If the rumors get out that I'm actually involved with my own driver, I can't imagine how the outside world would comment about me. Those rumors and slanders would completely ruin me, and they would destroy Lin Chuan too. I cannot take this risk, I dare not take the risk.

But if I were with Bai Yifan, the outside world would only think it's a match made in heaven, that it was a case of a talented man and a beautiful woman. Everyone would think it's as it should be, as it was destined to be. Yet no one cares if the two people are truly in love.

This is society, this is reality. Tang Yumeng is powerless to change it, she can only go with the flow.

Tang Yumeng held the phone in her hand, hesitating for a long time, but she never actually made the call. After much difficulty, she mustered the courage to dial, but before the phone could ring, she hastily hung up. It seemed as if it were a call that could decide life or death.

On the other side, Lin Chuan was lying on a rocking chair in the factory, holding his phone, staring at a certain number for a long time, then slowly put away the phone. He really wanted to make the call, then say thank you to Tang Yumeng. However, he ultimately did not have the courage. Because he felt he was too useless, and also felt that he really wasn't a match for Tang Yumeng. With such a wide gap in their status and identity, how could they possibly be suited for each other?

Lin Chuan took a deep drag of his cigarette, eyes closed, and pocketed his phone.

Beep beep beep...

The phone suddenly rang urgently.

Lin Chuan was startled, hurriedly pulled out his phone, thinking it was Tang Yumeng calling, but when he looked at the caller ID, it wasn't. This left Lin Chuan somewhat disappointed. He answered the phone quickly. It was actually a call from Aunt Hong.

"Big sister Hong, what's the matter?" Lin Chuan asked hurriedly.

"Chuanzi, come quickly, there's trouble at the transport market management office, some people are looking for trouble," Aunt Hong spoke very calmly, clearly someone who had seen the world, someone familiar with crisis.

"Okay, I'll be right there," Lin Chuan nodded.

After hanging up, Zhou Kai and the others asked curiously, "Brother Chuan, what's happened?"

"Gather everyone, we have to immediately go to the transport market," Lin Chuan realized the seriousness of the situation. Aunt Hong was a tough woman, anything she could handle on her own, she would not bother him, so there must be some real trouble at the management office.

"Okay," Zhou Kai heard, without saying another word, he started gathering the crew right away.

A jeep could at most cram eight or nine people, and that was already quite squeezed. What about the several others left? Lu Dapao felt embarrassed: "Brother Chuan, we need to get two minibuses, otherwise it'll be inconvenient for us to move in the future!"

"Hmm," Lin Chuan nodded, then said, "We'll consider buying vehicles later, the rest of the people can take taxis for now."

Having said that, Lin Chuan slammed his foot on the accelerator, the enormous torque pulling the vehicle as it tore down the road. The seven or eight underlings behind him could only hastily run towards the factory gate, then hailed two taxis and sped towards the Huai Mountain South Road transport market.

......

Long Wu suffered a few setbacks, losing both his wife and his soldiers. After hesitating for several days, he finally decided to seek out his own mountain.

The Thirteen Grand Protectors were the local snakes in the east of the city. Just like north-eastern tigers, they were both local snakes of the east part; as the saying goes, even a mighty dragon doesn't suppress a local snake, generally, no one wishes to provoke a local snake unless they have no other choice.

At a teahouse in the east of the city, this was the property of the Thirteen Grand Protectors. The teahouse had good business, many prominent figures liked to come here to drink tea and discuss business deals. Even those in the marketplace with a bit of scholarly merchant temperament would bring clients here to taste tea. Not only because the teahouse had authentic tea leaves, but also because the teahouse had connections. In this society, who wouldn't want to get to know some powerful, well-connected people?

Feng Taibao, also known as the Thirteen Grand Protectors to those in the underworld, his subordinates all called him Master Bao.

"Master Bao." Long Wu was bald, a heavy gold necklace hung around his neck.

Master Bao's tea room was anything but simple, made entirely of mahogany. That full-size tea table, market value over two hundred thousand, and a set of Qing Dynasty porcelain, even more valuable at one and a half million. To the left and right sides of the tea room were hidden compartments, containing many fine teas, which Master Bao used to entertain important guests. Depending on their status and social position, Master Bao would choose different teas for different guests.

In the tea room, the light was dim. Master Bao sat in the chair, pinching a seven-color cup from the Qing Dynasty, savoring his tea. On his middle finger was a huge ruby ring set in gold, distinctly luxurious.

"What's the matter?" Master Bao raised his head to look at Long Wu.

"Oh, Master Bao, I've been bullied," Long Wu hastily began to snivel and sob, complaining, "A guy called Lin Chuan came to the east of the city, this guy's got impressive skills, he bullied me again and again. Breaking my arm was bad enough, but he even snatched my transport market on Huai Mountain South Road..."

Long Wu exaggerated the story somewhat.

