Chapter 1 The Dragon River

The cruise ship slowly sailed along the long Dragon River. The river water parted behind the boat, stirring up rolling waves.

Helicopters for patrol occasionally roared past in the sky.

…

At the same time, in the restaurant inside the cruise ship.

An Zecheng put down his wine glass and said with a smile, "The situation in our Dragon City is that you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever borrows strength from whom is for survival. From a political point of view, this is understandable. But having said that, whether it's politics or human relations, one-sided giving will not last long. Look, Old Li's words just now were a bit sarcastic."

Li Mingsheng waved his hand upon hearing this, "Let me correct you, I'm not being sarcastic, just hinting!"

"Hehe!"

Everyone smiled knowingly, and Tan Hengqiang nodded with a smile, without responding.

An Zecheng turned his head and focused his gaze on Su Tianyu: "Since everyone is sitting at the same table. Xiao Su, don't be shy. You are the younger generation, so feel free to mention any conditions to Commander Tan. He will definitely satisfy what he can. What he can't satisfy, he will overcome difficulties to satisfy. That's how I understand it anyway."

Tan Hengqiang laughed, "Old An, you are making promises for me."

Although he said so, Tan Hengqiang didn't mean to refute it.

Su Tianyu sat there, looking at the three big shots, quickly calculating in his mind. Before he came, he had already discussed it with Lao Li and An Qiqi, and listed more than a dozen conditions he wanted to raise in his mind.

Now An Zecheng's words were giving him an opening to bring these up.

Su Tianyu suppressed the excitement in his heart, preparing to stab Old Tan.

Just then, Li Mingsheng suddenly patted his hand and took over the conversation, "This child, Xiao Su, has been shy since he was a child and can't open his mouth, so let me bring it up."

Su Tianyu looked surprised upon hearing this.

Because he had drunk a little wine, Li Mingsheng's face was a little flushed, and his voice was very loud, "Today, there are no outsiders, so I'll be frank. These people at the table are the face of our Dragon City. The connection of all relationships is actually on Xiao Su alone."

As he said that, he glanced at Su Tianyu, the meaning was self-evident. Everyone was silent, obviously not objecting to this statement.

Li Mingsheng paused and continued, "My idea is very simple, whether it's putting pressure on the First District or fighting together, these are the final results. And the key to whether everyone can walk on the same line is actually trust. How to establish this trust? I have a suggestion, let Xiao Su enter the headquarters and sit in the top five positions. Whether it's real power or a false name, it completely depends on Commander Tan's broad-mindedness. I think this is the attitude that integration should have. Moreover, after Xiao Su enters, the Huatong Association's Renmin Army is also equivalent to being integrated into the garrison to a certain extent."

Hearing this, Su Tianyu was extremely surprised. He felt that Lao Li was a little too aggressive. In this level of negotiation, under normal circumstances, the top leader would not bring up conditions, because it would easily lead to a dead end and make it difficult for everyone to step down.

But this attitude also showed that Lao Li was very tough, if you want to use me, you have to show your attitude!

This was completely different from what had been discussed before, but Su Tianyu absolutely did not believe that Lao Li had a temporary intention. At his level, every word was thought over countless times in his mind.

Su Tianyu glanced at Tan Hengqiang with some doubts, but the other party still had a smile on his face, without responding or refuting.

On the contrary, Tan Mingchao and Zhang Xunchen on the side showed some surprise, obviously they did not expect Lao Li to propose such a plan.

"I think this proposal is good. Xiao Su is a link between several parties, and it's good to enter the garrison." An Zecheng also glanced at Lao Tan and added, "I might as well say it clearly, everyone knows that this kid has a clear mind and acts quickly. He has been in love with my daughter for the past few years."

Su Tianyu smiled shyly, while An Qiqi on the side sat there gracefully and calmly.

An Zecheng paused and continued, "If Xiao Su can enter the Dragon City garrison, then I am willing to cut ties with the Yidang faction in the First District and integrate my army into the garrison system, which can be regarded as preparing a dowry for my daughter."

An Zecheng's words also surprised everyone somewhat. Everyone knew that An Zecheng was now playing a card with Lao Li, and tonight was to push up Su Tianyu's personal position.

Tan Hengqiang pondered for a while before finally saying, "Xiao Su is a talented person with outstanding abilities. I won't hide it from you two. Your mention is actually giving me a great gift. I can't ask for more than Xiao Su coming to the garrison headquarters to help, and it can be regarded as adding another fierce general. However, the garrison headquarters has a fixed number of positions, and there is indeed no suitable position at the moment. How about this, I'll go back and have a meeting to discuss it with the old folks and find a direction."

Hearing this, Li Mingsheng also changed the subject to stop there, "Hehe, then we'll talk about it later. Come, let's continue eating. Try this newly served dish, it's a home-style dish from our place..."

Everyone's expressions relaxed again, and they continued to eat and drink, chatting about some unimportant topics.

An Qiqi lowered her head and whispered in Su Tianyu's ear, "Why is this so different from what we said?"

Su Tianyu shook his head, "I don't know what's going on... But I think the two old men have a good understanding, so let's follow their lead for now."

An Qiqi nodded, and the two separated, holding wine glasses and continuing to chat with others.

…

After another five or six minutes, Tan Hengqiang glanced at the table, and finally landed on Su Tianbei, who had been silent all along.

Su Tianbei's appearance was a bit abrupt at this occasion. But after thinking about it, Tan Hengqiang understood the reason, so he took the initiative to ask, "This is Xiao Su's older brother, right?"

Su Tianbei was eating when he heard this and was slightly stunned. But he quickly came back to his senses, put down his chopsticks and said, "Yes, I am Su Tianbei, Xiao Su's second brother."

"Oh..." Tan Hengqiang nodded lightly and asked again, "What have you been doing recently?"

Su Tianbei immediately said, "I work in the General Administration of Unified Control, responsible for some operations."

Tan Hengqiang smiled and said, "Hehe, I've heard of your deeds and I'm very impressed with you. I think you are more suitable for the army. Why don't you come to the garrison, I'll give you a regiment to lead first. If you do well, I'll send you to the garrison's military academy for further studies. I think this is more suitable for you than doing military intelligence."

Su Tianbei was stunned. He never expected happiness to come so suddenly!!

Li Mingsheng turned his head and exchanged glances with An Zecheng. Neither of them spoke, and they felt that this condition was acceptable for the time being.

They asked to bring Su Tianbei to pave the way for Gou Liuzi and the Su family. Even if Tan Hengqiang didn't mention it, Old An would have spoken up.

While the person involved was still a little confused, Su Tianyu had already reacted and immediately kicked his second brother under the table.

Su Tianbei came back to his senses, quickly stood up, and said excitedly, "I am too willing to share Commander Tan's worries! To be honest, I have always had a dream of a strong army...!"

Tan Hengqiang nodded with a smile, "Good, you can report to the headquarters tomorrow."

At this point, the first step of integration was over. The next thing to do was to get Su Tianyu into the garrison headquarters.

Everyone continued to toast and exchange cups, and the atmosphere became more harmonious.

…

At the same time, Lu Zhen, who had been left out in the cold, heard about the news of the banquet. Without hesitation, he took a plane that night and left Dragon City.