The journey began here

After a family dinner, the Su Family had effectively pledged themselves to someone in the Management Council's upper ranks and secured a backer for the time being. Whether that backer was reliable remained to be seen; they would need more time together and more observation.

With the anti-smuggling case behind them, the companies run by the Su, Liu, Bai, and Kong Families in Zhannan District had long since returned to normal and buckled down to work. Second Uncle, Su Tiannan, Su Tianbei, Third Sister, and the others had all resumed their usual routines and gotten busy again.

Su Tianyu had no job for the moment, and this year's application period for public-sector positions had ended while he was recovering from his injuries. After two days at home, he was bored out of his skull. He spent most of his time either reading or hanging out with Da Xiong.

For the past two days, Da Xiong had come to the Su Family home every evening after work. Whenever he had time, he also took Su Tianyu around Dragon City, showing him famous tourist attractions, street-food strips, and the like.

Su Tianyu knew perfectly well that Da Xiong's daily visits to the Su Family home were really about getting a few more looks at Third Sister's stocking-clad legs, with befriending him as a side benefit.

Over those two days, Su Zhengcai had also been watching Tianyu. He had assumed the kid would figure things out himself, but after seeing him do nothing for two days, the old man finally lost patience.

That Friday, after dinner, Su Zhengcai sat smoking under the pavilion at home. He glanced sideways at Su Tianyu and asked, "Six, have you given that matter any thought?"

Su Tianyu grinned and deliberately asked, "What matter?"

"Quit playing dumb. Are you going to work for the Yu Family or not?!" Su Zhengcai asked bluntly.

Su Tianyu scratched his head. "Honestly, I don't really want to work for a private company."

"Are you missing a few screws? Yu Jinrong holds a deputy-director-level post, and I hear he was transferred here from District One. A man like that has serious connections. Spend a year working under him and do a good job, and he can give you a huge leg up when you apply for a public-sector position next year," Su Zhengcai said with a frown.

Su Tianyu paused, then asked, "If he does me a favor that big, how am I supposed to repay it?"

Su Zhengcai froze for a moment. "Oh, so you've already thought this through, have you?"

"I can pass the exam on my own," Su Tianyu said confidently. "But if I owe Yu Jinrong that big a favor before I even start working, then whichever department I join afterward, I'll be under the Yu Family's influence."

Su Zhengcai considered that for a long while. "You're just like your dad. You always think three moves ahead. But you need to understand that a lot of the time, before you've even made your first move, how can you know whether you'll get the chance to make a second or a third?"

Su Tianyu blinked and looked at Second Uncle in surprise.

"When you apply for public-sector work, landing a good position and a good backer puts you ahead of everyone else right from the start. You might be capable, but what good does that do if nobody appreciates you?" Su Zhengcai said bluntly. "Suppose you pass the civil service exam, and when assignments come out, they dump you out at sea to measure salinity. Or they send you to the Women's Association to shoot the shit with a bunch of old ladies every day... What second or third move would you have left then? You'd be on your last move already-waiting to die!"

"You know, Second Uncle, you actually make a pretty good point."

"I've eaten more fucking salt than you've eaten rice," Su Zhengcai said with a yawn. "Son, we need to be practical about life. Grab the opportunity in front of you, and you'll get more opportunities down the road."

"Right." Su Tianyu was someone who could take other people's advice. After considering it for a while, he said, "All right, I know what to do, Second Uncle."

"And personally, I think Yu Jinrong inviting you to work for his family right there at the dinner table was a little abrupt." Su Zhengcai took a deep drag on his cigarette, a crafty look in his eyes. "Dog Six, once you get to his company, he might have some other assignment waiting for you."

"Second Uncle, you really are a cunning old fox!"

"Who the fuck do you think you're talking to?" Second Uncle glared at him.

"I've thought about what you just said." Su Tianyu paused. "That's part of why I've been hesitating."

"What have you got?" Su Zhengcai asked.

Su Tianyu blinked and grinned.

"Feel around in your pockets. Not a single coin. Feel around in your crotch. You're so broke that all you've got left is your dick, and you're barely stocked on pubes. What have you got to hesitate about?"

"Now that's clarity!" Su Tianyu said, giving him a thumbs-up.

"Then that settles it." Su Zhengcai stood up and clasped his hands behind his back. "I'm going to rest."

He had barely finished speaking when Da Xiong lumbered in through the gate like a big bear and called, "B-Brother Xiao Yu... h-have you... eaten?"

"Heh, not yet." Su Tianyu turned around.

Just as Da Xiong came in, Bai Hongbo entered through the gate too, holding his car keys. "Tianyu, buddy, come on. Let me take you out for a spin!"

Bai Hongbo had also visited twice over the past two days. His family's company was drawing up new contracts for its temporary workers, and he had heard that Su Tianyu was the one who had suggested how Su Tiannan could quickly calm his workers down. Lately, the guy had been coming over whenever he could to pick his brain, and he had gotten pretty close to Dog Six.

Su Zhengcai looked at Su Tianyu's two friends, frowned, and sighed. "Fucking hell. Hanging around these two every day-how can anything good come of that?!"

Bai Hongbo looked up at Su Zhengcai and joked tactlessly, "Uncle, you've been doing all right lately, haven't you? My dad's been a bit weak since he got back, always sweating. I just got him some deer penis to build him up. I'll bring you one sometime."

"Let your dad suck on it. I don't eat that stuff." Su Zhengcai couldn't be bothered talking to Bai Hongbo. He turned and went back to his room in the main house.

Bai Hongbo sat down and pulled a contract out of his bag. "Here, take another look at this template for me."

Su Tianyu smiled, reached out to take the template, and began reading it.

The rest of the night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, Su Tianyu got up and ran three laps. After washing up, he put on a suit Third Sister had bought him, sat on the bed, and dialed the number on the business card.

"Hello!"

"Is this Mr. Yu Mingyuan?" Su Tianyu asked.

"Yes. Who's this...?"

"Oh, I'm Su Tianyu from the Su Family. Before-"

"Oh, right, right, my dad told me about you," Yu Mingyuan replied warmly. "Recruited straight by the boss-BOSS Zhipin style, huh!"

"Heh, we chatted a little that day."

"I'm at the office. Come straight over. I'll send you the address," Yu Mingyuan said readily. "Once you get here, just have someone downstairs bring you to my office."

"All right, all right. Sorry for the trouble."

"No problem. We'll talk when you get here."

"All right, then."

With that, the two ended the call.

Su Tianyu stood in front of the mirror and carefully straightened his clothes, then turned and left without hesitation.

Outside, the sun shone brightly and a warm breeze blew. Su Tianyu strode toward the taxi at the end of the street.

That day marked Su Tianyu's true arrival in Dragon City and the beginning of a new chapter in his life.

A momentous era was rolling toward them.