Chapter 71 Distrust

Inside the visiting room of Hua Mansion Prison, Jing Yan slowly rose and walked to the window, saying softly, "Bai Shun, do you know why I asked you to come here today?"

Gu Bai Shun looked at Jing Yan's back, no longer feigning ignorance, "I understand, you're worried about Zhang Ming."

Jing Yan looked at the scenery outside the window, holding his coffee cup as he replied, "You know, desire rises with status. No matter how good the rules and methods, they can't regulate human nature."

The expression on Gu Bai Shun's face was rather grave, and he wore a serious expression as if listening attentively. But in his heart, he felt somewhat disdainful towards Jing Yan. He felt that the other party was like a bankrupt tycoon, still putting on the airs of a "world's richest man" in front of his subordinates, even though he was deeply in debt.

From the moment Jing Yan made the painful decision to restructure the association internally, attempting to control things remotely, Gu Bai Shun felt that he had lost control of the largest grassroots organization in Dragon City.

A chairman mired in crisis, whose own lawsuit wasn't even over, how could he possibly control the monsters and demons within the association?

Jing Yan turned around, looked at Gu Bai Shun, and asked, "Do you think I'm particularly suspicious? Zhang Ming is someone I arranged, but I'm still guarding against him?"

"You're right, people's desires rise with their status," Gu Bai Shun replied softly.

"In the two years I've been gone, Zhang Ming has embezzled at least over ten million from the association," Jing Yan recounted softly, "However, some people love money, some love power, that's actually nothing. But what I can't accept the most is that he wants to lead the association into a fire pit. The Seventh Safety Bureau of the First Zone has established a Special Intelligence Department. The first thing they did upon entering Dragon City was to set up shop in our stevedores association. Zhang Ming is willing to be their dog for a bit of petty gain. He hasn't considered that the association will be finished if he does this."

Gu Bai Shun didn't respond.

"He wants to use the power of the higher-ups to remove my influence in the association," Jing Yan walked to Gu Bai Shun's side and said softly, "To be honest, at my age, whether I rise or fall isn't that important to me personally. But alas, the Stevedores Association is something I built with my own hands. I don't want to see it destroyed."

Hearing this, Gu Bai Shun scoffed inwardly, but still echoed, "Of course, it's your life's work."

"Do you think I'm particularly hypocritical? Hehe," Jing Yan asked with a smile.

"No, I can understand your feelings for the association."

"Alas!" Jing Yan patted Gu Bai Shun's shoulder, "Back when I came out to run for chairman, the people in the elders council that year basically didn't support me much. They thought I was too inexperienced, a scholar-type personality, unable to lead the prickly Stevedores Association. But your father supported me a lot, overriding all opposition to help me take the stage, so I've always been very grateful to him. That's why I let you come up."

Hearing this, Gu Bai Shun looked up at Jing Yan.

"I felt very uncomfortable after he was killed," Jing Yan slowly lowered his head, staring sharply into his eyes, "I wanted to avenge him, but someone did it before me."

In that instant, Gu Bai Shun looked into Jing Yan's eyes, listening to his words, his heart filled with fear.

"Besides me wanting to avenge your father, who else do you think would want to do that?" Jing Yan asked in a low voice.

"Chairman, I don't know..."

"You! You also want revenge," Jing Yan interrupted, "Yu Jinrong was killed by you. Your unease, your naivete, and the slightly restrained outward appearance can protect your true thoughts very well."

"It wasn't me...!"

"Do you want me to say who you got to do it?" Jing Yan asked again.

Gu Bai Shun looked at him and instantly fell silent.

"You don't have to be afraid, I don't mean to threaten you," Jing Yan frowned, "The murder of a father demands retribution, what you did wasn't wrong. And the fact that you haven't been discovered for so long shows... that you were successful."

Gu Bai Shun clenched his fists secretly, then suddenly grinned, "Hehe, I still failed, you saw through me."

Jing Yan looked at him, saying, word by word, "What I want to tell you is! Zhang Ming, who has been bullying you, using underhanded means to seize your family property, is not someone you can trust. Likewise, Li Mingsheng and the Tongji Association are not partners you can cooperate with."

Gu Bai Shun swallowed, nodding slowly.

"You can use Lao Li's power to restrain Zhang Ming, but you can't believe the promises he makes to you," Jing Yan straightened his body, lowered his head, and took another sip of coffee, "To Lao Li, you'll never be one of his direct line, Yu Mingyuan and Su Tianyu are."

Gu Bai Shun carefully considered Jing Yan's words, remaining silent for a long time.

"The Special Intelligence Department will use the power of the Stevedores Union, trying every possible means to bring down Lao Li," Jing Yan walked back to the table and sat down, interlacing his fingers as he looked at him, "Lao Li wants to use you, and Zhang Ming will also want to use you, do you understand what I mean?"

"I understand," Gu Bai Shun nodded.

"Wandering between the two groups, at a critical moment, I'll help you out, letting you completely replace Zhang Ming's position," Jing Yan looked at him, "Bai Shun, back in the Supervision Committee, we faced the Chi Army's guns together. In the end, I was the one who killed, and I was the one who followed Zhao Weihu, but I made them let you go first."

Hearing this, Gu Bai Shun felt a moment of sentimentality, because that was indeed what Jing Yan had done back then.

"I admire you very much," Jing Yan put down his coffee cup, "That's all I wanted to say. How you do it specifically, the choice is in your hands."

...

Dragon City.

Yu Mingyuan held the phone, frowning as he asked, "Aunt, there are a lot of things going on with the association right now, and things are a bit chaotic here... I think I'll wait a bit longer."

"Your uncle's idea is to get the wedding done as soon as possible," Yu Zhen replied gently.

Hearing this, Yu Mingyuan blinked, "Did Uncle say that?"

"Yes, he wants you and Xiao Rou to get married as soon as possible."

"...Okay, okay, I understand," Yu Mingyuan paused, "But I need to discuss this with Xiao Rou."

"Okay, do it as soon as possible!"

"Got it, Aunt."

After saying that, the two ended the call.

Yu Mingyuan sat in the car, thinking carefully for a long time, then reached out and dialed Wen Xiao Rou's number, "Hello? Rou Rou!"

"...What 'Rou Rou,' I'm still 'cuo cuo'!" (play on words, the speaker is annoyed)

"Hehe, what are you doing?" Yu Mingyuan asked with a smile.

"Working, I have to make a trip to logistics later, what's up?"

"If you don't have anything going on, should we get married?" Yu Mingyuan lit a cigarette, "I'm already prepared to be put through boot camp by you."

"...Are you sick?!"

"I'm not kidding, seriously, how about we get married next week?" Yu Mingyuan said, smoking his cigarette, "What do you think?"