After my divorce at thirty, I developed an intelligence network.

Outside the courtyard with its characters for "demolition," there's an open-air food stall.

Several stainless steel folding tables were pushed together, piled high with kebabs, edamame, peanuts, and several large plates of stir-fried dishes. Underneath the tables were cases of beer.

Cao Dayong and a dozen fellow villagers sat around a table, all tanned dark and wearing work clothes covered in mud, but with happy smiles on their faces as they received their money.

This was a celebratory dinner that Gong Yuelong treated everyone to after the completion of a small project he had taken on.

"Brother Long, this is a toast to you!" A younger worker raised a full glass of beer. "Working for you is reliable! And the pay is fast!"

"Yes! Cheers to Brother Long!" Everyone else raised their glasses, creating a lively atmosphere.

Gong Yuelong smiled, raised his glass, clinked it with everyone, and downed it in one gulp.

The cold beer helped to dispel some of the fatigue.

The streetlights cast a dim yellow glow on the shiny tabletops, reflecting the simple, smiling faces on the tables.

After a few rounds of drinks, they became even more talkative.

Some people were talking about their children going to school back in their hometowns, while Cao Dayong was bragging to the person next to him about how many women had pursued him back in the day.

As we chatted, the topic somehow veered towards the High-tech Zone.

"Have you heard? Something happened in the High-tech Zone a few nights ago."

A man named Shunzi said, "Near that abandoned factory, someone got beaten up, his legs were broken! It seems like he was one of Boss Wu's men."

"Boss Wu? You mean that sand tyrant?" someone chimed in. "Who's so powerful? Who dares to mess with his men?"

"I don't know, the rumors are pretty weird. They say that person was really ruthless, did it on a rainy night, and even gave his name afterward."

Shunzi shook her head. "Anyway, things aren't peaceful over there right now."

Cao Dayong frowned and looked at Gong Yuelong:

"Brother Long, if we actually take over the factory in the High-tech Zone... will we run into these kinds of troubles?"

The table quieted down a bit, and everyone looked at Gong Yuelong.

Gong Yuelong didn't answer immediately. He put down the lamb skewers in his hand, picked up a cigarette, lit it, and took a puff.

Smoke curled upwards under the light.

"The one who broke the leg," he said, his voice low, "was me."

Two words.

The table fell silent instantly.

All the sounds of talking, chewing, and clinking glasses disappeared.

Cao Dayong's wine glass, which he had raised halfway, stopped in mid-air. Shunzi, with his mouth agape, didn't even notice the peanuts falling from his chopsticks.

Several men stared at Gong Yuelong, their expressions shifting from confusion to astonishment, then to disbelief, and finally to blank stare.

"Brother Long...?" Cao Dayong's throat went dry. "What...what did you say?"

"Wu San, that errand boy under Boss Wu. I broke his leg."

Gong Yuelong exhaled a puff of smoke. "He was blocking the way, his hands were dirty, and he even scared off President Li's project. So, I told him to take a few days off."

He spoke casually, but everyone present understood the meaning behind his words.

It wasn't a conflict, nor an accident; it was a proactive, precise strike, targeting Boss Wu's men.

Shunzi's chopsticks fell onto the table with a clatter.

The others exchanged glances, and they all held their breath.

They knew that Brother Long was a good fighter and had a ruthless streak; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to keep the place in check.

But directly targeting the local bullies in the High-tech Zone and even breaking their legs... this was beyond their understanding of the contractor boss.

Cao Dayong was the first to come to his senses. He swallowed hard and looked at Gong Yuelong:

"Brother Long, what about... what about Boss Wu's side..."

"There will be trouble," Gong Yuelong replied quickly.

"So I'm putting this out there. If you work for me, you might encounter similar troubles again in the future."

I'd like to take over that factory in the High-tech Zone, but that local tyrant will definitely try to interfere.

"We have to choose: either endure being choked and whipped, or find a way to chop off their claws."

He paused for a moment, then said, "If you choose to follow me, don't be afraid of trouble. If you are, you can leave now. You'll still get your wages settled in full, and we'll still be fellow villagers."

"If we stay, we're in this together; we'll share the good times and the bad."

The night breeze carried the smoky aroma of barbecue.

No one spoke at the table; only the faint sound of traffic from the distant road could be heard.

