Chapter 173 Fragmented

and conditions. Enterprises and giants known in later generations led armies to rise.These individuals might become his powerful enemies, leading their forces to erode his territory, potentially enga...Chapter 173: Shattered

Tian Tian had managed to gather all these people who were willing to stand by her through thick and thin today. Among them were Zhang Xi, Chen Yining, who was known as the school beauty during their high school, even college years, and her friends Yang Jiaqian and Gu Shurang. Even Gu Shurang's usually homebound civil servant husband, who spent most of his time playing games, had been roused by this matter involving Xu Dong. Today he had personally driven everyone over to see the outsider Su Can, who could stir up the highest echelons of Huancheng’s environmental protection department.

Everyone present was relatively close to Tian Tian. Compared to Xu Dong's group who were now quite indifferent towards Su Can, they felt more comfortable talking with these people and working together to solve the problem.

Their original intention had been to first go to Tian Tian’s place, then call over Su Can for mediation. Although Su Licheng came to Huancheng as a vice mayor, Xu Dong still had his father, Xu Changcheng. The situation arising from their confrontation wasn’t something anyone wanted to see, let alone Xu Dong.

Of course, when they met with Su Can later on, it wouldn't be an outright condemnation either. After all, who didn’t know how powerful the son of Mayor Su was Didn’t beating Xu Changcheng's son until he cried count as a major feat This kind of classic incident would likely circulate in Huancheng for two or three years and become enduring.

However, inviting Su Can for mediation also had an air of hostility. Everyone simply thought that Su Can genuinely disliked Xu Dong—or perhaps more deeply considered, Su Can might be planning to establish his father's authority by finding Xu Dong’s weaknesses. But at this point, things could easily escalate into a no-holds-barred battle. At this juncture, everyone needed to calm down and each take a step back for the situation to possibly turn in their favor.

Yet, Tian Tian was still Xu Dong's fiancée. Before coming here, they had repeatedly emphasized to her that she must prioritize the big picture and not lash out at Su Can when they met; otherwise, things could spiral out of control. This outsider who didn’t even care about Xu Dong or his father would become an enemy no one wanted to face. Even Xu Dong, who was qualified in every way, ended up detained after being beaten. They all felt that it might be best for them to act according to the situation.

However, Tian Tian couldn’t reveal her true thoughts. Initially hearing about Xu Dong's predicament had left her shaken and conflicted. On one hand, everyone around believed she would ultimately end up with Xu Dong, so perhaps displaying anger was normal Thankfully, this incident didn't affect her dignity or make her feel the need to get angry; in fact, there was a sense of... calm.

Perhaps what worried her most was that Su Can's conflict with Xu Dong and Xu Dong’s subsequent detention signaled that she might never be able to integrate into their circle again. She could no longer have those daily morning runs or any other plans for the future.

Even if some people didn’t have close ties with Xu Dong, they still had to distance themselves from Su Can at this juncture; otherwise, others might exclude them and prevent them from rejoining their circle.

Hence, Tian Tian was somewhat frustrated because all the long-term plans she had envisioned—like her daily morning runs—might now be impossible to realize anymore.

However, everyone clearly did not expect that the duo they had imagined to be a pair that some people with unusual sexual orientations would fantasize about—Su Cen and Li Pengyu—was actually a group... of four individuals.

The sudden appearance of Lin Luoran and Tang Xiaowu left them taken aback, unable to react in time.

Perhaps because the two women were so outstanding that even Zhang Xi, who had been closely monitoring Su Cen's recent activities, initially ignored him. She subconsciously thought these ladies must be famous models. However, if they were models, there was Chen Yining, a classmate of Su Cen’s who had always been regarded as the school beauty and currently worked as a model. But clearly, when faced with the two women, she showed an unusual unease—something natural for a woman to feel when confronted by someone more dangerous and attractive than herself.

Many people anxiously looked at Tian Tian, worried that she would lose control and make things worse due to her impulsive nature. After all, Su Cen had hung up on her five times today, leaving her furious earlier.

Su Cen scratched his head, realizing he couldn't avoid the confrontation any longer. Before anyone else could try to stop her, Tian Tian walked up to him.

Standing about 5'6" tall, she was a good foot shorter than Su Cen. She usually had an elegant figure and prominent demeanor but compared to Tang Wǔ (around 5'7") and Lin Luoran, she seemed unremarkable. Under this invisible pressure, Tian Tian acted as if she hadn't noticed anything. Instead of the expected confrontation, she smiled slightly, "I called you many times today, maybe you didn’t hear me. You haven’t answered once. Are you planning to go out"

Su Cen tried to discern something unusual from her abnormal calmness and nodded, “My stomach is growling; I’m going out for some food.”

“So it seems we’re all hungry at the same time. Why don’t we go together I’ll treat everyone”

Tian Tian’s friends were watching her with wide eyes, surprised that she didn't react as they had imagined and instead displayed a side of herself they'd never seen before. Moreover, since they’d already eaten a big meal earlier, their stomachs were full.

Under the increasingly puzzled looks from Tang Wǔ and Lin Luoran, Su Cen found it impossible to refuse and nodded reluctantly. As Tian Tian turned away, Lin Luoran glanced at Su Cen and said, “It seems you've made some pretty good friends in Huángchéng; she’s very pretty.”

Turning around from her position ahead, Tian Tian looked at Lin Luoran and replied, "Thank you. You're not bad either." She then joined her friends standing by the car with a rather expressionless face.

