PFC Chapter 106 Don't worry, you won't lose out.
Chapter 106 Don't worry, you won't lose out.
As night deepened, Li Xiangyang quietly got up.
The moonlight outside the window was like water, casting his shadow on the earthen wall.
He was extra careful when getting dressed, afraid of waking his sleeping mother and sister.
The equipment Old Zheng gave us was indeed good stuff; the thick dog-skin coat was warm and cozy, and the leather pants and boots were top-notch as well.
Before leaving, he checked the gun one last time to make sure all the bullets were loaded.
Of course, he also brought along the one he got from Wang Ergou.
"son......"
Suddenly, Li Xiangyang heard his mother's voice behind him. He turned around and saw his mother sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) by the moonlight.
"Mother, why aren't you asleep yet?"
"What are you going to do in the middle of the night?" Li's mother frowned. "You even brought a gun..."
"Mom, don't worry, I'm just going to the village entrance to take care of some business," Li Xiangyang said softly to comfort her.
Li's mother hesitated, then finally sighed and said, "Come back soon."
"Okay." Li Xiangyang nodded, turned around and went out the door.
Upon arriving at the village entrance, a shadowy figure could be seen in the distance; it was obvious that it was Wang Ergou.
Wang Ergou was carrying a large sack on his shoulder and holding a shovel in his hand. He rushed to greet Li Xiangyang.
"You're here?" Li Xiangyang asked in a low voice.
"They're here! They're here!" Wang Ergou said in a low voice, his expression tense. "Let's hurry, while no one's around."
The two walked up the mountain, one in front of the other.
The cold wind stung his face, but Li Xiangyang didn't feel cold at all. On the contrary, Wang Ergou was shivering from the cold.
"How far?" Li Xiangyang asked.
"Almost there, almost there."
After walking for about half an hour, Wang Ergou led Li Xiangyang to a secluded mountain valley.
After looking around to make sure no one was there, Wang Ergou led Li Xiangyang into an inconspicuous cave.
"That's it?" Li Xiangyang looked around; the cave was completely empty.
"Hehe, take a look at these first."
As Wang Ergou spoke, he put down the sack and pulled out a dark object from it.
Upon closer inspection, Li Xiangyang realized it was a bulletproof vest, which, despite its age, was well-preserved.
That wasn't all. Wang Ergou then pulled two samurai swords out of the sack, their scabbards gleaming black.
"Good stuff, isn't it?" Wang Ergou's eyebrows danced with excitement. "And this isn't even all of it!"
He patted the empty cave wall: "The real good stuff is down there."
As he spoke, he raised his shovel to dig.
Li Xiangyang then realized that Wang Ergou wasn't stupid; if he discovered the armory, he naturally wouldn't leave it out in the open.
"Wait," Li Xiangyang stopped him, "before you dig, you have to tell me the truth: how much stuff is there?"
Wang Ergou wiped the sweat from his forehead. Despite the cold night, he appeared extremely nervous.
"Down there, there are dozens of rifles, a hundred boxes of ammunition, and a few Type 91 light machine guns. As for other miscellaneous items like bulletproof vests, there's a lot more. You have no idea how much effort I put into burying them." After Wang Ergou finished speaking, he spat on his hands and began digging.
Wang Ergou's words echoed in Li Xiangyang's ears, making his heart pound.
Although he knew quite a bit, he didn't expect there to be so much.
Goodness, if this were true, it would be enough to arm an entire company.
"Don't lie to me, kid." Li Xiangyang lowered his voice.
"Why would I lie to you?" Wang Ergou dug even harder. "You just wait and see!"
Soon, the first wooden crate was fully revealed.
Wang Ergou used a shovel to pry open the rusty lock and lift the lid of the box.
Under the moonlight, a row of rifles was neatly stacked.
Li Xiangyang gasped.
Although these guns are old, they are well-maintained and obviously still usable.
"See that?" Wang Ergou grinned smugly, then went to dig up the second box. "This is all like this underneath. When I found this place, I was so happy. I buried it bit by bit, it took a lot of effort to get it all in."
