Chapter 17 The Gunshots That Break The Balance
The faint smell of sandalwood filled the private room on the third floor of Guangming Road Cantonese restaurant. The tea set on the solid wood table emitted a steaming heat, and Su Tiannan and Wang Daolin sat opposite each other in a quiet atmosphere, but their minds were in turmoil.
Su Tiannan's forehead was covered in tiny beads of sweat as he continued to speak softly, "Uncle Wang, you and my father are old comrades who have fought side by side with guns. As a junior, I certainly wouldn't dare to hide anything in my heart. There are no outsiders here, so let's speak frankly."
Wang Daolin held a teacup with a serious expression and remained silent.
"I'll hand over Lu Feng’s main henchman to you. You can apply some pressure on Changqing Company and pretend to thoroughly investigate this case, forcing them to make mistakes. Then, the peripheral forces can also cooperate with the Liu, Bai, and Kong families to rise up. I'm not seeking a complete turnaround, I just want my father to be safely released from prison." Su Tiannan spoke frankly, "If it works out, our family's business can be saved, and I'll hand over 30% of the annual profits to you. And I believe that the Liu, Bai, and Kong families would also be willing to pay this tribute."
"Hehe." Wang Daolin smiled, "Do you think I'm trying to eat your family's profits and that's why I only agreed to meet with you these past few days?"
"Of course not, you value the comradeship with my father, I understand that." Su Tiannan immediately replied, "Handing over 30% of the profits is simply a gesture of our goodwill. Whether you appreciate it or not isn't important, but I have to do it."
Wang Daolin quickly went over Su Tiannan's words in his mind and slowly put down the teacup, saying, "Changqing Company's relationship with the Environmental Management Committee is led by Zheng Fu'an. Zheng Fu'an has a brother-in-law named Li Xing, who serves as the head of the Anti-Smuggling and Crime Investigation Department at the Dragon City Police Station, and is also a member of the Fuzhou Chamber of Commerce. And Li Xing's office is only a door away from mine. Every day when we report for duty at the police station, we can meet each other and have a cup of tea and a chat when we have time."
Su Tiannan was stunned by what he heard.
"Little Nan, there are many things that cannot be resolved with money or emotions." Wang Daolin sighed and said, "If I help you, then you have to help me calculate how many people I'll offend."
Su Tiannan was speechless.
"Even without considering offending people, when working within the system, one must still uphold dignity and rules," Wang Daolin continued, "Changqing Company has neither offended me nor touched our group's interests. If I rashly offer my help, it would be a political provocation! And the most annoying thing in the system is troublemakers. If I start trouble, and things get out of hand, my friends won't support me."
Su Tiannan remained silent.
"My previous advice still stands. Soften up, offer concessions, and save your father. Your Su family is not lacking in numbers, even without dealing in the sanitation business, you can still survive," Wang Daolin advised in a gentle tone, "As adults, we should compromise when necessary."
"I understand what you mean," Su Tiannan said, feeling resentful inside. However, Wang Daolin had already made himself clear. If he continued to argue, he would only alienate him further.
The conversation reached an impasse, and the atmosphere in the room became awkward. Su Tiannan had just stood up to pour tea for his guest when his phone rang.
"Excuse me, Uncle Wang. I have to take this call," Su Tiannan said as he got up.
Wang Daolin nodded in acknowledgment.
Su Tiannan left the private room and answered the phone in the corridor. "Hello?"
"How did it go, big brother?" Su Tianyu's voice came through the other end.
"It's not going well. I've already offered a 30% annual profit margin, but he still won't agree to help," Su Tiannan sighed.
"What if you offer more?"
"I don't think it's a matter of money," Su Tiannan shook his head, "He already said that Changqing Company has a complicated network of relationships. If he gets involved without thinking, it would be a political provocation, which is unreasonable and foolish."
"Alright then, come back, and we'll discuss it together."
"Okay, let's talk when I get back," Su Tiannan agreed before hanging up the phone.
