Chapter 33: The Advantage Is Mine

"Uncle Dong, don't waste any more breath on them! Beat them to death!"

"They come to our Tazhai, hit our people, and right behind the ancestral hall, no less! It’s practically right in front of our ancestors' eyes!"

"Beat them! Beat them! Beat them!"

The fervor of the villagers reached a fever pitch. Thousands of people shouted in unison, their voices sounding like thunder, echoing in the ears of Manager Wang and his men. It was impossible for them not to panic. After all, they had never even heard of such a situation, let alone encountered one.

"What do we do now?" Even Wang Dalong, the leader of this group of thugs, was rattled by the sight of thousands of people. He turned to Manager Wang, whispering in panic. If they really provoked this mob and got beaten up, the law couldn't punish everyone. It involved an entire village. If a mass incident broke out, the high-ranking officials in Dongshan City would face severe repercussions, let alone the thugs themselves.

Manager Wang’s eyes darted around rapidly. The situation was dire. Although they were in the right, the thousands of people across from them didn't care for logic. Furthermore, they were currently deep in the heart of the enemy's territory.

"We leave first. We'll pick these villagers off one by one later; I don't believe they’ll never leave the village!" Manager Wang whispered to Wang Dalong, preparing to lead his men away.

But how could Lin Wendong possibly let them go?

"You want to leave? Hmph! Do you think our Tazhai is a place you can just stroll in and out of as you please?" The villagers immediately blocked the path.

"You..." Manager Wang’s face darkened.

"You are restricting our personal freedom! We can call the police!" someone from behind the manager suddenly shouted.

"Exactly!" Manager Wang’s eyes lit up. He looked at Lin Wendong and Lin Yaodong. "Tell your people to move aside, or we’re calling the police!"

"Call the police?" The villagers behind Lin Wendong were stunned, looking at each other in confusion.

"Just a bunch of ignorant farmers. Even if they aren't afraid of us because of their numbers, surely they must fear the police?" Seeing their reaction, Manager Wang sneered. Just as he thought the villagers were intimidated, a voice roared back:

"Screw the police! The rules of our ancestors are here, and you must give us an account!"

Manager Wang staggered, nearly falling to the ground. "What is wrong with these people?" It wasn't entirely his fault; having grown up in the city, he had no concept of clan culture.

"Fine! Fine! Fine!" Manager Wang gritted his teeth, his face turning an ashen blue. He glared at Lin Wendong. "You forced my hand!"

"Assault, restricting our freedom, and refusing to pay debts! Do you have any idea what kind of punishment you’ll face for these crimes?"

"If you're going to call the police, do it already. Quit flapping your gums," Lin Wendong yawned, infuriating the manager even further.

Looking at the "vicious" villagers surrounding them, Manager Wang hesitated for a long moment before nodding firmly. "You brought this on yourselves!" He pulled out his phone and dialed 110.

"You still have a chance to let us leave, or else... I’m calling the police!" He tried to threaten Lin Wendong one last time, but was met only with looks of utter contempt, as if he were a fool. At that moment, Manager Wang felt his dignity had been trampled upon.

He put the call through. "Police? I'm in Tazhai, Dongshan City, and I've been cornered by a criminal gang. Thousands of them—yes, thousands! They’ve assaulted us and are restricting our movement."

Lin Yaodong glanced at Lin Wendong, a look of bewilderment in his eyes. Seeing the playful, wry smile on the younger man's face, Uncle Dong felt even more unsettled.

Previously, Lin Yaodong’s plan had been simple: have the villagers beat the debt collectors and throw them out. If they just threw them out, the thugs wouldn't have dared to call the police. It was a crude but effective method. But Lin Wendong had insisted on a better plan. He had arranged for a dozen of the village youths to set the stage and had ordered the villagers to surround the thugs without laying a finger on them. He had forced them to call the police.

"What is this kid actually planning?" Uncle Dong narrowed his eyes. After spending time with him, he realized that "crafty" didn't even begin to cover the boy. But one thing was certain: the collectors were now firmly in Lin Wendong’s trap, and their fate would be far worse than just being beaten and tossed out.

"Brother Dong, it's done. The surveillance footage has been retrieved," Lin Wenwu squeezed through the crowd and whispered to Lin Wendong, holding a tablet.

Lin Wendong nodded, his smile growing even more enigmatic.

"Just wait, the police are coming!" Manager Wang sneered, still threatening them. "Assault, refusing to pay, illegal detention—when the time comes, everyone in this village is going to prison!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Lin Wendong replied calmly.

Manager Wang shivered. For a split second, he felt as if the person across from him was actually looking forward to the arrival of the police. "No! We are the victims this time! They should be the ones afraid!" Manager Wang shook his head, forcing himself to stay calm. But it might not have been an illusion—in his eyes, the way the young man was looking at him felt exactly like he was looking at a gift-bearing messenger.

"No, no, no! The advantage is mine!"