As Yu Feng joined with one million, Yang Jian decided to reallocate the internal shares. He originally planned to hold forty percent, with Xiao Zeng representing Yu Feng holding ten percent, and the remaining fifty percent to be jointly owned by Biao Biao, Liang Liang, San Pang, and Ah Feng, Ah Nan, and Jun Jun.
However, Biao Biao and the others disagreed. It was finally agreed that Yang Jian would hold fifty percent, Xiao Zeng ten percent, Biao Biao, Liang Liang, and San Pang twenty percent, and Ah Feng, Ah Nan, and Jun Jun twenty percent.
After the share distribution, Biao Biao proposed using two hundred thousand yuan to expand the production of Yang Jian's template factory. This was because the construction site was about to start on a large scale and required a significant number of templates. Even if they couldn't monopolize the entire area of the Seventh Brigade, they at least needed to guarantee supply for the Dong Sheng Group project and Zheng Guangyao's resettlement housing.
Everyone agreed with this proposal, and Yang Jian did not refuse. After all, at this stage, they didn't need that much cash for lending, and two hundred thousand could be earned back in two to three days without affecting their overall profits.
Yang Jian then went to Old Wu's dormitory alone.
The old couple had not yet rested and were discussing what to buy for groceries the next morning. Upon seeing Yang Jian, they quickly offered him a seat and poured him tea.
Yang Jian took out the twenty thousand yuan that Wu Wangchun had given him. "Old Wu, Uncle Wang asked me to pass this to you. He said your family is having difficulties, and this is a small token of his regard. He was afraid you wouldn't accept it if he gave it to you in person, so he entrusted me to deliver it."
Old Wu was stunned for a moment before accepting the money. "Ah, it's thoughtful of Wang Chun. A single penny can stump a hero. I'll cast aside my pride. Thank you, Xiao Yang."
"What are you thanking me for? I just ran an errand."
"I'm thanking you for bringing us, my wife and I, to work here. Where else can we find such high wages?"
"Don't say that. Without your oversight, I wouldn't dare to run this place. I feel the salary I'm giving you is even too little. But don't worry, as long as this place can run smoothly for a few months, paying off your family's usurious loans won't be difficult. If it's not enough, I'll help you pay it off."
"Xiao Yang, I knew I wasn't mistaken about you. Good deeds are rewarded. I believe you can turn things around with this place."
"Old Wu, actually, I just came to ask you if there are any issues with the operation of our place. I also discussed it with Uncle Wang this afternoon, and I've accepted his suggestions regarding the casino's operating hours. I'd like your opinion as well."
"I have no objections. Ah Feng has a lot of experience managing casinos, and Biao Biao is trustworthy with the accounts. Liang Liang and Ah Nan are diligent as dealers. With these four people helping you manage, this casino will surely prosper as long as it's not shut down by the authorities. This is an excellent opportunity for you to turn things around. Seize it well."
"Old Wu, I'm very curious. Why don't you have confidence in Uncle Wang opening a place back home, yet you're so confident about our place?"
"I won't explain this matter again. If you talk to him again, advise him to stay in Hancheng. He has accumulated a lot of capital now and can completely change careers to do legitimate business. Opening a casino back home is a dead end. I always believe in my judgment."
"Alright then, you two should get some rest. You have to get up early to buy groceries tomorrow."
Yang Jian no longer dwelled on the issue, dismissing Old Wu's judgment. Money makes the world go 'round. With Wu Wangchun's current financial strength, he should be able to find a solid protector. The talk of a dead end seemed a bit alarmist.
The casino started smoothly and became even more prosperous in the following half month. More and more people participated in gambling, and the daily profits from Biao Biao and the others' cut exceeded two hundred thousand.
However, the profit from lending did not increase significantly, as they only lent to construction bosses in Xinhe and were hesitant to lend to others they didn't know.
Following Li Jin's arrangements, Yang Jian rarely entered the casino and moved into the apartment Li Jin had arranged for him.
When he had nothing else to do, he would visit the construction site to check the progress. Zheng Guangyao's resettlement housing was progressing faster; the earthwork was completed, and foundation construction had begun. Yang Jian transferred two thousand templates from the factory.
With the casino income as a guarantee, the factory's funds could still support them for a while. Yang Jian did not collect the full payment from Zheng Guangyao for the time being, only half. This project was funded by Zheng Guangyao. The eighteen-story building required completion before the client would disburse funds.
Therefore, Zheng Guangyao was under significant financial pressure. He had taken hundreds of thousands to gamble in the past, partly to show off to Yang Jian and prop up his betting, but fortunately, he had won tens of thousands that time.
When he felt bored, Yang Jian would drive back to Xinhe to visit his sister who was still hospitalized, go on dates with Lu Yao, and check on his brother-in-law's house construction progress.
Gao Daqiang's house had already reached the third floor and would be topped off in about a month.
"Xiao Yang, the quality of your templates is not good. They're already delaminating after only the second use. How many have you produced at the factory? I suggest you stop immediately, improve the production process, and enhance product quality."
As soon as he entered the compound, Lu Qian stopped Yang Jian and pointed to a template just removed from the second floor, speaking sternly.
Yang Jian walked over and gasped. These templates, used only once on the first floor, clearly showed signs of peeling and delamination. Although they could still be used, they would break before the third use.
Such templates should not have been sold from the factory.
"Xiao Yang, what's wrong?"
Seeing his silence, Lu Qian asked again.
"Uncle, my factory has at least twenty thousand finished templates. To ensure the usage for Boss Zheng and the others, the factory has been working overtime, producing over a thousand templates daily."
"So many? That's a huge loss." Lu Qian was also shocked. He knew that the cost of one template was around thirty yuan. Twenty thousand templates amounted to six hundred thousand, a fatal blow to a small factory just starting out.
Yang Jian's mind went blank. During this period, he had successively received over six hundred thousand from Biao Biao for factory production.
Introduced by Zheng Guangyao, he had also sent three thousand templates to a friend's construction site. Now that the template quality was problematic, not only would the money not be recovered, but the client might even demand compensation for losses. This was because the templates needed processing upon arrival at the construction site, which incurred costs and could also affect the construction schedule.
Most importantly, the substandard quality of the templates would severely impact the factory's reputation, meaning he would lose orders from Boss Zheng and the Dong Sheng Group.
Even if he improved the process now and the template quality met standards, it would be too late to supply enough templates for them. These two orders were destined to be lost.
"Xiao Yang, since the problem has occurred, you must face it bravely and actively find ways to correct it. There are no smooth sailing paths in business. You are still young and inexperienced, so experiencing setbacks is normal. Get up from where you fell. Six hundred thousand is not a small amount, but with your abilities, earning it back won't be difficult."
Lu Qian, fearing he couldn't handle the blow, quickly comforted him.
However, what pained Yang Jian at this moment was not the money. Six hundred thousand was not a huge sum; the casino was generating over a hundred thousand in income daily, which they could afford.
What troubled him was how to deal with the backlog of templates at the factory. Should they all be burned in the boiler?
And how should he explain to the clients who had already purchased the templates?