Although the Su family could not be considered a prominent clan in Longcheng, and their business ventures were primarily in lower-class industries, there was one distinguishing trait among the Su family members—no matter the circumstances, they remained exceptionally united. This could be attributed to the military backgrounds of the previous generation or the strict family rules, but more likely, it was because the family understood that in this era, disunity would only lead to being bullied and having their interests infringed upon.
Su Tianbei had never been one to shy away from conflict, having inherited his second uncle's combative nature. With him fiercely leading the charge, the Su family members were filled with rage, their blood boiling.
Two seven-meter-long trucks, used for transporting waste, rumbled out of the courtyard. The Su family members, armed with various tools, boarded the vehicles en masse. Except for the elderly and children, nearly everyone in the household was ready for battle.
Su Tianyu climbed into an off-road vehicle with his third cousin. The moment she saw him, she said with concern, "Liùzi, you don't need to come with us. Stay home and wait. We'll handle it."
"It's fine. I'm going," Su Tianyu replied, closing the car door.
"Miaomiao, call Wang He and Dong Gang. Tell them to bring the workers over," Su Tianbei instructed as he drove.
Following her second brother's orders, the third sister dialed the heads of the family's workers.
The convoy set off, heading straight for the Su family's storage area on the outskirts of Zhannan District.
...
Half an hour later, outside the waste storage area on the northern outskirts of Zhannan District, a dozen vehicles came to a halt at the entrance. More than seventy people gathered at the gate of the dump. They were all dressed in white T-shirts bearing the Changqing Company's name and logo, loose black cotton sweatpants, and black cloth shoes.
Though this group was also part of Changqing, engaged in urban waste management, their uniform appearance at this moment made them seem highly organized.
Not far away, two off-road vehicles and two trucks approached rapidly from the south.
At the dump's entrance, beside a massive European-style SUV, a man in his mid-thirties with a muscular build and a crew cut stood with his hands behind his back. "Second Brother Su is here," he remarked.
As the vehicles stopped, Su Tianbei was the first to step out, raising his voice, "Lu Feng, what's the meaning of this? Why are you surrounding our storage area with so many people?"
The Su family members all disembarked, their expressions grim and filled with hatred, standing in a dense crowd behind Su Tianbei.
Amidst the crowd, Su Tianyu sized up the man called Lu Feng and quietly asked his cousin, "Who is he?"
"He's Lu Feng, one of Li Hongze's top enforcers at Changqing Company," she explained softly. "He controls everything south of Liuyuan Street and is quite influential here."
"Oh," Su Tianyu nodded slightly, scrutinizing Lu Feng.
At the dump entrance, the Su family had about thirty members present, along with over a dozen direct workers from the courtyard, making a total of more than forty people. On the other hand, Changqing Company had brought over seventy.
Both sides gathered at the dump entrance, glaring at each other with a tense, explosive atmosphere.
Lu Feng, hands behind his back, stepped forward to stand before Su Tianbei, smiling as he said, "I'm here to take over your operation."
"And what gives you the right to take over our operation?" Su Tianbei shot back coldly. "Our company is under the management committee's supervision. What does it have to do with your Changqing Company?"
"Ah, you've hit the nail on the head." Lu Feng slowly raised his right arm, accepting a document from a worker, and continued, "Your father smuggled arms and hid them in the storage area. The police are now conducting a full investigation, and the management committee has been implicated. Besides the criminal charges, you've also violated the contract. The management committee has issued an order for Changqing Company to take over. So let's cut the crap—clear out your stuff today, because I'm taking over this place."
Lu Feng handed the management committee's document to Su Tianbei, who took one look and tore it up on the spot. "Don't stir up trouble! First of all, my father's case hasn't even been judged yet. Even if he did hide weapons, it has nothing to do with our company. Personal actions don't violate the contract!"
"Second Brother Su, are you out of your mind? You dare tear up the management committee's document?!" Lu Feng exclaimed in disbelief.
"Anyone who touches my family's business will have to fight me to the death!" Su Tianbei growled, eyes glaring fiercely.
Nearby, Su Tianyu listened to their exchange and felt that Tianbei was falling into Lu Feng's trap. Worried, he asked his cousin, "If the talks break down, will we have to fight?"
Grinding her teeth, she replied venomously, "If it comes to that, we'll fight—I'll tear him apart!"
Su Tianyu was puzzled, "They managed to bring over seventy people. Why aren't our own workers coming to help?"
