"Liu Jianguo is the termite of Changlin Community," Lin Chuan glanced at the crowd and said, "For years he has exploited his power and influence to act as a bully's accomplice. This time he wants to sell off everyone's assets and pocket the proceeds. Naturally, we are unwilling. So this time, we are defending our own interests."

"Defend our own interests!" the crowd shouted in unison.

"We are the sons and daughters of Changlin!" Zhou Kai waved his hand and declared.

"We are the sons and daughters of Changlin!" the crowd echoed loudly.

"Defend Changlin." Zhou Kai shouted again.

"Defend Changlin!" the crowd also roared in response.

The scene was charged with fervent zeal, instantly reminding Lin Chuan of his childhood. Back then, Changlin Factory was performing well, and the annual returns were quite impressive. At the end of each year, a general meeting for all employees was held, with the factory director riding in an open-top jeep, standing inside, surrounded by workers and their families. The bustling crowd was densely packed, both inside and outside. During those times, Lin Chuan thought the factory director exuded an imposing and domineering presence. He even harbored thoughts of becoming the factory director himself.

But time flies, and the once-model enterprise has now become a dilapidated poor area. Its former glory is no longer, and the old jeep has also been piled up in this run-down factory, its condition beyond recognition—rusty bumpers and completely flat tires. The seats inside were also gone, taken by someone, leaving behind piles of trash and cobwebs.

"Chuan Zi, they're here." Outside, Huang Bo ran in panting.

"Damn it, we'll fight them if we have to," Zhou Kai, holding a pair of axes, was ready to rush out.

"Don't rush," Lin Chuan hurriedly grabbed Zhou Kai.

Everyone quickly picked up their weapons and gathered around Lin Chuan, with Zhou Kai urgently saying, "Chuan Zi, you decide what to do."

"Let's see what they want first," Lin Chuan said with a smile, "Hide all the weapons. Follow me out."

"Alright!" These rascals were far more familiar with the factory than himself, and the weapons were swiftly hidden out of sight.

A group of people immediately went outside.

Liu Jianguo appeared spirited, his hair meticulously groomed with plenty of hair gel. A cigarette pinched in his right hand, a briefcase tucked under his left arm, he led a group of people towards the factory with smiles and laughter, as if engaged in a cordial conversation.

"What are you doing here!" Liu Jianguo confronted Lin Chuan and the others as they approached.

"We are people from Changlin Community; why can't we be here?!" Lin Chuan asked with a smile, "On the contrary, what are you doing here with a bunch of outsiders at our factory? According to the third rule of Changlin Factory's employee handbook, under no circumstances are people from outside Changlin Factory allowed in."

"Pah..." Liu Jianguo spat out disdainfully and said, "How many years has this damned factory been shut down? The land's been sold to the City Committee to settle debts. You still think this is Changlin Factory? I'm telling you, this is now called Changlin Community. It's no longer that state-owned enterprise."

"So what?" Zhou Kai retorted.

"Today I'm here to sell these machines," Liu Jianguo sneered. "The crane is arriving soon; we'll first dismantle this roof to facilitate the crane operation."

"I'd like to see who dares!" Zhou Kai erupted in anger, the stout young man displaying a surprising temper.

Lu Dapao meanwhile was picking his nose on the side. Recently, with all the running around, the dust has been heavy, resulting in an abundance of nasal debris. This guy got nervous and inevitably picked on his own nose. When one hand wasn't enough, he used both.

"Get lost quickly, or don't blame me for being impolite," Liu Jianguo yelled angrily.

"Today, you're not going to get in here," Zhou Kai, tall and strong, stepped right in front of Liu Jianguo, covering up the small and frail fellow on the spot.

"Attack!" Liu Jianguo shouted in fury.

The seven or eight sturdy men behind him, wearing safety helmets, immediately grabbed their tools and rushed forward.

"Brothers, grab your weapons," Zhou Kai roared with rage as he pulled out two fireman's axes from his pants and blocked the steel rods swung by two of the attackers on the spot.

Clang...

A loud crash.

"Go to hell!" Zhou Kai's expression was ferocious as he kicked a strong man flying, and with his right hand tightly gripping the fireman's axe, he viciously hacked toward another strong man.

Crack...

With a loud noise, the axe actually smashed the strong man's safety helmet on the spot.

The strong man was no more than an ordinary worker who had received some minor favors from Liu Jianguo and thus felt grateful. Today, Liu Jianguo asked them to help dismantle the roof, and they thought they were merely dealing with a few bothersome youngsters blocking the way, expecting an easy resolution. Yet they didn't expect these kids to fight back so fiercely. This was unacceptable.

The strong man was so frightened that he urinated, spurting out from his trouser crotch. If it hadn't been for the safety helmet he was wearing, that axe would have shattered his skull, wouldn't it? With that thought, the strong man collapsed on the ground.

Crash...

