The misunderstanding cleared, Yang Jian began to question Feng Wu.
“Speak, what’s the situation? Why did you lie to your family?”
“Brother Jian, I really owe money, and I did win from taking private jobs, just not that much, only over two hundred thousand. This money was advanced by Brother Shi, and I’m working for him now to pay it back. But it’s too difficult to repay with just my salary, so I thought of having Yongli help me pay it off first.”
Feng Wu didn’t dare to look Yang Jian in the eye, explaining in a low voice.
Yang Jian still didn’t believe him. “Brother Shi, is he telling the truth?”
Shi Tou nodded. “He’s not lying about this. It happened last week. He won from a private job, and they wanted to take him away, but I saved him. I advanced the prize money. To prevent such incidents, I specifically assigned more people to supervise.”
“But he asked my family for seven hundred thousand.”
“Damn, Xiao Wu, you’re too greedy, even lying to your own family.”
Shi Tou couldn’t help but slap him on the head.
Feng Wu didn’t dare to dodge. “Brother Shi, I found a girlfriend. She wants a car and a house. I’m already heavily in debt, and I have no ability to meet her demands, so I took this opportunity to ask Brother Jian for more.”
Yang Jian nodded at Shi Tou. “Brother Shi, you’re a good guy. I’ve also run a gambling house. If any of my brothers took private jobs, I wouldn’t only not advance their debts, but I’d also kick them out.”
Shi Tou sighed. “Feng Wu is someone I brought from my hometown, and he has some spirit. He’s good at fighting, daring and impulsive, and he’s got some brains. I wouldn’t be able to establish myself here without his contributions, so I couldn’t just abandon him and watch him get kidnapped.”
“How about this, Brother Shi, give me an account number, and I’ll transfer two hundred thousand to you.”
“No, no need, Mr. Yang. You coming here today means we have fate. Feng Wu’s money doesn’t need to be repaid. Consider it me making friends with Mr. Yang, and we can interact more in the future.”
“Brother Shi, those are two different matters. I acknowledge your friendship, but the money for my cousin still needs to be repaid. Rules cannot be broken.”
“Alright, then you can’t leave today. I’ll treat you to dinner tonight.”
Shi Tou was straightforward and intended to befriend Yang Jian.
Yang Jian smiled. “Brother Shi, thank you for your kind invitation, but I really don’t have time today. Brother Bao and I have to rush back to work soon. Call me when you have time to come to the city, and we can have a good get-together then.”
“I’ll definitely go. I heard your casino is doing very well. I’ve wanted to see it for a long time. If I lose big, you’ll have to support me, okay?”
“No problem, Brother Shi. You go ahead and be busy. I’ll just chat with my cousin for a bit before leaving.”
“Okay, you guys chat. I’ll be outside.”
Shi Tou wisely exited the shop, and Cao Chong and A Bao followed him out.
Only then did Yang Jian look at Feng Wu. “I’ll help you repay the money you owe. Send Shi Tou’s account number to Yongli later, and I’ll have a word with him. Now, answer me one question.”
Feng Wu was a little excited. “Ask away, Brother Jian.”
“Did you discuss asking Yongli for seven hundred thousand with your brother beforehand? I hope you’re not lying, otherwise, I won’t help you with anything in the future.”
Yang Jian was a little uneasy about Feng Wu now; both brothers were not simple characters.
Feng Wu immediately raised his hand. “Brother Jian, I swear on my ancestors for eighteen generations, this was entirely my own idea at the last minute. My brother doesn’t know I lied to cheat money.”
“Good, I’ll believe you for now. And one more thing, my name in Dongjiang is Yang Wu. You must not reveal my real name or home address to anyone, or not only will we not be relatives, but you also won’t be able to bear the consequences.”
“Brother Jian, we are relatives by blood. How could I do anything to betray you? Don’t worry, even if Brother Shi asks me about you, I won’t tell the truth.”
“Alright, this matter ends here. Brother Shi is a good person. Work hard for him. If you take private jobs again, I won’t manage you.”
Yang Jian finished speaking and got up to leave.
Feng Wu grabbed him. “Brother, take me with you.”
“Take you where?”
“You’re so famous in Dongjiang, of course, I want to follow you. Brother Shi’s place is too small, with no great development.”
Knowing that the recently renowned Yang Wu in Dongjiang was his cousin, Feng Wu had no intention of staying with Shi Tou anymore.
“You want to follow me?”
Yang Jian wasn’t surprised by his request but doubted his character. However, upon careful consideration, he really couldn’t leave him here. If he got drunk one day and revealed his true identity, it would be very troublesome.
“Brother, I know I made a mistake this time. Give me a chance to correct it and let me follow you. I dare not say anything else, but if there’s anything, I’ll definitely rush ahead of you.”
“I manage my brothers very strictly. No marijuana, no gambling, no betraying brothers. Can you do that?”
“Brother, I don’t use marijuana, nor do I gamble, and I won’t betray brothers. You can ask Brother Shi about this. However, I occasionally play cards, but I’m not addicted and can quit.”
Feng Wu didn’t dare to lie. He knew Yang Jian would definitely be aware. Anyone involved in the underworld almost certainly gambled, especially in Dongjiang, a place with a vibrant nightlife. With clubs everywhere, snorting ketamine and raving was the most popular form of entertainment.
Yang Jian pondered for a moment and called Jing Yongli. On one hand, he asked him to transfer money to Shi Tou, and on the other hand, he inquired if he needed security. Recently, Xu Zheng had started causing trouble again, and Jing Yongli’s weak personality made him prone to being taken advantage of.
“Xiao Wu, I’m planning to invest tens of millions in a project at home. Yongli can’t handle it alone. Why don’t you go back and set up a security team to ensure the smooth implementation of the project? Do you have the capability?”
After receiving a positive response from Jing Yongli, Yang Jian decided to arrange for Feng Wu to go back. Since Shi Tou said he had some spirit, it was time to test him. If he could truly handle things independently, Yang Jian wouldn’t mind bringing him along to prosper, after all, he was his cousin.
“Okay, I’ll follow your arrangements. Don’t worry, I might not be good at other things, but I’m definitely capable of leading people to maintain security.”
Feng Wu was a little disappointed. He wanted to stay by Yang Jian’s side. Given Yang Jian’s reputation in Dongjiang, he would definitely develop faster and better than in his hometown. Following him would not only allow him to swagger in Dongjiang but also yield greater profits.
However, he didn’t dare to refuse. Having finally been forgiven and given such an opportunity to take charge, he had to do a good job.
He had seen Yang Jian’s generosity today. Although he had hit him twice, he had repaid his money without hesitation and without making any demands.
This showed that he was not a petty or stingy person. As long as he did his job well for him, he would surely have a good life in the future.
Yang Jian, however, didn’t notice his emotional fluctuations. “After you return, have Yongli introduce you to Wu Wangchun. If you encounter any unsolvable problems, he will provide assistance. Someone named Xu Zheng might interfere with the project development. This person has some strength and background. Do not confront him directly. If it’s truly unresolvable, I will arrange for someone to go back. Also, I must emphasize, do your job honestly and don’t have ulterior motives. As you said, we are relatives by blood. As long as you don’t do anything that harms my interests, you will have what you deserve. Do you understand what I mean?”
“I understand, Brother. I won’t disappoint you. Just watch my performance.”
Feng Wu had already understood Yang Jian’s capabilities, and all his previous thoughts were gone. To turn his life around, the only thing he could do was to cling to him tightly and wholeheartedly do his job for him.