Chapter 2: Storage Yard Conflict

Although the Su family couldn't be considered one of Dragon City's wealthy households, and their business was in society's lower-class industry, the Su family's younger generation had one distinctive characteristic - they were extremely united no matter what happened. This might have been related to the military background of the Su family's previous generation, or perhaps to the family rules, but more importantly, it was because in this era, if the younger generation wasn't united, they would be bullied and their interests would be invaded by others.

Su Tianbei had never been an easy character since childhood, perfectly inheriting Second Uncle Su's combative genes. So with him frantically setting the tone, all the Su family's younger members were filled with anger and their blood was boiling.

Two seven-meter-long garbage trucks drove out of the compound, with Su family members carrying various weapons piling into the vehicles. Except for the elderly and young children, almost all men and women in the family had entered combat mode.

Su Tianyu got into the SUV with Third Sister. Seeing him, she immediately said with concern: "Little Six, you don't need to come along, just wait at home, we'll go check it out."

"It's fine, I'll come along," Su Tianyu said, closing the car door.

"Miaomiao, call Wang He and Dong Gang, tell them to bring their workers over too," Su Tianbei instructed while driving.

Third Sister followed Second Brother's orders and called the family's worker leaders.

The convoy set out, heading straight for the Su family's storage yard in the outskirts of Zha'nan District.

......

Half an hour later, outside the garbage storage area in the northern outskirts of Zha'nan District, over a dozen vehicles were parked at the entrance, with more than seventy people gathered at the garbage yard's entrance. They all wore white T-shirts printed with Changqing Company's text and logo, loose black cotton sweatpants, and black cloth shoes.

Although these people were also part of Changqing and engaged in urban garbage disposal work, their uniform dress at this moment showed strong organization.

Not far away on the road, two SUVs and two trucks came hurriedly driving from the south.

At the garbage yard entrance, beside a large European SUV, a muscular man in his mid-thirties with a crew cut stood with his hands behind his back and said: "Su Er is here."

As the vehicles stopped, Su Tianbei was the first to push open his door and get out, looking up and shouting: "Lu Feng, what's your intention, bringing so many people to surround my family's storage yard?"

The Su family members all got out of their vehicles, their faces grim and filled with hatred, gathering in a crowd behind Su Tianbei.

From among the crowd, Su Tianyu observed the man called Lu Feng and quietly asked his cousin sister: "What does he do?"

"He's Lu Feng, one of Li Hongze's top lieutenants at Changqing Company," Third Sister explained softly. "He runs the territory south of Six Yuan Street, he's considered somebody around here."

"Oh." Su Tianyu observed Lu Feng, merely nodding slightly.

At the garbage yard entrance, the Su family had brought about thirty family members, plus more than ten core workers from inside the yard, totaling over forty people, while Changqing Company had more than seventy people on their side.

Both sides gathered at the garbage yard entrance, glaring at each other with gloomy expressions, the atmosphere thick with tension.

Lu Feng walked with his hands behind his back to stand in front of Su Tianbei, smiling as he said: "I'm here to take over your territory."

"What right do you have to take over our territory?" Su Tianbei coldly replied. "Our company reports to the Management Council, what does it have to do with your Changqing Company?"

"Ah, you've actually hit the point," Lu Feng leisurely raised his right arm, taking a document from a worker's hand and replied: "Your father smuggled military weapons, hiding them in the storage yard, and the Police Bureau is now conducting a full investigation. Even the Management Council has been implicated. Besides the criminal issues, you've also violated the contract terms. The Management Council has issued documents authorizing our Changqing Company to take over. Let's not waste words - clear out your things from the yard, I'm taking over the place today."

Lu Feng finished speaking and directly handed the Management Council's document to Su Tianbei, who only glanced at it before tearing it up on the spot: "Don't pull this stuff! First of all, my father's case hasn't even been decided yet, and even if he really did hide weapons, that has nothing to do with our company. Personal behavior - how does that violate any contract?!"

"Su Er, are you stupid? You dare to tear up the Management Council's document?!" Lu Feng was stunned.

"Whoever messes with my family's business, I'll fight them to the death!" Su Tianbei shouted with bulging eyes.

Not far away, Su Tianyu listened to their conversation and felt that Tianbei had completely fallen for their trap. He asked Third Sister worriedly: "Now that talks have broken down, are we going to fight?"

Third Sister gritted her teeth and replied fiercely: "If it's a fight they want, I'll scratch them to death!"

Su Tianyu was confused: "The other side could bring over seventy people, so where are our own workers? Why aren't they coming to help?"

"Workers can help you with work, but they won't help you fight. Moreover, with your Second Uncle in trouble, many people think the Su family is going to fall, so those who should hide have already hidden," Third Sister replied decisively. "When the fighting starts, you just...!"