In the quaint and elegant corridor of the Cantonese restaurant, Su Tiannan's thoughts were complex, and he even felt a little regretful.
After all of the preparation, Wang Daolin ultimately did not offer to help, which means the situation for the Su family has become even more awkward. Without connections in the judicial system to help with speaking and operations, the only option left is to rely on public opinion to influence the judiciary. However, this approach is undoubtedly extremely risky. If it fails, the old man will be sentenced even more severely. Because for the police station, if you organize a worker strike, it will only add more trouble and scrutiny for the leadership.
Thinking of this, Su Tiannan felt that Tianyu was too radical and immature in his actions, and he regretted trusting his advice, feeling a bit stuck now.
"Sigh." Su Tiannan sighed, pushed the door, and entered the private room, forcing a smile and saying, "Uncle Wang, should we withdraw?"
"Okay." Wang Daolin is a very elegant and shrewd old-timer. He gave Su Tiannan a lot of respect when facing the younger generation. He only got up when Su Tiannan said so.
The two of them left the private room together, and Wang Daolin said lightly with his hands behind his back, "Little Nan, I still want to say that if your Su family is ready to compromise and surrender, you can let me know in advance. I'll come out and sit with Li Xing. He should still be able to give me face, and at least your father won't be sentenced to heavy punishment. At most, he'll stay for a year or two and then be released."
"Yes, I'll go back and discuss it with my family." Su Tiannan nodded in response.
Just as the two of them were speaking quietly, a man suddenly walked up from the stairs, wearing a duckbill hat, walking quickly and bowing his head, walking towards Su Tiannan.
Wang Daolin was still speaking and did not notice the man, but Su Tiannan, who was absent-minded, was the first to notice him.
The man's pace was fast, and in about two breaths, he had already arrived in front of the two of them. Su Tiannan felt that his dress was a bit weird, and he had been walking with his head down, so he instinctively pulled Wang Daolin back a step.
—
Fortunately, Su Tiannan reacted quickly because the other person pulled out a black gun instantly when he was very close to the two of them.
Su Tiannan was scared and pale and instinctively grabbed the other person's arm and said, "Uncle Wang, he has a gun!"
Wang Daolin was also stunned and suddenly stepped back, hitting the wall with a bang.
At this moment, Su Tiannan exerted all his strength and pressed the wrist of the person holding the gun with both hands.
The bandit became anxious and pulled the trigger.
"Bang!"
A crisp gunshot rang out, and the whole restaurant quieted down for a moment, followed by screams and shouts that spread throughout the third floor.
In the corridor, Su Tiannan wrestled with the bandit, and their bodies collided with the wall. They fought all the way to the stairwell.
"Bam!"
The bandit lifted his knee and hit Su Tiannan's abdomen, causing him to feel pain and slightly loosen his grip.
At this moment, a strange scene happened. Although the bandit had a chance to shoot as he had turned his back to Wang Daolin, he used his left hand to press Su Tiannan's neck and tried to push him downstairs.
Su Tiannan leaned against the stair railing, staring at the bandit, and suddenly froze.
The bandit pressed with his left hand and held the gun with his right hand. He seemed to deliberately point the muzzle away and was ready to pull the trigger.
"Snap!"
Suddenly, Su Tiannan grabbed the gun body of the bandit and twisted the muzzle towards his own left abdomen.
The bandit was stunned by this sudden move. He hesitated for a moment, but still had his back turned to Wang Daolin.
"Bang!"
The gunshot rang out, and Su Tiannan's abdomen spurted blood. His whole body flipped over the stair railing and fell towards the ground floor.
The bandit reacted quickly, chasing after him with his gun. He ran down six or seven steps in a row, saw Su Tiannan fall heavily at the corridor on the second floor, and then raised his arm to shoot without hesitation.
Three more gunshots rang out, and the second floor was in chaos.
The bandit, armed with a gun, wanted to pursue further, but at that moment, Wang Daolin's driver rushed into the lobby with a police gun.
