Rescuing the two people cost six hundred thousand, a rather steep price, but it earned Tiger Brother's goodwill. In the following days, he personally led Yang Jian and Yang Fan to negotiate with the entertainment venue's boss.
After several rounds of talks, the three girls were eventually redeemed at a price of three hundred thousand each. In this place, girls with a bit of looks commanded much higher prices than men, as their contribution to the entertainment venue's profits was very significant.
The five of them spent 1.5 million. Yang Fan couldn't understand Yang Jian's actions; this money was a complete write-off, as the possibility of those young men and women repaying it was extremely slim.
However, Yang Jian was very pleased. To find five people and rescue them all in such a short period was very smooth.
Compared to money, these were five living souls. If they weren't rescued, their fate would be like livestock, repeatedly sold until they were tortured to death.
The reason Yang Jian was willing to spend this money, besides sympathy, was also a form of self-repentance. He believed that his operation of the casino had brought harm to society, and the money earned was ultimately unclean.
This was similar to his annual large donations to the village for public facilities, aid to the elderly and orphans, and sponsoring university students, all charitable acts. Spending the money brought him more peace of mind.
Especially after being tied into investment by Yang Fan and Bai Zheng, he knew that more people would be ruined and families broken because of the online casino they were about to operate. Therefore, he wanted to use the ill-gotten gains from this area for charity.
Wang Jianqiang and the other five had entered the country illegally. They couldn't pass through the Dalukou border. With Yang Fan's suggestion and help, they still entered the country by smuggling with a horse caravan, so they wouldn't face penalties at the police station upon returning home.
Yang Jian met them in Dalukou Town, and then they took a car to the provincial capital before flying back to Hancheng.
Two months after the New Year, five people were rescued. The families of the victims once again gathered at Lijian Company, expressing their gratitude to Yang Jian. Lacking money for good gifts, they could only send whatever local specialties they had to offer.
"Manager Yang, you spent a huge sum to redeem us. Consider this money a loan, and I will definitely repay you in the future."
Before leaving Lijian Company, Wang Jianqiang declared his resolve in front of everyone. Returning this time was like a rebirth. He vowed never to be overly ambitious or dream of getting rich overnight. He would work diligently to earn money and repay Yang Jian the thirty thousand yuan that saved his life, so Yang Jian wouldn't bear this loss.
"It's good that you have this intention. Pressure breeds motivation. Remember this lesson. There are no free lunches. Work hard, and I'll be waiting for your repayment."
Yang Jian didn't play the saint and say he didn't expect them to repay. This would give them pressure and help them remember this painful experience.
With Wang Jianqiang's declaration, the others also expressed their intention to repay Yang Jian, but they needed time, as thirty thousand yuan was still a huge sum for their rural families.
Yang Jian naturally wouldn't refuse. If they could repay, they would; if not, he wouldn't pursue it.
Upon returning this time, Yang Jian planned to rest for a while, as the preparatory work for Lijian Group was mostly completed, and it was scheduled to officially launch on May 1st.
Additionally, his sister Yang Rui's wedding was to be held during the May Day holiday.
The water plant project had also entered the construction phase, utilizing Dongsheng Group's qualifications, with Liu Yong as the general contractor.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. After being away for over two months, Yang Jian experienced the longing for his wife and cherished his time at home even more.
Without the struggles of the martial world or financial pressures, life was peaceful and leisurely. In the blink of an eye, May Day arrived.
Lijian Group officially launched, with subsidiaries including Lijian Board Factory, Vegetable Trading Company, Yaochi Garden, and Xinqiao Water Plant.
Yang Jian served as Chairman, Jiang Bin as General Manager, and Han Fei, recommended by Jing Yongli, Lu Feng, and Lu Hao, as Deputy General Manager.
Biao Biao and Liang Liang also held Deputy General Manager positions, but they were not heavily involved in company management, primarily following Yang Jian in the paper mill and casino businesses in Southeast Asia.
Dong Wanting, recruited by Jiang Bin, served as the Group Company's Financial Director. Yang Jian had originally intended this position for Yang Rui, but after her marriage, she planned to live in Hancheng and didn't want to commute, so she preferred to continue working at the securities company.
Ma Lan remained the company's legal counsel, and Feng Wu served as the head of the security department, with Song Jianmin as his deputy.
After the establishment of the group company, Yang Jian held a thirty percent stake, making him the largest shareholder.
Jiang Bin held a twenty percent stake, making him the second-largest shareholder. The company's development to this point was inseparable from his rich management experience and diligent work ethic.
Jing Yongli held a ten percent stake.
Lu Feng, Yang Hui, and Yang Rui each held five percent. They were Yang Jian's closest relatives, and it was only natural to look after them.
Biao Biao, Liang Liang, Afeng, Anan, Junjun, and San Pang each held five percent. They had invested in the vegetable company and had also provided significant help to Yang Jian.
Liu Chao and Feng Wu each held two point five percent. Liu Chao was now the deputy director and a key technical backbone of the board factory, having mastered the core technology of adhesives.
Feng Wu had also performed exceptionally well, showing absolute loyalty to Yang Jian and the company, and possessing considerable experience in managing the security department, earning Yang Jian's trust. As a cousin, it was appropriate to look after him. Feng Wen was still serving time in prison for the arson incident.
In this equity distribution, Liu Yong was the most disappointed. He was originally Yang Jian's cousin and mentor. If not for the mistake he made earlier, he would also be a shareholder of the company.
Although the shareholders of the group company were all relatives and friends of Yang Jian, the company's management was ultimately decided by Jiang Bin. Except for Yaochi Garden, which was managed by Lu Feng, each subsidiary would be managed by professional managers, and shareholders were not allowed to interfere arbitrarily.
Lu Yao's wedding was scheduled for May 6th.
Early in the morning, Yang Jian's family of five joined the wedding procession to escort his sister to Hancheng. In the past few days, through conversations with his sister, he learned that Ma Ming's company was doing quite well. Not only did he manage stock trading for clients, but he also ventured into futures trading, with over fifty million yuan in capital under his management.
Yang Jian didn't understand this aspect, but he always felt that Ma Ming was too aggressive and played too big. He worried that if a risk occurred, Ma Ming wouldn't be able to handle it, so he repeatedly urged his sister to keep a close eye on his financial situation.
The wedding was held at the five-star Jiangcheng Grand Hotel and was very grand, with many guests attending, indicating that Ma Ming had good connections.
As the wedding concluded and most of the guests had left, Yang Jian called Ma Ming aside.
"Ma Ming, my sister is entrusted to you today. I wish you a long and happy life together."
"Thank you, brother. We will love each other for a lifetime."
Ma Ming had heard too many blessings today and didn't notice the change in Yang Jian's expression in the next moment.
"However, I also want to warn you. Don't bully my sister. She can be a bit willful. You can yell at her or scold her, but you are absolutely not allowed to hit her. If you lay even a finger on her, I will make you regret it for the rest of your life."
"Brother, not only will I not hit her, but even if I had the thought in the future, I wouldn't be able to beat her. Rui Rui has martial arts skills. It would be good if she didn't hit me, let alone me daring to touch her."
Ma Ming knew Yang Jian was concerned about his sister, but he felt wronged. How could someone with Yang Rui's personality be bullied? It was he, the brother-in-law, who needed protection, wasn't it?