In the town of Chengguan, at the Xinglong Tobacco and Liquor business.
After lunch, San Pang, who had just delivered a batch of goods, was called to the tea room behind the store by Brother Mao.
“San Pang, what have you been busy with these past few days?”
Brother Mao poured San Pang a cup of tea. He had returned from out of town that morning and knew San Pang had been away for several days.
“I went back to see my mother. Her lumbar spine has been acting up, but the main reason was that Jian Ge asked me to help him, so I was delayed for a few days.”
San Pang had no intention of hiding his recent interactions with Yang Jian.
“Was it about the topping-out ceremony for the house?”
“No, Yang Jian contracted a section of road in our village and had a conflict with Xu Zheng. Xu Zheng beat up his cousin and smashed his aunt’s supermarket. Yang Jian asked me to help investigate Xu Zheng.”
Brother Mao was clearly unaware of this, and his face immediately showed surprise. “Xu Zheng? The one who runs the mahjong parlor?”
“Yes, that’s him. He’s really made a name for himself now. Not only does he run a casino and an arcade in Xinqiao, but he’s also monopolized most of the village road construction in the villages under Xinqiao Town. He has dozens of men working for him.”
“Really? This Xu Zheng is quite something, but he’s gotten too arrogant, daring to provoke Yang Jian. That guy never backs down. What happened afterwards?”
Brother Mao’s interest was piqued. It was rare for someone to confront Yang Jian head-on.
“Xu Zheng made his move in the morning. Yang Jian immediately rushed back from Hancheng and called me back. That afternoon, he beat up over twenty of Xu Zheng’s men at the casino, smashed five cars, and then returned to Xinqiao Town and completely trashed Xu Zheng’s arcade, which had only been open for less than a month and had over 300,000 yuan invested in it.”
“I knew it. That’s Yang Jian’s style and personality. Xu Zheng has run into a tough opponent this time. What about Xu Zheng himself?”
“Xu Zheng definitely wouldn’t dare to show his face. But he can’t hide forever. There are still many agricultural projects in Xinqiao. If he doesn’t go back, he won’t get any of them. So, this morning, his uncle, Yu Xiangdong, stepped in and called Yang Jian and Xu Zheng together to mediate and try to resolve the conflict.”
“Hmm, Yu Xiangdong is now the head of the Legal Affairs Section. He has some real power, and Yang Jian probably wouldn’t dare to offend him too much. How did the mediation go?”
“The mediation was successful. Xu Zheng compensated his cousin’s family 80,000 yuan and transferred the contracting rights for a one-kilometer section of village road to Yang Jian. From now on, they’ll stay out of each other’s way and not interfere.”
“What about Xu Zheng’s losses? Yang Jian isn’t paying anything?”
“Yang Jian doesn’t admit to smashing the arcade at all. There were only two of them at the time, and they were both wearing masks, leaving no evidence. When the police investigated at the factory, all sixty-plus workers testified that Yang Jian had no alibi.”
“I knew it. Yang Jian isn’t someone anyone can mess with. Xu Zheng tried to steal a chicken but ended up losing his rice. He thought he had his uncle, who’s a section chief, backing him, so he didn’t know his place. Not only did he suffer significant financial losses, but he also had to pay a large sum of money, losing face and dignity.”
“Exactly. Brother Jian isn’t someone who likes to cause trouble. He’s also generous, loyal, and kind. As long as his core interests aren’t touched, he won’t make a move.”
San Pang didn’t notice Brother Mao’s slightly strange expression as he said this.
“San Pang, didn’t Yang Jian ask you to work at his casino? I heard his casino is quite large, making twenty to thirty thousand yuan in rake a day. The salary must be very high.”
“He did ask me to work at the casino. After careful consideration, I felt it wasn’t stable. Casinos run by outsiders in Hancheng are destined not to last long and aren’t safe. I’m not good at fighting, and I can’t cheat. Instead of just being a number there to earn a living, I’d rather stay here with you, Master. A monthly salary of three thousand yuan is higher than ninety percent of people in Chengguan. I’m very content.”
