In the sky, a military helicopter tore through the firmament, its fuselage painted in camouflage, flashing with a cold glare under the shimmering sunlight.
The rotors emitted a deafening roar, sounding like battle drums on a battlefield.
The missiles and autocannons slung beneath the wings further highlighted its grim nature as a machine of war.
Suddenly, the helicopter began to descend, and several fully armed soldiers rapidly rappelled from the side door, their skilled and swift movements tracing graceful arcs in the air as they landed straight and steady on the ground.
At the appearance of the soldiers, the local ruffians and bullies who had been acting so fiercely moments before instantly scattered in all directions.
Yet how could they possibly be a match for soldiers?
Within the span of just a few breaths, all the ruffians were pinned down and subdued by the troops in a single spot.
It all happened so fast that everyone held their breath, and the surrounding air was thick with tension and oppression.
Just then, the cabin door of the helicopter slowly opened, and an old man wearing crisp military uniform emerged, surrounded by a cluster of soldiers.
His pace was steady, his expression stern, and his eyes revealed an unquestionable majesty.
County Magistrate Sun Da felt towering waves churn in his heart as he looked at this scene.
Even if it were his own biological uncle, he feared he could not pull off such a grand display.
Who on earth was this newcomer?!
To think he could even summon a helicopter!
The crucial point was that the military soldiers descending from the helicopter were holding genuine, live-fire weapons!
Wasn't this on par with counter-terrorism?
Surely this wasn't directed at them, was it?
Sun Da swallowed nervously, while Qi Tongwei beside him was struck with utter astonishment.
In a daze, he felt as though he had gotten himself into deep trouble.
Before anyone could react, a shout of "Uncle Zhao" broke the silence.
"Uncle Zhao, you've finally come!"
Liang Song looked at the newcomer, endless hope bursting in his eyes.
He had finally held out until Uncle Zhao arrived!
Because the tension suddenly drained away, his body abruptly grew heavy, and one knee slammed hard onto the ground.
When Zhao Mengsheng saw this, a dangerous glare flashed in his eyes.
"Surround the entire area!"
At his command, the surrounding soldiers moved into action swiftly.
Zhao Mengsheng strode up to Liang Song and hoisted his battered body up in one motion.
Looking at the bruises on his body and the streaks of blood on his face, Zhao Mengsheng's eyes turned crimson as he instantly looked toward Zhong Mao standing nearby.
Zhong Mao usually dealt only with ordinary citizens who lacked the strength to truss a chicken; how could he endure being stared at with such oppressive intensity?
At just this single glance, Zhong Mao felt his legs shaking.
He waved his hands frantically and backed away, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
"I didn't do any of this!"
Zhao Mengsheng was about to give an order when his arm was suddenly grabbed by Grandma Liang and Mother Liang.
"Xiao Zhao, you've finally come!"
"We almost died at the hands of these beasts!"
"They shield one another and leave no way out for ordinary people! To protect us and our home, Song'er was beaten by a mob of them!"
Grandma Liang cried out at the top of her lungs, weeping until her body went limp.
Mother Liang also collapsed emotionally from the sheer trauma of having survived a brush with death.
Having been constantly oppressed, bullied, and left utterly defenseless, they had finally ushered in a chance at rebirth from the jaws of despair!
Hearing the desperation in their words, Zhao Mengsheng felt as though his heart was being tightly clenched by a giant hand, squeezing the breath out of him.
"It's my fault. I came too late."
Moisture welled up in the corners of Zhao Mengsheng's eyes, but his voice was as firm as a towering mountain, instilling a sense of security.
Mother Liang and Grandma Liang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Their hearts settled in their chests, and they no longer had to worry about being bullied.
But on the other side, the hearts of Sun Da and the others were hoisted high into their throats.
Qi Tongwei looked at Sun Da with an ugly expression. "The person who arrived is Liang Song's uncle?"
Sun Da cursed angrily, "How the hell would I know!"
Liu Qiang, standing nearby, explained with a trembling voice, "That shouldn't be right. Before the demolition, we ran background checks on every family—they're all just ordinary commoners with no powerful backing."
It was precisely because they had investigated beforehand that they dared to be so arrogant.
Yet looking at the military helicopter before them and the battle-ready, well-trained soldiers, Sun Da found it difficult even to breathe.
As for Qi Tongwei, he right now wished he could dig a hole and bury himself.
He had thought Sun Da's backing was already formidable enough and terrifying enough.
Little did he expect that this inconspicuous family of Liang Song could summon an entire military troop!
One had to know that even he, in his capacity as the head of the Public Security Department, had no authority to deploy troops and helicopters!
Not even his mentor could do it.
Yet the old man before him could gather people directly in such a short amount of time.
It could only indicate one thing.
The old man before him was a mountain he couldn't even see the peak of, no matter how high he looked!
And he had just gone against the man's wishes, even helping Sun Da and the others commit atrocities!
Qi Tongwei's face turned pale, but he quickly regained his composure.
For him, perhaps there was still a turning point.
Qi Tongwei quietly shifted his position, wanting to move to the opposite side of Sun Da.
By this time, Sun Da had been scared out of his wits by Zhao Mengsheng's display; he had a faint feeling in his heart that even if his own biological uncle stepped forward, he might not be able to save him.
Amidst this extreme anxiety, he immediately noticed Qi Tongwei's attempt to slip away.
Sun Da instantly grabbed Qi Tongwei's arm. "Don't even think about dumping me!"
Qi Tongwei glanced at Zhao Mengsheng, seeing that he wasn't looking in their direction, and hurriedly tried to push Sun Da away.
"County Magistrate Sun, what are you trying to do?!"
Sun Da threatened him through gritted teeth, "We're grasshoppers on the same string now! If I die, you won't have a good end either!"
"Don't forget, it was you who cuffed Liang Song with your own hands and handed him over to Bureau Chief Zhong!"
"Do you think you can just walk over there now and escape?"
Qi Tongwei completely exposed his nature as a fence-sitter, threatening with ruthlessness in his eyes.
"I didn't order anyone to harm Liang Song's family, so there is naturally still some leeway."
"Unlike you, you probably only have a dead end ahead of you!"
Sun Da was cowed by the dangerous glare in Qi Tongwei's eyes, and his grip slackened for a fraction of a second.
Seizing that exact moment, Qi Tongwei immediately pulled his people away and switched sides, moving to the opposite camp from Sun Da.
Many of the villagers looked at his fence-sitting behavior with utter disdain in their eyes.
Yet Qi Tongwei was, after all, an official, and they still didn't know the old man's true background—might he turn out to be just another Qi Tongwei?
Therefore, rather than seeking help, the villagers felt mostly a deep sense of unease.
Having comforted Liang Song's family, Zhao Mengsheng slowly straightened his posture and cast his gaze around.
In the eyes of those unarmed commoners looking at him, there was mostly a sense of wariness and fear.
A pang of pain stabbed through his heart, instantly brewing into fury.
Just what kind of experiences had the villagers been through to hold such immense fear toward officials and soldiers like them?!
And hadn't he issued orders long ago to halt any demolition activities that harmed people's livelihoods or relied on forced measures, sparing no cost?
How on earth were these people executing their duties?!