Liang Yong slowly pivoted on his heels, his every movement deliberate and filled with a quiet resolve. With firm, confident strides, he exited Private Room 306 of the Four Seasons Restaurant. The words spoken by the esteemed senior official had burrowed deep into his heart, sowing the seeds of profound respect. Moreover, they had instilled in him an unwavering confidence for the journey that lay ahead in his life. As he reached the door, he gently pulled it shut behind him. In that fleeting moment, a palpable weight seemed to settle on his shoulders, and he became acutely aware that the mantle of responsibility had grown even heavier.


    As he made his way out, Liang Yong''s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, constantly replaying the senior official''s solemn entrust. He was acutely aware that the path before him was shrouded in uncertainty, and he had no clear idea of how to take that first step. However, one thing was crystal - clear to him: he could never, under any circumstances, betray the trust placed in him by the senior official. In the depths of his heart, he made a silent vow. He resolved to carve out his own niche, to rise to prominence, and to make a name for himself in the society of Country Z.


    In the midst of their silent walk, Qiangzi suddenly broke the stillness. "Brother Yong," he blurted out, his curiosity getting the better of him, "what on earth did the senior official want to talk to us about?"


    Liang Yong maintained his calm demeanor, his expression betraying no hint of what was going on inside his head. "It''s nothing too serious," he replied evenly. "Don''t go poking your nose into things. Just stick with me closely from now on, and everything will be fine."


    Qiangzi scratched his head in a puzzled manner, and then another thought popped into his head. "Could it be that he wants us to do something he can''t do openly?" he mused aloud. "Like, I don''t know, getting mixed up with the underworld or something?"


    Liang Yong shot him a sidelong glance but remained silent. Undeterred, Qiangzi continued his monologue. "I mean, it''s not that hard to guess. The society these days is in such a mess. If you really want to get things under control, sometimes you have to fight fire with fire, right?"


    Liang Yong reached over and patted Qiangzi firmly on the shoulder. "Qiangzi," he said with a steely glint in his eye, "from now on, when we''re out in this world, we''ve got to exude an air of absolute dominance. We can''t let anyone push us around."


    Qiangzi puffed out his chest with pride, his confidence soaring. "You bet, Brother Yong!" he exclaimed. "Even though we''re just starting out, I feel like I could take on the world whenever I''m walking down the street. I''ve got this crazy amount of swagger!"


    Liang Yong couldn''t help but chuckle at Qiangzi''s bravado. "Haha," he teased, "in the future, if you spot someone who gets on your nerves, just give them a death stare. I guarantee they''ll cower in fear in no time."


    Qiangzi gave a thumbs - up, his mind already racing ahead to the next question. "But what if we run into a real tough nut to crack, Brother Yong? You know, someone who''s not going to be intimidated so easily."


    Liang Yong''s eyes hardened into two unyielding orbs. "What tough guy?" he retorted forcefully. "In front of us brothers, there''s no such thing as an unbeatable opponent. If it comes down to it, we''ll just roll up our sleeves and fight. Simple as that."


    Qiangzi nodded vigorously in agreement. "You''re right! But Brother Yong, when the fight breaks out, you''ve got to have my back, okay?"


    Liang Yong didn''t hesitate for a second. "Of course! You''re my brother, through and through. Now, enough of this talk. Let''s go grab some barbecue. And if anyone dares to mess with us, they''ll be in for a rude awakening."


    Qiangzi''s face lit up with excitement. "That''s the spirit! By the way, Brother Yong, did you ask the senior official for anything?"


    A smug smile crept across Liang Yong''s face. "Yeah, I did. I asked for a military unit."


    Qiangzi''s eyes nearly popped out of his head. "That''s awesome! I was worried you might not have asked for anything. This is great! Does that mean I can strut around like a king now?"


    Liang Yong playfully kicked Qiangzi. "You little rascal, always dreaming big. Anyway, if everything goes as planned, within a week, Lu Ying will think that we''ll..."


    Qiangzi interrupted, a look of confusion on his face. "You mean that girl who''s in the intelligence business?"


    Liang Yong nodded. "That''s the one. Don''t be fooled by her looks. She''s a force to be reckoned with. Enough about her for now. Let''s go get something to eat to fill our growling stomachs and then buy tickets to Province S."


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    Everything unfolded precisely as planned. They booked tickets for a flight departing from Kyoto to Province S at 6:30 am the following day. After finalizing the ticket arrangements, the two brothers located a small, unassuming hotel near the airport and spent the night there, making do with the simple accommodations. The next morning, at around 6:20 am, they smoothly completed the check - in process and boarded the plane. At approximately 10:10 am, they disembarked at SL Airport in Province S. Without wasting any time, they purchased bus tickets bound for Town L. The journey took nearly another four hours. By the time they arrived at the town, it was already 2:30 pm. Since Liang Yong''s home was nestled in the countryside, he had no alternative but to hail a taxi. By the time they finally reached his home, it was well past 3 pm.


    As soon as he stepped within sight of his doorstep, Liang Yong''s eyes fell upon four elderly men sitting in the yard, engrossed in a game of poker. Beside them, a young man was lounging with his legs casually crossed, munching on sunflower seeds in a carefree manner.


    Liang Yong approached them quietly, his footsteps soft and stealthy. He stood behind them for a few moments, observing the game intently. Finally, he couldn''t resist offering his advice. "Play four threes," he said in a hushed tone. "That''ll blow his big joker right out of the water."


    The old man who was focused on his cards, his hands slowly shuffling the deck, turned his head slowly. "I don''t have four threes," he began to say. "I only have three..." His words trailed off as he suddenly realized who was standing behind him. With a start, he shot up from his seat, his eyes wide with surprise. "Xiaoyong!" he exclaimed. "What on earth are you doing back here?"


