Chapter 38: Zhang Youqian said with gratification, "Manager Wang, you truly are my most capable right-hand man!"

"You! Do you have even a shred of conscience left?"

Manager Wang, having finally grasped the gravity of the situation, was on the verge of a breakdown. He lashed out at Lin Wendong, his voice trembling with fury.

This was... utterly shameless!

Not only had they refused to repay the money they owed, but they had also laid hands on his men. And now? They were actually demanding that he and his group of "victims" pay five million in compensation?

Manager Wang felt like crying. How could people be so malicious these days? What happened to the legendary simplicity and honesty of the countryside?

Facing the frantic and exasperated manager, Lin Wendong merely curled his lips into a faint, mocking smile.

"You can choose not to provide this 'explanation,' but I assure you, if a thorough investigation is launched, the truth will inevitably come to light."

"You...!" Wang Dalong gritted his teeth, glaring daggers at Lin Wendong. He truly longed to use his fists to teach this arrogant, ignorant fool a lesson—to show him exactly why flowers are so red.

Wu Youhai, standing to the side, had finally grown impatient. He waved a hand and addressed Manager Wang and his crew, "Have you reached a decision yet? If you refuse to settle, you’ll have to come back to the station with us, where the truth will be investigated thoroughly."

What else could Manager Wang say? If they were dragged back to the police station, all the shady dealings they had engaged in previously would likely be unearthed. And if that happened, they were finished!

"We... we choose to settle! We will pay the compensation you’re asking for!" Manager Wang ground the words out through clenched teeth, as if they were being squeezed from his very marrow.

"However, we don’t have that much cash on hand right now. We’ll gather it and send it to you after a while," he added as a final plea.

It was clear from this statement that he was still making a desperate last stand. Once they left here in front of the police, any hope of getting the money would be gone.

"I can wait..." Lin Wendong said calmly. Just as a glimmer of hope sparked in Manager Wang’s heart, the next words crushed it: "But Uncle Hai, who suffered a heart attack after being intimidated by you, cannot!"

"We villagers of Ta Zhai have the elderly and the young to look after. We’ve wasted so much time today that we haven't been able to earn a living; our families have no food for tonight! We’re counting on your compensation!"

Manager Wang: "..."

He was left completely speechless. Even Wu Youhai, standing nearby, twitched the corner of his mouth as he looked at Lin Wendong, thinking to himself, *Kid, couldn't you have come up with a more reasonable excuse? No compensation means no dinner tonight? I can't believe you actually thought of that!*

Knowing they had truly fallen into a trap, Manager Wang realized that dragging this out would only make the situation increasingly unfavorable for them.

***

Yet, Manager Wang had his own hidden troubles.

He genuinely couldn't produce that much money. Five million! Even with his annual salary and all the kickbacks he pocketed, he barely made over half a million, and his expenses were high. Where was he supposed to conjure five million from?

"I... I’ll make a phone call. I’ll scrape the money together for you right now!"

To extricate himself, he had no choice but to pull out his phone and call his boss. After all, they were working for Zhang Youqian; the boss would have to foot this bill!

Besides, Wang Dalong and his men had been working for Zhang Youqian for a long time, and the boss was inevitably tied to all the illicit activities they had committed. If the police investigated, there was no way Zhang Youqian could keep his own hands clean.

***

Dongshan City, Qingfeng Diyue Villa.

"Don't worry, Brother Tian. I've already sent people over to collect the money today. We'll get at least a third of it back."

"I know you need the cash urgently. As soon as it hits the account, I’ll transfer it directly to you."

"What if we can't collect it? My company account still has five million yuan; if the collection fails, you can use that money for now."

"..."

Zhang Youqian spoke with a subservient tone, offering repeated assurances to Li Batian on the other end of the line.

"Four days have passed since the deadline you promised me, and I still haven't seen a cent. If I don't see the money today, you know what my methods are!"

After delivering this final, chilling threat, the line went dead.

Zhang Youqian wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his face darkening. Both Li Batian and Niu Youde had called him more than once today, warning him that if they didn't see the money by the end of the day, he should prepare to have his throat slit.

Zhang Youqian knew all too well the methods of these two 'brothers.' One was the kingpin of a special economic zone in the Golden Triangle, and the other was even more formidable: a major drug lord entrenched in the United States. When they said they would kill him, it wasn't just idle talk.

"I hope those two useless fools, Manager Wang and Wang Dalong, don't let me down." At this thought, Zhang Youqian’s brow smoothed, and his expression improved slightly. "They’ve been with me for so long; they surely won't mess up intimidating a group of farmers!"

***

Just then, another phone belonging to Zhang Youqian rang.

He pulled it out and his tense heart relaxed slightly. It wasn't Niu Youde or Li Batian, but Manager Wang.

"That was quick—they got it done already?" Zhang Youqian felt a flicker of surprise, deciding that he had perhaps underestimated the professional efficiency of Manager Wang and his team.

He answered the call, and before the other side could even speak, he took the initiative: "Good work, Manager Wang. You handled that many people already?"

"Uh..."

Manager Wang’s face was as black as coal. Hearing Zhang Youqian’s satisfied tone only made his turmoil worse.

He pondered for a long time, trying to figure out how to break the news of what happened today. And then... how to ask the boss for five million in... 'operating expenses'?

It was simply too humiliating. They had come to collect money! When they left, they had sworn on their lives to bring it back. And the result? Not only did they fail to collect a single cent, but they now had to pay the other party five million.

In the history of debt collection, this was an unprecedented disaster!

Manager Wang finally took a deep breath. If he didn't speak up, they would never get out of there. He bit the bullet and recounted the day's events, emphasizing that *they* were the ones who had to pay five million.

It wasn't the debtors paying them!

"…?"

After Manager Wang finished, there was a long, heavy silence on the other end of the line.