The debt collection by the company was a common occurrence in the casino. Occasionally, people were driven to suicide or fled, and some even fought back and killed.
However, for Yang Jian, these were just things he had heard about and didn't feel deeply. But when such incidents happened in his own casino, he felt very uneasy.
As the casino grew larger and the profits increased, the probability of being a focus of police attention also grew.
Now, with Li Jin's people frequently resorting to violent debt collection, it was bound to trigger reports from many debtors.
Especially after a homicide, the anger of the victim's family would eventually erupt, and this debt would ultimately be settled on Yang Jian and Li Jin, the organizers of the casino.
It seemed he needed to have a face-to-face talk with Li Jin and ask him to restrain his people.
Having promised Lu Hao to meet his sister and brother-in-law in Hancheng, Yang Jian, after helping Lin Nan send off his comrade, returned to Yang Li Village with Lu Yao.
The next morning, they set off for Hancheng at seven o'clock and arrived at Donghu Hospital at half past eight. They bought some fruit and a bouquet of flowers nearby to visit Cheng Zhifeng and Lu Yue.
Lu Hao was already waiting for them in the hospital parking lot and directly led them to the surgical ward in the inpatient building.
"Xiao Yang, these are my parents. Dad, Mom, this is Xiao Yang and his girlfriend, Teacher Lu Yao."
As soon as they entered the ward, Lu Jinsong and Yan Yufeng stood up. Lu Hao introduced them to each other.
"Hello, Uncle. Hello, Auntie."
Yang Jian and Lu Yao greeted them both with smiles.
Lu Jinsong, usually stern and imposing, was also amiable at this moment. "Xiao Yang, I didn't expect you to be so young and handsome, and quite skilled. Have you received professional training?"
"Thank you for the compliment, Uncle. I practiced martial arts with my father since I was young, and then I practiced Sanda and combat for a few years. It's all self-taught."
"Very good, very good. Xiao Lu, you're a teacher, right? That's a good profession. You're also beautiful, and you and Xiao Yang make a good match."
Lu Yao was flattered, and her eyes fell on Yan Yufeng. "Auntie, do I feel like I've met you somewhere before?"
Yan Yufeng smiled and asked, "Which school did you graduate from?"
"Normal University."
"Then that's right. I am a professor at Normal University, though I'm semi-retired and haven't been teaching for the past few years. But I still go to the school often. You must have seen me on campus."
"Wow, you really are a teacher at our school! Hello, Professor."
Lu Yao said this and bowed slightly to Yan Yufeng, a gesture of respect from a student to a teacher.
"That's wonderful. Not only are you beautiful, but you're also so polite. Since we're from the same school, meeting again is fate. You must come visit often in the future."
"I definitely will. Is this Sister Lu Yue? Are you feeling better?"
After chatting with Yan Yufeng, Lu Yao walked over to Lu Yue and handed her the flowers. Yang Jian walked with Lu Hao to Cheng Zhifeng's bedside.
Lu Yue, holding her child, took the flowers with one hand. "Thank you, Xiao Lu. I've basically recovered. Please, have a seat."
Cheng Zhifeng clearly couldn't get up, but his mind was sharp. "Xiao Yang, thank you. If you hadn't intervened in time, my wife and I might have been seriously harmed."
"Don't mention it, Zhifeng Ge. Actually, I've been feeling guilty that I didn't act the first moment you were being beaten by those thugs. If I had, Sister Lu Yue wouldn't have been hurt, the child wouldn't have been lost, and you wouldn't be so severely injured."
"You can't say that. There were thirty to forty people at the scene, and only you stepped forward to confront the thugs. You even took us to the hospital and paid the medical expenses. What do you have to feel guilty about? We should be the ones feeling guilty. We didn't watch the child properly, which caused this big trouble and made you stay in prison for so long."
Unable to bear the emotional words, Yang Jian quickly changed the subject. "Zhifeng Ge, it's good that you're alright. Judging by your condition, you should be discharged soon."
"Uncle, you're so amazing! You beat up all those bad guys that night. I want to learn martial arts too, to protect Mommy and Daddy."
Little Lu Yang walked over at this moment and took Yang Jian's hand.
Yang Jian crouched down. "What's your name, little friend?"
"My name is Lu Yang, the 'Yang' from sunshine. Everyone calls me Yang Yang."
"That's a good name, Yang Yang. Have you started school yet?"
"I just started first grade, but I'm already reading fourth-grade textbooks."
Yang Jian was taken aback and looked at Lu Hao. "Really?"
Lu Hao nodded. "It's true. Yang Yang has a very high IQ, especially his talent in mathematics is outstanding. But he's been spoiled by my mother and the others, developing a willful and mischievous personality. Otherwise, what happened that night wouldn't have occurred."
"It's normal for little boys to be lively. While the child is partly to blame for that incident, those people were too aggressive. Was it worth resorting to violence over such a small matter? It shows that these people are usually arrogant, disregard the law, and are reckless with life. They are the ones at fault, and they bear full responsibility."
Yang Jian had initially wanted to say that the child was indeed excessively spoiled, but saying so would displease the family, and he wasn't in a position to comment on their parenting methods. No matter how willful little Lu Yang was, it wasn't his business, so why offend them?
As expected, Yan Yufeng strongly agreed with his view. "Xiao Yang is right. Those people have no manners, arguing with a six-year-old child over trivial matters and then taking their anger out on the adults. We won't let them get away with it. I'm going to hire the best lawyer to sue them and make them serve more years in prison."
Lu Jinsong and Lu Hao wanted to refute her, but they felt embarrassed in front of an outsider.
Lu Yang suddenly spoke up. "Grandma, I won't be naughty anymore. I'll be a good child and won't let Mommy and Daddy be bullied. I also want to learn martial arts from Uncle to protect them and you too."
When these words came from a six-year-old child, everyone was deeply moved, especially Yan Yufeng, who shed tears of emotion. "Yang Yang is so sensible. You're a good child."
Yang Jian was also very surprised. The first time he saw Lu Yang, the child was restless, like he had ADHD. But since arriving, he had been sitting obediently next to his mother, as if he had completely changed.
Could it be that the beating his parents received that night had stimulated him, causing a drastic change in his personality overnight?
This seemed too unbelievable. How could a six-year-old child be so mature? Yang Jian clearly remembered that a boy of eight from the same village, whose father had died in a construction accident, was laughing and joking as usual the day after his ashes were brought back for burial, completely unaware of grief.
The atmosphere became a bit somber, and Lu Jinsong changed the subject. "Xiao Yang, Lu Hao mentioned that you run a casino in Hancheng?"
"Ah, yes. I partnered with a friend to open a casino."
Yang Jian was caught off guard by the question. Lu Jinsong had a very powerful aura that made him instinctively feel a sense of awe.
Moreover, from the moment he entered, he sensed that this elder was no ordinary person, possessing the demeanor of someone in a high position, either a high-ranking official or a big shot in some industry.