    The young man who had been snacking on sunflower seeds also stood up hastily, a huge grin spreading across his face. "Brother Yong!" he cried out. "I''ve been missing you like crazy!"


    After a brief round of warm greetings and friendly chatter, Liang Yong took the time to introduce Qiangzi to everyone present. Then, he pointed to each person at the table in turn. "This is my eldest uncle," he said, gesturing to the first man. "This is my second uncle, Uncle Chen, and this is my dad. And this young fellow here is Shengzai. His full name is Li Qisheng." After the introductions were complete, Liang Yong''s eyes scanned the area, a look of concern creeping onto his face. "Dad," he said, his voice tinged with worry, "where''s Mom? I don''t see her."


    Liang Yong''s father fell silent for a long moment. His eyes dropped to the ground, and a heavy sadness seemed to wash over him.


    Liang Yong and Qiangzi immediately sensed that something was amiss. Quickly, they tried to change the subject. "Eldest uncle, second uncle," Liang Yong said with a forced smile, "you guys keep playing. Just make sure you don''t make any mistakes with the cards. I''m going to take Shengzai and Qiangzi to get familiar with the place." He shot Shengzai a meaningful look and then made his way towards the hall. Shengzai and Qiangzi trailed closely behind him.


    Qiangzi, who was walking in the lead, turned his head slightly and whispered to Liang Yong. "Brother Yong," he said in a hushed tone, "this little brother of yours has got some injuries on him."


    Liang Yong replied with a simple, almost inaudible, "I know."


    Once they entered the living room, Liang Yong turned to face Shengzai, his expression serious and solemn. "Tell me," he said firmly. "What''s been going on lately?"


    Shengzai let out a long, heavy sigh. "Brother Yong," he began, his voice filled with sorrow, "two years ago, Auntie fell seriously ill. We scoured every corner, looking for doctors and treatments, doing everything we could to save her. But last August, she... she passed away. We searched high and low for you at that time. Some people said you were in the army, while others spread rumors that you had sacrificed in a mission on the border. There were all sorts of wild stories going around."


    As Shengzai was speaking, the door suddenly swung open, and Liang Yong''s father walked in. His face was a mask of calm, but there was a deep - seated sadness in his eyes. "Xiaoyong," he said slowly, his voice carrying a hint of weariness, "where have you been all these years? Your mother is gone. We spent a fortune on her medical bills, and we had to borrow a lot of money. Before she passed, those debt collectors were at our doorstep constantly. They took everything of value from our home. Now, there''s hardly anything left. If it hadn''t been for the help of your second uncle and Shengzai, you might not even have a father to come back to..." His voice choked up, and he couldn''t continue.


    Upon hearing the news of his mother''s death, Liang Yong''s face turned ashen. His eyes widened in disbelief, and he stared fixedly at his father, as if he couldn''t quite comprehend what he had just heard.


    "Why didn''t you tell me earlier?" he managed to say, his voice trembling with a mix of pain and self - reproach.


    His father let out a weary sigh. "At that time, you were in the army, and we couldn''t reach you. And your mother... she didn''t want to distract you. She only wanted you to serve the country wholeheartedly."


    Liang Yong gritted his teeth, and tears welled up in his eyes. His hands clenched into tight fists, and in his heart, a fierce determination was born. He swore an oath to avenge his mother.


    "Shengzai," he said, taking a deep breath to steady himself, "tell me everything. Every last detail."


    Shengzai nodded solemnly and then proceeded to recount everything that had transpired over the past two years.


    It turned out that there had been a glimmer of hope for his mother''s recovery. However, during the treatment, she had been brutally attacked by the debt collectors. Although the police had launched an investigation, so far, there had been no real progress.


    "These bastards!" Liang Yong roared, his voice filled with barely - contained rage. "They''ll pay for what they''ve done. I''ll make sure of it! Dad, how much did we borrow from them?"


    Liang''s father wiped away the tears that had welled up in the corners of his eyes. "We borrowed 50,000 yuan," he said, his voice heavy with grief. "We promised to pay it back in a year. Last June, I managed to scrape together 60,000 yuan. But that man said that prices had gone up, and he demanded 120,000 yuan. Our family just didn''t have that kind of money. Your mother tried to reason with him, but he... he slapped her to the ground. She was so sick, and after that, her condition just deteriorated rapidly. She passed away in August. They disappeared for a while, but last month, they came back again. They said that with principal and interest, I owed them 200,000 yuan. Shengzai was here at the time. When he saw them coming, he quietly went out and called three of his friends. They fought with those debt collectors and managed to drive them away, but just barely."


    A steely resolve flashed in Liang Yong''s eyes. "These people have no respect for the law!" he exclaimed. "Dad, don''t worry. I''ll make them pay for every single thing they''ve done. I''ll get justice for Mom."


    Liang Yong turned to Shengzai, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you, brother," he said sincerely. "From now on, we''re in this together. Through thick and thin."


    Shengzai smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "Brother Yong, we''re family. No need to be so formal. So, what''s the plan? What do we do next?"


    Liang Yong fell into deep thought. He had a million questions he wanted to ask Shengzai, but with his father present, it wasn''t the right time or place. "Let''s take our time and think this through carefully," he said finally. "Come over to my place tomorrow, and we''ll figure out a way to deal with this mess."


    That night, Liang Yong lay in bed, his mind a storm of thoughts. The news of his mother''s death had hit him like a ton of bricks, and he was consumed by grief. But alongside the pain, there was a burning desire for revenge. He made a solemn promise to himself that he would make those responsible pay the ultimate price. At the same time, he began to reflect on his future. He pondered how he could best protect his family and friends, how he could navigate the treacherous waters of this complex world and safeguard everything that was truly precious to him.