San Pang had already prepared his response because, given Brother Mao’s naturally suspicious nature, he was bound to ask this question.
However, this answer didn’t seem to dispel Brother Mao’s doubts. “But his casino has been operating without any issues for two months. Biao Biao and the others’ salaries must be several times yours, aren’t you envious?”
“I’m different from Biao Biao and the others. Biao Biao and Liang Liang are brave and fierce. If something happens, they can fight alongside Yang Jian without hesitation. I’m a burden to them in that regard.
Also, because of the incident where I tricked Yang Jian into gambling here, he doesn’t trust me much. If it weren’t for the need to cheat, I would have no value to him. He called me back this time because I’m very familiar with Xu Zheng’s situation.
As for the salary, it’s not that high either, because that casino is a partnership with the local boss. Even a great master like Old Wu only gets two hundred yuan a day. Biao Biao and Liang Liang are the same, but Yang Jian gives them some additional rewards separately, like buying Liang Liang a car worth over a hundred thousand yuan a couple of days ago.”
“That’s not bad either. If you went there, maybe he would buy you a car too.”
“Impossible. I know my place. My standing in Yang Jian’s eyes isn’t even as high as Old Wu’s. Giving me two hundred yuan a day is already a favor based on our childhood friendship. So, it’s better to be here with you than to be a sycophant.
Besides, the bigger his casino gets, the higher the possibility of being caught. I don’t want to take that risk.”
Hearing San Pang’s explanation, Brother Mao finally nodded. “Hmm, you see things very clearly. Opening a larger establishment isn’t a good thing. It will inevitably attract the attention of high-level police. I heard Old Pan’s establishment collapsed a few days ago, and Xi Ge has also returned. So, your choice is correct.”
“Exactly. My parents also don’t want me to associate with Yang Jian. They say it’s not a long-term plan, and it’s bad for my reputation. It will be even harder to find a wife.
“That’s the right way to think. Don’t worry, work hard here, and by the end of the year, I’ll give you some bonuses. Combined with your savings, you should be able to scrape together a down payment for a house. Then, I’ll have your parents move to Chengguan, and your life won’t be worse than Biao Biao and the others.”
Brother Mao knew that San Pang had earned tens of thousands of yuan by cheating with Yang Jian in Xichuan last year, and he had earned a few thousand yuan a month at the Emperor Company in the first half of the year. He wasn’t far from a down payment.
“Thank you, Master. I do plan to buy a house in Chengguan. Otherwise, it’s hard to find a girlfriend.”
“Hmm, once you settle down in Chengguan and get familiar with everyone, I’ll help you open a separate tobacco and liquor store. Your family can live without worry.”
“That’s not necessary. As long as your store keeps operating, I’m very content with a monthly salary of three thousand yuan. I haven’t thought about investing; the risk is too high, and I don’t dare to take chances.”
San Pang knew Brother Mao was making empty promises, or perhaps testing if he had any ambitions, to gauge whether he had discovered his drug dealing.
“Hmm, we’ll talk about that later. Has Yang Jian said anything about me in front of you, or about Wu Laizi and Baoguo?”
“Yang Jian hasn’t mentioned you or Baoguo, but he sent people to Nanhai to look for Wu Laizi and offered a heavy reward there. Anyone who finds Wu Laizi will be rewarded with 100,000 yuan. It’s clear he doesn’t intend to let Wu Laizi go.
As for you, Master, he probably won’t hold a grudge. Yang Jian isn’t narrow-minded. He’s long over the money he lost at your place. Even I’ve forgiven him, and you even compensated him.
The only thing that might have caused him some displeasure was the incident where Er Ping caused trouble at the casino during the New Year. That’s why he didn’t accept your gift money for the celebration, as Wu Laizi was also from your circle. But this matter is too trivial for him, and it’s unlikely he’d hold a grudge against you.”
San Pang’s explanation was reasonable. While it wouldn’t completely make Brother Mao let down his guard against Yang Jian, it would ease his tension.