Soon after Song Jianmin left, an old man in his fifties or sixties arrived with a cart of split firewood. He was clearly the owner of the melon shed, asking Yang Jian not to dismantle it. The firewood was bought by Song Jianmin and could burn for several days.
As a comrade, he was truly good to him. Yang Jian, touched, stoked the bonfire even higher, making the cold night bearable.
The snow continued to fall. While the vehicles on the road didn't accumulate snow, the fields were completely white, and the temperature kept dropping.
Yang Jian, curled up by the bonfire, was idly playing a game console. He only got up to look outside when he heard vehicles passing, as long as they weren't police cars, everything was fine.
It wasn't until ten in the evening that the walkie-talkie announced the end of work. Yang Jian took the unburnt wood and doused it in the snow, then extinguished the bonfire before walking back to the village.
Upon reaching the ancestral hall, the gamblers had all left. Song Jianhao was distributing cash to his subordinates.
"Little Yang, you worked hard today. This is your salary. Due to insufficient preparation, your post had the worst conditions. I'll arrange for someone to repair it tomorrow. Just hang in there for a few days; it will be much more comfortable once we reach Jiangcheng."
Song Jianhao handed him four hundred-yuan bills.
"Thank you, Brother Hao. It's fine. We often stood guard in the army, so these conditions are manageable."
Earning four hundred a day, Yang Jian felt it was worth the hardship. It would have taken five days of work at a construction site.
Including the 168 yuan red envelope he received earlier, his earnings for the day amounted to over five hundred yuan, plus a pack of twenty-yuan cigarettes. It was quite good. Yang Jian thought about returning the eight hundred yuan Song Jianmin had given him later.
"Little Yang, go back with Jianmin. Be here by one in the afternoon tomorrow."
"Understood, Brother Hao."
Yang Jian took off his overcoat, handed over the walkie-talkie to the warehouse, and then followed Song Jianmin back to Chengguan.
"Jianmin, I'm returning this money to you. Since the venue pays cash daily, I have enough money on hand."
As they neared the hotel, Yang Jian tried to return the eight hundred yuan to Song Jianmin.
"Keep it. Buy a good pair of shoes tomorrow and two sets of fashionable clothes. Image is very important at the venue, especially when we get to the provincial capital. You can't be looked down upon by gamblers from the city."
Song Jianmin refused with a smile. He noticed that Yang Jian's entire outfit was worth no more than three hundred yuan.
He recalled the brothers under Brother Hao; they were indeed all dressed very fashionably. Compared to them, he felt like a country bumpkin.
Yang Jian no longer insisted and decided to get himself dolled up the next day.
It was a good thought, but impossible to realize. The next day was the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, and the clothing stores were not open. Even places to eat were scarce.
Yang Jian wandered around the streets and found that only the "Tasteful Time Tea Restaurant" was open. He went in and ate a claypot rice, then waited for Song Jianmin to pick him up.
Today's task was still to guard the intersection. However, the wooden shed had been repaired and was wrapped with colored tarpaulin, preventing the cold wind from blowing in. It was indeed much warmer.
Days like these, apart from being a bit cold and boring, were actually quite good. Four hundred yuan a day plus a pack of cigarettes, and seemingly no danger.
Yang Jian had always been an outsider guard. He didn't know the operational model of the casino, only that running a casino was very profitable. He roughly calculated that Song Jianhao's so-called gambling company, besides himself, had ten brothers, each earning four hundred yuan a day, plus cigarette money and dinner money. The daily expenses alone were no less than five thousand yuan.
He heard they also had to give some money to the ancestral hall. Song Jianhao's income should be even higher, so the casino's daily profit should be no less than ten thousand yuan.
Earning ten thousand yuan a day from gamblers was faster than doing construction, and it was all cash. Yang Jian couldn't help but feel envious.
On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, Yang Jian arrived at the ancestral hall with Song Jianmin as usual. He noticed a tense atmosphere, and Song Jianhao had once again called all the brothers for a meeting.
"Brothers, today is the seventh day, and the holiday break is over. More and more people are coming to our venue, and all departments are starting to work. This place is easily targeted, so starting today, everyone needs to be alert and ensure the safety of the venue."
Song Jianhao spoke with a certain presence, like a leader.
But Yang Jian didn't understand how to ensure the casino's safety.
"The outside guards need to be especially careful. Little Yang, although you're a rookie, you have the discipline of a soldier. Your position is the most crucial. You need to constantly observe the passing vehicles and give advance warning before the police enter the village."
"Brother Hao, I can notify you promptly if a police car arrives, but how can I tell if someone plainclothes enters?"
Yang Jian raised his question, something he had wanted to ask for a long time.
"Just pay attention to police cars. Our venue is only open for a few days, and we won't attract the police's high attention for now. They haven't reached the point of using plainclothes officers for investigation. Besides, I have some relevant connections and have already handled things, so you can rest assured."
"Alright, I'll be careful."
"Also, if a police car enters, you cannot stay in your spot, nor should you panic and run. You should pretend to be a pedestrian walking on the road, otherwise, you'll be easily caught."
"Oh, I understand. Isn't that counter-surveillance?"
"One last point, no matter who gets caught, you cannot admit to being a guard or a dealer, or you'll be sentenced. Even more importantly, you cannot identify me as the organizer. As long as I am safe outside, even if you are caught, I have the ability to get you out."
"Understood."
Everyone answered in unison.
The meeting ended, and Yang Jian returned to the intersection.
The weather had cleared, but the temperature was still very low, and the road was icy in places.
This was a good thing, as the passing vehicles wouldn't be driving too fast.
Since Brother Hao asked him to keep an eye on the road, Yang Jian couldn't stay in the melon shed all the time. He occasionally strolled on the road.
The vehicles entering the village were noticeably more than in the previous few days, indicating that more people were participating in gambling.
Yang Jian actually wanted to see what the casino looked like inside, but it was clearly not an opportunity for now.
"Creak."
A silver SUV stopped in front of him.
Yang Jian's blood surged instantly because he recognized the car as Brother Mao's. It was this car that picked him up and dropped him off when he was tricked into playing cards; they were so enthusiastic.
"Little Yang, what are you doing here?"
The window of the SUV rolled down, and Brother Mao leaned out, smiling at him.
Recalling the two hundred thousand yuan he had been tricked out of, Yang Jian had the urge to wring his neck. But reason prevailed; it wasn't convenient to fall out with him at this moment.
"Brother Mao, are you here to play too? I'm working for Brother Hao now."
Yang Jian saw four young men sitting in his car. While he wasn't afraid of them, a fight would certainly disrupt the casino's operations.
"Is that so? Not doing construction anymore?"
"No more. I don't have the capital. I'll do it again when I have money."
"Alright then, I'll treat you to a meal sometime."
Brother Mao seemed to sense the murderous intent from Yang Jian and waved goodbye before driving into the village.