After Liangliang left, Yang Jian counted the chips left by Zhou Tao and Yu Dongqiang, totaling five million one hundred thousand.
He then went downstairs to find Bai Zheng, to understand the aftermath of the fight and to discuss hiring a professional killer.
Bai Zheng wasn't in his office, but Yang Jian ran into A Bao on the second floor.
"Brother Bao, has Brother Zheng left?"
Yang Jian found it a bit strange that Bai Zheng hadn't met with him, the head of security, after such a major incident.
A Bao offered him a cigarette. "Master went to negotiate with Qin Ming. Qin Ming planned this disturbance."
"Qin Ming? Why? Does he have a direct conflict with Brother Zheng? This is a move to completely break ties."
"Qin Ming and Master always had a facade of harmony but discord beneath. It's normal for them to break ties. Seeing our casino become increasingly popular, attracting big bosses from all over the country, Qin Ming became envious.
He also opened a casino, but it was far behind ours in terms of scale and service, with no recognition whatsoever, and no one came to play.
So he sent his men to cause trouble here, planning to collaborate from the inside and outside to smash our casino, scare away customers, and then have them play at his place.
But he didn't expect you to subdue everyone inside in just a few minutes, and their plan was thwarted.
After Master arrived, he originally intended to cripple all the troublemakers and throw them out. But Qin Ming found an influential official to intercede, willing to offer compensation, so Master rushed over to negotiate."
"What about those troublemakers?"
"They were released. With that influential person guaranteeing the deal, Qin Ming's promised conditions won't be reneged on."
"Oh, so will Brother Zheng be back at the company?"
"No. Master was supposed to go to Hong Kong today. He hadn't even departed when he heard about the incident here, so he rushed back. What's wrong, do you need to see him urgently?"
Yang Jian pulled A Bao upstairs to his office and poured him a cup of tea.
"Brother Bao, you've been with Brother Zheng for many years, so you should have some understanding of the professional killer circles, right?"
Since he had to reply to Zhou Tao about dealing with Hong Xing tomorrow, and Bai Zheng was currently unavailable, Yang Jian planned to consult A Bao and see if he could provide any information.
A Bao smiled. "Little Yang, are you planning to deal with someone? Professional killers charge very high fees. Like the killer who dealt with you last time, their appearance fee was at least two million, and for a tough target, it's impossible to handle without five million."
"Brother Zheng said the same thing last time. Do you know anyone in this line of work?"
"Tell me about the situation first. Who is the target?"
"It's like this, I met some acquaintances from Xinhe in the casino today. When they knew I was working at the casino, they thought I was doing very well and had great influence. One boss surnamed Zhou insisted that I help him get rid of a rival.
This target is also from Xinhe, but he spends most of his time in Nanhai. He's a big shot who has established himself. He runs a casino in Nanhai, has a group of people around him, and professional bodyguards providing close protection, making him difficult to deal with.
Boss Zhou, being unfamiliar with this area, is willing to pay a high price for me to handle this. I originally wanted to ask Brother Zheng, because he mentioned having resources in this area last time. If you have acquaintances, Brother Bao, this business can be given to you."
Yang Jian knew that A Bao was just working for Bai Zheng and didn't have any shares in the casino or other income. Letting him find someone could help him earn some referral fees.
A Bao pondered for a moment and said, "Since the target is a big shot in the underworld, the difficulty is not small. Five million, I'll take this case."
Yang Jian was surprised. "Brother Bao, you'll handle it yourself?"
"Don't worry about that. Just make sure the job is done well."
A Bao seemed very confident, suggesting he had done this sort of thing many times.
"What are the conditions?"
"First, a deposit of one million. Once the target's whereabouts are confirmed, another two million before the action. After the job is done, another two million."
"What if the operation fails?"
Yang Jian was almost certain that A Bao was a professional killer, and he wanted to handle this case himself.
"There are two scenarios for a failed operation. One is if our people suffer casualties or are captured, then the remaining two million must still be paid.
The second is if our people retreat safely. We return two million, or continue the pursuit. The one million deposit is non-refundable."
Yang Jian finally understood. Regardless of success or failure, one million would be paid. It felt a bit unreasonable; if they just went through the motions, the money would be too easy to earn.
However, seeing that A Bao wasn't the type to renege, and moreover, he worked with him, Yang Jian decided to trust him and took a bag from the cabinet, placing it in front of him.
"Brother Bao, this is two million in chips, left by Boss Zhou. Consider it a deposit. I'll take you to meet Boss Zhou tonight to see if we should sign an agreement?"
"I won't meet them. Such matters cannot be agreed upon by contract. I only communicate with you directly. The fewer people involved, the better. I only trust you. I'll take these two million first, and you can give me the rest after the job is done."
A Bao placed the bag of chips at his feet without counting them.
Yang Jian was a bit frustrated. He had originally intended for A Bao to negotiate directly with Zhou Tao, allowing him to stay out of it. If the police were to investigate, it wouldn't involve him much.
But A Bao only recognized him. Even if he went to Bai Zheng, the result would be the same. Since that was the case, there was no need to take him to meet Zhou Tao, and he could still earn three million. His goal was to eliminate Hong Xing anyway.
"Alright then, I'll communicate your conditions to Boss Zhou. What else do you need?"
"You need to provide a photo and address of the target, or bring our people to identify them in a public place. Of course, it would be even better if you have the target's specific whereabouts."
"Can the action take place anywhere?"
"Yes, anywhere in the country except the capital. Because such big shots are difficult to deal with, firearms might be involved. In the capital, firearms are absolutely not allowed, as it would cause big trouble. I wouldn't do it even for ten million.
Also, if the action takes place abroad, the price will increase by another million, mainly due to expensive travel expenses."
Yang Jian thought for a moment and said, "Brother Bao, the target is currently in my hometown, Xinhe. He might not come to Nanhai for some time."
"It doesn't matter, it's fine to act in Xinhe."
"No, no, no. Boss Zhou doesn't want him to die in Xinhe, because their conflict is too obvious. The target has great influence and strong backing in Xinhe. Once he dies locally, the first suspect will be Boss Zhou. He cannot afford retaliation from the other family, so it's best to act in Nanhai."
Yang Jian's words stemmed from his own concerns. If Hong Xing died in Xinhe, Hong Xing's family would not suspect Zhou Tao first, but himself, as he currently had the biggest conflict with Hong Xing.
In ancient times, commoners did not fight officials. If the Hong Xing family was determined to target him, both of his family's businesses in his hometown could be suppressed. A safety or environmental issue could shut down the board factory, even leading to bankruptcy.