Lu Ming and Jiang Mengxin exchanged a glance, both surprised to encounter a land dispute so soon after arriving.
The elder, their spokesperson, shouted, "These lands have been passed down through our ancestors for generations. If you dare to seize them, I'll fight you to the death!"
A group of villagers behind him waved their weapons, lending support to the elder.
The bespectacled man chuckled, unfazed by the villagers' show of defiance. He appeared calm, as if everything was within his control.
He adjusted his glasses and said, "Are you perhaps mistaken? I, Jiao Yang, have never spoken of 'seizing land.' I've always said I want to purchase it from you, but you refuse to sell. How has it become 'seizing land' in your words? Do you have too many misunderstandings about me?"
The elder spat, "Jiao, how dare you speak of misunderstandings? If not for your factories, would our lands be unsellable? Would it have come to you wanting to acquire them?"
Jiao Yang dismissed him with a sneer. "That's not my concern. I've made my position clear: if you wish to sell your land, I'll handle it. If you don't sell to me, I won't stop you. You're free to sell to whomever you please. However, let me tell you, my patience is limited. I'll give you one day. If you don't sell to me by then, I'll no longer be interested."
With that, he turned and got into his SUV. Before leaving, he added, "If you don't come to me before sunset, I won't hold back any longer."
With those words,
his bodyguards also boarded their vehicles. The group drove off in a procession, leaving the villagers looking at each other, at a loss for how to handle the situation.
Lu Ming had a general understanding of what was happening, but he didn't know the specifics.
He quickly walked over. Before the villagers dispersed, he addressed the elder leading them. "Elder, are you looking to sell your land?"
The elder glared at Lu Ming. "Are you one of that Jiao's accomplices?"
Lu Ming waved his hands repeatedly.
Jiang Mengxin stepped forward. "We are not Jiao Yang's accomplices. We are interested in your land and wish to purchase or lease it. We happened to witness the conflict between you and Jiao Yang, so we wanted to inquire."
The elder's demeanor softened. "Is that so?"
Then,
the elder sighed heavily. "You should leave. Our land is neither for sale nor lease. You are not the first to inquire, nor will you be the last. Anyone who asks in the future will receive the same answer."
Not for sale, not for lease?
Lu Ming blinked. "I can offer you a price you'll be satisfied with."
The elder gave a wry smile. "It's not about the price, nor is it that I don't want to sell or lease. It's Jiao that's causing trouble. I don't want to harm you. Please leave quickly."
This was getting stranger.
Jiang Mengxin asked, "Is Jiao Yang forcing the sale?"
The elder and the villagers exchanged glances, their faces filled with despair, helplessness, and deep dejection. Then, they recounted the entire story, from beginning to end.
The situation was actually quite simple.
Jiao Yang had set his sights on the land owned by the villagers and wanted to buy it at an extremely low price. Naturally, the villagers refused.
The problem was that Jiao Yang had established several chemical plants upstream of the water source!
If the villagers refused to sell, Jiao Yang would discharge large amounts of industrial waste into the water, polluting the source and causing crops on the downstream land to wither and die. Nothing they planted would grow.
Other buyers had also been interested in this land, but they were all scared away by Jiao Yang. No one dared to take on the immense risk of acquiring 'polluted land.'
As a result, while the land was of high quality, the villagers couldn't grow anything due to the presence of the chemical plants. Moreover, they couldn't sell or lease it.
Even if they could, they were unwilling to betray their conscience and harm unsuspecting buyers.
Essentially, their land was now rendered useless.
They could either let it lie fallow or sell it to Jiao Yang at a ridiculously low price. Neither option was acceptable to the villagers.
After hearing the entire account, Lu Ming had a clear grasp of the situation.
It was essentially a case of forced buying and selling.
Jiao Yang was using his chemical plants to control the water source, forcing the villagers to comply.
Jiang Mengxin, standing nearby, frowned slightly. "Haven't you reported this to the environmental protection department? This kind of situation should be easily investigated."
The elder gave a wry smile.
He replied, "Of course we've reported it! The issue is, Jiao Yang hasn't actually discharged any industrial waste yet. He's only threatening us verbally. So, when the environmental protection officials came, they inspected and found nothing, and left."
Another villager added, "The problem is, if we dare to plant anything or sell to someone else, Jiao Yang will definitely discharge industrial waste to harm us. By then, even if the environmental officials come and find the problem, our land will be ruined!"
This was indeed a difficult predicament.
If they tried to deal with Jiao Yang now, there was no evidence. By the time they had evidence, their land would be ruined, and what would be the point of dealing with him then?
It was like someone threatening to kill you. If they haven't killed you yet, you can't arrest them for murder. But once they kill you, what good is arresting them then? You'd be dead.
The villagers found themselves in such a dilemma.
The elder's eyes turned red with frustration. "Damn it, I've lived for over 70 years and never endured such humiliation! I don't care anymore. I've lived long enough. I'm going to chop that Jiao down right now. I'll trade my life for the survival of the entire village!"
Everyone rushed to stop the elder, preventing him from doing anything rash.
Jiang Mengxin sighed and looked at Lu Ming. "This situation is truly difficult. Even if we acquire the land, we won't be able to do anything with it. In my opinion, let's forget it and find another place."
Change?
Heh.
Was the Dragon Warlord going to be scared away by a mere thug?
Lu Ming looked at the land before him. "We are not changing locations. I will acquire this land. This land is of excellent quality and extremely suitable for researching Water Wave Sakura. Moreover, even if it weren't for the acquisition, seeing these villagers bullied by a local ruffian is something I cannot tolerate!"
Jiang Mengxin placed a hand on her forehead. "Here we go again. When will you ever change this bad habit? Alright, tell me, how do you plan to handle this situation?"
Lu Ming surveyed the surroundings. "An eye for an eye. Mengxin, you stay here and negotiate the purchase or lease with the villagers. I'll handle Jiao Yang's chemical plants. Let's split up and tackle this!"