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

The third floor of the County Land Management Bureau.

Director Wang sat behind his desk, his hands gripping his hair.

On the street outside the window, dozens of workers held up white banners, and loudspeakers played a loop of the message, "Give me back my hard-earned money."

The sound pierced through the glass, giving people a headache.

Lin Fu pushed open the office door and placed his briefcase on the desk. The zipper was unzipped, revealing a thick stack of documents and several bank drafts.

"Director Wang, the loudspeakers outside have been making noise for half a month. If the county doesn't stop it, the province should send people down to investigate." Lin Fu pulled out a chair and sat down.

Director Wang looked up at Lin Fu.

"Boss Lin, your Lin's Supermarket is famous now. But Jiangjing Mansion is a huge pitfall, with a famine of 50 million plus more than a dozen unfinished buildings. Can you handle it?" Director Wang asked.

Lin Fu pushed the bank draft over.

"Here is proof of ten million in funds. The Lin family will take full responsibility for all the bad debts of Jiangjing Mansion."

"Those contractors and material suppliers demanding their wages, our Lin family will settle the score." Lin Fu tapped the table.

"But there are two conditions. First, the land transfer price must be the lowest possible. Second, all 200 acres of wasteland surrounding Jiangjing Mansion must be included in the project."

Director Wang looked at the promissory note on the table.

The Jiangjing Haoting project has become a cancer in the county. The out-of-town developer absconded with the money, leaving behind a pile of bad debts.

The contractor brought his workers to cause trouble every day. The county government contacted several big bosses, but when they saw this mess, they all waved their hands.

Nobody wants to spend real money to fill this bottomless pit.

Director Wang is only interested in getting rid of this mess and doesn't care how much the land will sell for.

As long as it shuts up the workers outside and keeps their jobs, he'd do it even if it were free.

"The surrounding two hundred acres are saline-alkali land, unsuitable for growing crops. Giving them to you is no problem," Director Wang said, picking up a pen from the table.

"But you have to promise to get rid of those people demanding their wages outside today, and stop them from hanging banners in the street."

"Once the contract is signed and stamped with the official seal, the Lin family will handle the rest," Lin Fu replied.

"Okay! I'll have someone process the formalities right away!" Director Wang stood up, picked up the phone on the table, and called the staff in the next office to prepare the transfer agreement.

In less than half an hour, all the procedures were stamped.

Lin Fu walked out of the office building with the document stamped with the official seal.

He got into the Santana parked by the roadside. Two young men from Zhongtang sat in the front.

"Let's go to the Jiangjing Haoting construction site," Lin Fu said.

The car drove to the East District.

Several dilapidated farm tricycles were parked outside the gate of the Jiangjing Haoting construction site.

Hundreds of construction workers in worn-out camouflage uniforms surrounded the gate.

Inside the construction site, several rusty tower cranes hovered in mid-air. On the overgrown open ground, piles of weathered and blackened construction waste lay.

A dozen or so half-built buildings stand forlornly, their scaffolding on the exterior walls deformed.

On the rusty iron gate of the construction site, several thick steel bars had been welded shut with electric welding.

Three large padlocks hung on the door, and sandbags and scrap bricks were piled up beside it, indicating a determination to fight to the bitter end.

The Santana was parked on the side of the road.

Lin Fu pushed open the car door and got out. Two young men from Zhongtang followed on either side.

When the workers saw the car coming, they all gathered around it.

Standing at the back of the crowd was a middle-aged man in a leather jacket. His name was Sun Dazhi, and he was the biggest contractor on the construction site.

The out-of-town boss ran away, owing more than 200 workers six months' wages.

Sun Dazhi was holding a large megaphone and hiding behind several strong workers.

"Look everyone! This guy's driving a nice car, he must be the new boss! Nobody's getting in here until he pays up!" Sun Dazhi shouted through a megaphone.

The workers were immediately in an uproar upon hearing this.

A dozen or so people, holding shovels and bricks, surrounded Lin Fu.

"Give us our money back! Give us back six months' wages!"

"Our children are waiting for their tuition fees. If we don't get the money today, we'll die here!"

The workers were shouting loudly, spitting everywhere.

Lin Fu stood still without retreating.

He took a megaphone out of the trunk and turned it on.

"Quiet down, everyone! Listen to me!" Lin Fu raised his voice. "I am Lin Fu from the Lin family. Our Lin family just took over the Riverview Mansion project today!"

The crowd quieted down a little.

Lin Fu continued, "Our Lin family took over the business to solve everyone's wage problem!"

As long as the accounts are checked and the amount owed is confirmed, the Lin family will make up the difference in full!

Upon hearing this, the older workers in front of him beamed with joy.

"Are you really going to pay me?" an old worker asked.

Before Lin Fu could reply, Sun Dazhi, who was at the back of the crowd, raised his megaphone.

"Don't believe his nonsense! These bosses are all in cahoots!"

"They just want to trick us into leaving, then sell the steel bars from the construction site to pay off their debts! We won't get a single penny!" Sun Dazhi shouted.

Sun Dazhi had his own plans.

He didn't care about the workers' lives at all; he was certain that the new boss would be eager to start construction as soon as he took over.

He wanted to take advantage of his large numbers to not only get back his original wages, but also to extort a compensation fee for the work stoppage.

If you make a big fuss, the new and old bosses will definitely compromise and pay more money in order to meet the deadline.

Several of Sun Dazhi's confidants mingled in the crowd and joined in the commotion.

"Yes! No money, no entry!"

"Get the cash out first!"

The workers were stirred up again by Sun Dazhi's provocation.

Several hot-tempered workers, shovels in hand, were banging on the large iron gate of the construction site.

Dang dang dang.

The iron gate made a deafening noise.

"Gentlemen, the Lin family has its rules. Paying back debts is a matter of course, but we will not pay a single penny for money that is not properly accounted for."

"Everyone, please select a few representatives to come forward and reconcile the accounts with me," Lin Fu shouted again.

"What accounts! I've worked for half a year, that's the account!" Sun Dazhi continued to fan the flames from behind.

"Brothers, they're trying to renege on their debt! Smash their car! Let's see if they'll pay!"

Upon hearing this, the two young workers actually raised the bricks in their hands and smashed them against the windshield of the Santana.

Two young men from Zhongtang stepped forward, one of them raising his arm to block the flying brick.

The brick struck his forearm and shattered in two. Zhongtang, the young man, didn't even flinch.

"Anyone who dares to lay a hand on us again, don't blame us for being impolite!" Zhongtang's young man roared.

Seeing how skilled the two men were, the workers hesitated. Sun Dazhi got anxious and pushed one of the workers in front of him.

"What are you afraid of! There are over a hundred of us. We can drown them with our spittle! Go! If they don't pay, we'll overturn the car!" Sun Dazhi shouted.

The situation was about to spiral out of control.

During the scuffle, Lin Fu's clothes were torn. But he still stood at the front, protecting his briefcase.

A black SUV drove up from the street corner.

The tires screeched as the SUV stopped behind the Santana.

The car door opened, and Lin Ting, wearing a black jacket, stepped out.

He stood by the roadside, looking at the noisy crowd in front of him, and Lin Fu, who was surrounded in the middle.

Lin Ting took out a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth.

ignition.

A flame lit up, and a puff of blue smoke was exhaled.