Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 342 Surrounded by Wolves
Faced with Xia Mingyue's offer to drink, Wang Chengpeng did not answer directly. Instead, he stared intently into Xia Mingyue's eyes, wanting to know what she was up to.

However, Wang Chengpeng still couldn't glean anything from Xia Mingyue's eyes, and only managed to say "okay" in her voice.

It's just two bottles of wine; Xia Mingyue is really underestimating Wang Chengpeng.

Not to mention that his body, having undergone training, is already stronger than the average person's.
Even before he started training, Wang Chengpeng had an extremely high alcohol tolerance, but he never had the chance to show it off.

And so, Wang Chengpeng drank one glass of wine after another, while Xia Mingyue refilled his glass every time. Amidst the clinking of glasses, the two bottles of wine dwindled in number.

When Wang Chengpeng finished a bottle of wine, Xia Mingyue finally couldn't help but speak up and advise him:
"I was just joking with you. If you can't drink it, there's no need to force yourself."

Can't drink it? You're kidding, how could I not drink it!
Although Wang Chengpeng wasn't drunk, he was still somewhat affected by the alcohol, and his thinking became stubborn. He shouted:

"I can drink it, I can drink it."

As if to prove his strength to Xia Mingyue, Wang Chengpeng even used a wine glass to drink from the bottle.

Looking at Wang Chengpeng's resolute face, which seemed as if it had been carved by a knife and axe, Xia Mingyue's eyes were full of worry, but a hint of cunning also flashed across them.

Xia Mingyue underestimated Wang Chengpeng's alcohol tolerance. Even after drinking two bottles, Wang Chengpeng's eyes remained clear, and he showed almost no signs of drunkenness.

Wang Chengpeng let out a burp, glanced at his watch on his left wrist, and said:

"Xia Zhiqing, we've eaten and drunk our fill. If you have nothing else to do, I'll be leaving now."

Looking at Wang Chengpeng, who was still standing ramrod straight, a hint of confusion flashed in Xia Mingyue's eyes, and she began to persuade him:

"Comrade Wang, it's freezing cold outside, and you've had so much to drink. It's not very safe for you."

"or……"

Before Xia Mingyue could finish speaking, Wang Chengpeng interrupted her, saying:

"I did drink alcohol, but I'm not drunk at all."

“Look me in the eyes. You should know that I’m not one of those arrogant drunkards.”

"As for being unsafe? If any fools dare to mess with me, then they'll be the ones who'll be unsafe."

Wang Chengpeng's fists, as big as a clay pot, are no joke. A single punch from him could probably overwhelm even a strong adult.

Seeing that Wang Chengpeng's eyes were indeed clear and he didn't seem to be showing off at all, Xia Mingyue's eyes flashed with a hint of annoyance. She realized that she hadn't brought enough wine.

At the same time, they were also somewhat relieved that nothing happened that would affect the two of them at this crucial moment.

She's feeling conflicted right now.

As if suddenly remembering something, Xia Mingyue suddenly asked:

"By the way, Comrade Wang, which university did you apply to for this year's college entrance examination?"

“Shanghai,” Wang Chengpeng replied. “I think the universities there are quite good.”

For some reason, Xia Mingyue was noticeably happier after hearing Wang Chengpeng's answer.

However, when Wang Chengpeng asked Xia Mingyue about her college application, she stood up and said:
"Comrade Wang, let me see you off."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xia Mingyue put on a coat and opened the door for Wang Chengpeng.

Although Wang Chengpeng had some doubts, he didn't ask any more questions and rode his bicycle home.

Watching Wang Chengpeng gradually disappear from sight, Xia Mingyue shook her head slightly, thinking to herself that the weather was truly uncooperative.
The courage she had finally mustered was ultimately defeated by Wang Chengpeng's exaggerated drinking capacity.

He drank two bottles of wine without getting drunk, so his family must really like it.

However... it seems unlikely... even if they might go to the same university.

But Shanghai is so big, the two of them might not even have the chance to meet again.

Thinking this, Xia Mingyue sighed and turned to go back to her room, but just as she was about to close the door, she heard the howling of wolves coming from afar.

As the weather grew colder, these animals, unable to find food, began to go berserk and started to move closer to human settlements.

For this reason, even the militia patrols have become much more frequent than usual, in order to prevent accidents from happening to the villagers living in Wangjia Village.

A hint of worry flashed in Xia Mingyue's eyes, and she subconsciously bit her lip.

Wang Chengpeng's family was not like Xia Mingyue's family. Even though a sugar factory had been built nearby, it was still a remote and sparsely populated area.

Otherwise, wild boars wouldn't have visited Wang Chengpeng's house when it was being built.

Moreover, when Wang Chengpeng wanted to go home, he had to cross a very long wilderness, which was extremely unsafe.

With gritted teeth, Xia Mingyue finally couldn't hold back and rushed back into her room before rushing out again.

