Yu Feng's intentions were equally complex. She knew Yang Jian was stubborn and independent, unlikely to remain subservient. To gain his assistance, she had to treat him as an equal.
While the Dong Sheng Group was no longer threatened by Old Gui, it remained a target for various criminal elements. The concrete mixing station in Songjia Village, in particular, fell within Hong Xing's territory.
Old Gui and Hong Xing were related. Whispers had long circulated that Old Gui's death was linked to Dong Sheng Group, especially since Lu Feng had been Dong Sheng Group's manager.
Even if Hong Xing didn't seek revenge for Old Gui, he harbored no goodwill towards Dong Sheng Group. Consequently, his men would periodically "special attention" the concrete mixing station on his turf.
Yu Feng found this a constant headache. After Old Gui's demise, the underworld in Chengguan underwent a reshuffling. With Hong Xing and Hu Zhenghua's backing, Bao Guo rose to prominence, becoming the dominant force in Chengguan.
Fortunately, Yu Feng maintained a decent relationship with Hu Zhenghua. Through his mediation, Bao Guo had temporarily refrained from interfering with Dong Sheng Group's real estate ventures.
However, Hong Xing held a prejudice against the Yu family. While he publicly avoided targeting the Yu family through Bao Guo, his men constantly created minor disturbances at the concrete mixing station. They would either stage accidents with the concrete pump trucks or refuse to pay for delivered concrete.
Yu Feng considered aligning with an established power or building her own force, but both proved difficult. Aligning with others risked inviting trouble, like Pan Wenbin's situation, where she might be exploited and ultimately lose everything. Building her own force lacked suitable candidates. Lu Feng had been fully utilized, and finding another ruthless individual willing to risk their life for her was a daunting task.
Therefore, mending her relationship with Yang Jian became her priority. She didn't expect him to fight her battles or solve her problems, but at least his reputation could make Hong Xing and others hesitant.
When Song Jianhao approached her for help in securing a theater troupe and mentioned Yang Jian's involvement in the casino, Yu Feng immediately insisted on participating in the gambling operation. She also assisted Song Jianhao in navigating the police relations, ensuring the gambling company wouldn't face scrutiny or disruption during the opera performances.
Having Yang Jian sit by the gambling table to receive tips was a pre-arranged plan between her and Song Jianhao. Announcing Yang Jian as her brother in public was her true objective.
The stack of money thrown by Boss Fu, totaling fifteen hundred yuan, added to the two hundred Yu Feng had initially tossed, brought the total to seventeen hundred. Yang Jian placed it all in the paper box; this money was to be split equally between him and Song Jianhao.
In Yang Jian's memory, this tipping model had appeared at Brother Xiong's casino. However, there, gamblers would toss tips to the gambling company when they won, effectively boosting the house's advantage.
Yu Feng's action, however, clearly benefited her own operation. Yang Jian didn't quite understand her motives, especially given their past estrangement. Yet, he didn't dwell on her overtures. They had no real conflict, nor had they had a falling out. Their distance was merely due to rumors affecting his reputation and the incident involving Lu Feng.
"Er Jian, have some tea."
Yu Feng had also won a round, netting over thirty thousand yuan. She scooped up a wad of cash and tossed it towards Yang Jian. Knowing his family called him Er Jian, she addressed him as such, aiming to foster a closer relationship.
"Sister Feng, you're in high spirits."
Yang Jian caught the bills and shouted back, then straightened them, revealing twenty-six hundred yuan.
Led by Yu Feng and Boss Fu, several other bosses, after winning a hand, also tossed some money his way, though not as much, usually three to five hundred.
Other gamblers who bet larger amounts would also toss a hundred or two hundred after winning, perhaps to make acquaintances. After all, one never knew when paths might cross again.
"One six, seven points, a familiar face."
The Emperor Company finally rolled a one-six combination after about forty minutes of play. Those who bet on the single numbers recovered their stakes; they neither won nor lost, and all bets on the double numbers returned to the Emperor.
There were also those who preferred to bet against the Emperor specifically on single or double rolls. If they bet on the Emperor's money being on the single side, they won if a double appeared, and lost if a single appeared. Conversely, if they bet on the Emperor's money being on the double side, they won if a single appeared and lost if a double appeared.
However, with the one-six roll, those who bet against the Emperor on the single side only won a hollow victory, a moment of false joy, as all bets on the double side returned to the Emperor.
The Emperor, who had initially lost over two hundred thousand, recouped nearly a hundred thousand in this single round.
"Brother Jian, have some tea."
Wu Zhi, the dealer, was also adept at playing the game, tossing a thousand yuan to Yang Jian.
"Emperor, you're in high spirits."
Yang Jian, accustomed to the casino's patter, responded instinctively. He was already familiar with most of the casino's rules.
Song Jianhao stood on a stool at the periphery, grinning from ear to ear. Having Yang Jian sit there had proven to be a wise decision, not only providing a deterrent effect but also generating a substantial income.
Across the table, Old Wu was also busy. To Yang Jian's surprise, there were many people guessing the dice combinations. Perhaps it was the allure of a ten-to-one payout. In every round, seven or eight people would make their guesses, with amounts ranging from ten to twenty yuan, or even a hundred. Old Wu had to meticulously record these bets to avoid mistakes.
Two bosses bet a thousand yuan each on the dice combinations but missed. Conversely, several of those betting ten or twenty yuan guessed correctly.
The probability was indeed low. Old Wu should have earned over two thousand yuan, but Yang Jian still felt this line of business carried risks.
As expected, a young man correctly guessed the dice combination with a hundred and fifty yuan, halving Old Wu's earnings. If another such incident occurred, he would start losing money.
After sitting in the venue for two hours, Yang Jian beckoned Song Jianmin. He needed to use the restroom and get some fresh air, as the crowd was dense and the air quality was poor.
Song Jianmin was not seated at the table at this moment; Liang Liang was acting as the dealer for the gambling company.
Exiting the casino, Yang Jian used the restroom and then wandered over to the theater, even taking a moment to watch the performance. They were staging the traditional Chu opera, "Mai Dumplings for Longevity."
The story depicted a wealthy landowner celebrating his sixtieth birthday. His elder and second daughters, married into official families, presented him with valuable gifts. Only his third daughter, married to a destitute scholar, could only offer three dumplings made from buckwheat as a birthday gift. Consequently, she and her son were scorned by the landowner and his wife, forced to eat leftovers and sleep in the woodshed.
Deeply hurt, the third daughter left her mother's home that night with her seven-year-old son, returning to their humble abode to await her husband's return from his imperial examinations.
Later that night, the landowner, intending to check if the third daughter had damaged the woodshed, accidentally dropped his oil lamp, triggering a fire. He was burned to death on the spot, and the family's house and possessions were completely consumed by flames. Only the old woman managed to escape.
With nowhere to go, the old woman sought refuge with her daughters. To her dismay, both her elder and second daughters rejected her, driving her out of their homes. The old woman was forced to beg on the streets.
One day, while begging outside a wealthy household, the door was opened by her youngest grandson. It turned out her third daughter's husband had passed the imperial examinations and become a Zhuangyuan (top scholar).
Yang Jian found the opera captivating and lost track of time. It wasn't until Song Jianmin called him that he realized it was getting dark.