Lin Chuan's face was resolute. Although he had gained everyone's approval, it also added a burden and responsibility on his shoulders.

The more critical the moment, the less Lin Chuan dared to relax.

This was the trust his brothers placed in him, and the recognition from everyone around. Lin Chuan felt immense pressure, to the point where he even noticed his palms sweating. At that moment, a delicate hand held his. Lin Chuan quickly turned his head, only to see the enchanting Zhou Rui smiling warmly at him like the spring sunshine.

"Lin Chuan, keep it up," Zhou Rui encouraged.

"Thank you." Looking at Zhou Rui, Lin Chuan felt a surge of strength fill his heart. He couldn't help but hold Zhou Rui's hand and said, "Xiao Rui, thank you."

"It's me who should be thanking you," Zhou Rui said with a smile.

Lin Chuan waved his hand, and immediately, the atmosphere at the scene relaxed.

"Brother Chuan, Feng Taibao has escaped, but in the meantime, the Northeast Tiger seized his turf," Zhou Kai said to Lin Chuan. "This is clearly the empire we worked so hard to build. Why should the Northeast Tiger take these places from us?"

"Right," Lu Dapao bellowed. "It seems an inevitable battle between us and the Northeast Tiger is forthcoming. Let's fight it out with them."

"Let's take them on," shouted everyone simultaneously.

Having just won a significant victory, these fellows immediately became overly excited and proud. Believing that defeating Feng Taibao meant they could treat the Northeast Tiger recklessly. Lin Chuan chuckled and said, "Brothers, although we have defeated Feng Taibao on the surface, the real victor isn't us."

"If not us, then who?" everyone asked curiously.

"It was the Northeast Tiger," Lin Chuan explained to the crowd. "It was the Northeast Tiger who took advantage of the situation and annihilated Feng Taibao's men. Without the Northeast Tiger, it wouldn't have been easy for us to take down Feng Taibao!"

"Why?" Zhou Kai felt unconvinced, clearly it was himself who had defeated Feng Taibao on the battlefield. Yet Lin Chuan was crediting the Northeast Tiger, an acknowledgment hard to swallow when someone else claims your achievements.

"Originally, at the Eight Horses Tea House, we only faced around a hundred of them directly," Lin Chuan explained with a smile. "Besides those, Feng Taibao had over three hundred men distributed in other bars, hotels... and it was those people who later ended up being defeated by the Northeast Tiger's personnel at the Crowne Plaza Hotel."

Upon hearing this, everyone's heads drooped unwillingly.

"Even if the Northeast Tiger hadn't intervened, we could have still beaten Feng Taibao," Lu Dapao said unwillingly.

"Correct." Lin Chuan nodded. "You indeed would've had to pay a huge price to defeat them, even possibly driving them out of Jiangbei City. But you don't have the capabilities of the Northeast Tiger. He can shift those bars and hotels into his name, but you can't."

Zhou Kai and others shook their heads unwillingly.

"Don't worry, what's yours will always be yours, what's not you can't force," Lin Chuan reassured with a smile. "I've already contacted Li Jiangping, and he will pull some strings to transfer the Eight Horses Tea House into our name. As for those bars and hotels, we don't have the capability to run them, nor the experience."

"Brother Chuan, we'll follow your lead," Zhou Kai grinned.

"They say the Eight Horses Tea House is also quite profitable," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "In the future, we will also have another means of livelihood, isn't that great?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

After some discussion, under Lin Chuan's proposal, everyone decided to keep the current situation unchanged. With the business of Glory Group, the transport market work remains the primary business activity, and Haiqing Pool is the most lucrative venue. The tea house and the repair factory are just side businesses.

With the Thirteen Grand Protectors of Feng Taibao driven away, the Eastern District plunged into turmoil, with undisclosed minor figures and small gangs silently stirring. Now, as Lin Chuan ascended to become the second-in-command of the Eastern District, some immediately plotted against him.

Across the major bars of Jiangbei City, many people were gossiping.

"This Feng Taibao was really stepping on **** for a thousand years to be chased out of Jiangbei City by the kids from Changlin Factory, it's really a laughing stock."

"Yeah, Feng Taibao was a notable gangster after all."

"Now, with Lin Chuan as the second-in-command of the Eastern District, probably the Northeast Tiger is the happiest."

Many places were discussing how Feng Taibao fled like a lost dog. Likewise, many expressed their envy and admiration towards Lin Chuan. Due to the battle at the Eight Horses Tea House, many began to see Lin Chuan in a new light, and thus a trend of following Lin Chuan emerged.

For a time, many young men headed to the transport market and Haiqing Pool to pay homage to Lin Chuan and were eager to join his ranks.

In Changlin Factory, the vast factory seemed even more spacious as three machines were removed.

It was lunchtime, and Lin Chuan, taking a break from the City Committee, joined everyone in the factory for a communal meal. Zhou Kai and others had been busy at the transportation market all morning, delivering over ten thousand cubic meters of sand, and everyone was almost exhausted. However, everyone was spirited in their tasks.

"Damn, today another dozen people showed up," Zhou Kai chuckled. "Brother Chuan, why don't we just accept them all?"

"This is a special period." Lin Chuan said while holding his lunch box. "Recruitment needs to be cautious, not reckless, you understand?"

"Oh!" Zhou Kai nodded. "Then… what should we do?"