She borrowed a bicycle from Wang Zidong's house and, surprisingly, transformed into a sharp arrow, riding straight towards Wang Chengpeng's house.

On the other side, under the moonlight, Wang Chengpeng was leisurely riding his bicycle.

As time went on, the effects of the alcohol began to build.
For safety reasons, Wang Chengpeng didn't ride very fast, and just slowly rode towards his home.

He naturally heard the wolf howl, which even Xia Mingyue could hear, but he didn't pay it any mind.

In ancient times, Wu Song drank eighteen bowls of wine and performed the heroic feat of killing a tiger on Jingyang Ridge. If these beasts were blind today, he might very well be able to perform the same feat of slaying a pack of wolves in Wangjia Village.

Thinking this way, Wang Chengpeng's bicycle speed became even more stable.

If he didn't encounter a wolf but instead tripped over an inconspicuous stone by the roadside, Wang Chengpeng would truly lose face big time.

The weather tonight is not bad. Although it's windy, the moon is big and bright.

In addition, Wang Chengpeng had brought a flashlight with him, so the journey was relatively uneventful.

As Wang Chengpeng rode along, he felt shouts coming from behind him, calling out "Comrade Wang," "Comrade Wang."

I'm really getting worse as I get older. This little bit of alcohol is enough to make me so drunk that I'm hallucinating. I guess I need to practice more in the future.

Instead of slowing down because of this impossible auditory hallucination, Wang Chengpeng rode even faster.

Sure enough, as Wang Chengpeng accelerated, he put the auditory hallucinations out of his mind, thinking to himself that as long as he rode fast enough, even the auditory hallucinations couldn't catch up with him.

However, it was Wang Chengpeng's acceleration that stunned Xia Mingyue, who was following behind him.

Just when he thought he was finally about to catch up with Wang Chengpeng and even called out to him a few times, Wang Chengpeng suddenly accelerated and instantly left him behind again.

Helpless, Xia Mingyue could only grit her teeth and continue to accelerate, but she could never catch up with Wang Chengpeng's brand-new old bicycle and could only hang behind him.

Fortunately, with Wang Chengpeng's flashlight as a guide, she wasn't afraid of losing him and just hung far behind.

Heaven rewards those who persevere.
Xia Mingyue, who had been keeping an eye on Wang Chengpeng, suddenly noticed that the lights in front of her had stopped, as if Wang Chengpeng had spotted her and was waiting for her.

Without much thought, Xia Mingyue rode her bicycle quickly toward Wang Chengpeng and soon saw his familiar face.

Before she could even feel happy for half a second, she noticed a dozen pairs of green eyes around her. No wonder Wang Chengpeng suddenly stopped; he hadn't noticed Xia Mingyue chasing him, but rather that he had realized he was surrounded by wolves, in a state of being constantly watched.

While a hint of fear flashed in her eyes, Xia Mingyue was also extremely grateful, thinking to herself that it was good that she had followed along, otherwise what would Wang Chengpeng have done if he had faced so many hungry wolves alone?
Thinking this, Xia Mingyue stepped straight out of the shadows and shouted:

"Comrade Wang, don't worry, I'm here to help you."

Looking at Xia Mingyue walking out from behind, Wang Chengpeng's eyes flashed with a hint of speechlessness, thinking to himself, "It's precisely because of you that I should be even more anxious, right?"

If it were just Wang Chengpeng alone, and he had a bicycle, he would be able to fight and run, so he wouldn't actually be that afraid of these hungry wolves in front of him.

But now that Xia Mingyue has joined the fray, he's caught in a dilemma, becoming much more passive.

Seeing Xia Mingyue's concerned expression, he couldn't blame her, and could only smile wryly:
"Xia, you've come here in the dark!"

"I heard someone calling me from ahead, but the wind was too strong, so I thought it was my imagination. But it turned out that it really was you calling me from behind."

Quickly approaching Wang Chengpeng, Xia Mingyue gave him a reassuring look and said:

"I happened to hear the howling of wolves when I saw you off. I was afraid you would be in danger, so I followed you."

Noticing the confusion in Wang Chengpeng's eyes, Xia Mingyue took out a wooden box from her pocket, the very one she had asked Wang Chengpeng to find for her.

Opening the wooden box, Xia Mingyue quickly grabbed a pistol and aimed it at the green wolf eyes.

Upon closer inspection, Wang Chengpeng noticed that Xia Mingyue was holding a Type 54 pistol. Judging from Xia Mingyue's posture while holding the gun, she had clearly undergone professional training and her technique was very standard.

Seemingly to scare away the wolves, or perhaps to prove her strength to Wang Chengpeng, Xia Mingyue actually fired a shot directly into the darkness.

After the gunshot, a whimper followed, and the pungent smell of blood wafted on the wind.

It was obvious that Xia Mingyue's shot had hit the target.

She spoke to Wang Chengpeng with a strong voice:
"Comrade Wang, don't worry, I'll protect you."

