In the end, Captain Zhang compromised and personally drove Liu Yutong back.
He knew in his heart that he couldn’t afford to offend the person who had called him.
When she got out of the car, he even opened the door for her and publicly admitted that the misunderstanding had been due to his own negligence.
The scene left the onlookers utterly stunned.
Someone even checked their watch in disbelief, muttering, "How long has it even been?"
"No way… Am I seeing things? The cop who arrested this girl just personally brought her back and even apologized?"
"What just happened? Who is this girl?"
"She must have connections. Otherwise, there’s no way she’d be out this fast."
"And powerful ones at that!"
"..."
Earlier, when they saw a group of men in black suits appear at the hotel entrance, they had assumed things wouldn’t end well.
Trying to block the police? That was just adding fuel to the fire.
Yet no one expected that, under such circumstances, the girl would return so quickly—and escorted by a deputy captain-level officer, no less.
It made everyone’s imaginations run wild.
Even Master Jin and his men, who had been secretly observing the situation, were shocked when they got the news.
That little girl kept surprising them, each time more dramatically than the last.
Getting away with murder? That was downright absurd.
After all, it was already 2007, not the lawless '90s. Public security had improved significantly, and very few dared to kill so brazenly.
Even if someone did resort to violence, they’d do it discreetly, leaving no evidence behind.
If they had underestimated Liu Yutong before, now they were genuinely afraid.
They hadn’t even been able to topple Niu Ben, and now someone with even greater power and deeper connections had emerged. How could they possibly compete?
Strangely, they found themselves almost hoping Niu Ben would come out on top.
The thought startled even them.
Deep down, they knew that while Niu Ben was still ruthless, he at least left some room for negotiation.
But this girl? She gave off the impression of leaving no room at all.
Maybe she was even darker than Niu Ben.
In truth, they were overthinking it.
Liu Yutong had no real backing.
Even if she technically had a gangster father, he had long since passed away.
She lived by one principle: as long as she didn’t break the law, even the cops couldn’t touch her.
The so-called murder rumors? They were both true and false.
True—for show.
False—because they were all carefully staged performances with hired actors.
On the same day she first spoke with Qi Wei, she had handed him evidence implicating two of Niu Ben’s men in criminal activities.
After arresting them, Qi Wei kept it quiet. Unless Niu Ben sent someone to investigate, he’d never know.
So Liu Yutong created two fake identities and staged the whole spectacle.
First, to intimidate the demolition crews, making them think twice before resorting to force again.
Second, at Qi Wei’s request—he wanted to see who was pulling strings for Niu Ben behind the scenes.
Now, they had their answer.
And it had been effortless.
Of course, Niu Ben’s network extended beyond just Captain Zhang.
But how those others were dealt with was Qi Wei’s problem, not hers.
Her only concern was taking down Niu Ben.
News of Liu Yutong’s return under Captain Zhang’s escort naturally reached Niu Ben.
And soon, his restaurants faced retaliation.
For days, thugs stormed into his establishments, claiming to have found hair, cockroaches, or even worse—feces in their food.
Using these excuses, they vandalized the restaurants.
The worst part? Niu Ben couldn’t even call the police.
Even if he did, it would at most be a civil dispute, with the thugs only having to pay minor fines.
Charging them with disorderly conduct? That required solid evidence—and he’d have to provide it himself.
As long as they insisted they were just customers, prosecution was nearly impossible.
And if the restaurants demanded compensation, the thugs would threaten to involve the police.
Niu Ben knew his restaurants had too many skeletons in the closet. Calling the cops would be suicide.
Unable to retaliate physically or legally, he was seething with rage.
Qi Wei, who had been monitoring Niu Ben’s movements, knew exactly what Liu Yutong was up to.
He relayed the news to his mentor.
"Did they report it to the police?"
"No."
"Then the restaurants must be in the wrong. Ignore it."
"Also, the anti-gang operation you proposed—handle it carefully. Show the strength of the law, but maintain social stability. We can’t let criminals harm law-abiding citizens..."
"Understood, sir."
After hanging up, Qi Wei could tell his mentor’s tone had softened.
He knew why.
A man of his mentor’s status couldn’t dirty his hands dealing with someone like Niu Ben.
But having thugs wreak havoc in Niu Ben’s restaurants? That was poetic justice—far more satisfying than a straightforward crackdown.
Niu Ben’s retaliation came swiftly.
He used the same tactics, sending his own thugs to cause trouble at Liu Yutong’s restaurant, Yu Yue Fang.
They made identical complaints—hair, cockroaches—and vandalized the place.
At this point, Niu Ben no longer cared about recouping his loan.
He just knew that if he didn’t strike back, he’d lose all face in Wushui County.
But he overestimated his thugs.
They barely had time to flee before the police caught them red-handed.
Niu Ben might avoid calling the cops, but Liu Yutong had no such reservations.
She had nothing to hide.
Plus, her Wan Long Hui members were well-trained. Hidden cameras in the restaurant had captured Niu Ben’s men planting hair and cockroaches in the food.
With irrefutable evidence, arrests were inevitable.
When Niu Ben heard, he nearly spat blood.
This was beyond shameless!
A gangster calling the police? Where was the honor among criminals?!
But the worst was yet to come.
Shortly after his men targeted Yu Yue Fang, all his restaurants were shut down, sealed with official notices.
The message was clear: I can hit you, but you can’t hit back. If you do, I’ll destroy you.
It also showcased Liu Yutong’s formidable "connections" and ruthless style.
Her thugs could harass Niu Ben’s businesses without consequence.
But the moment he retaliated, not only were his men arrested—his entire operation was crushed.
The news sent shockwaves through the underworld.
Many crime bosses and businessmen, upon hearing it, began preparing lavish gifts, eager to visit Liu Yutong and curry favor.
Now, anyone could see that Niu Ben was no match for Liu Yutong in any aspect.
In terms of sheer strength, he lost the fight and fled in disgrace.
As for connections? The answer was obvious.
There was no longer any doubt about who would hold absolute authority in Wushui County's underworld from now on.
