Before seeing the end of "Buckwheat Cakes for Longevity," Yang Jian felt a lingering sense of anticipation. Today, he realized that traditional opera held a certain appeal. Passed down through generations, it possessed a unique artistic charm. No wonder these middle-aged and elderly people were so engrossed, even in such cold weather.
"Whoa, where did you go? I thought you'd fallen into the toilet."
As soon as he approached the casino, Song Jianmin appeared before him.
Yang Jian chuckled, "I was watching a bit of opera and got so absorbed I lost track of time. Is class almost over?"
"You're a real oddball. How can you get absorbed in opera when a single sentence takes minutes to sing? I can't stand it for even a minute. Class should be over in about half an hour. Hurry up and take a seat, try to make some more money."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"It's just too realistic. After you left, no one tipped anymore. I sat there for an hour and didn't get a cent. Then I had my brother sit, and he only received five hundred from Sister Feng. It seems your presence carries more weight."
"That's because they've already given it, they can't keep giving, can they?"
"No, you'll know when you go in and sit down."
Yang Jian had no choice but to squeeze into the casino and relieve Song Jianhao.
The moment he sat down, Sister Feng, with a smile, tossed a crumpled banknote at him. "Second Jian, why were you out for so long? Were you accompanying your girlfriend to a show?"
"No, no, I was watching the opera myself. And you know, this Chu opera, with its 'yi yi ya ya' singing, is quite pleasant. I got so absorbed I lost track of time."
Everyone burst into laughter when Yang Jian finished speaking. Among a hundred young people nowadays, it would be hard to find one who liked opera. For him to say it was pleasant made him seem rather peculiar.
Yu Feng threw another five hundred. Just as Song Jianmin had said, once Yang Jian took his seat, money started coming in again to support the banker. Three bosses, possibly after winning, would toss two to three hundred for every five thousand or ten thousand they won. They weren't refusing to give just because they had before. Even the "Emperor" would toss five hundred or a thousand whenever a six-point was rolled.
At half-past five in the afternoon, the opera show ended, and the casino also wrapped up. Yang Jian quickly got up to distribute cigarettes to the bosses and gamblers who had given him money.
Even so, Yang Jian felt a little embarrassed and decided to bring a couple of cartons of cigarettes tomorrow. For anyone who gave money to support the banker, he would personally give them an extra pack of cigarettes.
"Uncle Wu, how did it go? Did you guys not lose?"
Yang Jian finally walked over to Wu Wangchun and distributed cigarettes to his team.
Wu Wangchun smiled and patted his shoulder, "We didn't lose. We won over two hundred thousand."
"Congratulations, congratulations! That's a great start. You'll make twenty million this year."
"Haha, I'll take your good words. Our goal this year is twenty million. How about it, do you want to take some 'Emperor' shares with us tomorrow?"
"I'll pass. Your wins and losses are too big, and I don't have the money to invest yet."
"You don't need to invest money. As long as you agree, I'll give you a ten percent share. You'll get a cut of the winnings, and you just need to cover the losses."
Yang Jian quickly shook his head, "Thank you, Uncle. I'll save up some money first. You guys play too big; I can't afford to lose."
It was a joke. Today they had won two hundred thousand, so they were happy. But what if they lost three hundred thousand tomorrow? A ten percent share would mean losing thirty thousand, and where would he get that money?
According to the rules Song Jianmin had explained, for such a large operation, one needed to prepare at least a hundred thousand yuan to join their team. Otherwise, if you lost a few rounds, you'd run out of money and lose your share, only to watch the company win again.
After seeing off the gamblers, the "stakes" on the periphery were all withdrawn. The gambling tables and stools were moved back to the ancestral hall, and salaries were distributed there.
Song Jianhao was very generous this year, giving each of the brothers working in the casino three hundred yuan. This was because the casino was thriving and highly profitable.
Another reason was that wages outside were generally rising. Entering 2006, the entire society's economic development had entered a fast lane, with real estate being particularly prominent. This naturally boosted the prosperity of the construction industry. Xinhe District was a hub for construction, with over two hundred thousand workers employed. Wages for many trades on construction sites could reach four to five hundred yuan a day.
Therefore, paying only two hundred yuan a day would be too meager, especially considering this was a high-risk industry.
"Jianmin, aren't we gambling tonight?"
While Song Jianhao was distributing salaries, Yang Jian asked Song Jianmin with some doubt. Last year, they had operated at night as well.
"We're not gambling tonight. The village said the weather is too cold, and they're worried about the elderly watching the opera getting chilled, so they won't be performing at night. We won't open the casino either. Once the weather warms up in a few days, they'll have night shows, and we'll open for gambling then too."
"That makes sense. Here, you count this money."
Yang Jian handed the paper box to Song Jianmin, but he pushed it away and whispered, "Wait a moment. This money can't be taken out now. We'll divide it at the end."
The meaning was clear. Sister Feng, Old Wu, and the village chief Song Hui were all shareholders. This money was given by customers to support Yang Jian as the banker, and it had nothing to do with them. It wasn't appropriate to take it out now.
After distributing salaries and deducting all expenses, the gambling company's net profit was eighteen thousand yuan. Yang Jian's ten percent share amounted to one thousand eight hundred yuan.
After the money was distributed on the spot, Song Jianhao gave a brief summary.
"Brothers, today is our first day of operation, and everyone performed very well. The stakes outside were diligent, and nothing went wrong inside. I hope you maintain this.
However, as the casino's influence grows, all sorts of troublemakers will be drawn here, and conflicts are inevitable. Brothers inside, you need to be more assertive. If anyone causes trouble, listen to Yang Jian's commands. Fight when you need to fight, and kill when you need to kill. I'll take responsibility for any consequences.
Don't worry, with Yang Jian here to oversee things, I believe very few people will dare to disrespect him."
Yang Jian was stunned. Wasn't Sixi responsible for maintaining order inside? Why were they being told to listen to him?
Song Jianhao knew this hadn't been discussed with Yang Jian beforehand and immediately explained, "Little Yang, if there's nothing going on at the venue, you don't need to worry about it. Just sit there and collect money. If someone deliberately picks a fight, you just need to stand up and say a few words, which should be effective. We're here to make money. As long as it's not too excessive, there's no need for conflict."
Before Yang Jian could speak, Biao Biao stepped forward, "Brother Hao, don't worry. With Brother Jian here, if anyone dares to cause trouble, I'll be the first to cut them down."
Liang Liang also chimed in, "That's right. We beat Liu Ming so badly he begged for mercy. I don't believe anyone has tougher bones than him. On our Song Family Village territory, even the King of Heaven would have to behave himself."
These two were full of bravado, but the others remained silent, including Sixi. Ever since he was injured at Xunsi River, he had become even more timid. If it weren't for the fact that he was injured while working for the company, Song Jianhao would have kicked him out long ago.
These people could shout at ordinary gamblers, but when they encountered tough guys from the underworld, they immediately cowered. The main reason was that Brother Hao wasn't tough enough; he couldn't back them up when real trouble arose, and they were afraid of retaliation afterward.