Backing

Hearing Chen Chuan's words, Lan Xinnan could tell that what he had said to her earlier wasn't just polite pleasantries. Feeling slightly relieved, she explained the difficulties they were currently facing in detail. In reality, the matter was not overly complicated. The Lower District had a dense network of tunnels that could reach nearly every sector of the Upper District. On top of that, it hosted the largest black market in all of Center City, and the Lower District relied on the Upper District for various daily necessities. Consequently, many people engaged in the logistics business in this territory. Lutong Logistics had originally been one of several major outfits, but over recent years, it had run into a string of severe problems—one of which involved losing a shipment of critical importance. After paying a massive sum in compensation, internal conflicts erupted over profit distribution, ultimately leading to a fracture within the outfit. A key team was poached directly by their competitor, Poison Ant Express. To make matters worse, the outfit's original manager and financial staff vanished together, bringing the entire logistics operation to an abrupt halt and leaving the remaining members to fend for themselves. Lan Xinnan had originally been part of the security personnel. She, along with those unwilling to leave, took over the previous business and worked hard to restore parts of their operations. Though business was far from what it used to be, they managed to keep going in several areas thanks to their past reputation. However, Poison Ant Express did not let up. They constantly used violent means to drive them out and suppress them. Especially over the past two months, their rivals had become increasingly aggressive, launching repeated ambushes against them. Had their outfit not still possessed a third-limit combat expert in Old Bian—forcing the other side to exercise some restraint—and had their team not consisted largely of security personnel experienced in handling low-intensity skirmishes, they might not have lasted this long. Yet Old Bian was completely unreliable. This third-limit fighter had a ravenous appetite, constantly demanding supplies and money from them, yet he had never once taken the initiative to strike. He would only step forward to mediate after their enemies showed up on their doorstep. And this time, Old Bian's demands had exceeded their bottom line, so Lan Xinnan had no intention of continuing to work with him. Chen Chuan thought it over, then said, "I have a question. For Lutong Logistics to have grown so large in the past, it must have had backing from some powerful faction. Who was your original backer?" Lan Xinnan replied, "Our original backer was the Iron Fist Society, but they no longer exist. I don't know the exact details; I only know that by the time problems started hitting Lutong Logistics, they could barely look after themselves. Later on, they disbanded even faster than we did. "And the backer behind the Iron Fist Society was supposedly Jinyu Company, though I only heard seniors mention it in passing and can't say for sure." Chen Chuan pondered this. Center City had many corporations, and the Disposal Bureau mainly kept an eye on medium- and large-sized firms. However, he happened to have some impression of Jinyu Company because it was a security corporation. Any corporation connected to armed force, regardless of size, fell under the bureau's scrutiny. Moreover, this company happened to have ties with Lianwei Heavy Control Company; it seemed to have run into trouble before the New Year and had since been acquired by Lianwei Heavy Control. That explained everything. Many gangs relied on corporations for funding and technical support, while every major business in the Lower District could only thrive with the backing of gang power. Once they lost both armed muscle and financial patrons, they became meat on a chopping board, waiting to be carved up. "I think I understand," Chen Chuan said. "How many third-limit fighters does the other side have?" "How many? No, just one." Lan Xinnan thought for a moment and said, "Brother Chen, the resources of the Lower District can't compare to the Upper District. Most third-limit fighters are retained and funded by major gangs or large outfits. If Lutong Logistics hadn't been large enough in the past, we probably wouldn't have been able to hire someone like Old Bian in the first place." She added with a hint of helplessness, "That's why I've tolerated Old Bian all this time. Without people like him, we simply couldn't find anyone else." "Just one?" Chen Chuan said, thinking it over. "I can take care of this for you. But have you thought about what comes next? Even if this is settled, as long as you lack sufficient backing, you'll run into the same problem again. Even if it isn't Poison Ant Express, another faction will set its sights on you." Lan Xinnan answered frankly, "I've considered that. Brother Chen, if you're willing, once this is resolved, we'd like to borrow your name for a while to deter outsiders. "During that time, we'll hand over a portion of our surplus profits to you. Even though our business isn't what it once was, once we get moving, the resources we can provide won't be negligible. We'll use that window of time to reach out to other factions for backing, which should stabilize the outfit." Chen Chuan nodded slightly. Lan Xinnan had a clear head; she knew what mattered and had thought through the subsequent steps. Setting aside whether it could be accomplished, the general plan was at least viable. "I'll need some information on the third-limit fighter behind Poison Ant Express," he said. "And Old Bian's information as well. Get me a copy." He