"Damn it!"
The bandit cursed and turned around without hesitation, running back to the third floor.
In the hallway, Wang Daolin, who had just reacted, ran out of breath to the entrance of a private room, preparing to hide from the bandit. He didn't expect the guests inside the room to be very unrighteous and directly blocked the door collectively.
"Motherf***er, open the door!" Wang Daolin shouted.
The bandit rushed over and stood next to Wang Daolin. The two faced each other, one with a mask and the other sweating profusely.
"Brother, it's nothing to do with me." Wang Daolin calmly raised his hand, but his voice was already trembling.
The bandit looked at him and suddenly raised his arm, pulling the trigger of the gun directly.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Three gunshots rang out, and Wang Daolin's soul scattered, directly collapsing on the ground.
After firing the gun, the bandit turned around and ran, rushing to the end of the corridor, skillfully opening the window, and jumping out. His body landed on the second floor's external staff staircase, supporting the railing with his left hand, then jumped to the first floor, and fled along the alley, disappearing in seconds.
In the hallway, Wang Daolin was sweating profusely and panting heavily. He kept touching his head with both hands but found no trace of blood.
After a moment of recovery, Wang Daolin looked up and saw three neat and aligned bullet holes where he had just stood.
Fear, anger, and other negative emotions filled Wang Daolin's heart in an instant.
A senior officer of the Dragon City Police Department was attacked by an armed bandit while having dinner with friends at night!
This kind of thing could not be hidden, and a storm had already landed in Dragon City.
—---
About half an hour later, on a cliff by the sea, the bandit skillfully disassembled the gun and threw it and the remaining bullets into the sea.
Ten minutes later, the bandit arrived at the second location and threw away his clothes, shoes, duckbill hat, mask, and other items next to a water tank, lit them up, and waited until they were completely burned before using a stick to push the ashes into the water.
—---
At the same time, Guangming Road's Cantonese restaurant had closed, and police cars and officers were both inside and outside the building.
Wang Daolin and Su Tiannan, who was shot in the abdomen, have been taken to the hospital.
Several middle-level leaders from the Northeast Gang of the Police Bureau came to visit Wang Daolin. As soon as they entered the room, they started cursing.
"Damn it, Changqing Company is really tired of living! They went after Su Tiannan, and they even dared to go after the Director with him?"
"Too arrogant!"
"...!"
As they chatted, they walked into the room.
Wang Daolin was not injured, but he looked at the people with a sense of fear and said, "Damn it, that thug knew me. He deliberately fired three shots at my head. What does that mean? It's a warning!"
...
Zhanan District.
Lu Feng made countless calls, but he still couldn't find his predator, the floral shit man.
"Where could he have gone?" Lu Feng was almost going crazy. He sat on the sofa and shouted in a bad mood, "Are you all dead? Hurry up and keep in touch with me!"
Just then, a clever subordinate timidly raised his hand and said, "I still think he's at the Su family's garbage dump, otherwise Ah Ming would not fail to contact us. Brother Feng, why don't we directly ask Director Li from the Police Bureau to go to the Su family and ask for him? If he's there, they won't dare not to give him to us."
"Bang!"
Lu Feng jumped up and kicked him, "Are you fucking stupid? Why don't you just advise me to report the case directly? Will Li Xing help you with this? If he goes to ask for him, doesn't it mean he indirectly admits that the people who vandalized are sent by us?"
The henchman was kicked and didn't dare to speak. Lu Feng loosened his collar and was about to give a few orders when the phone on the table rang.
"Hello?"
"...Lu Feng, what are you thinking? You sent gunmen to attack Su Tiannan, but why did you go after Wang Daolin? Are you bored with your life?" Li Xing's angry voice sounded.
Lu Feng looked bewildered, "What are you talking about?!"
—---
On a certain road in Zhanan District, the street lamp was dim, and a thug walked over and showed his face in the light. He was none other than Su Family's sixth son.
