This is exactly what Zhang Lin was waiting for.

If the monster Qiao Yu described was real, Zhang Lin certainly wouldn't believe that the monster would only attack Qiao Yu and the others, while sparing him.

Of course, we should unite and deal with the monster first.

but.

Hope City and the others were walking along the road when Qiao Yu deliberately lured the monster over, making Hope City contribute manpower and resources to help them fight...

If we don't teach Qiao Yu a lesson, it would seem like Hope City is too easy to bully.

That's why Zhang Lin put on such a good show.

"Zhang Lin, what do you think?" The city lord gradually developed a tacit understanding with Zhang Lin and immediately asked for his opinion.

Zhang Lin had a plan in mind and immediately said, "Since we're going to work together to deal with the monster, we can't fight each other alone. I only have one requirement: when the fight starts, all of you must obey my orders!"

The city lord may be familiar with Qiao Yu and know him well, but Zhang Lin is not familiar with him and does not know his character.

To avoid being tricked by Qiao Yu, Zhang Lin had to take command.

This way, the losses to Hope City can be minimized.

"Command?"

Qiao Yu's expression changed, and he immediately said, "That won't do!"

He wasn't familiar with Zhang Lin either, and he was afraid that once Zhang Lin gained command, he would order his men to the most dangerous places.

Zhang Lin's face instantly turned cold. "I only have one request: if you don't agree, then get out!"

"You bastard, you've gone too far!"

A young man strode up from the convoy behind Qiao Yu, his anger blazing. "Uncle Qiao, don't waste your breath on this guy. Let me deal with him, and then you can cooperate with the city lord!"

Behind the young man, a young woman followed, tugging at his clothes, "Chen Junyu, don't cause trouble for my dad!"

Chen Junyu's status in Jinyu County is the same as Xia Xiaonuan's in Hope City; he is a trusted confidant and favorite of Qiao Yu, the leader of the Jinyu County settlement.

The beautiful young woman was Qiao Yu's daughter, Qiao Ruoxi. She was Chen Junyu's goddess, and it was because of her that Chen Junyu was so loyal to Qiao Yu.

In Chen Junyu's heart, Qiao Yu was his father-in-law.

Now that his father-in-law is being insulted by a young man, he must stand up for his father-in-law in order to win the favor of both his father-in-law and Qiao Ruoxi.

Therefore, Chen Junyu resolutely stepped forward.

Of course, this is also related to Zhang Lin's relatively low profile.

If Xia Xiaonuan were such an arrogant person, he wouldn't dare to stand up for his father-in-law.

Unlike Chen Junyu, who was obsessed with winning over the goddess, Qiao Ruoxi was much smarter.

Zhang Lin's arrogance is not without reason; Hope City is far stronger than Jinyu County, and this is on his home turf.

What's so important to you, Chen Junyu? Why are you escalating the conflict at this time?

Unfortunately, although Chen Junyu was brainless, he was still very strong, and Qiao Ruoxi couldn't stop him at all.

"Junyu, shut up!"

Qiao Yu also shouted loudly, then looked at Zhang Lin, "Brother Zhang, let's change the terms. After all, we are from two different factions. If we command together, all sorts of problems will arise on the other side."

"Heh... Just this one condition: agree and stay, don't agree and get out!" Zhang Lin's attitude remained firm, and he didn't even glance at Chen Junyu, who had suddenly appeared.

The hot-blooded young Chen Junyu couldn't tolerate this. Ignoring Qiao Yu's warning, he stepped forward and questioned, "What do you want command for? Do you want the people of Jinyu County to be your cannon fodder?"

"Can you make that decision?" Zhang Lin countered.

Chen Junyu remained silent with a cold expression.

Of course, he couldn't make the decision.

"Then get out of my way. I want an answer from Qiao Yu." Zhang Lin's conditions remained unchanged.

Qiao Yu was also worried that his people from Jinyu County would become cannon fodder.

But that was actually Zhang Lin's idea.

Monsters can be killed, but it is hoped that the city will not suffer too much damage.

Besides, did the people of Jinyu County die unjustly?

You brought the monster here in the first place!

It would be good enough if the city could contribute.

Zhang Lin would never do anything that would put him at a disadvantage. In Hope City, his status was second only to the city lord, and the city lord even listened to him on some matters. He already considered Hope City as his own, so if he suffered too much loss now, it would be a loss of his power.

Qiao Yu looked troubled, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

If sacrificing some people could kill the monster... he could accept it, after all, without Hope City's help, they might all die.

"Damn it, where did this Zhang Lin come from? He's really troublesome!" He cursed inwardly, and was about to agree.

"Hehe..." Zhang Lin's lips curled into a contemptuous smile. He had already seen that Qiao Yu's heart had wavered.

Seeing Zhang Lin's expression, Chen Junyu assumed Zhang Lin was mocking him. The young man couldn't stand it, and his blood boiled. He thrust his longsword forward, yelling, "You idiot, die!"

"Be careful!" the city lord immediately warned.

Zhang Lin reacted even faster. Upon seeing the sword light, the Miao knife appeared out of thin air in his hand. With a clang, the two weapons clashed, and the longsword was instantly severed. The next second, the Miao knife slashed down, and a sturdy arm flew out, gushing out a large amount of blood.

"ah!!"

Chen Junyu screamed in pain.

"Junyu!"

Qiao Yu and his daughter Qiao Ruoxi were shocked and quickly helped Chen Junyu, who was almost unable to stand.

How dare you commit such a heinous act?!

Qiao Yu glared at Zhang Lin like an angry lion.

Chen Junyu was his trusted and beloved general!

This single strike rendered Jin Yu County's strongest fighting force obliterated.

"Qiao Yu, I've already been generous by not taking his life." Zhang Lin sneered. "If you're not satisfied, we can have a fight before the monster makes its move. If you're too scared, you can take him and get lost."

Qiao Yu took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

"Uncle Qiao, avenge me! Kill him!!!"

Chen Junyu's voice, filled with pain and resentment, rang out.

"Zhang Lin, City Lord, I agree to your request. From this moment on, the entire Jin Yu County will obey your orders!" Qiao Yu was a calm and rational person. After calming down, he immediately agreed to Zhang Lin's request.

That last strike proved that Zhang Lin is not just a smooth talker; he is also very strong. A direct confrontation would definitely be unwinnable, and would instead lead to internal strife, allowing the monster to gain an advantage.

Leaving is impossible...

To avoid a repeat of the Chen Junyu incident, Qiao Yu had no choice but to agree immediately, deciding to deal with the monster first, no matter what.

"Uncle Qiao, you..."

Chen Junyu looked at Qiao Yu with disbelief.

"Ruoxi, take Junyu to the car to bandage his wounds. He doesn't need to participate in the rest of the battle," Qiao Yu instructed his daughter. Then, he stood up and calmly said to Zhang Lin, "Next, I'll tell you about the monster!"