Although Yang Jian desperately wanted to kill Brother Mao in this foreign land without any legal repercussions, Brother Mao was the mastermind behind the national drug case. He had to be brought back for the case to be concluded smoothly.
Furthermore, Brother Mao had protection within the city's political and legal system. Once he returned, he could expose the rot hidden within the ranks of the judiciary and law enforcement.
Therefore, Yang Jian had no choice but to let Brother Mao go, allowing Zhang Hui and Qin Feiyang to escort him back to China for interrogation.
As Zhang Hui led Brother Mao away, Yang Jian felt a sense of melancholy, marking the end of over six years of animosity with Brother Mao.
If Brother Mao hadn't cheated him out of two hundred thousand yuan back then, leaving him with no options but to seek refuge with Song Jianhao and subsequently enter the world of gambling, things would have been different.
Despite amassing a fortune in the casinos over the years, he had endured immense hardship and faced near-death experiences. Brother Mao had relentlessly suppressed and sabotaged him. If not for his own good fortune and the help of benefactors, his fate would have been the same as Li Jin and Wu Wangchun, spending his life behind bars.
In summary, a life in gambling was ultimately a path of no return. Not everyone was lucky enough to find benefactors to help them turn misfortune into good fortune.
Wu Laizi also returned with Zhang Hui, as he was to serve as a key witness against Brother Mao. Before leaving, he pleaded with Yang Jian to take him in.
Wu Laizi had played a significant role in the capture of Brother Mao. Yang Jian promised him that once Brother Mao was sentenced, he could become the security captain at the paper mill in Meng La. It was a position well-suited to him.
With Brother Mao's affairs concluded, Yang Jian, in addition to supervising the construction of the paper mill, began to track the whereabouts of Wan Quan and others.
Yang Fan also actively cooperated. Through the interrogation of Su Zheng Nan, it was revealed that a tech company owner named Brother Hu was his buyer. Wan Quan and the other four who were initially tricked into coming with San Pang were sold to Brother Hu.
Su Zheng Nan had been held at the special forces camp during this period. Yang Fan did not mistreat him, and after sufficient recovery time, his injuries had healed.
Under Yang Fan's coercion and enticement, Su Zheng Nan led Yang Fan and Yang Jian to meet Brother Hu in an industrial park on the outskirts of Meng La.
Brother Hu was a burly, broad-shouldered man in his thirties, bald, with a fierce expression, clearly not someone easy to get along with.
He was visibly displeased by the arrival of Yang Fan and Yang Jian. However, after Su Zheng Nan introduced Yang Fan's background, his attitude underwent a significant shift.
"Mr. Yang, it's a pleasure to meet you. So, the Long Teng Casino is yours? I've even gambled there before."
Knowing that Yang Fan had the backing of a brigade commander and considerable influence in Meng La, Brother Hu dared not treat him lightly.
Yang Fan was humble, "Brother Hu, I've heard your name for a long time. Please let me know in advance if you have time to visit me. I'll personally host you."
"Haha, Mr. Yang, you're too kind. We're all in this business. Let's keep in touch, and we can cooperate on good opportunities."
"Certainly, certainly. Brother Hu, I'm here today first to get acquainted with you and make a friend, and second, to ask for your help with something."
"No problem. After today, we're friends. Tell me what you need."
Yang Jian produced photos of Wan Quan and eighteen others. "Brother Hu, these are all my fellow villagers. On behalf of their families, I want to find them and bring them back. You know many people in this regard, and I'd like to ask for your help in locating them. Rest assured, we won't skimp on the expenses."
In Meng La, so-called tech companies were actually telecommunications fraud companies. Like gambling, they were legal industries protected by the local military government. Therefore, one could not use violence against people like Brother Hu, as they had high-ranking officials in the military government backing them.
Brother Hu took the photos and examined them carefully, then pulled out nine of them.
"I remember these individuals. Two of the men are still with my company, three women were sold to entertainment venues in the city, and I've already sold the other four."
Yang Jian saw that five of these nine people were Wan Quan and the others who had come with San Pang initially. The other four were likely victims of fraud who arrived later.
"Brother Hu, can you tell me where those four were sold?"
"Those four were sold to Myitkyina. I haven't met the others."
"Can you contact the buyers of those four?"
"Of course. We have ongoing business dealings. Do you want to redeem these people?"
Yang Jian nodded, "Brother Hu, these people are all relatives from my hometown. If possible, I want to bring them all back. I hope to get your help. Just name your conditions."
Brother Hu pondered for a moment and said, "You can redeem these two from my company for thirty thousand each. The three women have already been resold, and I can take you to talk to their bosses. I can also help you connect with people in Myitkyina. Whether you can redeem them will depend on your abilities."
Thirty thousand per person was clearly an exorbitant price. Su Zheng Nan had told them earlier that they only charged fifty thousand yuan when selling Wan Quan and the others to him. In less than a year, the price had jumped to thirty thousand, which was incredibly greedy.
However, Yang Jian did not intend to haggle with him, as he still needed his help to find the remaining people.
"Brother Hu, we'll do as you say. I'll transfer the money immediately. When can they be released?"
"Brother Yang, you're straightforward. Let's go, I'll take you to see them. After confirming their identities, you can take them away."
Brother Hu immediately provided a bank account. This deal was profitable; those two individuals had no more value to extract, and he was planning to resell them anyway. It also gave face to Yang Fan and Yang Jian.
Following Brother Hu into his company's office area, Yang Jian was immediately stunned. The main hall alone housed hundreds of people, all seated at computers, busy working. Some were on the phone, others were chatting on QQ.
This was likely the infamous telecommunications fraud. The men and women sitting here were all tricked from China and, under the coercion of their bosses, were now tricking others. Some were extorting people, while others were defrauding people through romantic relationships.
"Wang Jianqiang, Zhong Yuhuan, stand up."
Brother Hu and Yang Jian, led by a company supervisor, approached two young men around twenty years old.
The two clearly feared the supervisor and stood up as if electrocuted, looking at him blankly.
"Mr. Yang, are these the two?"
The supervisor handed their ID cards to Yang Jian. These were the credentials for human trafficking. The first thing done to all tricked individuals was to confiscate their ID cards, making it impossible for them to travel even if they escaped.
Yang Jian carefully compared the ID cards and confirmed that they were all from Xinqiao Town.
"Little Wang, Little Zhong, my name is Yang Jian. I'm here on behalf of your families to take you home. Come with me."
Wang Jianqiang hadn't quite registered what was happening. "Home? Go where?"
Zhong Yuhuan, however, became excited. "Yang Jian? Are you Yang Jian from Xinqiao?"
"Yes, I'm Yang Jian from Yangli Village in Xinqiao, from the same village as San Pang."
"You're here to take us home? We can go home?"
Wang Jianqiang suddenly started crying, finding it hard to believe it was true. He thought he would never be able to return.
"Why are you crying like a man? Let's go. You're free now. I'll arrange for you to go home in a couple of days."
Yang Jian shoved their ID cards into their hands and walked out. He couldn't stay in this place for long, as many people nearby were looking at him expectantly, clearly hoping that Yang Jian would take them out too.