The family was shrouded in gloom, unsure of what to do.
Upon hearing the news, neighbors came to offer comfort, and soon the entire village knew. People continued to arrive at the Yang family's home until nightfall.
These were people whose family members worked at the template factory. They offered genuine comfort because the factory was doing well, offering the highest wages in the entire Xinqiao area, paid out monthly without delay.
Having a job at home that paid as well as city wages, no one wanted to lose it, so everyone hoped Yang Jian would be alright.
Then there were the elderly and families facing financial hardship. Having recently received a donation of 500,000 yuan from Yang Jian, they felt even more grateful towards him.
Rural folk had simple emotions. They saw Yang Jian as a kind, upright, and compassionate person. However, their understanding of the law was relatively weak. In the countryside, people played mahjong every day of the year, and professional mahjong parlors could be found in villages and towns.
There were also numerous establishments for gambling with dice and "Zha Jinhua" (a card game), so in their eyes, Yang Jian running a casino was not a big deal, not a major crime.
Furthermore, he used the money earned from the casino to repair roads and support the elderly and impoverished families, which set him apart from ordinary thugs.
Most villagers did not understand why Yang Jian was being pursued, even feeling it was unfair. They wondered why the police would go after Yang Jian, a good kid who never bullied anyone in the village and always greeted people with a smile, while so many truly wicked thugs went unpunished.
The village chief, Yang Huailin, sat with Yang Shuanglin for two hours, smoking two packs of cigarettes.
"Brother Shuanglin, don't worry too much. Jian'er is blessed with great fortune. He'll meet noble people when he travels. As long as he hasn't been caught, he'll surely turn misfortune into good fortune."
With no more words of comfort, Yang Huailin got up to leave.
Yang Shuanglin sighed, "He has indeed met many helpful people in the past two years. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to get out after being detained twice. But this time, the offense is too serious; no one can help him."
This remark reminded Yang Huailin, "Brother, that President Lu who came last time had quite a background. Why not ask him for help?"
Jing Yongli, who had been sitting in the corner, slapped his forehead. "Look at my memory! Afeng mentioned this afternoon that we should contact President Lu, and I forgot when I came back. Yaoyao, do you have President Lu's number? Call him!"
Lu Yao opened her phone and scrolled through. "I don't think I saved his number, but I remember Ruirui has his business card. I'll text her."
Yang Shuanglin quickly instructed, "Ruirui is about to take her exams. Don't tell her about her brother's situation; it will distract her."
Lu Yao nodded and sent a text message. She soon received a reply with Lu Hao's phone number.
Without hesitation, Lu Yao immediately called him.
"Brother Hao, it's Lu Yao, I..."
Before Lu Yao could finish, Lu Hao interrupted, "Don't ask anything now. Don't inquire everywhere, and don't try to find any connections. I'll be there in a while."
"But..."
Lu Yao didn't understand what he meant before Lu Hao hung up.
"Yaoyao, what did President Lu say?" Jing Yongli asked eagerly.
"President Lu just said not to ask anything, not to inquire around, and that he'll be here in a while."
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know. Do you think the call Jian Ge received last was from him?"
"It's very likely. I thought Lin Nan had notified Jian Ge to escape, but Lin Nan didn't know Jian Ge was arrested. Combined with what President Lu just said, that call was most likely from him. He has immense influence and must have a way to know someone was trying to catch Jian Ge, so he notified Jian Ge to escape in time."
"Your analysis makes sense. That means he will definitely help Jian Ge."
"Yes, so we shouldn't do anything. We'll just wait for President Lu to come. Auntie, Uncle, don't worry. Since President Lu has a plan, Jian Ge will surely be cleared of charges. He has great influence, and our meddling with connections might even backfire."
"Alas, I hope he can get help from noble people this time and turn misfortune into good fortune."
Yang Shuanglin reluctantly accepted the suggestion.
Seeing that the emotions of the three elders had gradually stabilized, Lu Yao decided to go home, as she had classes the next day.
Yang Hui, worried about her child, also returned to Chengguan with her.
Hungry and exhausted, Lu Yao arrived home nearly at eight o'clock. To her surprise, her father was also home. He had left after the National Day holiday ended, so why had he returned after only two days?
"Mom, I'm starving. Hurry and get me something to eat."
After greeting her father, Lu Yao tossed her bag onto the sofa and chugged from a teapot.
Chen Lan had already prepared a steaming bowl of fish noodle and pork rib soup for her.
Lu Yao was famished and started eating heartily with her chopsticks.
After just a couple of bites, she noticed the two elders sitting on either side of her, staring at her in silence.
"Dad, Mom, why are you looking at me like that? It's creepy."
"Yaoyao, do you know why I came back so quickly?"
Lu Qian's demeanor was very serious, as if he had something important to say.
"I was just about to ask you. You left only two days ago and you're back already. Isn't the construction site busy?"
"I rushed back because I heard about Yang Jian's situation."
"Really? Your news is quite timely. You found out so quickly."
"This afternoon, Yang Jian's casino was raided by hundreds of police and military personnel. The news reached our construction site in less than an hour. Someone said Yang Jian was also arrested. Is it true?"
"The casino was indeed raided, but Yang Jian escaped. He wasn't at the casino at the time; he was in Chengguan. However, someone was still trying to arrest him. A few minutes before the arresting officers arrived, someone called him, so he managed to escape in time, leaving his phone behind. I can't reach him now."
Lu Yao did not hide anything from her parents.
"Yaoyao, this matter is very serious. I heard so many people were deployed for this operation; it must have been directed by the municipal bureau or even the provincial department. The organizer of the casino will surely be severely punished. Even if Yang Jian escaped, he should be on the wanted list."
"Yes, his cousin told me that the arresting officers informed him that Jian Ge was nationally wanted, but Lin Nan couldn't find any wanted notice. I don't know what's going on."
"Yaoyao, we won't discuss the specifics. With such a big case, and with the attention of the municipal or provincial department, Yang Jian will inevitably face severe legal sanctions. Have you considered how to handle your relationship with him?"
"Ah?"
Lu Yao was a bit stunned. She had been so worried about Yang Jian that she hadn't had time to consider that.
Chen Lan stroked her daughter's hair. "Yaoyao, Yang Jian is a very good child. Your father and I both like him very much, but he took the wrong path. Now that he's committed such a serious offense, his life is ruined. Being arrested is inevitable, and a sentence of over ten years is certain. You should think about yourself."