The intervention of the Ministry of State Security was expected, so Lu Jinsong no longer inquired about the case details. He changed the subject, "Tell me about Yang Jian's situation."
Hu Cheng took out a notebook. "Yang Jian's experiences are rather legendary, and they've all happened in the last two years."
Lu Hao seemed more interested in Yang Jian. "Hurry up, tell me. How is he legendary?"
"Yang Jian hails from Yangli Village, Xinqiao Town, Xinhe District. He's from a farming family, twenty-four years old this year, with a high school education.
His parents are alive, his grandmother is over seventy, his elder sister Yang Hui is married, and his younger sister Yang Rui is in her fourth year at the School of Finance and Economics.
Two years ago, Yang Jian was still a migrant worker on construction sites, unknown and unremarkable. The only highlight was that at the age of twenty-two, he had already become a small contractor, considered quite capable among migrant workers.
At twenty-three, he lost the principal his sister had lent him and the money he earned as a contractor due to gambling. He was kicked out of his house by his father on the third day of the Lunar New Year and began frequenting casinos.
He started from the lowest rung of casino runners, then collected debts for his boss. After single-handedly injuring a thug who was carrying a gun, he gained notoriety.
Fearing retaliation, he followed his boss to Hancheng to continue in the casino scene. During this time, he assisted his boss in subduing Brother Xiong, the boss of Xunsi River. His boss established a foothold in Xunsi River and opened a casino, where Yang Jian earned his first pot of gold and bought his first car.
Good times didn't last. Brother Xiong counterattacked, and the casino was destroyed. He was saved by Li Jin, a local thug from Xunsi River, and escaped.
Upon returning home, he found his elder sister's family being bullied by the underworld forces in Chengguan. Enraged, he directly attacked the home of the top enforcer of the underworld, crippling him and obtaining evidence of the underworld boss's criminal activities. This forced the black boss Pan Wenbin to flee in haste, and he has not dared to return to Xinhe since.
This battle propelled Yang Jian's reputation to its peak in Xinhe. He began lending money, but soon after, he injured a thug named Wu Laizi while competing for lending resources and was sent to the detention center.
While he was detained, his home was vandalized by unknown forces, and his grandfather died as a result.
After mediation, Yang Jian was released after more than thirty days. He was then sent by his father to Xichuan to assist his cousin with an engineering project, and his car was sold.
When everyone thought he had turned over a new leaf and was focusing on the engineering project, he actually started a casino in Xichuan with local thugs. In just a few months, he made over a million and bought his second car.
Just when he thought he had completely turned his life around, his cousin accumulated massive gambling debts and was held captive. Yang Jian traveled a thousand miles to rescue his cousin and assumed all his debts.
To repay the debt, Yang Jian partnered with his former boss again to operate in Hancheng casinos, earning a substantial amount of money, and also opened a template factory in his hometown.
By chance, while delivering templates to Xunsi River, he encountered Li Jin, who had saved him before. He then partnered with Li Jin to open a casino, which has now become quite substantial, reportedly earning several million a month.
This is his general experience, though there were many thrilling fights in between, which I didn't delve into due to time constraints.
To summarize, Yang Jian is not a bad person at heart. He is bold, has a good reputation locally in Xinqiao, and recently funded road repairs. He is also very strong in combat and can fight well."
After hearing Hu Cheng's report, Lu Jinsong frowned.
Yan Yufeng was somewhat disappointed. "After all that talk, this Yang Jian was actually involved with the underworld. No wonder people are falsely accusing this incident as a mutual fight. With this past record, he probably can't clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River."
"Mom, no matter what kind of person Yang Jian is, he was arrested because he was saving us. Dozens of people watched indifferently at the scene, and only he stepped forward. This is true chivalry. Such a person cannot be a bad person. We must not only rescue him but also provide him with comprehensive support."
Although Lu Yue was still shaken by the night's events, the young figure who single-handedly charged into the rioters to protect her husband deeply moved her.
"This Yang Jian is quite interesting. I'd like to meet him sooner. Sister, don't worry, I'll handle Yang Jian's affairs. Even if Dad can't get involved conveniently, I'll use all my resources to get him out. We can discuss how to support him after we meet."
Lu Hao didn't have so many reservations. Revenge for grievances, repayment for kindness – it was that simple.
He knew his father was currently undergoing organizational review and was slated for promotion to the provincial level. Any unexpected incident at this critical juncture could be problematic.
The political arena was also complex and competitive. This sudden incident put his father in a difficult position, as any involvement might invite criticism and be used as a weapon by his opponents.
However, not getting involved also felt wrong, given that his daughter and son-in-law were publicly assaulted. It would be disingenuous not to be angry or concerned.
Therefore, it was most appropriate for him to handle the matter himself.
Lu Jinsong, however, did not appreciate his son's offer. "You keep quiet. You don't need to get involved in this case. Since your sister's unit is continuously monitoring it, and the Ministry of State Security is intervening, this case will be clarified quickly. Your interference will only complicate matters.
I don't object to supporting Yang Jian in doing legitimate business, but I forbid you from seeking private revenge against Geng Bin. They will face legal punishment. I am an enforcer of the law, and you resorting to underworld tactics is a slap in my face."
"Understood. Don't worry, it won't affect your promotion. I'm going to see my brother-in-law."
Not wanting to listen to his father's lecture, Lu Hao turned and went to the adjacent hospital room.
Although Lu Jinsong was annoyed by his son's defiance, he wasn't worried that Lu Hao would act rashly. Having become the president of a major group company, his temperament had long been tempered to be incredibly steady. He no longer possessed the recklessness and impulsiveness of a young man and considered the overall situation and consequences in everything he did.
Yang Jian had been detained for half a month, and Lu Yao felt like time was passing like years. To make matters worse, Lin Nan had blocked her number during this period and refused to disclose any information about the case.
This made her unable to concentrate even in class, and she made repeated mistakes. Her students' parents reported her to the principal, who had to ask her to take a month's leave of absence to rest and recover before returning to school.
"Yaoyao, I haven't seen you in a long time. Come out for a meal."
Lu Yao, who had been sleeping soundly at home for two days, finally heard Wei Xia's heavenly voice and jumped out of bed.
"Sister Xia, you're back! Hurry and ask Lin Nan to meet me."
Wei Xia had been away for nearly a month for further studies, and Lu Yao had no way to contact Lin Nan through her to inquire about the case.
"Come out. I'm waiting for you at Pinwei Shiguang. Lin Nan will be here soon too."
"Okay, I'll be right there."
Lu Yao changed her clothes at lightning speed, not even bothering to put on makeup before rushing out. Fortunately, she was naturally beautiful and looked good even without makeup, so no one would mind.
"What's the rush? Go out after eating. I've already prepared the food."
Chen Lan peeked out from the kitchen, but her daughter had already vanished.