Fine, I surrender—will that do?

The Development Management Office was right next to the village committee, with the village square at its doorstep—the busiest spot in the whole village. As a result, Lian Haiping didn’t even need to run; he simply shouted at the entrance, and within moments, dozens of villagers, wielding whatever implements were at hand, came rushing over.

Never think farmers are easy to bully. In earlier years, it was common for villages to fight over hills, farmland, water sources, or even brides. Brawls were as ordinary as meals, and armed clashes were hardly rare. In the most tumultuous places, even homemade guns and shotguns appeared. Decades ago, the feuds between villages were nothing less than small-scale local wars.

Land is a farmer’s lifeblood.

Touch that, and they’ll risk everything.

The crowd poured into the office but were halted by a raised hand from Lian Zongxu. They glared menacingly at Chen Ling and his companions, like wolves ready to pounce at their chief’s command.

Had this been a remote region, it would truly have been dangerous. If they wanted, you could disappear into a shallow ditch, and no one would ever know.

Even Gelo felt Chen Ling was being too rash, but he still stepped forward, shielding Chen Ling behind him, and shouted at Lian Zongxu, “Village Chief Lian! This is Linjiang! You need to consider the consequences!”

“Consequences?” Lian Zongxu snorted coldly. “And did you? Bringing this brat here to cause trouble? Do you even know where you are?”

Gelo narrowed his eyes, his heart pounding with anxiety. In desperation, he whispered to Chen Ling behind him, “Mr. Chen, a wise man bends to circumstances. Let’s ask for leniency—otherwise, who knows how this will end?”

Li Mingjiang also urged, “Boss Chen, just yield! You have no idea how ruthless these people can be—if it comes to blows, broken arms and legs are the least to expect!”

Zhang Peng, too, was nervous. He wasn’t new to such standoffs, but usually, he was on the other side of the crowd. Being surrounded like this—he’d never experienced that before.

But Chen Ling’s reaction stunned them all.

“Heh,” Chen Ling laughed, undaunted. “It’s fine. I was just thinking about how to gather all the villagers. He’s actually saving us the trouble!”

The others were baffled.

Chen Ling took the black suitcase from Gelo, said nothing, and stepped forward, facing the threat of sticks, knives, and clubs.

This move was instantly interpreted as provocation by those across from him. The crowd’s hostility verged on boiling over, even with Lian Zongxu present.

This was Lian Zongxu’s doing. The village was being relocated; many families had already taken their compensation, bought cars and houses, and moved on to enjoy life. But the 235 owners of collective property rights, and their families, had yet to see any real benefit.

With Lian Zongxu fueling the fire, rumors spread that the developer refused their terms, wouldn’t pay, and was even trying to force construction.

How could they stand for that?

Resentment doesn’t come from having little, but from inequality. Once, everyone was just a dirt-poor farmer. Suddenly, your neighbor, childhood friend, or even enemy soars ahead, striking it rich. Meanwhile, your land is gone, and you’ve received nothing. Who could endure such a thing?

Once such extreme emotions ignite, even Lian Zongxu himself grew uneasy. At first, he’d only wanted to scare the other side, since he was still counting on a partnership with Zhongrui Corporation.

But if anything really happened, what partnership would there be? In this situation, one spark could trigger disaster—who knew what might happen?

Yet, what seemed an insoluble crisis was, in Chen Ling’s eyes, remarkably simple.

Saying nothing, Chen Ling continued forward. As he walked, he opened the suitcase in his hand.

There was a sudden rustle.

Silence fell.

The villagers, excited and shouting a moment before, stood open-mouthed, but their voices caught in their throats. All eyes were wide, fixed on the pile on the ground—

Bright red cash.

Over a million yuan in cash, stacked in bundles, scattered on the floor into a small mountain.

Many swallowed hard, their eyes burning, hearts pounding.

Chen Ling was very pleased with the scene. Over a million in the bank was just a number. But over a million in cash, laid out before their eyes—

In an era when most people earned two or three thousand a month, the impact was like a meteor striking the earth.

“Fellow villagers,” Chen Ling said with a beaming smile, “please spread the word throughout the village. Today, on behalf of Zhongrui Corporation, we’re here to give everyone money!”

“All those with collective property rights, please bring your documents here to register and collect your payment!”

With that, Chen Ling opened another suitcase and poured out its contents.

Another rush of cash, two suitcases in all—over two million, right before their eyes.

“Everyone, hurry! If you’re not eager to collect your money, there must be something wrong with your head!”

At first, the villagers looked at each other in disbelief. Then someone shouted, and instantly the crowd scattered like startled birds.

Chen Ling kept smiling as he turned to the still-shocked Lian Zongxu and asked, “Who did you say was being unreasonable just now? Everyone seems pretty cooperative to me!”

Lian Zongxu was speechless.

What a move—literally paving the way with money! He was at a complete loss.

He stood there, stunned, unable to think of anything to say.

Forbid Chen Ling from distributing the money?

If he tried, he’d face a scene a hundred times more terrifying than before.

And once the money was handed out…

All the slander he’d spread about the developer would collapse on its own. Along with it, his standing in the village would plunge off a cliff.

Lian Zongxu racked his brain but couldn’t come up with any idea.

He hurriedly shouted to his son, Lian Haiping, “Quick, go home!”

“Right, I’ll call the family right away. There’s no way we’ll let them hand out the money!” Lian Haiping growled, only to receive a slap on the head from his father.

“Documents! Go home and get the documents! We get a share too!” Lian Zongxu shouted in desperation.

Lian Haiping: “???”

And so, this farce ended as abruptly as it had begun.

The distribution of money was left to Li Mingjiang, who arranged for a few staff from the management office. A table was set up at the office door, the cash placed inside. For each person who registered, a share was handed out.

Each person received ten thousand as a so-called “advance dividend.” For the newly-established management office staff, these recent days marked the first time they truly experienced what it meant for “the local folk to be honest and good-natured.”

Meanwhile, Chen Ling and his companions sat in the office, smoking and chatting.

“Boss Chen!” Gelo said sincerely, “You’re truly resourceful! Just over two million solved such a complicated situation.”

“Compared to—” He glanced deliberately at Li Mingjiang. “Nearly half a year’s work! If only I’d known you sooner. Spending two million to buy half a year’s time—what a bargain!”

Li Mingjiang felt a host of emotions.

When it came to the project, he was no match for Chen Ling; in Gelo’s eyes, he didn’t carry nearly as much weight; even the director’s job had been secured with Chen Ling’s help.

If not for Chen Ling, who knew how long the project would have dragged on.

At that moment, Li Mingjiang realized he could never compete with Chen Ling. The only reason he hadn’t been pushed out yet was likely because, at the very beginning, he had offered some assistance.

Rather than continue to struggle, perhaps it was better to follow Chen Ling steadily. After all, there was still a thirty percent profit to be had, wasn’t there?

With that thought, Li Mingjiang looked at Chen Ling again. All his anger, resentment, and jealousy vanished.

He conceded.

Isn’t it enough that I yield?

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