Lianwu District had its association dedicated to protecting the local shopping district, fostering development, sharing information, and maintaining harmony among its tenants.
Despite having only about 35 shops, the community was tight-knit—more like a big family than a group of business rivals.
They called themselves Lianwu Commerce, and the head of the association was the elderly Wang Shouye.
He was even older than Mr. Wu, confined to a wheelchair, his frail hands resting in his lap. Nowadays, it was his son Wang Zhenhua who led most of the meetings.
Zhenhua was a calm man in his twenties, with a gentle face and a natural grace that made him popular with the ladies.
As he stood before the gathered tenants in their modest meeting hall, his father remained by his side, quietly observing.
"You all know the man and woman standing beside me today," Zhenhua began, gesturing toward them. "They've risked their lives to protect our district."
