The casino they were scheduled to visit that afternoon was located in Qingjiang District, over twenty kilometers from Yang Jian and Old Wu's hotel in Hongjiang District, about an hour's drive within the city.
Before leaving, Song Jianhao called Yang Jian and Old Wu together to distribute the shares.
"Xiao Yang, the casino this afternoon has a five-thousand-chip ante. According to custom, a five-thousand-chip ante requires fifty thousand yuan to be brought along. So, each ten percent share requires a five-thousand-yuan stake. If you want two shares, you'll need to stake ten thousand yuan. Your available funds are insufficient, so I suggest you only take one share today. What do you think?"
Song Jianhao knew Yang Jian only had ten thousand yuan, and taking two shares might mean losing it all in one session.
Yang Jian naturally had no objections. "Alright, I'll just take one share."
"I'll also take just one share."
Old Wu likely didn't have sufficient funds either.
"Very well, Jianmin will also take only one share. The three of you will have a total of three shares, and I'll take seven. No complaints about wins or losses, okay?"
"What is there to complain about?"
Yang Jian was somewhat disappointed with the Emperor Company now. After half a month here, his earnings were only two thousand yuan, and that included a daily travel allowance of two hundred yuan. In reality, he had been losing money during this period. As a shareholder, his income was lower than that of the employees like Sixi.
Therefore, he was unwilling to take too many shares in this new casino today. The bigger the casino, the greater the wins and losses. Without sufficient funds, he couldn't take risks; a single mistake could ruin him.
The establishments near Sanjiao Road also needed to be guarded. Song Jianhao divided the personnel into two shifts. Sixi, along with San Pang and Si Gou, stayed at the Sanjiao Road casino, while he himself took Yang Jian, Old Wu, Liang Liang, and Biao Biao to the Qingjiang casino.
They drove Yang Jian's car and arrived in Qingjiang District an hour later.
The casino was set up on the second floor of a somewhat dilapidated hotel in a secluded area, in a guest room. The gambling table was made from a one-meter-by-two-meter bed, and there were only seven or eight gamblers.
As soon as Yang Jian entered the room, he felt that this casino was very strange. Not only were there few people, but they were all men, over thirty years old, with stout builds. They didn't look like respectable individuals but rather like people involved in shady dealings.
"Brother Kun, I apologize. There was some traffic on the way, and we were delayed a bit."
As soon as Song Jianhao entered, he offered a cigarette to a middle-aged man wearing a black mink coat. Clearly, this Brother Kun was the boss, or rather, the organizer of this casino.
It was only February, and the temperature in Hancheng was only two or three degrees Celsius, not expected to warm up until March or April. There was no air conditioning in the room, and everyone except Brother Kun was also wearing warm clothing, mostly down jackets.
"It's fine. Early or late doesn't matter. Let's get started."
As Brother Kun spoke, he sized up the newcomers, his gaze lingering on Yang Jian for a few seconds. Yang Jian was the tallest among them, appearing strong and capable.
Old Wu, along with Liang Liang and Biao Biao, took their seats at the gambling table to deal.
Yang Jian took out twenty thousand yuan from his backpack and handed it to Old Wu. He was still in charge of the money. Once the gambling officially began, he would wait outside the casino or in the car. If Old Wu won ten thousand yuan, he would text Yang Jian to collect the money. If the initial stake of twenty thousand yuan was lost, he would also ask Yang Jian to bring more money.
Since the room was not large, Old Wu sat by the wall, with Biao Biao and Liang Liang on either side of him. The eight gamblers sat opposite them.
When Brother Kun took out the gambling tools, the porcelain dish and cup, and placed them in front of Old Wu, Old Wu's expression changed instantly.
He immediately recognized that there was something wrong with the porcelain dish. It was too smooth and too white, without any flaws, and it was also slightly thicker than ordinary dishes, clearly processed specially.
After pretending to wipe the table with two pieces of tissue paper with his left hand, he immediately concluded that this gambling session was rigged to fleece the Emperor Company.
"Oh dear, President Song, I'm feeling terribly dizzy. Quickly, quickly take me to the hospital."
Old Wu suddenly clutched his head and slumped onto the gambling table, appearing to be in great pain.
He was an experienced veteran. Knowing that the other party was cheating, he couldn't expose them directly. This was their territory, and they were specifically targeting the Emperor Company today. Regardless of whether they gambled or not, it would be difficult to escape. He could only rely on his age and experience, perhaps by feigning illness to avoid this inevitable loss.
At the same time, this was also a way to convey information to Song Jianhao: this was a trap they shouldn't fall into.
Song Jianhao, having been in the Jianghu for twenty years, understood his meaning immediately. "Quickly, Biao Biao, Liang Liang, help Old Wu over. Xiao Yang, get ready to assist."
The space by the wall was narrow, preventing more people from entering. Biao Biao and Liang Liang quickly grabbed Old Wu's arms from both sides, preparing to help him up.
Yang Jian slung his backpack behind him, ready to provide support. Old Wu was in his fifties or sixties and was rather stout, making him prone to high blood pressure. If something were to happen to him, it would be troublesome.
"Wait a moment, President Song. I'll arrange for someone to take this elder to the hospital. One of you can accompany him. The casino cannot be shut down."
Brother Kun stood up and waved his hand. Four young men blocked the doorway, and the eight people inside the room also stood up.
The atmosphere instantly became tense. Yang Jian was still a bit confused. What was going on? This was a matter of life and death, and they still wanted to gamble?
Song Jianhao's expression changed drastically. "Brother Kun, this is a special situation. If something happens to the elder, I cannot bear the responsibility."
"I don't care about that. My casino operates every day, and the Emperor was scheduled in advance. If you suddenly want to leave, where will I find an Emperor now? How do you calculate this loss?"
"How about this, we'll leave ten thousand yuan as compensation for you."
"Ten thousand? Are you trying to beg? My casino's rake alone is at least fifty thousand in an afternoon. If you want to leave, you can, but you have to pay fifty thousand in compensation. Otherwise, I won't open today."
Brother Kun's attitude was very arrogant, completely confident he had Song Jianhao cornered.
"What is this? We're not gambling anymore, and you want fifty thousand in compensation? Are you robbing us?"
Even though Yang Jian was confused, he understood what was happening and immediately became angry. What was the difference between this and robbery?
"If you don't pay today, none of you will leave."
Brother Kun waved his hand, and the four young men at the door suddenly drew machetes from behind them and walked in.
Yang Jian reacted faster than them. With a swish, he drew his extendable baton and charged forward. The toilet in the room was near the door, so the corridor leading in was narrow, only wide enough for two people to walk abreast. In reality, these four men entered one after another, which provided Yang Jian with an advantage for his attack.
Before the first young man could raise his machete, Yang Jian's extendable baton struck his right shoulder blade.
With a cry of pain, the young man's right-hand machete immediately fell to the ground. Yang Jian then delivered a heavy kick to his stomach, causing him to collide with the two men behind him. The last one managed to dodge and escape outside the door.
At the same time, Biao Biao and Liang Liang also drew their extendable batons from their waists and leaped onto the gambling table, pouncing on Brother Kun from above.
After following Yang Jian, they were also equipped with retractable steel batons. This weapon was convenient to carry and more effective than a machete. Even if caught by the police, it wouldn't be considered a controlled weapon.