After the banquet ended, except for Lu Qian and his daughter, and Wei Xia, who were waiting for Yang Jian to drive them back to the city, all other guests left first.
Wu Wangchun was the last to leave. Before departing, he specifically asked to speak with Yang Jian alone.
"Little Yang, since you plan to set up a factory at home, are you no longer involved in gambling dens?"
"Uncle Wang, the loans for my factory haven't come through, and I'm short on cash. I still need to take a gamble at the casino in Hancheng."
"How much are you short? I can lend you two hundred thousand."
"No need. The money I'm short of is not a small sum; two hundred thousand won't solve the problem."
"Then why not come to my place? I'll still give you a two-tenths stake, or you can be the banker. That way, you won't have to run to Hancheng. The waters there are too deep. You were injured and hospitalized, and Song Jianhao was kidnapped. These things are too dangerous."
"Uncle Wang, thank you for your constant concern. But I can't come back. Brother Hao has taken over a big operation, and he insists I go. Besides, he owes me two hundred thousand, which I can use as capital for a gamble."
Although Yang Jian didn't understand why Wu Wangchun always wanted him to work with him, he would never be tempted by him.
Wu Wangchun's reputation on Xinhe Dao was growing, and his casino was thriving. Not only local gamblers flocked there, but also those from surrounding counties and cities.
This was not a good thing. Old Wu had once said that Wu Wangchun had no foundation, and that the taller the tree, the more wind it would attract. The bigger his casino became, the harder he would eventually fall.
Most importantly, Yang Jian had a good reputation in the Xinqiao area. Although he had fought a few times, he had overthrown the local underworld forces. He hadn't acted like a kingpin or behaved unscrupulously in Xinqiao, and he had voluntarily taken on the huge debt of migrant workers' wages, which was considered a righteous act. Coupled with his investment in the factory, he was doing legitimate business, and no one considered him part of the underworld.
If he joined Wu Wangchun's team, his reputation would immediately change. Yang Jian intended to be a farmer-entrepreneur, and maintaining a good reputation in his hometown was extremely important, especially since not many people knew he was involved in gambling dens in Hancheng.
"Little Yang, Song Jianhao will eventually return the money he owes you. Taking over a big operation with him is risky; you could lose that two hundred thousand. But if you come to me, it's a sure win with no investment needed. Think about it carefully."
Wu Wangchun, unaware of Yang Jian's thoughts, continued to persuade him earnestly.
Yang Jian frowned. "Uncle Wang, do you need me to help you with something?"
The question was rather direct, and Wu Wangchun seemed a bit embarrassed. "No, Little Yang. To be honest, I do have something that requires your support."
"Uncle Wang, there's no need to hide things between us. Just say what you need to say."
"Alright, Little Yang. It's like this: my casino is getting bigger and bigger. On the surface, it looks very glamorous, and I've indeed made a lot of money. But I'm becoming increasingly fearful, feeling like something will happen sooner or later."
"Then why don't you stop the casino? You've already made enough money to live a wealthy life. Isn't it better to withdraw in time?"
"I can't stop. A large number of brothers under me rely on the casino for their livelihood."
Yang Jian didn't understand. "Then how can I help you?"
"I want you to help me find a backer. I can handle the police in Xinqiao, but I don't have connections at higher levels. If they decide to move against me, I have no way to respond."
"Uncle Wang, are you joking? Like you, my family hasn't had an official for generations. Where would I find a backer for you?"
Yang Jian found it a bit amusing himself. Wu Wangchun clearly knew that running a casino was dangerous and that the taller the tree, the more wind it would attract. Being targeted by the police was only a matter of time, yet he was unwilling to give up this lucrative business. Frankly, it was greed and taking risks.
"Your family doesn't have officials, but Yu Feng does. She can help me connect with higher-level relationships."
"Then go to her directly. You're quite familiar with her now. Yu Jiangang has been lending money at your place, hasn't he?"
Wu Wangchun chuckled helplessly. "Through your introduction, I got to know Yu Feng, and Yu Jiangang has been lending money at my casino. He's even formed a small faction.
But Yu Feng has always kept her distance from me. I can't integrate into her circle. To put it humbly, she disdains dealing with people like me.
The reason she maintains simple contact with me is to facilitate Yu Jiangang's lending at the casino, using the money earned from lending to support his brothers and expand Yu Jiangang's influence."
Yang Jian finally understood. "Uncle Wang, you mean you want me to communicate with Yu Feng and have her introduce a protector for you?"
"Yes, yes, yes. Yu Feng looks down on me, but she genuinely cares about you. As long as you join my team, she will find ways to protect you. If you ask her to help us connect with higher-level relationships, she definitely won't refuse. Little Yang, you must help me with this."
Wu Wangchun's thinking was clear: to keep the casino running, a higher-level protector was essential, and Yu Feng had the resources and ability to establish these connections.
Yang Jian, however, shook his head. "Uncle Wang, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. There were some rumors before that I was involved with Yu Feng, and my girlfriend is still bothered by it. She wants me to sever all contact with Yu Feng. If it weren't for the template sales, I wouldn't dare invite her for drinks today. Fortunately, she had something and didn't come, otherwise, my girlfriend would have caused a huge scene."
"You contact Yu Feng privately, and your girlfriend doesn't know?"
"I can't contact her privately. My girlfriend has blocked Yu Feng's number from my phone. If I want to discuss business with Yu Feng, I have to use her phone. If she finds out I'm contacting her privately, she'll break up with me. That's too big a price to pay, and I dare not gamble."
Wu Wangchun clearly didn't believe him. "Little Yang, that's an excuse, isn't it? With your personality, how could you be restrained by a woman?"
"Uncle Wang, it's really not an excuse. Look, my father-in-law is here today. He said he came to celebrate my opening, but in reality, he's here to understand my family situation. We'll be discussing marriage soon. My relationship with Yaoyao is very good, and I don't want to lose her. Therefore, I won't have further contact with Yu Feng. Even if there's business in the future, I'll have my cousin sign contracts with her."
Wu Wangchun looked disappointed but was still unwilling. "Little Yang, are you really unwilling to help me? Name your price."
"Uncle Wang, it's really not about the money. I genuinely can't help with this. Remember last time when I helped you get Yu Feng to transfer Xu Zheng's uncle away? Did I hesitate? I did it for you without a second thought. But now, I really can't."
Hearing this, Wu Wangchun couldn't press further. After all, Yang Jian didn't owe him any favors. Although he had given him some small amounts of money before, Yang Jian had helped him with a major favor; otherwise, his casino wouldn't have gotten off the ground.
"Alright, I understand. I'll find a way myself."
"Uncle Wang, safe travels. Come over for tea when you have time."
Watching Wu Wangchun leave dejectedly, Yang Jian breathed a sigh of relief. If it weren't for Lu Yao acting as a shield, he wouldn't have known how to refuse his request.