I chose one of four options at the start, and I chose the number one clan in Lingnan.

Lin Ting used two fingers to pull out the cardboard from the envelope.

The cardboard has a pure black background with gold trim. Only two lines of text are printed on it, the handwriting bold and unrestrained.

"On the fifteenth of this month, at Baiyun Villa in the provincial capital, the four clans will jointly examine the landscape of Jiangnan."

"If you fail to appear by the deadline, the Lin family will be removed from the list."

Four bright red seals were affixed to the signature area: Bai, Su, Wang, and Zhao.

After reading it, Lin Ting flipped his wrist.

The cardboard fell into the small red clay stove next to it where tea was being brewed.

The charcoal was glowing red-hot. As soon as the cardboard was dropped in, the flames leaped up, charring the gold-plated edges black.

Lin Fu stood to the side, his eyelids twitching twice.

"Grandpa, this is a joint invitation from the four major families of the provincial capital," Lin Fu said, his voice dry.

Lin Ting picked up the teapot and poured water into the cup.

"The paper is of good quality, and the fire burns very well. The water has boiled." Lin Ting picked up his teacup and blew on it.

Lin Fu swallowed hard and pulled a thick notebook out of his pocket.

"Grandpa, we've taken over the Sanyi Society's business and slapped the Mitsui Group in the face. The people in the provincial capital are really getting restless."

These four families are the real masters behind the Jiangnan financial magnates and that Lei Ye. Lin Fu opened his notebook.

Lin Ting leaned back in his armchair, the walnuts clicking in his hand.

"Read it aloud," Lin Ting ordered.

Lin Fuqing cleared his throat.

"The Bai family manages the logistics and ports, the Su family monopolizes the building materials industry in the province, and the Wang family controls 70% of the private hospitals and pharmaceutical channels in the province."

The Zhao family runs underground banks and casinos, and Lei used to be their front man, doing the dirty work for those four families.

Lin Fu closed his notebook and looked up at Lin Ting.

"The one who posted this message is Bai Yu, the eldest son of the Bai family. The letter was personally delivered to the front desk of the logistics building by Bai Yu's driver."

After delivering the letter, the driver left a message. Lin Fu paused.

"What did you say?" Lin Ting asked.

He said that the Lin family's reach was too far; they had finished eating the food in the prefecture-level city, so they shouldn't be eyeing the pot in the provincial capital.

"On the 15th, go to Baiyun Manor. I'll make you kneel down and hand over the contracts for Hongtu Factory and the six docks." Lin Fu repeated through gritted teeth.

Lin Ting smiled, tapping his walnut cane on the bluestone slab.

"You want me to kneel down and hand over the contract? How many heads does Bai Yu have that the Lin family could chop off?" Lin Ting said calmly.

Lin Fu took a step forward and lowered his voice.

"Grandpa, I've found out what's going on. The old man from the Bai family, who's almost eighty, was admitted to the ICU last month and he's not going to make it."

Bai Yu's decision to take the lead in opposing us at this critical juncture is actually a show for the Bai family's internal affairs.

Lin Ting stopped eating the walnuts.

"Is there internal strife within the Bai family?" Lin Ting asked.

"His mouth was covered in fur. Bai Yu has a half-brother named Bai Hao."

Bai Hao controls a logistics park in the southern part of the provincial capital, and his influence has expanded significantly in recent years.

Bai Yu wanted to use the suppression of our Lin family to establish his authority among the four major families and take over the spoils from Bai Hao. Lin Fu then revealed all the details he had learned.

Lin Ting picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Fortresses are always breached from within. He wanted to use the Lin family as a stepping stone, so I smashed his foot." Lin Ting placed the teacup on the table.

Lin Fu's cell phone rang, the ringtone particularly jarring in the empty ancestral hall.

Lin Fu answered the phone, listened for a couple of sentences, and his expression changed.

"Explain yourself! How many were injured? Where's the cargo?" Lin Fu yelled into the phone.

Lin Fu hung up the phone, panting heavily.

"Grandpa, something's happened. Three of our Lin's Logistics trucks that were delivering Red Blood Vine medicinal herbs to the provincial capital were impounded at the provincial border toll station on National Highway 104." Lin Fu's voice trembled.

Lin Ting raised his eyes.

"Who did it?" Lin Ting asked.

"Bai Yu's men set up roadblocks at the provincial border. Our driver got out of the car to argue, and the other side immediately started fighting."

