As Liu Yutong's voice faded, the scene fell into a brief silence.
Then, Grandpa Liu Chengjiang slowly rose to his feet.
The elderly man, highly respected in the village, swept his gaze over the crowd and spoke.
"I know there might be some misunderstandings about my granddaughter today."
"But let me say this—my granddaughter, Liu Yutong, has always lived with integrity and acted honorably. She is no villain!"
"Today, she’s thinking of the elderly in our village, of helping our fellow villagers, and of having her uncle step up to lead everyone toward a better life. This kindness, this sense of responsibility—it makes this old man proud!"
"Jianhong is my nephew. I know his character better than anyone. He’s honest, hardworking, and gets things done. Choosing him as village chief would be the right decision!"
At the head table, Granny Liu was the first to raise her frail hand.
"Jianhong is a good lad. I trust him, and I support him!"
One after another, the villagers voiced their approval.
"Jianhong is reliable. I’ll vote for him too!"
"Brother Jianhong is a good man, steady in his work. I support him!"
"We back Liu Jianhong for village chief!"
"Support!"
"..."
As the villagers declared their stance, the stern expressions on the faces of the Wanlong Society members standing behind them softened into smiles.
Some even enthusiastically poured drinks for the villagers.
The weight in the villagers' hearts finally lifted, and they wiped away the sweat that wasn’t even there on their foreheads.
They thought to themselves—wasn’t this just a vote? They’d already taken the hush money—what was one more ballot?
As long as they weren’t harmed, anything was negotiable.
With the villagers' support, Liu Jianhong straightened his back and stood up, making a solemn promise.
"Thank you, everyone! Thank you for your trust and support!"
"I, Liu Jianhong, don’t know how to spin pretty words. I never even thought about becoming village chief before—just tending to my few acres of land was enough for me."
"But for the sake of our village, I’ve decided to run."
"Today, in front of everyone, I’ll speak plainly!"
"If I’m elected, I can’t promise much, but I guarantee three things!"
"First, I, Liu Jianhong, will never embezzle a single cent. Every penny will go toward our Duan Village—toward our people."
"Second, I’ll give it my all! Whether it’s fixing roads, improving water access, helping kids get an education, or ensuring our elderly live well—whatever the villagers agree needs doing, we’ll do it! No shortcuts, no laziness!"
"Third, I may not be the most capable, but my niece Yutong is. She’s decided to invest in the village, and I swear I won’t waste a single cent of her money! Of course, I won’t hold back when it comes to fighting for benefits for all of you. I’ll do everything I can to make sure everyone benefits!"
"That’s all I have to say. Thank you!"
Perhaps moved by the sincerity and determination on Liu Jianhong’s face, many villagers felt their eyes grow warm as they listened to his heartfelt words. They voiced their support once more.
"Jianhong, we believe in you."
"Go for it, Brother Jianhong!"
"We’ll definitely vote for you!"
"..."
Liu Yutong watched as her uncle earned the villagers' approval, a relieved smile gracing her lips.
She then outlined her plans, focusing on two key initiatives: an organic farming project and a land-leasing program.
When she mentioned organic farming, the villagers looked puzzled.
But when Liu Yutong explained that no pesticides or chemical fertilizers would be allowed—only organic compost and manual weeding—the courtyard erupted in chatter.
"What? No pesticides? Won’t the bugs eat up all the crops?"
"Yeah, the yields will drop for sure. How’s that gonna work?"
"..."
Doubts poured in.
Liu Yutong remained composed, explaining that qualified crops would fetch two to three times the normal market price.
At that, many villagers reconsidered.
If the price was higher, what was there to complain about?
Still, some cautious folks worried—what if, like the vegetable farmers this year, they grew the crops but no one came to buy them?
Liu Yutong had anticipated this. She offered a second option: leasing their land to her.
Six hundred yuan per mu—double what the former village chief had paid.
Plus, she’d hire villagers to tend the fields, paying them wages on top of the lease.
This way, they wouldn’t have to worry about sales. The income was guaranteed.
A quick calculation showed that many would earn far more than they did from selling their own crops.
Farming their own land, after expenses, might net them a few thousand yuan at best in a year.
But leasing the land at six hundred per mu, plus wages for fieldwork? Their income could easily double or triple.
For farmers who’d spent their lives toiling in the fields, these were solid options.
That afternoon, the villagers barely moved from their spots, engrossed in Liu Yutong’s vision for the village’s future.
Somehow, the more they listened, the brighter the possibilities seemed. Organic farming started to feel like a real opportunity.
Only when they truly focused did they realize—this daughter of their village had a kind of magic. People couldn’t help but be drawn in, believing in her almost instinctively.
No wonder… no wonder even those intimidating gangsters treated her with such respect.
This Liu girl was sharp—really something else!
While the Liu family courtyard buzzed with discussions about organic farming, on the other side of Duan Village…
A young man with a wild, exaggerated bird’s nest of hair and dark circles under his eyes rumbled into the village on a beat-up scooter.
It was Liu Yushan, missing for days.
After being chased out by his grandfather, he’d wheedled some money from his dad and holed up in a town internet café, gaming nonstop.
He’d been at it for days—not even returning for New Year’s Eve.
If not for his empty wallet, he might’ve stayed until the café went out of business.
Liu Yushan had just returned, planning to collapse into bed.
But at the village entrance, he overheard a group of villagers chatting—and the news left him stunned.
"What? My dad got arrested? And my sister did it?"
"What? Wang Ergou got arrested too? Also my sister’s doing?"
"What? That bastard Cao Wang got nabbed? Still my sister?!"
"What?! The village chief and many of the Wang family members were arrested? Some were even killed? And my sister did this?!"
How could that be?!
His younger sister, Liu Yutong, had always been quiet and gentle since childhood—how could she possibly be capable of something like this?
This had to be a joke!
Unless… unless his sister was part of the underworld, and not just any small-time player, but a terrifyingly powerful figure who could single-handedly take down so many people in Duan Village and turn the place upside down.
Though he was deeply skeptical about the news, his heart still skipped a beat when the villager added, "Your sister seems to have sent people looking for you everywhere."
"What? My sister sent people after me?!"
Liu Yushan’s first instinct was to turn his bike around and flee immediately!
But just as he twisted the throttle, before he could even complete the turn, a seemingly endless line of sleek black luxury cars rolled toward him.
The convoy stopped just a few meters away.
Doors swung open in unison as a group of imposing young men in black suits swiftly stepped out, lining up on either side.
Then, the rear door of the lead Maybach opened, and a familiar figure emerged.
It was his sister—Liu Yutong.
Liu Yushan was completely stunned.
Staring at his sister, now just a few steps away, he barely recognized her. The delicate, soft face he once knew now carried an icy, authoritative coldness that sent chills down his spine.
Her gaze, her presence, her commanding aura…
This was nothing like the bookish little sister he remembered.
This was the demeanor of a ruthless underworld princess straight out of a crime thriller!
Before he could even speak, Liu Yutong took one look at his messy bird’s nest of hair and unshaven face—then gave the order.
"Arrest him. Hand him over to the village committee."
"And pass a message to my uncles—if this village is going to change for the better, the first step is to stop littering. From now on, all trash goes in the bins. He’ll be responsible for collecting the village’s garbage every day."
"If he refuses or tries to run—throw him into the waste disposal pit. Let him live with the real trash."
At her words, Liu Yushan’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.
