Chen Fu, deputy secretary of the Party Committee of the Forestry Bureau, led the bureau's discipline inspection team to Fanxiang in a low-key manner. Before their arrival, Director Jin Youwei made a special phone call to Fatty, warmly inviting him to visit the Forestry Bureau.
To the uninitiated, one might assume Jin Youwei and Secretary Wang of Zhangba Township were very close. But in reality, the fat man directly approached them, taking the initiative. Besides, does the district dare to disrespect the fat man these days? A local leader at the deputy-division level, only twenty-seven years old, is a rare find even in the province.
Jin Youwei's intention was to handle this matter discreetly; otherwise, if the district got involved, someone in the bureau would be in serious trouble. Therefore, he would owe Fatty a favor this time.
The fat man didn't give a clear answer immediately, but his initial communication was relatively polite. Although he really wanted to get more money from the Forestry Bureau, he couldn't avoid communicating with Zhang Guodong. He was extremely disgusted that Luo Jianhui was using him to exchange for benefits, so he wouldn't do such a thing. Besides, who was Zhang Guodong?
So after talking to Jin Youwei, the fat man dialed Zhang Guodong's number.
Zhang Guodong waited there, circulating the "Azure Profound Heart Sutra" while constantly tossing small pebbles in his hand. He sighed, "This phone is really no good. I need to find a way to get a satellite phone."
The pebble flew a long way with a soft thud. It collided with a tree a hundred meters away, leaving a deep mark on the trunk.
"Huh?" Zhang Guodong stopped throwing the pebbles. "At a distance of 100 meters, the force of those pebbles is three to four times greater than the attack power of an ordinary person at ten meters!"
This piqued Zhang Guodong's interest. Pebbles were like concealed weapons. Bullets could kill from a distance, but those things were rarely used and were illegal. Of course, being illegal wasn't a big deal for Zhang Guodong; it was just a bit illegitimate. But pebbles were different.
If it can achieve good results, then this is the key to defeating the enemy.
Zhang Guodong picked up a few more pieces, calmed his mind, concentrated his attention, and selected a thick-trunked tree about 100 meters away.
"Whoosh!" The boulders flew towards the thick tree trunk at ten times the speed beneath Zhang Guodong's massive body. With a loud thud, they struck. This time, the force was precisely controlled; the pebbles shattered, but successfully left a deep crater in the tree trunk, scattering wet sawdust everywhere.
He practiced again. This time, however, he missed. The ball flew behind a tree.
It seems that even with mental protection, more practice is still needed. Controlling the flying pebble is the most difficult part. It's quite different from using a gun. More practice in body coordination is also necessary.
And so, Zhang Guodong began practicing the action of tossing pebbles.
Zhao Qiang and his companions thought this was just a case of boredom. At a distance of 100 meters, they couldn't possibly see the pebble hitting the tree; otherwise, they would never have made that assumption.
"Guodong is incredibly strong, he's as strong as both of us!" Fandun said, looking down on Zhang Guodong and not allowing anyone to speak ill of him.
"Dunzi, you're not kidding, are you? You can eat three people in one meal. Guodong may be a good shot, but that doesn't mean he's strong, right?"
Fan Dun wasn't good with words. But he had witnessed Zhang Guodong carrying cement bags. He and Zhao Laoliu carried them one bag at a time, but Zhang Guodong carried one bag by himself, looking very relaxed.
“Anyway, I’ve seen it. None of you can carry two bags of cement at once without taking a break, and that’s dozens of bags of cement. Brother Guodong can do it, and it’s easy for him!” Fandun said.
"Good marksmanship, good agility, and great strength?" The young men looked at Zhao Qiang. In their eyes, only Zhao Qiang was qualified to judge. Those who had served in the military knew that Zhao Qiang was not only strong and agile, but also an exceptional marksman.
Two bags of cement weigh a hundred kilograms each. In this sweltering heat, most people could manage one or two trips, but any more than that and they wouldn't be able to keep going.
"Are you guys just bored?" Zhao Qiang said with a laugh.
"However, Guodong's strength might not be enough for me; I'm no match for him!"
Zhao Qiang was convinced when he said that. Although Zhang Guodong's movements were completely erratic when he beat up the two men, his speed was extremely fast. Zhao Qiang was astonished.
Aside from him, probably no one else present would have paid attention to this.
Uncle Xigui's rabbits were already skinned, gutted, and almost cleaned; they were being carried back. Ten plump, white rabbits made everyone's stomachs rumble with hunger. After a morning of continuous walking, the food they ate that morning had mostly been digested.
As soon as the fire was lit and the pot was filled with water, the young people all gathered around. Some even took off their clothes, leaving only their underwear, and rushed into the pool.
Actually, they had wanted to do this for a while. It was so hot that day, and the mountains, with their forests, were even more stifling, like an oven. This pool was the perfect place to cool off.
Zhao Wangquan's call to Zhao Sanshun went smoothly. He explained the situation to Zhao Sanshun, who immediately became furious. These people from the lower village had dared to cross the boundary into Shuiliangou; the village secretary and head of the lower village had to give them an explanation.
The two villages got into a fight. The village officials from Liqu might be the ones who suffer.
When asked, the village head of the lower village said it was impossible, as Li Genbao and his group who had gone into the mountains had not yet returned. When asked again upon their return, the village head assured them that Shuiliangou was a traditional back mountain of Jixing Village, and that the lower village also had one, suggesting it might be a misunderstanding.
