Chapter 299: Competitors, Ready for Battle

Chapter 299: Competitors, Ready for Battle

Bobei Station.

Deng Silong sat in the driver's seat of the large bus, watching the bustling station with a slight smile on his face.

He had every reason to be happy. Previously, he had been the top bachelor in Hengmenkou Village, living a life filled with despair, merely existing from day to day.

But now, he had successfully shed the title of "top bachelor" because he was married! Thinking about his beautiful wife, who was several years younger than him, filled Deng Silong with immense satisfaction. Such a woman was someone he never dared to dream about in the past.

But now, such a woman washed herself clean every day, waiting for him to come home and play the "human pyramid" game. Life was truly too comfortable.

Of course, saying she washed herself clean every day and waited for him to come home and play the game was an exaggeration. As a driver for one of the Guangzhou buses, it took Deng Silong about three days to make a round trip to Guangzhou and back. He could rest for one day every three days, so he and his wife only played the game a few times every three days.

It's worth mentioning that the company had arranged accommodation for the drivers and ticket sellers in both the county town and Guangdong.

Currently, the company was still in its early stages, so the accommodation conditions were not the best. They were renting buildings and converting them into dormitories. In Guangdong, they were shared dormitories, while in Bobei, those who were married stayed in single dormitories, and those who were not married stayed in shared dormitories, which worked out well.

Initially, Deng Silong stayed in a shared dormitory, but after he got married, he moved into a single dormitory with his wife.

Yesterday, Deng Silong played four rounds of the game with his wife in the dormitory, and this morning, he played one more round. Despite this, he still looked energetic. He was young, and the years of accumulated "ammunition" were plentiful, enough to last for a year or so without worry.

Just as Deng Silong was in a good mood, waiting for passengers to board and preparing to head to Guangzhou, he suddenly saw a Guangzhou bus drive into the station. He rubbed his eyes in surprise and, upon seeing clearly, couldn't help but swear, "Damn!"

The ticket seller, who was guiding passengers onto the bus, quickly asked, "Brother Long, what's wrong?"

Deng Silong didn't speak but pointed ahead with his hand.

The ticket seller followed his finger and, upon seeing the Guangzhou bus, instantly widened his eyes and also swore the same curse.

Not just the Guangzhou bus, but the other Guangdong buses parked at the station also stared intently at the newly arrived bus.

This Guangzhou bus was not one of their company's buses but a new addition, meaning a competitor had arrived.

Immediately, a prominent clan member ran out of the station and went to the opposite side to inform the general manager, Deng Changyu, at the Tenglong Passenger Transport Company.

Deng Changyu wasn't surprised by the news. Running a passenger transport business was so profitable that competitors would eventually appear. He had discussed this with Elder Nine, but the fact that a competitor had arrived so soon was slightly unexpected.

According to their judgment, competitors should not appear until next year.

However, with the competitor's early arrival, the company could no longer wait to bring back the ten new large buses. They needed to bring the buses back immediately to focus on eliminating this new competitor.

With this in mind, Deng Changyu calmly said, "I understand. Go back and continue monitoring the situation, gather information on their background."

The clan member responded and returned to the station.

Deng Changyu then began making phone calls. After the bank loan was secured, he had already pre-ordered the large buses. However, considering that it wasn't yet the Spring Festival travel rush and the current ten buses were sufficient to handle the passenger numbers, bringing the buses back too early would be a waste of resources.

But that was under normal circumstances. With a competitor now in the picture, they needed to quickly arrange for the buses to arrive to counter the opponent and prevent them from growing stronger.

After calling the bus factory, Deng Changyu also called the village committee to have the clan head informed of the situation.

...

Inside Bobei Station, the three Qin brothers got off the large bus with smiles on their faces and proceeded to handle the cooperation procedures with the station.

However, they soon came out, realizing that cooperating with the station wasn't as simple as paying a one-time fee. They had to pay a management fee every month and follow the station's route arrangements. This was not what they had in mind!

It would be better to wait for passengers outside the station, leaving whenever they wanted and setting their own ticket prices.

Thus, within ten minutes, the Guangzhou bus, which had drawn the attention of the entire station, drove out.

Seeing this, the Naye Deng clan's drivers and ticket sellers took the sudden appearance of the Guangzhou bus very seriously. Having run routes to Guangdong for so long, they knew that many individual operators did not cooperate with the station but still managed to attract passengers.

