After everyone had left, the two old men finally realized what had happened.
"Asleep? Lin Zhengde, you utterly immoral wretch, you want my niece to go work with you?"
Lin Zhengde felt even more wronged, dodging left and right.
"Huh? No way! With so many young men around, how could I possibly let my niece do all the work?"
If you say "lead the way," then you mean "lead the way."
Oh, after arriving at the destination, she arrested a few people who had tried to escape. Does that count?
With no one responding, Lin Zhengde began to mutter to himself, recounting everything that had happened along the way, especially the half-day encounter with the wolves, which he described as particularly thrilling.
The uncle and nephew would occasionally exchange glances, but neither of them would disturb the other.
In the end, Lin Zhengde started rambling again.
"I was even thinking of asking my niece to help guide us when we go to mine for gold. If it weren't for her, we would definitely have turned back halfway, and who knows what might have happened?"
Cheng Chao then heard a word that surprised him.
"A gold mine? What gold mine?"
Lin Zhengde then recounted the story with great enthusiasm.
"Although it's not completely confirmed yet, I don't think those people would bother to lie to me. Besides, Lao Cheng, don't you have acquaintances at that coal mine in the county? Go ask them if there were any of these people a few years ago."
"When we get back, I'll interrogate these people again. I refuse to believe there's any case I can't solve."
Cheng Jin glanced at Cheng Chao, who seemed to be deep in thought. If it really was on the border between the two countries, then it seemed like something she was capable of doing. She was someone with a big secret.
After thinking about it, I spoke with the two leaders.
"I'll go back and hand in the task in a bit, then I'll take a vacation and stay here with her for two days until she feels better before I go back."
If the gold mine is real, regardless of how they recruited it, it's best to keep it a secret for now.
Of all the places I've been out and about, our area is relatively safe.
Outside, not only were there riots and demolitions in the cities, but also in the countryside, farming was in chaos. Many fields were left barren and yielded no harvest. People fleeing famine were constantly traveling from south to north.
If this gets out now, this place will inevitably become a focus of attention for those in power, and competition will be inevitable. Just think about it, countless people will flood in, all sorts of people, good and bad, demons and monsters.”
"grass!"
Lin Zhengde slammed his hand on the table.
"So, all that hard-won progress we've made is now riddled with holes?"
Cheng Jin and Cheng Chao immediately jumped up and rushed over, one on each side, to hold down Lin Zhengde's arm. Cheng Jin even covered his mouth, afraid of waking Jian Dan.
"Keep your voice down!"
Looking back, Jian Dan only frowned and showed no signs of waking up, so they let him go.
"Keep your voice down!"
"I know, I know,"
Lin Zhengde nodded quickly, afraid that they would cover it up again.
"I know the gravity of the situation, and I definitely can't tell anyone."
Cheng Chao sighed.
"The country is in a difficult situation right now. It must be hard for you to keep things to yourselves. But you are not unaware of the current situation outside. Think about what will happen if this news gets out."
If all of this money could be used for national development, that would be a good thing. But, how many people do you think are truly focused on the right path these days?
Lin Zhengde's previously enthusiastic heart calmed down. Yes, this is not the time when the country was first founded, when everyone was single-mindedly focused on production and construction, and the people of the whole country were working towards the same goal.
Over the past decade, the initial enthusiasm and passion have been worn down. The increasingly comfortable environment has allowed many people to gradually adapt, enjoy it, and then want more and more while demanding less and less.
In the eyes of some people, those in high positions disregard principles.
Lin Zhengde and his men, having guarded this area for so many years, were not unaware of these matters. The most significant manifestation of this was the increasing marginalization of the importance attached to the troops stationed on the northeastern border by higher authorities.
Especially in recent years, I don’t know if it’s related to factional struggles at the top, but it’s true that military supplies have become increasingly unreliable in recent years, and their quality has been inconsistent in many cases.
The quantity was never enough to begin with. If it weren't for the things they found in the mountains over the past few years, plus the two side businesses they started in the last two years, they might not have been able to support these people.
"What you're saying, how could I not understand? I just don't understand, why is that?"
We've established a nation and achieved peace, which is hard-won. So let's focus on building it up, making sure the people have enough to eat. Isn't that better than anything else?
Every day is like this. We have to sneak around to eat meat, we have to be careful in everything we do, and there's always a risk to our lives. Humph!
What a life!
Lin Zhengde's mood also completely plummeted.
"Let me tell you, I've been so frustrated these past few years. Every month, it's such a hassle to get anything I need. I have to think carefully before I even talk to them. That time with that medicine, it really got me so angry. If I hadn't really had to beg them, I almost would have gotten into a fight with them."
"Sigh, when did the military become like this? One person leaves, another leaves, like a football being passed around. It's truly disheartening."
Cheng Jin was much more clear-headed about this, and therefore much less disappointed.
"Have you thought it through now?"
What did you say before that I told you not to report that thing?
You also said I was selfish and lacked a sense of the bigger picture. Didn't you say that?
Seeing that they all understood, Cheng Chao didn't say much. Seeing that Jian Dan was sleeping soundly, he simply invited them out of the house.
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