Lu Yao had a restless night, waking up with dark circles under her eyes. At school, she was distracted. Fortunately, the semester hadn't officially started, and she was only doing preparation work, so her lack of focus had little impact.
Finally, at noon, she couldn't resist calling Lin Nan again.
"Nan Ge, have you contacted the Hancheng police? I'm so anxious."
"Yaoyao, don't worry. I have good news for you. We just received notice that a special task force is being formed to take over the assault case at the barbecue stall that happened last night in the Donghu jurisdiction. It should be Yang Jian's case."
"That's great! Will you be involved?"
"Yes, I'm the deputy head of the task force. I'll be going to Hancheng soon. I'll let you know if I get any updates."
"When can Jian Ge get out?"
"It's hard to say. If there's evidence that he acted out of bravery and in self-defense, he shouldn't be detained for long. If the other party's injuries are classified as minor or more severe, and they file a lawsuit, it will require a court judgment, and he won't be released quickly. You should be prepared to hire a lawyer."
"Why is it so complicated? Is there a faster way to get Jian Ge out?"
"Yes, through the investigation. If it's confirmed that Yang Jian acted out of bravery and in self-defense, he can be granted bail. He can wait at home for the court summons."
"So, no matter how fast, Yang Jian won't be out in a day or two?"
"Yes, the investigation of the case isn't as quick as you might think. But don't be too pessimistic. The fact that this case is being investigated across districts so quickly indicates that a significant figure is paying attention to it, or that the case involves more complex events. After all, this isn't a major case as no one died, and it wouldn't typically require cross-district investigation."
Lin Nan didn't have specific information about the case yet, so he could only comfort Lu Yao based on his judgment.
Moreover, Yang Jian was from Xinhe. The fact that Xinhe police were investigating Yang Jian's case across districts was also peculiar. According to regulations, this shouldn't happen, and it was clearly advantageous to Yang Jian.
Xinhe was a remote district of Hancheng. The county seat was like a small county town, a place where personal connections mattered. It wouldn't be difficult for Yang Jian's relatives to help him by contacting members of the task force.
For example, he himself was a good friend of Yang Jian. Even if Yang Jian were truly guilty, no matter how principled he was, he would subconsciously try to excuse him as much as possible. This was the way of the world.
There was also the influence of the region. The investigators would also have a psychological sympathy for Yang Jian, a local.
As a remote district, Xinhe couldn't truly integrate into the metropolis of Hancheng. In the eyes of Hancheng people, Xinhe people were always considered rural, country folk, or even outsiders.
When cases involved two regions, investigators would naturally and subconsciously protect the locals. This was the case everywhere.
August 30th.
Xu Sheng, along with over thirty migrant workers, arrived at the formwork factory. Jiang Bin, the factory director who had only returned from outside the day before, received them. Liu Yong, the actual creditor, had gone into hiding.
"Master, why are so many of you here?"
In the conference room, Jiang Bin, who was unaware of the situation, began to question Xu Sheng.
This was Xu Sheng's first time meeting Jiang Bin. "Yang Jian asked us to come today to collect last year's wages. May I ask who you are?"
"I am Jiang Bin, the director of the formwork factory. I've heard about your wages, but Yang Jian went to Hancheng on the 26th and hasn't returned. Perhaps you should wait for him to come back."
"Director Jiang, we can't wait. The day after tomorrow is when the children start school. Everyone is waiting for the money to pay for their children's registration fees and living expenses. Could you call him and ask if he can come back today?"
"Alright, please wait a moment."
Jiang Bin took out his phone and dialed Yang Jian's number, but it was turned off. He tried twice more with the same result.
With no other option, he called Liu Chao and asked him to contact the casino to see if Yang Jian was there.
Liu Chao called Biao Biao, and the reply was that Yang Jian had left on the evening of the 27th.
Sensing that something had happened, Liu Chao immediately called Lu Yao.
"Yaoyao Jie, Jian Ge's phone is off. Do you know where he is?"
"I do. Why are you looking for him?"
"He promised to pay the workers today, and the workers have all arrived, waiting for him to bring the money back."
"How much money is it?"
"The workers said Jian Ge promised to pay all the outstanding migrant worker wages from last year, about 1.5 million yuan. School starts the day after tomorrow. If they don't get the money today, the workers won't leave."
"That much? Ask the workers to wait a moment, I'll be right there."
Yang Jian's detention couldn't be kept secret any longer. Lu Yao knew she had to step in.
Liu Chao didn't understand why Lu Yao was rushing over and hung up before he could ask. He had to go back and explain to the workers.
Forty minutes later, Lu Yao arrived by taxi. Liu Chao led her into the conference room and introduced her to the workers.
"Master Xu, I've heard about your wages from Yang Jian. However, Yang Jian had an accident a couple of days ago and is currently detained by the police. He might not be able to get out for a while."
It wouldn't be long before Yang Jian's detention was known, so it was better to reveal it now, hoping for the workers' understanding.
Lu Yao then briefly explained the situation to prevent everyone from misunderstanding that Yang Jian had done anything illegal or immoral, which could damage his reputation.
"What should we do? We all need the money."
"Exactly. My son just got into university, and tuition alone costs several thousand. We're counting on this money. If Yang Jian doesn't get out, where will I borrow it from?"
"September 1st is like a wall. Teacher Lu, can you think of a way for us? Yang Jian runs such a big factory; he must be able to raise some money."
"Yes, I heard he also runs a casino in Hancheng. Even borrowing a few hundred thousand would be fine. We don't necessarily need to be paid in full."
Upon hearing that Yang Jian had injured someone, the workers became agitated. They felt that if Yang Jian couldn't get out soon, he might even be sentenced, and their money would be lost.
Lu Yao felt a headache coming on. These workers wouldn't leave without getting paid, and some money would have to be disbursed.
"Liu Chao, call Biao Biao now and see if he can transfer some money over for emergencies."
The workers' reminder made Lu Yao think of the casino. Yang Jian had told her before that their daily income from the casino was around 200,000 yuan. By the end of September, not only would he give Wei Xia a car, but he also planned to buy a Cayenne worth over a million yuan for himself.
It shouldn't be a problem to borrow a few hundred thousand from Biao Biao now to handle these workers first.
Liu Chao had to call Biao Biao again and handed the phone to Lu Yao.
"Biao Biao, Jian Ge is in trouble."
Lu Yao's first sentence made Biao Biao, who was on the other end of the phone,'s heart pound with alarm.