Even better, since they didn't have to pay the station management fees, they could sell their tickets slightly cheaper.

The only downside was that picking up passengers along the way made them look like a ragtag team, unlike the regular army that departed on time from the station.

Inside the station, the owners of other routes simply watched the commotion, as long as the new bus wasn't running the same route as theirs, it wasn't a direct competitor. No matter how many additional buses there were, it didn't affect them.

Deng Silong watched the Guangzhou bus, which was about to compete for passengers, leave. Seeing that the departure time was approaching, he stopped thinking about the competitor. After all, with Uncle Changyu, the college-educated general manager, and the clan head as a stabilizing force, the new competitor was likely overestimating their chances.

...

Naye Village.

A clansman working at the village committee received a call and quickly relayed the message to the clan head.

Deng Shirong felt a bit surprised upon receiving the news. He hadn't expected an individual operator to target the Guangdong route and compete with their company so soon.

However, it was normal. In any era, profitable businesses would always attract followers; the only difference was the timing. He and Deng Changyu, the company's general manager, had already discussed a strategy. As long as they followed the plan, he was confident the competitor wouldn't be able to sustain the losses.

Initially, Deng Shirong planned to leave the handling of the situation to Deng Changyu.

But then he thought that this Guangzhou bus was the first competitor. In this era, anyone who could afford a large bus was not an ordinary person. He decided to go to Bobei to oversee the situation in case any unexpected issues arose.

With this in mind, Deng Shirong selected 30 tall, strong young men from the clan who were idle and had them ready to go to the county the next morning.

Of course, it was impossible for so many people to travel together, so they had to go in batches. Some would take the bus from the village entrance, while others would wait at the Tanlian intersection for passing buses. The goal was to ensure they all reached the county.

The reason for bringing so many people was to be prepared for any eventuality. He knew that in this era, the one with the biggest "fist" could make the most money. Those without backing and who had to run their operations honestly would struggle to survive.

Only in a future with a more robust legal system would honest people have a chance to thrive.

...

10:30 AM.

Deng Shirong arrived at the Tenglong Passenger Transport Company in the county with a few clansmen. The rest would arrive later.

"Grandpa Nine!" The company employees greeted him.

Deng Shirong nodded at them and asked Deng Changyu, "What's the current situation?"

Deng Changyu replied, "This morning, the Guangzhou bus was waiting for passengers outside the station. They've already taken three passengers."

Three passengers might seem insignificant, but Deng Shirong knew it was the off-season, and there might not be more than ten passengers a day heading to Guangzhou. Losing three in the morning was not good for the company's Guangzhou bus.

Deng Shirong asked, "When will the new buses we ordered arrive?"

Deng Changyu said, "I sent a driver to pick them up early this morning. They should be back by the day after tomorrow at the latest."

Deng Shirong nodded and said, "Since the new buses haven't arrived yet, we can only wait. Once they're here, we'll follow the plan we discussed. We'll send a few new buses to heavily pressure the competitor, ensuring they continue to incur losses until they can't take it anymore and change routes."

In business, as in war, the competitor had chosen the Guangzhou route despite other available options, clearly aiming to compete. He wouldn't show mercy.

Deng Changyu responded, "Understood, Grandpa Nine. Once the new buses arrive, I'll send five to Guangzhou and keep five in Bobei to compete for passengers. The remaining five will be on standby, and we'll surround them, ensuring they can't even cover their fuel costs with the passengers they pick up."

Deng Shirong said, "Have someone rent a few more houses in Guangzhou and Bobei. Keep some of the young men I brought in Bobei and send some to Guangzhou to prevent the competitor from getting violent or using any underhanded tactics."

"You always think of everything, Grandpa Nine. I'll make the arrangements shortly."

"Very well. Once all the young men from the clan arrive, make sure they are fed and housed. The company will cover all expenses. I'll have someone investigate the competitor's background. If anything happens, have them find me at the Sufeng Restaurant."

"Understood, Grandpa Nine."

...

In this era, visiting a family home was equivalent to a formal engagement.

Although Zhu Junjie and Deng Yunzhen weren't yet married, their relationship had changed significantly.

The most noticeable change was that Zhu Junjie started visiting the Sufeng Restaurant more frequently, often coming every day to eat, treating it like his own home.

For this, the Duan Yuntao couple naturally expressed their welcome. Even if this wasn't Ahzhen's boyfriend, having the deputy director of the Public Security Bureau come over every day in uniform for a free meal would greatly enhance the restaurant's security.

