New Year's Eve.
Yang Shuanglin and his wife, missing their son, brought Yang Rui to the template factory and had Jing Yongli dial Yang Jian's number.
They had already been questioned by police officers from the station during the day, and they were given the same old advice to persuade Yang Jian to return and surrender, which they naturally brushed off.
Yang Jian was on duty in the casino office and chatted with his parents and sister for over an hour before hanging up.
Looking at the families reuniting and the brilliant fireworks outside the window, Yang Jian felt lost about his future. He didn't know when this life of being wanted by the police would end, or when he could spend a peaceful and joyous Spring Festival with his parents.
It seemed he needed to have a good talk with Lu Hao about when his case could be cleared, and also to wish him a Happy New Year.
When he called, the other party's phone was turned off. Yang Jian thought for a moment and found Lu Yue's phone number. Last year, Lu Hao had spent the New Year at Lu Yue's house.
Lu Yue was on another call, so Yang Jian had to put down his phone.
More than ten minutes later, Lu Yue's call came through.
"Xiao Yang, are you in the South?" Lu Yue's voice sounded a bit anxious.
"Sister Yueyue, what's wrong? Did something happen?"
"Lu Hao is gambling in the casino. He's drunk and, according to his assistant Xiao Zhao, he's already lost over sixty million. He won't stop no matter how much we try to persuade him, and he's even borrowed from loan sharks. Can you bring a few people over to get him back?"
Yang Jian was shocked. "Brother Hao is gambling in the casino? Shouldn't he be celebrating the New Year at home at this time?"
"He went to visit his girlfriend abroad a few days ago. He originally planned to spend the New Year with her and finalize their marriage. Unexpectedly, his girlfriend had already found a job abroad and was living with a local white guy. Lu Hao couldn't handle the blow and flew directly to the casino to vent his frustration through gambling. He got completely drunk, lost all twenty million in his bank account, and borrowed tens of millions from the casino. His assistant, Xiao Zhao, who accompanied him, couldn't persuade him and called me. But how can I get there from Hancheng? And I can't tell my parents about this."
"Send me Xiao Zhao's number, I'll contact him."
"Thank you, Xiao Yang. You're closer to the casino, please make sure to bring him back."
"Sister, I can't go to the casino myself. I can only send my brothers. Don't worry, we'll definitely bring him back."
After hanging up, Yang Jian immediately called Ah Nan, who was on duty, gave him a few instructions, and then drove home.
Ah Feng and Jun Jun were at home, watching the Spring Festival Gala.
"Ah Feng, hurry up and change your clothes, you're coming with me." Yang Jian shouted before even entering the house.
Ah Feng looked surprised. "Brother Jian, where are we going?"
"To the casino. Only you among us have a pass, so you'll have to bear with it."
"Why are we going to the casino at this time?"
"Lu Hao is drunk and gambling in the casino. He's already lost tens of millions. His assistant couldn't persuade him, so you go and get him back."
Ah Feng glanced at his watch. "It's nine o'clock now. Dongjiang is a two-hour drive from Zhushi. We'll get there around eleven. The Gongbei border crossing closes at one in the morning, so I should be able to get into the casino. Getting out will be tomorrow morning."
"Never mind that, just bring your documents. We'll head to the Gongbei border crossing first."
"Okay, I'll go change." Ah Feng quickly got up and went into his room.
"Brother Jian, can I come too? It's boring being home alone." After Ma Yuan went to manage the trading company, only the four of them lived in this house. Ah Nan often worked the night shift, and Jun Jun felt bored being alone.
Yang Jian nodded, then called Xiao Zhao to find out which casino Lu Hao was in.
"Hello Xiao Zhao, this is Yang Jian. How is Brother Hao now?" Yang Jian had met Xiao Zhao once and had a slight impression of him.
"Mr. Yang, Mr. Lu and Xiao Zhao have now lost one hundred million. I tried to persuade him, but he beat me up instead. What should I do?"
"One hundred million? How can he have so much money?"
"He has twenty million of his own, and the rest is borrowed. There are special junket promoters here who cater to gamblers from Hancheng. Mr. Lu is a regular customer here, and they know he has the means, so he was able to borrow one hundred million here."
"Which casino are you at?"
"The Venetian."
"Alright, we're coming over immediately. Keep your phone on." Yang Jian had heard of the Venetian Casino. Ah Feng had even interned there.
The three of them drove a commercial vehicle straight to Zhushi and arrived at the Gongbei border crossing two hours later.
Ah Feng showed his documents alone and entered the casino. He took a taxi to the Venetian Resort Hotel, while Yang Jian and Jun Jun waited near the border crossing.
The Venetian Resort is the most popular casino among gamblers in the city. It boasts a massive shopping center, designed with the luxurious style of Las Vegas. The layout with three artificial Grand Canals makes visitors feel as if they are in the water city of Venice, and a boat ride inside the casino offers a unique experience. The giant sky ceiling with blue sky and white clouds creates a sensation of time forever frozen at dusk, which is breathtaking. This casino not only attracts gamblers from all over the world but also a large number of tourists, bringing significant revenue to the hotel. It operates 24 hours a day. Ah Feng had no time to admire the beautiful scenery inside the casino and went directly to the VIP area, where Xiao Zhao was waiting for him.
"Hello Xiao Zhao, I'm Ah Feng. Where is Brother Hao now?" Ah Feng was meeting Xiao Zhao for the first time and found him through his phone.
"Hello Ah Feng, Mr. Lu is sleeping in his hotel room. He has lost one hundred and twenty million, of which one hundred million is from a loan shark company."
"Can he leave now?"
"He can't. The loan shark company requires him to repay the money before they let him leave. There are currently four people guarding Mr. Lu, and they won't let me get close. They told me to call back to the mainland to raise money. I've already informed Lu Yue about this situation. The amount is too large, she can't even raise five million."
"Raise one hundred million? Who has that kind of ability? It depends on whether Mr. Lu's company can come up with that much money." Xiao Zhao shook his head worriedly. "This matter cannot be known by the company. Once they know that Mr. Lu gambled away so much money, he will lose his position as president and might even be fired."
"Take me to see him." Ah Feng felt a headache coming on. How could they repay so much money? He wanted to see if Lu Hao was safe first. Xiao Zhao sighed and led Ah Feng to a guest room inside the casino. Indeed, four burly young men were guarding the room. Lu Hao was clearly drunk and sleeping soundly on the bed. He probably wouldn't know he had lost over a hundred million overnight when he woke up.
"Xiao Zhao, have you called to raise money? Let me remind you, if the money is transferred tomorrow, there will be no interest. If the money is not here tomorrow, starting the day after tomorrow, the interest will be calculated at five percent. You can calculate how much the daily interest on one hundred million is. He cannot leave until the money arrives." Seeing the two of them enter, one of the young men said mockingly, explaining the rules of borrowing money with a very strong attitude.