Chapter 1 The Border

On the border.

Su Tianyu, Yu Mingyuan, Su Tiannan, and two garrison officers were all taken away by Xue Baolai's men.

In a high-powered off-road vehicle, a young man reminded Xue Baolai, "The numbers are off."

"How many short?" Xue Baolai asked.

"Gui Mengxiong's people called us earlier. They said there were seven people getting in the car, but we're missing one man and one woman now," the young man replied.

"Heh, they ran off separately? What good will that do?!" Xue Baolai licked his lips and, with a gun slung over his shoulder, ordered, "Have the others continue searching this area and dig those two out for me."

"Yes!" the young man nodded.

Xue Baolai sat in the car, picked up his phone, and dialed his father's number: "Hey, Dad!"

"How did it go?"

"I've caught the people and am bringing them back now," Xue Baolai said, somewhat得意 (déyì, pleased with himself). "I said before that we needed to be prepared; they're just not up to it."

"Don't get cocky!" Xue Ping'an frowned and demanded, "Are all the key people there?!"

"We're missing two insignificant characters, but they won't get far. I'll definitely catch them," Xue Baolai grinned and replied. "Contact Jing Yan. I'll wait for news when I get back."

"Okay, that's it." Xue Ping'an hung up the phone.

Xue Baolai sat in the off-road vehicle, craned his neck, and shouted, "That's a wrap, everyone! Pack it up!"

...

A little after three in the morning.

In the main house of the Thai family's villa complex in Hennei City, the Old Triangle, the family head, Thai Zhengkang, along with several core members of the family, were communicating with people from the Pu Faction government and the Southwest Theater Command of the Hua District.

It is necessary to introduce the current political situation of the Old Triangle. In the forty years before the start of the New Era, it was a war-torn, poor, and backward area, with various warlords and private armed forces as numerous as hairs.

In that era, a national hero emerged from the Old Triangle, who was also the founder and spiritual leader of the Pu Faction government. His nickname was Pu the Blind.

At that time, the Old Triangle was very poor and geographically disadvantaged, bordering the Fifth District and the southwestern planned area of the Hua District, with very scarce resources. Due to inland wars and low production capacity, Pu the Blind initially relied on the neighboring Fifth District in order to lead the nation and the government out of their plight.

However, as the Hua District gradually rose, the Fifth District, fearing the too-rapid awakening of this dragon, could only adopt a political strategy of befriending distant states while attacking those nearby, and the Pu Faction government led by Pu the Blind played the role of a military blade.

Twenty years into the New Era, the Hua District and the Old Triangle broke out into several southwestern and northwestern wars. The Pu Faction government suffered heavy losses, and Pu the Blind also saw that the Fifth District was just using his troops as cannon fodder. In addition, war broke out within the Old Triangle at that time, so Pu the Blind was wooed by the King of the Chuan Prefecture at the time, defected to the Hua District, and has never betrayed them since.

Around 40 years, the Hua District unified, and the Old Triangle also took off completely. Because the leader of the Hua District wanted to strategically defend the Fifth District and thank their neighbor, the Pu Faction government, he sent 700,000 construction workers to the Old Triangle after the Little Ice Age to help them rebuild their homes.

During this period, the Hua District also signed various 30-year and 50-year strategic cooperation agreements with the Pu Faction government of the Old Triangle, officially forming an unbreakable alliance.

The Thai family is one that has experienced all the turmoil in the Old Triangle. They supported the Pu Faction government from the very beginning, and later, when the Hua District conducted overseas operations, they donated money and goods in the Old Triangle area, and even organized workers to help the Hua Expeditionary Force build ports, etc.

Therefore, when the world became peaceful, families like the Thai family also took off completely. They were full of merit, and many of their descendants entered the Pu Faction government, and the future head of the family also married Pu the Blind's granddaughter, completing a marriage alliance.

This is why the Thai family has so many privileges and prestige in the Old Triangle.

...

Inside the spacious and brightly lit living room, Thai Zhengkang, the head of the Thai family, very politely said to the people from the Pu Faction government and the Southwest Theater Command of the Hua District, "It was indeed too sudden for Little Gui to have an accident. I was originally planning to go to Shuangniu Island tomorrow to talk to him about the exhibition."

The people from the Pu Faction government drank their tea and said nothing.

In the seat of honor, a middle-aged man in his fifties, with his arms crossed, said softly, "The case must be investigated, but the exhibition must also proceed. Mr. Thai, I'm here to ask you what your attitude is now?"

Thai Zhengkang replied without hesitation, "Naturally, we should still focus on the Gui family! Let them send someone to continue to preside over the opening of the exhibition."

The middle-aged man in his fifties looked at Thai Zhengkang sharply, who added with an unchanged expression, "Mr. Long, the Gui family has always been in charge of the overall situation, so it would be more prudent for them to continue doing it."

The middle-aged man in his fifties was none other than Little Azure Dragon, the man Gui Mengjun's father mentioned, and he was a behind-the-scenes advisor to the Southwest Theater Command of the Hua District.

Little Azure Dragon paused for a moment, then sighed and replied, "Now that something has happened to the Gui family, I'm afraid their people are no longer capable of controlling the overall situation."

"Mr. Long is right," the representative of the Pu Faction government immediately interjected, "Gui Mengjun's sudden murder will definitely be a big blow to the Gui family. They have to handle the funeral and investigate the matter, so I feel it will be difficult for them to concentrate. The exhibition is about to start tomorrow, and the time cannot be delayed, so… I think it would be better to let Old Thai stand up and preside over the overall situation. Besides the Gui family, only Old Thai has the qualifications and ability to do this business well."

Little Azure Dragon nodded slowly, "Then shall we go to the Gui family together?"

"I think that's a good idea." Thai Zhengkang immediately stood up, "Old Gui and I have been friends for many years. Now that such a big thing has happened to his family, I should go and see."

"Then let's go!" Little Azure Dragon didn't waste a word, stood up, and walked outside.

Thai Zhengkang and the people from the Pu Faction government followed closely on either side of Little Azure Dragon, escorting him out of the hall.

...

In the suburbs of Hennei City, at the foot of a remote mountain, there was a small factory covering an area of several thousand square meters. However, from the outside, it seemed to have been out of operation for a long time and looked very dilapidated.

A series of off-road vehicles rushed into the small factory compound, and Su Tianyu and the others were escorted out of the cars and into the empty warehouse on the left.

Inside the warehouse hall, Xue Baolai put down his gun and waved his hand, roaring, "Get some food! I'll eat and drink my fill before I play with them!"

At the same time.

Jing Yan, holding the phone, said urgently to Xue Ping'an, "Don't touch that Su Tianyu yet. I have something I want to ask him face-to-face."

"Understood," Xue Ping'an replied.

"Just hand over Yu Mingyuan, and don't worry about the others," Jing Yan reminded again, "Wait for me in Hennei, I'll be there soon, and we'll go see the Thai family together."