Chapter 124: There Is a Way to Deal With Him

Tang Long stood before Wu Zhengyao, feeling neither constrained nor pressured. He respected Wu not out of obligation, but because the man truly deserved the title of a "good official" for Taoyuan County.

Wu Zhengyao was genuinely stumped by Tang Long’s question, his brow furrowing deeply.

"County Magistrate Wu, I’m not asking for credit; I’m simply stating a fact. Yutou Village is about to hit the fast track for development. We don't want our fruits snatched away by others, and I assume you don't want to see that happen either, do you?" Tang Long looked at Wu with sincere intensity.

"No one is going to snatch your fruits!" Wu Zhengyao chuckled, walking as he spoke. "Policy support for Yutou Village is a given. When I visited last time, I already told you: if you run into any difficulties, I and the county government will do everything in our power to help you resolve them!"

Bureaucratic rhetoric.

Tang Long smiled and replied, "Magistrate Wu, we need capital, land, and massive amounts of labor and resources. These are things you and the county can help us with!"

Wu Zhengyao countered, "Do you honestly think it’s realistic to rezone a ten-kilometer radius around Yutou Village as your exclusive territory?"

Donghe Town itself wasn't very large. Situated in the most remote northern corner of Taoyuan County, it had plenty of land, but one couldn't simply hand over a ten-kilometer radius to a single village. There were a few legendary villages in the country that were famous nationwide, but in Wu Zhengyao’s mind, Yutou Village had not yet reached that level of prestige.

Tang Long insisted earnestly, "Magistrate Wu, please reconsider. This is a vital link for the development of Yutou Village and the entire tourism economy of Taoyuan County!"

When Wen Nuanchun first arrived to set up the "Huayutou Resort," the village hadn't yet discovered "Big Black." It was an early arrival, and one could interpret it as a subtle attempt to curry favor with Tang Long. Tang Long wasn't ungrateful, so he let the resort be. But he couldn't allow Yutou Village to be suffocated by a ring of resorts and tourist attractions, leaving them with no room to expand despite their potential.

Wu Zhengyao remained silent, weighing Tang Long's words. Yutou Village certainly had some fame, but it was nowhere near the point where they could be this "arrogant."

The cliff at the back of the mountain wasn't far from the village; a shortcut would take only fifteen or twenty minutes. By the time they arrived, it was past five in the afternoon. Though it was late, the summer sun still hung high in the sky.

"Where is this 'village-protecting divine beast' you mentioned?" Wu Zhengyao asked, his face darkening.

Tang Long smiled. "Before I summon the Black-Scaled Jiao, I suggest you all steady your breathing. Don't worry, it is our village's protector and very obedient. It won't cause you any harm."

Wu Zhengyao stood expressionless, as if waiting to see Tang Long’s performance, thinking to himself that he wanted to see how much further the boy could take this fabrication.

Tang Long walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down. It was steep—a thirty-to-forty-meter vertical drop. If an ordinary person jumped, they would almost certainly meet their end.

"Big Black!"

He roared the name. Tang Long wasn't sure about the beast’s hearing, but it shouldn't be too bad—it was a spirit beast, after all.

Wu Zhengyao looked at Zhang Xiu'e, who was standing nearby, and asked coldly, "Is this how you usually summon your 'divine beast'?"

Zhang Xiu'e offered a bitter smile. "Magistrate Wu, you really should calm yourself. You might be brave, but when I first saw the 'Black Dragon King' ancestor, I was terrified."

"Hmph!" Wu Zhengyao thought it was absurd—first calling it an ancestor, then a guardian beast, and now Tang Long was just standing there shouting "Big Black." How could anyone find this convincing?

*Rumble!*

A low, thunderous sound vibrated from deep within the earth. The ground beneath their feet trembled slightly.

"Is it an earthquake?" Wu Zhengyao’s face changed. Wang Feiyue hurriedly moved to steady him, preparing to turn and flee down the mountain.

*Splash!*

A massive wave surged as a gigantic figure broke through the water, emerging from the cliffside and fixing its green eyes on Tang Long.

"Hungry. Blood-food. Medicinal herbs?"

The Black-Scaled Jiao conveyed its thoughts to Tang Long.

Tang Long rolled his eyes and snapped, "Are you a glutton? Why is the first thing you say every time we meet about food? You haven't earned a single cent for the village yet, and all you think about is eating. Do you have any idea how expensive beef and mutton are right now?"

After scolding the beast, he turned back to see Wu Zhengyao, Wang Feiyue, and the others completely stunned. Zhang Xiu'e was doing slightly better, having seen "Big Black" before, but she remained visibly tense.

"No need to be afraid. Let me formally introduce you: this is our village's guardian beast, Big Black... no, His Excellency the Black Dragon King," Tang Long said with a smile.

***

At the Nanyun Regional Sky-Eye Monitoring Center:

"Director, come look at this! That guy Tang Long has summoned the 'Black-Scaled Jiao' from the cave again!"

Inside the domestic monitoring center, someone shouted.

Shao Xiaoyao, chewing gum, walked over quickly. She glanced at the screen and said, "Zoom in!"

"Understood!"

The hundred-square-meter screen lit up. The map zoomed in, focusing until it was precise enough to see human faces.

"Check who those people standing next to him are," Shao Xiaoyao said, her eyes flashing with curiosity.

Her subordinate soon reported, "Director, that middle-aged man is surnamed Wu—Wu Zhengyao. He is the current magistrate of Taoyuan County."

"The County Magistrate?"

Shao Xiaoyao rubbed her chin, looking like a little adult, and muttered to herself, "What is this guy Tang Long doing, bringing a government official here to see a monster?"

"Something’s not right."

Shao Xiaoyao’s eyes darted around. The report of a spirit beast in Yutou Village had already been submitted to the relevant departments. By all logic, this Black-Scaled Jiao should have been neutralized long ago; there was no way the authorities would allow this Tang fellow to summon it to greet ordinary people every day.

She didn't believe for a second that there wasn't something fishy going on.

She pulled her phone from the pocket of her lab coat, walked to a corner, and dialed Kong Que’s number. If her intuition was right, Tang Long’s affairs should fall under their jurisdiction anyway.

"Hmm?" Kong Que answered, her voice sounding less than pleased.

Shao Xiaoyao’s eyes twinkled as she said with a cheeky grin, "Sister, do you have a grudge against that guy Tang Long? You don't seem to like him. Do you want me to find someone to take care of him for you?"

Kong Que was silent for a moment before retorting, "You want to take care of him? You have a way?" Tang Long wasn't that easy to handle; if he were, he would have been dead long ago.

Shao Xiaoyao’s eyes gleamed as she said, "That’s right, I have a way to deal with him!"