In the fiery red era of the heavens, refrigerators are refreshed daily.

The morning light was faint, and a thin mist hung like gauze.

The nine-man squad, carrying rifles, made their footsteps remarkably clear on the empty street. They left the county town and set foot on the dirt road leading to the western mountains, just as dawn broke.

In the fields on both sides of the road, the winter wheat has already turned green, presenting a faint green hue. In the distance, the mountains show a bluish-gray outline in the morning mist, layer upon layer, stretching towards the horizon.

Li Daguo walked at the front, his steps steady. Yang Guangming followed half a step behind him, his gaze calmly scanning the surroundings. Zhao Xiaohu stood close to Yang Guangming, his face filled with excitement and anticipation. The other team members were also full of energy; although no one spoke, their eagerness to try was palpable.

After walking for about half an hour, the dirt road gradually narrowed and eventually disappeared in front of a mixed forest. From here on, it was truly a mountain forest.

Li Daguo stopped, turned around, and glanced at the crowd.

"We're heading into the mountains now." His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear. "Same as always, I'll lead the way, Guangming will follow behind me, Xiaohu and Tiezhu will be in the middle, and Jianguo and Zhiqiang will bring up the rear. Keep your distance, don't fall behind, watch your step, and be aware of your surroundings."

He paused, then gave Yang Guangming a special look: "Guangming, this is your first time going into the mountains with a team. Observe more and talk less. The situation in the mountains is complicated, unlike going into the mountains alone."

Yang Guangming nodded: "Understood, Captain Li."

"Okay, check the equipment, make sure the safety on the gun is off, so it doesn't go off accidentally." After saying that, Li Daguo took the lead, pushing aside the bushes in front of him and stepping into the forest.

The air in the forest suddenly changed. The scent of damp earth, the smell of decaying leaves, and the unique fragrance of various plants mingled together, wafting towards you. Underfoot was a thick layer of dead branches and fallen leaves, soft and crunchy as you stepped on them.

The light also became much dimmer. The tall trees blocked out the sun, with only a few rays of light leaking through the gaps in the branches and leaves.

The group remained silent, the only sounds being footsteps and the occasional rustling of branches parting. Everyone kept their eyes wide open and ears perked up, listening intently to every sound in the forest.

Yang Ming walked steadily. His perception range had expanded to a radius of four meters, which was especially useful in the mountains and forests. Without deliberately looking around, everything within four meters—beetles crawling on the ground, squirrels perched on tree trunks, rustling sounds in the bushes—was clearly imprinted in his consciousness.

It was a very strange feeling. It was as if he had gained an invisible pair of eyes that could penetrate obstacles and see many details that others could not see.

Less than ten minutes later, Yang Guangming's gaze suddenly shifted slightly.

Each time he travels through time, his mental strength increases, making his observational skills extremely strong, exceeding the range of normal people.

About thirty meters to his left, on an oak tree, about two meters above the ground, perched a grayish-brown pheasant. Its neck was tucked in, its feathers were fluffy, and it seemed to be dozing off. It blended almost into the color of the tree bark and was difficult to spot without careful observation.

Yang Guangming kept walking, but his hand had already quietly tightened its grip on the rifle sling on his shoulder.

His current role is that of a "newcomer with hunting experience but whose marksmanship needs to be 'familiarized'," so he can't start off with something too outrageous. But a proper demonstration is necessary.

He quickened his pace to walk alongside Li Daguo and said in a low voice, "Captain Li, there looks like a pheasant among the branches of that oak tree to the left."

Upon hearing this, Li Daguo immediately stopped and looked carefully in the direction Yang Guangming indicated. He squinted for several seconds before he could barely make out the outline, which was almost the same color as the tree bark.

"There really is one!" Li Daguo glanced at Yang Guangming with some surprise. "You have good eyesight; you managed to see something so well hidden."

The team members behind them also stopped and looked around curiously.

"Where is it? I can't see it." Zhao Xiaohu stood on tiptoe.

"There, look up along that slanted branch," Wang Tiezhu pointed out, and he saw it too.

At this moment, the pheasant seemed to be startled; it turned its head and became alert.

"The distance is about thirty meters," Li Daguo judged. "It's not easy to shoot. They're in the trees, so they're small targets, and the branches are providing cover."

He looked at Yang Guangming: "Guangming, want to give it a try? Practice your skills."

Yang Guangming nodded without refusing. He took the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle from his shoulder, smoothly released the safety, cocked the gun, and then aimed.

The entire movement was executed in one smooth motion. Although he deliberately slowed down the speed, the skill he displayed still surprised Li Daguo, who was standing next to him.

Yang Guangming took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. In the brief moment of exhalation, his finger steadily pulled the trigger.

"boom!"

The crisp sound of gunfire echoed through the mountains and forests, startling a flock of birds in the distance.