Chapter 17 The Gunshots That Break The Balance
The faint smell of sandalwood filled the private room on the third floor of Guangming Road Cantonese restaurant. The tea set on the solid wood table emitted a steaming heat, and Su Tiannan and Wang Daolin sat opposite each other in a quiet atmosphere, but their minds were in turmoil.
Su Tiannan's forehead was covered in tiny beads of sweat as he continued to speak softly, "Uncle Wang, you and my father are old comrades who have fought side by side with guns. As a junior, I certainly wouldn't dare to hide anything in my heart. There are no outsiders here, so let's speak frankly."
Wang Daolin held a teacup with a serious expression and remained silent.
"I'll hand over Lu Feng’s main henchman to you. You can apply some pressure on Changqing Company and pretend to thoroughly investigate this case, forcing them to make mistakes. Then, the peripheral forces can also cooperate with the Liu, Bai, and Kong families to rise up. I'm not seeking a complete turnaround, I just want my father to be safely released from prison." Su Tiannan spoke frankly, "If it works out, our family's business can be saved, and I'll hand over 30% of the annual profits to you. And I believe that the Liu, Bai, and Kong families would also be willing to pay this tribute."
"Hehe." Wang Daolin smiled, "Do you think I'm trying to eat your family's profits and that's why I only agreed to meet with you these past few days?"
"Of course not, you value the comradeship with my father, I understand that." Su Tiannan immediately replied, "Handing over 30% of the profits is simply a gesture of our goodwill. Whether you appreciate it or not isn't important, but I have to do it."
Wang Daolin quickly went over Su Tiannan's words in his mind and slowly put down the teacup, saying, "Changqing Company's relationship with the Environmental Management Committee is led by Zheng Fu'an. Zheng Fu'an has a brother-in-law named Li Xing, who serves as the head of the Anti-Smuggling and Crime Investigation Department at the Dragon City Police Station, and is also a member of the Fuzhou Chamber of Commerce. And Li Xing's office is only a door away from mine. Every day when we report for duty at the police station, we can meet each other and have a cup of tea and a chat when we have time."
Su Tiannan was stunned by what he heard.
"Little Nan, there are many things that cannot be resolved with money or emotions." Wang Daolin sighed and said, "If I help you, then you have to help me calculate how many people I'll offend."
Su Tiannan was speechless.
"Even without considering offending people, when working within the system, one must still uphold dignity and rules," Wang Daolin continued, "Changqing Company has neither offended me nor touched our group's interests. If I rashly offer my help, it would be a political provocation! And the most annoying thing in the system is troublemakers. If I start trouble, and things get out of hand, my friends won't support me."
Su Tiannan remained silent.
"My previous advice still stands. Soften up, offer concessions, and save your father. Your Su family is not lacking in numbers, even without dealing in the sanitation business, you can still survive," Wang Daolin advised in a gentle tone, "As adults, we should compromise when necessary."
"I understand what you mean," Su Tiannan said, feeling resentful inside. However, Wang Daolin had already made himself clear. If he continued to argue, he would only alienate him further.
The conversation reached an impasse, and the atmosphere in the room became awkward. Su Tiannan had just stood up to pour tea for his guest when his phone rang.
"Excuse me, Uncle Wang. I have to take this call," Su Tiannan said as he got up.
Wang Daolin nodded in acknowledgment.
Su Tiannan left the private room and answered the phone in the corridor. "Hello?"
"How did it go, big brother?" Su Tianyu's voice came through the other end.
"It's not going well. I've already offered a 30% annual profit margin, but he still won't agree to help," Su Tiannan sighed.
"What if you offer more?"
"I don't think it's a matter of money," Su Tiannan shook his head, "He already said that Changqing Company has a complicated network of relationships. If he gets involved without thinking, it would be a political provocation, which is unreasonable and foolish."
"Alright then, come back, and we'll discuss it together."
"Okay, let's talk when I get back," Su Tiannan agreed before hanging up the phone.
