Lu Da, paying no attention to his wailing mother, hurried to the family's hall, where he saw Mayor Ma and his son with grim expressions seated there. His heart skipped a beat, and he forced a smile.
"Mayor Ma, what an honor to have you visit. My apologies for not greeting you from afar!" Lu Da clasped his hands together and bowed with a smile.
Mayor Ma said, "Enough pleasantries, Lu Da. Where is that son of yours called Xinlong?"
Lu Da felt a twinge of unease and subconsciously glanced at Ma Guang, who looked as if he was certain of Lu Da's doom, and replied, "That scoundrel's whereabouts are unknown at the moment. Is there an issue? Please, do not hesitate to speak your mind."
"An issue?" Ma Guang scoffed coldly. "Lu Da, your precious son has grown quite bold—he introduced a batch of sick pigs into the pig farm and secretly swapped an equal number of healthy pigs to sell on the side. What a sly move, switching the dragon for the phoenix!"
