1oo2 New Urban Farmers Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Traitor!
Dou Hongbo emerged from the forest with a sinister smile, followed by Shi Huo... Feng Baijiawei and the others. The camera was on, and they began filming, capturing everyone in the shot.
Li Ningguang's face was deathly pale, his eyes glaring hatefully at Li Hongbo. His lips trembled slightly as he said, "Was it you, you bastard, who's been following us all this way?"
Li Hongbo's face immediately changed upon being insulted. It darkened. "I'm a government official with administrative rank, for goodness' sake, how can I be insulted like this by a mere businessman?"
Doesn't that make people around him look down on him?
In fact, apart from his own association staff, no one else really took him seriously. They were only there because of the CCTV reporter.
Moreover, Li Hongbo was not only the vice president of the association. He was also a corrupt businessman, his greed having eroded his selfless character, making him proficient in all vices, including drinking, gambling, and prostitution. Along the way, he showered Bai Jiawei, this graceful young woman, with considerable attention.
He even made a suggestive remark about Bai Jiawei.
This made Bai Jiawei frown slightly. She didn't like obese men who were thirty years older than her. She had her own ideals about love and her Prince Charming.
Her perfunctory attitude made it clear to both the city and county bureaus that she didn't have much respect for Li Hongbo. "We're not in the same system, so why should you tell me what to do?"
"Mr. Li, please be mindful of your position! If you continue to verbally attack government personnel, I have the right to take action against you. I am the leader of this inspection team!" Li Hongbo said with a livid face.
"What the hell are you talking about? You ruined my big plan. Come on, come and arrest me! Come and arrest me!" Li Ningguang roared angrily.
This time, Li Ningguang was really anxious.
I tried early but late, and I still got pushed to the front. Now everything's ruined. Fine, ruined? I'll just go for it!
“You, Li Hongbo, are furious. Arrest him. I suspect that Mr. Li has stolen some national treasure tree species this time.”
But the four law enforcement officers looked at Bai Jiawei, who was the deputy leader and the de facto head this time. No one took Li Hongbo seriously.
Bai Jiawei hesitated for a moment before asking Li Ningguang, "Mr. Li, how do you plan to explain this?"
Since Li Ningguang sponsored them with 30,000 yuan for travel expenses, they should at least give him some face.
"Hehe. Explanation? Reporter Bai, I have no explanation. If someone can come to this mountain, I can come too!" Li Ningguang calmed down considerably upon seeing Bai Jiawei, but his tone became much harsher.
It's wrong for him not to be angry when someone ruins his big plans; he should be furious!
But after a moment of calm, they realized that the person in front of them was a CCTV reporter and that there was police protection; a conflict would be very disadvantageous for them.
Bai Jiawei nodded and said, "Since Team Leader Li said to rule out suspicion, then please cooperate and make a record." Bai Jiawei didn't want to get involved, but something seemed amiss. She had followed Li Ningguang and the others all the way here; they had law enforcement authority, which had been temporarily granted by their superiors.
Li Ningguang's expression changed, and he secretly realized he was in trouble.
An officer from the county police station came out, handed his service weapon to his colleague, and walked towards Li Ningguang. The other three officers, including Lao Zheng from the city police station and Xiao Sun, who looked somewhat pale, had already reached for their service weapons.
If Li Ning makes any unusual move, they might open fire. There's a lack of legal oversight in these mountains. You have to be extremely careful at all times.
"Boss, what should we do?" Wang Zhen said in a low voice. "Should we take these people down?"
There are three gunmen on the other side. Once we take down those three, the others are no threat. With their skills, there are no match for them.
The only concern is that Du Wenqiang is now seriously injured, which makes things difficult. Unless Zhang Guodong is also willing to cooperate!
"You alone? No, that's too risky!" Li Ningguang wasn't stupid. Wang Zhen was loyal but also risky for him. Three guns... unless Zhang Guodong could also get close to the enemy. So he glanced at Zhang Guodong.
