Yang Jian was speechless. He realized he had been the clown. He had just sympathized with her and was moved by her tears, only to find out she possessed hundreds of thousands of yuan and had already escaped poverty with her family. She was much wealthier than him.
"Brother Jian, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought Xiao Rui into this line of work. But now I know she's not suited for accompanying singing at all, because her personality is too stubborn and she easily clashes with guests. So, don't worry, she won't go to that place anymore, and I'll supervise her."
Su Ya felt she had spoken too freely and quickly made a promise.
"I want to know what would have happened to Xiao Rui if I hadn't been there yesterday."
"Due to the sudden incident, Xiao Rui would have definitely been beaten. But the security guards would have quickly protected her. The club's boss has a powerful background. If we are bullied at work, he will seek justice for us. Just like last night, although the club suffered significant losses, it didn't hold Xiao Rui responsible and didn't disclose her information."
"The boss is that good?"
Su Ya smiled, "It's not that the boss is good, it's because we are all the boss's cash cows. If he can't guarantee our safety, who will make money for him? Do you know how many young girls like us are under this boss?"
"How many? A hundred?"
"A hundred? You'll be shocked if I tell you. There are over six thousand in this city alone, and he has branches in other cities."
This overturned Yang Jian's perception. "More than six thousand girls accompany singing under him? Impossible. Your club doesn't seem that big; it would be good if it had one or two hundred people."
"Our club is just one of his dozens of clubs. Do you know that we have a large meeting every month, usually held in a stadium? You can imagine what it's like when over six thousand young girls, all reasonably good-looking, gather together."
"Really? So many people are involved in this industry?"
"Why would I lie to you? I was also shocked at the first meeting. This is just the number of practitioners in one city for one company. I estimate that in the entire Hancheng, no less than a hundred thousand girls are involved in this industry. It's a massive industry. Our boss's annual income alone exceeds a hundred million."
Yang Jian was utterly shocked. "It's incredible. Our hometown hasn't escaped poverty, and a significant portion is still below the subsistence level, yet the city is so decadent. What's the purpose of your monthly meetings, brainwashing?"
Su Ya nodded, "You could call it brainwashing. The boss gathers us for meetings mainly for two things: one is to reward the top ten employees in performance. The top three receive BMWs and Mercedes-Benz cars, while the other seven receive one hundred thousand yuan in cash.
The second is to tell newcomers that it's normal and profitable to be in this profession, and since so many people are doing it, there's no need for shame."
Yang Jian felt that Su Ya was trying to justify herself, as if telling him that many people do this, so he shouldn't discriminate against her and his sister.
"Wow, you two are chatting quite congenially. Did you hit it off?"
Yang Rui suddenly appeared, interrupting their conversation. However, the joke made the atmosphere a bit awkward.
"Here, I haven't ordered yet. You were scared yesterday, order some good food."
Su Ya handed the menu to Yang Rui.
Yang Rui looked at her brother and Su Ya, then smiled slyly, "You two really have something going on. You haven't ordered food for so long. Confess, what were you talking about?"
Yang Jian frowned, "Hurry up and order. Let's go back after eating. My injuries from yesterday's fight have worsened, and I have to go back for an examination and injection this afternoon. I'll probably have to stay in the hospital for a few more days. You also need to change your dressing."
Yang Rui chuckled, "It's good to stay a few more days. I can take care of you every day and bring you food. Xiao Ya can also see you often."
"Stop talking."
Yang Jian made a move as if to hit her, and Yang Rui finally sat down obediently to order food.
After eating, the three of them rushed back immediately. Yang Rui had class in the afternoon and didn't have time to change her dressing.
Yang Jian found the doctor and explained his worsening injuries. After an examination by the instruments, the crack in his spine had indeed widened, requiring continued hospitalization.
Yang Jian had no choice but to call Xiao Wu again, as he was out of money. The hospital needed payment for further treatment. Unexpectedly, Xiao Wu's phone was turned off.
It wasn't until eight in the evening that Xiao Wu called back.
"Xiao Yang, we got into another fight today. What's up?"
"Fight? With whom? Did you win?"
"We fought with a bunch of punks from the neighboring community. They also wanted to get involved in the forest farm's affairs. Two of our brothers were injured, but it's not serious. However, the forest farm has stopped operations. When are you coming back? I'm afraid only you can hold the fort."
Xiao Wu's voice clearly lacked confidence; he probably hadn't won.
"I had an examination today. Due to excessive force during yesterday's fight, my injuries have worsened, and I need to continue treatment in the hospital."
"Is that so? Then continue staying. Get discharged after you're healed. You don't have enough money, right? I'll transfer five thousand to you shortly."
"Thank you, Brother Wu."
"Don't thank me. You were injured saving me. No matter how much money it costs, it's deserved. You need to get better quickly. The demolition here is about to start soon. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to turn things around. I'll help you get rich."
"Alright, Brother Wu. I estimate I'll be discharged in about half a month."
Yang Jian knew that Xiao Wu was trying his best to win him over. His foundation was too shallow, and he didn't have many people he could rely on. It wouldn't be easy to establish a foothold in the mixed environment of Xunsi River and to get a share of the pie in the great trend of demolition and development.
However, Yang Jian had no intention of risking his life for him. That place was too complicated. Fighting and brawling seemed to be commonplace in the struggle for benefits. Therefore, he changed the doctor's estimate of five days to half a month. Anyway, five thousand yuan was enough for hospitalization expenses.
Half an hour later, he received a text message: five thousand yuan had been deposited.
With money, Yang Jian settled down with peace of mind.
Yang Rui brought him meals every day. The hospital food was not good, so she ordered a pot of bone broth from a nearby restaurant every day. The doctor said it was beneficial for spinal recovery.
"Brother, I called Big Sister yesterday and told her about your hospitalization. She said Dad doesn't hate you anymore and you can go back to see him when you have time. Mom's lumbar spine condition has worsened again lately, and you don't need to rush to repay the money you borrowed from her."
On the tenth day of hospitalization, Yang Rui brought news from home.
Yang Jian glared at her, "You really talk too much. Why did you tell the family about my hospitalization? Aren't you making them worry?"
"Brother, you can't hide it. You're already a celebrity in Xinhe. Sister lives near the town center. Your heroic deeds of defeating Cao Wu and Brother Xiong have spread throughout the town center. She heard about it and asked me to ask you what exactly happened. Brother, tell me quickly, were you injured because of a fight?"
Yang Rui looked excited, her face full of anticipation as she looked at her brother.