"Mother!" The thugs screamed in agony, scrambling to dodge to the roadside. Although the road wasn't narrow, it was lined with many street vendors, making it difficult for Li Nianlong to plow through. He stopped the car, got out, and casually picked a few leaves from the nearby greenery. Utilizing his skill of "Plucking Leaves to Kill," he flicked the leaves, making soft "puff" sounds.
Without any screams, the thugs were all pierced through the skull by the leaves and died instantly.
"Experience +15, Experience +15, Experience +15..."
This was why they had to die. Any red-named monster would not escape Li Nianlong's deadly hands. Moreover, this was Tianfu, Liu's territory. Committing such acts in Liu's territory, how could Li Nianlong let them go?
On the other side, Zhao Tianming was sitting in the car. Seeing Li Nianlong kill so many people in one go, he couldn't help but take a deep breath, patting his chest. "Luckily, I followed Brother Long early on. Otherwise, facing such an enemy, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night."
So many murders soon attracted the police. The leading officer was a pot-bellied fat man, who didn't look like a policeman at all.
"Who killed these people?" Naturally, the police came armed when there were murders. Seeing the scene littered with the bodies of thugs, the fat officer took a sharp breath. "Such ruthless methods!"
Li Nianlong looked at him coldly, killing intent flashing in his eyes. The fat officer's head emitted a dark aura, like a firefly in the dark. Li Nianlong felt obligated to kill him.
A leaf flew out, piercing the fat officer's skull instantly, and he fell to the ground. The scene turned chaotic, but Li Nianlong didn't stop. Except for one, all the other officers had either red or black auras on their heads. Li Nianlong ruthlessly ended their lives with leaves, sparing only the young officer with a white aura.
"Wha... what happened? Why are they all dead?" No one saw how it happened, but when Li Nianlong used his "Plucking Leaves to Kill" skill, the police officers fell to the ground with a blood mark on their foreheads, their brains oozing out from the wound.
Li Nianlong walked up to the young officer and said lightly, "I didn't expect a good man among the police. You should be glad you're not a bad person, or your fate would be the same as theirs today."
"You..." The young officer stared at Li Nianlong in shock. "You... you're... Liu..."
"Hmph!" Li Nianlong adjusted his sunglasses. "Don't meddle with this matter. The Liu family will soon resolve the governance and law enforcement here. You're quite good; expect a promotion!"
With that, Li Nianlong got back into his car and continued driving towards Zhang Zhenghao's house. The young officer stood amidst the bodies, bewildered.
Soon after, a unit of troops arrived, quickly controlling the local government officials, arresting numerous corrupt elements, and cracking down on local bullies and tyrants. The town's sky changed dramatically.
Li Nianlong didn't pay attention to these events. Led by Zhao Tianming, he finally arrived at a relatively new farmhouse. The car stopped at the gate, and Zhao Tianming got out, shouting into the yard, "Uncle Zhang, Aunt Zhang, sister-in
-law, is anyone home?"
"Who is it?" A young woman, about twenty-something, soon came out of the house. She was about 1.6 meters tall, with slightly tanned skin but a delicate appearance. A long braid added to her village woman charm. She wore blue jeans and a pink cotton jacket. Seeing Zhao Tianming, she immediately smiled. "It's Brother Zhao. What brings you here today?"
"I'm here on a mission today," Zhao Tianming chuckled, turning to point at Li Nianlong. "This is our dorm's big brother, Li Nianlong. He heard about our fourth brother's situation and came here specifically to check on things."
"Li... Li Nianlong!?" The young woman gasped upon seeing him. "Aren't you the new head of the Liu family?"
Li Nianlong removed his sunglasses, smiling gently. "Hello, sister-in-law. Are Uncle and Aunt Zhang home?"
Upon confirming it was indeed Li Nianlong, the young woman became overly excited. "No... father and mother went to visit Zhenghao. I'm the only one home."
Li Nianlong nodded, "Sister-in-law, I only heard about our fourth brother's situation yesterday. I apologize for not helping during your most difficult times. But now that I'm here, you will soon be reunited as a family."
Hearing this, the young woman repeatedly nodded in excitement. "Thank you, big brother. If you can really get Zhenghao out, we will be forever grateful."
"Zhenghao is my brother; there's no need to talk about gratitude." Li Nianlong waved his hand. "I brought some things with me this time. They are in the car. Let's unload them first, and then we will go to the prison to visit Zhenghao."
"Big brother, you are too generous. You came to help, and you even brought things. That's too much." The young woman said.
"Don't be too polite," Li Nianlong replied calmly. "We can talk more after I get Zhenghao out."
With that, Li Nianlong, Zhao Tianming, and the young woman began unloading the car. The items were plentiful and expensive, worth no less than ten thousand yuan, making the young woman gasp at the generosity.
