Jing Yongli could feel Yang Jian's murderous intent over the phone. He felt his cousin's aggression was growing, which was not a good thing.
San Pang also didn't want Yang Jian to get into trouble. "Brother Jian, my master is an old fox. I suspect he deliberately had me pass information to provoke you. Their goal might be to force you to reveal yourself and expose yourself to the police."
Yang Jian wasn't foolish either. "Of course I know they want to force me out, but they might really target the company. I need to be prepared. San Pang, have Lin Nan and the others contacted you recently?"
"It's been a long time. Since my master got involved with Baoguo and Hong Xing in casinos and the Yellow Sand business, he's had plenty of money and hasn't been involved in the drug trade. He's too shrewd; the slightest disturbance and he'll back off immediately. He also has connections within the police department, so the anti-drug police aren't paying much attention to him anymore."
"Damn it, he's manipulating everything from behind the scenes. When I'm free, I'll make him wish he were dead."
"Brother Jian, don't be impulsive, and don't fall for their trap. What you need to do now is wait safely and accumulate strength. Only when you're truly free will you have the power to deal with them. I'm telling you, the more you hide, the more afraid they become of you. Especially this time, Feng Wu crippled Xu Zheng directly, making them even more fearful and desperate to force you out. So, you need to maintain your composure and not let minor issues disrupt your plans."
San Pang had learned a lot from following Brother Mao over the past two years, becoming more mature and steady, able to see the essence of problems.
Yang Jian chuckled on the other end. "Not bad, San Pang. You haven't followed Brother Mao in vain. Don't worry, I won't be impulsive. Yongli, have Feng Wu immediately start assembling a security team. Recruit publicly under the name of Lijiian Company, prioritizing retired soldiers."
Jing Yongli was taken aback. "You mean the company is forming a security department? How many people will it need?"
"At least forty. Offer high salaries and benefits; we're not short on money. Once the Yaochi project starts, the area needing management will be vast, and forty people won't be enough. Also, install cameras in all important locations like the factory area and village entrances. Once the security team is established, equip them with uniforms, batons, shields, walkie-talkies, and other security facilities. And get some wolfdogs to patrol and stand guard with the security team at night."
Since Hong Xing had made threats, Yang Jian had to be cautious. Their methods were usually bullying and violence; economic means and administrative interference had no effect on Lijiian Company at this stage.
Upon receiving Yang Jian's instructions, Jing Yongli and Feng Wu immediately took action. They first posted recruitment information at the Hancheng talent market, specifically seeking retired soldiers from outside the city to avoid local security personnel being retaliated against. Simultaneously, they erected high-end prefabricated houses next to the cold storage, all equipped with air conditioning. Within five days, two buildings, each with ten two-story units, were successfully constructed. One building would serve as the office for the Yaochi Garden project department, and the other as the security department's office and dormitory area, complete with bunk beds and bedding. The eight people Feng Wu had brought from Xiangnan were the first to move in.
In just ten days, a security department of forty people was established. Apart from the eight people Feng Wu brought, who had backgrounds as thugs, the remaining thirty-two were all retired soldiers who had left active service at the end of last year, all capable young men. For better management, Feng Wu selected four retired soldiers with excellent military skills to serve as team leaders, each managing nine team members. They would be responsible for daily training and duty. The entire security team operated under semi-military management, with the four team leaders formulating rules and regulations suitable for the security department based on military ordinances.
A well-trained security team of forty people was a formidable force, far superior to ordinary criminal gangs. At least in the Xinqiao area, no other force dared to cause trouble.
During this period, monitoring equipment was also installed. Cameras were set up from the entrance to Yangli Village, covering the factory area, dormitories, the village committee, the village primary school, and all roads leading into and out of Yangli Village. This would prevent harassment incidents like the one at Yang Dalin's house from happening again. Anyone entering the village to cause damage or steal would not escape the security department's surveillance and apprehension.
Additionally, to facilitate villagers' travel, Lijiian Company funded the installation of streetlights in the village, which also aided in surveillance. With the security team and these monitoring facilities, the villagers' sense of security greatly increased, allowing them to live with their doors unlocked at night and not pick up lost items on the road.
Under the leadership of the village committee, the land transfer for Yaochi Garden also accelerated. This concerned the welfare of all villagers, and no one obstructed it. Lijiian Company offered all villagers who transferred their land a one-time subsidy of five thousand yuan per mu, in addition to their participation in future profit-sharing from Yaochi Garden and priority for employment in the scenic park.
Over a month and a half, more than three hundred mu of land north of the Xiaosha River were smoothly transferred to Lijiian Company, with significant support from the town government. Concurrently, the project proposal for the Yaochi Agricultural Scenic Park was approved, and Lijiian Company obtained the development and operating rights for one kilometer of the Xiaosha River within Yangli Village's jurisdiction.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly, except for the peculiar situation with Xu Zheng's sand quarry. The town government had not given a clear response because Xu Zheng's permits were also issued by the town's land management office, clearly conflicting with the Yaochi project. Jing Yongli had approached Peng Chaoyang several times, and the response he received was to not worry, as the command center was coordinating the matter.
There was nothing Jing Yongli could do but report this situation to Yang Jian. "Brother Jian, Xu Zheng's sand quarry issue remains unresolved, which will affect our construction. But Mayor Peng has been evading the issue, seemingly wanting us to negotiate a solution. What are your thoughts?"
"Negotiating a solution means making me pay Xu Zheng, which is impossible. Are they digging sand?"
"They are digging. Xu Zheng hasn't been discharged from the hospital yet. Shen Hua, Hong Xing's cousin, brought over twenty men to guard the sand quarry and brought in two more sand suction boats to extract sand, which is then transported by farm vehicles. The output is also very high."
"The land by the riverbank is all ours now. Arrange for the construction team to enter and directly cut off the access road. I want to see how he transports his yellow sand."
"This will definitely lead to a major conflict. From what I know, Shen Hua is also armed this time."
"What are you afraid of? That land is our development property, and we have the right to carry out any form of construction operations. If he dares to obstruct the work, call the police. Don't worry, he won't openly use firearms. This will force the town government to come out and handle this matter."
"Alright, this is the only way to force the command center to expedite the coordination. I'm not optimistic about this, because Hong Xing's background is too powerful, to the point that Peng Chaoyang doesn't dare to make a final decision to shut down the sand quarry."
Jing Yongli had dealt with people in officialdom for a long time and knew many inside stories. In a small society at the district and county level, everything depended on connections and networks. Having money alone wasn't enough to get things done.