Reborn in the 1980s: I made my fortune hunting wild game in Changbai Mountain

Zhou Hongming is a figure of some importance. Although he's not among the top in the industry, he's qualified to accept the invitation and come to this venue to show off.

To be honest, these young masters from well-off families are still a bit arrogant at heart.

I may not be as good as you in terms of professional skills, but I'm sure you have a clear understanding of your social standing.

In Zhou Hongming's eyes, Yue Feng, who made the documentary, was at most just a falconer with a little fame and some professional skills.

When facing him, one can show respect, but not excessive humility; being able to look him in the eye as an equal is already giving Yue Feng face.

But judging from what Yue Feng just said, he actually owns shares in this place, which is a different story altogether.

These children of the powerful and wealthy, having grown up surrounded by such influences, are all shrewd and capable of seeing through appearances to the essence of things.

This means that Yue Feng must have a background or other advantages that Zhou Hongming is unaware of to qualify him to get involved in Ye Jianjun and Jin Long's 'project'.

Faced with the other party's doubts, Yue Feng grinned slightly: "Haha, it's all because my friend is being kind and willing to include me. I'll just join in a little!"

As he spoke, Yue Feng made a gesture of pinching the tip of his index finger with the tip of his thumb, indicating that he only had a small number of shares.

"Congratulations then! From now on, this small town of Yanjing will have a great place to exchange falconry skills!" Zhou Hongming continued to flatter.

"Haha, thank you!!"

……

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, several more cars arrived.

The people who came this time were Xiao Dong and Ming Kai's uncles and elders. Jin Long greeted Yue Feng and then went to greet them together with Ye Jianjun and the others.

In principle, those high-ranking officials who hold nominal positions wouldn't show up at these privately organized gatherings. However, since Xiao Dong and Ming Kai's status was slightly lower, it was a bit of a stretch to bring them along. So, they brought their elders to support them, which was a way of making up for it.

Leaving aside the pleasantries and small talk, once everyone had arrived, Ye Jianjun stood on a slightly elevated spot in the open space and shouted.

"Everyone, please be quiet and listen to what I have to say!"

The group of people who were talking and exchanging ideas immediately fell silent.

Ye Jianjun glanced at the time on his wristwatch and continued, "It's time. Most of the invited friends have arrived!"

I hereby announce that preparations for our Falcon Club Friendly Exchange Tournament are now underway!
Before we officially begin, let me presume to say a few words!
First, on behalf of everyone involved in the event's organization, I'd like to thank all the friends who came to support us. Your support has made this event so memorable! Thank you!

After saying thank you, Ye Jianjun bowed deeply. The people below stood silently, watching Ye Jianjun on the stage.

After bowing, Ye Jianjun continued, "I explained the rules of today's competition in detail when I invited you to come."

To avoid wasting everyone's time, I won't go into details now. If you have any questions, you can go to the tent on the far east side and get the printed paper details!
Once the competition starts, we'll follow the rules. If there's anything we've overlooked, we'll let everyone know on the spot!
Secondly: My buddy Yuefeng just mentioned to me that, in order to wish our friendly match today a complete success, he will handcraft a one-of-a-kind eagle hat with a screw-turned-goldfish-eye design for each of the top three participants!

You've all probably seen the documentary from CCTV, right? There's no need to brag about the eagle hat Yue Feng made; those who know, know!
He was the first to propose the rules for our Falconry Club, and we worked together to refine them!

More exchange activities about birds of prey will be organized in the future, so please stay tuned!

Upon hearing this, Yue Feng was slightly taken aback. Brother Jianjun was pushing himself too hard.

As expected, once this detail was explained, the crowd below immediately became noisy.

Ye Jianjun waved to Yue Feng: "Xiao Feng, don't be too reserved. Everyone here is a friend or buddy. Come up and say hello to everyone!"

Seeing this, Yue Feng strode forward to Ye Jianjun's side and bowed to everyone.

"Hello everyone, I'm Yue Feng. Please take care of me!"

Those in the audience who hadn't recognized Yue Feng at first instantly realized who this somewhat familiar face was.

The protagonist of a CCTV documentary that broke viewership records!
The Northeast falconry culture inheritor who has taken falconry to a whole new level is actually on friendly terms with the eldest son of the Ye family!

In an instant, many people's minds began to stir.

Even if we disregard practical benefits and only learn a little about eagle training from such top experts, it's still worthwhile to have more interaction and exchange with them.

