A group of people felt ashamed by what Tang Yumeng had said.

"Of course, I'm not saying I don't care about you," Tang Yumeng smiled, "but you all still need some training. When you can reach the level of maturity and steadiness like Director Zhang, then you will be able to advance."

When Tang Yumeng spoke, she seemed to have a whole set of rhetoric. First, she harshly criticized them, then advised them, and finally encouraged them. In short, after her speech, not only did they dare not act rashly, but they were also thoroughly convinced by Tang Yumeng. No one dared to utter a single word of dissent.

............

With Song Ming gone, Jiangbei City completely became Tang Yumeng's domain; with Qin Dalei fleeing, the city's underworld completely became Lin Chuan's realm. One ruling the clear path, the other the dark, both reveling in their success.

Jiangbei City had undergone such an earth-shattering transformation, yet ordinary citizens were entirely unaware of these changes. Life for them was just the essentials of rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea; as long as prices didn't rise and the officials were empathetic, everything was enough. Whomsoever held office was of no concern to them.

The weather was gradually cooling, and the leaves of the French sycamore trees lining Jiangbei City's streets slowly fell, scattering golden leaves everywhere.

Many people had already added a long coat, and they were taking pictures and playing under the beautiful fallen sycamore leaves.

Lin Chuan walked alone on the long street, feeling lonely and desolate. He stopped, hands in his pockets, staring straight ahead. Not far away, an elderly woman wearing a reflective vest, with "Jiangbei Sanitation" written on the back and chest of her vest, was holding a broom and dustpan. Step by step, she walked forward, meticulously sweeping the leaves into piles with each step she took.

"Mom!" Suddenly, Lin Chuan felt an illusion. That gray-haired elder somehow seemed just like his mother.

Previously, Lin Chuan's mother was responsible for sanitation on this very street, the two hundred meters of distance being her domain. Now his mother was gone, and the Sanitation Bureau had sent a new worker to clean the area.

In a daze, Lin Chuan looked at that figure, as if seeing his own mother.

"Young man, could you step aside?" the elderly woman spoke.

"Oh, yes." Lin Chuan hurriedly nodded.

After the daze, Lin Chuan realized the elderly woman before him was not his mother. However, her silhouette was so much like his mother that even after stepping aside, Lin Chuan was unwilling to leave, standing there and staring blankly at her.

The elderly woman felt strange too. Why was this young man continuously staring at her?

The elderly woman put down her broom and walked slowly towards Lin Chuan, asking, "Young man, why are you staring at me? Is something the matter?"

"Auntie, you look so much like my mom," Lin Chuan replied with an awkward smile.

"Really?" The elderly woman paused, "I'd like to see your mom then. Is there really someone who resembles me that much in this world?"

"You can't." Lin Chuan sighed, "I'm not filial; I made my mom suffer so much, and in the end, she left this world."

"Young man, don't be sad," the elderly woman consoled, "Everyone has their fate. Fate is determined by the heavens. In everyone's life, there are countless trials, and maybe there's a hurdle they can't pass, and they leave."

"Auntie, my mom used to sweep this very street." Lin Chuan's eyes reddened.

"Oh, was it her?" The elderly woman chuckled, "You must be Chuanzi!"

"Yes!" Lin Chuan nodded.

"I've heard about your mother's situation," the elderly woman touched Lin Chuan's face, "It indeed was tragic. But it's all fate. However, for her to have a son like you, she must have been content. Your mom endured a lot in her lifetime, but at least she didn't leave in resentment."

"Thank you, Auntie." Lin Chuan looked at her earnestly.

"Child, go do what you need to do," the elderly woman smiled, "Everyone has their duties in this world. Like me, I sweep this street clean daily, providing the passersby with a clean environment, a tidy world, right?"

"Right!" Lin Chuan nodded.

After speaking, the elderly woman walked away slowly, picked up the broom from the ground, and continued to sweep. Lin Chuan watched her back, realizing that this elderly woman was indeed extraordinary, possessing such awareness and thoughts. Little did he know, this elderly woman was once a teacher who, after retiring, took up the role of a sanitation worker at the Sanitation Bureau. She said, when she was young she educated people with a pen, and after retiring, she used her hands to clean the world.

Lin Chuan showed a touch of profound respect on his face. There weren't many elderly people like her left in this world.

............

In a blink, Lin Chuan found himself at the end of November.