The pheasant on the tree fell to the ground with a thud, flapping its wings and tumbling from the branch onto the thick layer of fallen leaves. It struggled a couple more times before going still.

"Hit!" Zhao Xiaohu was the first to shout, excitedly rushing over to pick it up.

"Wait!" Li Daguo stopped him, first cautiously observing his surroundings to make sure there was no other danger before nodding, "Go pick it up."

Zhao Xiaohu then quickly ran over, picked up the pheasant by its wing, and returned. The pheasant had been shot in the head; the wound wasn't large, but it was fatal.

"Excellent marksmanship!" Li Daguo took the pheasant, weighed it in his hand, and estimated it to be over two pounds. He examined the bullet impact point carefully and couldn't help but praise, "Thirty meters, a target in a tree, headshot in one shot. Guangming, this is more than just 'having some basics'."

The other team members also gathered around, their gazes shifting as they looked at the plump pheasant and then at Yang Guangming. Any lingering doubts or hesitation they might have had vanished after that one shot.

Hunting teams earn their living through skill; good marksmanship is the only true measure of success.

Yang Guangming smiled modestly: "Luck. I used to train as a militiaman in the village and put in a lot of hard work. I should have some talent."

"This isn't just a little talent, this is the talent of a sharpshooter!" Zhang Jianguo exclaimed in amazement. "I've been training for half a year, and I wouldn't dare say I hit the bullseye every time on a 30-meter stationary target, let alone shoot a live animal."

"Alright, stop praising us. This is just the beginning." Although Li Daguo said this, he couldn't hide the smile on his face. "Put the chickens into the baskets and keep going. Cheer up, everyone. We might have a big harvest today."

The team set off again. The atmosphere was noticeably more lively, with team members talking in hushed tones, naturally focusing on Yang Guangming's shot just now.

Yang Guangming, however, remained calm. He knew this was just the beginning.

Sure enough, in the next half hour, Yang Guangming discovered four or five more traces of prey.

He locked onto a gray hare peeking out from the bushes from forty meters away. He signaled for everyone to stop, then raised his gun, aimed, and fired. The hare fell to the ground.

Two rock partridges were foraging near a rock crevice, about fifty meters apart. Yang Guangming crouched down and fired two shots, killing both partridges almost simultaneously.

The most remarkable sight was a pair of doves that had landed on a bare tree in the distance. Doves are small, and the distance was over sixty meters. Landing on a bare branch with no cover required even greater precision because the target was so small.

This time, Yang Guangming used a prone position. He lay on the ground, adjusted his breathing, and steadily locked onto the target through the notch in the sights and the crosshair.

"Bang! Bang!"

The two gunshots rang out very close together. Two turtledoves fell from the branches one after the other.

"My God!" Liu Zhiqiang exclaimed in disbelief. "This is too accurate! A turtledove, so small, yet so far away!"

Li Daguo had lost count of how many times he had looked at Yang Guangming with surprise.

He considered himself a good shot in the security department, and one of the best in the hunting team, but he knew he couldn't do what Yang Guangming did, who almost never missed a shot and whose targets were small, moving, and concealed prey.

Besides his unerring marksmanship, Yang Guangming's keen observation skills also amazed him.

Such precise marksmanship as Yang Guangming is rare, but his ability to spot hidden prey in the distance in the dense forest is equally remarkable.

The two great talents that Yang Guangming displayed were unmatched by anyone in the hunting team.

“Guangming, tell me the truth,” Li Daguo couldn’t help but ask, “how exactly did you train your marksmanship?”

While helping Zhao Xiaohu pick up the prey, Yang Guangming replied, "Maybe I really do have some talent. Besides, I have better eyesight and can see clearly. Actually, shooting, in the end, is about three points in a straight line: steady breathing and grasping the right timing to fire. Everyone understands these principles; it's probably just a matter of feel."

He spoke casually, but everyone knew in their hearts that this was definitely not something that could be explained simply by "feel." This was talent, a level that ordinary people could hardly reach even with hard work.

In less than an hour, Yang Guangming had already killed three pheasants, two rock partridges, two doves, and two rabbits, a total of nine prey. The other eight people, including Li Daguo who fired three shots, had not yet caught anything.

It wasn't that they didn't see the prey, but rather that the prey they did see was either too far away, or they were too alert and ran away at the slightest movement, or they missed their shot.

These small game animals in the mountains are indeed difficult to hunt. They are highly alert and agile, requiring extremely high shooting accuracy and timing.

In the past, when hunting teams went into the mountains, they would often only catch about ten small game animals after a whole day. A single person like Yang Guangming, who caught nine game animals in less than an hour, had never done it before.

"Vice Captain, you're amazing!" Zhao Xiaohu's eyes lit up as he looked at the increasing amount of prey in his basket. "At this rate, we're going to have a bumper harvest today!"

Wang Tiezhu also smiled憨厚ly and said, "With Guangming here, we definitely won't need to eat dry rations today."

