The tension was palpable as a violent confrontation seemed imminent!
Jin Xiangming's men instinctively moved closer to him, their eyes betraying unease.
A direct fight? That would be suicide!
Unless they had the numbers, but that was clearly impossible in this village—their opponents had at least fifty or sixty people, while they numbered fewer than twenty.
Just as Jin Xiangming found himself trapped in a dilemma and Wang Degui thought he had the upper hand—
"Heh..."
A faint, mocking laugh pierced through the charged atmosphere.
Everyone instinctively turned toward the sound.
There, at the entrance of the Liu family courtyard, stood Liu Yutong, who had emerged unnoticed.
She was still wearing her grandmother's old apron, holding a potato as she leisurely peeled it with a small knife.
"Village Chief Wang, did you just say this is your territory?"
Wang Degui felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest under her gaze, but emboldened by his clan's numbers, he retorted defiantly, "Damn right it is! This is Wang Degui’s turf! What, Liu girl, you got a problem with that? Or do you think some outsider like Young Master Jin can just waltz in and turn things upside down?"
"Rely on him?"
Liu Yutong peeled another strip off the potato, her bright eyes shifting to Jin Xiangming. "Xiangming, do you think I need to rely on you?"
"Rely on me?"
Jin Xiangming hastily shook his head. "Auntie, you’re humiliating me with those words! What am I, Jin Xiangming, worth in front of you? I’m not even fit to be a fart in your presence!"
His words were utterly sincere.
He knew exactly how much weight this "auntie" carried!
Forget him—even his father, Master Jin, would have to bow and speak with reverence in front of her.
Though Wang Degui and his men had already sensed Jin Xiangming’s deference toward Liu Yutong, hearing him say it outright still struck them like a thunderbolt.
Wang Degui couldn’t possibly be ignorant of Master Jin’s influence in Wushui County.
For the son of Wushui’s local kingpin to humble himself so openly—what did that mean?
It meant Liu Yutong’s status was far from ordinary!
There was simply no other explanation for Jin Xiangming’s attitude.
Liu Yutong stepped forward, facing the Wang clansmen armed with farming tools.
"Everyone, today is the first day of the Lunar New Year—a time for family reunions. Yet here you are, gathered with weapons, ready to back an incompetent, corrupt leech like Wang Degui and even help him commit violence?"
"Though you’re all his clansmen, I believe you have a conscience. Ask yourselves—how many real contributions has Wang Degui made as Village Chief? Take the pothole-riddled main road in the southern part of the village—did he ever fix it? No, because it didn’t run past his doorstep, so he didn’t care!"
"And what about the irrigation canals? Every year, promises are made, and every year, nothing happens. Did he ever lift a finger? How much of the poverty relief funds and subsidies actually reached the needy households—or even your pockets? Do you really not know?"
Murmurs spread through the crowd as Liu Yutong spoke.
Wang Degui’s embezzlement over the years was no secret—many had suspicions but stayed silent out of fear, given his position and ties to thugs like Cao Wang.
Seeing their hesitation, Liu Yutong pressed her advantage.
"I, Liu Yutong, declare here and now that I oppose Wang Degui continuing as Village Chief! He doesn’t deserve it! Duan Village needs a leader who truly cares for its people, who can guide everyone out of poverty, who works honestly for the village—not a bloodsucking parasite who steals welfare and hard-earned money!"
"If you disperse now, this ends here. I promise no retaliation. Go home, celebrate the New Year with your families. When the Village Chief election comes, you’ll have the chance to choose someone who actually fights for your interests!"
"More than that, I’ll personally fund the road repairs and invest in local agriculture to help everyone prosper!"
Her words were a masterstroke—exposing Wang Degui’s failures to weaken clan loyalty while offering tangible benefits.
Many Wang clansmen, especially those living near the southern road, began edging backward, eager to wash their hands of the mess.
Human nature is pragmatic.
Even among kin, blood ties alone can’t sustain loyalty without real benefits.
Faced with greater prospects, those bonds crumble in an instant.
Wang Degui, watching his support unravel under Liu Yutong’s words, panicked.
"Don’t listen to her! She’s lying! What can a little girl possibly do? She’s bluffing!"
"Attack! Get her! Kill them all! Anyone who fights gets 10,000 yuan cash! Whoever cripples or kills that bitch gets 100,000! I’ll take full responsibility—no consequences!"
Money talks. Some of the closer Wang relatives, eyes gleaming at the sums, gripped their tools tighter.
Liu Yutong’s gaze turned icy. She hadn’t expected Wang Degui to go so far as to openly put a price on her life.
Jin Xiangming immediately shielded her, shouting urgently, "Auntie, go inside and lock the door! We’ll hold them off—I’ve already alerted my father!"
At that moment, her grandfather Liu Chengjiang also stepped out.
"Wang Degui, I advise you to stop before it’s too late. You won’t bear the consequences!"
Wang Degui, now unhinged, snarled, "Save your warnings for your granddaughter, Old Liu! She brought this on herself!"
With a furious wave, he roared, "If you’re true Wangs, CHARGE!"
Then—at the critical moment—
"Vroooom—"
The deep growl of car engines echoed unexpectedly from the village entrance.
Around the bend at the end of the road, a massive convoy of black vehicles surged into view.
Row upon row of identical black sedans, so numerous they seemed endless on the narrow northern path.
The sudden appearance of this fleet drew every villager’s attention. Doors flew open as people gaped—none had ever seen such an imposing motorcade.
Moving slowly but radiating undeniable pressure, the black procession rolled forward until, just ten meters from the Liu courtyard, it halted in perfect unison.
Then—
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
A synchronized chorus of doors swung open.
Out stepped nearly a hundred young men.
All clad in identical black suits.
Impeccable.
Stern.
And built like tanks.
The cold and imposing young man leading the group was none other than Yun Cheng, whom many villagers had seen before.
As Yun Cheng strode forward, a dense crowd of black-clad young men followed behind him, having just stepped out of their vehicles.
Wang Degui and his loyal clansmen, who had raised their clubs moments ago and were about to lunge at Liu Yutong and the others, froze mid-action as if struck by a spell.
Their ferocious and menacing expressions from a second ago were instantly replaced by sheer terror.
Even the ordinary villagers watching from a distance, along with the dozens of Wang clansmen who hadn’t moved, wore expressions of inexplicable fear.
The sight of these black-clad men was overwhelming for villagers who had spent their entire lives in the countryside.
It felt as if the ruthless, larger-than-life gangsters from movies had suddenly stepped into reality—right before their eyes!
As the group of black-clad men advanced, both the Wang clansmen and the other villagers instinctively backed away, giving them a wide berth.
Ignoring the ashen-faced Wang Degui and his men, Yun Cheng led the hundred-strong group of black-clad youths straight to the girl who stood calmly, still wearing her old apron, holding a potato and a small knife in her hands.
Then—
Yun Cheng, along with core members like Ma Da and a few others flanking him at the front, bowed their heads slightly in a respectful gesture.
"Happy New Year, Young Miss!"
Simultaneously, the hundred black-clad young men standing behind them immediately followed suit, their voices unified in a thunderous greeting.
"Happy New Year, Young Miss!"—repeated by a hundred voices.
The combined force of their booming voices erupted like an invisible shockwave, reverberating through the ears of the surrounding villagers.