Master Bao remained indifferent, eyes lowered, pinching the colorful cup in his hand, slowly sipping his tea, as if Long Wu was recounting something that had nothing to do with him, with no relevance at all. A long time after Long Wu finished speaking, he wiped the sweat from his shiny head. He felt extremely uneasy inside, not knowing what Master Bao was thinking, at least in his view, Master Bao showed no reaction. What if Master Bao blamed himself, what would he do then?

Long Wu swallowed his saliva; having said so much, his mouth was dry and his tongue felt parched, he truly wanted a sip of tea.

"Sit." Master Bao spat out a word.

"Yes, yes, thank you, Master Bao." Long Wu scurried and sat down on the chair opposite him.

"Have some tea." Master Bao poured a cup of tea for Long Wu.

Long Wu's mouth had already been dry for a while, and now that Master Bao had offered him tea, he excitedly picked up the cup and started guzzling it down, only to scald himself and drop the cup onto the table. Long Wu wailed in pain; fortunately, that colorful cup didn't break, otherwise, that one cup alone would have cost over a hundred thousand. By the time Long Wu came to his senses, he was scared stiff. Seeing that the colorful cup was unscathed, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"How does it feel?" Master Bao asked.

"Hot... It's scalding me to death." Long Wu's tongue was numb from the burn.

"Haste makes waste," Master Bao glanced at Long Wu and said, "Dealing with Lin Chuan also requires patience."

"Master Bao, we can't just let him mess around on our turf," Long Wu frowned.

"Of course not." Master Bao smiled indifferently, slowly lifting his eyelids to look at Long Wu and said, "Since the other party is so powerful, why not try to win him over first? If he joins us, perhaps, our power could grow even more. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. You should understand that, right?"

"Yes, yes!" Upon hearing this, Long Wu replied awkwardly, "Master Bao is wise, that Lin Chuan is indeed formidable. If he joins us, Master Bao will surely have another fierce warrior under your command. However, I'm afraid Lin Chuan may not really wish to defect, so..."

"How will we know if we don't try?" Master Bao furrowed his brow.

"Master Bao, I've clashed with Lin Chuan several times, why not let me be the negotiator this time?" Long Wu quickly stood up and said, "I'll make sure you have another valiant fighter, and from then on, Master Bao will certainly command awe throughout the rivers and lakes."

"Bring Flying Dagger with you," Master Bao responded.

"Ah?" Long Wu was stunned and said, "Okay then!"

Flying Dagger was one of Master Bao's enforcers, extremely skilled and reportedly with a few lives on his hands, truly horrifying and shocking. However, the incident was suppressed by Master Bao. Originally, when Flying Dagger was destitute on the streets, it was Master Bao who saved him, hence Flying Dagger was extremely grateful to Master Bao.

Huai Mountain's southern route transport market.

Long Wu, accompanied by seven or eight underlings and a man wrapped in a black robe, entered the market. The man was about 1.6 meters tall, quite thin, and always looking down, silent and inconspicuous. However, Aunt Hong paid special attention to this man. While she was very familiar with Long Wu and his cronies, it was this black-clad person alongside that made her decidedly uncomfortable.

During a trip to the restroom, Aunt Hong unintentionally caught sight of the man's eyes and was terrified by what she saw. Those eyes were filled with a chilling murderous intent, as though the soul of a demon resided within him. Aunt Hong hid inside the restroom and then called Lin Chuan.

"Hurry up and bring Lin Chuan to me." Long Wu, holding a section of galvanized pipe, sneered, "Otherwise, don't blame me for not being polite."

"What's all the fuss about?" At that moment, Aunt Hong emerged from the restroom. She glared at Long Wu and said, "Lin Chuan will be here soon. Long Wu, I warn you, don't start any trouble."

"Oh, you're my aunt, I... I wouldn't dare to cause any trouble." Long Wu laughed sheepishly, "I... I just want to discuss a couple of things with Lin Chuan."

The crowd was truly surprised by Long Wu's words; they hadn't expected that Aunt Hong was actually Long Wu's aunt. No wonder Long Wu didn't dare to make trouble here and had been behaving himself. And no wonder Aunt Hong was not afraid at all upon seeing Long Wu, even going so far as to curse him openly.

"What's there to talk about?" Aunt Hong looked at Long Wu disdainfully, "You just want to fight, don't you? I'm warning you, don't mess around."

"Auntie, don't worry, I won't cause trouble," Long Wu chuckled.

Before long, several cars stopped outside, and more than ten people armed with weapons streamed in briskly.

Zhou Kai panted, "Aunt Hong, are you alright?"

"What can happen to me?" Aunt Hong smiled, "You've finally arrived. These guys have been surrounding us, stopping us from working, insisting on seeing Lin Chuan."

Lin Chuan entered from outside, grinning, "Long Wu, you're looking for me? Looking for trouble?"

"You!" Long Wu was enraged, but he quickly suppressed his anger and said through gritted teeth, "I'm not here to cause you trouble today; I just want to talk some business with you."

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