After seeing Li Wanhu and the others off, Hailong returned to the small fishing village and went to Liu Yong'an's courtyard. He found a stool to sit on and called Li Guohui, asking him to bring Liu Yong'an and the others back, as Hailong had something to say.
Hailong didn't have to wait long. Soon, he heard the roar of a car and the sound of footsteps. Then he saw Liu Yong'an and the others excitedly run in, surrounding Hailong.
Fifteen days felt like a year. Since Hailong started tailing Guan Daqiu's subordinate, Ah Xin, he hadn't seen these subordinates. Even during the three gunfights, Hailong couldn't be with them.
Fortunately, the group didn't disappoint Hailong. They perfectly completed the task Hailong had given them, eliminating all 25 of Guan Daqiu's professional killers at the abandoned shipyard. Hailong walked past each of them, checking if they were injured. A simple "Well done" made them all shed tears of emotion.
The young people in the small fishing village had long been accustomed to relying on Hailong. Every time they went out to sea to catch crabs, these people would lazily throw the fishing nets into the sea, then lie leisurely on the boat, gazing at the sky for two hours before reeling in the nets, catching countless crabs. For this work, they earned 20,000 yuan a month. Over a few months, their dependence on Hailong reached a very high level. The longest they had been apart before was only five days, but this time it was fifteen days, three times as long. Each day without Hailong was a torment. Without their leader's instructions or his inspiring words, they felt like they had lost their goal. Fortunately, they knew their leader needed their help, and each one held onto their inner belief, overcoming the fear of Guan Daqiu that had lasted for ten years. In the gunfight at the abandoned shipyard, each one fought bravely, risking their lives to defeat Guan Daqiu's forces. Now that everything was over, they all shed tears of excitement.
Hailong also cried. Seeing Li Guohui, the last one, limping over to him, Hailong said excitedly to everyone, "Brothers, you've suffered during this time. I promise, there will never be such a problem again. Guan Daqiu and his subordinates were blown to pieces last night. Our last enemy has completely disappeared from this world. From now on, no one will dare to bully us."
Hearing Hailong confirm Guan Daqiu's death, the group finally felt relieved. Although Hailong had mentioned it on the phone, it wasn't as impactful as hearing it in person.
The group hugged each other wildly, celebrating. The reason the fishermen in the small village didn't dare to resist Guan Dahai's oppression was largely due to his distant cousin, Guan Daqiu. Guan Daqiu was a real gangster, and opposing him was life-threatening. Most people just wanted to get by, and as long as they had enough to eat, who would risk their lives?
This is what made Guan Dahai so rampant. After Hailong incited the young people in the small village to kill Guan Dahai, they were always afraid of Guan Daqiu's retaliation. Therefore, when Li Guohui trained them, they all put in their all, fearing that they would be helpless if they encountered Guan Daqiu. It's easy to imagine how much of a shadow Guan Daqiu cast over their hearts.
However, when the young people in the small village truly faced Guan Daqiu's subordinates, they realized that Guan Daqiu was not as formidable as they had feared. Years of fear had made them exaggerate his power.
Hailong stood to the side, watching the celebration. When the cheering finally died down, he said with a smile, "I have one more thing to tell you. To celebrate this, I will reward each of you with 100,000 yuan and give you a month's vacation. I'll send all of you abroad to travel and have a good time. How does that sound?"
The group had never imagined that Hailong would be so generous, giving each of them 100,000 yuan and sending them on a trip. Hearing Hailong's words, they burst into enthusiastic cheers.
Liu Yongquan ran to Hailong's side and asked, "Boss, is this for real?"
Hailong smiled and said, "Of course it's real. It's January now, and we can't go out to sea. Besides, we made so much money before, and this time everything went smoothly without spending much. Why not let you all have some fun? I'm not a rigid person. When times are tough, you all stand by me, and when times are good, I naturally want to share with you."
Hearing Hailong's words, the group cheered even louder. Hailong then called Li Guohui over and said, "Old Li, you played a significant role in this operation. I know your biggest concern is your leg. I've consulted with a doctor, and your leg can be restored to normal. It's just a matter of money. Don't worry; I'll cover the cost. I've already arranged it with the doctor. Go to Dongda Hospital at 8 AM tomorrow, no need to register, just find Dr. Wang, and he'll help you."
Hearing this, Li Guohui was moved to tears. Since his leg was injured, he had lost his confidence. Back in Donghai City, every time he submitted a resume, the HR department would call him immediately after seeing his impressive resume, inviting him for an interview.
But when they saw his injured leg, they would tell him to wait for news, which never came. He wanted to spend money to treat his leg, but his girlfriend took the money and ran off with another man, saying it was because he was disabled and couldn't earn money to support her.
Since then, Li Guohui had become even more disheartened. He knew that with his current condition, no one would hire him for manual labor, let alone a high-paying job.
But Li Guohui never imagined that meeting Hailong would completely change his life. Not only did he humiliate his ex-girlfriend, but he also earned a salary he never dared to dream of, more than he made as a mercenary. Now, Hailong was even going to help him treat his leg. Li Guohui didn't know what to say and knelt in front of Hailong, sobbing, "Boss, you have given me a new life."
Seeing Li Guohui's state, Hailong quickly helped him up and patted his shoulder, saying, "Brother, we're family. Don't be so formal with me."
Hailong clapped his hands to get everyone's attention and said, "Although this matter is over, we can't be sure no one will target you. So, you'll all go abroad to travel tomorrow. Your passports are already ready. If you want to go somewhere tonight, be on the plane by 8 AM tomorrow and leave Donghai City. Got it?" The group responded loudly.
The young people in the small village had never left Donghai City, let alone traveled abroad. In just half a year with Hailong, they were going to travel abroad, and each of them would receive 100,000 yuan for travel expenses. The group felt as if they were in heaven.
Seeing their expressions, Hailong smiled and said, "You brats, go home and check the internet to decide where to go. Don't cause trouble abroad. Remember, we're not gangsters. Everything we did was to avenge the humiliation of the past ten years. You were avenging your parents and yourselves. After this, you're still ordinary people, just with slightly higher salaries. Got it?"
The group had thought that after killing Guan Daqiu, their future would be to help Hailong eliminate his disobedient enemies. Although they had some reservations about killing, they had sold their lives to Hailong. If the boss ordered it, they would kill. After all, they had suffered so much humiliation and lived in the shadow of others. Now that they had the power, why should they endure it? They believed that living each day to the fullest was worth it. Even if something happened in the future, they wouldn't feel regretful, as they had repaid the boss's trust and experienced the joy of life. However, they never imagined that the boss never intended to turn them into killing machines. Instead, he advised them to forget the killings and live as ordinary people after avenging their families.
This made the group very confused, but hearing that the killings were just for revenge made them feel relieved. However, it also made them feel even more guilty. They knew that as a 20-something fisherman, they didn't deserve Hailong's generosity. Why should he give them a 200,000 yuan annual salary, 100,000 yuan for travel, and only require them to work two days a week?
Thinking about this, the group felt even more grateful to Hailong. They didn't know how to express their gratitude, but they all nodded firmly, thinking, "For the rest of our lives, we will follow Hailong. We'll do anything for him, even if it means sacrificing our lives."
Hailong, however, never thought about this. He was not a gangster and never intended to turn the young people in the small village into professional killers to assassinate his enemies or the leaders of other forces. He had only done it for revenge. Now that the enemy was gone, his heart was at peace. What he needed to do now was to live a happy life and ensure that those who worked with him also lived happily.