Chapter 168: Stefan Arrives

Irene and Itha exchanged a glance. They had already recognized the sound—those were military helicopters. Especially Itha, who could tell exactly what model they were just by listening to the sound. The townspeople were mesmerized by the sight of the helicopters. After all, these were things they usually only saw on television or their phones, and now they were appearing in real life. They were quite excited. Some even raised their hunting rifles, shouting, "Can we shoot down the helicopter? How do we fly it if we do?" They fired several shots into the air, their expressions a mix of naive excitement and sinister intent, which made the old leader fearful. The old leader couldn't understand how, after just thirty years away, the town had become like this. Could it be that after the priest's death, there was no one left to lead these sheep-like, timid, and ignorant people? If the town chief could hear the old leader's thoughts, he would be smug and say, "This is all my doing. I spent thirty years turning them from those foolish creatures into what they are now!" Assistant Barton was equally shocked. How could there still be such ignorance and backwardness in a country like Q? This was the age of the internet! How could this be happening? The town chief had taken full advantage of this. Back in his university days, the town chief had pursued dual PhDs—one in political economics and the other in psychology. When he came to the town, he quickly grasped the psychological traits of the residents through his interactions with them and devised a strategy tailor-made for them. He turned these residents into weapons he could wield. Born into the upper class of a big city, the town chief knew exactly how to build connections and relationships. On one hand, he flattered the old leader, making him believe he was an honest and loyal man. On the other hand, he formed wide-ranging connections with villagers and residents, all while leveraging the old leader's influence and his family's old ties to establish an extensive network. What the town chief truly feared being exposed was his involvement in human trafficking linked to the upper echelons of society in the capital. In reality, the town chief's trafficking operation had two facets. One was aimed at the residents: the unattractive, the ordinary, and the somewhat decent-looking girls were sent to the town and villages, with a few prettier ones thrown in occasionally, ensuring that no one suspected anything. The other involved selecting the most beautiful and well-figured girls and sending them to a wealthy man's private island, where they were involved in high-end prostitution. The old leader knew only part of the story. He believed that most of the profits from trafficking went to the residents. In reality, he was unaware of the town chief's other revenue stream. Even the town chief's son had no idea. The business aimed at the wealthy was so lucrative that a single transaction could be worth more than selling a hundred girls to the town residents! This was why the town chief was so generous with the townspeople! His actions inadvertently attracted people from other towns to move here. The town chief had declared that anyone living in the town was part of the "family." As part of the family, they didn't have to pay exorbitant prices for goods. But for outsiders, the prices were steep, often taking away thirty years' worth of income! This even led to a period when places in the town became so valuable that they attracted a significant number of scalpers. The town chief hid behind the residents, his eyes gleaming with malice as he looked at Irene. He was certain he'd end up in prison this time! But he was confident that as long as he didn't reveal the names of the capital's elites, nothing would happen to him! Who knows, maybe his father could pull some strings and get him out, allowing him to take his wealth and retire abroad! This time, the town chief was determined to see Irene dead! But then something unexpected happened. The sound of helicopters grew louder, and a strong wind blew through, causing the town chief to shut his eyes and, like the surrounding residents, be blown to the ground! Irene squinted, looking ahead. She saw countless well-trained soldiers descending to the ground via rope ladders. But the most striking figure was Stefan, standing on the helicopter in a suit. Stefan's golden hair glistened in the wind, revealing his striking blue eyes, making him look exceptionally noble. With the moonlight shining overhead, Stefan's presence was cold and imposing. He lifted his gaze, and it seemed as if a bloodthirsty beast was roaring within him. Stefan's movements were remarkably swift. Even in a suit, he moved fluidly, almost as effortlessly as the soldiers around him. Irene's smile deepened. She remembered the last time she saw him, there wasn't much muscle on him. Had he gone out of his way to train? Stefan landed and walked over to Irene. He wore dark brown leather gloves, and his pale face gave him the appearance of a young noble from the Middle Ages. Meanwhile, dark green modified off-road vehicles surrounded Sol's house and the residents. "Town Chief? What's going on?" "Who are these people?" Seeing so many soldiers, the residents began to panic. Who wouldn't be afraid? Didn't they see those people pointing guns at them? And they were carrying large-caliber assault rifles! One round from those, and would any of them survive? Moreover, the scale of this operation was so large that even half of their town's population wouldn't outnumber these soldiers! Even the town chief had never seen anything like this. He knew this kind of operation was only used when capturing cross-border terrorist organizations! The town chief's mind suddenly went blank with a loud buzzing sound! He suddenly realized something. These people, could they be trying to frame them as a terrorist organization? He knew that in Q Country, only members of terrorist organizations could be shot on sight without any legal consequences! He understood that he could no longer incite the residents! Otherwise, he couldn't bear the consequences of being framed as a terrorist organization! His son had become mentally incapacitated, and he still had to take care of him and seek treatment! He absolutely couldn't die here! As for the residents, they had strength in numbers and would likely be fine, maybe just detained for ten days or so. If he now told the residents to stop protecting him, he could gain their goodwill and leave himself a way out! The town chief calmly addressed the fearful residents, his voice loud and clear, "Everyone, don't be afraid! They won't harm you! You don't need to protect me anymore! I saw everything you did for me, and I thank you all for your efforts! But now, don't make any moves! As long as you stay still, they definitely won't do anything to you!" In the tearful and emotional gazes of the residents, the soldiers swiftly pinned the still-"emotional" town chief to the ground.