Hearing Liu Chao say this, Yang Jian recalled what Manager Chen had told him earlier that day. His cousin might indeed have problems, but he had no time to dwell on what they might be.
"Liangliang, Lu Feng, starting tomorrow, each of you will take a ten percent stake in the banker's shares. This way, your income will be larger. I've already achieved my goal of buying a car, and the reserve funds for the construction site are almost there. I'll also get you some New Year's bonus money."
Putting his cousin's affairs aside, Yang Jian intended to ensure his brothers prospered together first.
Liangliang seemed a bit embarrassed. "Brother Jian, I've transferred all my wages home for renovations, so I don't have money to invest."
"You don't need to put in any money. I'll cover the initial capital. If we lose, it's on me. If we win, you get a share."
With San Pang handling the operations, Yang Jian wasn't worried about losing money; it was just a game.
"That's great! If things continue like this, by New Year's, I can buy a car too."
Calculating based on the fifteen thousand they earned that day, a ten percent share would be one thousand five hundred. Even if they only made five thousand a day from now on, it would be better than their wages. Liangliang became excited.
San Pang and Liu Chao were naturally overjoyed as well. Following Yang Jian meant earning big money.
Only Lu Feng remained as silent as ever. Since he had killed someone, his personality had changed drastically. He would occasionally chat with Yang Jian and Liangliang, but he mostly kept to himself. Huang Qiao had offered him a place to stay at his home, but he had refused.
"Brother Jian, something's not right."
As Yang Jian and the others walked and talked, Lu Feng suddenly shouted and quickly pulled out the five-shot revolver he carried, moving the money bag to his chest.
Perhaps fearing police pursuit, Lu Feng had been in a state of constant tension, always remaining vigilant of his surroundings. Therefore, he always carried his five-shot revolver, along with a collapsible baton. At the slightest sign of trouble, he was ready to fight for his life.
At his shout, Yang Jian immediately drew the collapsible baton from his waist and scanned the surroundings.
Liangliang also reacted swiftly, drawing the cleaver wrapped in newspaper from his chest and staying close to Yang Jian.
They had to walk on the road at night, carrying over a hundred thousand in cash, so all of them carried weapons.
San Pang and Liu Chao were a bit slower to react, but upon seeing figures ahead, they also drew their cleavers.
This was the central area between Huangjiaping and the construction site. Whether returning to Huangjiaping or going back to the site, it was over two hundred meters.
There was no moon in the sky, but the road was very bright because dozens of tower cranes at the construction site were equipped with sun lamps, illuminating the area for miles around.
In the dim light, Yang Jian and his companions discovered they were surrounded by over a dozen people.
These individuals were uniformly dressed in camouflage uniforms and wore black head coverings. These weren't the ski masks used for robberies in movies but rather the common woolen head coverings worn by construction workers to keep their faces warm. The winters in Xichuan were also very cold, and everyone had only their eyes exposed. They all held steel bars over a meter long.
This was clearly a robbery, and most likely by construction workers from the site.
When Lu Feng spotted them, these people were closing in from all four directions—front, back, left, and right. It was winter, the vegetation was withered, and this area was leveled for development, leaving no place to hide. Lu Feng had detected them from twenty meters away.
"Follow me, charge forward."
Yang Jian didn't hesitate for a moment, leading the charge towards the group directly ahead. He knew these people were after their cash, and it was bound to be a fierce battle. They had to break through the front to reach the safety of the construction site.
There were seven or eight people directly in front, also charging towards them aggressively. They likely intended a quick resolution: subdue the opponents, grab the money, and leave, especially since this location wasn't far from the power plant police station.
Seeing Yang Jian and his group start running, the masked individuals from other directions also accelerated their approach, intending to overwhelm them with superior numbers.
"Fuck your mother."
With the group ahead only about ten meters away, Lu Feng raised his weapon and fired two shots.
"Bang bang."
In the night, the muzzle flashes were exceptionally blinding. The rumbling of the construction site machinery, however, masked the gunshots, preventing them from traveling far.
But the group of robbers in front was stunned. Three of their companions had already fallen. They had never dreamed the other side possessed firearms, let alone that they would fire directly into the denser part of the crowd, with the intent to kill.
The sudden gunfire also caused the masked men from other directions to cease their pursuit. It was too terrifying; the other side had guns, and charging forward would be suicidal.
They were all ordinary migrant workers who had lost too much money gambling. They had organized themselves to pull off a heist, intending to rob Yang Jian, the banker, and get over a hundred thousand. They had been planning this for several days.
They knew Yang Jian and his group came from a background of thugs and were experienced in fighting, but even the strongest fists couldn't win against many hands. With their dozen-plus people, all armed, they believed they could at least defeat the five of them.
But despite all their calculations, they hadn't accounted for firearms, and the way they were used—recklessly, with lethal intent. How could this robbery possibly succeed?
As the masked men in front hesitated, Yang Jian and Liangliang had already charged through them.
"Clang."
Yang Jian's collapsible baton struck the head of the largest man in front, who instinctively blocked it with his steel bar. However, he couldn't defend against the kick that suddenly landed in his stomach.
The burly man, over 1.7 meters tall, flew backward, knocking over his companions behind him.
Liangliang was even more ferocious. His cleaver danced wildly as he hacked left and right without regard for the consequences. When paths cross, the brave prevail. He knew that with fewer numbers, if they didn't fight desperately, they would be the ones ending up on the ground.
Liu Chao was experiencing such a scene for the first time, but he was also a hot-headed person with a strong physique and great strength. After a slight hesitation, he also raised his cleaver and charged forward.
Among these individuals, San Pang had the weakest combat ability. He was overweight and slow-moving, but he had been involved in the underworld for a few years and had participated in a few brawls. He wasn't intimidated and charged forward right behind Lu Feng.
Already demoralized by the gunshots, and then charged by Yang Jian and Liangliang, these masked men immediately scattered.
Regardless of whether they were hit by the collapsible baton or the cleaver, escaping was the priority. These few individuals were lunatics, fighting with all their might. Even without the guns, their group likely would have had a hard time robbing them.
This was a very flat, open field. As the masked men fled in all directions, Yang Jian's group couldn't pursue them. In a short while, they vanished into the night.
"Is anyone injured?"
Seeing that the masked men had fled, Yang Jian turned to check on San Pang and the others.
"No."
"No."
San Pang particularly checked his own body. Although he wasn't good at fighting, he was experienced. He knew that during a group fight, people in a state of tension might not feel injuries like stab wounds immediately.
"Let's go quickly. There was too much commotion here, and the police will arrive soon."
With his own people unharmed, Yang Jian glanced at the three masked men lying on the ground behind them and quickly ran towards the construction site.