In mid-September, the weather in Longcheng was still somewhat hot. On windless nights, the heat was stifling.
At around 8 p.m., in the brightly lit Inner Harbor of Zhannan District, the area was lush with greenery, and the beach shimmered under the evening light. Tourists filled the area near the scenic spots, where stalls sold souvenirs and Chinese snacks.
Several old cars were parked at the harbor's boarding area. Bai Hongbo, accompanied by a large group, stepped off and boarded a small cruise ship, chatting and laughing. He waved to the driver and commanded, "Head to Baole No. 1."
Longcheng, with its coastal location and unique political environment, has many nighttime entertainment venues offering new experiences. For instance, in Zhannan District's Inner Harbor, there were several "flower boats," where charming women provided services such as singing, drinking, enjoying the sea breeze, and chatting with guests while watching the night view.
Of course, the flower boats of today were not like the old ones. The interior decor was highly modernized, and some larger cruise ships even offered baths, saunas, and other services. However, this kind of luxury was rare in Zhannan District—being one of the more remote and economically underdeveloped areas of Longcheng, the prices were still relatively low compared to other districts.
Although Bai Hongbo had the air of a spendthrift, he wasn't a super-rich heir or tycoon. If asked to invite guests aboard one of the finest cruise ships in Longkou, he probably wouldn't be able to afford it without struggling. So, no one tried to overcharge him, choosing a relatively affordable place instead of enjoying some fun and bond.
Once aboard Baole No. 1, Su Tianyu was completely taken aback. The women aboard the cruise weren't just waiting in a designated working area for guests to choose from. Instead, they leisurely roamed around the deck. Each deck offered free snacks, drinks, and music. The women either chatted in groups or sat alone on high stools. If a guest walked by and fancied someone, all they had to do was point to the woman's number, and she would join them.
Each table lasted for two hours, with prices at 100 and 200 yuan. Boarding required a bag check, and the minimum consumption was 500 yuan, which was definitely not cheap by Longcheng's standards, especially since this was a place of entertainment.
"Feel free to pick, brothers, tonight's expenses are all on me," Bai Hongbo called out to everyone, pointing to a familiar madam. "Get me a girl with rehab training. My injury's almost healed, I need someone with real skills."
"Got it, Brother Bai!"
"Such a sweet talker. Come here, let me check your mouth temperature," Bai Hongbo waved his hand.
"Ha ha, alright, wait a moment, I'll call someone over." The madam pretended to agree, calling over a few women nearby to pick from.
Since everyone was out to have fun, even Kong Zhenghui, usually a quiet one, picked a lively girl. Needless to say, Su Tianbei, Su Tianyu, and the other sociable young men were all eager to join in.
After choosing their companions, the group headed to a private room on the third deck. They opened the windows to enjoy the sea breeze and took in the dazzling night view of Zhannan District's Inner Harbor, letting their emotions relax.
Bai Hongbo, the life of the party, not only brought the fun but also knew how to get the atmosphere going. After a few rounds of games, everyone was tipsy, and the girls had started wearing less.
Su Tianyu had a great time. After all, he was a young, energetic guy. Before coming back to Longcheng, he had spent time in a special school in Area 1. His life there was tough, and he rarely interacted with the opposite sex. Now, with someone else footing the bill for his social activities, he naturally wanted to show respect to the person hosting.
In daily life, Su Tianyu appeared to be very sunny and optimistic, far from the kind of person who would go head-to-head with someone like Lu Feng.
In the room, the drinks were flowing, and the atmosphere was lively. Bai Hongbo was already dancing with a girl near the door, shaking his hips.
Big brother Su Tiannan, whose drinking tolerance wasn't that high, started to feel a bit of a headache and tightness in his chest after a while. He grabbed his cigarette pack and patted Su Tianyu's leg. "Let's go out for a smoke."
"Oh, sure." Su Tianyu nodded with a smile and followed his big brother out.
Most of the rooms on the ship had independent doors, which led directly to the deck. Standing by the railing, the two brothers enjoyed the beautiful night view of the harbor.
Su Tianyu lit a cigarette, and Su Tiannan asked with a smile, "Heh, looks like you and Bai Hongbo are getting along well."
"Not really. Bai Hongbo may seem cunning and self-interested, but he's actually a pretty straightforward person," Su Tianyu replied softly. "He's easier to get along with than Kong Zhenghui."
"Yeah, he likes your third sister," Su Tiannan grinned. "But your third sister says he's a dirty dog and won't bother with him."
"Ha ha, no argument there!"
"Little Yu, you've helped out a lot with the family's issues this time," Su Tiannan said, taking a drag on his cigarette while staring at the sea. "You've proven you can handle things, and you've got guts. To be honest... that night at the restaurant when the gunshot rang out, I was really scared. If that thing had been investigated, it would've been a huge problem."
Su Tianyu paused for a moment, then replied, "You know why I dared to do it?"
"Why?"
"Because if Wang Daolin wasn't interested in the sanitation business, he wouldn't have agreed to meet with you every time. People aren't saints. In this chaotic world, how many people don't love money?" Su Tianyu said with a light laugh.
"That makes sense," Su Tiannan nodded slowly, sizing up his younger brother. "Li Zi, listen to your brother. You should stay and work in the family business. Your second uncle is getting old, and sooner or later, this family business will be ours to handle. We'll stick together, and with hard work, we'll have a good future."