"Choose carefully," Lin Chuan dropped the remark and then wiped his mouth and walked out.

......

In the afternoon, Lin Chuan sneaked back to the City Committee.

He left his car downstairs, then rushed back to the lounge as fast as could. Unexpectedly, just as he reached the door, he ran into a familiar face who seemed to be intentionally blocking his way. Tang Yumeng was looking at him with a cold smile as he sprinted up from downstairs.

"Sister, you... you..." Lin Chuan awkwardly looked at Tang Yumeng.

Tang Yumeng held a piece of white paper in her hand and said, "This is your attendance for April. Tsk tsk, not bad. Aside from eight days of regular rest, you skipped work for twelve days. You punched in for ten days, but you were late for eight days and left early for eight days. Your work routine is more relaxed than mine as a secretary."

"This..." Lin Chuan grinned and said, "Sister, there must be a mistake."

"Where's the mistake?" Tang Yumeng handed him the attendance sheet and said, "Take a look for yourself, see where the mistake is."

"I..." Lin Chuan glanced at it; twelve days of skipping work, just the trip to Myanmar wasted four or five days. Being late and leaving early was his usual practice. How could Lin Chuan not be clear after the few days he actually worked? And two of the ten days he punched in were done by Luo Guoqing. Minister Chen turned a blind eye. Lin Chuan chuckled and said, "Sister, although there are issues with my attendance, fundamentally, I haven't made any severe mistakes, right?"

"You dare talk about principles with me?" Tang Yumeng raised her eyebrows and angrily said, "Skipping work one day means a double deduction from the salary, being late once fines fifty, leaving early also costs about forty or fifty. This month, you owe the City Committee two thousand yuan."

"Uh..." Lin Chuan was dumbfounded and said awkwardly, "Sister, I've never seen a job where you have to pay the employer."

"This is a matter of principle!" Tang Yumeng glared at Lin Chuan.

"No, no!" Lin Chuan said awkwardly, "Let's not talk about principles now, let's talk... about personal feelings. You see, what's our relationship, right? Heh heh..."

"You!" Tang Yumeng's face immediately turned red, she glared at Lin Chuan and said, "When it comes to work, there's no room for personal feelings. Moreover, what relation do you think you have with me?"

"I'm your boyfriend, aren't I?" Lin Chuan said urgently.

"Hmph, have I acknowledged that?" Tang Yumeng snorted lightly, looking provocatively at Lin Chuan and said, "Even if I did acknowledge it, so what? People can still get divorced even after getting married!"

"No, no!" Lin Chuan panicked, "Sister, I... I swear, I absolutely won't skip work casually anymore."

"So that means you still intend to skip work in the future?" Tang Yumeng coldly laughed.

"No no, I will definitely notify you if I ever need to skip work in the future!" Lin Chuan hurriedly said.

"That wouldn't be skipping work; that would be taking leave!" Tang Yumeng frowned slightly.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Lin Chuan quickly nodded and said, "I will definitely take leave if there's anything in the future."

"That's more like it." Tang Yumeng glanced at Lin Chuan and said, "Come to my office."

"Okay!" Seeing that the 'crisis' was resolved, Lin Chuan immediately relaxed. He hurriedly scurried up, then grabbed Tang Yumeng's hand and said, "Sister, please don't be mad anymore."

"What are you doing?" Tang Yumeng quickly dodged Lin Chuan's hand, angrily scolded, "This is the City Committee, don't touch me carelessly, what if people see us? How improper would that be?"

"Uh..." Lin Chuan looked aggrieved.

After entering the office, Lin Chuan quickly closed the door, a mischievous smile appearing on his face.

Tang Yumeng saw Lin Chuan's ill-intended grin, she frowned and said, "Lin Chuan, what are you trying to do?"

"Nothing." Lin Chuan shook his head.

"Then why that sly smile?" Tang Yumeng frowned.

"No, nothing." Lin Chuan hastily defended himself, saying, "I was just wondering what good thing you wanted by calling me here, Xiao Yu."

"Good thing?" Tang Yumeng snorted coldly, "I came here to settle accounts with you."

"Settle what accounts?" Lin Chuan asked curiously.

"The night before last, it was you who led people to fight with Feng Taibao, right?" Tang Yumeng questioned.

"That..." Lin Chuan awkwardly smiled and said, "It was Feng Taibao who provoked me first, sister, rest assured, I definitely didn't cause you any trouble."

"Haven't caused trouble?" Tang Yumeng glared at Lin Chuan, said, "Vice Secretary Song personally came to see me, saying that someone like you should be expelled from the driver's team."

"On what grounds?" Lin Chuan angrily said, "What is Song Ming? He himself is involved with the Northeast Tiger, if we're really talking about a harmful presence, he's the number one person in Jiangbei City. If someone should be expelled, it should be him first!"

"You're crazy, keep your voice down!" Tang Yumeng got anxious.

If this were to get out, it would bring no good to herself or Lin Chuan. Song Ming, that old fox, had always been meticulous in his actions. If he really got annoyed, he might find a way to target both her and Lin Chuan. Not to mention protecting Lin Chuan, Tang Yumeng feared she might not even be capable of protecting herself.

"Afraid of what?" Lin Chuan coldly said, "Who doesn't know what kind of person Song Ming is?"

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