Yang Jian was not concerned with the issue between Yu Feng and Hu Zhenghua. He would only seek the money from Yu Feng; whether Hu Zhenghua paid or not was irrelevant to him. Lu Feng did not know who had paid him to commit the murder; it was entirely Yu Feng’s word.
What truly occupied Yang Jian’s attention was Bao Guo. According to San Pang’s information, Bao Guo was the one who led the group to vandalize his home that day. This man was the murderer of his grandfather and could not be let off.
Then there was Brother Mao. This man was too insidious. Although he still didn’t understand why Bao Guo had gone to smash his house, this matter was definitely related to him.
“Little Yang, I’ll give you the one million, but you have to guarantee that Lu Feng won’t implicate me.”
Yu Feng did not notice Yang Jian’s distraction. She was worried that Lu Feng would expose her.
“Sister Feng, I told you earlier, if there’s anything I can help you with, I won’t shirk it. I’ll handle Lu Feng’s mindset, and I guarantee you won’t be implicated.”
“That’s good. Regarding the funds, can the one million be paid a little later? The loan hasn’t come through yet, and I’m short on cash everywhere. The pressure on me is too great. But rest assured, this money will be in your hands before the end of the year.”
Yang Jian shook his head. “It must be here within two days at the latest, because Lu Feng is going to surrender himself within three days. If I don’t receive the money, he will expose you. Once he’s detained, we won’t be able to see him before a verdict, and thus we won’t be able to communicate with him. So, even if you give two million later, it won’t help.”
Yu Feng’s face turned grim. “Then wait a moment, I’ll make a call to see if I can borrow it.”
Seeing Yu Feng leave with her phone, Lu Yao nudged Yang Jian. “Why didn’t you let my brother expose this woman? She’s the real culprit!”
“Yaoyao, I’ve communicated with your brother. He doesn’t have much evidence in his hands to prove that this woman is the mastermind. Moreover, Yu Feng has connections everywhere. Even if your brother reported her, it might not necessarily land her in jail.”
“Then this is too easy for her.”
“So, let her pay. If your brother drags her down, she won’t give you this million, and your brother will have worked for nothing. It’s better to use this money to help your brother smooth things over and get out sooner, so your family doesn’t have to sell their house.”
“That makes sense. One million is too little; she should pay more.”
“Then you talk to her.”
Lu Yao rolled her eyes at him. “Brother Jian, you’re always bullying me.”
Yang Jian smiled without speaking. This girl was very beautiful and certainly intelligent, but she seemed to lack her own opinions and was easily persuaded, or perhaps deceived. No wonder she was often targeted.
Five minutes later, Yu Feng came back after finishing her call.
“Little Yang, Zhou Tao has agreed to lend me one million, and it will be here tomorrow.”
Yang Jian nodded. “Alright, then we’ll come over tomorrow. Where and when should we meet?”
Yu Feng thought for a moment and said, “Tomorrow afternoon at two o’clock, come to my hotel office. Little Yang, I believe what you said about ensuring Lu Feng doesn’t implicate me. But I still want to know, after he surrenders, how will he explain the motive for killing Old Gui to the police?
You know, several of Old Gui’s associates have also been arrested in this case. They all testified that Lu Feng had no dealings with Old Gui, and it couldn’t possibly be a revenge killing. The only reason is that someone hired a killer.
The police even suspected me and questioned me because Lu Feng was originally an employee of my company. I was the most suspicious.”
Yang Jian took a sip of Tie Guan Yin. “Sister Feng, don’t worry. I and Lu Feng discussed his surrender or arrest a long time ago. If you keep your word and give me this million, even if he’s caught, he won’t expose you as the mastermind. This is the rule of the underworld. He’s just too loyal to the brotherhood, which is why he’s ended up like this.”
“Mm, I believe that. Lu Feng is that kind of person.”
“Regarding how to keep you out of it, he also told me. Old Gui offended many people, including many out-of-town businessmen whom he had fleeced through gambling or card games. Once caught or surrendered, Lu Feng plans to say he was commissioned by an out-of-town boss in the coal business to teach Old Gui a lesson, but he didn’t expect to beat him to death.”
Yu Feng’s grim expression relaxed. “Mm, this reason is very good. Many people know that Old Gui extorted coal bosses, and that was two years ago. It’s unlikely anyone remembers where that boss was from now.”
“Then we’ll be going if there’s nothing else. See you tomorrow.”
Yang Jian didn’t want to have too much interaction with Yu Feng. Helping her resolve the hidden danger from Lu Feng this time was considered repaying a favor. From now on, they would be even.
After leaving Taste Time, Yang Jian planned to take Lu Yao to the hospital and then go to the clothing market to buy a couple of outfits for the New Year. Lu Yao insisted on going with him, saying she could help him choose and also wanted to buy clothes herself.
With no other choice, Yang Jian took her to the clothing market. At this time, there weren’t many brand-name clothing stores in the small county town. Most people bought their clothes at the large clothing market.
Yang Jian usually wore ordinary clothes, as he worked on construction sites for a long time and didn’t need to dress too well.
So, as soon as he entered the large market, Yang Jian didn’t browse much. He walked directly into a clothing store, picked out a suit, which was standard for young people visiting relatives during the New Year, then chose a down jacket and a pair of jeans. He tried them on, and they fit perfectly.
“Brother Jian, I find that you look good in anything. I wanted to give you some advice, but it seems unnecessary now.”
Lu Yao finally took a careful look at Yang Jian at this point.
“That’s right. Back in Hancheng, scouts even approached me on the street to be a model.”
“Hmph, you get puffed up when I call you fat. Your figure is good, but your temperament is miles away from a model. Boss, how much are these clothes?”
Lu Yao said this as she took out her wallet from her handbag, preparing to pay.
Yang Jian was stunned when he saw it. “What are you doing? Are you planning to pay for me?”
“Yes, you’ve helped me and my brother so much, I have to show my appreciation. Otherwise, why would I come with you?”
“Oh my, I thought you had a crush on me.”
Lu Yao rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t flatter yourself. If the men chasing me lined up, they could circle the city gate. Would I fall for you? Besides, you already have a girlfriend, and you still want to eat from the bowl while looking at the pot?”
This little mouth was quite sharp. Yang Jian quickly pleaded for mercy. “Just kidding, just kidding. I can’t let you pay for the clothes.”
“Stop talking nonsense. Boss, how much?”
The boss, a middle-aged woman, said, “These clothes are all new this year, and the fabric is the best. I’ll give them to you for two thousand.”
“Three hundred.”
“Young lady, you can’t bargain like that, can you? Even if you cut the price in half, it would still be a thousand yuan. This suit alone is more than three hundred.”
Yang Jian also felt that Lu Yao was bargaining too aggressively. A thousand yuan seemed more reasonable.
“Three hundred and fifty at most. If not, we’ll look at other stores.”
“Add a bit more, and I’ll sell them to you for three hundred and eighty. The number is also auspicious.”
“Deal.”
Lu Yao nimbly threw out four hundred-yuan bills.
Yang Jian watched, dumbfounded. Bargaining like this? Cutting the price from two thousand to three hundred and eighty? Had he been spending a lot of money unnecessarily on clothes before?