Chapter 5: Thugs in Suits

At the Su family compound.

Tiannan and Tianyu, the two brothers, rushed into the main house and found their family members in the back hall.

In the crowded corridor, the Su family members were gathered around, questioning Su Tianbei inside the room.

Su Tiannan pushed through the crowd and rushed into the back hall to look at his brother, seeing him covered in blood, his clothes torn to pieces, and his face full of bruises, while Su Miaomiao was helping treat his wounds.

"What happened?" Su Tianyu asked with furrowed brows.

Su Tianbei, beaten black and blue with knife wounds still bleeding, didn't respond to Su Tianyu's inquiry.

"I'm asking you, what happened?" Su Tiannan demanded with his hands on his hips.

"I went after Lu Feng's people, but they were prepared. I didn't succeed," Su Tianbei wiped the blood from his nose with his wrist and replied, looking down.

Su Tianyu looked at his injured Second Brother, a flash of killing intent crossing his eyes.

Su Tiannan was so angry his blood rushed up, but he suppressed his negative emotions and turned to ask the Su family members: "Does Mom know?"

"No, she went out this morning to find Dad's friends," Su Miaomiao replied.

"Don't all gather here, go about your business, and don't tell Mom about this," Su Tiannan instructed his family members.

"Damn it, Second Brother was beaten like this, we can't just let this go...!" The Su family members always stuck together and put family ties above reason. Seeing Second Brother beaten like this, everyone's emotions were running high.

"Go about your business!" Su Tiannan roared the command.

His shout echoed through the back hall, and seeing that Su Tiannan was truly angry, everyone had to disperse temporarily.

Su Tiannan turned around: "Why didn't you discuss it with me? Who told you to go after Lu Feng?"

"It's obvious!" Su Tianbei glared and shouted: "Changqing Company won't rest until they take us down this time. You've been working on this for so long but haven't even seen Dad's face, I was anxious! I investigated and found out one of Lu Feng's underlings was the mastermind behind planting the weapons. If we caught him and made him confess, we could break this setup. But... but I didn't expect the Big Circle Boys I hired weren't up to it, and the plan leaked early."

"You're thinking too simply. What is Changqing Company? They're a century-old Big Circle organization, your little tricks are nothing in their eyes. This time you failed, what if Lu Feng gets anxious and does something to Dad in jail?" Su Tiannan pointed at his brother and scolded: "You're too reckless."

"I failed in the sneak attack and didn't fire any shots. Lu Feng doesn't know it was me, and I've already arranged for the people I hired to leave," Su Tianbei gritted his teeth and replied. "I haven't caused trouble for the family."

Su Tiannan wanted to scold him more, but seeing his brother covered in blood, he finally held back. He took a couple of breaths to calm his emotions and said: "You can't go out anymore, don't worry about the rest. Tianyu and I have already thought of a way."

"What way?" Su Tianbei was a straightforward northern young man. He had done this out of concern for his father, and hearing that Big Brother and Tianyu already had a plan, he immediately asked.

"You rest first," Su Tiannan replied, giving Tianyu a look, and the two left the room together.

Actually, just now when Su Tianyu saw his Second Brother covered in blood, his negative emotions were stronger than anyone's. The two had been extremely close since childhood, with many feelings kept in their hearts.

......

In the Su family courtyard, Su Tiannan frowned and gritted his teeth at Tianyu: "Damn it, I can't swallow this anger, I'm going to the city district later..."

"Big Brother, we can set up the game now," Su Tianyu interrupted. "Call the three families - Bai, Liu, and Kong - let's all meet with this Lu Feng and have a talk."

Su Tiannan paused: "We just finished talking with those three families, isn't it too rushed to meet Lu Feng now? I don't think the timing is right."

"Second Brother made the first move, Lu Feng's side must be nervous too. If we delay further, our situation will be more difficult," Su Tianyu said with a grave expression. "Let's set up the game now."

"What if those three families change their minds at the last minute, what do we do?"