Although the restaurant had the presence of Old Master Zhang Guangzong, they hadn't encountered any major issues in the past two and a half years, but safety was always a concern emphasized by the father. Any additional security measure was naturally welcomed.

That afternoon, after work, Zhu Junjie, as usual, came to the Sufeng Restaurant.

"Director Zhu!"

"Sister-in-law!"

Entering the restaurant, Zhu Junjie greeted his sister-in-law first. When he wanted to speak to Ahzhen, his sharp eyes caught sight of his future father-in-law sitting with Old Master Zhang. He quickly walked over and greeted him, "Uncle Duan!"

Duan Shirong nodded and said, "Director Zhu, you came at the right time. I have a small favor to ask of you."

Zhu Junjie sat down and patted his chest, saying, "Whatever it is, Uncle Duan, just say the word. I won't hesitate to help."

Duan Shirong was very pleased with his attitude and smiled, "It's not a big deal, just a bit of information I need you to gather for me."

As the deputy director of the Public Security Bureau, Zhu Junjie knew that gathering information on a few people would be easy. He immediately asked, "Uncle Duan, who do you need to investigate? Just tell me."

Duan Shirong said, "I need you to investigate the owner of the new Guangzhou bus outside the station. The more detailed, the better."

Zhu Junjie immediately understood the situation. Since he started dating Duan Yunzhen, he had learned a lot about her family. He knew that the ten Guangdong buses at the Bobei Station belonged to Tenglong Passenger Transport Company, which was established by his future father-in-law with the clan's support.

With a new Guangzhou bus appearing, it meant a new competitor. It was essential to gather information on this competitor in advance.

"Uncle Duan, rest assured. I'll arrange for this as soon as I get back."

"Great, let's eat then!"

...

1:00 PM.

The large bus owned by the Qin brothers, after picking up four passengers, set off for Guangzhou.

Although four passengers weren't many, the three brothers were quite satisfied with this start. They were just beginning their business and needed time to get familiar with the route. Once they mastered it, they would start making big money.

Qin Bao already had a plan to make money. While they would normally compete for passengers, he would also arrange for some underhanded tactics against the Guangzhou buses at Bobei Station. For example, he could have someone deflate or puncture their tires, or send people to intimidate and threaten them. The goal was to disrupt their operations, making it impossible for them to run smoothly. This would naturally lead to a booming business for them.

Once they made money, they would buy more buses and repeat the process. Then, the money would start rolling in like a snowball.

Thinking about it, Qin Bao felt elated. It was their time to get rich!

...

For the people at Bobei Station, strange things happened every year, but this year was particularly unusual.

Just yesterday, a new Guangzhou bus appeared, and today, another one drove into Bobei Station.

The employees of Tenglong Passenger Transport Company, upon seeing this new Guangzhou bus, all widened their eyes. Was there some kind of agreement? Why did they all choose Guangzhou? Was it because Guangzhou was where the money was?

Regardless of the reason, with another Guangzhou bus appearing, they needed to inform the company immediately.

So, one of the clan members quickly reported the news to the company.

The new Guangzhou bus was actually bought by Huang Qiang and Huang Qi, who got off the bus with high spirits. Huang Qiang, with a smile on his face, said to Huang Qi, "Uncle Qi, let's go find my brother-in-law and handle the cooperation procedures with the station. We need to confirm our route and schedule."

Huang Qi nodded and walked into the office with him.

"Chen Wu!"

Huang Qiang greeted his brother-in-law as soon as he entered the office.

Chen Wu smiled and greeted him, "Brother Qiang, why are you here?"

Huang Qiang said with a smile, "Uncle Qi and I bought a large bus and came to handle the cooperation procedures with the station."

Chen Wu was somewhat surprised. He had indeed mentioned this to his brother-in-law when he and his wife visited her hometown. He had talked about how profitable it was to buy a large bus, especially after a few drinks, exaggerating that running a Guangdong bus was like picking up money.

He hadn't expected his brother-in-law to take it seriously and buy a bus so quickly.

After his initial surprise, Chen Wu admired his brother-in-law's boldness and praised him, "Brother Qiang, that's impressive speed. Which route are you planning to run?"

Huang Qiang said without hesitation, "Of course, we're running to Guangzhou!"

