Chapter 121: When Narrow Paths Meet, the Brave Prevail

The Tianxin District project came to an abrupt halt. Within half a day, the news had dominated every major headline across Jiangcheng.

While some people reacted with indifference—viewing this as a predictable outcome—others were consumed by extreme rage. This complication had never been part of the original plan, and naturally, no one could easily accept such a turn of events.

"Everything was going so well. The Tianxin District project was guaranteed to succeed," someone complained. "They had mobilized so much manpower, and yet, who could have imagined it would just stop like this?"

"I heard that someone is working behind the scenes to pressure the Qin family, trying to stop them from developing the Tianxin District project. That’s why things have turned out this way."

Such rumors quickly became the prevailing narrative. Gradually, more and more people realized just how perilous the Qin family’s position had become.

Meanwhile, at the Leng family estate, Leng Tianyi smiled as he looked at the few men gathered before him.

"I’ve just verified it. The Tianxin District project has stalled. Without a supply of materials, they can’t break ground at all," he said. "Lin Li previously made bold promises to others, guaranteeing that the construction would be completed within the specified deadline. Now that he realizes it’s impossible, he will inevitably have to bring in other parties to collaborate."

Ultimately, Jiangcheng remained under the control of the Four Great Families. Once the logistics suppliers who had been working with Lin Li realized they were expected to join in suppressing him, they immediately aligned themselves with the Four Great Families. After all, while the Qin family possessed considerable strength, they still lacked the necessary foundation. The Four Great Families were the true elite of Jiangcheng; to reject them was to court oblivion.

"Now, we just wait for Lin Li to call and beg us. Surely the kid has enough sense to understand what’s really going on," one of the men said, and they all burst into loud laughter, brimming with confidence.

Lin Li might have some talent, but it was clearly not enough to counter their tactics.

Ning Rusheng spoke up in a low voice, "What if Lin Li refuses to compromise and insists on his previous stance? What do we do then?"

At this, the expressions on the men's faces turned strange. If Lin Li were to do that, it would only prove that he had completely lost his mind. Why would he fight them to the bitter end when he had no chance of success?

"Lin Li is a smart man. He has his own calculations. I don't believe he would do anything so absurd," Leng Tianyi sneered, dismissing the possibility.

After all, they controlled the entire supply chain; Lin Li should be the one begging them.

...

Back at his office, Lin Li was playing the part perfectly. He had called the material suppliers, asking for clarification on the situation. These suppliers had long-standing ties with the Four Great Families and had signed priority supply contracts with them ages ago. Consequently, they were obligated to fulfill any order from the Four Great Families immediately. Because of this, Lin Li’s resources had been forcibly intercepted by the Four Great Families.

"So, if the Four Great Families want to strike, I have no way to fight back at all? It seems there really is no justice in this world," Lin Li remarked, his tone laced with disdain.

The person on the other end of the line sounded helpless. "Mr. Lin, you know how it is. We are small businesses. If we had a choice, we wouldn't want to take sides, but in the current climate, we have no other options."

They had their own futures to worry about, and Jiangcheng was, after all, under the thumb of the Four Great Families. Even if they wanted to cooperate with the Qin family, they had to consider if they had the capacity to do so.

Lin Li made several more calls, all yielding the same result. It appeared the Four Great Families had meticulously planned everything to ensure that Lin Li could not move forward. A clever housewife cannot cook without rice; without the necessary materials, the Tianxin District project had to be shelved.

The news reached Wang Qisheng, the official in charge of the Tianxin District, immediately. He called Lin Li at once to ask for the cause of the disruption, and Lin Li recounted the events without hesitation.

When Wang Qisheng heard that the Four Great Families were behind the sabotage, he fell silent. If it were just some minor troublemakers, they could easily handle it, but this time they were facing a behemoth. They knew all too well how powerful the Four Great Families were in Jiangcheng.

Because of this, he dared not believe he could face them head-on.

"So, all of this is the work of the Four Great Families. And we still don't know exactly what their endgame is," Wang Qisheng said, taking a deep breath. Regardless of how he had viewed the issue before, he had to admit that he had truly stumbled into a major problem.

"It’s actually quite simple. They just want a piece of the pie from the Tianxin District project," Lin Li replied. "It seems Mr. Wang is truly unable to deal with them now."

Wang Qisheng managed a bitter smile. The Four Great Families. The fact that they had existed in Jiangcheng for so many years was proof enough of their dominance.

"Mr. Lin, is there any other way to resolve this?"

Lin Li dismissed the idea outright. "The surrounding material suppliers have all been bought off. To ship materials from elsewhere would mean significantly higher costs. The Qin family is already under immense pressure; if our costs increase further, even with all our resources, we won't be able to sustain the drain. If the Tianxin District project stops here, I’d like to know what Mr. Wang plans to do."

While the Four Great Families were pressuring him, Lin Li’s goal was to pressure Wang Qisheng. Even if he knew Wang might not be able to do much, maintaining this stance was essential. Otherwise, the Four Great Families would become even more unscrupulous. Lin Li’s talents alone could not withstand their relentless onslaughts. To avoid such a fate, he had to act early to stall their momentum.

Wang Qisheng remained silent. Strike back? It seemed like a tall order. However, Lin Li was right: if the Tianxin District project failed, he would go down with it. They were in the same boat, a fact Wang Qisheng had been well aware of from the start.