"...We'll see how the talks go, I have a plan," Su Tianyu replied decisively.

Su Tiannan pondered for a while: "Tell me your thoughts."

"Let's do it this way..." Su Tianyu began discussing quietly with his big brother.

About an hour later, Su Tiannan called Lu Feng: "Are you free? Let's talk about handing over the territory."

"Hehe, alright, come to my storage yard, I'll wait for you," Lu Feng replied lazily.

......

At three-thirty in the afternoon.

At the entrance of Langtong Storage Yard of Changqing Company in Dragon City's Zha'nan District, over a dozen cars were parked, with Su Tiannan, Su Tianyu, and people from the Bai, Liu, and Kong families all present.

As everyone gathered, the Liu family's second brother adjusted his clothes and asked Su Tiannan in a low voice: "Are you confident?"

"I'll do the talking," Su Tiannan replied expressionlessly. "Everyone just maintain your positions."

"If there's room for negotiation, we'll definitely support you," Bai Hongbo stated while standing nearby, implying that if the negotiations were favorable, they would stand with the Su family, but if things didn't go well, they would also be the first to distance themselves.

Kong Zhenghui glanced at Old Liu and Bai Hongbo without saying a word.

"Have you called everyone?" Su Tianyu asked the three of them.

Bai Hongbo gave Su Tianyu a cursory glance and casually replied: "The workers are all ready, waiting in cars at the intersection."

Su Tianyu nodded without saying more.

"Let's go," Su Tiannan led the way, walking toward the storage yard first.

At the entrance, the entourage from each family didn't follow into the yard, only waiting by the vehicles, because after all, this was Changqing Company's territory, and it would be disrespectful for several dozen people to enter together.

Changqing Company's storage yard had a similar structure to the Su family's, with the large yard full of stored garbage, though sorted by category, it still looked messy. Workers' vehicles moved freely through the yard, and the stench from the garbage piles could spread for two or three kilometers.

Ultimately, they were still in a bottom-tier industry, and the workers didn't have it easy, with many suffering from infectious diseases.

Su Tiannan, Su Tianyu, Bai Hongbo, Old Liu, and Kong Zhenghui - the five of them walked through the yard for less than five minutes before reaching the main building's entrance.

Lu Feng didn't come out to greet them; only an inconspicuous underling waited for them. He nodded at Su Tiannan and pointed upstairs, saying: "Brother Feng is on the third floor."

Su Tiannan nodded and led everyone to follow the underling upstairs.

About five minutes later, they arrived at the manager's office on the third floor. Lu Feng was drinking tea, and seeing Bai Hongbo, Old Liu, and Kong Zhenghui had also come, his expression showed slight surprise.

"Hehe, quite a full house," Lu Feng commented mockingly.

"We'd have to talk sooner or later, might as well clear everything up at once," Kong Zhenghui, who hadn't spoken until now, was the first to reply, his words indicating he stood with Su Tiannan.

Lu Feng slowly nodded and gestured toward the sofa: "Have a seat."

In the room besides Lu Feng himself were three or four Changqing Company minor leaders, sitting at a table by the break room door chatting.

After sitting down, Su Tiannan spoke concisely to Lu Feng: "Director Lu, have the others leave, some things we should discuss privately."

Lu Feng paused: "What things need to be said behind closed doors?"

"Things about the Police Bureau," Su Tiannan replied expressionlessly.

Lu Feng held his teacup and lazily instructed the minor leaders in the room: "You all go chat outside."

This was Changqing Company's headquarters, and Su Tiannan had clearly come to negotiate a surrender, so the minor leaders left the room without saying much.

After the door closed, Su Tianyu casually sat down in the chair to Lu Feng's left. The latter frowned at him, but seeing how refined he looked like a college student, didn't pay him any attention.

"Speak then, how do you all want to talk?" Lu Feng ignored the leaders of the four families, pouring and drinking his own tea, his attitude casual and his tone unhurried.

At these words, people from the three families - Bai, Liu, and Kong - all looked at Su Tiannan.