In the quaint and elegant corridor of the Cantonese restaurant, Su Tiannan's thoughts were complex, and he even felt a little regretful.
After all of the preparation, Wang Daolin ultimately did not offer to help, which means the situation for the Su family has become even more awkward. Without connections in the judicial system to help with speaking and operations, the only option left is to rely on public opinion to influence the judiciary. However, this approach is undoubtedly extremely risky. If it fails, the old man will be sentenced even more severely. Because for the police station, if you organize a worker strike, it will only add more trouble and scrutiny for the leadership.
Thinking of this, Su Tiannan felt that Tianyu was too radical and immature in his actions, and he regretted trusting his advice, feeling a bit stuck now.
"Sigh." Su Tiannan sighed, pushed the door, and entered the private room, forcing a smile and saying, "Uncle Wang, should we withdraw?"
"Okay." Wang Daolin is a very elegant and shrewd old-timer. He gave Su Tiannan a lot of respect when facing the younger generation. He only got up when Su Tiannan said so.
The two of them left the private room together, and Wang Daolin said lightly with his hands behind his back, "Little Nan, I still want to say that if your Su family is ready to compromise and surrender, you can let me know in advance. I'll come out and sit with Li Xing. He should still be able to give me face, and at least your father won't be sentenced to heavy punishment. At most, he'll stay for a year or two and then be released."
"Yes, I'll go back and discuss it with my family." Su Tiannan nodded in response.
Just as the two of them were speaking quietly, a man suddenly walked up from the stairs, wearing a duckbill hat, walking quickly and bowing his head, walking towards Su Tiannan.
Wang Daolin was still speaking and did not notice the man, but Su Tiannan, who was absent-minded, was the first to notice him.
The man's pace was fast, and in about two breaths, he had already arrived in front of the two of them. Su Tiannan felt that his dress was a bit weird, and he had been walking with his head down, so he instinctively pulled Wang Daolin back a step.
—
Fortunately, Su Tiannan reacted quickly because the other person pulled out a black gun instantly when he was very close to the two of them.
Su Tiannan was scared and pale and instinctively grabbed the other person's arm and said, "Uncle Wang, he has a gun!"
Wang Daolin was also stunned and suddenly stepped back, hitting the wall with a bang.
At this moment, Su Tiannan exerted all his strength and pressed the wrist of the person holding the gun with both hands.
The bandit became anxious and pulled the trigger.
"Bang!"
A crisp gunshot rang out, and the whole restaurant quieted down for a moment, followed by screams and shouts that spread throughout the third floor.
In the corridor, Su Tiannan wrestled with the bandit, and their bodies collided with the wall. They fought all the way to the stairwell.
"Bam!"
The bandit lifted his knee and hit Su Tiannan's abdomen, causing him to feel pain and slightly loosen his grip.
At this moment, a strange scene happened. Although the bandit had a chance to shoot as he had turned his back to Wang Daolin, he used his left hand to press Su Tiannan's neck and tried to push him downstairs.
Su Tiannan leaned against the stair railing, staring at the bandit, and suddenly froze.
The bandit pressed with his left hand and held the gun with his right hand. He seemed to deliberately point the muzzle away and was ready to pull the trigger.
"Snap!"
Suddenly, Su Tiannan grabbed the gun body of the bandit and twisted the muzzle towards his own left abdomen.
The bandit was stunned by this sudden move. He hesitated for a moment, but still had his back turned to Wang Daolin.
"Bang!"
The gunshot rang out, and Su Tiannan's abdomen spurted blood. His whole body flipped over the stair railing and fell towards the ground floor.
The bandit reacted quickly, chasing after him with his gun. He ran down six or seven steps in a row, saw Su Tiannan fall heavily at the corridor on the second floor, and then raised his arm to shoot without hesitation.
Three more gunshots rang out, and the second floor was in chaos.
The bandit, armed with a gun, wanted to pursue further, but at that moment, Wang Daolin's driver rushed into the lobby with a police gun.