At this moment, a group of soldiers from Changlin Factory rushed out with machetes and firefighting axes in hand.

"Good heavens, someone's been killed!" one worker yelled upon seeing one of his colleagues fall.

The shout caused panic, and the other workers scattered in fear. Liu Jianguo turned pale as he saw Zhou Kai, the dead fatty, wielding a firefighting axe and splitting the worker's safety helmet, whereafter the worker slowly fell to the ground. Then, a puddle of liquid flowed out on the ground. Under those circumstances, anyone would think the liquid flowing out of the worker was blood.

Naturally, Liu Jianguo was no exception, and his arms dropped the briefcase he was carrying. He exclaimed in shock, "Mur...murder!"

Liu Jianguo picked up his briefcase, ready to run for it. Unexpectedly, the 'dead' worker miraculously got up and ran away with his colleagues. Liu Jianguo was astounded: "Holy shit, what...what's going on?"

Liu Jianguo's briefcase dropped to the ground again in his astonishment. At this moment, Zhou Kai and the others immediately surrounded Liu Jianguo. Faced with the gang of youngsters wielding machetes and firefighting axes, Liu Jianguo wasn't afraid anymore.

"Everyone, get the hell out of my way." Liu Jianguo picked up his briefcase, having just been scared silly by these youngsters. He cursed, "You motherf*****s, how dare you obstruct official duties, believe it or not, I'll call the police and have you arrested right now."

"That would be great," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "And have the police investigate you, the worm, too. Public assets are not yours to sell whenever you want."

Hearing this, Liu Jianguo became nervous, but he still said assertively, "Fine, you've got guts. Lin Chuan, remember this."

After speaking, Liu Jianguo left, cursing and swearing.

Watching Liu Jianguo walk away, the gang jumped up excitedly. Zhou Kai cursed, "Finally got that out of our systems, damn it, we've always been bullied by Liu Gou. Today we finally got our revenge."

"What if he comes back next time?" Lu Dapao asked curiously.

"What's there to be afraid of!" Zhou Kai snorted coldly. "From now on, we'll guard this place day and night. Any sign of trouble, we'll let the others know."

"Mm!" Everyone nodded.

More than ten people returned to the factory and sat down on the ground. These idle young people from Changlin Community were nothing more than children before, but now, they had all grown up. However, society is cruel and doesn't offer them a way out. Without a lighthouse to guide them, it's possible they'd stray off the path.

At noon, Zhou Kai ordered boxed meals and brought a few cases of beer and several cigarettes.

Everyone got two packs of Furong Wang. The fat guy smiled and said, "Guys, don't turn up your noses at it."

"Kai, you're being too polite," said a man with a non-mainstream hairstyle, smiling. "Actually, we're all helping ourselves. We all have a stake in the things here."

"That's why we shouldn't let Liu Gou take our stuff," Zhou Kai said, patting his hefty belly. "We need to stay vigilant from now on."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Soon, the boxed meals arrived, with the fragrant food and a few cases of beer; everyone ate with great enjoyment. Many admired Zhou Kai; the kid has managed to hustle his way up, secured two dump trucks, and even made some decent money.

"Kai, you gotta take care of us brothers when you make a fortune!" the non-mainstream youth said, smiling. "After all, we're from the same factory."

"Heh heh, of course!" Zhou Kai nodded and said, "Why don't you guys follow me? As long as I have food to eat, I won't let you starve. We might not make much at first, but let's have a good time. I believe we can make a fortune in the future."

"Sure thing." The dozen young men all nodded; now that Zhou Kai had managed to get two transport trucks, he would surely get more in the future. There would be no mistake following him.

Zhou Kai glanced at Lin Chuan, who sat in the corner holding a bottle of alcohol, smoking, reminiscing about the glory days of Changlin Factory.

"We're all brothers in the factory," Lin Chuan said, smiling. "We're all family here in the community; we know each other's roots, not like those apartments outside. So, you can rest assured following Zhou Kai."

"F***ing hell, aren't you going to call Kai, brother?" Lu Dapao laughed heartily.

"Brother Kai!"

"Brother Kai!"

The young men competed to shout out the title, and as for these half-grown boys, their immature minds, heated in the moment, promptly acknowledged a big brother.

Lin Chuan couldn't help but laugh. Zhou Kai was only eighteen but had already learned to play at being a big brother. Zhou Kai was actually quite pleased with himself; a few years ago, he was fascinated with gangster movies, loving their blood-pumping fight scenes and, of course, the brotherhood that lived and died together. Every boy has the desire to be the boss, and Zhou Kai was no exception. In Zhou Kai's words, a good little brother doesn't aspire to be the boss.

Zhou Kai made the boys go home; he indeed needed to calm down. It's not easy being a big brother – first, you need money; without money, who would follow you? The little brothers have families to feed; they can't just live on air, can they? And he himself only had two transport trucks on hand.

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