Chapter 478: Shanshui Manor

"Alright, go back now, and think carefully about what I said."

"Understood, Leader."

Watching Xu Jiang's retreating back, Zhao Lidong's expression shifted uncertainly; in his heart, he wanted to kill him to end it once and for all, yet he worried about alerting others.

"Forget it, they don't have any leverage on me after all; killing him would only make people suspicious."

Currently, only a few gang bosses and Cao Chuang know his identity, and they should be hoping he doesn't take that share of the profits.

"Go back."

"Understood, Leader."

The next day, Zhao Ruilong excitedly found Zhao Lidong to state his intentions.

"Cousin, I want to open a Baijinhan Club in Handong too. What do you think?"

"Ah? This... what are you thinking?"

"Ruilong, the reason the Baijinhan Club is so popular is not just because of the foot massages, but also because of Jinghai's geographical location; it might not necessarily work in Handong."

"Eh~ Cousin, you're an outsider when it comes to business, and you officials don't understand men thoroughly—what man doesn't love a den of pleasure?"

"But Ruilong..." Zhao Lidong wanted to persuade him further, but Zhao Ruilong interrupted him directly.

"Cousin, I just want you to pull some strings; I'll arrange for people to learn their management methods."

"This..."

Zhao Lidong thought for a moment; perhaps letting Xu Jiang get involved with the Huilong Group was a good opportunity for them to wash their hands clean.

"Alright then, I will have someone notify General Manager Xu of Baijinhan, and you can go for study and exchange under the name of a group inspection."

"Great, great, great! Cousin, you are truly my lucky star. Once the Handong Baijinhan Club is established, I will definitely save a spot for you."

"......"

Afterward, Zhao Ruilong made a phone call to summon a manager from the Huilong Group, telling him to go over and study hard, while he himself immersed himself in the world of foot massages.

Half a month later, the Jingzhou Baijinhan Club began construction, with the building occupying five mu of land, and the surrounding garden environment adding another three mu.

Then, after three months of working at full speed, the three-story above-ground and two-story underground Baijinhan Club rose from the ground.

This Baijinhan Club was different from the golden, glittering Baijinhan of the past; it looked low-key and restrained on the outside, but the interior decoration was even more extravagant than the original.

The second basement level was a parking lot, and the first basement level was the foot massage area, featuring dim, ambiguous lighting.

The first floor was a large banquet area and private rooms, the second floor had KTV and billiards and other entertainment facilities, and the third floor was a hotel.

"Hahaha, Brother Xu Jiang, your designer is quite skilled, not bad, not bad." Zhao Ruilong looked at the finished Baijinhan with satisfaction.

"As long as Young Master Zhao is satisfied."

"Satisfied, very satisfied."

When Zhao Lidong introduced Zhao Ruilong to him, Xu Jiang knew his chance to wash his hands clean had arrived.

This Baijinhan was a joint venture between him and Zhao Ruilong; when Zhao Ruilong wanted to build it, he was immediately rejected by Zhao Xiaohui, who scolded him for not attending to his proper duties.

Zhao Ruilong had only been at the Huilong Group for about a year and didn't have much money on hand, so he had no choice but to look for a partner, and Xu Jiang, with his experience in clubs, naturally became his first choice.

"To tell you the truth, Young Master Zhao, although I look infinitely glorious in Jinghai, I actually don't have much money in my pocket; it's only because I've been operating for many years that I have some small savings."

"I plan to transfer the Baijinhan Club; there is a wealthy man in Guancheng who has always wanted to buy it, so this is the perfect opportunity to follow Young Master Zhao to Handong to make a name for myself."

Zhao Ruilong's heart stirred upon hearing this; he had always wanted to start his own business but lacked the funds. Xu Jiang's offer to join him was like someone handing him a pillow just as he was getting sleepy.

"This... Brother Xu, to be honest, I am indeed short of money right now, but in two years, when the Huilong Group's residential complex is sold, I will have a large sum of income."