"Workers can help with tasks, but they won't fight for you. Besides, with your second uncle in trouble, many people think the Su family is finished and have scattered." She replied briskly, "If a fight breaks out, you just...!"
Before she could finish, Su Tianyu took off his glasses and gently placed them in his chest pocket.
"You don't need to get involved in the fight. Changqing's people hit hard, and with your skinny frame, you might get hurt," she assumed he was getting ready to brawl.
Su Tianyu blinked, then replied, "I wasn't planning to fight. I took off my glasses so I can run faster."
"...!" She was stunned. "Liùzi, you really haven't changed at all. You're still the biggest coward in our Su family!"
"This fight is pointless, Sis...!" Su Tianyu glanced around, already mapping out his escape route.
At the entrance, Lu Feng rolled his neck and pointed at Su Tianbei's chest, saying slowly, "You and your father are the same—stubborn to the end. Fine, I'll take the hit today. If you're so determined to play tough, I'll take your ten-thousand-yuan payout and beat you senseless!"
Su Tianbei pulled out a military dagger from his back, and the Su family members also brandished their weapons.
"Whoosh!"
All seventy-plus Changqing Company men began to close in.
"Sis, I'm heading back now. You guys be careful and don't let things get out of hand," Su Tianyu said, looking towards home, ready to sprint.
"Knock them down! Throw out the equipment in the storage area!" Lu Feng shouted, pointing at Su Tianbei and his group. "Hit them hard, and I'll take responsibility if anything happens."
"Go!"
Su Tianbei charged at Lu Feng, dagger in hand.
A low hum filled the air as the roar of engines echoed in the distance. Two off-road vehicles barreled through the crowd, coming to a halt at the center of the gathering.
The car doors swung open, and a tall, refined man in his thirties, with a face as smooth as jade, stepped out. He looked up and shouted, "Everyone from the Su family, stand down!"
At the entrance of the depot, Su Tianyu, upon seeing the man who had just emerged from the vehicle, exhaled in relief.
It was Su Tianan, the eldest brother of the Su family.
"Brother, they're here to take over the place," Su Tianbei turned and reported to his elder brother.
Su Tianan glanced around briefly, ignoring his brother's words, and strode over to Lu Feng. "Give me a week to sort this out," he said curtly.
"That's impossible. The company needs the handover now," Lu Feng refused. "If this isn't resolved today, I can't answer to my superiors."
"A brawl involving over a hundred people, with the risk of serious injuries or deaths—wouldn't that be even harder to explain? You're here to profit, not to fight a pointless battle, aren't you?" Su Tianan countered.
"Don't try to play mind games with me…"
"I, Su Tianan, have never broken a promise in Zhanan. Give me a week. If my father's case is settled by then, I will hand over the depot and the territory without condition and accept the consequences. I stand by my word," Su Tianan paused, "Does that work for you?"
Lu Feng hesitated, visibly uncertain.
Su Tianan pulled out his phone. "I met with Chief Wang of the Public Security Bureau this morning. Maybe you'd like to give him a call?"
Lu Feng considered for a moment, then chuckled. "There's no need to involve the bureau. Five days. I'll give you five days. Same time, same place. I'll come to collect."
Su Tianan agreed without hesitation. "Deal."
Lu Feng turned to Su Tianbei, pointing at him. "Learn from your brother. Use your brain. If this were the old days, Changqing wouldn't have even given you a chance to talk, understand? You little brat!"
"Go to hell!" Su Tianbei spat back.
Lu Feng grinned and signaled his men. "Let's go."
As the men from Changqing Company got into their vehicles to leave, Su Tianbei muttered to his brother, "What good will five days do? Are you really trusting the Public Security Bureau…?"
"Let's talk about it later," Su Tianan brushed him off, then walked over to Su Tianyu, smiling as he clapped his shoulder. "Little brother, you're back?"
"Big brother!" Su Tianyu greeted him with respect.
"Good, it's good to have you back," Su Tianan nodded firmly, then addressed the group, "Everyone, let's go home!"
The bloodshed was temporarily averted with Su Tianan's return.
The Su family members boarded their cars and returned to the courtyard. After exchanging greetings with the elders and listening to their concerns, Su Tianan dismissed the younger members, keeping only Su Tianbei, their third sister Su Miaomiao, and the recently returned Su Tianyu for a private discussion upstairs.
This small detail highlighted that ever since the incident with their second uncle, it was Su Tianan who had taken charge of the family's affairs, with even the elders, including their aunt, stepping back from involvement.