Xia Mingyue had barely finished speaking when she heard Wang Chengpeng's voice, saying:
"You shouldn't have fired directly. You should have fired into the air. Maybe that would have scared the wolves away."

As soon as she finished speaking, as if to confirm Wang Chengpeng's words, the wolf pack not only did not retreat because of Xia Mingyue's shot, but became even more ferocious.

Ouch...

Hearing the howling of wolves all around, Xia Mingyue's expression changed drastically, and she asked in disbelief:
"Comrade Wang, what exactly is going on?"

Xia Mingyue wasn't stupid; she knew that with the relatively weak pistol in her hand, it was impossible to kill all the wolves.

The reason for firing the gun was to scare away the wolves as soon as possible and stop them from attacking him, but he didn't expect it to backfire.

Protecting Xia Mingyue behind him, Wang Chengpeng patiently explained:
"Wolves are cunning and cruel animals, and they are extremely vengeful."

"Once blood is drawn, the matter cannot be resolved peacefully; it will only intensify their ferocity."

"However, this is not your fault. Even if we shoot into the air, it may not scare away these wolves that dare to attack us. Instead, it will just waste a bullet."

Seeing the increasing number of green eyes around them, Wang Chengpeng solemnly asked Xia Mingyue:
"Xia Zhiqing, how many bullets are left in your pistol?"

Knowing this wasn't the time for idle chatter, Xia Mingyue decisively gave Wang Chengpeng the answer he wanted, saying:
Seven.

"In addition, I also brought six extra bullets."

7+6=13.

Wang Chengpeng looked around, quickly estimating the number of wolves, and muttered:
"enough."

"Let me ask you one more question: how accurate is your marksmanship?"

When asked about her marksmanship, Xia Mingyue nodded proudly and replied:

"Extremely accurate!"

In fact, Xia Mingyue's ability to accurately hit the hungry wolf in the darkness is enough to prove that she was not bragging.

Taking a deep breath, Wang Chengpeng quickly gave instructions:

"You have plenty of bullets, but not enough to kill all the wolves, especially since your pistol isn't powerful enough to kill a wolf with a single shot."

At this point, Wang Chengpeng grabbed his bicycle and said:
Ultimately, it all comes down to actual skill.

"I'll initiate the attack, and you'll assist me with the gun."

"Cherish every bullet you have; it might be the key to our survival."

Feeling that this alone wasn't enough, Wang Chengpeng took out the dog whistle tied around his neck and blew it three times with all his might.

Given the distance from here to their home, if Zhu Hong or their dog pays a little attention, they should be able to hear the dog whistle.

Even if he is outmatched, as long as he can hold out until Zhu Hong comes to his rescue, and especially once he gets his hunting rifle, dealing with a mere pack of wolves will be no problem.

With a resolute look in her eyes, Xia Mingyue nodded and said with absolute certainty:
"Comrade Wang, rest assured, I will never let those wolves harm you."

After saying that, Xia Mingyue raised her gun and aimed it at the figure in the darkness without hesitation.

The standoff eventually reached a critical point. Under the command of a wolf's howl, the eerie green eyes representing the wolf suddenly accelerated and launched a fierce attack on the two.

The moment the wolf's howl pierced the night sky, Wang Chengpeng's muscles tensed instantly. He saw the eerie green lights in the darkness suddenly accelerate, like fireflies being whipped by an invisible whip, approaching him and Xia Mingyue at an astonishing speed.

"Here it comes!" Wang Chengpeng roared, gripping the crossbar of the bicycle with both hands, holding the 20-kilogram old-fashioned bicycle horizontally in front of him, ready to launch an attack on the wolf at any moment.

It's too late to say, then soon!
With a low whimper, the first gray wolf pounced from the right and attacked Xia Mingyue, who was clearly weaker.

Almost instinctively, Xia Mingyue's finger on the trigger suddenly tightened, firing a bullet.

Gunshots rang out in the silent wilderness, like the wrath of Thor.

However, Xia Mingyue's shot was not very effective; the bullet grazed the gray wolf's ear without causing much damage.

That beast was far too cunning; it twisted its body strangely in mid-air, avoiding the fatal blow.

Not only that, its sharp claws continued to claw towards Xia Mingyue's face, its momentum undiminished!
"boom!"

In that critical moment, a dark shadow swept past and blocked Xia Mingyue's path.

Wang Chengpeng swung his bicycle with astonishing explosive power and slammed it into the wolf's waist and abdomen at an extremely fast speed.

A head of bronze, a back of iron, and a waist of tofu!
Wang Chengpeng accurately hit the wolf's weakness, and the wolf immediately let out a shrill howl, flying three meters away like a rag doll before collapsing to the ground convulsing.

"Save your bullets for a critical moment."

Wang Chengpeng's voice did not tremble at all during the strenuous exercise. He remained standing, holding the bicycle horizontally in front of him, like a shield protecting the two of them.

Seemingly feeling it wasn't enough, Wang Chengpeng added:
"Believe me."

(End of this chapter)