Yang Jian didn't understand. "What do you mean by people keeping an eye on your money bags?"
Wu Wangchun said with a wry smile, "We always need at least four people when we set up a table. One of them is outside managing the money. He can't enter the casino, mainly to prevent the police from raiding us all at once. Since this person carries a large sum of money, he's often targeted by addicts or gamblers who have lost their minds. Robberies happen frequently, so we need someone like you to manage the money."
"Have you been robbed before?"
"We've been targeted twice. Fortunately, our guys were quick-witted, locked themselves in the car, and called for help, so we didn't lose any money, but the car was smashed."
"That brazen?"
"Once you spend enough time in the casino, you'll realize it's a martial world, and anything can happen. So, what do you say? Consider my suggestion?"
Yang Jian thought for a moment and said, "Uncle Wang, thank you for thinking so highly of me, but I can't leave for now. I've enrolled in driving school here, and I must get my license. Besides, Brother Hao has shown me kindness by taking me in, and he needs me right now. It would be disloyal to leave immediately; I should at least help him maintain things for a while. Also, I can accumulate some funds here."
Wu Wangchun nodded. "That's fine. Get your driver's license first. You can stay with Song Jianhao for a while too. A thousand yuan a day isn't bad. Work for a month or two, save tens of thousands, and then come to me to directly take an emperor's share."
"Okay, I'll seriously consider your suggestion after I get my license."
Having more friends means more paths. Yang Jian didn't directly refuse Wu Wangchun's offer.
After a brief chat, the other five people from the Emperor Company arrived. Wu Wangchun introduced them, and they were all from near Yang Jian's hometown. One young man named Zhang Feng was even Yang Jian's classmate from the first year of junior high, though they had changed so much over the years that Yang Jian didn't recognize him at first.
"Zhang Feng, are you also a shareholder of Emperor Company?"
Yang Jian deliberately sat next to Zhang Feng.
"No, I work for Mr. Wu and the others."
Zhang Feng had dyed his hair yellow and had an ear piercing, a typical image of a young troublemaker.
"What did you do before?"
"I used to paint walls, which was exhausting, and I only made seventy to eighty yuan a day. Now I'm working with Mr. Wu, with food and accommodation provided, for a hundred yuan a day, plus occasional bonuses. I can net about four thousand yuan a month, which is much better than painting walls on a construction site. But it's still far from your earnings. You're a favored person with Brother Hao now, earning a thousand a day. You'll be able to buy a car soon."
Zhang Feng was a chatterbox and wouldn't stop talking.
From Zhang Feng's words, Yang Jian could tell that Wu Wangchun treated him specially, at least in terms of his wages being much higher than others.
Perhaps because they had to rush to set up a table that night, the meal ended quickly, in less than half an hour.
Wu Wangchun dropped Yang Jian back at the Seventh Brigade and left in a hurry.
As soon as Yang Jian entered, he saw the people from the gambling company gathered for a meeting. Song Jianhao immediately announced the adjournment upon seeing him and then sat down with him alone.
"Little Yang, you performed exceptionally well today. You single-handedly subdued Li Jin and those thugs. Otherwise, the place would have been shut down."
"Brother Hao, you're being too formal. I'm also a member of the company, and it's my duty to work for it."
"Good, with those words, I'm relieved. Don't listen to Old Wu's persuasion. Emperor Company isn't that easy to manage. If you don't have enough capital, you won't make money and might even lose. My place is a sure bet."
Yang Jian finally understood that Song Jianhao was worried about Wu Wangchun poaching him. However, he still didn't understand. "What do you mean by 'capital'?"
"Oh, that's slang. Capital refers to the principal of Emperor Company. Emperor Company has wins and losses. If your principal is small and the company happens to lose several rounds consecutively, your principal will be quickly depleted, and you'll need to invest more. But if you have no money, you have to give up participating. Then, wealthy people continue to invest, and when it starts making money, you're out of luck. So, operating this casino honestly is a sure bet."
"Don't worry, Brother Hao, I won't leave. Mr. Wu invited me to dinner because my father worked with him as a laborer for many years. He's like an elder to me. He was just comforting me because I was injured, not asking me to join him."
"Oh, so that's how it is. Old Wu was indeed a bricklayer."
Song Jianhao was relieved. Yang Jian was now the stabilizing force of the casino. If he were poached by Wu Wangchun, the place would likely not last long.
"Brother Hao, I haven't been in this business for long. In just over a month, I've been in several major fights and even got injured. The risk seems a bit high. If it continues like this, I might have to quit."
Song Jianhao quickly waved his hand. "It's okay, it's okay. You've already made a name for yourself at Xunsi River. No one dares to mess with you anymore. Fights won't happen in the future."
"But Xiao Wu asked me to be in charge of the logging area. I don't think it's that simple, as it involves millions in profits. The other party might not give me face. How should I handle this?"
As a newcomer to the martial world, Yang Jian was still a novice. His safety was at stake, and he hoped Song Jianhao could offer some advice.
Song Jianhao became serious at this point. "The logging area matter is indeed very tricky. With such large profits, I wouldn't let go easily either. The possibility of you simply intimidating them into not taking a single cent is almost zero. It might even involve gunfire."
"Then what should we do?"
"You can't get too involved in this matter, or it will be very dangerous. I think the best excuse is to say you haven't recovered from your injuries and avoid it."
"I already told him that, but Xiao Wu said I don't have to do anything, just go to the site with the loggers. He also said he could definitely subdue those two groups."
Song Jianhao's expression changed. "Damn it, Xiao Wu is too insidious. He's completely using you as a pawn. He's already made hundreds of thousands from reselling timber from the Seventh Brigade's area during this time, and he hasn't even shared a dime with you. Doesn't he realize that if you hadn't subdued Brother Xiong, he would be a cripple by now? He's too heartless."
Song Jianhao's attitude surprised Yang Jian a little. He realized then that he and Xiao Wu weren't united, and they were just using each other.
"Brother Hao, if I quit now, will our place also be unable to operate?"
"Of course. We can't afford to offend him right now. How about this: tomorrow morning, there will be no classes. I'll bring my brothers with you. On one hand, it's to support you. On the other hand, I'll try to mediate and negotiate with the other party, persuading Xiao Wu to share some of the profits. If everyone makes money together, trying to keep it all for oneself will lead to a quick demise."
"This solution sounds good."
Old ginger is spicier. This was indeed the only way to solve the problem. If Xiao Wu insisted on keeping everything for himself, Yang Jian wouldn't gain much. On the surface, he secured a daily wage of a thousand yuan, but in reality, this money was squeezed from Song Jianhao, and he himself didn't spend a penny. Such a person wasn't worth risking his life for.