"Xiao Yuan, you finally showed up. Where have you been all this time?"
As Ma Yuan and Yang Jian entered the billiards room, someone greeted them.
"Brother Yuan Hai, I was at the internet cafe for over ten days and just got back last night. Let me introduce you to my Brother Yang. You met him at the hospital last time. He has something he wants to ask you about."
Ma Yuan quickly introduced Yang Jian to the young man named Yuan Hai.
Yang Jian offered Yuan Hai a cigarette, "Hello, Mr. Yuan."
Yuan Hai, who was only about twenty, was also a subordinate. Being called "Mr. Yuan" made him a bit embarrassed. "Hello, Brother Yang. Please, have a seat inside."
The billiards hall had a break room for employees, furnished with sofas, a coffee table, and a TV. After leading Yang Jian and Ma Yuan inside, Yuan Hai started making tea.
"Brother Yuan Hai, we were chased and attacked this morning. I thought that matter was over, but I didn't expect them to still be after us."
Ma Yuan recounted the terrifying events of the morning in detail.
Yuan Hai was so surprised that he forgot to pour the tea. "Damn, they're trying to kill you guys!"
Yang Jian nodded. "This is the second time. If this isn't resolved, we won't be able to stay in this area. So, I want to find out who's trying to get us?"
"We chopped up the convenience store owner last time. It must be the boss behind him who wants to kill you. This boss is likely Cheng Guang, the boss in the Liuqiao Village area."
"How much do you know about Cheng Guang?"
Although Yuan Hai didn't know Yang Jian's purpose, he enthusiastically explained, "I know him very well, because Cheng Guang is our rival in this area. Originally, Liuqiao Village and the bus station area were our territory, belonging to the Xichuan Gang.
But in the first half of last year, Cheng Guang suddenly brought people to fight us. He injured many of our men, including my current boss, who is my cousin Yuan Zhicheng.
We were severely weakened and had to watch helplessly as he encroached on our territory. We've fought him several times in the past year, and we've lost every time.
So, when Xiao Yuan asked for my help last time, I went without hesitation. We launched a surprise attack successfully and retreated without a scratch, which was a relief. However, that person doesn't hold much weight in the Yunan Gang. Even so, they launched a fierce retaliation against Xiao Yuan and his father."
Yang Jian asked curiously, "How do you define territory? This is a society governed by law. What benefits do you get from occupying territory?"
"While there aren't clear boundaries for occupying territory, it's an unspoken understanding. For example, the areas of Liuqiao Village and the bus station are now within Cheng Guang's sphere of influence.
As for benefits, there are many. For instance, construction projects in these areas, whether it's earthwork or materials, are monopolized by Cheng Guang and his people.
Entertainment venues in this area have to pay protection fees to Cheng Guang, or they can't operate.
They also control the lottery. There are three betting points in Liuqiao Village, and no one else can interfere.
In addition, there's the sex industry. The girls and male escorts working in this area are under their control, and the profits are huge."
Yuan Hai's words were tinged with resentment, as these were originally their businesses.
With this explanation, Yang Jian finally understood that the methods of these criminal organizations for accumulating wealth were similar to those in the mainland, except the demarcation of territory was less defined. He wasn't interested in these details.
"Do you know how many people Cheng Guang has?"
"I don't know the exact number, because there are many migrant workers from Yunan in this area, and they are very united. They can quickly gather four or five hundred people.
However, Cheng Guang likely only has forty to fifty subordinates, with about seven or eight core members.
Furthermore, he's not the real boss. He has a superior behind him. He's like the person in charge of this area, and a portion of all income must be handed over."
He has a superior? Yang Jian was somewhat surprised. "Who is his superior? Isn't that person stronger than him?"
"His superior is called 'Buddha,' the real boss of the Yunan Gang. And he, in turn, is a subordinate of the local boss Bai Zheng. The relationships are complex, but their influence is vast."
So Cheng Guang was one of Buddha's men. Yang Jian suddenly realized that the ambush this morning was primarily aimed at him, and had little to do with Old Ma and his son. He just didn't know if the planner was Buddha or that bodyguard, A Liang.
Based on the information provided by Dan Wei, Buddha wanted to win him over. It was unlikely he would orchestrate such a large-scale chase for a minor incident that day, so A Liang was more likely to be the planner of the ambush.
"What about your Xichuan Gang? Is your cousin the gang leader?"
"No, my cousin, like Cheng Guang, is just a person in charge of a small area. He only has about ten to twenty people and isn't as strong as Cheng Guang."
"Do you know Cheng Guang's stronghold or his specific whereabouts?"
Yang Jian intended to deal with Cheng Guang first, to make him feel the pain and understand the price of chasing him.
Yuan Hai didn't understand Yang Jian's intention. "Brother Yang, what do you need his whereabouts for?"
"He's tried to kill me multiple times. I can't just sit here and wait to die."
"You want to take Cheng Guang down directly?"
"Not necessarily kill him, but I need to teach him a lesson. Otherwise, I can't work here."
Yang Jian's statement left both Yuan Hai and Ma Yuan bewildered.
Ma Yuan pushed him incredulously, "Brother Yang, that's not a funny joke at all. It's a good thing you didn't say it outside, or they'd think you've lost your mind. To be able to work here, you want to take down the boss of this place? This is the first time I've heard such a bold reason."
"How have I lost my mind? To catch the bandit, first catch the king. No matter how powerful a force is, if you take down its leader, the force will disintegrate."
"You have a point, but can you really take down a boss like that? Do you think this is a Hong Kong movie? If it were that easy, Brother Yuan Hai and the others would have done it long ago."
"It's about human effort. Even a tiger dozes off sometimes. Cheng Guang isn't the president of a country, guarded twenty-four hours a day. It's not that difficult to deal with him."
Yang Jian said it very casually. He believed that with proper planning, few of these thugs and hooligans could withstand his lone wolf-style attacks, not even Buddha.
Yuan Hai looked at Yang Jian with shock. Wasn't he a manual laborer working for Ma Yuan's father? Why was he speaking so assertively? Either he was out of his mind, or he was truly capable.
But from Yang Jian's demeanor and words, he didn't seem like someone with mental issues. Otherwise, Ma Yuan wouldn't have brought him here.
The only explanation was that this six-foot-tall man might be a very formidable figure, hiding here temporarily for some unknown reason.
If that were the case, it could be exploited. Perhaps it could deliver a fatal blow to Cheng Guang and create an opportunity for the Xichuan Gang to reclaim their territory.