All three drivers had their legs broken, and they drove the truck into an abandoned repair shop next to the toll station.

The leader of the other side declared that from today onwards, any Lin family car that dared to drive on the provincial highway would be smashed. Lin Fu clenched his fists.

The walnuts hit the wooden armrest of the armchair with a dull thud.

Lin Ting stood up.

"How many heavy trucks can Dayou mobilize right now?" Lin Ting asked.

Lin Fu was stunned for a moment, then quickly began to make plans.

"There are more than 300 heavy trucks with trailers at the Jiangjing Haoting construction site and the logistics park combined, and Lao Zhao, the dump truck driver, still has 80 of them," Lin Fu replied.

Lin Ting grabbed his cane and walked towards the entrance of the ancestral hall.

"Notify Lao Zhao and Dayou that within half an hour, three hundred heavy trucks should assemble at the logistics park, and their cargo beds should be filled with crushed stones from the construction site," Lin Ting ordered.

Lin Fu followed behind, his steps hurried.

"Grandpa, why are we filling the box with gravel? Aren't we going to the provincial capital for negotiations?" Lin Fu asked.

Lin Ting stopped in front of the high threshold of the ancestral hall.

"Negotiation? The Lin family has a broken leg, and I'm supposed to go to Baiyun Manor for tea? If Bai Yu blocks the road, I'll clear it for him." Lin Ting looked at the sky outside the door.

Lin Dabiao ran into the yard shirtless, his body covered in sweat and mud.

"Grandpa! Training's finished on the back mountain. I heard there's work to do?" Lin Dabiao wiped the sweat from his face.

Lin Ting looked at Lin Dabiao.

"Have the Zhongtang men put on black vests. Have two Zhongtang brothers sit in the passenger seat of each heavy truck. Bring steel pipes and batons. Follow me to the provincial border to demand our release," Lin Ting ordered.

Lin Dabiao grinned.

"Understood, Grandfather! I'll go and muster the men right away!" Lin Dabiao turned and ran out.

Half an hour later, at the Linshi Logistics Park in the prefecture-level city.

The roar of the engine was deafening.

Three hundred heavy trucks lined up in four long rows, all with their headlights on, illuminating the logistics park as bright as day.

The back of each truck was loaded with heavy gravel. The tires were slightly deformed from the pressure, providing excellent grip.

Old Zhao sat in the driver's seat of the first Hongyan heavy truck.

He was wearing an old jacket, his hands gripping the steering wheel, while three men in black suits were crammed into the passenger seat and the back seat.

Lin Ting's black Lexus SUV was parked at the front of the convoy.

Lin Fei sat in the driver's seat, and Lin Ting sat in the back.

Lin Fu stood next to the off-road vehicle, holding a walkie-talkie.

"Grandpa, all three hundred carts are ready. Old Zhao is leading the way," Lin Fu reported.

Lin Ting rolled down the car window, and the night breeze blew in.

"Let's go. Break through checkpoints and roadblocks. Anyone who dares to stop the Lin family's convoy, run them over." Lin Ting said into the walkie-talkie.

"receive!"

Old Zhao's rough response came through the walkie-talkie.

Three hundred heavy trucks simultaneously engaged in gear, spewing thick black smoke from their exhaust pipes.

The convoy drove out of the logistics park and onto National Highway 104.

The ground trembled slightly under the weight of the heavy machinery.

Private cars along the way had long been frightened and pulled over, not daring to approach this torrent of steel.

After driving for more than an hour, the outline of a provincial border toll station came into view ahead.

Old Zhao stepped on the brakes, and the car slowed down.

The barriers at the tollbooth have long been removed.

Instead, there were more than a dozen dump trucks blocking the middle of the road.

In front of the dump truck, there were three rows of barricades made of large threaded steel bars. The tips of the bars were sharpened to an extremely sharp point, pointing directly at the oncoming truck.

Behind the barricades stood a dense crowd of people.

There were at least four or five hundred thugs, armed with baseball bats, machetes, and chains.

The leader was bald, with a thick gold necklace around his neck and a bloodstained steel pipe in his hand.

The bald man jumped onto the hood of a dump truck and shouted into a megaphone at Old Zhao's lead truck.

"Listen up, Lin family! Young Master Bai has ordered that this road be sealed off today!"

"If you know what's good for you, turn around and head back to the prefecture-level city right now, or your three drivers' fate will be your example!"