After the call, Jing Yongli saw that most of the thugs from the gambling companies were in their cars, with only two guarding the office entrance. He walked over to take a look and found a meeting in progress inside.
Liu Yong was in a sorry state. In less than three hours since waking up that morning, he had been beaten twice. The first time by the thugs, and the second by the migrant workers. If Manager Chen hadn't sent people to maintain order and call the police, he would have been crippled or worse.
Even so, he was still seriously injured. His face was badly swollen, his eyes were bruised, and he was practically slumped over the conference table, coughing up blood intermittently, indicating internal injuries.
Manager Chen sat opposite him with a hint of pity. "Little Liu, this is all I can do for you. Those migrant workers are causing trouble in town, which should have some effect and get you some money. But these people outside, I can't help you with them. What are your plans?"
Liu Yong, looking dejected, slumped on the table. "I have no plans. Let them beat me to death."
"What did you say? No plans? Are you f**king messing with us?"
Two young men walked in, yelling at him. One of them grabbed Liu Yong by the hair, preparing to strike again.
Manager Chen immediately stood up. "Stop! You're too arrogant, beating someone in my office. Don't think we outsiders are easy to bully. If you hit him again, I'll make sure you can't leave this construction site."
"Oh, Manager Chen, you're quite tough. I'd like to see how you stop us from leaving the site."
The young man then pushed Liu Yong's head against the table and rubbed it twice, clearly unfazed by Manager Chen's threat.
"If you really want to fight, I'll just call the police. There are cameras here, let the police handle your business."
Manager Chen eventually backed down. These thugs had connections and weren't afraid of outsiders like them.
However, the young men were also hesitant because there was indeed a surveillance camera above the office, and they didn't dare to make a move inside the office.
Jing Yongli was getting anxious. He couldn't contact Liu Yong in this situation, not even via text message.
"Liu Yong, don't pretend to be dead. Even if you go to the hospital, we'll follow you. Until you return the money, you're not leaving Baoping."
The young man patted Liu Yong's face and then tried to drag him out.
Manager Chen quickly intervened. "Brothers, don't rush. The migrant workers are causing trouble in town, which should attract the attention of the power plant leaders. They'll likely release some funds. Liu Yong's carpentry boss will definitely need him to sign off on the payroll. Then, the money you're owed can be included in the payroll, and the problem will be solved. He's already very weak; hitting him again might cause serious trouble."
"Manager Chen's suggestion is acceptable. Liu Yong, do you agree?"
Liu Yong had no choice. "I agree, but I can't guarantee it will cover everything, because I don't know how much the power plant will give. If they give a million, there's no problem, and all your money can be repaid. If it's less than that, it won't be enough, because the migrant workers won't agree either."
"I don't care about that. As long as the client pays, we get paid first."
Manager Chen quickly explained, "Brothers, it's not as simple as you saying you'll get paid. The payment of migrant worker wages is supervised by government departments. If you really want to take this money, you'll need to provide identification information for registration and have your debts processed as migrant worker wages. If the money is insufficient, it definitely won't be enough to go around."
"Then we'll bring more identification cards for registration."
"It's not as simple as you think. The migrant workers who come to work on the site basically know each other. If too many unfamiliar faces come to collect money at once, they will report it because you are diluting their share."
The office was filled with heated arguments, making Jing Yongli outside extremely anxious. Yang Jian and the others were almost there, but the thugs were watching too closely, preventing him from passing any information to Liu Yong.
With half an hour almost up, Jing Yongli knew the thugs wouldn't let Liu Yong out of their sight. He had no choice but to call Yang Jian.
"Brother Jian, Brother Yong is being watched too closely by those people. I can't get him to pretend to be unconscious. What should we do?"
"Can't you even use text messages?"
"Text messages are also not an option. There are people specifically guarding him, and Brother Yong's physical condition isn't good. I don't even know if he has his phone on him. Anyway, I haven't seen him use it."
"Don't worry, let me think. I'll call you back."
After hanging up, Yang Jian began to consider a different approach to pick up Liu Yong.
Biao Biao, who was driving, also chimed in on their call. "Brother Jian, don't overthink it. Let's just go to the construction site and snatch him. If anyone tries to stop us, we'll cut them down. I don't believe those people aren't afraid of death."
Liu Chao also agreed. "What are we afraid of? They beat my brother, and I've been looking for a chance to get back at them."
"Don't be impulsive. Intercepting them on the road is different from storming the construction site. You can find weapons anywhere on a construction site, and they have more people. If the three of us rush in, we'll be at a disadvantage. I can't let you get hurt. How about this, let's go visit Brother Hua first."
Liu Chao slapped his thigh. "That's right! We can ask Brother Hua for help. He should do us this favor."
Biao Biao stepped on the gas pedal and headed straight for Baoping Town. They bought four packs of the best local cigarettes and four bottles of Maotai, spending over ten thousand yuan.
With these cigarettes and liquor, the three of them immediately rushed to Huangjiaping.
They didn't see Huang Hua, but Huang Qiao was at home.
Seeing Yang Jian unexpectedly, Huang Qiao was very surprised. "Mr. Yang, how dare you come here? That case hasn't been settled yet!"
Yang Jian placed the cigarettes and liquor on the table in his house. "Brother Qiao, I'm here to pick up my brother. The New Year is coming soon, and this is a small token of my appreciation."
"Cough, why are you being so polite between brothers? I'm happy you came. You didn't need to bring anything. Have lunch here today, and we'll have a drink."
"Brother Qiao, I'll skip lunch. I've come with a matter I'd like to ask for your help with."
"You say it. As long as I can do it, I'll do it without question."
"Lend me about ten people, and I want to snatch my brother out."
Yang Jian briefly explained the situation and promised that his men wouldn't have to fight, just create a diversion.
Huang Qiao pondered for a moment and said, "Brother, to be honest, with the New Year approaching, the police's crackdown on crime has intensified. My men are lying low. You can see the casinos aren't even open. But your matter isn't difficult, I'll help you."
Yang Jian was overjoyed and produced another ten thousand yuan in cash. "Brother Qiao, this is for the brothers' hard work. They don't need to fight when they go in with me; they just need to block those people after I've brought my brother out."
Huang Qiao accepted the cash. "Then I won't be polite. Don't worry, even if it comes to fighting, it's fine. I'll have them all wear hats and masks, and we'll make a quick getaway, so the police won't find any clues."
"Great, I'll notify them inside to prepare."
With Huang Qiao's support, Yang Jian felt reassured. He'd rather spend more money than let Biao Biao and Liu Chao get hurt. After all, their opponents were local power brokers and had a numerical advantage. Who knew if they had any backup plans? Acting rashly would be suicidal.