Anan found the confiscated mobile phone and was about to hand it to Xiang Nan, but A Bao stopped him.
"Xiao Yang, don't be impulsive. The Xiang family's influence is not only vast in Hong Kong but also significant on the mainland. Even Master is unwilling to offend them easily."
A Bao whispered a reminder to Yang Jian's ear, clearly afraid of escalating the situation and facing repercussions.
"Brother Bao, don't worry about this. He already harbored murderous intent towards me, so I can't let him go. My usual approach is to incapacitate my opponents so they can't seek revenge themselves."
"But he's not alone. Even if you take care of him, we'll face retaliation from his entire family and gang. Especially Master, he has businesses in Hong Kong and travels there often. If things get out of hand, it will be detrimental to him."
"It's alright, I'll take full responsibility if anything happens."
Yang Jian seemed intent on blowing things out of proportion. He took the phone from Anan and handed it to Xiang Nan.
"Here, call your father."
Xiang Nan, as if grasping a lifeline, took the phone and frantically dialed.
"Dad, I've been beaten and detained. Come quickly and save me?"
"How could this happen? Didn't you bring bodyguards? Where are you now?"
A furious voice came from the other end of the line.
"I'm at Dongjiang Xintai Entertainment City. My bodyguards were beaten and had their bones broken. My fingers were also broken, and I'm being forced to kneel on the ground. This person is threatening to throw me into the Dongjiang to feed the fish."
"He dares? Hand the phone to him."
Xiang Nan handed the phone to Yang Jian. "My father wants to speak with you."
Yang Jian grabbed his hair with one hand and took the phone with the other.
"Hello, who are you? Release my son immediately."
"Who I am is not important. Your son injured my brother, and he also caused my elder brother's daughter to miscarry. She is currently in the hospital fighting for her life. You'd better pray she pulls through, or you'll be collecting your son's body."
"Brother, since my son was in the wrong first, I apologize. May I ask who your elder brother is?"
"Don't worry about who my elder brother is. Just tell me how you want to handle this matter now?"
Before Xiang Fei could speak, Xiang Nan interjected, "Dad, Bai Zheng is the owner of Xintai."
"Bai Zheng? Alright, I'll have someone contact him."
Yang Jian sneered, "You don't need to contact anyone. I'm in charge here. My brother was beaten. Even Brother Zheng won't be able to do anything."
"Then what do you want?"
"Send five million. Release him when the money arrives."
"Alright, I'll be right there."
The drive from Hong Kong to Dongjiang is only about two hours. He would arrive soon.
Seeing that the situation was becoming complicated, A Bao sighed, "Xiao Yang, don't hit him anymore. I'll report this to Master. If Xiang Fei comes in person, Master will need to make preparations in advance."
Yang Jian tossed the phone back to Xiang Nan and smiled, "Brother Bao, it's not as complicated as you think. Tell Brother Zheng that I'll handle this, and he doesn't need to get involved."
"Alright, but don't lay another hand on him."
A Bao left after saying that.
Yang Jian instructed Luo Peng to keep an eye on these individuals and returned to his office with A Feng and Anan.
"Brother Jian, as Brother Bao said, the Xiang family's influence might be considerable. This matter might be difficult to resolve. Even Master Uncle might not be able to handle it." Anan expressed some concern that Bai Zheng might compromise.
Yang Jian smiled, "There's nothing difficult to resolve. This is the mainland. No matter how powerful the Xiang family is in Hong Kong, we're not afraid of them, as we're not going there anyway."
"But Master Uncle is afraid. To open this casino, Master Uncle relies on support from Hong Kong. If we beat up their people and demand five million, it will put Master Uncle in a difficult position."
"It's fine. That brat made the first move. We have surveillance footage, and our actions are in self-defense. As for demanding five million, it's just to create a dilemma for Brother Zheng."
A Feng and Anan exchanged glances and asked in unison, "Why?"
"Doesn't Brother Zheng always boast about his immense influence and powerful connections, claiming he can make plainclothes officers enter upright and leave lying down, and that he can handle any matters outside the casino? I want to test the extent of his capabilities now, to see if he's bragging. This will help us better gauge how to handle matters in the future. If he can't even resolve this, then this casino is destined not to last long, and we need to make plans to withdraw at any time. If he stands with me and confronts the Xiang family forcefully, it means he truly has strength, and this casino can operate for two to three years without issues."
A Feng nodded, "Brother Jian, what you said makes sense. Master Uncle has never truly considered us as his own. The finance department is all his people. Even I, as the supervisor, don't know the daily turnover or the exact profit distribution; it's all decided by him."
"It's fine. I've already spoken to Brother Fan about the financial matters. He told us to stabilize things for now and just focus on the dividends. Once Brother Zheng goes over there, he'll discuss financial management issues with him properly."
Anan was still uneasy, "Brother Jian, if Brother Zheng disagrees with your demand for five million, won't we lose face?"
"If he disagrees, I'll break Xiang Nan's legs, putting him in an even more difficult position. He previously said that he handles matters outside the casino, and I handle matters within the casino myself. Let's see if he can keep his word."
A Feng added, "I agree with Brother Jian's plan. Since we are managing the casino, we need to establish our authority forcefully. Otherwise, such incidents will occur frequently in the future. Everyone who comes here to play is wealthy and influential. If we only tolerate them, they will become even more arrogant. Additionally, we need to convey a clear attitude to Master Uncle: we fear no influence, and within the casino, we have the final say."
With that, Anan also accepted the plan.
"Anan, I have a task for you. Keep a close watch on Xiang Nan. If the five million is not received, don't release him, even if Brother Zheng comes." Yang Jian was determined to escalate the situation this time, both to test Bai Zheng's capabilities and to establish his authority with the Xiang family.
Anan patted his chest, "Don't worry, Brother Jian. Even if I have to quit my job here, I'll see this through to the end. Otherwise, I'll have even less say with Master Uncle in the future."
Maternity and Child Health Hospital.
Meng Meiyun was still in surgery. Bai Zheng sat anxiously on a bench in the corridor, with several bodyguards dispersed around him, maintaining constant vigilance.
A Bao hurried over and reported the events in the security department and Yang Jian's exact words.
"What did you say? The troublemaker is Xiang Fei's son?" This situation surprised Bai Zheng considerably.
"Yes, Xiang Fei is already on his way to Dongjiang to save his son. Yang Jian has demanded a ransom of five million. How should we proceed?"
"Yang Jian is ruthless. You warned him that the Xiang family is difficult to provoke, yet he made such an excessive demand. He's truly someone who fears no trouble. No wonder he could open such a large casino in Hancheng."
"Master, how should we handle this? Xiang Fei is coming, and you'll definitely have to step in. If he's unwilling to pay five million, how will you explain it to Xiao Yang?"
Bai Zheng pondered for a moment, "This kid Yang Jian is playing a high-stakes game. He's putting me on the spot and tossing the difficult problem my way."