"That depends on your sincerity," Ma Da said impassively.
Chu Dalong immediately caught the implication and quickly stood up. "I get it, I get it! Brother Ma, just wait a moment!"
He then hurried into the inner room.
His father’s room had a locked metal cabinet containing cash, ledgers, and other shady items.
Somehow, Chu Dalong had gotten his hands on a key and managed to open it—despite the fact that only his father was supposed to have access.
Though usually unreliable, Chu Dalong was surprisingly cautious in this regard. He even closed the bedroom door behind him to avoid being seen.
Before long, he emerged with a wad of cash—roughly three or four thousand yuan—and shoved it into Ma Da’s hands with a grin. "Brother Ma, just a small token of my respect!"
Ma Da pretended to accept it, then whispered to one of his underlings when Chu Dalong wasn’t looking, "You got it all recorded?"
The underling nodded, confirming the job was done.
Only then did Ma Da pocket the money, flashing a satisfied smile as he clapped Chu Dalong on the shoulder. "You’re a real one! I’ll call you brother from now on. Let’s drink—no one leaves sober tonight!"
Chu Dalong was overjoyed. He quickly ordered two village lackeys to fetch braised meat and peanuts while he dug out two bottles of liquor from the cabinet and set them on the table.
The group started drinking in the living room.
Chu Dalong was no match for Ma Da’s crew and was soon thoroughly drunk, slurring his words.
He didn’t even notice when his key went missing.
Taking advantage of Chu Dalong’s drunken state, Ma Da discreetly stationed a few men outside to keep watch while others, wearing gloves, slipped into the bedroom.
With careful precision, they opened the metal cabinet, photographed the ledgers and valuables inside, then closed it without leaving a trace.
Thanks to Zhao Tianyi’s training, the Wanlong Hui operatives were exceptionally meticulous—everyone carried gloves, ensuring clean, untraceable work.
Just as they finished, Chu Fugui, Chu Dalong’s father, returned home.
The moment he stepped inside, he saw a group of strangers in his living room, his son drunkenly hanging off one of them and babbling about "Big Bro this, Big Bro that."
Furious, Chu Fugui smacked Chu Dalong on the back of the head. "Still drinking?! Who the hell are these people?"
Startled, Chu Dalong squinted up at his father and scowled. "Dad, this is my new sworn brother! What’s your problem?"
Chu Fugui’s face darkened. "Get them out of here!"
Drunk and riding high on his newfound "status," Chu Dalong puffed up with defiance. "What’s your deal, old man? This is my brother! You should be apologizing to him—on your knees!"
"???"
Was this little brat rebelling now?
"You little shit, what did you just say? Say it again!"
Fueled by alcohol, Chu Dalong doubled down. "Dad, I only called you ‘Dad’ out of respect before. But now I’m a man of status! You better watch your tone and apologize to my brother!"
Chu Fugui trembled with rage, yanking the leather belt from his waist. "I’ll beat you to death, you ungrateful brat!"
Truthfully, Chu Fugui had sensed trouble the moment he saw Ma Da’s crew.
Villagers had been whispering about unfamiliar thugs asking around for Chu Yang—news that had reached his ears.
At first, he assumed they were Niu Ben’s men, but he didn’t recognize any of them.
Though he didn’t know their origins, he knew to be wary.
Now, coming home to find his son fraternizing with them, he could only hope the idiot hadn’t spilled anything important.
That boy had never given him a moment’s peace.
Chu Dalong fled like a startled chicken under his father’s belt lashings.
Seeing the chaos, Ma Da and his men made their exit without delay.
Once they were gone, Chu Fugui tossed the belt aside and rushed to inspect the metal cabinet.
Finding it still securely locked, he relaxed slightly—but not enough. He opened it to double-check.
Everything seemed untouched, with no signs of disturbance. Only then did he fully exhale.
(He didn’t notice the missing cash—there hadn’t been time to count it.)
Meanwhile, Chu Dalong, nursing his sore arms and slightly sobered, stood sulking nearby.
Just then, someone burst in with urgent news: the demolition crew was back, and the village head was needed on-site immediately.
Chu Fugui glared at his son with exasperation, muttering under his breath, "I'll deal with you later!"
With that, he hurriedly left the house.
At the eastern end of the village stood Chu Yang’s home.
His house was located near the roadside, just a short distance from the main road.
It consisted of a simple rural tiled house, with a small earthen hut on the side serving as their kitchen.
But now, that small hut had collapsed, and the area in front of the tiled house was a mess—scattered bricks and broken tiles littered the ground.
A girl who looked no older than sixteen or seventeen stood in the open space before the house, clutching her parents’ memorial tablets tightly to her chest.
Her eyes were swollen, her hair disheveled, and tear stains marked her cheeks—yet her gaze burned with unwavering determination.
Even as she faced over a dozen tattooed thugs armed with clubs, she refused to take a single step back.
"Come on! You want to tear it down? Then you’ll have to step over my corpse first!"
"My parents are already gone, and my brother was taken away by you people! I have nothing left to lose! You’ve got knives, you’ve got clubs—come on! Kill me! And when I’m dead, I’ll haunt every last one of you!"
Her voice was hoarse, each word forced from the depths of her throat, dripping with raw hatred.
This girl was Chu Yang’s younger sister, Chu Yue.
Her brother had been arrested after standing up to these thugs, fighting back to protect her and stop them from forcibly demolishing their home.
Already crushed by her brother’s arrest, she had barely begun to grieve when these men returned.
Perhaps it was the sheer ferocity in Chu Yue’s stance—or the gleaming kitchen knife clenched in her hand—that gave the thugs pause.
After all, if someone actually died, even if their boss could cover it up, someone would have to take the fall.
Aside from the demolition crew, a crowd of villagers had gathered nearby.
Resentment toward the thugs simmered among them, but fear kept their anger in check.
Chu Yang’s family wasn’t the only one unwilling to leave—others had protested before, only to have their legs broken.
If not for Chu Yang’s strength, his fate would have been no better.
This was why, when Ma Da’s men had come to pressure the villagers into signing petitions, no one dared.
They were terrified.
The consequences of resistance were still fresh in their minds—even someone as tough as Chu Yang had been taken down.
There was no winning against these people.
Before long, village chief Chu Fugui arrived in a hurry.
Seeing Chu Yue clutching the memorial tablets in one hand and a knife in the other, defiantly blocking the demolition, he immediately put on a pained expression and stepped forward to reason with her.
"Xiao Yue, what are you doing? Your family already signed the agreement, the compensation’s been paid—put the knife down and stop this nonsense!"
"We never signed! My brother never signed either! That’s a lie!"
Chu Yue’s eyes blazed with fury. "Uncle, everyone knows you pocketed our compensation money! Others might stay silent, but I won’t! If you want to tear down our house today, you’ll have to kill me first!"
Chu Fugui faltered for a moment, stunned by her words, but quickly regained his composure, adopting a tone of feigned concern.
"Xiao Yue, how could you say such a thing? Your uncle would never steal from you! This demolition is for the village’s development—stop making trouble and drop that knife!"
Chu Yue only tightened her grip on the blade. "Enough of your lies! Every last one of you is rotten to the core! My parents are dead, my brother’s been framed—what more do you want from us? Come on! Do it!"
...
