Chapter 232 -

Fu Tong blinked, looking confused. “Why? She’s a total wench, no one in their right mind would actually vote for her. She has zero chance of winning.”

“She doesn’t need legitimate votes,” Han Fuji explained, flashing a meaningful glance toward the hulking mercenaries. “Even though she can’t win fairly, that bandit man of hers will use brute force. Boss Lu and his men will intimidate the villagers and coerce everyone into picking her.”

Fu Tong’s eyes widened as the realization hit, and panic immediately set in. He desperately wanted his sister-in-law to win this election, and having a gang of ruthless cutthroats rig the votes threw a massive wrench into their plans.

Fu Sheng frowned, his expression darkening as he looked at Han Fuji. “Can you ask your men for help? Can they step in and handle those bandits?”

Before Han Fuji could answer, An Li walked up to the three of them, catching the tension in the air. “What’s going on with you three?”

Fu Tong quickly filled her in, rambling about Boss Lu, the rigged election, and the threat hanging over the villagers.

Instead of looking worried, An Li merely smirked, folding her arms over her chest. “Is that all? Relax, I’ve already got that handled.”

She glanced casually at her pocket watch and grinned. “I happen to know someone who knows Boss Lu’s wife. She’s already been notified, and she’ll be here in ten minutes.”

The three of them stared at An Li in absolute shock, their mouths practically hanging open.

Fu Tong was the first to regain his voice, his eyes wide as he stammered, “How—how did you even manage that?!”

An Li just dusted her hands together with a soft, satisfied click, a triumphant smile spreading across her face. “My Su Long is going to win this election,” she declared, her eyes shining with absolute pride as she glanced back toward the unbothered girl. “No one is standing in her way.”

Han Fuji let out a breathy, disbelief-filled laugh, while Fu Sheng simply shook his head, a faint trace of relief relaxing his tense shoulders.

Over by the main platform, Li Mianmian was still preening like a peacock, completely oblivious to the countdown timer ticking above her head. She leaned back in her chair, giving Boss Lu a sweet, coaxing smile as he stood guard beside her, his hand resting heavy on his sword hilt to intimidate anyone who dared look their way too long.

Ten minutes hadn’t even fully passed when a commotion erupted near the edge of the square.

The heavy thud of incoming horse hooves shook the dirt road, accompanied by the panicked shouts of the outer guards. The crowd parted even faster than they had for Boss Lu this time scrambling completely out of the way in pure terror.

A tall, sharp-featured woman in fiery red hunting robes rode right into the center of the square, mounted on a massive black steed. Behind her rode a dozen heavily armed guards, each bearing the crest of her exiled yet formidable clan.

Boss Lu’s face drained of every drop of color instantly. His knees actually buckled a fraction before he managed to catch himself. “W-Wife?!” he choked out, his voice cracking like a terrified teenager’s.

“Lu Tian!” the woman roared, swinging off her horse with practiced grace, a heavy whip gripped tightly in her right hand. Her eyes locked onto him, burning with absolute fury. “I hear you’ve been parading around the Barren Lands calling another woman your wife?!”

Li Mianmian’s proud smile instantly shattered into sheer horror as Boss Lu practically threw himself onto the ground, stammering frantically for mercy.

From their spot in the crowd, An Li crossed her arms, her smirk broadening as she nudged Fu Tong with her elbow. “See? Problem solved.”

Li Mianmian had no idea who she was dealing with. Blinded by her own arrogance and the taste of unearned authority, she didn’t register the sheer terror on Boss Lu’s face as he cowered in the dirt. Instead, she pushed her chair back, stood up, and placed her hands on her hips, tossing her head high.

“Who do you think you are, storming in here and causing a scene?!” Li Mianmian snapped, her voice shrill as she tried to put on a show of outrage. “Do you know who he is? He’s Boss Lu! And I am his—”

“Shut up! Mianmian, close your mouth right now!” Boss Lu shrieked from the ground, his face pale as chalk. He frantically waved his hands at her, trying to signal her to back off before she got them both killed. “Shut your mouth if you want to keep living!”

“Why should I be quiet?!” Li Mianmian huffed, completely ignoring his frantic warnings. She took a step toward the fierce woman in red, sneering with open contempt. “You’re just some aggressive lunatic who thinks she can bark orders at my man! He promised me this territory, and you’re nothing but—”

SLAP!

The crisp, brutal crack echoed across the entire square, cutting Li Mianmian off mid-sentence. Boss Lu’s wife hadn’t even blinked. With a single fluid motion, her backhand delivered so much force that Li Mianmian was sent spinning straight to the dirt, her hair flying out of its neat pins and her lip splitting instantly.

Before Li Mianmian could even gasp, the main wife stepped forward, her heavy boot coming down squarely on Li Mianmian’s chest, pinning her to the ground.

“Your man?” the woman purred, her voice dripping with ice as she looked down at the sprawling girl. “This pathetic dog belongs to me. His armor, his weapon, his very breath, all gifted by my clan. And you thought you could play house with my leftover trash in the Barren Lands?”

With a casual flick of her wrist, the main wife signaled her guards. Two hulking men stepped forward, yanked Li Mianmian up by her hair, and delivered two brutal slaps to her cheeks, leaving her red, bruised, and sobbing hysterically.

It was precisely at this chaotic moment that the rest of the Fu family finally arrived at the square. Master Fu, Madame Fu, Fu Fei, Fu Li, Fu Teng, Bai Ming, Zhao Yue, and Zhao Yin walked in together, having left the kids back home in the care of Grandma Fu and Grandpa Fu.

The Fu family froze in their tracks, their eyes wide and mouths agape as they took in the wild scene. They didn’t expect to see Li Mianmian yet, they walked straight into the sight of Li Mianmian weeping on her knees, her face swollen, getting a thorough, public beating by a high-status noblewoman while Boss Lu repeatedly slapped his own face on the ground, begging his wife for forgiveness.

The surrounding villagers, who had spent the last hour cowering under the bandits’ threats, couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Look at her!” someone shouted from Unit Fifty, bursting into laughter. “Where’s all that pride now?!”

“Thought she was going to be the leader’s wife! Turns out she was just a hidden fool getting played!” another villager jeered, pointing and mocking her shameless downfall. Whispers and loud mockery rippled through the crowd like wildfire, every laugh striking Li Mianmian like a physical blow.

Amidst the noise and uproar, Su Long turned her gaze away from the pathetic commotion to look at her family, who were still standing there in absolute bewilderment. As her eyes swept past Master Fu and the rest, they landed on An Li.

An Li caught her look, flashed a mischievous, brilliant grin, and gave Su Long a slow, deliberate wink.

Su Long couldn’t help it. The corner of her mouth twitched, and she softly shook her head, a genuine, amused smile breaking across her face as she folded her arms, letting her unpredictable friend take full credit for the masterpiece of chaos unfolding before them.