The golden autumn brought falling leaves with the autumn wind. The transportation market under Sichuan University Group entered autumn with the weather, and soon would shift into winter. In the second half of the year, property developers faced pressure to settle accounts, leading to a decrease in demand for sand, and the real estate decoration largely ceased too. Thus, the sand market gradually chilled, entering a winter phase. The sales at sand quarries gradually entered a cold period.

Zhou Kai and the others gradually withdrew from the sand market, leaving a small number of people working in the transportation market, while most of the personnel were reassigned to Sichuan Restaurant, Haiqing Pool, Sichuan University Real Estate Company...

Now, the Sichuan University Group had expanded significantly, with Lin Chuan having hundreds of brothers under his command, all appropriately arranged, with each person receiving a position at Sichuan University Group.

At the headquarters of Sichuan University Group, Zhou Rui was busy working on the planning documents for the next year. Zhou Rui was instrumental in Sichuan University Group reaching its current status.

But there was someone who had been silently watching Zhou Rui the entire time. He was Fang Zicheng.

Fang Zicheng, chairman of Glory Group, was determined to pursue Zhou Rui. Initially, he thought that by breaking off the sand supply business with Feixiang Company, he could force Zhou Rui to change her mind; even if she didn't, she would eventually have to return to him to negotiate and continue cooperation. However, Zhou Rui not only didn't plead with him, she didn't even approach him to discuss the breach of contract. Nonetheless, Fang Zicheng felt a bit dissatisfied.

He's been holding onto this frustration, just waiting for Zhou Rui to return to him. Later, he discovered that after Feixiang Company stopped providing him with sand, Zhou Rui delivered all the sand to Changlin Factory, sending it to the construction sites in advance. Initially puzzled, after checking into it, he was astounded to find that Feixiang Company had actually established a Sichuan University Group. Moreover, they were planning to enter the real estate industry, which shocked Fang Zicheng.

"Mr. Fang, Sichuan University Group plans to enter the real estate industry. This isn't a small matter," the secretary urgently reminded him, "They might become our largest competitor in the future."

"Hmm!" Fang Zicheng nodded, "It seems we need to have a good talk with them."

"Talk about what?" the secretary asked, confused.

"We can't allow them to continue expanding," Fang Zicheng frowned, "Their business has already grown considerably, and it's said that Sichuan University Group's current valuation has reached ten billion."

"Wow!" The secretary was shocked.

Fang Zicheng nodded slightly, "In just two short years, they've reached a market value of ten billion. If allowed twenty years, wouldn't they become a leading enterprise? Moreover, they started from scratch, with no assistance, yet they could grow to this level, it's truly admirable."

The secretary paused, smiling, "Then we should find a way to cut off their financial channels."

"Yes!" Fang Zicheng nodded, "Sichuan University Group's rate of development is indeed frightening."

At that moment, a man in a black suit rushed in from outside. Once inside, he hurriedly leaned over to Fang Zicheng's ear and whispered, "Mr. Fang, I've just received bad news."

"What news?" Fang Zicheng asked, puzzled.

"I've heard Lin Chuan personally led a group to seize Qin Han Restaurant, driving Qin Dalei out of the country, and then renamed Qin Han Restaurant to Sichuan Restaurant," the suit-wearing man frowned and said, "This should serve as a wake-up call for us."

"It appears Lin Chuan indeed has some skill," Fang Zicheng narrowed his eyes, "I never considered him before, but now he's reached such a surprising level that even Mr. Qin was frightened away? This... it's puzzling."

The suit-wearing man nodded slightly, "It's said that now the underworld of Jiangbei City is entirely under Lin Chuan's control."

Bang!

Fang Zicheng slammed his fist on the table, irritably saying, "Damn it, he's succeeded now. I should've killed him back then and been done with it. Now look, this kid has become the emperor of the underworld. I can't figure out how Northeast Tiger and Qin Dalei ended up in this situation."

"Northeast Tiger was killed by Lin Chuan," the suit-wearing man hurriedly said.

Hiss...

Fang Zicheng drew a sharp breath.

"Even Song Hao, son of Deputy Secretary Song, was killed by Lin Chuan," the suit-wearing man continued.

"What?!" Fang Zicheng was shocked, exclaiming, "What's happening? Such significant events have occurred in Jiangbei City, yet I'm unaware?"

"Sir, weren't you abroad?" the suit-wearing man said awkwardly.

"These major events, and I'm oblivious," Fang Zicheng found it hard to believe.

"Sir, what should we do now?" the suit-wearing man anxiously asked.

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