In the warehouse, Su Tianyu was a dynamic person. Upon seeing Xu Hu, he immediately gave Kong Zhenghui a subtle look, and the latter swiftly slipped his hand into his pants pocket.
"You little brat, since the Dragon City Dockworkers Association began, no one has dared to pull knives or guns around here," Xu Hu narrowed his eyes at Su Tianyu and the others, extending his palm toward the driver.
The driver pulled a handgun from his waist and handed it to Xu Hu.
Xu Hu grabbed the gun, cocked it, and aimed it directly at Big Bai, who was lying on the ground. "I'm saying it once, let them go!!"
On the street.
Wang Daolin glanced at his phone, frowning. "Drive, get in."
As soon as he finished speaking, a car on the left side sped past. Wang Daolin turned his head, then waved his hand. "Wait, don't move yet."
Inside the warehouse, Su Tianyu held his knife against Xu Er's neck, speaking coldly, "Don't aim at Bai Hongbo, he's not the one in charge here. The one who's holding the knife is me. If you aim at me, I'll aim at him. Neither of us should flinch."
Xu Hu's forehead was bulging with veins, and his finger was pressing down on the trigger, gradually applying more force.
At that moment, a figure entered the door, leaned into Xu Hu's ear, and whispered, "The Dirty Gang has arrived, Su Zhengcai, Old Bai, and Old Kong, with over a hundred people at the street corner."
Hearing this, Xu Hu's hesitation evaporated, and with gritted teeth, he was about to pull the trigger.
"Xu Hu!"
Just as the tension reached its peak, a voice called out from outside the door. A young man in a suit pushed through the Ma Gang members and rushed into the room.
It was Yu Mingyuan, the eldest son of the Yu family.
Upon seeing Yu Mingyuan, all of Su Tianyu's negative emotions, as well as the physical pain, seemed to vanish instantly.
Xu Hu froze for a moment upon seeing Yu Mingyuan. "Mr. Yu, did you call them?"
Yu Mingyuan glanced at Su Tianyu and the others, whose clothes were soaked with blood. After a brief pause, he calmly addressed Xu Hu, "They weren't called by me, but they are my people. Xu Ge, I don't want to discuss the past, but I ask you for a favor—let them go, and I'll take them with me. What do you think?"
"Do you think that's possible?!" Xu Hu pointed at Xu Er, who was being held by Su Tianyu. "That's my brother, and he's been stabbed. Do you understand?"
Yu Mingyuan paused and then pulled a check from his suit pocket. "I filled in twenty thousand just now. This money is to apologize for not notifying the Ma Gang regarding our business on the sea. You take it, and let the people and goods go. Is that acceptable, Xu Ge?"
Wei Xiangzuo, who had been silent up until this point, looked at the small headman beside him with a hint of suspicion in his eyes. "What's this about?"
The small headman didn't respond.
"The goods on the sea, are they from us?" Wei Xiangzuo asked again.
The small headman hesitated but eventually nodded.
Wei Xiangzuo furrowed his brow and, with his hands behind his back, fell silent.
In the living room, Xu Hu gripped the gun. "Mr. Yu, I'm sorry, but we can't let this go today. I can't give you that face."
Yu Mingyuan held the check, his polite demeanor fading. His brows furrowed tightly, and his voice turned cold as he asked, "I'll ask you again—will you let them go?"
"I can't," Xu Hu replied. "Mr. Yu, go back. We'll talk tomorrow."
"Fine."
Yu Mingyuan didn't say anything more. He folded the check, pulled out his phone, which had been connected all along, and said, "You can come in now."
Xu Hu frowned. "Who's coming in? They're not leaving."
As he spoke, Wei Xiangzuo, who had been watching for a while, walked up to Xu Hu and lowered his voice. "Did you take the goods?"
Xu Hu glanced at Wei Xiangzuo but remained silent, which Wei Xiangzuo took as an admission.
"You're messing with the rules," Wei Xiangzuo muttered, then turned and walked away.
The Ma Gang members froze for a moment. Those who had come with Wei Xiangzuo didn't hesitate, and all of them followed him out the door.
