The last time I came to Luoyang was in the dead of winter; in the blink of an eye, several months have passed.
Unlike when I first arrived in Luoyang and was unfamiliar with the place, this time Su Jiaming picked me up as soon as I got off the plane.
Although I've experienced a lot of violence and intrigue since I entered this industry, I still feel some resistance towards the Su family's white-glove workers who specialize in doing the dirty work. Perhaps it has a lot to do with the brutal first impression he left on me.
However, Su Jiaming was very enthusiastic towards me this time, personally bringing a convoy to pick me up at the airport.
As I sat in the van, looking at the lush green trees on both sides of the road, the scene of when Song Laosan and I first came here suddenly flashed into my mind, and I couldn't help but feel a little sad.
Seeing me staring blankly out the window, Su Jiaming couldn't help but ask, "Young Master Duan, this area is so desolate, what are you looking at?"
I snapped out of my reverie and gave a meaningful smile: "People say Luoyang is a riot of flowers, but I came here when spring had not come."
Su Jiaming scoffed, "Oh dear, you're so young, yet you're just like my older brother, so fond of all that literary stuff, as if you're afraid people won't know you've been to school!"
I laughed along: "You never went to school?"
"I stabbed a classmate in the second year of junior high school and was sent to a juvenile detention center. I haven't been back to school since."
Su Jiaming gestured with the "He Tianxia" in his hand: "Everyone says that going to school is the only way for poor people to turn their lives around, but look at me, aren't I living a life of luxury now?"
"Given the size of the Su family's business, what you said is indeed correct, but that doesn't mean that knowledge is useless, especially in the antique business, where the amount of knowledge you have is very important."
Seeing that Su Jiaming had lost all interest in what I had said, I didn't waste my breath and instead steered the conversation back on track: "Why did Master Liang insist on bringing me to Luoyang this time? What exactly is the problem with the business?"
A complex emotion flashed in Su Jiaming's eyes: "Don't even mention it. People from the south have come to talk to us. They say it's a negotiation, but it's really just a warning. Relations between the two sides are very strained. This negotiation is related to the expansion of our business, so we absolutely cannot be careless!"
My impression of Su Jiaming has always been that he is a reckless brute who is brave but lacks strategy. When faced with a problem, his first thought is always to solve it with force.
His anxious demeanor at this moment indicates that the other party's power must be comparable to that of the Su family, which is why Su Jialiang is wary of him.
This piqued my interest in those people: "What is the main contradiction in the conflict between the two sides?"
"It's all about profit! Everyone's risking their lives, it's all about money!"
Su Jiaming handed me a cigarette and leaned back in his chair: "Bronze ware forgery is the biggest piece of the antique market. Because the entry barrier is low, everyone wants a piece of the pie, which leads to fierce competition. Only the top teams can make big money. Currently, there are many bronze ware forgery gangs all over the country, but only a handful can do export trade. This time, a family from the south has come to us, with their base in Hubei."
After listening to Su Jiaming's explanation, I realized the seriousness of the matter.
As he said, there are many regions in China that produce counterfeit bronzes, but only Henan, Hubei and Shanxi provinces are truly famous and capable of producing bronzes in large quantities. Moreover, Shanxi's bronzes are mainly Buddhist statues, unlike Hubei and Henan which produce such a diverse range of items.
I took a deep drag on my cigarette, increasingly puzzled: "Master Liang has been working with bronze ware for so many years, always seeking stability. Why would he actively cross the line and compete with people from the south for territory? This isn't his style at all!"
"Don't even mention it, it's all because of the Qing family!"
Su Jiaming's chest heaved: "Since the two businesses merged, our profits have been cut in half, and the Qing family is also unwilling to accept the current scale of their business, so they proposed the idea of business expansion."
I scratched my head: "You mean, this trouble was caused by the Qing family?"
"Not really. The reason my older brother kept a low profile before was because he didn't have a strong backing. But the Qing family has been in business for so many years and has connections all over the world, which allows us to fully expand our distribution channels."
Su Jiaming paused for a moment: "In the past, we and that group from Hubei were clearly distinct, each with our own territory. However, the competition in the overseas market was quite fierce. They once snatched away several of our overseas sales lines. This time, the Qing family proposed to expand their business territory, and my elder brother agreed. The products made by the Su family are all top-notch. After flowing into the south, they seized a large share of the market, which aroused the other side's dissatisfaction."
I sat up straight: "When did this happen?"
"It's been going on for a while now, ever since you left Luoyang last time. As the source suppliers, every change in our supply lines is enough to trigger a series of conflicts of interest among the people. The lower-level managers have clashed over their interests, resulting in countless bloody conflicts and the deaths of many people. This matter has already attracted the attention of the police."
Su Jiaming stretched his neck: "Last month, the other side ambushed our delivery convoy. One of my most trusted men was hung from a tree by them. By the time I arrived, he had already been bitten to death by a poisonous snake! You know me, I can bleed but I can't suffer a loss! So I took my brothers over, raided several of their hideouts, and blew up two of their old pits."
I heard that the conflict between the two sides had escalated to this point, and I finally realized why Su Jialiang said that the business had encountered a major problem.
When Su Jialiang was fighting the Qing family, he once said that if they pushed him too far, he would work for nothing for a year and still use hundreds of millions of yuan in profits to fight the Qing family to the death.
The Su family is now facing a gang of similar size. If the two sides can't control this conflict, it will probably not be as simple as a dispute over supply lines. It could very well develop into this year's No. 1 case in the crackdown on organized crime.
Su Jiaming continued, “The conflict between the two sides escalated, and many of us were arrested by the police. My elder brother and the other side’s leader both knew that if this two tigers continued to fight, everyone would only suffer losses, allowing the Shanxi gang, which was not involved, to seize the market. So, after communication, the two sides decided to sit down and talk calmly! You can probably figure out what really happened, right?”
"The fact that they dared to come to Luoyang means they've at least made a statement."
I nodded slightly: "It's just that this matter is unlikely to be resolved through negotiation, or rather, if it could be resolved through negotiation, there wouldn't have been so much bloodshed!"
"Yes, the problem now is that the Qing family is unwilling to give up their expansion plans, and they also want us to take responsibility for the previous bloodshed and provide compensation."
Su Jiaming became agitated when the matter was brought up: "I don't want to think about these things. You can discuss it with my older brother and Qinghuai yourself when you see them!"
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