Before she could finish speaking, Su Tianyu directly took off his glasses and very politely put them in his upper pocket.

"You don't need to join the fight. Changqing's people fight dirty, with your thin arms and legs, don't let them hurt you," Third Sister thought Su Tianyu was also planning to join the fight.

Su Tianyu paused for a moment, then immediately replied: "I wasn't planning to fight. I took off my glasses so I could run better."

"...!" Third Sister was dumbfounded: "Little Six, you really haven't changed at all. You're the biggest coward in our Su family!"

"This fight is meaningless, Sister...!" Su Tianyu turned his head to look around, already planning his escape route.

At the storage yard entrance, Lu Feng rolled his neck and pointed at Su Tianbei's chest, saying word by word: "You're just like your father, won't turn back until you hit a wall. Fine, I accept that. If you insist on playing by street rules, I'll beat you up and pay the hundred thousand in compensation!"

Su Tianbei pulled out a military knife from his lower back, and all the Su family members also brought out their weapons.

"Whoosh!"

More than seventy Changqing Company people all gathered around.

"Third Sister, I'll head home first. You all be careful, don't let things get too serious..." Su Tianyu looked in the direction of home, already preparing for a sprint.

"Take them down, and throw all the equipment out of the storage yard," Lu Feng shouted, pointing at Su Tianbei and the others. "Beat them hard, I'll take responsibility if anything happens."

"Attack!"

Su Tianbei charged at Lu Feng with his military knife.

"Vroom vroom!"

Just then, the sound of car engines roared as two SUVs rushed into the crowd from the distance, stopping in the center of everyone.

The car door opened, and a man around thirty years old with a jade-like face and tall figure got out, looking up and shouting: "Su family members, all of you stop!"

At the storage yard entrance, Su Tianyu looked at the man who had gotten out of the car and immediately felt relieved.

The Su family's Big Brother, Su Tiannan, had arrived.

"Brother, they want to take our territory," Su Tianbei turned to look at his big brother and said.

Su Tiannan turned his head to scan the surroundings, not answering his brother's words, but instead walked up to Lu Feng and said concisely: "About the storage yard matter, give me one week."

"No way, the company wants to take over now," Lu Feng refused. "If this isn't resolved today, I can't explain it to the higher-ups."

"A fight between over a hundred people with weapons - if people really get maimed or killed, you won't be able to explain that to the higher-ups either, right? You want the territory for profit, having a fight would just be an unnecessary process, don't you think?" Su Tiannan asked in return.

"Don't try to play mind games with me..."

"I, Su Tiannan, have never gone back on my word in Zha'nan. Give me one week - if my father's case is definitively concluded, I will unconditionally hand over the storage yard and territory, and accept punishment. I'll do exactly as I say," Su Tiannan paused. "Alright?"

Lu Feng was clearly hesitating.

Su Tiannan directly took out his phone: "I went to the city this morning and had a chat with Police Chief Wang at the Police Bureau. Would you like to have a call with him?"

"Hehe." After careful consideration, Lu Feng felt there was no need to talk with someone from the Police Bureau and waste words: "Too long. I'll give you five days. Five days later, same time, same place, I'll come to take over the territory."

Su Tiannan was also decisive: "Fine, let's do that."

Lu Feng turned to look at Su Tianbei, pointing at him and saying: "Learn from your big brother, use your brain when doing things. In the past, we Changqing Gang wouldn't even have given you a chance to negotiate, understand? You little punk!"

"Go fuck yourself!" Su Tianbei immediately cursed.

Lu Feng grinned: "Let's go, brothers."

As Changqing Company's people got in their cars preparing to leave, Su Tianbei said to his big brother: "What use are these five days? You and the Police Bureau..."

"We'll talk when we get back," Su Tiannan brushed him off, walking up to Su Tianyu and patting his shoulder with a smile: "Little Brother is back?"

"Big Brother!" Su Tianyu called out respectfully.

"Good, it's good that you're back." Su Tiannan nodded heavily and called out to everyone: "Let's all go home!"

......

A bloody armed conflict was temporarily suppressed after Su Tiannan's return.

The Su family members rode back to their compound in their vehicles. Setting aside the concerns and instructions from the older generation, after everyone had exchanged greetings in the living room, Su Tiannan dispersed the family members and only took Su Tianbei, Third Sister Su Miaomiao, and the newly returned Su Tianyu upstairs.

This detail showed that after Second Uncle Su's incident, all family matters were handled by Su Tiannan leading the younger generation, and even Second Aunt and other elders wouldn't get too involved.