Outside, a man called to Wei Xiangzuo, "We're not getting involved? The Sitting Hall?"
"The goods come by sea. The Yu family has to pay the Ma Gang's share; that's the rule. But if they want the money, it must be clear. If they don't give it, we'll beat them into giving," Wei Xiangzuo replied emotionlessly. "But stealing the goods and kidnapping people, then blocking them at their own doorstep? That's too embarrassing. I'm not handling it."
With that, Wei Xiangzuo strode away.
Just as he and his group were leaving, a truck with the Dragon City Military Base's license plate smashed through the crowd, coming to a halt at the door.
Thirty soldiers, fully armed, lined up in the truck. The passenger door opened, and a young man in military uniform stepped out and walked directly into the building.
It was the same officer who had accompanied Su Tianyu, Bai Hongbo, and the others up the mountain to find Lu Feng.
The officer entered the room, his face expressionless as he looked at Xu Hu and said, "The people and the goods are connected to our army. I won't waste time talking to you. Have the people outside clear the way; I'll take them myself."
Xu Hu, completely caught off guard by the military's involvement, stared at Yu Mingyuan in shock for a long moment.
Kong Zhenghui and the others were about to leave upon seeing the officer but paused when Su Tianyu suddenly squinted and quietly said, "Don't move."
Xu Hu gritted his teeth and glared at Yu Mingyuan. "If you leave like this, and your business at sea goes smoothly, I, Xu Hu, will take your surname!"
The line was drawn.
Yu Mingyuan smiled, his eyes locked on Xu Hu. He said slowly and deliberately, "The goods and people are being blocked in your warehouse, right? I gave you twenty thousand, which should be enough respect. Do you think I'm afraid of you, Xu Hu?! I just think that business should be done peacefully! Earlier, I tried to take my people and goods, and you refused. Fine, now you give me both, but I still can't leave!"
The officer, still frozen for a moment, suddenly turned his head to look at Yu Mingyuan. After hearing his words, he quickly turned to face the door.
Yu Mingyuan spun around, shouting, "Su Tianyu, do to them what they did to you! Dammit, one truck of soldiers isn't enough. I'll bring a whole regiment next time!"
Su Tianyu responded immediately, "Zhang Hao, time for revenge!!"
As soon as the words were out, Zhang Hao, who had just been helped to his feet by Kong Zhenghui, grabbed the knife on the ground and lunged at Xu Er.
Followed by Su Tianyu, Kong Zhenghui, Su Tianbei, Bai Hongbo, and all the other leaders, they each picked up a weapon and started hacking and pounding on Xu Er.
Xu Hu's face turned crimson with rage. His eyes widened, and he raised his arm to fire.
"Smack!"
The young military officer drew his sidearm and pressed it against Xu Hu's head. He whispered harshly, "I suggest you calm down. I told you, the people and goods are with our army."
Xu Hu, gripping the gun, froze, motionless.
At that moment, Tang Baiqing, who had been standing off to the side, had no choice but to step forward and tug at Yu Mingyuan's arm. "This is getting out of hand. You really don't want to do business at sea anymore? The military can't handle your shipments, you know. What will you do in the future? Please, give me some face."
His words seemed to be for Yu Mingyuan's benefit, but they carried a veiled threat. Tang Baiqing represented the official port relations, and now he was siding with Xu Hu.
"Mingyuan, enough is enough. Otherwise, it'll be hard for me to handle. The Ma Gang and we..."
"Smack!"
Yu Mingyuan suddenly raised his arm and slapped Tang Baiqing across the face. The latter froze, stunned.
"I took you as a friend, but you took me for a fool!" Yu Mingyuan pointed at Tang Baiqing's face, speaking slowly. "... Without your little piece of land, would the Yu family starve to death?"
With that, Yu Mingyuan turned around and shouted, "Bring in the goods, we're leaving!"
In the corner, Bai Hongbo, having finished with Xu Er, raised a chair above his head and swung it toward Ma Gang's head, smashing it repeatedly. "You want to hit me, huh? Think I'm an easy target?! Come on, let's fight one on one!"