Hearing Yang Jian's call, San Pang immediately hailed a taxi from the town and returned to Xinqiao.
Upon arriving at the template factory, it was lunchtime, and Yang Jian and the others were waiting for him to start the meal.
"Brother Jian, I just learned from my friends in town on the way here. It's pretty much confirmed that Xu Zheng sent people to attack Yongli."
As soon as he sat down at the small canteen's dining table, before he could even pick up his chopsticks, San Pang began his report.
Yang Jian scooped a bowl of pork rib and lotus root soup for him. "Don't rush. Let's talk after we eat."
"It's okay, I'm not hungry. I ate some flower cakes that Brother Mao brought back from out of town on the way."
"Alright, do you know where Xu Zheng is now?"
"Xu Zheng definitely isn't in Xinqiao right now. When he's planning something, he usually leaves beforehand to prove he has no connection to what happens. Even if his subordinates get caught, he still has room to maneuver."
"Then where is his casino?"
"The casino is at Luojia Bridge. He also has an arcade in town, which is actually another casino."
Although San Pang had been working in the town recently, he had many friends in Xinqiao Town and knew everything about what was happening there.
Yang Jian was a bit puzzled. "I know Luojia Bridge, but how is an arcade a casino?"
"There's a new fishing game machine that's become popular in arcades. It's about the size of a billiard table and can accommodate up to six players at once. Players just need to buy game tokens to participate. It's very addictive, playable twenty-four hours a day. Winning or losing hundreds or thousands a day is common, some even lose thousands."
Liang Liang chimed in, "I know about this too. There are two fishing game machines near the construction site of Xunsi River. Young people play them."
Yang Jian snorted. "This Xu Zheng is quite trendy. First, he opens a mahjong parlor, and now an arcade. But he shouldn't have provoked me. San Pang, eat something quickly, then take us to pinpoint the addresses of Xu Zheng's casino and arcade. We'll take them down this afternoon."
"Just… just us few people taking down two places? Brother Jian, isn't that too few people? Xu Zheng isn't a small-time operator anymore. Because he's a competitor to Wu Wangchun and them, the casino alone has twenty to thirty people, and the arcade has seven or eight. Making a move on both places simultaneously is too risky."
San Pang saw that only Yang Jian, Liang Liang, An Nan, Jun Jun, and Liu Chao were eating, and with himself, that made only six people. They would have to split up, so how could they deal with so many people?
"We don't need that many. You're responsible for guiding us, Liang Liang drives, and An Nan and I will do the action. Jun Jun and Liu Chao will stay at the factory."
"Just the two of you acting? Brother Jian, don't joke. The arcade only has seven or eight people, you two should be able to handle them. But the casino has twenty to thirty people, they'll definitely have knives and steel forks. How can two people handle them?"
"Include me. I've been resting for so long, I'm practically moldy staying here. I need to get some exercise too."
Before Yang Jian could respond, Jun Jun raised his hand.
An Nan asked with some concern, "Can you handle it? This isn't the time to show off."
"No problem. I've already started my recovery training. I can't compare to you guys yet, but I have no problem dealing with a few thugs."
Jun Jun was full of confidence and even showed off his arm muscles.
Yang Jian sized him up. "Good, you participate too. More people mean more security. We'll go for the casino first, then back to Xinqiao to take down the arcade."
San Pang objected again. "Brother Jian, going for the casino first might not be a good idea. I think we should smash the arcade first, then go to the casino. This way, we can directly retreat via the rural roads. If we hit the casino and then go back to Xinqiao, we might run into the cops on the road because someone will definitely report the casino being smashed."
"No, smashing the arcade first will alert them. The people at the casino will receive the news and rush back to Xinqiao for support, and the casino will shut down. If we hit the casino first, the arcade won't shut down. As for the cops, there's no need to worry. With so many cars on the road, they won't be able to identify our vehicle immediately. Besides, based on conventional thinking, they'll assume we'll take the small roads to escape after smashing the casino, but we'll be heading in the opposite direction."
Once the decision was made to act, Yang Jian had already planned their escape route. Xu Zheng would never have imagined that he would face retaliation in the afternoon on the same day he made his move.
Just after lunch, a black license plate swapping SUV drove out of the template factory, passed through Xinqiao Town, and headed north for three kilometers to Luojia Bridge.
"Brother Jian, I've inquired clearly. Xu Zheng's casino is set up in the bamboo forest behind the Luo family ancestral hall. It's only one o'clock now, and they usually start around half past one. Why don't we wait until after two o'clock? That's when the casino will be bustling."
On the main road entering the village outside Luojia Bridge, San Pang made another suggestion.
Yang Jian looked at the time, then thought for a moment and said, "At this time, the casino staff should all be gathered together doing preparations. There are no lookouts on the perimeter yet. It's the perfect time to take them all down now. If we wait until the casino is in full swing, innocent gamblers will be harmed, and it will be difficult to handle the public outcry."
Liang Liang, driving the car, nodded in agreement. "Brother Jian is right. Going now won't harm any innocent people, and it will catch them completely off guard."
"Enter the village, and ask at the village entrance where the ancestral hall is."
Yang Jian decisively gave the order, and Liang Liang stepped on the accelerator, driving into the village.
Luojia Bridge Village is a large village with a concentrated population of three thousand people. Eighty percent of the villagers are surnamed Luo, so a large, four-courtyard ancestral hall was built on the south side of the village.
The ancestral hall is surrounded by lush trees, with winding paths, serving as a place for villagers to cool off and chat in the summer.
Behind the ancestral hall is a bamboo forest covering four to five mu, which is very quiet and relatively secluded.
Xu Zheng's casino was set up in a clearing of about fifty square meters in the middle of the bamboo forest. It was surrounded by bamboo, and a tarpaulin was stretched overhead to shield from rain and sun.
Guided by the villagers, Liang Liang drove the car to a house about thirty meters away from the ancestral hall, and An Nan got out to scout.
After a short while, An Nan returned.
"Brother Jian, there are only two people in the bamboo forest setting up gambling tables and chairs. The others are in the ancestral hall holding a meeting. Now is the best time to act. If they disperse later, our impact will be less."
"An Nan, Jun Jun, get out of the car with me. Liang Liang, drive the car to the south intersection. We'll make a quick move and be out in three minutes."
"Brother Jian, there are four or five minivans at the entrance of the ancestral hall. They should be theirs too. Since they burned our excavator, we should smash their cars too."
As An Nan spoke, he pulled out two extendable batons and put on a black mask.
"Leave the car smashing to me. I'm not good at fighting, but I can smash a few cars."
San Pang also put on a mask, grabbed a pickaxe handle, and got out of the car with Yang Jian and the other two.