The Su compound.
Tiannan and Tianyu barreled into the main house and pushed through to the back room, where half the clan was packed in a tight knot around Su Tianbei.
Tiannan shouldered people aside. His brother was a wreck—shirt in ribbons, blood everywhere, face swollen and purple—while Su Miaomiao bent over him, swabbing and taping cuts.
"What happened?" Tianyu asked, frowning.
Tianbei's nose was streaming; a knife gash along his side was still weeping. He heard Tianyu but didn't answer.
"I'm talking to you—what happened?" Tiannan snapped, hands on his hips.
"I went after Lu Feng's people. They were ready. I missed." Tianbei wiped his nose with his wrist, eyes down.
A hard glint flickered behind Tianyu's lenses.
Tiannan's blood spiked. He forced it down and turned to the others. "Does Mom know?"
"No. She went out this morning to see one of Dad's old friends," Miaomiao said.
"Don't crowd the doorway. Go do something useful—and don't let this get back to Mom," Tiannan said, her voice going cold.
"Hell no. Second brother got carved up like that—we can't just—"
"I said move!" he barked.
The shout cracked through the rear hall; the cousins drifted off, still muttering.
Tiannan turned back. "Why didn't you talk to me first? Who told you to move on Lu Feng?"
"It's obvious!" Tianbei glared. "Changqing won't stop till we're flat. You've been 'working connections' and you still haven't even seen Dad. I'm anxious! I checked—one of Lu Feng's foremen helped plant the contraband. Grab him, make him talk, the setup breaks. But… the guys I found weren't good enough. Word leaked early."
"You think this is simple? After they frame us, you think they won't be on guard? If Lu Feng spooks and reaches for Dad inside, then what?" Tiannan pointed at him, furious. "You weren't thinking."
"It was a sneak hit and I missed. Lu Feng didn't know it was me. I've already moved the boys I used," Tianbei said through his teeth. "I didn't bring trouble home."
Tiannan had more to say, but all that blood shut him up. He exhaled hard, reined himself in. "You're done going out. Leave the rest. Tianyu and I have a plan."
"What plan?" Straight as a nail and soft only for his father, Tianbei couldn't help asking.
"Rest first," Tiannan said, cutting it off. He shot Tianyu a look, and the two stepped out.
Truth was, seeing his brother carved up hit Tianyu harder than anyone. He and Tianbei had been tight since they were kids; they didn't need words.
In the courtyard, Tiannan hissed between his teeth, face dark. "Damn it, I can't swallow this. I'm going into the city—"
"Brother, it's time to set the table," Tianyu said, cutting in. "Call the Bai, Liu, and Kong families. Invite Lu Feng to talk."
Tiannan blinked. "We just spoke to those three, and you want to bring in Lu Feng now? Too soon. Timing's off."
"Tianbei swung first. Lu Feng's rattled too. If we drag our feet, our position gets worse," Tianyu said, with an expression. "We are build the table now."
"And if the other three flip at the last minute?"
"… We play it as it comes. I've got a way," Tianyu said, steady.
Tiannan weighed it. "Tell me."
"Like this—" Tianyu leaned in and laid it out under his breath.
About an hour later, Tiannan called Lu Feng. "Free to talk? We'll discuss handing over the district."
"Heh. Sure. Come to my yard—I'll be waiting," Lu Feng replied, lazy as ever.
Three-thirty that afternoon.
Outside Changqing's Langtong Depot in Zhanan, a line of cars rolled to a stop. Su Tiannan and Su Tianyu got out with the Bai, Liu, and Kong reps.
As they gathered, Liu Lao'er straightened his jacket and murmured to Tiannan, "You confident?"
"I'll do the talking," Tiannan said evenly. "Just hold the line. We agreed."
"If there's something to talk about, we'll back you," Bai Hongbo added—promise with a hook: if terms looked sweet, the Bais would stand; if not, they'd cut loose in a heartbeat.
Kong Zhenghui flicked a glance at the other two and said nothing.
"Your people in position?" Tianyu asked the trio.
Bai gave him a cursory look. "They're here—waiting in the cars at the corner."
"Good," Tianyu said.
"Let's go," Tiannan said, leading them through the gate.
Family muscles stayed outside. This was Changqing turf; marching a crowd upstairs would be uncouth at best.
The depot mirrored the Su yard: mounds of sorted trash, trucks weaving in tight lanes, a stench that carried for blocks. Bottom-ring work—hard and risky. Plenty got sick doing it.
Tiannan, Tianyu, Bai Hongbo, Liu Lao'er, and Kong Zhenghui crossed the yard and climbed to the main office.
Lu Feng didn't come down. A forgettable young man met them at the door, nodded, and pointed upstairs. "Brother Feng's on three."
They went up. Five minutes later they stepped into the manager's office. Lu Feng sat with tea; his brows lifted when he saw all three families had come.
"Well now, a full house," he said.
"Sooner or later we had to talk," Kong said first—his tone, for now, in Tiannan's corner. "Might as well lay it out in one go."
Lu Feng nodded and gestured at the sofa. "Sit."
Besides him, three or four Changqing lieutenants lounged at a side table near the lounge door, chatting.
Once they sat, Tiannan spoke straight. "On the street, if your fist is big you beat people; if it's small, you get beat. We're not strong enough, so we've taken our lumps."
"That's fair," Lu Feng smiled.
"Brother Lu, we've made a little money in sanitation these years. On the way over, the four of us talked. We can put together eight hundred thousand euros as incense money to honor Changqing," Tiannan said bluntly. "Besides that, from now on, the four families will tithe five percent of their monthly profits to Changqing. Will that do?"