Su Tiannan paused, looking at Lu Feng with furrowed brows and said: "In the underworld, those with big fists beat others, those with small fists get beaten. Our families aren't capable enough, so we can only accept it when we get beaten."

"That's right," Lu Feng smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Director Lu, we've earned some money in the dirty gang these past few years. Just now on our way here, we discussed and decided to gather eight hundred thousand to pay respects to Changqing Company," Su Tiannan said directly. "Besides this respect money, from now on our four families will take five percent from our monthly profits to pay tribute to Changqing Company, how's that?"

Dragon City's economic system was dependent on EU forces, and the main currency in circulation was primarily the euro. One euro's purchasing power was equivalent to about six yuan from before the New Era, and this was only because the EU forces had repeatedly increased the money supply in recent years due to continuous expansion of infrastructure construction, thus diluting the euro's value. Otherwise, the euro would still be very strong - at the beginning of the New Era, it had an exchange rate of one to ten.

In other words, the eight hundred thousand gathered by the four families was equivalent to nearly five million in pre-New Era cash, and for those in bottom-tier industries, this was definitely a huge sum, accumulated penny by penny through their blood and sweat.

After hearing Su Tiannan's words, Lu Feng turned to look at him and asked: "You mean you won't hand over the territory?"

"Director Lu, all four of our families rely on this business to feed our families. If we hand over the territory, we'll starve to death," Kong Zhenghui interjected with a clear attitude. "Your Changqing Company is big and powerful, we know our place, but can't you talk to Boss Li about leaving us a way to survive?"

"Hehe," Lu Feng put down his teacup and asked with crossed legs: "Do you think that's possible?"

"Even killing should spare the head, Director Lu!" Su Tianyu suddenly said from the side.

Lu Feng frowned at him: "Who are you?"

"My name is Su Tianyu, I'm Tiannan's cousin brother," Su Tianyu adjusted his glasses and replied with a full smile.

"Do you have any manners? Is it your turn to speak here?" Lu Feng picked up the teapot, completely ignoring Tianyu, only saying in a low voice: "You still don't understand the key point of this matter! Territory is the bottom line interest, not handing it over is definitely not acceptable."

Su Tiannan heard this and wanted to speak, but was again preempted by Su Tianyu: "Director Lu, you have to push us to the wall?"

Lu Feng frowned in disgust and looked up at Su Tiannan asking: "Is your Su family now letting kids do the talking?"

Su Tianyu's sunny face wore a smile, ignoring Su Tiannan's attempts to stop him from speaking, only staring at Lu Feng from the side and asking again: "Director Lu, are you saying Changqing Company must push us to the wall?"

"Bang!"

Lu Feng heavily put down the teapot he had just picked up, the politeness and kindness gone from his face, only staring at Su Tiannan with cold eyes saying: "You still haven't been hurt enough. Your father's in jail, your brother took at least three or four knife wounds, how are you still not awake?! Damn it, if it weren't for orders from above, forget territory, I'd even take the equipment you use to eat!"

When Su Tiannan heard Lu Feng mention his brother, the fire in his heart immediately flared up.

"Let me tell you clearly, don't think about banding together to resist this," Lu Feng pointed at everyone, saying word by word: "Whoever acts as the vanguard, I'll make their old man the main culprit, eating peanuts."

"Slap!"

Just then, Su Tianyu, who had been sitting beside Lu Feng, suddenly grabbed a child's head-sized ashtray from the table, the smile and sunshine completely gone from his face, replaced only by stubbornness and ferocity.

"Bang!"

Su Tianyu's right hand gripped the ashtray, without saying a word, he violently smashed it against Lu Feng's head from the side.

Lu Feng's body leaned forward, his eyes somewhat dazed as he was about to turn around.

Su Tianyu grabbed Lu Feng's collar with his left hand, his right hand holding the ashtray, frantically swinging his arm, continuously smashing Lu Feng's back of the head six or seven times.

