The initial team

Early the next morning, inside Mingyuan Trading Company, Bai Hongbo furtively eyed the young beauties around the work area and whispered to Su Tianyu, "Bro, you've got a pretty nice work environment here. Every girl I can see is two-hundred-bucks-a-session quality."

"Stop acting like a horny poodle. Show some dignity," Su Tianyu snapped over his shoulder.

"Those two at reception are really something...!" Bai Hongbo had simple interests in life: "reading" and women.

"Wait here. I'll go say hello to the boss first." Su Tianyu brought Bai Hongbo to the office door and gave him a quiet instruction.

"Sure, go ahead." Bai Hongbo nodded and sat down in an empty seat beside the door.

Su Tianyu pushed open the door to Yu Mingyuan's office and walked in with a smile. "Good morning, boss!"

"Heh, you're here early!" Yu Mingyuan replied with a smile.

Outside, Bai Hongbo watched the female secretary putting on her makeup and asked with a toothy grin, "Hey, haven't we met somewhere before? You look kind of familiar."

"You are...?" The secretary looked puzzled.

"You really don't remember me? Think a little harder...!" Bai Hongbo crossed his legs and smoothly struck up a conversation with her.

Inside the office.

Su Tianyu sat down in a chair and said quietly, "Mingyuan, I talked it over with my second uncle last night. He's pretty interested too."

"That's great." Yu Mingyuan took a sip of tea. "Let's give it a shot together."

"Yeah. My second uncle wants us to work with the company for a while first and see how easy this business is to get into. If things go smoothly, he'll find ways to expand the sales channels later." Su Tianyu added quietly, "But let's be clear up front: this has to stay within the legal boundaries. You know we're all small-time families... if something goes wrong, we can't afford to take the hit."

Yu Mingyuan immediately pulled a special authorization from the trade department out of his desk. "Bro, this really isn't smuggling. We've got written approval; we just can't do it openly! Say you're both selling cigarettes, but most people pay ten bucks in tax while you pay two. Of course people are going to get jealous."

"Okay, then there's no problem." Su Tianyu nodded at once.

Yu Mingyuan put the authorization away and replied quietly, "The goods can come in anytime. If everything's settled, get some people together and we'll try a couple of shipments first."

"Sure," Su Tianyu agreed readily. "Let's give it a go."

"All right, here's what we'll do. I'll have Linda go shopping this afternoon and get you some equipment. Once the goods are nearly here, you can take the first shipment." Yu Mingyuan thought for a moment. "For the first run, let's just use people from your Su Family."

Su Tianyu rubbed his palms together and deliberately edged his chair closer to Yu Mingyuan. "Mingyuan, there's one more thing."

"Go ahead."

"I'm pretty close with Bai Hongbo from the Bai Family. They want in too. Could you save him a spot?" Su Tianyu asked directly.

Yu Mingyuan paused, then replied with a slight frown, "We haven't even started yet. Won't having too many people make things complicated? The operation won't be that big at first. Bringing in another family might spread the profits too thin."

"The Bai Family has a chamber of commerce behind them. If they join us, they'll be a big help with distribution and sales later," Su Tianyu said quietly. "Besides, Bai Hongbo really is a good friend of mine. Heh, back at Fortune House, he even took a beating for me."

Yu Mingyuan thought for a moment. "Is Bai Hongbo running things for the Bai Family now?"

"Yeah. His dad hasn't been in good health since getting out, so he pretty much leaves the company alone now. Hongbo's the one leading the family members in running it." Su Tianyu nodded. "Basically, he'll be taking over."

Yu Mingyuan fell into thought.

"Bai Hongbo's a genuine guy, and he wears his heart on his sleeve. After his dad got out, he wanted to have a chat with your father too, but he never had a chance to meet him," Su Tianyu added. "This would be a good opportunity for him to come pay his respects and get some backing."

Yu Mingyuan turned to Su Tianyu. "Heh, you make everything sound like a song. Fucking music to my ears."

"I've always had a talent for music."

"Did you bring him here?"

"Yeah, he's right outside."

"All right, call him in for a chat," Yu Mingyuan said with a nod.

Su Tianyu immediately smiled and stood up. He walked out of the office, only to look up and find Bai Hongbo and Linda enthusiastically discussing cosmetics. "Quit chatting. Don't you know what you're here for? Fuck, get in here!"

Bai Hongbo stood with a smile and said to Linda, "We'll talk later, sweetheart!"

The two went inside together, and Su Tianyu drew Bai Hongbo forward to introduce him to Yu Mingyuan. "Mingyuan, this is my good buddy, Bai Hongbo."

"Have a seat, heh!" Yu Mingyuan greeted him with a nod.

With that, Bai Hongbo sat down and began discussing things with Yu Mingyuan in depth.

In fact, Yu Mingyuan had left the Bai Family out this time for two reasons. First, the chamber of commerce behind the Bai Family had a complicated background too, so the Yu Family hadn't been particularly interested in recruiting them initially. Second, the business the Yu Family was planning hadn't properly started yet. There was no need to bring so many people aboard, since they didn't need that much manpower, and it would dilute the profits.

But with Su Tianyu making the connection and Bai Hongbo willing to come pay his respects, Yu Mingyuan didn't turn him away. And so, the initial team for the business took shape for the time being.

The Yu Family would handle procurement and the initial sales once the goods arrived. Tang Baiqing from the coast guard would manage local connections, while the Su, Bai, and Kong families would provide the legwork, store the goods, and handle deliveries and sales.

Once the arrangements were settled, the initial operations went onto the agenda. After Su Tianyu and Bai Hongbo left, Yu Mingyuan instructed Linda to start buying the necessary equipment.

In the car downstairs from Mingyuan Trading Company, Bai Hongbo grinned at Su Tianyu. "Bro, thanks for this."

"Let's skip the thanks. How about something tangible?" Su Tianyu asked.

"Fuck, you give me your trust, I'll give you my life!" Bai Hongbo replied generously. "Something tangible? Tell me, who do you want to fuck?"

Su Tianyu was speechless. "Could you be a little more civilized?"

"This is me getting back to basics. No pretending." Bai Hongbo started the car. "Tell me, what do you want?"

"Could you lend me some money?" Su Tianyu asked.

"Huh?"

"A girl from the Yu Family had her car smashed up because of me. I promised I'd get it fixed, but I haven't had the time," Su Tianyu said helplessly. "It's been almost two months now. Lend me some money so I can get it repaired."

"You... still don't have any money? Aren't you the general manager's assistant?"

"I haven't even been working for a month, bro!" Su Tianyu really didn't have much money. Although he'd taken part in combat while at school and received some allowance for it, he'd lent that money to friends. After returning to Dragon City, he'd been too embarrassed to ask his second uncle's family to cover his everyday expenses, so his pockets had been empty lately.

"How much?" Bai Hongbo asked.

"A little over three thousand."

"Oh, I've got enough on me. Let's go. I'll come with you." Bai Hongbo readily agreed.

"I'll pay you back when I get my salary!"

"No need. You did me a favor, so consider this my treat."

"...You're that generous?"

"Money doesn't mean shit. You can't bring it into this world, and you can't take it with you when you die." On that point, Bai Hongbo really did sound a little like a man of learning. "Let's go."

Five minutes later.

At the gates of Dragon City Minzu University, three pretty young women were walking side by side.

Ring, ring!

A phone rang, and the beauty in the middle answered hers. "Hello!"

"An Qiqi? Do you have some time? Let's sort out the car."

"...Oh, it's you!"