"Damn it!"
The bandit cursed and turned around without hesitation, running back to the third floor.
In the hallway, Wang Daolin, who had just reacted, ran out of breath to the entrance of a private room, preparing to hide from the bandit. He didn't expect the guests inside the room to be very unrighteous and directly blocked the door collectively.
"Motherf***er, open the door!" Wang Daolin shouted.
The bandit rushed over and stood next to Wang Daolin. The two faced each other, one with a mask and the other sweating profusely.
"Brother, it's nothing to do with me." Wang Daolin calmly raised his hand, but his voice was already trembling.
The bandit looked at him and suddenly raised his arm, pulling the trigger of the gun directly.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Three gunshots rang out, and Wang Daolin's soul scattered, directly collapsing on the ground.
After firing the gun, the bandit turned around and ran, rushing to the end of the corridor, skillfully opening the window, and jumping out. His body landed on the second floor's external staff staircase, supporting the railing with his left hand, then jumped to the first floor, and fled along the alley, disappearing in seconds.
In the hallway, Wang Daolin was sweating profusely and panting heavily. He kept touching his head with both hands but found no trace of blood.
After a moment of recovery, Wang Daolin looked up and saw three neat and aligned bullet holes where he had just stood.
Fear, anger, and other negative emotions filled Wang Daolin's heart in an instant.
A senior officer of the Dragon City Police Department was attacked by an armed bandit while having dinner with friends at night!
This kind of thing could not be hidden, and a storm had already landed in Dragon City.
—---
About half an hour later, on a cliff by the sea, the bandit skillfully disassembled the gun and threw it and the remaining bullets into the sea.
Ten minutes later, the bandit arrived at the second location and threw away his clothes, shoes, duckbill hat, mask, and other items next to a water tank, lit them up, and waited until they were completely burned before using a stick to push the ashes into the water.
—---
At the same time, Guangming Road's Cantonese restaurant had closed, and police cars and officers were both inside and outside the building.
Wang Daolin and Su Tiannan, who was shot in the abdomen, have been taken to the hospital.
Several middle-level leaders from the Northeast Gang of the Police Bureau came to visit Wang Daolin. As soon as they entered the room, they started cursing.
"Damn it, Changqing Company is really tired of living! They went after Su Tiannan, and they even dared to go after the Director with him?"
"Too arrogant!"
"...!"
As they chatted, they walked into the room.
Wang Daolin was not injured, but he looked at the people with a sense of fear and said, "Damn it, that thug knew me. He deliberately fired three shots at my head. What does that mean? It's a warning!"
...
Zhanan District.
Lu Feng made countless calls, but he still couldn't find his predator, the floral shit man.
"Where could he have gone?" Lu Feng was almost going crazy. He sat on the sofa and shouted in a bad mood, "Are you all dead? Hurry up and keep in touch with me!"
Just then, a clever subordinate timidly raised his hand and said, "I still think he's at the Su family's garbage dump, otherwise Ah Ming would not fail to contact us. Brother Feng, why don't we directly ask Director Li from the Police Bureau to go to the Su family and ask for him? If he's there, they won't dare not to give him to us."
"Bang!"
Lu Feng jumped up and kicked him, "Are you fucking stupid? Why don't you just advise me to report the case directly? Will Li Xing help you with this? If he goes to ask for him, doesn't it mean he indirectly admits that the people who vandalized are sent by us?"
The henchman was kicked and didn't dare to speak. Lu Feng loosened his collar and was about to give a few orders when the phone on the table rang.
"Hello?"
"...Lu Feng, what are you thinking? You sent gunmen to attack Su Tiannan, but why did you go after Wang Daolin? Are you bored with your life?" Li Xing's angry voice sounded.
Lu Feng looked bewildered, "What are you talking about?!"
—---
On a certain road in Zhanan District, the street lamp was dim, and a thug walked over and showed his face in the light. He was none other than Su Family's sixth son.
