Li Chang Hai was furious after the New Year. He had spent a great deal of effort and money to secure a deal, investing a large portion of his funds in three coal mines in Jinzhou, a city in the same province.
At first, luck was on his side. The exploration yielded impressive results, and the mined coal had excellent quality and heat output.
With Xia Nation booming, energy was as valuable as gold. Seeing that these lucrative mines, originally within their grasp, had been acquired by an outsider, the local power players couldn't stay passive.
An outsider had dared to cut into their pie, and that was unacceptable, even if this outsider appeared to have some connections and skills.
These days, mine owners were already quite wealthy, but they had no idea where to spend their money. A few years later, they would go crazy buying properties in Beijing and Shanghai, but for now, they were focused on ruthlessly acquiring nearby mines to expand their operations. This process was usually difficult and bloody, with gunfights a common sight. But the astronomical profits attracted them, making the competition even more fierce.
As soon as Li Chang Hai began mining, the local big shots, after several attempts to gauge his character, discovered that he was relatively straightforward. Their boldness grew, and they openly established their own mine shafts, brazenly digging away.
Even a clay figure has a temper, let alone a proud man like Li Chang Hai.
He tried a clean approach first. He found a key figure, bribed him with a substantial sum, but the effect was minimal. Clearly, the man was not a pushover either.
When the clean approach failed, he resorted to dirty tactics, but that only brought him further disappointment. No one dared to take on his task. With great difficulty, he managed to recruit a few people. They went to confront the mine thieves, only to be chased back in disgrace, beaten by pickaxes.
Having spent a fortune, only to see his hard-earned results being plundered, Li Chang Hai spent every day pondering how to protect his gains.
Watching Li Chang Hai's daily outbursts, one of his subordinates had an idea.
"Li Shao, those people are vicious. We need to change our approach."
Li Chang Hai, sipping his coffee, his eyes flickered slightly. "What approach?"
The man lowered his voice. "Set the wolves against each other."
"Speak plainly." Li Chang Hai was impatient.
"These people are cruel and ruthless. We find someone even more ruthless and cruel."
Li Chang Hai's eyes narrowed. "Little Red Robe?" The image of Su Ping Nan, with his arrogant and domineering demeanor, flashed in his mind.
"Yes, Little Red Robe, the most ruthless man in Wu City. Let's see if his reputation is well-deserved."
Seeing that Li Chang Hai was intrigued, the subordinate continued, "Li Shao, you don't have any fondness for either side anyway. Give up some profits and let them fight it out."
For the first time since the New Year, a satisfied smile spread across Li Chang Hai's face. He nodded. "Help me set up a meeting with Su Ping Nan. Tell him I'm inviting him to dinner."
...
Xu Hua had already resigned from Southwest University. Two years ago, with ambition burning brightly, he and his two most promising students had taken a feasibility report on developing a Chinese pager and embarked on a journey to Shenzhen, the forefront of China's open reform, in search of investors.
Shenzhen didn't give him a chance. Shanghai didn't give him a chance. From the initial soaring ambition to being repeatedly rejected, they had grown disheartened after two years of knocking on countless doors.
To find investors, they dispersed, but their efforts remained fruitless. Even his most brilliant student, Dong Hao, was mistaken for a scammer in Tiannan Province and beaten black and blue.
"Teacher, how did it go?"
The two students waiting outside saw Xu Hua emerge from the Wu City government, their faces full of hope.
Xu Hua shook his head, a bitter smile on his face. The person he met hadn't even let him finish his pitch before politely escorting him out.
"Bro, Bro!"
A girl's clear voice reached them. Dong Hao looked around, confused. The voice sounded so familiar, like his younger sister's.
Sitting in the passenger seat of Su Wen Wen's car, Dong Ya excitedly rolled down the window and shouted. She excitedly shook Su Wen Wen's arm. "Found him, found him. That's my brother!"
After receiving the news from Dong Ya, the first thing Su Wen Wen did was send his Second Senior Brother packing. Then, he rushed to Dong Hao's house.
He learned that Dong Hao hadn't returned home. Su Wen Wen inquired and found out he hadn't left Wu City. He gritted his teeth and, accompanied by a large entourage, took a photo and began a citywide search.
Dong Ya was ecstatic. This kind of girl had an insatiable thirst for vanity. These past two days, she had been directing all of Su Wen Wen's subordinates, giving her a taste of being the boss.
Dong Hao, Xu Hua, and the other student stared blankly at the sturdy young men getting out of the black SUVs. They exchanged glances, seeing a mixture of panic and bewilderment in each other's eyes.
"Little sister, I really didn't lie to your friend." Dong Hao saw his sister walking towards him. He instantly remembered the background of the young man who had beaten him up and quickly explained.
"Mr. Dong, is it?"
A young man with short hair asked politely.
"Yes, that's me." Dong Hao nodded.
Su Wen Wen and his dozens of men bowed together. "We apologize for what happened the other day."
The two recent graduates and their teacher were stunned by this scene, reminiscent of Hong Kong films. Dong Hao quickly waved his hands. "It's alright, it's alright."
Su Wen Wen remained seated, extending his left hand in a gesture of invitation. "Mr. Su is very interested in your project. Please come with me."
Xu Hua immediately nodded to his students. This kind of spectacle was a bit intimidating, but it also indicated that Mr. Su was definitely someone with money and power.
Meanwhile, Su Ping Nan's phone rang.
"Little Red Robe?" The caller's voice carried a hint of doubt.
"Li Chang Hai?"
Su Ping Nan instantly recognized the voice.
"I have a big deal. I'd like to invite the famous Red Robe to join."