You're Strong But Now You're Mine-Chapter 133 - 132: The Second-Generation Rich

How did I, a two-faced schemer, come to join the patrol team in the Half City factory district?

Lei Yu didn’t decline; he just wondered how he was qualified to take on such an important task, especially since he also had responsibilities at the newspaper and had to write articles. Writing was truly eye-opening; he hardly knew until he put pen to paper, only then realizing the difficulty of squeezing out a thousand words every day. "Youth Daily" was a weekly publication comprising just one serialized novel page, and Lei Yu often found himself cramming up until the deadline.

Before writing, he believed his mind was full of plot and setting, and that once he started, it would be a smooth masterpiece. But after writing, he realized even a thousand words were painstakingly difficult.

Nevertheless, the Jing Family had already decided to let Lei Yu represent them in organizing the Half City patrol team.

Jing Zhengwu’s face was quite unpleasant at the time. Back then, Lei Yu didn’t understand what was enviable about this patrol team leader role until the Celestial Court meeting days later, when he finally grasped its significance.

Celestial Court Restaurant, one of the three major restaurants in the inner city, had its master chef formerly serving the royal family. Their "Dragon Phoenix Shrimp Dumplings" remained an endless favorite among the affluent and noble. The Half City patrol team’s meeting was conducted at Celestial Court Restaurant.

This time, Lei Yu came with Mi Die and Li Sang, two bodyguards, and from afar they saw vehicles gathering on the ground in front of Celestial Court Restaurant. As Lei Yu got off the car, a waiter came to guide them, and courteously suggested the bodyguards could rest and drink tea on the first floor, while the meeting would take place in the VIP parlour on the second floor.

Lei Yu glanced around as he entered and remarked, "Has Celestial Court Restaurant been booked by the Silver Blood Association today?"

He wasn’t new to Celestial Court Restaurant—mostly craving their shrimp dumplings—and recalled that the first floor was a tea hall, the second was for VIP rooms, while the third was a banquet hall for weddings and funerals. But now, the first floor was mostly empty, dispersed with servants and bodyguards resting here and there.

The waiter respectfully explained, "Celestial Court Restaurant is owned by the Ting Family. For today’s meeting, the second young master decided to close for the day, resuming regular business after the meeting."

A show of authority? Demonstrating wealth and power? Or perhaps a display of extravagance?

Only now did Lei Yu find out Celestial Court Restaurant was a Ting Family enterprise—he had always thought the Ting Family only dealt in arms, not breakfast. But it’s quite normal; how could any profitable industry in Xuanzhu County be devoid of the Silver Blood Association’s influence?

The car he rode, the clothes he wore, the food he ate, the house he lived in... Everything needed for daily life in Xuanzhu County belonged to Silver Blood Association’s businesses. The Silver Blood Association was a pervasive network covering the entire Dongyang district, and their Jing Family was but a part of this vast web.

Mi Die and Li Sang remained on the first floor, while Lei Yu was guided by the waiter to the VIP parlour on the second floor. Pushing open the dragon-carved double doors, he walked in confidently—

Before Lei Yu was a massive round table.

The table was surrounded by faces both stranger and familiar. As he gazed at them, Lei Yu’s long-buried dark memories, like startled cockroaches, began to swarm and jostle in his mind—

The hidden benefactor behind "Xuanzhu Daily," eldest young master of the Cha Family’s chamber of commerce, Cha Jin;

Head of citywide garbage disposal and usury sector, vice president of the Zhou Family’s chamber of commerce, Zhou Bai;

Leather magnate, vice president of the Huang Family’s chamber of commerce, Huang He;

...

Urban infrastructure building, eldest young master of the Qin Family’s chamber of commerce, Qin Le Yin;

With ventures in many industries, eldest young master of the Luo Family’s chamber of commerce, Luo Zhen;

Maritime trade magnate, grandson of the Quan Family’s chamber of commerce, Quan Xin;

Military automobile heavy industry, third young master of the Lan Family’s chamber of commerce, Lan Jianbo;

Xuanzhu arms merchant, second young master of the Ting Family’s chamber of commerce, Ting Chaozao;

And himself, Dongyang steel magnate, eldest young master of the Jing Family’s chamber of commerce, Jing Zhengwei!

"If I were to kill everyone here, the Silver Blood Association might quickly come crashing down."

Upon hearing Lei Yu’s straightforward comment, the young elite present were momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter:

"Indeed, the people here are the pillars of the next generation of the Silver Blood Association. If we perished, the association would truly be set back at least ten years."

"That’s you guys. If I die, there’s a bunch of folks ready to take my place."

"Suddenly realizing my importance, feeling a bit inflated."

"As for you, forget it. Your dad can still last another decade. Even if you die, he can still raise another son in time, haha!"

"Never really interacted much with Jing the great young master before; I didn’t expect him to be quite humorous."

The atmosphere immediately turned lively, with laughter and chatter filling the room. Sitting at the twelve o’clock position, opposite the door, Ting Chaozao extended his right hand: "Zhengwei, take a seat."

Lei Yu’s place was second on the right-hand side, decent enough, matching Jing Family’s current standing. As he sat down, observing the gentlemen in attire ranging from casual, to ornate, to comfortable, and serious; Lei Yu then realized what this meeting truly represented—

The union of the Silver Blood Association’s young generation!

No wonder Jing Zhengwei has intelligence about them in his mind, because for Jing Zhengwei, these people are allies he can utilize before becoming the Patriarch, and enemies he must face after becoming the Patriarch!

Ting Zhaozhao, Quan Xin, Luo Zhen, Lan Jianbo, Qin Le Yin, these people are almost the next generation leaders of their family’s business associations.

