The decision to build the house was made, and Yang Jian did not return home. He had Jing Yongli send over three hundred formwork panels and began assisting the construction team with the foundation.
Four days were spent completing the rebar fabrication and formwork erection. Liangliang and Biao Biao escorted the ready-mix concrete, and within two hours, the foundation plinth and main beams were successfully poured.
Song Jianmin also came upon hearing the news and was astonished into silence by the scale of the operation.
"Damn, Yang Jian, you're going all out! If this house gets built, you'll be a rich man."
"Rich man? It's all on credit. If I can't come up with the money by the New Year, my house will be full of debt collectors again."
Yang Jian felt a headache coming on, remembering the scene of the migrant workers surrounding his house last year.
"Don't worry, borrowing money won't be difficult for such a large house. Besides, there are still six months. With your ability and luck, you might even earn it back."
"It's not that easy. Building such a big house will cost millions."
"Don't be discouraged. As long as you encounter another situation like Chen Song's, things will pick up quickly. Yang Jian, my brother is coming back tomorrow. Why don't we sit down and discuss how to proceed?"
Song Jianmin's purpose in coming was to persuade Yang Jian to continue working with Song Jianhao's team.
Yang Jian shook his head. "Jianmin, I don't want to run an 'emperor' company anymore. Firstly, there's no money. Look, although all the materials and labor here are on credit, I can't just not pay anything. Secondly, finding good opportunities is too difficult. The martial world is treacherous, full of pitfalls. I'm no longer interested in the role of the house banker."
Song Jianmin knew Yang Jian was indirectly expressing dissatisfaction with his brother but chose to play dumb. "How about we have dinner together tomorrow? My brother was worried you'd be too busy, so he asked me to invite you in advance."
"Jianmin, I'm not lying to you, I really don't have time. Tomorrow is Lu Feng's visitation day, and I need to take Lu Yao and her family to visit him in prison. It will take a whole day."
"Really? Which prison is Lu Feng in? I'll go see him too."
"Brother Jian, we want to see Brother Feng too."
Biao Biao and Liangliang chimed in simultaneously.
"Lu Feng is in Huanglong Prison, two hundred kilometers from the county seat. Has Jianmin's car been repaired? My car can't take that many people."
Song Jianmin jingled his car keys. "Didn't you see me drive here? That old Santana is scrapped, but I have my brother's former Nissan. He's coming back tomorrow to pick it up, so we'll use it for a day."
Yang Jian asked doubtfully, "Didn't you redeem Brother Hao's Toyota Prado?"
"Where would we get the money to redeem it? That car was valued at forty-eight thousand and transferred to Brother Xi's brother. It hasn't even been driven five hundred kilometers, and we lost seventy thousand yuan. It's back to square one overnight. All this work in the last six months was for nothing."
"How was it for nothing? Didn't Brother Hao buy a house? That's a profit in itself."
"That's true. He ended up with a house and found a girlfriend. He didn't lose out. I'm the one who truly lost."
Song Jianmin, knowing full well Yang Jian was mocking Song Jianhao, still steered the conversation back to himself.
Yang Jian didn't want to discuss Song Jianhao's affairs. "Alright then, you guys gather here at seven tomorrow morning, and we'll go see Lu Feng together."
Huanglong Prison.
Located on the outskirts of Hongzhou City, it was a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Xinhe County seat. Yang Jian and his group departed at seven in the morning and arrived at the prison gate precisely at nine-thirty.
Lu Yao went in to complete the procedures, and twenty minutes later, Lu Feng was brought to the meeting room by the prison guards.
Seeing Lu Feng with his head shaved, separated by glass, Chen Lan began to cry before she could even speak into the intercom.
As prison regulations limited family visits to no more than thirty minutes, Lu Qian had to take the intercom to speak with his son.
Furthermore, only three family members were allowed to visit. Fortunately, the meeting hall was quite spacious, and although Yang Jian and the others couldn't speak directly, they could still see Lu Feng.
"Brother Jian, when you go in, say a few words to my brother for me. I won't go in."
Lu Yao was considerate. With so many friends present, one of them should represent them in speaking with Lu Feng.
Lu Qian and his wife only allocated five minutes of visiting time for Yang Jian.
"Brother Feng, you've lost a lot of weight inside. I'll transfer some money to you later. Eat well."
Yang Jian approached the glass window and noticed that Lu Feng's face had become gaunt and pointed.
"Xiao Yang, my dad told me you and Yao Yao are together. If that's the case, you're my brother-in-law. I won't call you Master anymore. My dad also told me about the Wu Laizi situation. Thank you for taking care of Yao Yao all this time; otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable. I'm relieved that Yao Yao is with you."
"Alas, it's a pity Wu Laizi got away. That guy will be a hidden danger sooner or later. I need to find him as soon as possible."
"Then be careful. Think through your next steps before acting, and don't get yourself into trouble on impulse. Before I get out, my family needs you to look after them."
"Don't worry, Brother Feng. I won't let them suffer any harm. You, on the other hand, need to reform yourself well, strive for a reduced sentence, and get out sooner. Is anyone bullying you inside?"
"Yes, there's a hierarchy here too. Most inmates are locals. There are only two or three from Xinhe, and we get bullied a bit. But don't worry, it's still about who has the stronger fist. This isn't my first time in prison; I'm usually the one bullying others. If anyone dares to touch me, I won't spare even the Jade Emperor."
"Don't be impulsive. Causing trouble won't reduce your sentence, and it might even extend it. Endure if you can, don't lose sight of the bigger picture for minor gains."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. It's a dog-eat-dog world in here too. If I don't show some strength, these next few years will be very difficult for me. I'm currently in the garment workshop, and I'm aiming to become the group leader within a short period. That will make things easier for these few years."
Yang Jian wasn't very familiar with the prison system. "Are you planning to become a group leader through fighting?"
"Displaying martial prowess is one aspect. Another is building a good relationship with the guards. The guard in charge of our group is named Pang. He said I have a talent for clothing and intends to cultivate me."
As Lu Feng said this, he kept winking at Yang Jian, as if trying to convey something.
Yang Jian knew their conversation might be monitored, and some things couldn't be said. However, he couldn't quite grasp Lu Feng's meaning at the moment and could only ponder it later.
"That's good. If you earn merits during your labor reform, you can get a reduced sentence. Biao Biao and the others are here, but unfortunately, they can't talk to you. They all want to give you something. Do you have any instructions for them?"
"Please thank Biao Biao and Liangliang for me, and Jianmin too. They are all my good brothers. I won't forget this kindness. I know what to do when I get out."
"Alright, I'll pass on your message. Time is up. I'll see you again next month."
"Xiao Yang, remember what I said earlier. I still need you to handle some matters outside."
"Okay, goodbye."
Seeing the guards approaching, Yang Jian had no choice but to end the visit. As for Lu Feng's hint, he seemed to have understood something.