Chapter 21 The Complexity of the Wharf

The next morning, in the Yu family's suburban villa, Yu Mingyuan and his family were sitting at the dining table eating breakfast.

"Brother Yuan, we're going camping at Zha Lake Reservoir next weekend. Will you come with us?" An Qiqi asked sweetly.

"I've been busy lately, so I won't go. You guys go," Yu Mingyuan replied with a smile. "Have fun."

An Qiqi looked at Yu Mingyuan with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Brother, have you been in a bad mood lately? Did something happen at the company?"

"It's nothing, just busy," Yu Mingyuan said without elaborating.

Seeing that their older brother seemed to be in a bad mood, the others didn't say much. After breakfast, they went about their own business.

After finishing his meal, Yu Mingyuan neatly put down his chopsticks and prepared to go to work.

"Tap, tap!"

Footsteps sounded, and his father, Yu Jinrong, came down from upstairs. He glanced at his son and asked, "Going to work?"

Seeing his father coming down, Yu Mingyuan immediately turned around, walked to the stairway, and replied, looking him in the eye, "I was just about to go to the company, Dad!"

Yu Jinrong walked down the stairs and headed for the dining room. "Is there a problem at the company?" he asked.

Yu Mingyuan paused for a moment, then immediately stood to his left and followed him. "Yes, the goods were hijacked, and several workers were detained."

"The wharf situation is a bit complicated. Can you handle it?" Yu Jinrong asked.

"No problem, Dad, I can handle it," Yu Mingyuan said with respect, but his reply was confident.

Hearing this answer, Yu Jinrong didn't ask any further questions. "Don't overwork yourself. Things aren't built in a day. Take some rest."

"Okay," Yu Mingyuan nodded. "Then I'm going to work, Dad."

"Go on," Yu Jinrong said with a slight smile as he bent down to sit at the dining table.

Yu Mingyuan chatted with his father for a few words, and seeing that he had started eating, he turned and left.

The predicament the company faced was actually quite dangerous. If not handled properly, it could fail to appease the three companies of the Zang (Dirty) Gang and offend the maritime connections, leading to the collapse of the new business. But even so, Yu Mingyuan didn't seem to be planning to ask his father for help.

After leaving home, Yu Mingyuan sat in his car and called Tang Baiqing. "I thought about it last night. Let's talk to the wharf gang."

"Ah, you finally came to your senses," Tang Baiqing replied immediately. "Okay, I'll make an appointment with Xu Hu. Let's meet up tonight first, and then talk to them."

"Okay, that's it," Yu Mingyuan said, hanging up the phone and driving to the company with a blank expression.

…

In the Tianhong People's Port in Zhanan District, inside the Longqiao Import and Export Trading Company, Wei Xiangzuo was sitting on a wooden chair, smoking a cigarette while talking to Xu Hu, the bangdai (gang leader) of the Zhanan wharf gang, and his younger brother, Xu Er.

In fact, organizations like the wharf gang have existed since ancient times. The only difference is that times have changed, and so have the ways of survival. In peaceful times, they are mostly based on trade unions, trading companies, groups, and folk organizations, making money and surviving in a low-key manner. But in turbulent times, these organizations become more active and influential.

For example, before the Age of Order, many import and export trading ports at home and abroad had a large number of companies that dealt with private cars, parallel import cars, and even smuggled contraband. The structure of these companies and groups was unclear, the channels were strange, and the sales methods were also vague. The water was very deep, and when something happened, it involved hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars, but they were usually very low-key.

In turbulent times, such organizations become even more active and connected. One is to band together to make money and ensure their own interests are not harmed, and the other is to form a group and absolute influence, thereby forming a monopoly in a certain industry. During this period, the corporate nature, group nature, and formality of this group will be reduced, and the jianghu (martial world) atmosphere will be heavier, because the rules are chaotic, so it is still people-oriented.

