After my divorce at thirty, I developed an intelligence network.

It's just a broken leg.

Inside a car on a rainy night.

Gong Yuelong leaned back in the driver's seat and lit a cigarette.

The red glow of the cigarette butt flickered in the dimly lit car.

He exhaled a puff of smoke and watched it dissipate in the warm air.

I felt nothing, let alone any lingering fear.

This level of thing isn't something we haven't done before.

In the early years, when I was working on construction sites with my fellow villagers, it was no use trying to reason with those material dealers or thugs who bullied and monopolized the market, withheld wages, or even tried to steal our hard-earned money.

Sometimes, you have to make the other side bleed a little and lie in bed for a few days before they remember the rules. Whoever has the stronger fist has the right to set the rules.

He knew Wu San all too well.

Looks fierce, but is actually cowardly.

Under the patronage of a larger local tyrant like Wu Jinshui, they engaged in nothing but bullying the weak and fearing the strong.

Monopolizing building materials and forcing customers to buy at exorbitant prices are just the visible signs.

Behind the scenes, they did all sorts of things, including obstructing transportation, blocking construction sites, and harassing family members.

Countless small construction teams from other places have been exploited to the bone by them, and countless honest local villagers have had their sand and gravel land forcibly occupied by them, with no way to complain.

They didn't do this because they were desperate; they're used to using tyranny and brutality to turn other people's legitimate livelihoods into their own.

Being kind to them is being cruel to yourself and the brothers who depend on you for food.

The cigarette burned down to the end, scalding my finger.

Gong Yuelong extinguished it in the vehicle's ashtray.

This move was not just for the test that General Manager Li had given, nor was it solely for the 3,000-square-meter factory project of Xinke Sensing.

Furthermore, he wanted to establish a set of rules in this high-tech zone, the place where Gong Yuelong wanted to gain a foothold.

Wu Jinshui's rule was to take a cut and to oppress people.

His rule is simple: Don't mess with me, or you'll pay the price.

Wu San is the first, but he won't be the last.

The carriage was quiet, with only the sound of rain.

There is a feeling of relaxation after tension in the body.

Comfortable and pleasant.

He restarted the car and slowly drove away from the abandoned factory area shrouded in rain.

I need to go back, change into dry clothes, and get some sleep.

There's still a lot to do tomorrow.

Wu Jinshui will definitely react, and we need to give General Manager Li a preliminary explanation. We need to scrutinize the details of the project contract and arrange the team...

As for Wu San's leg, and the trouble he might cause?

Gong Yuelong looked calmly ahead.

If you want to climb up in this industry, it's not enough to just know how to build walls and plaster; you also need to know how to break a few broken bricks that are blocking your way.

Soft-hearted? Soft-hearted people are probably buried in some construction site foundation pit long ago.

I suddenly feel like I've used up a lot of energy.

I wonder if I'll be able to eat a bowl of Qin Widow's hot noodles when I go back to the courtyard where the characters were split.

……

Three days later, on the second floor of the 8+1 Billiards Room in the High-tech Zone.

The windows were drawn with thick curtains, and the room was filled with smoke.

Wu Jinshui wasn't playing ball. He was sitting in a corner on a large leather sofa, twirling two shiny walnuts in his hands, his expression unreadable.

Standing before him was a burly man with short, shaved hair and a scar near his eye—the same scarred man who had reprimanded Wu San that night in the abandoned factory.

His name was Wang Biao, but in the underworld he was known as Scarface. He was one of Wu Jinshui's most capable and ruthless henchmen.

"Boss," Scarface bowed slightly.

"That kid Wu San broke his leg and is recovering in the hospital. He's terrified, trembling when asked anything, but he'll stubbornly insist that... it was Gong Yuelong."

"Gong Yuelong," Wu Jinshui repeated the name, "Have you figured out his background?"

"I touched it." Scarface nodded.

"He came from Nanshan County. A few years ago, he worked as a contractor in his hometown and the provincial capital, taking on some small projects. Later, I heard that he lost money and was heavily in debt."

He got divorced, and his daughter stayed with his ex-wife.

