Old Wu did not immediately agree to Yang Jian's request. Taking on a disciple was not a casual matter; it depended on the person's character and talent. Not everyone could make a living as a cheat.
Yang Jian also felt it was a bit abrupt, as this was his first meeting with Old Wu. It would be better to discuss it after they became more familiar.
At 1:30 PM, the casino officially opened. The banker was indeed Wu Wangchun's Emperor Company. Wu Wangchun himself was not at the table but stood aside chatting with Song Jianhao. The banker was his nephew, Wu Zhi, a man in his twenties, tall and sturdy, with sharp eyes and a somewhat commanding presence.
Before the gambling began, Song Jianhao took out three packs of the best local Hancheng brand cigarettes and gave one pack each to the banker's Emperor Company and the dealer. Yang Jian and Old Wu, seated opposite, also received a pack.
The gamblers seated on both sides of the table also received a pack. These were typically high rollers, otherwise, they wouldn't be sitting there; they were known in gambling circles as "big pillars."
The gamblers standing behind them did not receive any. These were casual players, many of whom had come from the theater and wouldn't be betting much.
Yu Feng also personally arrived, bringing five or six bosses, both male and female, along with two young men responsible for handling the chips.
This venue was actually opened by her and Song Jianhao together. She held a thirty percent stake, making her a major shareholder. Song Jianhao also had thirty percent, while the remaining forty percent was divided among Yang Jian, Song Jianmin, Old Wu, and the clan leader of Songjia Village, Song Hui, who was also the village head.
As the game officially commenced, the Emperor Company and the gambling company each provided a die, and the Emperor would roll a known number.
Wu Zhi rolled three times. The last roll was a one and a six, totaling seven. Seven was an odd number. This meant that if this number appeared during a bet, those who bet on odd numbers would not win but would get their stake back, while all bets on even numbers would go to the Emperor Company. This was the Emperor Company's sole advantage.
This casino charged a six percent commission, meaning for every ten thousand yuan the Emperor won, six hundred yuan would be given to the gambling company. This was not calculated on the total sum but on each round. If the Emperor lost, it didn't matter; the payment would be made from the money in the dealer's hand. Winning money was placed in the middle. Once it reached ten thousand, the gambling company's dealer would take six hundred, and the remaining nine thousand four hundred would be returned to the Emperor Company's dealer, and so on.
This six percent commission was the income for the gambling company's shareholders. Of course, this was after deducting expenses for cigarettes and drinks, fees for external spotters, personnel for maintaining order inside, and salaries for the company's dealers. Additionally, five thousand yuan was allocated to the clan for opera performances, and two thousand yuan was used for "greasing the palms" of certain influential figures to ensure the venue wouldn't be disrupted.
As soon as the gambling started, the table was surrounded by people, truly packed layer upon layer. There were those betting small change of thirty or fifty yuan, and those betting red money of three hundred or five hundred yuan. The people Yu Feng brought were betting three thousand, five thousand, or even ten thousand yuan.
From this scene, it was evident that there were too many people who enjoyed gambling. Apart from a few major bosses invited by Yu Feng, the rest were spontaneous attendees, and the gambling company didn't need to offer them any incentives.
In the first round, the table was already covered with money. Wu Zhi estimated that the total on both the odd and even sides was fifty to sixty thousand yuan. He would set the table limit based on three rounds. For example, if the total on both sides was fifty to sixty thousand yuan, even if all subsequent bets were placed on one side, it would only be fifty to sixty thousand yuan, so a limit of fifty to sixty thousand yuan could be set.
After three rounds, Wu Zhi announced that the betting limit for the day was fifty thousand yuan. This meant the Emperor Company would bet a maximum of fifty thousand yuan in winnings or losses per round. If larger bets were placed later, the limit could be re-adjusted, but this required Song Jianhao's approval.
A fifty thousand yuan table limit was already quite substantial. For an Emperor Company lacking sufficient capital, taking on such a venue would be risky, as they could potentially go bankrupt in a single session.
