Chapter 104: Burn It Down

"Get off me!" Li Bixian playfully hammered her delicate fist against Zeng Xiaofan's back.

"Ah!" Zeng Xiaofan let out an exaggerated cry and slammed on the brakes, causing Li Bixian’s proud, curvaceous figure to press firmly against his back.

"You!"

"You brat, you did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"I wouldn't say on purpose, just intentional," Zeng Xiaofan teased with a wicked grin.

"Oh, you! You rascal!"

"Just you wait until I flatten you!"

As Li Bixian raised her hand, Zeng Xiaofan hit the brakes again.

"Ah!"

"Ugh!"

Zeng Xiaofan slammed on the brakes every three steps, leaving Li Bixian gasping and squealing. They laughed and horsed around all the way until they spotted a crowd of onlookers in the distance, at which point they finally settled down.

"He's here! He's here!"

"Xiaofan is here!"

Before Zeng Xiaofan could even get close, the villagers began to shout. The crowd stirred, and Zhao Qinglong and Scabby Wen sneered, their expressions arrogant as they called out, "Zeng Xiaofan! You're finished this time!"

"You've lost your conscience, using illegal growth hormones! You're dumping all sorts of lethal additives into your fields!"

"Your heart is truly pitch black!"

Hearing the clamor from Zhao Qinglong and Scabby Wen, the others began pointing fingers at Zeng Xiaofan. Zeng Xiaofan’s dark brows arched slightly as he said coldly, "Zhao Qinglong, is your skin itching for another beating? Still haven't learned your lesson from last time?"

Zhao Qinglong and Scabby Wen exchanged a glance, then looked toward the village chief, Jin Youcai, who stood silently to the side. They sneered, "Zeng Xiaofan! Are you trying to intimidate us now?"

"You did something rotten, your conscience has been eaten by dogs, and now you won't even let the villagers speak their minds?"

"Cut the crap. Which eye did you see me doing anything rotten with?" Zeng Xiaofan retorted. "I, Zeng Xiaofan, walk with a straight back and a clear conscience; I'm not afraid of the dead knocking at my door in the middle of the night!"

"Heh! Is that so?"

"Then what are these? Look! Hairy fig fruits as big as papayas!"

"And leaves as big as umbrellas—is this normal?"

"This is clearly poisonous medicinal material you've forced to grow with some black-hearted, soul-destroying catalyst! This is the smoking gun that proves you're peddling dangerous drugs!"

"Now that the evidence is ironclad, what else do you have to say for yourself?"

At these words, the crowd nodded in agreement, and even the usually docile villagers began glaring at Zeng Xiaofan with hostility.

Zeng Xiaofan glanced at the lush, overgrown field of hairy figs and felt a jolt of alarm. He had significantly diluted the spirit fluid, but he hadn't expected the effect to be this potent. It was no wonder people were frightened that the seedlings had transformed into a dense forest overnight.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Zeng Xiaofan offered a bitter smile and explained patiently, "Everyone, please don't be anxious. Listen to me."

"First, I can guarantee that these herbs are completely safe! Not only are they safe, but their efficacy is far superior to ordinary herbs!"

"Second, I have not used any illegal additives like growth hormones. I stake my reputation on it! Please, rest assured!"

"If you don't believe me, I'll eat one right now to show you!"

Zeng Xiaofan picked a papaya-sized hairy fig fruit and took a bite. Instantly, milky white juice sprayed out, startling even him. Hairy fig fruits were usually only the size of a thumb and flavorless, but this one was sweet and delicious.

After tasting it, Zeng Xiaofan couldn't help but give a thumbs up and announced, "If anyone wants to try, feel free to pick one! You'll know for yourselves if there's any problem."

Despite his invitation, the crowd only watched him coldly, keeping their distance with wary eyes.

Scabby Wen smirked, "Zeng Xiaofan, oh Zeng Xiaofan, staking your reputation? What is your reputation worth? You black-hearted drug peddlers—do you even have a conscience?"

"You'd do anything for money! Don't think I don't know that people like you would sell your own mother for a buck!"

The crowd burst into jeering laughter.

"Exactly! Anyone can talk big!"

"You ate it in front of us, but who's to say you won't go get your stomach pumped later?"

"Maybe you're fine today, but what about in a few days?"

"I've never seen a hairy fig this big in my life... it doesn't look right."

The villagers chimed in, eyeing Zeng Xiaofan with increasing suspicion, as if he were a common criminal. Seeing this, Zeng Xiaofan sighed helplessly. "I've said my piece. If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do."

"How about this? You can see that my planting has been quite successful. This expansion is bound to be profitable, and since everyone is here, I don't want to hog the benefits to myself. Why don't you join in? If you have money, contribute money; if you have labor, contribute labor; if you have land, contribute land!"

"Join me in this venture, and I promise not to treat any of you unfairly! How about it? Anyone interested, raise your hand!"

Before he could finish, Zhao Qinglong laughed disdainfully. "Yo, yo, yo! Did you all see that? He can't explain himself, so now he's trying to bribe us! If this were truly a goldmine, would he be kind enough to let everyone in on the profit?"

"Heh, it's obvious he got caught doing something dirty and can't explain it, so he's trying to drag us down with him! Don't fall for his trap!"

"Zeng Xiaofan, your heart is truly vicious!"

The crowd was stirred up again, pointing fingers and hurling insults.

"How could this kid be like this? He used to be a decent boy, but now he's willing to exploit his own neighbors for a few dollars!"

"He's detestable! A heartless wretch!"

"Black-hearted devil!"

The crowd was incensed, calling for action. Zeng Xiaofan was speechless. "Wait, I'm trying to bring you all into a business venture, how did I become a black-hearted devil?"

"Since you don't believe me, fine. I'll do it myself. Now, if you'll excuse me, please step aside so I can harvest my crops!"

Scabby Wen grabbed a hoe and blocked Zeng Xiaofan’s path, sneering, "Heh! You want to harvest, you black-hearted wretch? We absolutely won't allow this conscience-less poison to be sold and harm others! It'll ruin our village's reputation!"

"This poisonous trash needs to be burned to the ground! And you two are going to jail!"

"Right!"

"Black-hearted devil! Lock him up!"

"Burn his crops!"

With Zhao Qinglong and Scabby Wen egging them on, the villagers quickly turned into an angry mob, surrounding Zeng Xiaofan. The tension reached a breaking point.

Meanwhile, Village Chief Jin Youcai, who had been standing in the crowd without saying a word, revealed a cold, cunning smile.