Yang Jian maintained sufficient composure against Yu Feng's advances. As a virgin, he held a beautiful vision for love and would not engage in flirtation with a married woman at this juncture.
Yu Feng led Yang Jian and the other three to a hotel named Fengqi Lou, where she booked a luxurious private room and ordered ten hearty dishes and two bottles of fine wine.
"Yang Jian, this hotel is mine. The upper five floors are for accommodation and my office, while the lower three floors are the restaurant. From now on, you can use this to book rooms and dine here. Sister will give you a discount, and if you introduce weddings or banquets for school graduations, I can even give you a commission."
Yu Feng arranged for Yang Jian to sit beside her and casually handed him a gilded business card.
This treatment was clearly not for everyone, and Sixi and the other two cast envious glances from the side.
"Thank you, Sister Feng. I'll definitely patronize your establishment in the future."
Yang Jian did not refuse her kindness. Judging by Sixi's attitude towards her, this woman wielded considerable influence in Chengguan, and fostering a good relationship with her would be beneficial.
"Come, Brother Si, let's have a toast. I'm happy today. Whatever you want to do tonight, the expenses are on me."
Yu Feng raised her wine glass to toast Sixi.
Sixi, however, quickly waved his hands, "Sister Feng, tonight won't work. We have other matters to attend to shortly. Let's do it another day. After I complete the task assigned by Brother Hao, I'll treat you to a meal."
Yu Feng glanced at Yang Jian, "Do you also have something to do?"
"Yes, I have to collect a debt tonight."
Yang Jian was not lying; he was scheduled to intercept the fourth debtor that evening.
"Alright then, where are you staying now? Why don't you move here? This is the only three-star hotel in Chengguan."
Yu Feng was clearly somewhat disappointed, as she had intended to win Yang Jian over that night.
The cost of a three-star hotel was a bit high, and Yang Jian couldn't make the decision himself, so he turned his gaze to Sixi.
"Tomorrow, Sister Feng. We'll move in tomorrow, but we need a discount, otherwise, we can't afford it."
Sixi was also from the countryside. Working under Brother Hao, his income was not stable, and his family's financial situation was not good. He was usually thrifty, but to curry favor with Yu Feng, he had to grit his teeth and agree to stay for a few days.
"Don't worry, there will definitely be a discount. You can get 20% off by settling with the gold card Yang Jian has."
Yu Feng's eyes were fixed on Yang Jian, and she responded somewhat perfunctorily to Sixi's words.
Since they had matters to attend to that evening, Sixi and the others only accompanied Yu Feng for a single drink.
As soon as the meal concluded, Sixi led Yang Jian and the other two out of Chengguan.
"Brother Si, who is this Yu Feng? How does she own a three-star hotel?"
In the car, Yang Jian couldn't help but inquire about Yu Feng's background.
Sixi chuckled and grinned at him, "Little Yang, your luck with romance and wealth has arrived. This Yu Feng is no ordinary person. Her father is Yu Dongqiang, the richest man in our Xinhe District."
"Whoa, I know Yu Dongqiang. He's in construction. I even worked on one of his projects. He's a real big boss. I never expected Sister Feng to be his daughter."
"Exactly! Sister Feng clearly has a crush on you. If you build a good relationship with her, getting engineering projects will be as easy as saying a word."
"Forget it. She's wealthy and married. I wouldn't dare get involved in anything ambiguous with her."
"You truly are a blockhead. This is an opportunity most people can only dream of. Do you know that in Chengguan, it's fashionable for wealthy men and women to have lovers? As far as I know, Yu Feng's husband is a minor civil servant, and their relationship isn't very good. If you follow her, you'll definitely have a bright future."
"Brother Si, don't joke around. I know a bit about Yu Dongqiang. Not only does he have enormous influence in Chengguan, but he's also well-connected in Jiangcheng. Both the underworld and the authorities give him face. He could have me killed with a single word. I don't want to court disaster."
Yang Jian suddenly felt that accepting Yu Feng's gold card was not a good idea.
Sixi smiled and said nothing. He believed Yang Jian was just being modest. Few men could resist the temptation of a wealthy, young, and beautiful woman like Yu Feng.
At the entrance of Liujia Village, two kilometers from Chengguan, Liu Fengtian, a twenty-eight-year-old debtor, was preparing to ride his motorcycle out to avoid detection as darkness fell. He had been under surveillance at his doorstep all day.
Sixi also called him to demand repayment.
However, he was truly out of money. Twenty thousand yuan was no small sum; even selling everything he owned wouldn't raise that much. He could only go into hiding for a while.
The motorcycle's high beams illuminated thirty meters ahead. Liu Fengtian suddenly spotted a black sedan parked in the middle of the road and slammed on his brakes, intending to turn back.
But before he could complete the turn, figures rushed out from both sides of the rice paddies.
A dark silhouette flew out and kicked him and his motorcycle, sending them both crashing to the ground.
The black sedan then drove forward, and two people forced Liu Fengtian into the car before it turned around and sped away.
The Dàxīn River is the largest tributary of the Han River within Xinhe District, serving as its most crucial drinking water source and Jiangcheng's most important source of yellow sand, supporting over thirty percent of Jiangcheng's construction market.
It was the dry season, and the Dàxīn River, a kilometer wide, exposed large expanses of yellow sandbanks.
Liu Fengtian was now kneeling on the sandbank, with the slowly flowing Dàxīn River channel behind him. The biting north wind blew along the riverbed, making it feel as if winter had returned.
"Brother Si, I really have no money. It's useless even if you beat me to death. I can only earn money to repay the debt. Please let me go!"
Liu Fengtian, already bruised and swollen, pleaded incessantly.
Sixi squatted indifferently before him, while Biao Biao and Liang Liang stood behind him, each holding a wooden club.
Yang Jian stood about three meters away with his hands in his pockets, watching. He did not participate in the assault and felt uneasy about Sixi and the others kidnapping Liu Fengtian and beating him severely.
This was clearly illegal, yet he was powerless to stop it. Having stepped into this circle, he was no longer in control of his own actions. The only thing he could do was refrain from participating in the beating.
Towards Liu Fengtian, who lacked background and financial resources, Sixi and the others displayed extreme cold-bloodedness and ruthlessness, employing endless methods of torment and various despicable insults.
However, they were also highly experienced, ensuring that Liu Fengtian wished he were dead while simultaneously avoiding leaving obvious injuries on him. Even if the victim reported the matter to the police afterward, there wouldn't be much evidence. With a promissory note in hand, Liu Fengtian would not dare to report them.
Bullying the weak and fearing the strong, dealing with people based on their circumstances – this was how Yang Jian labeled them. Whether it was Boss Huang or Yu Feng, Sixi's tone when speaking to them was fawning. Even if those two didn't charge interest, he likely wouldn't dare to demand it.
Their treatment of Teacher Hu was somewhat restrained, as a teacher's status was considered more noble than theirs. Therefore, they did not resort to violence, and their methods of demanding money were limited to causing a scene outside the school.