The twenty young talents sitting here, ten or twenty years later, will be the figures who stir up the storm in Xuanzhu County! The behind-the-scenes capitalists controlling all industries in the Dongyang district! The surging waves unstoppable on the vast sea!

It’s not just the business world; if the capital power of Xuanzhu County continues to expand, then the political and military worlds will soon become the possessions of these twenty people!

No wonder the ’weird little brother’ looks so terrible. He had long foreseen that the establishment of the Half City patrol was essentially a social gathering for the younger generation of the Silver Blood.

Although Jing Zhengwu would not lose his qualification to become Patriarch because of this, he feared that Leyu would gain powerful external support through communication and cooperation with other young masters, reducing his odds of competing for the Patriarch position!

Upon thinking of this, Leyu found a small piece of information from Jing Zhengwei’s sealed memories: it’s said that the tradition of forming a small group among the younger generation to deepen relationships has always been part of the Silver Blood Association.

Decades ago, amidst a great drought, Jing Qingfu and several young masters formed a disaster relief team to patrol the Dongyang district suppressing thieves and controlling food purchases — of course, they didn’t labor themselves, merely lent their names — decades have passed, and those members of the disaster relief team have become presidents of their respective business associations.

A large portion of the connections Jing Zhengwei relied upon during his ’startup’ were remnants accumulated by Jing Qingfu’s past disaster relief team.

Now with Jing Qingfu dying and other business association presidents reaching their Celestial Mandate age, they use this opportunity to cultivate a joint awareness in the next generation. Of course, these young elites know each other quite well. Several relationships in this VIP room echo the one between Qin Le Yin and Jing Zhengwu, who are brothers-in-law, or even couples among brothers — ironically, this is exactly the kind of relationship most welcomed by the two family businesses, considered an unbreakable alliance.

But personal relationships aside, forming a new organization also helps in selecting the next generation of leaders. The current Silver Blood Association President Ting Gu, established his authority during the disaster relief team ages ago, earning respect from other young masters, and after years of operation and development, he was almost undoubtedly pushed to become the new generation president, not solely because their family runs the arms business.

It can be said that this temporarily formed patrol team is a rehearsal for the future of the Silver Blood Association. Whoever gains recognition in the patrol team may well be the future Silver Blood president.

As for hunting Backlight Particles, protecting the factory district, that’s actually a minor concern.

Of course, although twenty people are present, only five are really candidates for president: Ting Zhaozhao, Luo Zhen, Quan Xin, Lan Jianbo, Jing Zhengwei. The others can only choose sides, lacking voting rights, a sort of business style democracy.

In fact, frankly speaking, there are indeed businesses wealthier than the five main associations, like the Qin Family in construction. The funds they can mobilize might not be less than the Jing Family. But the reason why these five are the main associations is because their existence itself can shake the entire Dongyang district’s economy: Ting Family’s arms, Jing Family’s steel, Luo Family’s nobility business, Lan Family’s heavy industry, Quan Family’s maritime trade.

They are almost irreplaceable, or replacing them costs too much, while others aren’t, and hence, can never touch the supreme authority of the Silver Blood Association.

"Sorry, I’m late."

The door suddenly pushed open, a young man walked in while fanning himself, his long hair casually tied in a ponytail draped over his shoulder, his clothes also casually draped exposing his chest, but his every move irresistibly described by onlookers as ’handsome and dashing.’

"Huai Song, we’ve been waiting for you, please be seated. Someone, pour a cup of the Eighteen Nobles Tea for Young Master Song." Ting Zhaozhao smiled, indicating familiarity with this man.

Yet in Jing Zhengwei’s mind, there’s no intelligence on this man. Leyu couldn’t resist asking the red-haired man beside him, "In-law, who is that person?"

In-law...Qin Le Yin couldn’t help but glance at Leyu, speaking softly, "He’s the third young master of the Shi Family, Shi Huai Song."

Oh, oh! It’s the Shi Family that seems on the verge of bankruptcy!

Leyu clicked his tongue twice and turned to ask the server, "Do you have Five-Flower Tea with honey, chilled?"

"Young Master Jing, by seniority, we should consider ourselves brothers." At this point, Qin Le Yin raised his teacup, leisurely saying, "You were born in ’61, I was born in ’60, being a year older I dare call you ’Brother Zhengwei’.

What a ridiculous title, sounds so weak... Leyu shivered hearing it, quickly shaking his head, "No, no, thanks! I just remembered my relationship with my brother isn’t very good, and I’m not that familiar with you, we can catch up over tea another time."

Qin Le Yin seemed unbothered by Leyu’s attitude, saying, "You asked me a question earlier, can I expect an answer to one of mine?"

"Definitely next time, definitely next time, this time it’s on me." Leyu shook his head repeatedly, feeling as though this brother-in-law was scheming something against him.

"Wouldn’t you like to hear what I want to ask?" Qin Le Yin folded his arms, smiling, "Alright, as long as you answer my question, I’ll tell you who orchestrated the Yitian Gang ambush on you."

Leyu slightly squinted his eyes, pondering for a moment, he softly said, "...Go ahead, but I might not answer."

"Alright, actually my question isn’t hard, I just want to know—"

"You weren’t kidding earlier, were you?"

Leyu was taken aback, "What do you mean?"

"That sentence earlier, you weren’t kidding." Qin Le Yin lowered his voice, his tone firm:

"You genuinely want to kill everyone here."

Leyu’s expression remained unchanged; he only subconsciously touched the ’Saint’s Relic’ iron wristband on his left wrist with his right hand.