Seeing the noisy atmosphere below the stage, Ye Jianjun let everyone discuss for a few seconds before raising his hand to quell the discussion again: "Alright, I understand everyone's feelings. Now let's get down to business."

We can talk about making friends and getting to know each other after the competition. Tonight, I'll treat everyone to dinner!

Finally, I want to emphasize one more point: everyone comes here to have fun and make friends through eagles.

During the competition, everyone kept a close eye on their own eagle to avoid accidentally dropping it and interfering with other people's competition!

If you accidentally release a heavy eagle and it damages your own or someone else's eagle, the organizers will not be responsible for compensation!

I hope everyone prioritizes friendship over competition! May everyone achieve their desired results!
Now, all the hawkers who are going to perform, please go to the assembly point to draw your number and enter the venue in order!

Please cooperate with our work!

At a call, the crowd that had been standing still immediately moved toward the assembly point.

To standardize the process, several tents were set up in sequence, with different labels affixed to the outside of the tent fabric.

The meeting point, lounge, and waiting area for the lottery were all spacious enough to comfortably accommodate the dozens of people present.

During this process, Yue Feng secretly observed the personnel who had arrived today on eagles.

Including Young Master Feng and Xiao Dong's second uncle, a total of nine eagles came to the scene. If we include Li Fulin's Rabbit and Tiger eagles, there are ten eagle fighters participating in the competition and ranking.

From the perspective of organizing the event, a competition with ten participants seems like a drop in the ocean and not worth watching at all.

However, considering the special project of falconry, it is no easy feat to organize so many people in just two days.

It's important to understand that ordinary falconers typically only fly one or two falcons at a time. Now, having ten falcons together is quite impressive.

The threshold for these kinds of competitions in the industry is quite high. If they make a splash, who knows how many people who lack connections and are looking for cooperation and networking will try their best to get in.

Of course, this is something.

The falconers who were going to compete quickly drew their numbers. Then, at Ye Jianjun's call, Xiao Dong and a few others carried out a cage containing wild rabbits from another large tent that was not open to the public.

Six flat cages, each over a meter long, forty centimeters high, and more than half a meter wide, were divided into individual compartments, each containing a healthy wild rabbit that had just been caught yesterday.

In the first stage of the competition, each participating eagle hunter has five opportunities to catch wild rabbits!

By drawing lots, a hare is selected to be placed at the pit mechanism. Then, starting from a fixed area, eagles are set off to simulate the process of hunting hares after driving them away in actual combat.

The success rate of each falcon capture and the time spent chasing and capturing it are the main criteria for judging the performance. Similarly, for each capture, points are awarded based on the time taken and corresponding performance.

Each person's number is just a code, and they do not play in the order of their numbers.

The order of appearance is determined by drawing lots, and the rabbits released are also randomly selected by drawing lots. With both random selections, the first stage of the competition is relatively fair.

Seeing that the prepared wild rabbits had been brought out, Ye Jianjun gave Jinlong a wink.

Jinlong took out two medium-sized lottery boxes and started shouting at the top of his lungs.

"All of you who are going on stage, let's draw a draw to determine the order in which you'll go on stage!"
After drawing the order of appearance, we'll draw the rabbit! We're being completely fair and impartial today! Everyone is welcome to supervise!

All the slips were made on the spot using playing cards. After they were made, the box was checked to make sure there were no hidden compartments or mechanisms before they were put in. Then the box was shaken to mix them evenly and shuffle the order.

The drawing of lots was something the host didn't need to do himself; a single glance was enough for the servants who came with him to do it.

Soon everyone drew their respective order of appearance.

Once the order of appearance was determined, the next step was to draw five rabbits to catch on the spot.

The first guy to go on stage was a member of Liu Mingjun's family.

The guy was holding a two-year-old, tattered eagle. Its appearance was average and not particularly outstanding, but the eagle was in good condition.

Despite being surrounded and commotion by dozens of people, the eagle remained perched on its owner's arm, its eyelids not even lifting, remaining remarkably steady.

After Liu Mingjun discovered that he was the first to go and eat the crab, he rode his hawk to the place where they would draw lots to choose the rabbit.

Liu Mingjun, an outgoing man, grinned and said, "Haha, gentlemen and elders, let me give you a taste first and see how I do at catching rabbits on the spot! Give me some encouragement!"

"Go Ming army! I believe in you!" Acquaintances cheered from below the stage.

Liu Mingjun glanced at the rabbit in the cage, then reached into the second lottery box and grabbed five cards.

“2号，5号、11号、33号、49号！”

The staff read out the numbers in front of everyone, and then took the lively rabbits out of the cages according to the numbers.

