After dinner, the debt collection officially began.
Sixi clearly knew the backgrounds of the few debtors and drove directly to the Phoenix Community in the central area of the county town. He cornered the first debtor, Hu Fei, in a two-story building.
Hu Fei was a man in his thirties, with a refined appearance, resembling a teacher. He lived alone, but a family photo on the wall indicated he had a wife and children.
"Teacher Hu, it's time to repay the money you borrowed from me."
Sixi produced the IOU, which showed that Hu Fei had borrowed ten thousand yuan from Wu Chunxi.
Only then did Yang Jian learn that Sixi's real name was Wu Chunxi. He was working for Hao Ge in the gambling operation, and Hu Fei was indeed a teacher.
The fact that teachers also gambled made Yang Jian feel uncomfortable. In his mind, teaching was a sacred profession, a model for educating and nurturing people. It was disheartening to see such a person fall prey to gambling.
"Mr. Wu, I don't have the money on hand right now. Can you give me a few more days?"
Hu Fei was clearly intimidated by the sudden appearance of Wu Sixi and the others.
"Teacher Hu, when you borrowed the money, you said you would repay it that same night. It's been three days now, and I've been very lenient. It's unreasonable not to repay it now, wouldn't you agree?"
"I lost over twenty thousand that day, and I really don't have any money. Please, give me a few more days. I'll pay you back when I get my salary."
"Teacher Hu, don't joke. From what I know, your salary is just over a thousand yuan. How can you repay the money with just your salary?"
"In a few days, my parents and my wife will also get their salaries, and we'll definitely be able to repay you."
Sixi thought for a moment and said, "Alright then, I'll give you three more days. If you still can't repay it by then, I'll come to your school to block you. Don't blame me for not showing you any respect."
"Yes, yes, yes, I'll definitely repay it in three days."
Hu Fei, perhaps fearing Wu Sixi would confront him at the school, quickly agreed.
Yang Jian thought it was over and turned to leave. He felt uncomfortable with the act of debt collection, carrying a sense of guilt.
"Teacher Hu, then give me the interest for these three days."
Sixi abruptly changed the subject, demanding the interest on the loan.
"How... how much?"
"When you borrowed the money, you paid five hundred for every ten thousand. Seeing as you're an honest person with a fixed salary, let's say three hundred a day. You owe me nine hundred now."
"I... I don't have that much money on me."
Nine hundred yuan was equivalent to more than half a month's salary for Hu Fei, and it was clearly difficult for him to come up with it now.
Liang Liang, standing nearby, grew impatient. "What the hell do you mean? Do you think we're just playing around coming here in this cold weather? If you don't pay today, you're coming with us."
Biao Biao then shoved Hu Fei.
"Wait a moment, I'll go and find it."
Hu Fei, thoroughly frightened, turned and rushed into the room.
After four or five minutes, Hu Fei emerged with a wad of cash. Except for five hundred-yuan bills, the rest were small denominations, including five and ten yuan bills.
"Mr. Wu, I only have seven hundred and eighty yuan at home. Please be understanding. I'll make up the difference in a few days."
"Alright, I hope you won't break your promise in three days, or you won't be able to bear the consequences."
Sixi took the money, pocketed it without counting, and left with the other two.
Ten minutes later, the four of them were in a private room at the "Taste of Time" tea restaurant.
"Brother Sixi, how many more targets are there tonight?"
Yang Jian asked while sipping his coffee. The first debt collection had gone relatively smoothly. Although the principal wasn't fully recovered, there were no unexpected incidents.
"Someone will be bringing money over shortly. These are the only two targets for tonight. Tomorrow, there's a woman who is wealthy, so collecting money won't be difficult. Another one is in the countryside, and we'll go find them tomorrow."
"There are people who voluntarily return money?"
"Of course. Some people borrow money because they lost it gambling and didn't have time to go home to get it. The one coming later is a businessman who isn't short of money. The lenders prefer dealing with people like him."
"What happens if that Teacher Hu still can't repay the money in three days? Are you really going to confront him at his school? That would ruin his career."
"Of course we will, otherwise he won't pay. Little Yang, since you've entered this industry, you can't be soft-hearted. These gamblers don't deserve sympathy. Didn't you see how high-spirited and generous they were in the casino, betting thousands without batting an eye?"
"How can a teacher gamble? It's such a good job, with a stable income, a relaxed work environment, and prestige. It's too much of a loss to lose his job because of gambling."
Sixi patted his shoulder. "Little Yang, you're still too naive. Once you enter the casino, you'll find that people from all walks of life participate in gambling. Human nature is greedy; few are content with their current situation. Who doesn't wish for sudden wealth? The casino offers them that opportunity."
Yang Jian strongly agreed with this statement, as he himself had lost two hundred thousand yuan due to this very mentality. The first time he played at Brother Mao's, he had won over twenty thousand yuan. He thought gambling was a quick way to make money, and that's how he gradually fell into the abyss. He, too, was driven by greed.
As the group was chatting over coffee, a man in his forties knocked and entered.
Sixi quickly stood up and offered the man a cigarette. "Hello, Manager Huang. I apologize for making you come all this way."
"It's nothing, it's I who should apologize. I was out buying inventory these past two days and just returned. Here is the principal amount of forty thousand yuan. Please count it."
The man surnamed Huang was very straightforward. Without further ado, he took out four stacks of neatly bound banknotes from his bag.
Sixi took the money and handed it to Biao Biao and Liang Liang to count.
"Little Wu, how is the interest calculated?"
Manager Huang was well-versed in the rules, knowing that returning only the principal was insufficient. The lending companies never operated without profit.
Sixi chuckled. "Manager Huang, our rule is three hundred for every ten thousand per day. You're an old friend of Brother Hao, so you can give whatever you think is fair."
"I don't have much cash on me. Is two thousand okay? I'll speak to Jian Hao later."
"No problem, two thousand it is."
Sixi's attitude confused Yang Jian somewhat. This boss was clearly wealthy. According to the rules, he should have paid four thousand eight hundred yuan in interest. If Sixi had insisted, he probably wouldn't have defaulted.
After Biao Biao and Liang Liang finished counting the money, Boss Huang left after handing over the two thousand yuan.
"Brother Sixi, Boss Huang should have paid four thousand eight hundred yuan in interest. Why did you only accept two thousand?" Yang Jian asked, puzzled.
Sixi grinned. "Boss Huang has a very good relationship with Brother Hao. Even if he didn't pay interest, we couldn't force him. His business is large, and he has extensive connections, including with the top bosses in the county town. Brother Hao wouldn't dare offend him; he's even counting on him to support the house in the future."
"Supporting the house" meant showing patronage. Yang Jian understood. He immediately realized that Sixi, and even Hao Ge, were characters who bullied the weak and feared the strong. They treated Teacher Hu and Boss Huang with completely different attitudes. Society was very realistic; wealth brought connections, and these thugs dared not disrespect them.