Yang Jian could tell that Wu Wangchun was trying to stir up trouble, but he didn't care. If Xu Zheng didn't provoke him, he wouldn't bother with Xu Zheng. He still had to deal with Wu Laizi and Baoguo, so it was better to avoid more trouble.
"Uncle Wang, what's the second matter you mentioned?"
"Oh, the second matter is about Song Jianhao opening a casino. He specifically asked me to explain it to you."
Seeing Yang Jian changing the subject, Wu Wangchun felt awkward continuing to instigate Yang Jian to deal with Xu Zheng.
"Explain? Explain what?"
"He said that business has been very bad in Jiangbei recently, and he's lost almost all of the two hundred thousand yuan Jianmin borrowed. He had no choice but to cooperate with Xiong Er and open a small place by the railway. He doesn't intend to compete with you, only to run a 'black money' establishment and make a little bit of money. Otherwise, he can't survive."
Yang Jian chuckled, "It's a good thing Brother Hao is opening a place. Why should he explain to me? Li Jin is the boss around here, and I'm just following him to make a living. If he can tolerate Brother Hao opening a place on his turf, then I have no objections. After all, Jianmin and I are good brothers."
Wu Wangchun instantly understood the implication. On Song Jianmin's account, Yang Jian could overlook Song Jianhao opening a small establishment here, but whether Li Jin would tolerate it was another matter. If anything happened, Yang Jian shouldn't be blamed.
"Little Yang, you'll have to handle this. Song Jianhao is indeed down on his luck. He lost a lot of money at Old Pan's place and will have a hard time recovering anytime soon. Considering you're all from the same hometown and have worked together before, could you put in a word with Li Jin and let Song Jianhao off the hook for a while? Let him make a living here so he can pay off the high-interest loan Jianmin took out. Otherwise, Jianmin won't even have a place to live."
As the saying goes, one mountain cannot accommodate two tigers. Wu Wangchun was aware of this unwritten rule in the underworld. Two casinos so close to each other were intolerable to anyone, just as he couldn't tolerate Xu Zheng opening a casino in Xinqiao.
Therefore, he could only present Song Jianmin's predicament. Yang Jian considered Song Jianmin a true brother, and he hoped that for the sake of their friendship, Yang Jian would tolerate Song Jianhao this once.
"Uncle Wang, you know I've been at home lately and haven't managed things here. I have to rush back tomorrow morning to take my sister for surgery, and the house in Chengguan is also about to be topped out. So, I won't be coming over for a while, and I won't be dealing with Brother Hao's matter."
"Alright then, I'll explain it to Song Jianhao. By the way, when is your house in Chengguan being topped out? I'll come to celebrate."
"The fifteenth of August. I'll call you then."
Celebrating the topping out of a house was an important custom. According to tradition, it required hosting a banquet. Yang Jian also hoped for as many guests as possible, as it represented a prosperous future.
"Okay, I'll definitely be there."
Wu Wangchun said no more and turned to go into the casino.
Not wanting to face Song Jianmin and Li Jin to discuss Song Jianhao's casino, Yang Jian changed his mind and decided to return to Xinhe immediately.
However, before leaving, he called Li Jin, only mentioning his sister's surgery and not Song Jianhao's casino.
After leaving Hancheng, Yang Jian went directly to his brother-in-law's house.
The next morning, Yang Jian drove Yang Hui to Hancheng and checked into the provincial hospital. Lu Yao and Wei Xia accompanied them.
Lu Yao had already started her summer vacation and was tutoring several students in English, including the child of Zheng Guangyao. When she heard that Yang Hui was coming to the provincial hospital for surgery, she paused her tutoring sessions and insisted on coming to take care of Yang Hui, while keeping Gao Daqiang at home to focus on building the house.
Wei Xia had taken a few days off. She had arranged Yang Hui's surgery herself and was responsible for seeing it through.
After Yang Hui was admitted to the hospital, she didn't have surgery immediately. Instead, she underwent various tests. It wasn't until the fourth day that she was wheeled into the operating room.
"Yaoyao, don't be nervous. My sister is blessed with good fortune and will be fine."
Outside the operating room, Yang Jian saw Lu Yao looking anxious and restless. He took her hand to comfort her, though he himself was more nervous.
Brain surgery was the most dangerous. Even the slightest mistake could cause permanent damage or even death.
"Brother Jian, I'm so scared. It's all my fault that Sister Hui is in this situation. I wish it was me lying in there."
"Don't say such foolish things. We can only blame that bastard Wu Laizi. If I catch him, I'll make him wish he were dead."
Thinking of his sister's life-or-death situation in the operating room, Yang Jian wished he could dismember Wu Laizi into a thousand pieces right now.
Biao Biao had arranged for people to search for Wu Laizi's whereabouts in Nanhai, but there was still no news, which kept Yang Jian's heart heavy.
Three and a half hours later, the operating room door finally opened, and Wei Xia walked out, looking exhausted.
The two of them rushed forward and asked in unison, "Sister Xia, how was the surgery?"
Taking off her mask, Wei Xia rubbed her eyes. "The surgery was successful, but she still needs to be observed in the intensive care unit for a few days. Don't worry too much; there shouldn't be any major problems. The lead surgeon is the most authoritative brain specialist in the country, with a success rate of over ninety percent."
"Thank you for your hard work, Sister Xia. Yaoyao, take Sister Xia to rest. I'll stay here."
"I'm fine. However, the expert is getting old and can't handle much. I need to entertain her."
The expert was also a woman, in her fifties, nearing retirement. She was strongly urged by Wei Xia's mentor to perform this surgery.
"Do you need us to accompany you?"
"No, my mentor has made arrangements."
"Then I'll transfer some money to you."
"No need for that either. All expenses for inviting the expert are included in the medical fees by the hospital. Otherwise, how could the fees be so high? You two shouldn't wait here either. Sister Hui will be in the ICU for several days."
After speaking, Wei Xia went back in. She had only come out briefly to inform them so they wouldn't worry too much.
Brother-in-law and father were also waiting for news at home. Yang Jian quickly called them to report that everything was safe.
The news of Yang Hui's injury had been kept from Yang Jian's mother and grandmother. They were only told that he was too busy with the house construction to visit his maternal family.
This explanation had not aroused any suspicion from Yang Jian's mother and grandmother, as Yang Shuanglin had been helping at his daughter's house.
Three days later, Yang Hui had passed the critical stage and was transferred from the intensive care unit to a regular ward.
However, she was still wearing a ventilator and couldn't speak. Yang Jian and Lu Yao could only sit by her side quietly.
"Brother Jian, can you come back? Something has happened at home."
After sitting with his sister for less than half an hour, Yang Jian received a call from Liu Chao.
To avoid disturbing his sister's rest, he walked out of the ward and answered the phone at the stairwell.
"Xiao Chao, what's going on? What happened?"
"Brother Jian, my aunt's supermarket was smashed. Yongli was beaten at the road construction site. He was just sent to the hospital, and an excavator was doused with gasoline and set on fire. It's probably totaled."
Liu Chao's voice was filled with anger, but also helplessness.