"Hey, that's not an issue. We are partners in business; at worst, I'll cover it for you first, and you can pay me back when the time comes."

"Hahaha, Brother Xu Jiang, I've made up my mind to be friends with you."

The two hit it off immediately, and Xu Jiang quickly handled his assets in Jinghai and followed Zhao Ruilong to Handong.

Two months later, the Shanshui Group emerged, and the Baijinhan Club was renamed Shanshui Manor; subsequently, branches were opened in all thirteen cities of Handong, although twelve of them were still under construction.

Zhao Ruilong thought of that piece of land near Yueya Lake in Luzhou before and felt immense regret in his heart, but it was too late to say anything now.

At this moment, in the Jingzhou Shanshui Manor, a man of about forty was lying on his stomach, eyes closed, enjoying a massage service, his hands not staying idle, touching here and rubbing there.

"Oh my, Dean Chen, you are so bad."

That's right, it was our Dean Chen who loved to learn foreign languages, though at this time he was only the Vice President of the Intermediate People's Court.

Many of the technicians in Shanshui Manor now were brought over by Xu Jiang from Baijinhan; they were enthusiastic and open-minded, and if the pay was good and the customer was a regular, deeper interaction was not out of the question.

There was also a portion recruited locally in Jingzhou, who had been put on the job after simple training by the old employees.

"Hehe, I couldn't help myself, I couldn't help myself."

As a veteran patron, Chen Qingquan had come to show his support ever since Shanshui Manor opened, and through frequent visits, he had become a regular customer; a little bit of touching here and there was nothing.

"Xiaohong, the cat at your Brother Chen's house can do a backflip. Do you want to go back and see it with me?"

"Oh my, Brother Chen, is it really that amazing? I've never seen a cat that can do a flip; I want to see it."

"Alright, alright, let's go then."

"Mm, okay."

At this time, in the Jingzhou Public Security Bureau, inside the Director's office, Qi Tongwei was holding the files on Shanshui Manor.

"You're saying this was opened by the owner of the original Jinghai Baijinhan Club? And there's a shadow of Zhao Ruilong involved?"

"Yes, Director Qi. That Baijinhan Club had a prior record of harboring many prostitutes, and many of the technicians this time are the original staff from Baijinhan."

"Hmm, perhaps they have turned over a new leaf; we shouldn't condemn them all at once. Let's observe them in secret first."

"Understood, Director Qi."

"This is a powerful dragon crossing the river; coupled with Zhao Ruilong's cooperation, there really aren't many in Handong who would dare to touch him."

Even though Zhao Lichun had been transferred away from Handong, his influence remained, and there were still many protégés and old acquaintances left who would naturally take care of Zhao Ruilong in every possible way.

"I hope Secretary Zhao is a case of a tiger father having no dog son."

Although Qi Tongwei was not afraid, he did not want to provoke the Zhao Family without cause; he hoped even more that Shanshui Manor could stand the test.

"Brother Xu Jiang, tell those girls of yours to restrain themselves; this place is not like Jinghai, it is very strict here."

"Small antics during work hours are one thing, but absolutely do not mess around in the club; once they are off the clock, we don't care."

"Understood, General Manager Zhao, I understand."

Xu Jiang wanted to wash his reputation clean, so naturally, he did not want to mess around in his own club, but as an entertainment venue, it was impossible for it to be as pure as a mosque; there would always be some skirting of the rules.

Therefore, Xu Jiang also tried his best to make the old employees restrain themselves, and even if they wanted to play after work, they had to do so with regular customers.

Of course, Xu Jiang did not say these things explicitly, but instead spoke righteously about laws and regulations; otherwise, he would not be able to escape responsibility if they were caught later.

It was precisely because of their standardized work that the Jingzhou Public Security Bureau did not discover any involvement in prostitution or gambling during their secret investigation.

"Director Qi, no improprieties were found at Shanshui Manor."

"Mm, very good."

"This Zhao Ruilong has not tarnished the reputation of Secretary Zhao," Qi Tongwei nodded with satisfaction.