After unloading, the young woman said hurriedly, "Big brother, Brother Zhao, please sit down. I'll pour you some water."
"No need," Li Nianlong waved. "I don't feel like drinking water right now. You go ahead and prepare lunch. Old three and I will get our fourth brother out, and we can all eat together when we return."
"Getting him out so soon?" The young woman couldn't remember how many times she had been surprised that day, but she was willing to experience such excitement a few more times.
"Old three, let's go!" Li Nianlong said.
Zhao Tianming laughed, "Brother Long is straightforward. I'll accompany Brother Long on this trip and strive to be back for lunch."
…
The prison where Zhang Zhenghao was held wasn't far from his home. It took only half an hour to get there. By that time, the prison had already been taken over by the Tianfu military. Upon seeing Li Nianlong, an officer came over to salute. "Family Head!"
Li Nianlong nodded, "I'm here to get someone out. His name is Zhang Zhenghao, 24 years old, medium build, sentenced to life for manslaughter."
The officer saluted again, "Understood!"
Inside the prison, a medium-built, bald young man in a prison uniform was sitting in the visiting room, speaking to his parents on the phone through the glass.
This young man was none other than Zhang Zhenghao, sentenced to life imprisonment.
"Mom, I'm doing fine here. You don't need to visit often." Looking at his increasingly aged parents, Zhang Zhenghao felt heart-wrenching pain but had to put on a brave face. "And about Xiao Yue, I won't be able to get out in this lifetime. She's still young; tell her not to wait for me and to find a good man and get married soon."
"Son, I've already talked to Xiao Yue about it, but she insists she won't remarry. She wants to stay by your side and take care of us," Zhang Zhenghao's mother said tearfully. "Your father and I are happy that Xiao Yue is a good daughter-in-law, but it also makes us sadder. Fortunately, your classmate sends us one thousand yuan every month. Son, do your best to reform here, and strive for a reduced sentence so you can come back and repay this friend."
Zhang Zhenghao was silent for a moment. "Mom, I understand. I will repay him. I'll also perform well here and strive for a reduced sentence. Take care of yourselves, and I'll definitely take care of you both when I get out."
"Good... good..."
The family of three was tearfully recounting the events of the past months when a guard suddenly came over. "Zhang Zhenghao, you have been released. Pack your things and go home quickly!"
"What!?" Zhang Zhenghao and his parents were stunned.
Soon, accompanied by his parents, Zhang Zhenghao walked out of the prison. Looking at the slightly gloomy weather, he still couldn't believe it. How had he been released? Who had gotten him out?
"Old four!" At this moment, a voice he hadn't heard in more than two years reached his ears. Turning around, he saw a tall man waving at him. That familiar figure filled Zhang Zhenghao with joy. "Big brother!?"
Rushing forward, the two embraced warmly. Zhang Zhenghao exclaimed, "Big brother, why are you here?"
"Old four, you owe it all to me this time," Zhao Tianming stepped out from behind Li Nianlong, chuckling. "Last night, I was drinking with Brother Long and mentioned your situation. Brother Long got angry and came here today personally. The corrupt officials and businessmen who conspired against you have been arrested, and you have been exonerated and released. From now on, follow Brother Long, and you'll surely prosper."
While at the prison, Zhao Tianming had learned the current situation from the officer and was shocked by the Liu family's power. He was even more grateful that Black Rat Gang had pledged loyalty to the Liu family early on. Otherwise, they would have been unprotected in times of trouble, and even the Zhao family in Central China might not have been able to save them.
"Big brother got me out?" Zhang Zhenghao was full of disbelief. "Big brother, who are you?"
Back in college, he knew Li Nianlong came from a good family and seemed wealthy, but he had no power. Now, he had been released from a life sentence, and those who had wronged him had been arrested. The power behind this was unimaginable. As a farmer's son, Zhang Zhenghao couldn't help but be in awe of such authority.
Li Nianlong smiled faintly. "No matter who I am, I'm still your big brother, and you are my fourth brother. That will never change."
Zhang Zhenghao was deeply moved. "Big brother..."
Li Nianlong patted his shoulder, then looked at the elderly couple behind him. "Uncle, Aunt, you must be Zhang Zhenghao's parents. I'm Li Nianlong, your son's college dormitory big brother."
"I... I know you," Zhang Zhenghao's father said, full of excitement. "Aren't you the head of the Liu family? Is it true that our son is really your classmate?"
"Liu family head?" When Li Nianlong became the head of the Liu family, Zhang Zhenghao was already in prison. He hadn't watched TV or received any news, so he had no idea that Li Nianlong had completed a dramatic turnaround from an illegitimate child to the head of the Liu family.