Yang Jian went downstairs to Bai Zheng's office after arranging for Luo Peng to go undercover. He had seen Bai Zheng's car in the parking lot and knew he was at the entertainment city today, which was rare.
"Little Yang, have some tea."
Bai Zheng was happy to see Yang Jian after some time. The casino's business was getting better and better, and there had been no safety incidents, all thanks to Yang Jian.
"Brother Zheng, are you back from abroad?"
"Yes, I went to see the children. Little Yang, the casino is doing well. You've all worked hard. Have you encountered any difficulties?"
"No, the gamblers are all well-behaved, and the revenue is steadily increasing. However, I have a personal matter I'd like to ask your advice on."
"Of course, don't be polite with me. Go ahead."
"Brother Zheng, I have an enemy in the South China Sea, and I want to get rid of him."
Yang Jian briefly explained his feud with Hong Xing, emphasizing the significant obstacles Hong Xing was creating for his recent investments in his hometown.
"Little Yang, I do know a few friends in the South China Sea, but our relationship isn't very deep. Your current identity is sensitive, and I don't recommend you find acquaintances to investigate Hong Xing. This might expose your whereabouts and alert him."
"Then what's your suggestion, Brother Zheng?"
"You mentioned earlier that there are many people from Xinhe in the South China Sea, and someone knows about Hong Xing's casino. This shouldn't be difficult. As long as he goes to the casino, there will be an opportunity to take care of him."
Yang Jian shook his head. "Taking action at the casino is too risky. Hong Xing has been operating in the South China Sea for many years and has a considerable influence. He has many people around him, and the casino has even more. It's not suitable for direct action. Besides, I can't wait there indefinitely for him to show up at the casino."
Bai Zheng chuckled. "Little Yang, you are now a renowned figure in the underworld, and your financial strength is not bad. Why do you always think about acting yourself? In the future, leave the matters involving knives and guns to others. It's just a matter of spending more money. Don't put yourself in danger."
"You mean hiring professional killers?"
"Yes. If it's about territory or projects, let your brothers handle it. If it's about assassinating a single target, hire professional killers. Remember one thing: if a person doesn't look out for themselves, heaven and earth will destroy them. You have already established yourself, so don't easily take risks."
"But I don't know anyone in that line of work."
Although Yang Jian didn't entirely agree with the saying "if a person doesn't look out for themselves, heaven and earth will destroy them," he found the suggestion of hiring professional killers to deal with Hong Xing acceptable.
It was like the Xiang family hiring an international assassin for five million to kill him. Whether successful or not, it wouldn't implicate the Xiang family.
"I can help you find them. Using foreign professional killers would cost between two to five million. Since Hong Xing is not an ordinary person, he definitely has bodyguards. The price will be higher, but the success rate is high, and it won't implicate the employer. If you use domestic professional teams, it can be done for no more than two million. These people don't act alone. If one of them is caught during a team operation, they might reveal everything, and the employer has a high chance of being implicated."
Bai Zheng was very knowledgeable about the market in this area, clearly having dealt with such matters before.
"That's a good idea. I don't mind spending more money. I've already planned to arrange for someone to get close to Hong Xing. If we can track his movements, we can hire a professional team for this."
"It would be even better if we have his specific whereabouts. Notify me whenever you have news, and I can help you contact those professional teams at any time."
"No rush. It's not easy for my people to get close to him in a short time. It will take at least a few months."
Yang Jian knew that dealing with Hong Xing was difficult, mainly because it was hard to find him, so he couldn't rush the process.
Xinhe District, Nanhu Farm.
Brother Mao, Bao Guo, Shen Hua, and Hong Xing, who had just returned from the South China Sea, gathered in Hu Zhenghua's office.
"Little Hua, how is Xu Zheng now?"
Hong Xing had high hopes for his cooperation with Xu Zheng. Xinqiao Town had developed rapidly in recent years, and extending his influence there would yield greater profits. He hadn't expected trouble to arise right after they started cooperating.
Shen Hua sighed. "Xu Zheng is crippled. His tailbone nerves and bones are severely damaged. He will be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life."
"Damn Yang Jian, even though he's on the run, people are still willing to risk their lives for him. What's the situation at the Xiao Shahe sand quarry now?"
"The sand quarry has been shut down. Lijian Company dug up the access road to the sand quarry. Last night, I personally led people to smash the home of Yang Jian's cousin, Jing Yongli. Jing Yongli wasn't home, so I injured his father."
"What's the point of smashing his house? Will that get the sand quarry reopened?"
Brother Mao replied, "That was my idea. As far as I know, Jing Yongli is currently Yang Jian's agent, and he's a bit timid. If we give him a blow, he won't dare to oppose us. In a couple of days, we'll find an intermediary to talk to him. Either he repairs the road and our sand quarry continues to operate, or he compensates us with a large sum of money, and we shut down and withdraw our sand quarry."
Hong Xing nodded. "This method might work, but Jing Yongli is ultimately just an agent. Such a big matter still needs Yang Jian's approval. Given Yang Jian's temperament, I don't think he'll back down."
"I'll find someone to talk to him first and apply some pressure. If he doesn't agree, I have a backup plan: I'll directly shut down his factory."
Hong Xing smiled. "Brother Mao, be careful. Don't cause any fatalities that you can't handle. Yang Jian's template factory has grown into a significant enterprise in Xinqiao Town, a major taxpayer. If you shut it down, it will attract the attention of the authorities."
"Hmph, Yang Jian is currently investing heavily in Yaochi Garden, and the template factory is making money for him. If the template factory is ruined, Yaochi Garden will become a half-finished project. This is a strategy to cut off the roots, preventing Yang Jian from ever recovering. Even if he surrenders and goes to jail, he'll come out a pauper."
"But there are rumors that the investment in Yaochi Garden is from money Yang Jian earned elsewhere."
"Impossible. Yang Jian has been on the run for less than a year. How could he have earned tens of millions? His martial arts are formidable, but that doesn't mean he's good at business. You know his two companies are managed by professional managers, so I don't believe this rumor. I've looked into it. The budget for Yaochi Garden is twenty million, and the actual investment is estimated to be fifty million. The engineering payments due this year alone are at least fifteen million. The profits from the template factory and loans can cover this payment. As long as the template factory is ruined, his capital chain will break. He will not only have to repay bank loans but also pay engineering fees, leaving him with insurmountable debt. Even if he goes to jail, he won't escape these debts. At that point, for us, Yang Jian will be a toothless tiger, not to be feared."
To ensure Yang Jian had no chance of recovery, Brother Mao conducted extensive investigations and devised a series of malicious plans.