Chapter 032: The Return

"Hold it!"
A voice rang out, causing everyone to turn their heads. To their surprise, it was none other than Old Zhao, the village chief, who had spoken.
Liu Dahua sneered. "Well, look who it is! The old geezer himself!"
Old Zhao's face darkened instantly.
Liu Dahua continued with a cold chuckle, "Old man, got something to say?"
Old Zhao straightened his clothes and let out a snort. "Liu Dahua, there’s still half an hour left until the time you agreed upon with Xiaofeng!"
Liu Dahua frowned.
After a moment’s thought, Liu Dahua laughed. "So what if it's half an hour? I don’t believe that Zhao Feng will come back!"
"That's right! Exactly!"
Zhao Xiao quickly echoed Liu Dahua from the side.
Old Zhao, furious, pointed at Zhao Xiao’s nose. "Zhao Xiao, you’re a disgrace! We’re all from the same village, yet you side with these people?"
Zhao Xiao rolled his eyes. "Hey, old man, why don’t you make it clear—what kind of people do you think they are?"
"You! You—you—!" Old Zhao’s hand shook with anger, but after a long moment, he couldn’t get the words out.
Liu Dahua waved his hand impatiently. "Enough, everyone, shut up! Let’s cut the nonsense."
"Yes!"
"Understood!"
Liu Dahua folded his arms. "I’ll give you half an hour more. If Zhao Feng still doesn’t show, we’ll storm your house, smash what we can, and sell what we can!"
Zhao Jun breathed a sigh of relief.
Still, both Zhao Jun and Chen Lan were tense, their hands tightly clasped together.
Time ticked by, and in the blink of an eye, it was almost noon. Only one minute remained until the agreed hour.
At that moment, Liu Dahua opened his eyes.
He glanced at his watch, a cold smile on his face. "Now what do you have to say?"
Everyone’s faces grew grim.
Zhao Jun clung tightly to Chen Lan’s hand.
Liu Dahua slowly raised his right hand. "Go in!"
"Wait!"
Liu Dahua rolled his eyes. "Who is it this time?"
Everyone looked over. This time, the one who spoke was Chen Ying.
Liu Dahua gave her a leering look. "Well, if it isn’t the college girl."
Chen Ying shot him a look of pure disgust.
Her expression didn’t go unnoticed, and Liu Dahua’s face twisted, turning sinister.
With a menacing tone, he said, "Little girl, that look on your face annoys me the most."
"Hmph!" Chen Ying retorted fearlessly. "You’re nothing but a scoundrel. If you want respect, start by behaving like a decent person!"
Liu Dahua snorted. "You think you’re in any position to lecture me?"
He sneered. "Out with it. Why are you butting in?"
Chen Ying replied proudly, "I’ll pay the million for Zhao Feng!"
"Oh?" Liu Dahua’s interest was piqued. "You have a million?"
"Hmph!
A million is nothing to me—child’s play!"
Liu Dahua nodded. "I’m sure your family background is impressive, but this is Huai’an County, Chenzhou City. Here, I’m king. The power behind you means nothing to me."
He continued, "Let’s cut to the chase. I want to see a million within one minute. If you can’t produce it, none of you will walk away unscathed. I mean it this time."
With a clatter, Liu Dahua’s hundred-some men all drew their machetes.
The sight was overwhelming, striking fear into the heart.
The villagers who’d come with Old Zhao retreated a step, shrinking back.
They were, after all, honest farmers. Though they’d gained the upper hand before, something about today felt different—unsettling.
Liu Dahua’s cold smile grew as he watched, well pleased with the reaction.
He muttered to himself, "Young Master Xiang really is formidable. Every one of these men he found has blood on their hands. Ha!"
A tense standoff ensued. Chen Ying’s face was pale.
She bit her lip. "Liu Dahua, if you have any guts, give me ten minutes!"
Liu Dahua shook his head. "Sorry, but I’m not that kind of man."
Chen Ying flushed with anger. "You just want the money. Why force us like this? Give me a little time and I’ll have the million for you!"
Liu Dahua sneered. "Do you really think it’s just about the money?"
Chen Ying frowned in silence.
Liu Dahua gave another cold laugh. "You’re waiting for County Chief Wang, aren’t you?"
"Let me tell you—Wang won’t be coming! He won’t be bringing a million either. That’s Young Master Xiang’s order!"
"What?!"
Panic swept through the crowd.
"County Chief Wang isn’t coming?"
"What do we do now?"
"Where can Xiaofeng get a million?"
"Exactly, what now?"
The villagers were in disarray, exclaiming in alarm.
Zhao Jun’s face was grim. "I knew County Chief Wang couldn’t be trusted!"
Chen Lan clutched his hand anxiously.
Liu Dahua gave a few cold laughs. "From the start, Young Master Xiang never cared about the money!"
He continued, "Let me be frank. What Young Master Xiang wants is your family’s ancestral heirloom!"
Zhao Jun’s face grew even darker, and he muttered, "Let’s hope Xiaofeng doesn’t come back."
Chen Lan squeezed his hand in return. "Xiaofeng isn’t that kind of person."
"That’s exactly what I’m worried about."
Liu Dahua raised his right hand, and the crowd fell silent.
He glanced at the sky. "Time’s up! Go in—smash everything you can, take whatever’s worth taking!"
"Yes!"
With a roar, the hundred-odd men surged toward Zhao Feng’s house.
Zhao Jun, swallowed by the crowd, could only retreat helplessly.
The mob poured into the courtyard, grabbing baseball bats and smashing everything in sight.
Crash!
Bang!
Without a trace of mercy, they struck at anything and everything.
Zhao Jun and Chen Lan collapsed to the ground.
Chen Lan wailed, "What are we going to do? What are we going to do!"
She looked at the home she had worked so hard to build, now on the verge of ruin, and her heart ached unbearably.
Suddenly, someone offered her a tissue.
Chen Lan was stunned. She looked up—and froze.
"Xiao—Xiaofeng?"
That’s right. It was Zhao Feng who had returned.
At that moment, Zhao Feng’s face was dark and expressionless.
Upon seeing him, Zhao Jun hurried to his feet. "Xiaofeng, go! Take the heirloom and find your senior sister!"
At the mention of his senior sister, Zhao Feng’s presence seemed to shift.
He took a deep breath. "Dad, I don’t even know where my senior sister is right now."
Zhao Jun didn’t understand, only urging, "Xiaofeng, go into hiding for a few years and come back later!"
Zhao Feng shook his head, his voice resolute. "Dad, this time I’m not running away."