Cao Dayong took a deep breath, picked up his glass of wine, stood up, and looked at Gong Yuelong:

"Brother Long, I, Cao Dayong, am sticking with you! I used to suffer a lot of humiliation from those bastards when I worked elsewhere!"

I admire your courage in standing up for us and confronting those people! From now on, you can do whatever you say!

"Yeah! Brother Long, we'll join too!" Shunzi also realized what was happening, stood up, his face flushed red, "We've had enough of those bastards!"

"Follow Brother Long!"

"What's there to be afraid of! If Brother Long dares to make a move, we dare to follow!"

Most of them have worked their way up from the bottom and know how difficult it is to succeed in this industry without connections or guts.

Now, the boss is not only capable himself, but also willing to work hard for projects.

Perhaps it was also for the sake of their future livelihood that they were willing to face setbacks, which made them feel... that they had chosen the right person to follow.

Gong Yuelong nodded, without uttering any grand words, and simply raised his wine glass.

"Done."

"Dry!"

Glasses clinked, beer foam splashed.

The atmosphere was completely different in the second half of the meal.

It lacked some of the pure relaxation, but instead had a layer of tension and excitement, a readiness to face the challenge.

They whispered among themselves, talking about the High-tech Zone and Boss Wu. In addition to their awe of Gong Yuelong, a fire was also burning in their eyes.

Gong Yuelong ate his food quietly, listening to the discussions around him.

The cards have been revealed.

Next, let's see how Wu Jinshui responds.

After a few rounds of drinks, the skewers of grilled meat were piled up like a small mountain. The initial shock and excitement subsided a little, but the conversation still revolved around the High-tech Zone.

Shunzi said, "I heard that just a couple of days ago, an old man who was guarding the construction site was sneaked in at night and...beaten up!"

"They fought?" someone asked in surprise. "They stole something?"

"It wasn't a robbery!" Shunzi shook his head. "I heard nothing of value was stolen. It was just that the old man had a sack put over his head, was hit several times with a stick, his arm was dislocated, and he was hit in the face a few times, leaving him bruised and swollen."

No one was seriously injured, but they were quite frightened. The crucial point is that those people left with some threats…

"What did you say?" Cao Dayong pressed.

"They said it was to tell that guy surnamed Gong to shut up, because the High-tech Zone isn't a place where just anyone can stick their claws out."

Cao Dayong put down his wine glass. "They're here for us?"

Shunzi nodded.

The workers looked at Gong Yuelong.

Gong Yuelong's face remained expressionless; he only asked, "How are the people? Has anything been moved?"

"He's not seriously injured, just a dislocated shoulder and some minor cuts. He didn't bump into anything," Shunzi replied.

"Understood." Gong Yuelong nodded and said to Cao Dayong, "Go buy some things tomorrow, give them a red envelope, and go visit them. Be polite and compensate them if necessary. The old man was implicated."

Cao Dayong was somewhat puzzled: "Brother Long, this is clearly..."

"Let's establish a strong position first, so that President Li doesn't think we're just troublemakers," Gong Yuelong interrupted him, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "As for over there..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Dayong, Shunzi, these next few nights, take a few clever brothers and go check out the High-tech Zone. Boss Wu's sand pit, his stockpile, and the area around Jinhao. Observe and listen carefully, but don't cause any trouble."

"Understood!" The two nodded.

"Everyone else, keep your mouths shut and be careful while you're working."

Everyone agreed, and the atmosphere became somewhat subdued.

Gong Yuelong said no more and slowly ate the cold food.

The cold fire in my heart burned even more steadily.

Warning received.

Next, we need to figure out their tactics.

……

Late at night, in the courtyard where characters are dismantled.

Gong Yuelong sat in the old chair in the room with his eyes closed, without turning on the light.

The cigarette burned quietly between my fingers, the smoke rising straight up, almost invisible in the darkness.

He sank into consciousness, and that familiar blue light reappeared.

[Instruction: Analyze target Wu Jinshui (leader of the sand and gravel gang in the High-tech Zone). Assess the current conflict level and consider the optimal solution to completely eliminate this threat.]

As the light curtain shifts, data surges, collides, and emerges like an invisible stream.

The simulation did not last long.

The logic of the intelligence system seems to abandon all roundabouts and trade-offs, pointing directly to the most core and violent way to end the conflict.

The blue light suddenly contracted, condensing into a single, blinding point of cold light, then exploded into a huge, scarlet character, filling his entire field of vision:

【kill!】