Although Zhao Sanshun didn't get any explanation, he achieved his goal.
The old man decided not to gather the other village cadres and instead went to the next village to negotiate.
The two villages are neighbors and have a good relationship. A fight is unlikely. But what needs to be fought for must be fought for. Zhao Sanshun is a veteran; the village secretary and village head of the next village are considered his juniors. He doesn't bear the responsibility...
Zhang Guodong practiced throwing pebbles as a hidden weapon. After an hour, he felt he wasn't making much progress. At that moment, Zhao Wangquan sent someone to call him for dinner.
The stewed rabbit, with wild vegetables occasionally floating in the air, exudes a delicate fragrance, and glistens in the golden oil. It looks incredibly appetizing. The aroma of the meat is especially irresistible to even the most robust man.
Eating meat and drinking wine to one's heart's content. How delightful! Alas, the wine is almost gone. And no one is bringing out any more, so it's understandable that we're out of wine for now.
Zhang Guodong, Zhao Qiang, and Zhao Laoliu. With another person joining them, the four of them formed a small circle, dipped their feet into the pond, and ate their lunch in their shorts.
They ate with great relish, taking large bites. If it were greasy, fatty rabbit meat, it would probably be too much to eat like this. But wild rabbit meat is almost entirely lean. Plus, there are some special wild vegetables added, which almost completely absorbs the excess greasiness.
Zhao Qiang secretly pulled out a half-jin bottle of premium Erguotou, which was actually 56 degrees!
“Every time we start, the wine we contribute is never enough to keep. If we don’t keep some for ourselves, what will we do later?” Zhao Qiang chuckled as he looked at Zhang Guodong’s surprised expression.
In contrast, Zhao Laoliu and Fandun showed no surprise whatsoever, clearly taking it all for granted.
"Sixth Brother and Dunzi are hiding too, right?" Zhang Guodong asked.
The two smiled sheepishly and were about to stand up to get it when Zhao Qiang grabbed them.
"This meal is all mine. Everyone just has a sip as a token gesture. If more people want to take out their own money, how can we leave any? Don't you see how these people are like wolves!"
Zhang Guodong had originally intended to take out some wine, specifically fruit wine, since the fruit wine brewed in the Peach Blossom Spring space was already drinkable. However, after hearing what Zhao Qiang said, he abandoned that plan.
Fruit is meant to be savored, just like wine. Letting everyone drink it is like a cow chewing on a peony – a waste.
Zhang Guodong had witnessed firsthand how heartily these people drank, pouring the liquor in as if it were water.
And so, we took turns, one sip for you, one sip for me. After downing half a jin of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), the food, including braised pork and meat, tasted noticeably better.
After the meal.
Zhao Wangquan officially announced that they would stay in Shuilian for one more day and wouldn't be leaving. In the afternoon, everyone split into groups to hunt in the area. This was a last-minute decision.
The presence of those scoundrels from the lower village in this area makes the villagers feel uneasy. It's better to stay a day and see for ourselves.
After resting for two hours, it was 3:30 pm when the fat man's call finally came.
"Fatty, get me a satellite phone later, preferably military grade. It'll be a problem once we go into the mountains!" Zhang Guodong said abruptly.
"Um, Guodong, I think civilian ones are enough, right? Military ones are hard to get, and they all need to be registered, which is a hassle. If you don't want your information to be exposed, I suggest you use civilian ones. For calls, it's enough! You can go wherever you want." The fat man hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Then you decide what to do. How much money do you need? I'll make it up to you later. Is there any news?" Zhang Guodong said with a smile.
“Oh, I thought you forgot to ask. There's news that a deputy director, the second-in-command of the district forestry bureau, sent people to Zhangba Township for a private investigation. They said they had ideas for building a protection station, but the township didn't know about it beforehand. Director Jin just called to apologize. The forestry bureau has sent a deputy party secretary to lead a team to investigate Xiao Kai's matter. That's the current situation, but I'm keeping a close eye on it. These people are really going too far. Entering here without warning, I think they didn't beat him enough!” the fat man said. “I heard they just checked into the township hospital.” “So fast? Only three hours or so?” Zhang Guodong asked in surprise. “Checking into the hospital, are they planning to extort money? That bastard only had minor injuries. It hurts, but I was careful with my strength. Never mind, let's not talk about this. What's the protection station all about? Is there anything else in these mountains that needs special protection?”
It only took about three hours to get from the mountains to the township hospital; that's quite fast. But Zhang Guodong was curious about what a forestry protection station was.
If you called it a wildlife conservation station, that would be somewhat plausible. But what kind of conservation station is this, built by the forestry department? What are you protecting? This mountain is mostly covered in common tree species, and they haven't been cut down or damaged; the resources are basically intact.
Building this thing makes one question their motives. It's a pure waste of government resources!
"Who knows? But if they really want to build a protection station without my permission, I'll have to squeeze some money out of them this time. The village is really short of money right now!" the fat man said.
Having basically figured things out, Zhang Guodong chatted with the fat man for a while before hanging up.
"Guodong, you've rested enough. Let's start hunting. Are you going with the group, or alone?" Zhao Qiang called out to Zhang Guodong.
Just now, when Zhang Guodong was on the phone, no one disturbed him.
"I think I'll team up; it's no fun going alone!" Zhang Guodong said without hesitation.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com