatisfaction and continued, "Do you guys open your establishment in the morning too?"
"Yes, because there are many construction sites here, and there are workers resting every day. They themselves requested that we open in the morning."
"I heard you've started operating night sessions again, and with a 'red money' setup?"
"Yes, we've been doing it for three days. Xiong Er organized it. After all, he's the boss, the major shareholder. He calls the shots on this."
Song Jianhao had long suspected Yang Jian was there about the casino. To avoid offending him, he shifted the blame entirely to Xiong Er, as Xiong Er was on par with Li Jin in terms of strength.
"Brother Hao, when you first opened this 'black money' establishment, if it weren't for my face, Li Jin would have already made a move against you. Moreover, Jianmin had promised me that you would only operate 'black money' establishments and not 'red money' ones. You've suddenly started 'red money' operations; how am I supposed to explain this to Li Jin?"
Yang Jian stopped beating around the bush and directly questioned Song Jianhao.
Song Jianhao's face changed drastically. "Xiao Yang, this really wasn't my decision. You can't blame me for this. Xiong Er is also a big shot in Xunsi River. I can't stop him if he wants to open a 'red money' establishment."
"Brother Hao, since that's your attitude, then I have nothing more to say. We brothers don't need to hide things from each other. Let me tell you clearly, if your night sessions don't stop, your 'black money' establishment won't be able to operate either."
Yang Jian turned to leave after speaking, but Song Jianhao grabbed him. "Xiao Yang, wait a moment. I'll call Xiong Er to discuss it."
"Go ahead and call. You must give me an answer today. Don't blame me for being unreasonable. Letting you open this 'black money' establishment was already giving you a lot of face, but if you block my financial path, we can't be brothers anymore."
"Understood, understood. Please wait a moment. I'll contact Xiong Er right away. Si Xi, get Xiao Yang and the others some herbal tea."
Song Jianhao could see that Yang Jian was not joking. If this was not handled properly, not only would the establishment be shut down, but something major might even happen.
He had finally managed to get this stable, quick-money casino going, but it couldn't be shut down so soon. He was getting married soon, and all the expenses depended on the earnings from here.
Song Jianhao took out his phone and moved to the outer area of the establishment. Si Xi quickly handed them two cans of herbal tea and brought two chairs for them.