Hearing "Guangzhou," Chen Wu's lips couldn't help but twitch. The new Guangzhou bus that appeared yesterday had initially wanted to handle the cooperation procedures with the station but later decided against it, possibly because of the monthly management fee.

But regardless of whether they cooperate with the station or not, it's certain that there will be one more Guangzhou bus in Bobei.

Chen Wu shook his head and said, "Brother Qiang, Uncle Qi, I suggest you change your route."

Huang Qiang frowned and asked, "Why?"

Chen Wu explained, "Because another Guangzhou bus appeared yesterday, also operated by an individual like you. However, they didn't cooperate with our station but decided to pick up passengers outside the station. If you still run the Guangzhou route, the competition will be too intense. I suggest you choose a route that no one else is running. I think you'll earn much more that way."

Huang Qiang and Huang Qi exchanged glances, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes. They hadn't expected that another individual operator had the same idea and had even bought a bus a day before them.

Huang Qiang asked, "Uncle Qi, what do you think?"

Without hesitation, Huang Qi said, "Since the competition in Guangzhou is intense, let's change our route. We found out that the route to Zhanjiang in Guangdong is currently unoccupied. If we run this route, all the passengers traveling to and from Zhanjiang will be ours, and we won't have to compete with others. Isn't that great?"

Huang Qiang nodded, "Alright, let's run the Zhanjiang route then!"

The two of them didn't have grand ambitions. Seeing the intense competition in the Guangzhou direction, they immediately changed their route. Unlike the Qin brothers, who aimed to grow their business and gradually capture the market share of other Guangdong buses to dominate the market.

Both being individual operators, they entered the passenger transport market one after the other, but their subsequent development would certainly be vastly different due to their different choices.

Seeing that his brother-in-law had taken his advice, Chen Wu felt relieved.

The cooperation procedures were straightforward, and both parties quickly signed the contract. Starting from the next day, the bus service from Bobei to Zhanjiang would officially begin.

...

It has to be said that the investigation capabilities of the public security system were quite formidable.

While not as exaggerated as in some mindless novels where a big boss could call someone and demand to know everything about a person, including how many times they wet the bed as a child, within three minutes, it was still possible to gather detailed information about the Qin brothers within a few hours.

After work, Zhu Junjie came to the Sufeng Restaurant to report the information he had gathered about the Qin brothers to his future father-in-law.

"Uncle Duan, the new Guangzhou bus that appeared yesterday was bought by the three brothers, Qin Jin, Qin Yuan, and Qin Bao, from Chengdong Village in Bobei Town."

Zhu Junjie briefly introduced them, "These three brothers are known for their domineering personalities. They have a history of fighting and brawling, which has given them a bit of a reputation in the county and considerable influence in their village.

They've been lucky. Over the past few years, they've been running a pig farm honestly and haven't engaged in their old troublemaking ways, or they would have been caught in last year's crackdown.

They've made quite a bit of money from pig farming over the past few years, but recently they sold all their pigs, pooled their money, and bought this large bus. It seems they no longer want to continue pig farming and instead plan to run a passenger transport business to make money."

Hearing this, Duan Shirong felt more confident. He nodded and said, "Alright, I understand."

Zhang Guangzong raised his glass and clinked it with Duan Shirong's, asking, "Should I intervene and warn them?"

Duan Shirong took a sip of wine and smiled, "Not yet. Since it's just commercial competition, we already have a plan. Besides, I brought 30 young men from the clan when I came up. Along with the drivers and ticket sellers at the station and the clan members resting in the company dormitories, we have enough people to handle any trouble.

Moreover, if they don't follow the rules, they might not be able to handle the consequences."

Given the relationship between Zhu Junjie and Duan Yunzhen, he knew that his future father-in-law had significant influence in the clan. For his future father-in-law, this was just a small matter. He quickly waved his hand, "Uncle Duan, we don't need to make such a big show. It's still the period of the crackdown. If things get out of hand, it won't be good for anyone.

I'll assure you, if they don't follow the rules and act aggressively, I'll send people to warn them. If they do it again, I'll have them arrested and put in jail for a while to see if they'll behave."

Zhang Guangzong added, "If they don't follow the rules, I'll also send people to warn them. I believe that even if they have the courage of a leopard, they won't dare to have any more bad ideas."

Hearing this, Duan Shirong couldn't help but laugh heartily. With pressure from both sides, he was confident that the Qin brothers wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Alright, let's settle it like this!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end