The commotion grew, drawing an ever-larger crowd.
Li Jin, intent on humiliating Xiong Er, neither spoke nor let them leave, forcing his subordinates to kneel by the railway tracks.
The August heat was oppressive, and the men knelt under the sun, sweating profusely, yet none dared to rise.
The only concession made to Xiong Er was not forcing him to kneel; his official backing was still strong, and they couldn't push him too far.
"Li Jin, don't push it. I've already conceded a lot. Don't get greedy. If you prevent my casino from operating, I can shut down yours too."
After twenty minutes under the sun, unable to bear it any longer, Xiong Er protested.
Li Jin merely smiled and remained silent. He and Yang Jian stood under a large metal shed, with a powerful fan nearby, feeling no heat at all.
Song Jianhao also grew anxious. "Mr. Li, you can state your demands. If we just drag this out, they'll suffer heatstroke."
Before he finished speaking, a young man collapsed, unconscious.
Song Jianmin waved, and Sixi, Sigou, and others quickly pushed through to carry the young man to the shade of the shed.
Only then did Li Jin speak. "Everyone, get up. Come and stand under the shed."
The young men, as if a great burden had been lifted, scrambled to their feet and rushed into the shed. Song Jianmei's drinks and mineral water were instantly sold out.
Sixi also handed a drink to Xiong Er, who was parched and sweating profusely from the heat.
Song Jianmin had his eldest sister bring two cases of drinks for Li Jin's men, who had also been exposed to the sun, their role being to prevent Xiong Er's men from escaping.
"Xiong Er, you tell me, how should this be handled today?"
Li Jin stopped stalling and began negotiating with Xiong Er.
"How should it be handled? My men were beaten, what more do you want?"
"I'm talking about the casino. Your men deserved to be beaten. Do you know what Yang Jian dislikes most? He hates people pointing a gun at his head. The kid was lucky he wasn't crippled today. Your brother has tried it before; using a gun won't make him yield, it will only provoke a more ferocious counterattack."
Xiong Er clearly felt a pang of guilt. "The c-casino, what about it? If you can open one, so can I. I haven't stolen your customers. As I said earlier, if you push me too far, neither of us will be able to operate. You have connections upstairs, and so do I."
Yang Jian patted Li Jin's shoulder, signaling him to stay quiet, then walked up to Xiong Er and whispered, "I'm warning you, if the police shut down my establishment, your fate will be worse than your brother's. If you block my path to wealth, I'll fight to the death with anyone, even God."
Xiong Er shivered. He had personally witnessed the gruesome state of his brother's corpse. Yang Jian's murderous gaze sent a chill through him, making him feel cold all over despite the sweltering heat.
Song Jianhao knew Xiong Er was terrified but still tried to negotiate. "Mr. Li, Xiao Yang, how about this: we'll close the 'red money' tables and only operate the 'black money' tables."
"Impossible. We've already shown you courtesy and given you an opportunity. If it weren't for Xiao Yang's connection with you, your 'black money' operation wouldn't last a single day. I would have sent people to smash it long ago."
Li Jin, fearing Yang Jian might lose face and fall out with Song Jianhao, preemptively rejected the proposal.
Seeing no room for maneuver, Song Jianmin stepped forward again. He approached Yang Jian. "Yang Jian, the 'black money' tables don't conflict with you. Those migrant workers won't play at your establishments. Isn't it a waste to let such a good resource go unused?"
"Jianmin, stop. That's no reason for you to stay here. If you want to operate, go north of the Xunsi River. We won't interfere no matter how big your operation is there."
"It's too far for the migrant workers to go north; it's simply not practical. How about this: we give you a portion of the shares. It would be a shame not to operate this place."
Song Jianmin truly didn't want to work under the Emperor Company and be at the mercy of others. Without a strong team, he would be bullied wherever he went.
If his elder brother hadn't been so greedy and insisted on operating the 'red money' tables, this place would have been a paradise. A large number of migrant workers and small contractors gathered here, with more gamblers than on Hongqi Street. Without the expense of hiring professional staff to fill seats, the daily actual income was forty to fifty thousand.
Xiong Er handled the official matters.
Yang Jian was the authority on the streets, ensuring no one caused trouble. The people in the underworld knew of the unusual relationship between the brothers and Yang Jian, so the establishment was naturally under his protection.
"There's no room for negotiation. I almost lost my life today. Do you think I can back down?"
"Yang Jian, my property deed is still mortgaged with the investment company. If I can't operate here anymore, I might not have a place to live. We're classmates, you can't just watch my family and me become homeless."
"You can come to my place. I told you, you can come anytime. If you had come earlier, like Biao Biao Liang Liang, you could have exchanged your house for a car."
Seeing the two of them whispering for a long time without reaching an agreement, Li Jin grew impatient. "Xiao Yang, let's do as Jianmin suggested. Let them continue operating this place. We don't need any shares. We'll send people to collect twenty thousand yuan daily. What do you think?"
Before Yang Jian could respond, Xiong Er objected. "No way, if you take twenty thousand a day, we'll be drinking the northwest wind."
Song Jianmin also wore a bitter expression. "Mr. Li, twenty thousand is a bit much. After deducting expenses, we won't have much left."
"Then one thousand."
Since Li Jin had shown leniency, Yang Jian found it difficult to insist further. After all, maintaining a good relationship with the Song brothers was important; they couldn't let outsiders think they would abandon brotherhood for profit.
Song Jianhao breathed a sigh of relief; the establishment was saved.
With the matter settled, Li Jin immediately led his men away. He had received a call reporting a brawl, and the police would arrive soon if they didn't leave.
Yang Jian and Anan also returned to the casino immediately.
"Old Song, why agree to give them ten thousand a day? Even without it, they wouldn't dare do anything to our establishment. If you anger me, I'll arrange for people to report their establishment every day and see who dares to play there."
After Li Jin and his group were out of earshot, Xiong Er immediately regained his swagger.
Song Jianhao sighed. "Forget it, General Manager Xiong. Reporting a competitor is not honorable; it's mutual destruction. Besides, Li Jin has connections with the police, and it's easy to trace the anonymous calls. It would lead to bigger conflicts, and it's not worth it."
"But I can't stand this insult. I've lost face twice to Yang Jian. I need to find an opportunity to get rid of him."
"General Manager Xiong, please dismiss that thought. Yang Jian is no ordinary person. Not to mention whether you can get rid of him, even if you kill or cripple him, he has several loyal brothers, all of whom are ruthless. They will surely not let you go. The best approach is not to provoke him."
"But giving ten thousand a day is too cheap for them. The harm is not great, but the insult is immense!"
"Let it go. Our strength is no match for theirs. We can only bow our heads for now. Actually, it's not a big deal. Since the 'red money' tables cannot be operated on this side of the river, we'll operate them on the north side tonight. Anyway, the 'red money' customers are all betting with you, so it doesn't matter where."
Before Song Jianhao could finish, Song Jianmin interrupted him. "Brother, can't you just be quiet? Let's secure this establishment first. Don't you know your own capabilities? Don't be greedy, or you'll end up with nothing."