Su Ping Nan ignored the expressions of those around him. He waved his hand, signaling the waiter to bring a bottle of beer. He then started to pour himself a drink, seemingly unperturbed by the tension.
Su Wen Wen and the others were about to speak up, but Su Ping Nan’s cold gaze silenced them.
Su Ping Nan slowly scanned their faces one by one before saying casually, “Someone’s been selling goods behind my back, under the table.” The words left everyone, including Ren Houzi, pale with guilt.
Su Ping Nan’s gaze was sharp as he fixed his eyes on Ren Houzi and the others, his voice still slow and measured, but his tone growing colder.
“We’re all here to make a living. Tell me, do you make your money through your own efforts, or because of my Xiao Hong Pao’s reputation?” Su Ping Nan paused, leaning back on the restaurant chair. His eyes glared at Ren Houzi, his voice taking on an aggressive edge: “Speak!”
Su Ping Nan, deep down, was a man who believed that asking for favors was easy for others but difficult for him. The moment he uttered that word “ask,” he felt a loss of dignity.
In another time, he had swallowed his pride and begged this brother he had helped countless times, only to be trampled upon by Ren Houzi, his only remaining dignity shattered.
Ren Houzi’s face turned green, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. However, he gritted his teeth and remained silent.
Suddenly, Su Ping Nan dropped the aggressive act. He spoke, “The path is walked by man. Now, I’ve realized a truth. If you push things too far, if you make a mess, then I won’t leave you a way out.”
As soon as the words left his lips, the beer bottle shattered on Ren Houzi’s head. The beer mixed with blood, dripping down his face.
Su Ping Nan used a napkin to slowly wipe his right hand clean, his voice calm. “It just so happens that I’m setting down a rule today. From now on, we’re all in this together. You can’t refuse what I give you.” He pointed at each of them in turn, a smile playing on his lips. “What I don’t give you, you can’t take.”
After speaking, he grabbed the unsteady Ren Houzi by the arm, lifting him up. He leaned down and whispered in his ear, “You’ve been eating off my generosity for three days. Spit it all out. Get your people and leave. I’m not in a good mood. Remember, don’t let me see you at Nan Station again.”
Ignoring the now limp Ren Houzi, Su Ping Nan turned to Yang Qianli with a cold voice, “Do you know what to do if you see him again?”
Yang Qianli licked his lips, his eyes hardening as he looked at Ren Houzi. He nodded.
In this era, the Wu Cheng train station was the biggest gathering point for opportunities. What Su Ping Nan had done was effectively cut off most of Ren Houzi’s future paths to success.
Su Ping Nan didn’t really want to do anything to Ren Houzi. He had already decided to live a different life, and he would never do anything illegal.
After the few shady individuals stumbled away with Ren Houzi, Su Ping Nan watched the men who followed him, their eyes burning with admiration. A surge of ambition filled him.
He understood that these men still possessed the kind of loyalty unique to this era. It was another major asset for him. All he had to do was use his advantage of being reborn to lead them, build a great business empire for himself. He didn’t ask for much in this life, but it wouldn’t be easy. He wouldn’t let anyone look down on him again, not even fate itself.
...
The hardworking folks at the Wu Cheng freight yard were surprised to find that Ren Houzi, who had been bossing everyone around, had suddenly disappeared. The dispatcher was now Xiao Hong Pao’s younger brother, Su Wen Wen. The entire cargo loading schedule became more organized and efficient. It wasn’t long before everyone forgot about Ren Houzi, after all, everyone was more concerned with working hard and getting paid.
After taking care of the freight yard, Su Ping Nan went back to Changyang County alone.
For someone who had spent years navigating the cutthroat world, organizing a small freight yard was a breeze for him.
Su Wen Wen and the others were impressed by their brother’s abilities, and the freight yard continued to operate smoothly.
Su Ping Nan’s reason for returning to Changyang County was simple: money.
He was broke. Even after adding back the money Ren Houzi returned, he only had a meager 600 yuan. This left Su Ping Nan, who was already making plans for the future, feeling a bit frustrated.
At that moment, a piece of information from a chat amongst his fellow villagers from Changyang County in Wu Cheng caught his attention.
The Changyang County Industrial and Commercial Bank had been robbed. They lost 60,000 yuan, at least. When people heard the news, they couldn’t believe it. Then, they were overcome with envy and jealousy. You see, 60,000 yuan in this era was a sum that these hardworking folks could only dream of.
Su Ping Nan kept a straight face. The news had been tucked away in the back of his mind. But he had only heard of this bank robbery once in his two lifetimes, so he immediately recalled all the details.
The case was quite simple, and the criminal was caught soon after. In the other timeline, the story was told in detail, and Su Ping Nan knew it all.
The perpetrator was an insider at the Industrial and Commercial Bank, named Li Jie. The reason he got caught so quickly was laughable: he tried to rob the bank again and was apprehended on the spot.
The reason for his recklessness was even more astonishing. He had stashed the money he had stolen from the first robbery in his own stove. His mother was unaware and, worried that he wasn’t getting hot meals after his divorce, had decided to cook for him before he got home from work. Without knowing, she had burned the 60,000 yuan to ashes.
The money, which he thought was already his, vanished just like that. This drove Li Jie, who was hoping to ride out the storm, to the brink of desperation, ruining his entire life.
This guy was quite a character. He had amassed a mountain of gambling debts and his wife had left him with their child. The now free-spirited Li Jie, overwhelmed by his woes, ended up racking up a debt of over 10,000 yuan in 1992, a time of famine.
Desperate to escape the debt collectors, he decided to target the bank’s vault. And surprisingly, he found an opportunity. Since Changyang County was a small town, the bank vault at that time was still a single-story building, with the walls only reinforced by concrete. One night, he was working late, putting in documents when he looked up and noticed that through the vault chimney, a seven-inch square opening, he could see the stars outside.
Li Jie’s heart raced. He discreetly moved the piles of cash below the opening before closing the door and leaving.
Back home, he managed to send the debt collectors away. With his mind made up, he decided to take a risk.
He gathered some bamboo poles, connected them with wire, and attached a hook and net to one end. That night, he got what he wanted.
Su Ping Nan had no intention of reporting the crime. He couldn’t explain how he knew about it, and his target was the 60,000 yuan, destined to be burned.