I was looking for work at the labor market a while ago, and somehow I got in touch with Jiang Yan and then Lin Wei. I helped her with a few projects, and my reputation is pretty good.

I recently got a labor service license and hired a bunch of workers from my hometown. Looks like I'm planning to do something legitimate.

"Jiang Yan? Lin Wei?" Wu Jinshui paused, his hand holding the walnuts still.

"How could a country bumpkin like him, from out of town, possibly be involved with two women?"

"I don't know exactly how we got together. But it seems like Jiang Yan just gave us a small chance, without going too far."

Lin Wei did introduce him to two small jobs, so they seemed to be quite close. Also…”

Scarface paused for a moment, "Yang Ruyan from Juxian Pavilion has been in contact with him recently, and it seems she's trying to get him a job at the Xinke Sensing factory."

"Yang Ruyan?" Wu Jinshui narrowed his eyes.

"How did she get involved? You know who's behind this woman."

Would she really make this kind of connection with a small-time contractor who's just starting out?

"So I think something's fishy," Scarface analyzed.

"Either Gong Yuelong has some secrets we don't know about, or... it's Yang Ruyan."

Or perhaps the people behind her want to use him to make some trouble in that factory area, and incidentally... maybe they're testing us?

Wu Jinshui didn't say anything, and slowly started playing with the walnuts again.

"Wu San is in trouble; the goods were almost exposed." After a long pause, Wu Jinshui finally spoke.

"No matter who this Gong Yuelong is or who is backing him, he is slapping me, Wu Jinshui, in the face and cutting off my source of income."

Even though those steel bars were of poor quality, they still cost money.

"Boss, what do you mean...?" Scarface's eyes sharpened.

"Don't touch him yet." Wu Jinshui waved his hand. "That Mr. Li from Xinke Sensing is a respectable businessman who doesn't like trouble."

Yang Ruyan intervened, and there might be someone watching her from behind.

Taking action against Gong Yuelong now could easily escalate the situation and result in more harm than good.

He raised his eyelids and looked at the scarred man: "Isn't he trying to take over that factory project? President Li will definitely be considering whether he can handle us."

Go find someone to cause Xin Ke a little trouble, without hurting him, just make things... unpleasant for him.

Let's see how capable this Gong Yuelong really is, and who he can find to settle things.

And by the way, let me give Mr. Li a heads-up.

Scarface understood: "Got it. Let him know that in this land, breaking legs isn't enough; you also need to know the rules."

"We set the rules."

"Mmm." Wu Jinshui closed his eyes.

"Go ahead. Do it cleanly. Also, give Wu San some medical expenses and tell him to keep his mouth shut."

He's a piece of trash, but he's still one of my men.

"Yes," Wang Biao replied, turning to leave.

"Biaozi," Wu Jinshui suddenly called out to him.

Wang Biao turned around.

"Be careful what you do," Wu Jinshui said, looking at him. "Your mother hasn't been feeling well lately, so don't worry her too much."

Wang Biao's burly body paused for a moment, and the scar on his face seemed to soften for a instant.

He grunted in response, said nothing more, opened the door, and went out.

Wu Jinshui sat alone on the sofa, spinning the walnut in his hand faster and faster.

Gong Yuelong... a hothead who suddenly appeared? Or was he a knife handed to him by someone else?

He needs to see if the knife is hard enough and where he intends to cut it.

As Wang Biao went downstairs, he took out his phone, quickly dialed a number, and spoke in a gentle voice:

"Mom, did you take your medicine on time today? I might be home late tonight. The soup I made is on the stove, remember to drink it."

"...Um, it's nothing. There's some work to do at the construction site. I'll be back as soon as I'm done."

After hanging up the phone, the gentleness on his face vanished instantly, replaced by his usual coldness.

Upon reaching the entrance of the billiards hall, he briefly instructed his two subordinates waiting outside:

"Find a few unfamiliar faces, the quick-witted ones. Go to Xinke's area and, as usual, sow discord among them. Be careful, don't draw blood, and don't leave any evidence against them."

"Understood, Brother Biao!"

Wang Biao lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled the smoke from his nostrils.

Rules must be established, troubles must be dealt with, and my mother also needs to be taken care of.