Inside the company.
Yu Mingyuan sat in his chair, holding the phone in his right hand, his brow furrowed deeply. "Is this about some outsiders from Dragon City wanting money, or is the Wharf Gang trying to put a squeeze on us?"
"I think the cargo and people weren't taken by the Wharf Gang, but they definitely want to use this situation to squeeze us," Tang Baiqing replied. "We've got the channels, we're fast at distributing goods, and now our operation is expanding. It's natural for those who make a living off the water to get envious."
Yu Mingyuan remained silent.
"Brother Yu, we've known each other for a while now, so I'll be straightforward with you," Tang Baiqing continued, trying to persuade him. "Whether we use the Wharf Gang or the Dirty Gang for logistics, it doesn't really matter to us. It's just about dividing some profits. But, from a rational and practical standpoint, the Wharf Gang is more valuable than the Su, Bai, and Kong families. They've been in the business for a long time, and their influence around the port is immense. If you work with them, you'll save a lot of unnecessary trouble. Let's put it this way — right now, we're not operating on a huge scale, but if we expand, there will be more people eyeing us. When customs officers or pirates from outside start coming at us, do you think Su, Bai, and Kong will be able to handle it? But if you work with the Wharf Gang, they can. They specialize in this, you know what I mean?"
Yu Mingyuan seemed to be thinking but didn't respond right away.
"Anyway, I've said my piece. If you're interested, I can arrange a meeting with Xu Hu and his brother, and we can sit down to rework the deal."
"Okay, let me think about it," Yu Mingyuan replied.
"Don't worry, even though the Wharf Gang isn't willing to help us retrieve the goods yet, they will talk to the other side. For now, they won't touch the people or the cargo," Tang Baiqing added, giving a bit of reassurance.
"Alright, I'll get back to you tomorrow."
"Good, I'll wait for your call. When you're ready, we can get everyone involved and sit down to talk."
With that, the conversation ended.
In the dimly lit office, Yu Mingyuan put out his cigarette, his face dark and his eyes deep in thought.
At this point, Yu Mingyuan knew better than anyone that the hijacking of the goods was a move orchestrated by the Wharf Gang. The intention was clear — they were signaling to him about their power and influence at the port while also holding off from escalating things right away. This was their way of making their presence known without immediately clashing with him.
But what role was Tang Baiqing playing in all this? Was he really unaware of the whole thing before, or was he just playing the game from his own angle?
The relationship between the Coast Guard and the port gangs was as inseparable as fish and water. Was this situation really as simple as it seemed?
Now, Yu Mingyuan faced two clear choices: First, kick out the Su, Bai, and Kong families, bring the Wharf Gang on board, and the goods should be recovered quickly, with future operations running smoothly. Second, refuse the Wharf Gang's terms, keep working with the Su, Bai, and Kong families, but the goods wouldn't come back anytime soon, the people would remain in danger, and possibly, Tang Baiqing might be offended, making it more difficult to source goods from the Dragon City port in the future.
This was a choice that was heavily skewed in one direction. Yu Mingyuan felt a rising anger but couldn't see any other options.
Frustrated, he stubbed out his cigarette and decided to leave the company for a while.
Knock knock!
At that moment, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Who is it?" Yu Mingyuan called out.
The door opened, and Su Tianyu walked in. "Brother Yu!"
"Oh, Tianyu," Yu Mingyuan responded lightly. "I was just about to leave."
"I came to ask if you've gotten any clarity on the cargo situation?" Su Tianyu stepped forward and asked.
Yu Mingyuan licked his lips, not telling Su Tianyu the full truth. Instead, he responded vaguely, "Tang Baiqing just called. He said the Wharf Gang found some information and told me not to worry."
"There's a demand, so the goods won't be lost," Su Tianyu frowned and said. "But my people are still being held, and I'm afraid something might happen to them."
"I'll keep pressing the Wharf Gang, and you don't need to worry. Just keep reassuring your family. Don't worry, we'll get everyone back, whether by paying or making offerings," Yu Mingyuan patted Su Tianyu on the shoulder.
Su Tianyu paused, then pulled a folded A4 sheet from his pocket. "Brother Yu, take a look at this."
"What is it?" Yu Mingyuan took the paper and opened it.
The A4 sheet listed some data and supermarket names along various streets in Zhanan District.
Yu Mingyuan, slightly confused, asked, "What is this data for?"
"We've been expanding new sales channels in our respective circles recently," Su Tianyu replied softly. "The data here is the forecast for future cargo increases and the locations and sizes of the supermarkets and shops."
Yu Mingyuan was surprised, staring at Su Tianyu. "You've done your homework!"
"One must love the business they're in," Su Tianyu looked up at Yu Mingyuan and then said unexpectedly, "Brother Yu, no matter how good the Wharf Gang is, they're not one of us!"
This statement made Yu Mingyuan pause. He slowly closed the A4 sheet and softly replied, "You're thinking too much, Tianyu."
"Brother Yu, please hurry up and push Tang Baiqing to find my people," Su Tianyu's expression turned serious as he spoke, his voice low. "If my people aren't back in two days, I'll handle it myself, without relying on Tang Baiqing."
"What are you going to do?"
"I believe that kidnapping and threatening people is the lowest form of tactic, because if you can do it, so can others." Su Tianyu paused, then added, "Zhang Hao died because of working with me. If anything happens to him, I won't be able to explain it to his family. So if Tang Baiqing can't find them, I'll take matters into my own hands."
"Do you think you can find them?"
"... Maybe, haha!" Su Tianyu smiled slightly.
Yu Mingyuan stared at him for a moment, nodded, and didn't say anything further.
"I'm leaving now, Brother Yu," Su Tianyu said as he turned and walked out.
Yu Mingyuan looked at his retreating back, his gaze full of complexity.
After Su Tianyu left, Yu Mingyuan sat with his arms crossed, deep in thought. After a few seconds, he quickly grabbed his coat and left as well.
...
Near the dock.
Kong Zhenghui sat in his car, pulling out three thousand yuan from his bag. He looked at a shifty-eyed man and said, "Read my fortune."
"What do you mean?" the man asked.
"Tell me about the seven boats," Kong Zhenghui replied, cigarette between his lips, handing over the money. "I'll give you the night."
"... That'll cost more," the man replied.