The Dragon City wharf gang is the latter. Because the infrastructure level here has not yet reached complete modernization, many jobs and industries still rely on manpower to maintain operations. With more workers, there are various groups, and organizational structures.

Dragon City is a port city, and the number of wharf gang workers is very large, far more than the sanitation circle organization. However, its internal structure is also relatively loose, and the jianghu atmosphere is heavier. The Dragon City wharf gang has a wharf workers' general association, which is defined as a folk organization. To put it bluntly, its responsibility is to deal with the government, and the wharf gang workers in each district are members of the general association.

On the surface, the wharf workers' general association is legal and legitimate, and is considered an officially recognized folk organization, but the distribution of territory under the table is more direct and jianghu. For example, the Zhanan District wharf gang often engages in covert battles and mutual biting with the Longkou District and Xinjie District wharf gangs, because they are close and compete for private goods channels and markets.

Su Tianbei said before that Wei Xiangzuo had disappeared for several years. It is said that he had a fight with someone from Longkou District that resulted in death, so he ran away.

The leaders of the wharf gangs in each district all have very jianghu nicknames, such as zuotang (host) and bangdai, and these people have seniority in the wharf gang. They have really worshiped the sect, recognized a master and an older brother. For example, Wei Xiangzuo and Xu Hu worshiped a master from the general association, so they are both considered to be of the xiang generation. It's just that Xu Hu's name was already well-known before he started doing this, so outsiders rarely call him Xu Xianghu.

…

In the center of the Longqiao Import and Export Trading Company's hall, there is a two-meter-high statue of Guan Erye (God of War), with an incense burner in front of it, making it look very "gangster-like".

Xu Hu is the bangdai, which is to say he is the top leader of the Zhanan District wharf gang, while Wei Xiangzuo is the zuotang, mainly responsible for various specific businesses under the table.

"Brother Wei, Yu Mingyuan is scheduled to come tonight. Are you coming along?" Xu Hu asked.

"You're handling it, so you go. I won't get involved," Wei Xiangzuo replied, smoking his cigarette. "I'll just handle what I have now."

Xu Hu smiled. "Okay, then I'll discuss the daos (ways of the martial world) with him tonight."

"Well, if he's willing to pay his dues, then help him get his people back," Wei Xiangzuo suggested. "Just follow the rules."

"Okay," Xu Hu responded.

"Okay, I'll go first," Wei Xiangzuo said, getting up and leaving after finishing the conversation.

…

Noon.

Near Haiyan Pit, Kong Zhengui and Su Tianyu were sitting in their car. After waiting for about twenty minutes, a three-wheeled motorcycle drove over. The person riding the motorcycle was the man with shifty eyes that Kong Zhengui had met last night.

The man stopped the three-wheeled motorcycle, opened the door, and got into Kong Zhengui's car. "I inquired, but I didn't find out anything about the seven speedboats."

Kong Zhengui was unhappy when he heard this. "Six thousand yuan, and you only got me this information?!"

"I asked everyone I could, but no one heard about the seven speedboats. I also asked friends outside the district, and they said that no leizi (divers) went into the water to collect goods," the man with shifty eyes said softly. "That's all I can say."

Kong Zhengui blinked his eyes. "Can you find out more deeply, like news from the upper levels of the wharf gang?"

"I need more money," the man replied after thinking for a moment.

"Go, go, go, get out of here!" Kong Zhengui waved his hand directly.

The man with shifty eyes was also angry, and he pushed the car door open and replied, "I'm a very particular person. You gave me six thousand yuan, and I told you there was no news. You made a profit."

After speaking, the man closed the door and left.

"Damn, something's strange!" Kong Zhengui said to Su Tianyu. "This kid has been in the wharf for a long time. If he can't find out any news, then…?"

"No news is the biggest news," Su Tianyu interrupted. "Since we can't find out anything, we might as well just be direct."

"How direct?"

"…!" Su Tianyu considered for a long time, then directly took out his phone and dialed a number.