In the second-floor dining room, their third sister served Su Tianyu a few reheated dishes along with some rice wine. "We were planning a welcome dinner for you tonight, but that b*st*rd Lu Feng showed up and ruined it. The food's gone cold. I've reheated a few dishes for you to eat something, and tomorrow we'll throw a proper feast."
"Don't trouble yourself, Third Sister," Su Tianyu said as he dug into the food, "You guys go ahead and discuss business."
Seated at the head of the table, Su Tianan took a drag from his cigarette and looked at Tianyu. "Little brother, you keep eating, we need to talk about some things."
"Alright," Su Tianyu nodded.
The atmosphere in the room was tense. Su Tianbei was the first to speak up, "Will Officer Wang help us?"
"No," Su Tianan shook his head. "I gave him fifty thousand, and he agreed to buy us a few days' time, but that's it. That's only because he was an old comrade of our father."
"How does he view Dad's case?" their sister asked urgently.
"It doesn't look good. Officer Wang was willing to take money to delay things, but he wouldn't take any to speak up for Dad," Su Tianan said, frowning. "Personally, I think Changqing Company has been planning this for a long time. They're well-prepared. This time, it's not just us; the Bai family from Chaozhou, the Liu family from Shanghai, and the Kong family are all in trouble. The worst-case scenario is that we lose our territory, give up the profits we've earned, and save the old man's life."
"They're really trying to destroy us!" Su Tianbei growled, his eyes filled with hatred.
"The only way out is if the Su, Bai, Liu, and Kong families pool their resources and bribe the Public Security Bureau. If they're willing to speak up for us, we might have a chance," Su Tianan paused. "But right now, those three families are in a panic, desperate to save their own skins and rescue their leaders. Not only can we not sit down to discuss things, but they're also trying to pin the blame for hidden weapons on each other. I'm not only defending against Changqing's attack but also against these backstabbing idiots."
The room fell silent for a moment. Then Su Tianbei suddenly spoke, "If they're going to play dirty, let's not follow the rules either. I'll call in a couple of big guns and…"
Before he could finish, Su Tianan cut him off. "Don't get any stupid ideas. Just stay put and leave the operations to me."
At the dinner table, Su Tianyu listened to the discussion, gradually piecing together the situation. He felt that the family's approach was misguided, but he didn't want to voice his thoughts just yet.
"It's getting late. Let's call it a night. Tomorrow, Miaomiao and I will head back into the city to see if we can pull some strings with Dad's old military contacts, try to buy us some more time," Su Tianan stood up and patted Tianyu's shoulder. "Little brother, your timing isn't great. The family's in a tough spot. I won't be able to keep you company for the next few days. Let your second brother show you around and help you get settled in."
"Sure, big brother," Su Tianyu nodded.
Later that evening, around nine o'clock.
Su Tianbei led Tianyu to his room and pointed to the spacious bed on the left. "The house is full, and your room isn't ready yet. You'll have to bunk with me for now."
Tianyu glanced at the neatly made bed, with fresh sheets and a private wardrobe beside it. He smiled and asked, "Did you get all this for me?"
"I didn't have the time. Miaomiao bought it all. She heard you were coming back and spent two days shopping," Su Tianbei pointed at the bed. "You should get some rest. I've got something to take care of."
Tianyu blinked, then suddenly reached for his brother's waist. The latter quickly stepped back, frowning. "What are you doing?"
"Why are you carrying a gun?" Tianyu asked.
"It's for self-defense. With everything that's going on, I thought I'd better have one," Su Tianbei replied in a low voice.
"Don't do anything rash. It's best to follow big brother's lead," Tianyu advised.
"I know," Su Tianbei nodded. "I've got to meet with a few foremen."
"Alright."
With that, Su Tianbei left, and Tianyu slowly began unpacking his belongings. Although he had some ideas about the family's current predicament, he had initially kept quiet, trusting that his elder brothers could handle the situation. But now, seeing that Su Tianbei was carrying a gun, it was clear how dire things had become.
During the turmoil at home, Tianyu had been studying at the Army Staff College, at least on the surface. However, much of what he had experienced over the past four years remained unknown to his family. His perspective on many issues had also shifted considerably.
After finishing his unpacking, Tianyu pondered for a while before deciding to have a conversation with his eldest brother.
Outside the Su family's courtyard, Su Tianbei sat in the car and said to a young man: "Contact Daquanzai, only you know this matter... "