Chapter 167 Confession

At this moment, only Su Tianyu and Yu Mingyuan were in the bath. They lay quietly in the pool, watching the water droplets swirling on the ceiling.

Su Tianyu took a towel and wiped the sweat from his cheeks. After a long silence, he said softly, "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it. Don't put too much pressure on yourself either. If anyone tries to move against you in this matter, they're moving against me."

After he finished speaking, the two fell silent again.

After a while, Yu Mingyuan let out a long sigh and said to Su Tianyu, "Alas... if you had any other way, you wouldn't have come back from The Dragon City Rises without making a single move. I understand your situation better than anyone else, and I see it more clearly than anyone else."

Su Tianyu wiped his cheeks, his brows furrowed.

Yu Mingyuan took the towel off his face, supported himself on the steps in the hot water, and sat up straight. Then he wiped the water off his hands, picked up the cigarette case on the nearby platform, lit a cigarette, and said, "You actually know better than anyone else that the Wang family's pursuit is just because they hate me. But the Hua District is different. They want to pursue this, but not just because of the Wang family."

Su Tianyu looked down at the water, silent. What Yu Mingyuan said was exactly what was troubling him the most.

"A good relationship is good, but politics is politics." Yu Mingyuan flicked the ash into the ashtray and continued, "The attack on Panama City was a prelude. When it came to dividing the cake, the Wang family got less, but our relationship with the Bernardo family was closer. So as soon as you disappeared, they could only compromise and come forward to appease the Wang family. This time in Saint Paul, it's the result. We've rejected them several times, considering the overall situation and our own interests. So now, it's normal for them to give you a little warning. You must have already realized that my departure is inevitable, right?"

As he spoke, Yu Mingyuan patted Su Tianyu on the shoulder, "Xiao Yu, there's no possibility that you can resolve this matter, because it's an inevitable conflict during the integration period. The Hua Cong Hui (Overseas Chinese Association), the An family, the Chi Army, the Hua District, the Wang family, dozens of overseas social organizations. With so many forces gathered together, a true leader will inevitably emerge slowly. Dissatisfaction and competition under the table are normal. I've figured it out too. I'm not going to fight anymore. Since they want me to step down, then I'll give them face, give them a way out. What if they give me a little warning? I'll just accept it."

"That's not how it works!" Su Tianyu threw the towel aside, also sat up straight, and looked at Yu Mingyuan and said, "We've already talked about this. If I still compromise and let you step down, what will the people in our team think of me in the future? If I can't protect you in this matter, how can I explain it to the An family, how can I explain it to the others in the team?"

Hearing this, Yu Mingyuan waved his hand gently, "No, you've got a key point wrong."

Su Tianyu was puzzled and asked with a frown, "What key point?"

Yu Mingyuan leaned back on the platform and said slowly, "It's true that they're forcing me, but if I don't want to step down, their forcing is useless. At worst, I'll just quit and take my people out of here. But this time, it just so happens that I don't want to do it anymore. Since they insist on giving me a warning, I'll take the opportunity to leave."

Hearing Yu Mingyuan say this, Su Tianyu's face showed a look of astonishment, and he looked at him and asked, "You don't want to do it anymore?"

"That's right!" Yu Mingyuan took another hard puff of his cigarette, closed his eyes, and said, "Xiao Yu, I've been working hard to get ahead all these years, running all the time, running tirelessly! I've abandoned too many things along the way... I'm tired. Now that things have finally been accomplished, I can be considered successful..."

Yu Mingyuan opened his eyes, put out the cigarette, turned his head to look at Su Tianyu, "Do you remember what I told you on the island?"

Su Tianyu nodded slowly, "I remember..."

Yu Mingyuan continued, "Alas, when we talked on the island, we were facing the pressure from Lao Tan, and the awkward situation of my uncle just arriving in The Dragon City Rises. We understood each other tacitly. The Tongji Association couldn't put all its eggs in one basket, because at that time, Lao Li's team was too weak. This would lead to the impossibility of reconciliation between us and Tan Hengqiang. If we insisted on doing it, forcing my uncle to stand with Lao Li, what would be the result? The power of the military and government bound together would inevitably make Lao Tan uneasy. He would unite with the upper echelons to strangle us, and we would all be finished. Separating, the Tongji Association would collapse on one side, but at least it could protect the other, leaving some room for maneuver."

Yu Mingyuan said, sighing, "Alas... but there were many unexpected events in the middle. Ah Shui died, and you also resented me in your heart."

Su Tianyu listened quietly, without saying a word, but he did not deny it either.

Yu Mingyuan rubbed his face and continued, "Xiao Yu, do you know why I divorced Xiao Rou at that time? If I didn't divorce her and kept clinging to her, if I took the wrong step, my whole family would be wiped out... It's already like this, so why implicate her? From the moment I divorced Xiao Rou, I told myself that in my position, there's no possibility of continuing to be mediocre. I have to take the initiative into my own hands. And my dad, my dad's only last wish was to create an association and make it bigger. And he paid for it with his life..."

Yu Mingyuan raised his head, touched his chest, and said to Su Tianyu, "So... all these years, I've been holding my breath in my heart! My whole family has already paid too much for this, so I've always wanted to make this happen! But now, it's already done. Once the Hua Cong Hui (Overseas Chinese Association) falls, the largest Chinese organization overseas will be us. Later, as long as you integrate the resources a little, our puzzle will be complete."

Yu Mingyuan's mood relaxed again, and he said with a smile, "Hehe, tell me, what's the point of me fighting anymore? Could it be to compete with you for the position of boss? You're more suitable than me to integrate resources from all sides... To be honest, I want to stop for a while. I also want to find those things I lost along the way."

Su Tianyu was silent for a long time before looking at Yu Mingyuan and asking, "Do you really think so? Have you never...!"

Yu Mingyuan nodded, "I don't need to lie to you, just like I've never forgotten what I said on the island. Xiao Yu, I'm a relatively stubborn person, sometimes I like to get stuck in a rut. But now, my ambition has dissipated. Isn't it good for me to quit and live a leisurely life? It's very comfortable."

Su Tianyu looked at him, wanting to say something, but the words were stuck in his throat.

Yu Mingyuan reached out and patted Su Tianyu on the shoulder again, "You don't need to worry about me either. Look, on the An family's side, Qi Qi is being promoted. Lao Kong, Tong Hui, and Liu Hongxu are assisting her. Leaving these four spots is about right. Even if your newly established Hua Tong Hui (Chinese Alliance Association) doesn't have my name, Yu Mingyuan, as the founder, I don't care... but my dad's name must be on it! Do you understand?"