"Was the Township Government able to handle this matter at that time?"

Liao Quansheng exhaled two faint wisps of smoke from his nostrils, a sneer playing on his lips. "Let me tell you, the Township Government will be of no use then, and I won’t really sue the farmers if they breach the contract. So, there are too many uncertainties with this proposal, and I won’t accept it."

Du Heng saw that Liao Quansheng was aware of the situation, so he stopped expressing his opinion and asked with slight confusion, "What did you call me for then?"

"I heard you have some influence in the villages, so I want you to help us persuade the farmers when the time comes. If that doesn’t work, maybe act as a guarantor to make everyone trust Dong and our company."

Du Heng shook his head vigorously. "I’m not doing such a foolish thing! Guarantee? Have I gone mad or what?"

Liao Quansheng glanced sideways at Du Heng. "Hey, if you don’t act as guarantor, does that mean you don’t trust me, or you don’t trust Dong?"

Du Heng glared back at Liao Quansheng. "Given the reasons you just mentioned, if something goes wrong, who should I help? On one side are my brothers and friends, and on the other are the villagers who trust me. You tell me, who do I help? What you’re doing now is purely a business transaction; it requires mutual consent. You’re putting me, an outsider, in the middle. When the time comes, I’ll be like a mouse in a bellows—catching flak from both sides. So, go find whoever you want. I can’t do this kind of thing."

Realizing why he had been summoned, Du Heng, after saying his piece, turned to leave. He truly didn’t want to get involved in this mess. But just as he wanted to leave, it seemed Lord in Heaven clearly wasn’t going to let him.

As soon as he rounded the corner of the building, Dong Yuezhang emerged from it with a group of people. Spotting Du Heng, Dong Yuezhang immediately asked, "Du, where’s Liao?" Du Heng pointed behind him and continued walking away, head down.

This action, however, made Dong Yuezhang pause for a moment before he quickly stepped forward and grabbed his arm. "Where are you going?"

"Back to my workplace to get on with my job."

"I still have something to tell you."

"Let’s not talk about it. I’m busy, really pressed for time."

Dong Yuezhang, ignoring whether Du Heng was busy or not, held his arm firmly. "Since you’re already here, don’t fuss over a few minutes. Hear me out before you go."

Du Heng yanked his arm hard. From the strength of Dong Yuezhang’s grip, he instantly understood Dong Yuezhang’s resolve.

Left with no choice, Du Heng pleaded with a pained expression, "I really do have things to do. Please, just let me go."

At this moment, Dong Yuezhang also spotted Liao Quansheng rounding the corner of the building. His gaze flickered between the two men a couple of times, and he then understood why Du Heng was so determined to leave.

His eyes darted around. Regardless of whether Du Heng was listening, he immediately blurted out the predicament he was facing and why he needed Du Heng’s help.

However, he also knew why Du Heng was so insistent on leaving, so he finally said, "Brother, your words carry more weight than mine in the village. My request isn’t much: just that when we’re talking with the farmers, you help us out by saying a few words. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?"

Without waiting for Du Heng’s consent, Dong Yuezhang dragged him by the arm towards the car, simultaneously calling out to Liao Quansheng, "Liao, let’s go back to the village and talk with everyone. If that doesn’t work, we’ll figure out something else."

Du Heng was reluctantly bundled into the car, and they drove straight to the Xicha Brigade. No matter how much he protested during the ride, Dong Yuezhang ignored him.

As the village drew nearer, Du Heng gave up struggling.

But he had already made up his mind: once they arrived, they could say whatever they wanted. He would just listen and not utter a word. At most, he’d grunt an "MM-HMM" or "AH." If he said one word more, he was a pig.

Upon arrival, Du Heng truly stuck to his word.

No matter who he met or what was discussed, he would only nod and smile, responding with a series of "MM-HMMs" and "AHs," not saying an extra syllable. This behavior frustrated Dong Yuezhang to no end.

By now, they had spoken at length with the brigade director of Xicha Brigade. The brigade director kept his head bowed, sighing repeatedly, but refused to commit.

Only after being pressed hard by Dong Yuezhang and the other township officials did the reluctant brigade director finally speak.

"Town Mayor, Director, leaders, you all saw for yourselves last time you were here. Everyone voiced their concerns."

With a slightly aggrieved expression, the brigade director spoke slowly, "The villagers simply won’t accept a mere purchase agreement.

"If it’s profitable, everyone will be happy and smiling. But what if it isn’t profitable? What if this Mr. Liao doesn’t show up anymore?

"That would mean all the hard work people put into farming for two or three years would leave them with nothing but the northwest wind to drink."

Seeing Dong Yuezhang about to speak, the village director hurriedly continued, "Don’t even talk about suing or not suing. We’re just farmers; we barely recognize two characters, have no money, and no influential connections. Besides, our entire families—old and young—are waiting for food, schooling, and medical care. Who has the spare time or energy to sue anyone?"

The village director said everything that needed to be said in one breath. Dong Yuezhang, also finding an opportunity to speak, quickly interjected, "Our Township Government will spearhead this. From start to finish, we will supervise it thoroughly. We will absolutely ensure that the villagers don’t suffer any loss."

Although Dong Yuezhang’s assurance was forceful, the village director simply shook his head. "Town Mayor, I actually trust you all. But the ordinary people in our village don’t."