These rabbits were caught by people arranged by Ye Jianjun yesterday. The vast majority of them were of standard weight, two- or three-year-old young rabbits weighing between three and a half and five pounds. They were basically in their best condition, and apart from a small wound on their ear from bleeding, they were all intact.

Each rabbit was taken out for everyone to see, displayed, and checked to ensure it was correct before being placed into the cage mechanism in the front combat area.

There were quite a few traps set up in the winter wheat field, totaling more than fifty.

Some are triggered at close range, while others are triggered at medium to long range. Different mechanisms have different triggers, and there is no obvious pattern.

The staff kept the contestants' choice of which cage to place in secret; they simply designated a specific area.

Liu Mingjun was quite lucky; of the five rabbits he drew, four were young rabbits weighing around four pounds each, and only one was an old rabbit weighing nearly five pounds.

After the staff placed the five rabbits one by one, Liu Mingjun turned around.

"Search zone one, starting now! Stepping on the pedals on the ground will release the rabbits, either near or far. Good luck to all participants!"

At a signal, Liu Mingjun, riding his battered eagle, began to move forward as instructed by the staff.

This area is set in a flat wheat field, with each cage spaced at least several tens of meters apart and not in a straight line. Therefore, from a spectator's perspective, the competition is at least 90% as realistic as actually catching rabbits in the field.

The spectators on the sidelines immediately fell silent when they saw Liu Mingjun lift the eagle onto the ground.

Everyone is addicted to the art of hawking and catching rabbits, and there's a lot of anticipation for Liu Mingjun's performance with his shabby hawk.

Looking at Liu Mingjun again, he was holding a large eagle in his right hand and a wooden stick in his left hand. As he walked, he tapped the ground.

The location of the trigger mechanism is not hidden very deep; if you look closely, you can see traces of wheat seedlings and loose soil.

After walking about ten meters, Liu Mingjun casually tapped a suspicious patch of soil with a wooden stick.

With a crisp snap, the mechanism was activated, triggering the cage's barrier.

The next second, the rabbit that had been temporarily locked inside the mechanism darted out.

"Cat!" Liu Mingjun called out habitually, then swung his arm at the fleeing rabbit.

Seeing this, Yue Feng shook his head slightly.

What kind of amateurish falconry technique is this? Swinging your arms while releasing the falcon! You weren't even that proper when you were learning!
Looking at the large eagle in Liu Mingjun's hand, it was somewhat passive and barely able to get any leverage as its owner swung his arm, causing it to flap its wings and leave his hand hastily.

It briefly flapped its wings to regain its balance before giving chase to the fleeing hare.

The hare ran for nearly ten meters in one breath, and the broken-flowered eagle caught up with it.

This is a rabbit that kicked a ball out from under your feet, so the tracking distance isn't very far.

The eagle flew behind the hare, aimed at its rump, and slashed down with its claws.

The hare, which was running wildly, suddenly changed direction. The eagle's left talon swooped down and missed, while its wings and tail feathers deftly adjusted its direction, and its right talon lashed out sharply.

The second strike with the claws successfully caught the rabbit's rear end.

The caught rabbit didn't even turn its head; it continued to flee.

The eagle with the broken flower was carried by the rabbit and rushed out for four or five meters.

The eagle's grasping technique was rather clumsy; it wasn't decisive at all. When it saw the hare, it didn't turn around, and its second claw hesitated to take hold, so it ended up pulling the cart like that.

"Damn, they're pulling a cart!" someone shouted from the crowd watching, but Yue Feng didn't say a word.

On a flat wheat field without thorns, the eagle was pulled by the rabbit in a small cart. There was not much risk involved. The rabbit could not run far with the eagle on its back. With such a large amount of physical exertion, it would eventually get tired.

Sure enough, the rabbit dashed another seven or eight meters away. When it tried to turn around and shake off the eagle, the eagle grabbed the rabbit by the neck and trachea. Its other claw quickly followed up and pinned the rabbit down.

Jinlong leaned closer and whispered to Yue Feng, "Xiao Feng, how's this lousy eagle? It just grabbed me and pulled me like a cart. Is the eagle not very good?"

Yue Feng smiled and shook his head: "It has little to do with the eagle's skills. When it flapped its wings and turned to grab the prey with its claws, it did a pretty skillful job."

"You caught him quite skillfully? Then why were you pulled into the cart and the battle dragged on for so long?" Jinlong frowned, puzzled, upon hearing this. (End of Chapter)