Li Ningguang had witnessed Zhang Guodong's skills firsthand. He was no less skilled than Wang Zhen; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to severely injure Du Wenqiang with a single punch. However, Li Ningguang hadn't expected Zhang Guodong's skills to have reached such a higher level. He could easily take down ten or twenty Wang Zhens in a short time, provided the competition was purely physical and didn't involve firearms.
That's real strength!
A power that has just begun to glimpse the threshold of strength after the body's mutation!
Speed, strength, agility, and resistance to blows are all increasing exponentially!
Zhang Guodong raised an eyebrow. Going against the authorities? That's not a good thing. But he also doesn't want to be on camera or on that list—it's a bit of a dilemma. The other side has guns, which is a deterrent to everyone.
He understood Li Ningguang's hint, but he didn't want to reveal his true strength so soon. There were probably many ways to resolve the situation!
"I am willing to cooperate with reporter Bai. Putting aside personal grudges with Brother Li for the time being, Zhang Guodong spoke first, contrary to most people's expectations, and chose to cooperate."
At the same time, he felt it necessary to remind Li Ningguang. A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle; direct confrontation is unwise. Sometimes, it's necessary to offer a reminder to someone on the same team.
“Reporter Bai, there’s no need to be too confused. Mr. Li and I are cooperating, and Guan Zhou is also here to find jade mines,” Zhang Guodong said with a slight smile, noticing the other party’s confusion.
Li Ningguang's expression changed drastically, wondering if Zhang Guodong was about to betray him. But upon hearing that they were looking for jade mines, he began to ponder.
Zhang Guodong is also a boss? A boss who collaborates with Li Ningguang? Suddenly, everyone's attention was focused on Zhang Guodong. Such a young and wealthy man!
The police officers from Qingyang County Bureau quickly and smoothly recorded everyone's identities. Zhang Guodong cooperated. Li Ningguang also chose to cooperate.
But inside, I felt anxious and angry.
The tense confrontation was weakened into nothingness.
Li Ningguang declined Bai Jiawei's invitation to go over. He gathered everyone together. The situation was clear: everyone was resting!
"Who betrayed us?" Li Ningguang's gaze swept over the crowd and then fell on Zhang Guodong.
Wang Zhen and Du Wenqiang were his trusted confidants. How could Liu Dewang, that scoundrel, betray him and turn down money? Zhang Guodong... but he just couldn't understand why Zhang Guodong would betray everyone and turn down money.
Zhang Guodong frowned and said, "Brother Li, do you suspect I betrayed you? If you have a huge treasure in Qingmu Township, then I have a share too. I'm not a saint, and I don't know them. Let's just go our separate ways after this is over."
With their collaboration coming to an end, Zhang Guodong decided to give up on continuing his partnership with Li Ningguang.
Li Ningguang was startled and immediately came to his senses, laughing it off and saying, "Guodong, don't mind. This time, the other party is really too suspicious. How did they know to come with us? Don't you have any doubts about this?"
If Zhang Guodong hadn't been so useful to him, he probably would have turned on him immediately, right? Zhang Guodong scoffed.
Zhang Guodong said, "Brother Li, there's no need to hide it. It's normal for you to suspect me, after all, we're currently in a cooperative relationship. Xiao Hu, shall we go in and take a look?"
Zhang Guodong was no longer willing to play along.
Although Li Hongbo and the others went ahead, Zhang Guodong still wanted to stay put and observe, even if he didn't find anything, it would still be a worthwhile trip. Within a hundred meters of the cave, he didn't find any precious trees or plants, nor any sources of strong spiritual energy fluctuations.
A bit disappointing, except inside the cave.
The cave was deep, large, and spacious, slightly dark and damp—perfect for plant buds. But what troubled Zhang Guodong was: how could the original tree species have grown without sunlight? Those three green fruit trees were only three or four years old; it was very strange.
The only explanation is that the seed itself was extraordinary, and the seed's power was about to be exhausted in order to grow to that stage!
He has an explanation, but others don't.
It is obviously incredible that plants can grow for several years in a cave without sunlight.
