Song Jianhao ultimately only won five thousand yuan. After greeting Brother Xiong, he quickly left with Yang Jian.
"Brother Hao, why did you give the gambling company five thousand yuan at the end?"
As soon as they got into the car, Yang Jian voiced his confusion.
"The chips I borrowed were advanced by the company with interest. Since I was helping the house, I couldn't take advantage of them. It's fine if I lost money, but if I won and didn't pay the interest, I would be considered someone who doesn't follow the rules, and it would be difficult to borrow chips in the future."
"Will we have to deal with them often in the future?"
"You can't put it that way. The gambling circle isn't that big. The people we met at the venue today might be encountered frequently in the future. I'm running a venue, so I need to pay attention to these details. You're new to this circle, so remember to talk less and learn more. There are many rules in this world, and sometimes a single word can lead to great disaster."
"Okay, I'll remember that."
As they spoke, they arrived at the Shuiyun Jian Bath Center.
Xiao Wu was already waiting for them in the lobby.
"Old Song, you didn't lose, did you?"
"No, but I almost lost my head. At one point, I borrowed twenty chips. We should try to avoid this place in the future."
Song Jianhao felt a lingering fear. His own strength wasn't great, and losing over a hundred thousand yuan would be devastating.
"It's good that you didn't lose. Today was just mutual support for the house. There's no need to go again."
As Xiao Wu spoke, he led them into the bathing area. The prices here were very high; just a shower cost one hundred and thirty-eight yuan. The decor was opulent, like a palace.
This was Yang Jian's first time patronizing such a high-end and luxurious place, and he had never had such an expensive bath.
Not knowing what to do, Yang Jian could only follow Xiao Wu's lead, bathing, getting scrubbed, using the sauna, and getting a massage.
The entire process took two hours.
"Xiao Yang, you don't have to go back tonight. You can sleep here. How about I arrange a beautiful woman for you?"
As the three of them drank tea in the public area, Xiao Wu made the suggestion.
Upon hearing this, Yang Jian quickly refused, "No, no, no, I have to go back. You two can stay here overnight."
Song Jianhao chuckled, "Xiao Wu, don't make it difficult for him. He's still a virgin. His first time should be with his girlfriend."
Xiao Wu smiled, "Alright then. Let's talk business. Xiao Yang, I asked you to come today because I want to help you make a fortune."
Yang Jian looked confused, "Help me make a fortune?"
Song Jianhao didn't understand what he meant either.
"The Seventh Brigade and the four surrounding villages are going to be demolished for real estate development. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As a resident of the Seventh Brigade since birth, I must seize this chance."
"What do you plan to do?"
Song Jianhao's interest was immediately piqued. Whenever demolition was involved, the local economy became very active, and when people had money, there were more gamblers.
"First, I want to monopolize the demolition of the entire area. Then, I want to control all the earthwork south of the Xunsi River. Finally, I want to monopolize all the sand and gravel in this area."
"But this area is Brother Xiong's territory. If you want to monopolize the demolition and earthwork, you'll inevitably fall out with him. Your current strength is not on the same level as his. How can you fight him?"
Song Jianhao seemed to understand his intention. This was asking their team to follow him to seize territory, but he himself didn't want to get involved in such a dispute.
A strong dragon finds it hard to suppress a local snake. Brother Xiong had been operating here for many years and had vast influence. Neither his capital nor his connections could be matched by outsiders like them.
Xiao Wu was even more of a loner. Although he had some brains and dared to fight, his strength was ultimately too disproportionate. Going against Brother Xiong was a dead end.
"Old Song, don't worry. I've already gathered some of my old brothers, and they're all willing to go all out with me. I won't blindly go to war with Brother Xiong either. The actual demolition is estimated to be in two months. During this time, I need to build my own forces, and only then will I be qualified to negotiate with Brother Xiong."
"Well, that idea is feasible. What do you need us to do?"
"For now, you don't need to do anything. Just keep running the casino. I want Yang Jian to work with me. You should still pay him a salary."
Xiao Wu finally revealed his true intention: he wanted Yang Jian to be his bodyguard.
Song Jianhao was a bit surprised. This required Yang Jian's own consent.
"Brother Wu, it's not time for demolition yet. What can I do by following you? Besides, I'm planning to sign up for driving lessons tomorrow. Brother Hao knows about this."
Yang Jian was unwilling to follow Xiao Wu. This was a dangerous person who could clash with Brother Xiong's gang at any moment. Fighting and killing would be inevitable, and it might even lead to fatalities, which was too risky.
"It won't affect your driving lessons. You go to the driving school every morning, and in the afternoon, you come to my place. I'm planning to monopolize the purchase of trees around the Seventh Brigade. Brother Xiong won't fight me for this small matter, but we need to prevent others from interfering."
"Acquiring trees?"
"Yes, since there's demolition, all the trees in this area will be cut down first. There are hundreds of acres of forest along the Xunsi River, as well as the forest belts along the railway lines, all belonging to the Forestry Bureau. They will be auctioned off in the next few days. I also want to participate in the bidding, but I don't have enough funds. Buying so many trees requires several million yuan, so I can only participate through other means."
"What means?"
"No matter who wins the bid for this forest area, I will be the only one to acquire the trees that are cut down daily."
Song Jianhao asked curiously, "Why do you need so many trees, and don't you have that much money?"
Xiao Wu chuckled, "Your mind isn't working fast enough. Little Yang, do you understand my intention?"
Having worked on construction sites for four years, Yang Jian had some insight. "Brother Wu, you want to earn the middleman's profit, right? The forest area is bought by someone else, but they definitely want to cut down and sell the trees. As long as Brother Wu negotiates the purchase price with them, you can gather timber merchants to buy from you. You can do a resale business without spending a penny."
Xiao Wu nodded approvingly, "That's right. Little Yang gets it right away. This business, if done well, can earn millions."
Song Jianhao also understood at this point, "I see. But the prerequisite is that you can control the person who wins the bid for this forest area, and whether he can accept the purchase price you offer."
"Don't worry about that. I have plenty of ways to make him accept. Otherwise, he won't be able to transport a single log out of the Seventh Brigade, and his trees will become fewer and fewer."
It was again about playing dirty. Yang Jian now understood some of the tactics of these thugs. If the person who contracted this forest area wasn't particularly powerful or well-connected, they really couldn't compete with these local hooligans.
"Brother Wu, what is the task you want me to do by following you? If you want me to hack people with a knife, I don't dare, and I won't help you deal with legitimate businessmen."
At this point, there was no room for ambiguity. Yang Jian directly stated his position.