In the dining room on the second floor, Third Sister brought some hot dishes for Su Tianyu and some white liquor: "We originally prepared for your return, planning to have a family dinner tonight, but who knew that bastard Lu Feng would come make trouble, and the food got cold. I'll heat up a few dishes first, just eat what you can, we'll have a proper welcome feast tomorrow."

"Third Sister, don't trouble yourself," Su Tianyu said, eating the food heartily. "You all discuss your important matters."

Su Tiannan sat in the main seat, smoking while looking at Tianyu: "Little Brother, you eat first while we discuss some things."

"Alright," Su Tianyu nodded.

The atmosphere in the room was somewhat heavy. Su Tianbei spoke first: "Will Old Wang from the Police Bureau help us?"

"No," Su Tiannan shook his head. "I gave him fifty thousand yuan, and he agreed to help us delay for a few days, nothing more. This is only because he and our father were old war comrades."

"What does he think about Dad's case?" Third Sister asked urgently.

"It's not good. Old Wang was willing to take money to delay time but wouldn't take money to speak up for our father," Su Tiannan said with slightly furrowed brows. "I personally think Changqing Company has been planning this for more than a day or two, they're very well prepared. This time it's not just us who will suffer - the Bai family from Chaozhou, the Liu family from the Shanghai Gang, and the Kong family will all have trouble getting past this hurdle. The worst outcome would be us giving up our territory, returning the profits we've made these years, and then saving the old man's life."

"They're trying to destroy us completely!" Su Tianbei gritted his teeth, his eyes full of hatred.

"The only chance now is for the Su family, Bai family, Liu family, and Kong family to jointly put up money to influence the Police Bureau. As long as we can get them to speak up for us, there's still hope," Su Tiannan paused here. "But the other three families are all paralyzed now, focused solely on clearing themselves and getting their leaders back, so not only can't we sit down to talk together, they're also throwing the dirty water of hiding military weapons onto the other three families. Now I not only have to defend against Changqing Company's attacks but also guard against internal strife from these three pig teammates."

After everyone in the room was silent for a moment, Su Tianbei suddenly said: "Since they won't give us a way out and are playing so dirty, let's not play by the rules either. I'll call two big circle paratroopers to directly..."

Su Tiannan heard halfway and directly waved his hand saying: "Don't think about crooked paths. Stay put honestly while I work with the higher-ups."

At the dining table, Su Tianyu listened to everyone's discussion and had roughly understood the course of events, but he felt that the Su family's current approach to breaking the deadlock was off track. However, he didn't want to point this out at the table.

"It's getting late, let's all rest. Tomorrow Miaomiao and I will go to the city district again, see if we can find some of Dad's old army connections to help speak up and buy some time," Su Tiannan stood up, patting Tianyu's shoulder and saying: "Little Brother, your timing coming back isn't very good, with the family running into trouble. I won't be able to accompany you these few days, let Second Brother take you around first to get familiar with the environment."

"Alright, Big Brother," Su Tianyu nodded.

......

Around nine o'clock at night.

Su Tianbei brought Tianyu to his room, pointing at the spacious bed on the left and saying: "There are many people in the house, and your room hasn't been prepared yet, so stay with me for now."

Su Tianyu looked at his clean bed, new bedding, and personal cabinet, and immediately asked with a smile: "Did you buy these for me?"

"When would I have had time? Miaomiao bought them for you. When she heard you were coming back, she went shopping for two days straight," Su Tianbei pointed at the bed and said: "You sleep first, I have something to do, I'm going out."

Su Tianyu blinked and suddenly reached toward Su Tianbei's waist. The latter reacted strongly by stepping back, frowning as he demanded: "What are you doing?"

"Why are you carrying a gun?" Su Tianyu asked.

Su Tianbei replied in a low voice: "With so many things happening at home, I got a gun for self-defense."

"Don't do anything rash, better listen to Big Brother," Su Tianyu advised.

"I know," Su Tianbei nodded and replied: "I'm going out for a while to meet with some work team leaders."

"Alright."

After speaking, Su Tianbei strode away, while Tianyu sat on the bed slowly unpacking his luggage. He actually had some thoughts about the Su family's predicament, but earlier he had thought Big Brother and the others could handle it well, so he hadn't said anything. But now seeing that even Su Tianbei was carrying a gun, it was enough to show that the Su family's current situation was very difficult.

After suffering family misfortune, Su Tianyu had officially been studying at the Army Staff College for four years, but during this period, his family didn't know about many of his experiences. His views on handling matters had also changed long ago.

After finishing arranging his personal items, Su Tianyu pondered repeatedly before deciding to talk with Big Brother.

......

Outside the Su family compound, Su Tianbei sat in his car and said to a young man: "Contact the Big Circle Boys, but keep this between just you and me..."