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“Didn’t we agree before? Whoever finds it gets a share. I sold it for over sixty thousand, and I’m giving you five thousand. Just don’t think it’s too little,” Wang Tiezhu said as he pushed the money back.
“Xiangxiang-jie, just take it. You must need the money urgently, or else you wouldn’t have gone into Daniu Mountain alone.”
“Alright then!”
Liu Axiang didn’t refuse any longer and accepted the money. “Tiezhu, thank you!”
“Sit for a while. I’ll pour you some water!”
Wang Tiezhu sat down on a chair, but as soon as he did, he felt something under him. Instinctively, he reached down and pulled out a piece of cloth.
It was red!
And very… enticing!
Wang Tiezhu was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized what it was. “Thump! Thump!” His heart pounded twice.
At that moment, Liu Axiang walked over with a cup of water and was instantly dumbfounded when she saw what he was holding. Her face turned bright red.
“Ahh!”
She quickly put the teacup on the table, rushed over, snatched the enticing fabric from his hand, and scolded him in embarrassment:
“You… you just randomly grab other people’s things? I just changed out of that! Hmph!”
Wang Tiezhu scratched his head awkwardly. “Well, you were the one who left it lying around. How can you blame me?” He thought to himself. Not to mention, it was still… “fresh.”
Without saying anything, he picked up the teacup from the table and took a sip.
He couldn’t stay here any longer. “Xiangxiang-jie, I’ll get going now. You… you do your thing!”
Liu Axiang pouted. “Tiezhu, are you mad at me?”
“Huh? No,” Wang Tiezhu waved his hand. “Why would I be mad?”
“Well, then…” She suddenly placed the enticing fabric back in front of him. “You can look again if you want!”
“Cough! Cough! Cough!”
Wang Tiezhu choked instantly. “What does she take me for? Some kind of pervert?”
He quickly waved his hands. “Xiangxiang-jie, you… you misunderstand. It wasn’t intentional before. That was just an accident. Anyway… I gotta go! You take care!” He fled in embarrassment.
—
Wang Tiezhu packed his things, preparing to head into Daniu Mountain again. First, he needed some herbs to treat his father’s leg. Second, his personal storage space was still empty—he wanted to collect herbs and see if he could plant them in his space.
Twenty minutes later, he arrived at the foot of the mountain and noticed three off-road vehicles parked nearby: a Range Rover, a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, and a Toyota Land Cruiser—all luxury cars worth millions.
Since Wangjiabao Village was remote and difficult to access, it was rare for outsiders to visit, especially those who could afford such high-end cars.
“What are they doing here?”
No one was inside the cars. Without thinking much, he glanced at them briefly and then entered the mountain.
—
Two hours later, Wang Tiezhu was deep within Daniu Mountain. He had gathered a good amount of herbs in his bamboo basket, though most were common ones. He decided to venture deeper in hopes of finding something more valuable.
“Bang! Bang!”
Suddenly, two gunshots echoed through the dense forest, sounding particularly jarring in the wilderness.
Wang Tiezhu frowned. The shots came from the forest ahead.
“Could it be hunters from another village?”
He could also hear faint laughter.
Adjusting the bamboo basket on his back, he carefully approached the source of the sound…
—
In a clearing, a bonfire crackled, roasting two wild rabbits on a spit. Surrounding it sat four men and two women, all dressed in stylish clothes, chatting and laughing.
A burly man in camouflage clothing said, “They say Daniu Mountain has wild beasts, but we’ve been wandering around all morning and only managed to shoot two rabbits. My rifle is itching for action, but there’s nothing worth shooting. What bad luck!”
Another man flattered him. “Huang Bin, those beasts probably ran away the moment they saw your size and that big gun of yours! Haha!”
Huang Bin grinned, feeling pleased, especially with the two beauties watching. “Let’s rest for a bit, then go deeper into the mountain. If I don’t take down a wild boar or a bear today, I won’t stop!”
One of the women cautioned, “We should be careful. I heard from the villagers that this mountain has tigers and wild boars weighing over 500 kilograms. Even experienced hunters don’t dare go too deep.”
Huang Bin pounded his chest. “Ye Wei, don’t worry! Those villagers exaggerate. They’ve been stuck in this backwater village their whole lives and have no idea how advanced the outside world has become.
My rifle isn’t some cheap knockoff. If a tiger or wild boar dares show up, I’ll take it down with a single shot! Trust me, as long as I’m here, you’re all safe!”
“Rustle, rustle…”
Just as he finished speaking, the bushes ahead rustled. The group immediately tensed up. Huang Bin grabbed his rifle, aiming forward, fully alert!
“Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot! It’s me!”
Wang Tiezhu called out before stepping out from the undergrowth. He didn’t want to be mistaken for a wild animal and shot.
The six people exhaled in relief. Huang Bin lowered his gun and called out, “Hey, kid! What are you doing here? I almost shot you!”
Wang Tiezhu dusted off the leaves on his clothes and studied the group. Their outfits made it obvious—they were city folks. Those luxury cars at the mountain’s entrance were likely theirs.
The two women were particularly striking. The taller one was especially gorgeous—fair-skinned, with an oval face, wavy long hair, and a waist so slender it could be held in one hand, yet her curves were…
Majestic!
Dangerously alluring!
A true beauty any man would dream of.
“Hey, kid!” Huang Bin shouted. “I asked you a question! Are you from a nearby village?”
Wang Tiezhu withdrew his gaze and nodded. “Yeah, I’m from a nearby village. You guys are pretty bold, barbecuing here. If a wild beast gets attracted by the smell, you won’t have a chance to escape.”
“Pfft! What’s there to be afraid of?” Huang Bin scoffed. “If they come, even better! My gun is itching for some action. If beast dares show up, I’ll take it down and we’ll have a feast!”
The other men laughed, looking completely unconcerned.
Wang Tiezhu sneered internally. “If these fools want to court death, there’s nothing I can do.”
“I’ve said my piece. Do as you will!” He had no interest in wasting time with them and turned to leave.
“Rustle, rustle, rustle…”
Suddenly, the undergrowth where he had just emerged from shook violently.
Huang Bin lazily remarked, “Kid, do you have a friend with you?”
“No!” Wang Tiezhu tensed up. “I came alone!”
“Then who’s in there—”
“Swish!”
Before he could finish, a massive dark shadow burst out of the bushes…