Xiang Fei actually suspected that Bai Zheng was deliberately avoiding him. Yang Jian's words only made him more certain that detaining his son was Bai Zheng's idea, and that he was the one who demanded the five million.
A Bao rolled his eyes. Yang Jian's statement had essentially thrown Bai Zheng to the wolves. If the Xiang family sought revenge later, Bai Zheng would be the primary target, and Yang Jian, the so-called shareholder, might be overlooked.
It was difficult to face the King of Hell, and even harder to deal with his minions. Xiang Fei knew that arguing further with this young man was pointless.
"Mr. Yang, I came in a hurry and didn't bring much cash. Can I give you a check, but only after I see my son?"
"I don't want a check. Five million in cash, not a cent less. With your capabilities, Mr. Xiang, raising five million in Dongjiang shouldn't be difficult."
Yang Jian was intentionally provoking him. The longer this dragged on, the more people would know, and the greater the impact. If even the Xiang family backed down, anyone else causing trouble would have to weigh their own strength.
After a moment of thought, Xiang Fei said, "I only have one million Hong Kong dollars here. I can give it to you now, and you let me see Xiang Nan. I'll do my best to raise the rest of the money."
The bodyguards behind him placed a briefcase on the coffee table in front of Yang Jian and opened it. It was filled with Hong Kong dollar bills of one thousand denomination.
"Brother Bao, you're more familiar with Hong Kong dollars. Please help me verify their authenticity."
In 2007, Hong Kong dollars and mainland currency were exchanged at roughly a 1:1 ratio. Before that, Hong Kong dollars were more valuable. Yang Jian could accept Hong Kong dollars as ransom, but it was better to be cautious. If they were counterfeit, the loss would be huge.
A Bao naturally cooperated. He stepped forward and checked each Hong Kong dollar bill, then nodded at Yang Jian.
Since they were genuine, Yang Jian couldn't be too unreasonable. He gestured to A Feng, who immediately used his walkie-talkie to notify A Nan to bring the person down.
A few minutes later, A Nan, along with casino security, escorted Xiang Nan and his four bodyguards out of the elevator.
"Dad, kill him."
As soon as Xiang Nan saw his father, his confidence surged. His swollen face looked particularly ferocious.
Seeing his son in such a sorry state, Xiang Fei lost all reason. "Let him go, or I'll fight you to the death."
The two bodyguards behind him rushed forward, attempting to snatch Xiang Nan from A Nan's grasp.
"Get lost."
A Feng and Jun Jun attacked simultaneously. Their batons rained down on the two bodyguards who were trying to grab Xiang Nan. If they had been unarmed, A Feng and the others might not have had the advantage against two bodyguards, but with weapons, these two bodyguards didn't even get a chance to retaliate. In just three seconds, both bodyguards were lying on the ground, groaning.
This scene stunned Xiang Fei, and he instantly calmed down. This was not the time to be aggressive. They were well-prepared, and no amount of struggle would allow him to overcome them.
Yang Jian looked at him mockingly. "Mr. Xiang, do you think I'm too easy to talk to? If you try any more tricks, I won't mind breaking your son's legs and raising the ransom to ten million."
"I'll pay the money, just don't hurt them?"
Xiang Fei was scared. These young people were all lunatics, and their words were not to be taken lightly.
"A Nan, return those four people to them. Make Xiang Nan kneel. He can get up when the money arrives."
Yang Jian wouldn't wait indefinitely for him to raise money. As long as his son could endure it, Xiang Fei could drag out the process.
A Nan waved his hand, and Luo Peng and the others unlocked the handcuffs of the four bodyguards.
Two of these four were injured and couldn't walk, while the other two were mostly unharmed. At Xiang Fei's signal, the four helped each other out of the hall.
Xiang Fei watched helplessly as his son knelt on the cold tiles, his heart aching and filled with anger, but he dared not make a move. He silently took out his phone and went to the side to make calls to raise money.
"Dad, hurry up, I can't stand it."
After kneeling for less than ten minutes, Xiang Nan started to whine. Kneeling on the floor was too uncomfortable. He, a pampered young master who had lived a life of luxury, could not endure such hardship.
With Xiang Fei's strength and connections, raising four million in Dongjiang was not difficult. His family also had businesses there, but getting four million in cash quickly was another matter.
"Mr. Yang, someone will deliver the money within half an hour. Can you let Xiang Nan stand up? If he kneels any longer, his legs will be ruined."
Xiang Fei finally returned to Yang Jian.
"Mr. Xiang, I apologize, but I always keep my word. He cannot get up until I see the money. In fact, I'm helping him understand that the world doesn't work the way he wants it to, and even people at the lowest rung of society deserve respect. They are just struggling to survive and haven't provoked wealthy people like you.
Your son is no nobler than anyone else. When he bullied the weak, did he ever consider the despair, helplessness, and anger of those he bullied? I want him to experience that feeling now.
I know he wants to kill me right now, and so do you, wishing you could split me in two. But have you ever considered that when you bully others, they also hate you to the extreme?
Therefore, don't be too arrogant. Even an ant can bite you."
Yang Jian's words struck home, and Xiang Fei had no room for rebuttal.
Meanwhile, A Nan held Xiang Nan's hair, preventing him from moving. He couldn't even lie down on the ground, and his knees were throbbing with pain.
As Yang Jian said, the feeling of being bullied was truly unbearable. The first thing he would do upon returning was to shave his head. This handsome head of hair had brought him so much suffering today.
Twenty minutes later, someone delivered one million in cash, which was handed directly to Xiang Fei. Seeing Xiang Nan kneeling on the ground, the person was surprised and left without saying anything.
Less than ten minutes later, another two million arrived. This was funds raised from the Xiang family's businesses. The person who delivered it was likely Xiang Fei's cousin, Xiang Xiongfei. Seeing Xiang Nan's pained expression, he almost called the police but was stopped by Xiang Fei.
The last million arrived five minutes later, delivered by two men who clearly looked like they were from the underworld. After handing over the money, they didn't leave, likely wanting to see the final outcome.
After confirming the amount of money was correct, Yang Jian waved his hand, and A Nan handed the now-unconscious Xiang Nan to Xiang Fei.
Xiang Fei rushed forward and hugged his son, tears of heartache streaming down his face.
"Mr. Xiang, you can take him now. If you want to retaliate against me, feel free. Killing me is your capability. If you can't kill me, the consequences will be even more severe than today."
Yang Jian said this, stood up, and prepared to go upstairs. The matter was settled, and there was no need to waste more words on him.
"Wait, if you have the guts, tell me your full name?"
Xiang Xiongfei was indignant. His Xiang family had never suffered such a significant loss, and this insult had to be avenged.
Yang Jian glanced back at him. "Go and find out. I'm Brother Zheng's loyal brother. Your Xiang family is quite powerful, aren't they? You should be able to find my information.
Don't look at me like that. If I get annoyed, I might keep you here too and make your family send a ransom for you."
This was a blatant threat. Xiang Xiongfei knew he had encountered a lunatic and dared not speak. He helped Xiang Fei lift Xiang Nan and the two bodyguards out of the entertainment complex, needing to rush them to the hospital.