Chapter 1 Aftermath

Since the mine accident, Su Tianyu had rushed back from District One and barely slept, constantly exhausted. Now that the major events had settled and others were monitoring each aspect, he needed to rest. He couldn't hold on any longer.

After meeting with Wang Daolin, Su Tianyu immediately returned to the Yu family's villa, quickly washed up, and sent a message to the association group before collapsing into bed, trying to fall asleep.

Sometimes, people are strange. The more tired they feel, the more they want to sleep, the harder it is to fall asleep. Lying in bed, Su Tianyu felt a sense of panic, as if he might drop dead at any moment, yet his mind was still occupied with matters of the association and the upper echelons.

After tossing and turning for more than forty minutes without falling asleep, Su Tianyu angrily went to the living room, grabbed a bottle of baijiu (white liquor), and gulped down three or four liang (about 150-200ml). Only then did he feel lightheaded. He returned upstairs and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

...

The next day, a little after one in the afternoon.

Su Tianyu was still in bed when he smelled an extremely pungent, foul odor. He reached up to touch his nose and faintly heard, "Does it smell good? Does it have a hint of qiqi (seventh day after death)?"

Su Tianyu opened his eyes and saw Da Bai waving a smelly sock in front of his nose. "Are you freaking crazy?"

"Haha! I couldn't wake you up," Da Bai chuckled, wearing a tank top. He threw the sock at Su Tianyu's face and shouted, "Get up, it's time to eat."

Su Tianyu rubbed his eyes and sat up, glancing at his watch. "Wow, it's already afternoon?"

"Hurry up and eat." Da Bai pointed at the sock and said, "This... needs to be washed. I could smell it downstairs."

Su Tianyu picked up the sock, puzzled, and sniffed it. "Is this mine?"

"What else would it be? I sell mine to gays online after I wear them," Da Bai retorted haughtily, then turned and headed downstairs.

"Get me a new pair!" Su Tianyu yelled.

A short while later, in the downstairs hall.

Zhou Tonghui was acting like a nanny, arranging all the takeout containers on the table. Su Tianyu came down from upstairs and quietly asked, "Just the two of you back?"

"Yeah, Zheng Hui is handling matters at the association, and Mingyuan is with Brigade Commander Wen," Zhou Tonghui replied softly. "The older guys haven't returned either."

Su Tianyu bent down and sat at the dining table, reaching for his phone to browse the news.

At eight o'clock this morning, the municipal government held a press conference. Li Mingsheng himself attended to appease the public, urging everyone to protest, but to remain orderly and not cross legal boundaries. He also announced that the 13th Garrison Brigade would continue to maintain stability. Before the meeting, several high-ranking executives from Baolong Group, responsible for the mining company, were summoned for questioning.

This news signaled the end of this round of conflict, and Baolong Group would face endless trouble.

After reading the news, Su Tianyu looked up at Zhou Tonghui and asked, "What did the regulatory commission say?"

"I heard people from District One are here," Zhou Tonghui replied immediately. "But there's no movement yet. Negotiations probably won't start for at least a month."

Su Tianyu nodded slowly. "Yeah, about right."

Da Bai picked up a bowl of rice, eating large mouthfuls. He said softly, "I think Brigade Commander Wen is the one suffering the most right now."

"Why?" Su Tianyu asked.

"No matter what, he's part of the Garrison Command. Sending troops into the city privately without orders from above is a huge deal," Da Bai said, shaking his head as he chewed. "I think the higher-ups in the Garrison Command will discipline him, at least on the surface."

"He must be having a hard time, otherwise Mingyuan wouldn't be watching him," Zhou Tonghui said, sitting down and sharing his opinion. "But I think everything has its pros and cons. Although Brigade Commander Wen will have a tough time, once this blows over, the Democratic Party won't treat him badly! The high-ranking generals of the Garrison Command are the ones they've been trying to win over. They won't offer a low price."

"That's right," Su Tianyu agreed.

"Well, no matter what, the situation is clear now," Zhou Tonghui continued. "Old Li is in control, backed by Old Wen. Next, he'll seize power over the judicial system. Then, our big ship will be ready to sail."

"Little Zhou, what do you think? You made the right choice coming to Dragon City, right?" Da Bai grinned. "Working men in business, working women in your free time, this kind of life is so exciting! Did your dad increase his investment?"

Hearing this teasing, Zhou Tonghui didn't refute it. Instead, he thought carefully and said, "He might really have to increase his investment."

"Haha!"

The three of them smiled at each other.

After finishing his meal, Su Tianyu stood up and said, "Alright, the higher-ups will handle the matters above, and you guys will take care of the association. I need to disappear for a few days."

"What's wrong?" Zhou Tonghui asked.

"What do you think? Since starting on October 1st, I haven't spent more than five hours at work. If I keep going like this, I might get fired," Su Tianyu said, standing up. "I have to go to work!"

"I almost forgot, you're a member of the coast guard now!"

"Alright, you guys keep busy, I'm going to work." Su Tianyu left those words behind and headed upstairs.

...

A little after three in the afternoon.

An SUV parked in the parking lot of the coast guard division in Zha Nan district. Su Tianyu got out of the car in his uniform and slowly walked toward the unit's compound.

The matters in the city would be handled by Old Li's team. He didn't need to worry about that. And with the support of the higher-ups, the association was playing its cards better and better. Everyone in the team knew what to do. So, his top priority now was to get his work in order and participate in the new recruit training organized by the division.

In the afternoon, the sun was shining brightly. Su Tianyu walked into the coast guard compound and saw many new recruits practicing formation on the drill ground, and a group of older guys playing basketball on the court.

Su Tianyu liked this atmosphere. It reminded him of his time in the army, and he felt quite good about it.

As he walked along, Su Tianyu was about to head to the division's office building when he saw a group of people trimming the lawn and watering the plants next to the drill ground on the left. A dark-skinned young man in the group caught his attention.

"You guys keep working, I'm going to have a smoke." The dark-skinned young man greeted the others, turned, and walked aside, conspicuously taking out a pack of cigarettes and lighting one up next to the surveillance camera.

Su Tianyu found this person very familiar. He was tall and looked very muscular.