Chapter 28: Is This a Poverty-Stricken Village?

For a moment, the refined and scholarly image of Uncle Dong standing before him seemed to become unfathomable in Lin Wendong’s eyes.

Thinking back to what Uncle Dong had just said—that he knew many people who had gone abroad to become mercenaries or hitmen—this…

A whirlwind of thoughts surged within him, and Lin Wendong instinctively swallowed hard.

‘With a background like that, Uncle Dong’s past couldn’t possibly be simple, right? Could it be that Uncle Dong was once the biggest crime lord in Dongshan?’

Just as Lin Wendong was considering whether to tentatively ask what Lin Yaodong used to do, two trucks pulled into the plaza in front of them.

After the trucks stopped, Lin Wenwu, Lin Tianhao, and several other young men from Taizhai jumped down, followed by two bewildered truck drivers.

Taizhai was known far and wide as a poverty-stricken village. Just moments ago, Lin Wenwu and the others had contacted these drivers to transport a shipment of goods to the village. To these two drivers, the roads leading to a poor village were bound to be treacherous. They expected that, let alone risking a rollover, their heavy trucks, laden with tons of cargo, would surely get stuck in the mud at least a few times.

Yet, lured by the generous shipping fee, they had gritted their teeth and accepted the job. They had braced themselves for a grueling struggle, but to their utter shock, the roads in Taizhai turned out to be remarkably smooth. The wide, flat concrete road was even more impressive than the main thoroughfares in the city.

"This..." Both men were stunned. ‘Isn’t Taizhai a notorious, impoverished village? What’s with this wide, smooth concrete road?’

***

"Uncle Dong, Brother Dong, all the items have been purchased." Lin Wenwu walked over to the two men and reported.

"Call everyone in the village over to unload the cargo," Uncle Dong nodded and said.

Soon, many of the able-bodied young men of Taizhai arrived at the plaza, and in no time, the "goods" from the two trucks were unloaded. Lin Wendong walked over to a crate, opened it, picked up one of the baseball bats inside, and weighed it in his hand. He then looked at another crate nearby, which contained sets of American football gear.

They had bought over a hundred sets. Of course, they certainly weren't buying these things to hit people, intimidate them, or make threats. They were simply planning to start a football team in Taizhai. Even if none of the villagers were interested in football, that didn’t really matter.

Looking at the equipment, Uncle Dong shook his head and muttered to himself, "Now, which gangsters would dare to come to our Taizhai?"

Days passed. Fifteen days later, the date arrived for the repayment as agreed by both parties.

Manager Wang arrived at the office early that morning, opened his computer with trepidation, and checked the data. Just as he had feared, not a single person had made a payment.

"Hmm? Perhaps it's too early, and those people in Taizhai haven't woken up yet? I expect they’ll start making payments by noon," Manager Wang reasoned to himself. He took two steamed buns from his secretary and took a large bite. "Surely those peasants wouldn't dare to default on their loans, would they?"

***

By the afternoon, the computer screen was still a sea of red—thousands of pending repayments, stretching on indefinitely, with not a single green light indicating a completed transaction.

Now, Manager Wang could no longer sit still. Earlier, he could comfort himself by saying it was too early, but by now... it was well past noon, and that excuse was wearing thin. He pulled out his phone and called Lin Wendong, the contact person for Taizhai.

Based on his experience, if someone didn't intend to pay, they would either ignore the call or block his number. However, the call was picked up immediately. This caused Manager Wang to heave a sigh of relief.

"According to our contract, today is the day for your village to make the repayment," Manager Wang reminded him with a smile.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a righteous voice came from the other end without the slightest hesitation:

"Don't you worry, Manager Wang. We in Taizhai would never default on a debt. I’m currently organizing the villagers right now; please just wait a little longer."

Lin Wendong lay on his bed, watching television while speaking with the utmost sincerity. His tone was so convincing that even he almost believed it himself.

Manager Wang immediately replied, "No rush at all. I have full faith in Taizhai; I would never suspect you of defaulting!" After a few more pleasantries, Manager Wang hung up.

A short while later, instead of receiving news of payments from Taizhai, Manager Wang received a call from his boss, Zhang Youqian.

"What is going on? Not a single person from Taizhai has paid back their loans?!" Zhang Youqian’s tone was a mix of shock and fury, a dark premonition already dawning on him.

***

Manager Wang hurriedly explained, "Boss, I just spoke to them. He said they are already organizing the villagers and will make a collective payment."

...

After pacifying Zhang Youqian, Manager Wang fell into another long wait. Time ticked by. From noon, the afternoon dragged on, and the sun began to set, with nightfall fast approaching. Manager Wang looked at his computer—it was still all red. An entire day had passed, and not one person from Taizhai had paid a cent.

"This..." The sense of unease in Manager Wang’s heart grew even more intense. He picked up the phone and called Lin Wendong again.

Didn't he say they were already organizing the villagers? How could an entire day pass without a single sign of payment? Was he being played?

The call was answered instantly, just like before. This time, before Manager Wang could even speak, Lin Wendong preempted him, his tone tinged with apology:

"Manager Wang, I am truly sorry. Many of the villagers hit their bank card limits today, and since it’s the weekend, the banks aren't open to withdraw cash. This is entirely our fault for not planning ahead. As soon as tomorrow, Monday, when the banks open, we will definitely transfer the money to you."