"Heh." Su Tianyu smiled at him.
"... So, what do you say, stay?" Su Tiannan continued, trying to persuade him. "As for civil service, our connections are thin, and we probably won't get far. You see, many employees at those units, in their thirties or forties, are stuck with low wages, unable to rise, and it's pretty miserable."
Su Tianyu slowly placed his arms on the railing and looked at the night view below. "Big brother, let me tell you a story."
"A story?" Su Tiannan asked.
"When I was 17, my father sent me to the barracks. At that time, our family had strong connections, and my personal development plan was already set. I would spend a year in the field, and when I was old enough, I would apply for the Command Academy. Afterward, I'd serve in the field for a few years, and if things went well, I could quickly rise to an officer position in the military," Su Tianyu said softly. "Back then, I was pretty naïve."
Su Tiannan listened quietly, not interrupting.
Su Tianyu's eyes grew distant as he continued, "There's one thing I remember very clearly. The day after my 17th birthday, I went on a patrol mission with my comrades, as usual. Our unit had coastal defense duties, and as you know, since Area 1 failed in the war with China, the political strife within Area 1 was severe. The two factions fought intensely, which led to the later independence war. So, during that period, many coastal defense units had duties."
"Yes, I know," Su Tiannan nodded.
"One of my best friends in that unit was He Yudong, from the Lu region, about the same age as me. After the Unified War, his family followed General Zhou overseas," Su Tianyu continued softly. "I loved reading, and so did he. We had similar interests, so we became very close. That day, we were on a helicopter for a coastal defense mission, and by 3 p.m., just before the shift change, our command center suddenly received a distress call. A cruise ship from Area 1, just off our patrol zone, had been hit by private armed forces, and there were over a thousand people on board, along with cargo. So our battalion was ordered to go and rescue them. We had two helicopters, including pilots, with twelve of us in total."
"Mm," Su Tiannan listened intently.
"We quickly fled to the ship, but from above, I could tell the ship was doomed. The rear of the ship had suffered a catastrophic blow. The engine was dead, and as the stern sank, the ship's keel snapped. The entire vessel was split in two." Su Tianyu's brow furrowed as he continued, "The people on board were screaming from the bow. The ship was chaotic, and their faces were filled with despair. Our captain immediately knew that we wouldn't be able to save everyone. The rear was already sinking, and there weren't enough lifeboats. With no other patrol units nearby, he reported to the higher-ups, saying the situation was impossible to handle."
Su Tiannan frowned.
"The higher-ups responded by making a list of people to save. I saw that list—there were fewer than forty people, almost all important figures from Area 1, the rich and powerful." Su Tianyu paused, looking down before continuing, "As soldiers, we had to obey orders. The higher-ups told us to save those on the list first, so we used ropes to descend and secure the bow. But as soon as we started, the common people and staff on board went mad. They demanded to know why we weren't taking them, especially the elderly and children. The higher-ups couldn't explain and had to fire warning shots. But they were at the end of their ropes, so they didn't care about the guns."
Su Tiannan frowned even deeper.
"Our captain had no choice but to report again, and the response from above was to have us stay behind and maintain order while leaving the space for the elderly and children." Su Tianyu's voice grew hard, his teeth gritted. "I was really scared, afraid they'd leave me behind too. But after giving the orders, the captain called me over and told me to get on the helicopter first, not to worry about the rest. I was relieved, grabbed the rope, and was about to board when... my best friend, He Yudong, grabbed my wrist. He asked me... if I stayed behind, I'd die, right? He begged me to plead with the captain to take him along."
"Then what happened?" Su Tiannan pressed.
"I boarded the helicopter and watched He Yudong's eyes, full of despair, as we took off. As I looked back, I saw the cruise ship sinking faster, its stern completely gone." Su Tianyu's voice trembled as he pointed to the horizon, his eyes red. "Over a thousand people, the survival rate of those on the list was 100%. For the rest, it was less than 10%. My friend, who loved to read, was He Yudong. In the end, they didn't even find his body. This was all buried, and it was never exposed in the media."
Su Tiannan took a deep drag from his cigarette.
"Why did I survive, when we were both soldiers?" Su Tianyu raised his arm, pointing to the line where the sea met the sky. "Because my father was a senior officer in the military, and He Yudong was just the son of an ordinary man. I was very close to him, but there was an invisible wall between us. Big brother, what do you think that wall was?"
Su Tiannan already understood what Su Tianyu was trying to say.
"It's hard to explain," Su Tianyu murmured, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the rolling sea. "In an era like this, one full of opportunities, maybe ordinary people have a small chance of breaking through that wall, but the current company won't help. Big brother, I'm not like you. I can't get over my father's past... so I have to find a way to rise again! I won't let myself down, and I won't let down this era. My future isn't in the family business. I believe you feel the same way, right?"
Late at night, outside the Su family compound, Wang Daolin's car came to a halt. The lean old man who had once beaten Flower Shirt in the detention center stepped out and walked toward the gate, shouting, "I'm back! Where are the little bastards?"
The third sister stepped out to meet him, immediately reporting, "They've gone out to party."
"Damn it!" The old man cursed loudly.