never underestimated any opponent. Having information in advance made solving problems that much easier, and he had no objection to doing things efficiently. Moreover, the cleaner and more decisive the resolution, the greater the deterrent effect on the outside world. Hearing this, Lan Xinnan knew he had definitely agreed. "Old Bian's information... Brother Chen, are you saying he might turn on us?" Chen Chuan looked at her and said, "I don't know what choice he'll make, but we need to be prepared." Lan Xinnan actually harbored similar concerns in her heart, but having made her decision, she wouldn't back down. She had originally intended to caution Chen Chuan, but seeing that he had already thought a step ahead made her feel he was remarkably dependable. She said decisively, "Understood! I'll gather it immediately. Brother Chen, if you need anything else..." She tapped her boundary credential and sent Chen Chuan a contact request. "...just let me know directly." Chen Chuan accepted the contact request and nodded. "Alright. If anything comes up, I'll contact Captain Lan." Lan Xinnan was a woman of swift action. Once things were settled with Chen Chuan, she immediately gathered the outfit's core leaders again. Once everyone arrived, she didn't mention approaching Chen Chuan right away. Instead, she announced Old Bian's demand for another twenty percent hike. The moment the words left her mouth, the room erupted like an overturned pot, and Xiao Ding was the first to jump up in protest. The others voiced their outrage as well, saying Old Bian had gone too far this time. The outfit had already been squeezed to its absolute limit; they had conceded everything they could, yet he still wasn't satisfied. Seeing everyone's indignation, Lan Xinnan finally revealed that she had persuaded Chen Chuan to step in. At this, their spirits lifted instantly. Old Cao asked in surprise, "Xiao Nan, Brother Chen agreed to help? You just went and persuaded him?" Lan Xinnan shook her head. "I didn't persuade him. Brother Chen is willing to help us out of regard for Master and Xiao Ke." "So it's on Mr. Yu's account." On second thought, the others realized it made sense. Why would a third-limit fighter with a legitimate standing in the Upper District care about the meager scraps they could offer? His willingness to step in was almost certainly purely out of personal regard. Sister Yun spoke up, "Like I said, it's better to find someone reliable. Old Bian couldn't be trusted." Xiao Ding was the most excited: "Exactly! That old bastard Bian—I've been sick of his ugly mug for ages! Now that we're dumping him, we won't have to walk on eggshells around him ever again!" Old Shen was in charge of finances. Not knowing anything about combat or the differences in strength between fighters, he couldn't help but feel worried. "Xiao Nan, that Brother Chen looks very young. Can he handle it?" In truth, it wasn't just him; Old Cao and Sister Yun also felt a bit uneasy. After all, they knew nothing about Chen Chuan, whereas the fighter from Poison Ant Express was rumored to be exceptionally ferocious. Old Bian had repeatedly emphasized how powerful that man was, leaving a lingering shadow in their minds after all this time. Lan Xinnan, however, had absolute confidence in Chen Chuan. After all, she had watched the video recording of Chen Chuan fighting Wei Wusheng. Even though she was only at the Second Limit, as a fighter herself she could perceive the subtleties of combat, and she had her own yardstick of judgment. She spoke in an utterly certain tone: "Uncle Shen, Old Cao, Sister Yun—rest assured. Brother Chen will have no problem whatsoever. He can definitely handle that man from Poison Ant Express." "That's good, that's good then." Hearing her say this, though a trace of unease lingered, they felt considerably more at ease. Once Lan Xinnan finished conferring with everyone and carefully arranged the follow-up tasks, she walked over alone to an open area a distance away from the group and contacted Old Bian. From her boundary credential, the ringback tone of an antique opera played for a brief moment before the call connected. Old Bian's voice came through: "Xiao Nan, have you made up your minds? The other side reached out to me again. This situation is different from before—you'd better think carefully." Lan Xinnan replied, "Uncle Bian, we've talked it over. This matter might end up dragging you into a fight to the death with the other fighter, and we really can't bring ourselves to impose on you like that. So we've decided not to trouble you, Uncle Bian; we'll handle it ourselves." "...Xiao Nan, if you feel an extra twenty percent is too steep, your Uncle Bian can find a way to lower it a bit out of past regard..." Lan Xinnan said with solemn sincerity, "No, we can't let you get the short end of the stick, Uncle Bian. You were right earlier: if not for old sentiment, you could go anywhere you pleased, with no need to waste your time on juniors like us. "Uncle Bian, we've truly been holding you back all this time. Now we've thought it through—we will deal with our own affairs ourselves, so we won't trouble you any longer." "..." Silence answered from the other end, followed by the termination of the call. Lan Xinnan ended the transmission, turned briskly around, and walked back with firm strides toward the pool of headlights where the convoy was gathered. On the other side of the boundary credential, Uncle Bian sat with a dark scowl. In appearance, he looked like a man in his fifties, though his actual age was already sixty-nine. Beneath his slightly slackened skin, however, powerful muscles remained tightly packed. He let out a cold sneer. "Think you can kick me out? It won't be that easy!"