Lin Luoran was initially taken aback, then she smiled and leaned over to Su Can's ear, saying, "This girl is quite genuine. I like her."

Su Can shot her a look, "You're not a man... So what if you like her" He was actually thinking of ways to handle the situation.

The group went to an alley behind the commercial center on the city's pedestrian street for barbecue.

They squeezed two wide tables and sat down. However, they kept their distance from each other. One table was occupied by Tian Tian and his gang, with Su Can and Gu Shurán at one end, Zhang Xi next to Li Pengyu at the other end. Nonetheless, it wasn't too awkward since everyone was an adult and didn't easily fall silent. Gu Shurán's husband was clearly a frequent visitor here—usually engaging in various corrupt activities through his department’s social connections.

They ordered several signature dishes from the barbecue stall: stir-fried crayfish, spicy pot crawler crabs, barbecued ribs, steamed scallops, and sea cucumber soup with crab roe. The food looked very appetizing.

Gu Shurán was surprised to see her usually reticent husband talking endlessly and eloquently, though he didn't look like a lecherous rogue staring at girls as if he'd never seen them before. Still, she felt uneasy, thinking that his long-repressed sense of humor and linguistic skills were now blooming like flowers. If not for the sake of saving face for her husband's masculinity, she would have liked to grab his ears In front of Tang Wu and Lin Luoran, she was extremely uncomfortable.

Zhang Xi suddenly felt depressed; usually lively, she now remained unusually quiet, nodding and saying "oh" when others spoke to her. She occasionally glanced at the two girls, then at Su Can, with a mournful gaze that pained the heart. As a result, Tang Wu and Lin Luoran kept looking at Zhang Xi more often, making Su Can want to say, "Why are you staring at me I haven't done anything."

Along the way, Tian Tian subtly inquired about the origins of Tang Wu and Lin Luoran. Tang Wu said, "We drove from Rongcheng; we only arrived yesterday..."

This made the voices around Tian Tian lower as they looked at the two girls. Although they had guessed before, now that it was confirmed, the whole process and outline of events had been pieced together in their minds.

Xu Dong was detained for deliberately blocking another car to cause an accident. According to a friend who was taken away with Xu Dong, they were trying to flag down a vehicle when Xu Dong intentionally blocked the other party, leading to the collision. When Su Can arrived, he witnessed this situation... It seemed that things had escalated immediately.

"Su Can, brother, I call you brother since I'm older than you. Listen to me: Xu Dong has always been quite brash and arrogant; we all know that. You're new here and don't like him, which we understand. Honestly, if it weren't for mutual acquaintanceship and camaraderie, who could tolerate his temper But now the situation is what it is—he's injured and arrested. He probably hasn’t endured such hardships since childhood. Considering the current circumstances, I suggest that this matter be left alone..." Gu Shuyao’s husband finally spoke up; this was their original intention. If Su Can wanted to establish authority, Xu Dong had conveniently run afoul of him. Given his previous arrogance, now being brought low should achieve Su Can's goal, and Xu Changcheng would likely submit. This wasn't a matter of life or death.

"If you put it that way, I won’t drink this cup," Su Can smiled and set down his glass, saying, "The one arresting him is the head of the provincial inspection team. Do you really think I can influence someone at the provincial level He broke the law; how he’s handled isn't something I or even my father can interfere with."

All fell silent, seeming to realize that the true situation was not as simple as they had anticipated. Su Cen's real intentions might not be merely about establishing authority or suppressing Xu Dong to make Su Licheng more resolute in his ambitions. If they thought further ahead, everyone sensed a vague possibility that was shocking and terrifying. In fact, at this tense moment when Fengcheng was on edge in all aspects, an offhand remark from Su Cen could potentially allow someone with ulterior motives to draw larger conclusions.

Of course, some of these people might have vaguely guessed the greater purpose behind Su Cen and Su Licheng's actions, which could stir up a storm of personnel changes in Fengcheng. However, at this moment, Xu Changcheng and Zhou Zhaofeng were still unaware and on guard against such possibilities; they were focused solely on mobilizing all available resources to bail out Xu Dong.

"Will Xu Dong face severe punishment" When everyone was lost in thought, Tian Tian raised her head and asked Su Cen, "The warning you gave over the phone yesterday—does it mean that you already know what might happen."

"I don't know what so-called answers there are. I just think a person who disregards life and doesn't understand respect isn’t someone worth relying on as an ideal partner. If Xu Dong hadn't had this incident, his unchecked arrogance would have led to trouble sooner or later. This isn't about probability or luck; it's inevitable."

Someone nearby whispered in Xu Dong’s defense, "Xu Dong is indeed reckless... but that doesn’t mean he disregards life entirely, right That's too severe..." After all, Tian Tian was already at the engagement stage with Xu Dong, and everyone around them naturally didn't want to see a regrettable outcome for such an enviable couple. Thus, they spoke up to defend him.

However, Tian Tian seemed not at all concerned about this issue or defending her potential future partner; it appeared irrelevant now. Her gaze swept over Tang Lin and the two girls before fixating on Su Cen, somewhat dazedly asking, "Yesterday when you couldn't make the camping trip, you said you were picking up Tang Wu and Lin Luoran..."

Su Cen nodded, "Yes, I mentioned picking up my wife. You're not the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection; there's no need for a detailed report."

The sound of shattering glass echoed as Zhang Xi’s wineglass fell and broke.

Tian Tian felt that her twenty-three years of calm, clear life was suddenly shattered by this moment of vain hope.

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