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

Lin Ting didn't have anyone send his phone to the office next door; he connected the video call directly from the deck control room.

On the screen, Gu Chongshan was sitting in a spacious study.

Behind the bookshelf hung the Gu Group's emblem, and on the table were several documents related to the Jiangnan Port and Heavy Industry projects.

He was nearly sixty years old, wearing a dark gray suit, and his voice carried the oppressive air of someone who had long held a position of power.

"Grandpa Lin, Gu Chengping is a member of the Gu family's inner guards. His entry into Jiangnan with the Mitsui personnel was a private escort arrangement."

"You've detained him at the dock and confiscated Gu Jia's equipment; this has crossed the line of cooperation."

Gu Chongshan raised his hand to straighten his cuffs and continued, "The Gu family is giving you a chance to handle this. Send Gu Chengping and the equipment to the provincial capital. The local authorities will handle the Mitsui action team. The Gu family will not pursue the Lin family's losses tonight."

If you hand people over to outside media, the Gu family will make the Lin family bear all the consequences.

Lin Ting was fiddling with two walnuts when he finished listening, and then put his phone on the table stand.

"Gu's inner guards, carrying modified firearms, shielding equipment, and forged documents, entered the Hongtu family compound to search for Wei Jianguo."

You call this a private escort, but Jiangnan's investigation records won't accept that claim.

Gu Chengping remained here to be questioned, and his equipment was kept as evidence.

Gu Chongshan's hand froze in mid-air. "Lin Ting, you have no roots in the capital. The Gu family is willing to put things this way to save face for Tazhai."

If you continue to detain people, the Gu Group will suspend all cooperation with enterprises in Jiangnan, and the Lin Group's port, logistics, and heavy industry projects will all be affected.

Lin Ting looked at Lin Fu. "Bring Gu Chengping here."

Gu Chengping was escorted into the command room by two members of the Loyal Hall.

His right hand was fixed in front of his body, and he had changed out of his coat, leaving him only in a black bodyguard uniform.

Gu Chongshan saw him through the screen, and his tone became more angry.

"Chengping, tell Lin Ting that you are only in charge of the evacuation of Mitsui personnel. The Gu family has not given orders to enter the family compound; all operations are being handled by the Mitsui South Island Industrial Park."

Gu Chengping looked up at his phone.

"Master, they have obtained the operation log. The floor plan of the family compound comes from the Gu family's internal database; Mitsui only provided the target list."

The command room was silent for a few seconds.

Gu Chongshan's fingers returned to the table. "Shut up and wait for the Gu family's lawyer to arrive."

Lin Ting put the walnuts back on the table, got up and walked to Gu Chengping.

"He has already made the answer clear. The Gu family has the floor plan of the family compound and also the list of technical personnel."

"You still want to take him away, and there's only one reason: the Gu family wants the evidence to disappear."

Gu Chongshan said in a low voice, "You are not qualified to interrogate the Gu family's inner guards. Hand them over, and I can treat tonight as a misunderstanding."

Lin Ting picked up the short cane beside him and handed it to Lin Dabiao.

"Let the Gu family head see clearly whether the people the Gu family sent to Jiangnan can still walk for the Gu family."

Gu Chengping tried to back away, but Lin Fei pressed down on his shoulder. Lin Dabiao grabbed his arm, forcing him to stand up straight.

Lin Ting raised his cane and struck Gu Chengping's knee. Gu Chengping lost his right leg and fell to the ground.

Gu Chongshan's expression changed, and he slammed his hand on the table. "Lin Ting, how dare you lay a hand on someone from the Gu family!"

Lin Ting handed the short cane back to Lin Dabiao and picked up the walnuts again.

"Gu family members entered the residential area armed and targeted Hongtu's technical staff."

You're demanding his release from behind a screen, and I'm dealing with the Gu family's intrusion from behind a screen. Gu Chengping continues to cooperate with the investigation after receiving treatment; the Gu family has no special privileges.

Gu Chongshan stood up, and several assistants in the study approached at the same time.

He suppressed his anger and said, "You will pay the price for today's decision. The National Entrepreneurs Conference is about to be held, and the Gu family will show everyone how local clans can challenge Beijing enterprises."

Lin Ting played with the walnuts, his tone unchanged.

"See you at the conference. If you still want to talk about family dignity, first explain the Mitsui Operation Record clearly."

After he finished speaking, he pressed the end button, and the video feed disappeared from the command center.

Gu Chongshan stood in the study, staring at the now-blacked-out screen.

The Gu family has been operating in the capital for many years, and Jiangnan enterprises have always allocated orders according to the Gu family's arrangements.

But Lin Ting broke Gu Chengping's leg at the dock and left the Gu family's inner guard's identity record in the public evidence chain.

If all partners in the Jiangnan region withdraw their orders, Gujia's business layout in the south will be disrupted.

Lin Fu has opened the Lin family business platform and divided the list of companies associated with the Gu family into six groups: ports, logistics, engineering, medical, retail and supply chain.

"The Gu family has 176 partner companies, three warehousing and distribution centers, two engineering consortia, and fourteen hospital consumables suppliers in Jiangnan. Has the Lin family's platform been completely suspended?"

"Initiate risk control according to the contract," Lin Ting said. "Goods will be accepted as usual, payments will be settled according to the agreement, and all new orders will be suspended."

Funds involving accounts affiliated with Gujia are subject to review by banks and regulatory authorities. Any company receiving pressure from Gujia submits its call records to the auditorium.

Lin Fu sent out the notice.

The South District Port, six logistics terminals, Lin's Marketplace, three hospital procurement platforms, and Hongtu Supplier System successively received risk control alerts.

Gu's goods can fulfill existing contracts, but cannot enter Lin's newly added warehouse space.

When the Gujia-affiliated construction team applied to enter the site, the gatekeeper required them to provide complete personnel, insurance, and equipment information.

Two pharmaceutical companies under the Gu family submitted procurement applications, and the system returned them for manual review.

When Gu Yuanshan, the person in charge of Gujia Jiangnan in the provincial capital, received the call, there were already vehicles lined up at the warehouse entrance waiting to fill in the missing information.

He dialed the numbers of the heads of the three partner companies, and the responses he received were all very restrained.

"Mr. Gu, the Lin Group requires us to complete the related-party transaction review first. Existing orders can still be executed, but new projects need to wait for confirmation from the compliance department."

Gu Yuanshan put down his phone and sent a message to Beijing: "The Jiangnan platform has stopped adding new cooperation. If the Gu family wants to keep the port and the engineering line, they need to come up with a solution as soon as possible."

Inside the Tazhai Ancestral Hall, Lin Ting was reviewing the evidence and records from the dock.

Gu Chengping has been sent to the Lin family medical point. The Mitsui operatives have been handed over to Captain Chen, and the cargo ship is docked at the maritime regulatory berth.

The family protection team has also completed its rotation, and the families of Hongtu's technical personnel have resumed their original routines.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, a businessperson came to the ancestral hall and handed over a hard-shell envelope.

"Mr. Lin, this is an invitation to the National Entrepreneurs Conference. The organizers require your attendance, and the Gu Group is the exclusive title sponsor of the conference."

Lin Fu opened the envelope and took out the gold-embossed card.

The invitation letter had the conference name printed on the front, with the Gu Group logo in the lower right corner. Lin Fu stopped reading after turning to the inside pages.

Attendees: Lin Ting.

Seating arrangement: Last row, seventh seat.

Lin Ting accepted the invitation, examined the seating arrangement while fiddling with the walnuts, and then handed the card back to Lin Fu.

"Reply that the Lin family will be there. The Gu family has arranged for me to sit in the last row."