"Zhou Dianian, you son of a bitch! Do you think you can come here to cause trouble in my home?" Wang Tiezhu thundered, storming into the living room from the bedroom. His rage burned like wildfire—this bastard had dared to disrespect his parents, and that was unforgivable.


    Upon entering the room, Wang Tiezhu saw that Zhou Dianian wasn’t alone. Two others trailed behind him: Zhang Bing and Li Erhu, both loyal lackeys of Zhou. They’d grown up together since childhood, inseparable as brothers.


    "Trouble? You’re mistaken," Zhou Dianian sneered, his face dotted with band-aids. His eyes, still bruised purple, glared with unresolved fury. He’d come despite the minimal stitches on his wounds—the beating from Wang Tiezhu hadn’t been forgotten.


    "I’m here to collect what’s owed," Zhou said, smirking smugly.


    "Collect money? Our family doesn’t owe you anything," Li Xiaoping replied, frowning.


    "True, but now you do," Zhou declared. "You owe Li Erhu five thousand yuan. He transferred that debt to me. So now, you owe *me*. Pay up—and quickly."


    Li Xiaoping paled, turning to Li Erhu. "Erhu, we agreed to repay you after this season’s orange harvest!"


    "That was *before*," Li Erhu mumbled, avoiding her gaze. "Now I owe Zhou, so just pay him."


    "…" Li Xiaoping bit her lip. Five thousand? Even five hundred would be impossible.


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    "Don’t worry, Mother. I’ve got this," Wang Tiezhu reassured her, his hand on her arm. "These three are snakes in the same nest. I’ll handle it."


    "Bullshit! Debt must be repaid—it’s the law of nature!" Zhou snapped, waving a dismissive hand. "Don’t waste time begging. I want it *now*. But since we’re neighbors… if you’re truly broke, you can kneel and call me *Grandfather* three times. I’ll give you a month’s extension."


    His smugness oozed. He’d planned this perfectly. He knew Wang Tiezhu’s family had no money. Revenge for that earlier beating would be sweet.


    "Debt repayment is indeed the law," Wang Tiezhu nodded. "I’ll pay."


    "Pay? You’re joking!" Zhou laughed. "Look at your poverty-stricken home. What could you possibly offer?"


    "Open your Alipay, right now. I’ll transfer the money." Wang Tiezhu’s tone left no room for argument.


    Zhou scoffed but complied. Moments later, a notification pinged on his phone: 5,000 yuan received.


    "You… you actually have money?" Zhou stammered.


    "Out of my own pocket? No," Wang Tiezhu smirked, waving his phone. "But I’ve got Huabei credit. Satisfied?"


    Zhou’s face flushed crimson. His plan to humiliate Wang had backfired spectacularly.


    "Three seconds. Leave. Or I’ll attack," Wang Tiezhu growled.


    Zhou roared, "You think you can defy me, little shit?"


    "Three seconds expired." Wang Tiezhu lunged, slamming a fist into Zhou’s face. The force, fueled by ancestral power surging through his body, sent Zhou reeling.


    "Ah!" Zhou fell backward, only to howl again when his buttocks hit the doorframe. "You’ll regret this!" he hissed, clutching his wounded pride and posterior.


    Wang Tiezhu’s glare hardened. "Touch my parents, and I’ll kill you."


    Shuddering under that icy stare, Zhou fled, limping after his lackeys.


    Alone, Wang exhaled, resolve steeling him. The feud with Zhou was now irreparable—but he’d protect his family at any cost.


    Returning to his father’s bedside, he focused on healing the old man’s injuries. The battle outside was won, but the war had just begun.