Li Xiangyang gripped the gun tightly, his palms sweating profusely.
If these things fall into the hands of criminals...
"Are you sure you didn't hide anything else besides that sack?" Li Xiangyang asked in a deep voice.
Wang Ergou stopped digging and wiped the sweat from his brow: "No, you know this stuff isn't easy to sell, so I was thinking of hiding it for now."
He chuckled twice, "Who knew you'd find out? But it's good, you know a lot of people and have connections, let's make a fortune together."
Li Xiangyang took a deep breath: "Get lost, I have nowhere to sell it. Put it back, I'll have someone report it."
"Huh?" Wang Ergou was taken aback. "You're not planning to sell? Reporting it won't get you a single penny..."
"Stop talking nonsense, three hundred and fifty yuan, I'll give it to you tomorrow, hurry up."
"Well... alright then." Wang Ergou hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.
The two worked together to rebury the box and smooth out the ground to ensure that no trace of it could be seen.
After getting ready, Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou walked down the mountain one after the other.
"Leaving already?" Wang Ergou rubbed his hands, glancing back at the cave with a hint of reluctance. "You really not planning to sell it?"
Li Xiangyang didn't answer, his mind racing with what to do next.
As Wang Ergou said, ordinary people who report such cases will not receive a single penny.
Then we need to prioritize who should apply.
Among the people of status and position that Li Xiangyang knew, Wang Jingyun was his closest friend, but it was clear that such a good thing would not fall into Wang Jingyun's lap.
Then Captain Zhou of the forest farm would be the most suitable candidate.
Firstly, the two were familiar with each other, and the other person took good care of him.
Secondly, he works for the forestry station and is in charge of this area of forest; this is easy to explain.
"Pack your sack," Li Xiangyang said without turning his head. "Come with me to the forest farm."
"Huh?" Wang Ergou's expression changed. "What are you doing at the forest farm in the middle of the night?"
"Enough nonsense," Li Xiangyang turned and glared at him. "Either come with me, or I'll go by myself. I remember the location of that cave perfectly well; it won't matter whether you're there or not. If you don't want me to sell you out..."
Wang Ergou was terrified and swallowed hard. "That...that money..."
"I'll give it to you first thing tomorrow morning. Hurry up now."
The two traveled in silence towards the forest farm.
Under the moonlight, the snow crunched and groaned, making the surroundings seem even more silent.
After walking for about two hours, the outline of the forest farm finally came into view.
Li Xiangyang told Wang Ergou to wait outside while he went to knock on the door first.
"Who is it?" came Captain Zhou's hoarse voice from inside.
"Uncle Zhou, it's me, Li Xiangyang. It's urgent."
The door opened, and Captain Zhou, wearing a cotton-padded coat, was holding a gun.
Seeing that it was Li Xiangyang, he relaxed slightly: "What's the rush in the middle of the night?"
"Uncle Zhou, take a look at this first." Li Xiangyang handed over the gun he had exchanged with Wang Ergou, beckoned Wang Ergou in, and gestured for him to put down the sack.
Captain Zhou glanced at the gun, turned up the oil lamp, and looked closely at the sack. His eyes widened immediately: "Where...did this come from?"
Li Xiangyang glanced at Wang Ergou: "Speak."
Wang Ergou nervously recounted how he discovered the cave, omitting the part about his intention to keep it for himself and sell it for money.
When the topic turned to how much munitions were in the cave, Captain Zhou's expression grew increasingly grave.
"Dozens of rifles, hundreds of boxes of ammunition..." Captain Zhou muttered, "This needs to be dealt with quickly."
“Yes,” Li Xiangyang nodded, “I was thinking of reporting this to someone influential. Uncle Zhou, you’ve been at the forest farm for so many years, so I thought I’d come to you.”
Captain Zhou understood the implication in Li Xiangyang's words, and his face beamed with a smile: "Alright, you're really thoughtful. You've got the job done by leaving this to me. Don't worry, you won't be shortchanged."