"Oh no! Their hell is that cave!" Li Hongbo, who was in the expedition team, noticed Zhang Guodong and Xiao Hu's actions and immediately stood up.
"What's wrong with Team Leader Li?" Bai Jiawei looked at him in surprise. They had decided to take a break before conducting their survey within a radius of several kilometers.
"Someone has entered that cave!" Li Hongbo exclaimed excitedly.
"A cave?" The group looked on, puzzled.
“That cave might be the target we’re looking for! Look, Boss Li and the others are standing up and heading towards the cave,” Li Hongbo said.
Everyone immediately stood up!
Wandering around in the mountains, eating only bread and canned milk every day, and not getting enough sleep is really tough. The sooner we finish our mission, the sooner we can get out of the mountains!
"Stop!" Li Hongbo and Li Ningguang were mortal enemies, and the expedition team stopped them before Li Ningguang and the others could enter the cave.
"Ignore that old bastard, let's go in," Li Ningguang cursed, then ignored the people behind him and went straight into the cave.
You guys got there first, what more do you want? You're telling me I need to go into the cave to take a look?
After Zhang Guodong and Xiaohu entered the cave, Li Ningguang couldn't stay any longer. He wouldn't be satisfied without seeing it for himself! Even if you dug up the tree, couldn't I at least take a look at the pit?
However, the place he most wanted to find was outside the cave, not inside. The cave interior had probably already been explored by the expedition team and that idiot Li Hongbo, right? So he could only look for it near the outside of the cave.
They can't act even if someone is watching them from the outside, right?
"Let's go in quickly!" Li Hongbo said to everyone.
As everyone entered, they discovered how large the cave was. The ceiling was seven or eight meters high, and the protruding rock layers seemed to be about to fall. People called it a rock fracture zone, the result of rock layers from different geological periods colliding together.
Moreover, some areas inside the cave show signs of landslides, soil, and traces of plant and animal bones.
However, the cave was rather dark.
Once inside, everyone turned on their flashlights, held their breath, and kept a close watch on their surroundings.
"Can plants grow here?" Li Hongbo questioned. Green photosynthesis is a prerequisite for plant growth, but where is the light coming from in this dim environment?
Li Ningguang sneered, "You've gotten a good deal and you're still acting innocent? Some people are so hypocritical and shameless!"
"Mr. Li, are you saying this is where that plant is now?" Bai Jiawei asked, taking the initiative as a reporter, before Li Hongbo could become famous.
Li Ningguang thought to himself, "These people are so hypocritical. They've been here, so why are they asking me?" But another voice said, "What if they haven't been inside the cave?"
Ping Ran's heart was pounding. They hadn't realized that this cave was the site of the Green Fruit Tree.
What have I done, my dear husband?
"Li Hongbo, how did you know about this place? How did you follow us all the way?" Li Ningguang asked Li Hongbo through gritted teeth, filled with resentment.
Li Hongbo was overjoyed to see that Li Ningguang had revealed their objective. He realized that Li Ningguang wasn't as incompetent as he appeared; otherwise, he wouldn't have secretly become a flower and tree merchant.
"Can't figure it out, huh?" Li Hongbo taunted Li Ningguang smugly. "The reason is that one of you exposed your whereabouts. A tracker with a ten-kilometer range can solve a lot of problems. Someone took advantage of that Mr. Liu. He hasn't even used the prize he won yet, has he?"
Mr. Liu? Liu Dewang!
Now Li Ningguang understood everything. The other party was so shameless that they even used technological means as a trick. One wrong step and you'll regret it for eternity. Liu Dewang had fallen into their trap!
"You're something else," Li Ningguang nodded at Li Hongbo, took a deep breath, and said resentfully. "You tricked me again this time."
Editor's Note: First update! I checked the monthly votes and saw I was sweating bullets – almost at the bonus chapter mark! Looks like I'll have to do another bonus chapter today. Ugh. No drafts saved. Hehe! But this is a good thing. Thank you everyone!
In addition, Heaven's Path still owes everyone one chapter. Even with today's extra update, it still owes one chapter. Heaven's Path will remember to faint, haha.
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