Lu Feng had very good physical condition and was a famous lieutenant fighter in Changqing Company. In a normal fight, he definitely wouldn't have been so helpless. But Su Tianyu's action was too sudden - one second he was talking with a smile, the next he suddenly erupted in violence. Lu Feng was already dazed after just two hits.

At the tea table, the other four people stared in shock at Su Tianyu, momentarily unable to react.

After Lu Feng's head was smashed six or seven times, his whole body slumped forward onto the table, his back of head covered in blood, his body spasming convulsively.

After throwing down the ashtray, Su Tianyu didn't stop. He picked up the fruit knife from the table, pressed Lu Feng's head down with his left hand, and very skillfully gripped the knife handle reversed in his right hand, still without making a sound, only staring fiercely as he stabbed downward.

Squelch!

The knife tip fell, directly piercing through Lu Feng's right ear, pinning his head to the solid wood table. Blood sprayed, staining the tea table and the left side of Su Tianyu's face.

Su Tiannan looked at his brother in disbelief, his face pale, immediately standing up and shouting: "Tianyu!"

Su Tianyu pulled out the knife and looked up at the four people, saying in a not-too-loud voice: "Too fucking arrogant. If this were in the Chinese lawless zones thirty years ago, he wouldn't know how many times he'd be dead already."

Old Liu was the first to react, jumping up and shouting: "Are you fucking crazy, why did you attack Lu Feng?"

Su Tianyu put down the knife, took off his blood-stained glasses, sat down on the sofa, and took out an immaculate glasses cloth from his pocket. While politely wiping the blood from his face and glasses, he said softly: "It's very obvious, negotiations failed."

"You fucking attacked Lu Feng, won't that make negotiations even more impossible?! You little punk, you're too reckless!" Old Liu cursed at Su Tianyu with twitching lips, then turned to Su Tiannan saying: "This won't work at all, you stay here and talk, I'm leaving first."

Hearing this, Bai Hongbo also immediately stood up: "Su Tiannan, why did you bring this hothead to handle business? Let me tell you, if my father can't get out because of this, we're not finished!"

Across from them, Kong Zhenghui, who hadn't spoken, glanced at Su Tianyu, still with surprise in his eyes, not rushing to take a position.

Old Liu and Bai Hongbo turned to leave, clearly not wanting to stay another minute.

Su Tiannan looked at his brother, then reached out to stop the two: "You can't leave. We came together, we have to face this together."

"Are you sick?! My father is still inside, why should I face this with you?!" Bai Hongbo reached out to push Su Tiannan.

Su Tiannan directly lifted his jacket corner, revealing the gun he had gotten from Tianbei: "If you leave now, I'll shoot Lu Feng dead, then turn myself in to the Police Bureau."

"The smuggling case was done together, entering Changqing Company's storage yard was done together. If you want to tell others that only I attacked Lu Feng, no one will believe it," Su Tianyu put his newly polished glasses back on and said with a smile.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

At the same time, Su Tianyu slowly stood up and walked to the window.

Everyone looked at him, having no idea what he meant.

Su Tianyu opened the window and looking out at the storage yard, suddenly shouted shrilly: "Everyone come in! Lu Feng attacked us, we can't get out!!"

Outside the yard, after a brief silence, the various families' underlings waiting at the storage yard entrance all looked up toward the yard.

Su Tianyu shouted again at the top of his lungs: "They've pulled knives, we can't get out!"

At the yard entrance, a burly man from the Bai family immediately threw down his cigarette and raised his arm shouting: "Grab weapons, call people, charge Changqing Company's storage yard!"

As the words fell, over thirty people outside grabbed knives hidden in the cars and rushed into the yard together, and a Bai family leader was also shouting into his walkie-talkie: "The boss is in trouble, need backup, brothers at the intersection grab your weapons and come over!"

In the room on the second floor, Bai Hongbo looked at Su Tianyu in confusion: "What do you mean?"

Old Liu heard this and jumped up in rage, cursing at Bai Hongbo: "Are you stupid, you need to ask about this kind of thing? He's set us up, can't you see that?!"