(Dragon City ran on euros backed by the EU. One euro bought what six pre-Era yuan had. Even after years of infrastructure printing, the currency held. Eight hundred thousand euros—close to five million old yuan—was no small offer for people scraping at the bottom.)
Lu Feng narrowed his eyes. "So you're not handing over the district?"
"Brother Lu, our families live off this work," Kong Zhenghui said, tone even. "If we give up the turf, we will starve. Changqing's a giant—we know our place. Put in a word with Boss Li. Leave us a road to live."
"Heh." Lu Feng set down his cup, crossed one leg over the other. "You think that's possible?"
"Don't push things to the edge, Brother Lu," Tianyu said suddenly.
Lu Feng frowned. "Who are you?"
"Su Tianyu. Tiannan's cousin." Tianyu smiled, adjusting his glasses.
"Were you raised right? Who said you could talk here?" Lu Feng sneered, reaching for the pot again. "You still don't get it. The district is baseline interest. Non-negotiable."
Tiannan drew breath to reply, but Tianyu stepped in. "So you have to wipe us out?"
Lu Feng's eyes went cold. He looked past Tianyu to Tiannan. "Are the Su family's mouthpieces all kids now?"
Tianyu kept smiling, ignoring his cousin's warning glance. He leaned back slightly. "Straight talk, then. Changqing intends to wipe us out. Yes?"
Bang!
Lu Feng slammed the teapot down. The mask slipped; fury bared his teeth. "Looks like you haven't hurt enough. Your old man's in jail, your brother's got three—four cuts? Still not awake? If not for orders from above, I'd take the forks you eat with."
At that, Tiannan's pulse spiked.
"I'll spell it out," Lu Feng snapped. "Don't think a little alliance scares me. Whoever sticks his head up—I'll make his old man the principal offender. He'll eat peanuts."
"Brother Lu, easy. We can talk this out—"
Tianyu, seated close to Lu Feng's left, reached out as if to calm him, brushing his arm.
"Get your hand off me! You don't get a say here!" Lu Feng barked, swinging to slap him aside.
Smack—clatter!
Tianyu twisted away; his forearm clipped the teapot. Half a pot of boiling water splashed over Lu Feng's thigh and shoe.
"Ah—fuck!"
Lu Feng shot up, stamping and snarling in pain. His palm came slicing at Tianyu's head. "You little punk—playing games?!"
Tianyu slipped the blow and held Lu Feng's wrist clean. "Brother Feng—talk is talk. Don't lay hands on me. I'm trained. You swing, I defend."
"Trained my ass!" Whether from the burn or rage at being touched, Lu Feng grabbed the glass ashtray and hurled it at Tianyu's face.
"Ti—anyu!" Tiannan lunged.
But Tianyu had already moved. He ducked, yanked Lu Feng's arm backward, and pivoted. The man toppled over the sofa.
Boom—Tianyu's knee slammed into the back of Lu Feng's head. The man's forehead cracked against the table's edge with a sickening thunk.
Stunned, Lu Feng fumbled blindly toward a fruit knife.
Schlick!
Tianyu was faster. He seized the knife and drove it down in a clean, brutal arc—through Lu Feng's ear and deep into the table beneath. The blade quivered.
The room froze.
Liu Lao'er was the first to find his voice. "Are you insane? Why the hell would you cut Lu Feng?"
"Are you blind? He swung first—he reached for a knife. I defended myself," Tianyu said evenly.
He released the handle, took off his blood-flecked glasses, and sat back. From his pocket came a pristine handkerchief; he wiped his face and lenses with practiced calm. "Told you. I'm trained."
"You're out of your damn mind!" someone hissed.
"Looks like we're not making a deal," Tianyu said, tone flat now.
"You think this helps?" Liu Lao'er snapped. "You've blown the whole thing! I'm out." He turned to Tiannan. "You fix your mess—I'm leaving."
Bai Hongbo leapt up too. "Tiannan, did you bring a hothead to a sit-down? If my dad doesn't get out because of this, I'm coming for you!"
Kong Zhenghui hadn't moved. His gaze was fixed on Tianyu—shock and a glint of reluctant respect mixing behind his eyes.
Liu Lao'er and Bai Hongbo spun toward the door.
Tiannan blocked them. "No one leaves. We came together—we carry it together."
"Are you sick? My father's inside—I'm not taking your fall—" Bai shoved him.
Tiannan flipped his coat aside, revealing the pistol he'd taken from Tianbei. "You walk now, I'll finish Lu Feng myself—and go straight to the Bureau to confess."
"This was the four families together," Tianyu added mildly, slipping his glasses back on. "We walked into Changqing's depot together. You tell them I did it alone—who's going to believe that?"
Silence.
Then Tianyu strode to the window.
No one knew what he was doing—until he threw it open and shouted, voice sharp as a siren:
"Get in here! Lu Feng's men started it—attacked us—we can't get out!"
A beat of stillness below—then, at the depot gate, the family crews looked up as one.
Tianyu roared again, "Knives are out—we're trapped!"
At the entrance, a Bai bruiser flicked away his cigarette and raised his arm. "Brothers! Changqing's beating our people—inside with me!"
In an instant, thirty-odd men grabbed their stashed tools and stormed the yard. Over a walkie, the Bai lead barked, "Big Bro's in trouble—backup now! Move in!"
Upstairs, Bai Hongbo gaped. "What the hell are you doing?"
Liu Lao'er exploded, turning on him. "Are you stupid? You need that explained? He's boxed us in! You can't see it?!"