After visiting the factory, Yang Jian led Li Jin and Wu Wangchun into the office, and Lu Yao served them Tieguanyin tea.
"Xiao Yang, has the matter of your cousin being beaten been dealt with? Do you need me to leave ten brothers to help you?"
Li Jin suggested after Lu Yao left. He knew Yang Jian had already retaliated, but since the main culprit wasn't harmed, there might be further conflict.
Yang Jian shook his head, "The police are very slow in solving cases. The other party didn't leave much evidence, so it's unlikely the killer will be found. Therefore, I have to solve it my own way. The other party shouldn't dare to do anything to me for now, so I don't need anyone. I'll call you if I need anything."
"Alright, Hancheng isn't far from here. My men are on standby. No matter who it is, if they infringe upon your and my brother's interests, I'll kill them even if they are the King of Heaven."
"That's not necessary. I don't plan to be the boss in Xinqiao. Being an entrepreneur is the persona I want to build. I can't ruin my reputation."
As soon as Yang Jian finished speaking, Wu Wangchun, who was halfway through his tea, almost spat it out, "Xiao Yang, don't be ridiculous. No matter how you try to whitewash yourself, Xu Zheng's casino and arcade were smashed the afternoon before yesterday. Everyone in Xinqiao believes you did it. You say you're not the boss of Xinqiao, but everyone says you have the most influence there."
"That's absurd. I haven't done anything wrong. How can ordinary people think of me like this?"
"It has nothing to do with whether you did good or bad deeds. Those underworld bosses don't harm every ordinary person, but they are still feared by everyone. However, you don't have a bad reputation. Ordinary people say you did a good job smashing it, especially the arcade, which harmed school children. Many parents were overjoyed when they heard the arcade was smashed by you, saying you did a great deed."
"Even the police haven't questioned me, so why do ordinary people assume I did it the day before yesterday? Don't they suspect you? You know you and Xu Zheng are also mortal enemies, and there's a high possibility you were the one who did it?"
Wu Wangchun laughed heartily, "Isn't it simple? First, your cousin was beaten, and your aunt's supermarket was smashed. Anyone would guess you would retaliate."
"You could have done it too, couldn't you? Aren't tactics like fishing in troubled waters and framing others common in the underworld?"
Yang Jian remembered Brother Mao, who used the conflict between Wu Laizi and himself to send Baoguo to cause trouble, which ultimately made him suspect Lao Gui and Wu Laizi, while he and Hu Zhenghua profited from it.
"Haha, to be honest, Xiao Yang, I did intend to use your cousin being beaten as an opportunity to strike at Xu Zheng and make Xu Zheng suspect you. I just didn't expect your retaliation to be so fast, and I wasn't even ready."
"I knew it. You old foxes are always trying to use a borrowed knife to kill someone."
Li Jin smiled, "This is the martial world, after all. It's all about deception and trickery. Even if Old Wu did it, he was helping you, because you wouldn't let the other party off the hook either."
"That's true. So why do ordinary people only suspect me and not Uncle Wang?"
Wu Wangchun continued to smile, "The main reason is that you are too fierce. You took down dozens of people with just two or three men. My men don't have that kind of ability. It's no wonder they suspect you."
"Alas, it seems I need to be more low-key in the future. However, after this incident, Uncle Wang, you are the one who benefited. Xu Zheng shouldn't be able to contend with you for a while."
"That's right. I came today to thank you. I'll arrange for people to guard your road construction around the clock, so you don't have to worry. After all, you can't be on the construction site all day and night. A two-kilometer road will take at least one to two months to build."
Yang Jian was overjoyed, "That's great. I was worried Xu Zheng would act shamelessly and send people to harass the construction site. I really can't guard it every day."
Li Jin gave him a look, "I offered to leave ten people for you earlier, and you refused. Now Uncle Wu is sending people over, and you accept. What do you mean? Do you look down on my brothers?"
Yang Jian laughed heartily, "No, Brother Jin. Your brothers are too expensive. They need food, lodging, and wages here, and I can't afford them. Uncle Wu's men are from nearby. They don't need food or lodging, and I only need to pay them two hundred yuan a day. It's cheaper."
"Why are you so stingy? You're still the boss of Xinqiao even after losing money."
"I'm not the boss. If I were the boss, I would use my own people. Why would I need Uncle Wu's help?"
Although he was joking with Li Jin, this was Yang Jian's true thought. In Xinqiao, he couldn't have his own power, otherwise, the reputation of an underworld boss would be solidified. If the government decided to crack down on organized crime one day, he would be the target. This was something Yang Huailin had repeatedly warned him about.
"You don't have to pay the wages for the people I arrange. Since you smashed Xu Zheng's casino, our casino is now the sole dominant one in Xinqiao. Their wages are paid from the casino."
Wu Wangchun was a generous person and didn't care about such small amounts of money.
"Old Wu is generous. Let's go. Take me to see your establishment. You've been operating in our establishments for so long. Since I'm here, I should at least go and place a bet. Xiao Yang doesn't need to come. I'll play a few rounds and then head back to Hancheng. You should go over there as soon as things are sorted out."
Li Jin took a sip of tea, got up, and left. Wu Wangchun quickly followed.
Yang Jian had to see them to the door.
"Brother Jian, after deducting the cost of the banquet from today's gift money, there's still eighty thousand yuan. Should I give it to you now or hand it over to the factory's finance department?"
Back in the office, Lu Yao took out a stack of cash. The gift money received today was all in her hands.
Yang Jian smiled and said, "You're the boss's wife. You should keep this money. Why give it to me?"
"Give it to me? Don't joke. You're short of money everywhere now. Road construction, renovation, and the factory needs working capital. You also need to pay migrant workers on September 1st. Eighty thousand yuan is not a small amount."
"It's okay. Today is the fifteenth. In another ten days, I'll be able to get my dividend, which should be three million. The current difficulties should be alleviated. I also plan to give you a hundred thousand yuan to buy a car, which will make it more convenient for you to come here in the future."
"Since that's the case, I'll keep it. I've also passed my driving test, and my parents are preparing to buy me a car. With this eighty thousand yuan, we can add it to buy a better car, so you don't need to give me the hundred thousand yuan."
"Oh, what kind of car are you planning to buy?"
"I've got my eye on a red sedan that costs over two hundred thousand. My parents are only giving me two hundred thousand. With this eighty thousand yuan, it will be enough."
"Alright then. By the way, Yaoyao, Sister Xia and Brother Nan are getting married on the eleventh. I plan to give them a car. How about the same model as yours?"
Lu Yao stared at him with her mouth agape, incredulous. After a while, she said, "Brother Jian, did I hear you correctly? You're giving them a car worth over two hundred thousand for their wedding? If I didn't know you so well, I would definitely think you were having an affair with Sister Xia."
Yang Jian gave her a light tap on the head, "What nonsense are you talking about? Sister Xia has helped me so many times, and she took great risks to save Afeng and the others. This time, when my sister had surgery, she handled everything, and she didn't get any compensation. What's a car? Even fifty thousand wouldn't be too much."
Lu Yao rubbed her forehead, "I was just joking. Do you need to use so much force?"