Wu Wangchun's Emperor Company was clearly well-capitalized. They did not meticulously count the betting amounts on the table, often starting the game even if there was an extra ten to twenty thousand yuan.
Yu Feng also sat in the middle to participate. Initially, she bet small amounts, three to five thousand yuan.
Half an hour later, possibly due to losing money, she suddenly increased her bets, starting to bet ten to twenty thousand yuan.
"Emperor bets fifty thousand, odd is the killer."
A middle-aged man next to Yu Feng also started to make a move, directly placing fifty thousand yuan in cash in front of Wu Zhi on the odd side. If an even number appeared, he would win money, but he would also have to pay for the even side. The Emperor was only betting fifty thousand. If odd appeared, the Emperor won fifty thousand; if even appeared, the Emperor lost fifty thousand. The money on the table would be paid by the gamblers.
However, there was an exception: if a one and a six appeared, the gambler would not only lose fifty thousand but also have to pay for the odd side. The money paid would go to the Emperor, and the gambler would get their stake back. The money on the even side would also go to the Emperor. In such a scenario, the Emperor would win a significant amount, far exceeding fifty thousand.
This was a considerable advantage, and it also involved an element of luck. It required someone to encounter a situation like this "killer" bet. Otherwise, the Emperor would only win the money from the even side.
"Odd is the killer, it's rolled, two six eight points, even wins."
The middle-aged man was lucky; he won this round. The dealer on the scene first collected the money from the odd side, then used that money to pay for the even side. The surplus went entirely to the middle-aged man, nearly eighty thousand yuan.
"Director Fu, that's my brother Yang Jian."
Yu Feng took two hundred yuan from the middle-aged man's pile of money and tossed it to Yang Jian, as a gesture of support for the banker.
The middle-aged man was stunned. He glanced at Yang Jian and immediately took a wad of cash, without counting, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it over.
"Director Yang, I'm inviting you for tea. Let's have a meal together when you have time."
Hearing the middle-aged man say this, Yang Jian was still a bit bewildered. He didn't recognize the man. However, having spent time in the venue in the first half of the year, he knew the rules. He immediately smiled at him and said, "Thank you, sir. Wishing you good fortune."
Yu Feng then started introducing, "Little Yang, this is Director Fu, Director Wang, Director Li, and Director Liu. They are all in the engineering business. Let's get together sometime."
Yang Jian immediately stood up and offered cigarettes to these bosses, "Thank you, gentlemen, for supporting the banker. Sister Feng, please arrange a time, and I'll treat you all to a meal."
Yu Feng smiled and said, "No problem, I'll arrange it."
The crowd then became lively.
"Wow, he's Yang Jian, the one who crippled Liu Ming. He's actually quite handsome."
"Wow, so he's the famous Yang Jian. I heard Lu Feng, who killed Old Gui, is his disciple. Impressive."
"Look at his physique, he's clearly trained. No wonder Liu Ming was crippled by him."
"Crippling Liu Ming is nothing. A powerful boss in Hancheng was subdued by him without a fight."
"I also heard that in the twelfth lunar month last year, his cousin was detained by local gangsters in Xichuan. He took two people and traveled a thousand miles to rescue his cousin from their clutches, unharmed, and even severely injured two of their men. That's what you call impressive."
Yang Jian instantly became the center of attention, making him feel a bit embarrassed. He didn't realize he was so famous, and the events in Xichuan had spread so quickly.
Seeing this scene, Song Jianhao, standing on the periphery, exchanged a knowing smile with Yu Feng. This was the effect they wanted. Although this was Song Jianhao's hometown, his influence was too small to control the local troublemakers, especially the Hong Xing gang. The entire Luogang was their sphere of influence.
With Yang Jian present, no one would dare to cause trouble or dispute. Last year, when he opened a venue at home, he was double-crossed twice. At that time, Yang Jian was still just a "spotter," and Song Jianhao didn't know his capabilities.