Li Daguo was pleased, but he also cautioned, "Don't be too optimistic. We've only just entered the mountains, and we're still on the outskirts. Once the guns are fired, the nearby prey will be scared away, and it will become increasingly difficult to have a harvest."

These pheasants and rabbits are nothing compared to the real catch – a big one is when you encounter a large catch.

"Guangming has made a good start, and everyone is energized. The further we go, the more patience we need."

He has a point. The continuous gunfire did indeed disturb the animals in the area. The rest of the journey was noticeably quieter, and no obvious traces of prey were found for a long time.

The team continued their ascent deeper into the mountains. The mountain path became increasingly rugged, sometimes requiring them to climb steep slopes and sometimes traverse dense, impenetrable bushes. Everyone began to sweat, and their breathing became heavy.

Yang Guangming was in excellent physical condition, thanks to his conscious exercise and the replenishment of food in his spatial dimension. He stayed close behind Li Daguo, his steps steady, and he even had the energy to observe his surroundings.

His reconnaissance skills proved invaluable in this complex terrain. Within a four-meter radius, he knew exactly where the ground was soft and might contain traps, where there were fresh animal tracks behind bushes, and even where pika burrows were located.

This allowed him to avoid several places where he might twist his ankle or slip, and also uncover some clues that others had overlooked.

"Captain Li, over here." Yang Guangming suddenly pointed to a relatively sparse woodland on the right. "There are some fresh rabbit droppings on the ground, as well as traces of running. They must have been left not long ago."

Li Daguo quickly went over and squatted down to examine it closely. Sure enough, there were several small black dung balls scattered among the fallen leaves, next to a string of shallow claw marks.

“It’s a wild rabbit, it went that way.” Li Daguo stood up. “But it’s already far away, we can’t catch it.”

The team members were somewhat disappointed, but they knew this was common. Small prey are highly alert and will disappear without a trace at the slightest disturbance.

“It’s alright, let’s keep going,” Li Daguo said. “Wild pheasants and rabbits often appear around this mountain valley, so let’s keep an eye out.”

The group adjusted their direction and proceeded along the edge of the valley. Here, the trees were relatively sparse, the view was more open, and more sunlight could shine in.

Li Daguo, the best marksman, finally had a chance to shine. After Yang Guangming pointed out a wild rabbit hiding behind a pile of rocks, Li Daguo held his breath, concentrated, and hit it with one shot, capturing the first prey of the day.

"Good!" Wang Tiezhu cheered.

Li Daguo smiled but didn't say anything, though he clearly breathed a sigh of relief. As the team leader, it wouldn't look good if he came away empty-handed.

Following Li Daguo's lead, the other team members also got their shots. Wang Tiezhu shot a pheasant that was startled and flew out of the grass, and Sun Fugui was lucky enough to take down a rabbit that was munching on grass roots with a single bullet.

Zhang Jianguo and Liu Zhiqiang each fired a few shots, but missed, shaking their heads in frustration.

Yang Guangming continued his efficient hunting. His eyes seemed to automatically lock onto prey, no matter how well they hid in the most concealed corners. Moreover, his shooting was extremely decisive, almost never missing a shot.

By around 11 a.m., Yang Guangming had personally caught thirteen prey, including eight pheasants, two rock partridges, two doves, and one rabbit. The rest of the team combined had only caught five.

This comparison gave everyone a deeper understanding of Yang Guangming's marksmanship. This was not accidental; it was genuine skill.

"Let's take a break." Li Daguo glanced at the sun and wiped his sweat. "We've been walking for almost four hours, and we're all hungry. Let's find a place to have lunch."

Everyone had been eagerly awaiting these words. Having gotten up early and walked so many mountain paths, they were exhausted and their stomachs were already rumbling.

Li Daguo found a small, sheltered, sunny hillside with a relatively flat open space at the bottom and a stream flowing through it—a good place to rest.

Everyone unloaded their baskets and guns, stretching their aching shoulders, backs, and legs. Zhao Xiaohu plopped down on the ground, pulled out his water bottle, and gulped down several mouthfuls.

"Phew, I can finally catch my breath." He let out a long sigh of relief. "My legs feel like they don't even belong to me anymore."

Zhang Jianguo also sat down, rubbing his ankle: "This mountain road is much more tiring than running laps on the training ground."

Yang Guangming walked to the stream, scooped up a handful of cool water and washed his face; the icy feeling invigorated him.

"What a great harvest today!" Wang Tiezhu squatted beside his basket, looking at the prey inside, his face beaming with joy. "The deputy captain's catch alone is equivalent to our entire day's harvest in the past."

Li Daguo also came over, looked at the prey in the two baskets, and nodded with satisfaction: "Not bad. Especially Guangming, he made a great contribution."

Yang Guangming dried his face and walked back: "Everyone will gain something. If we work harder this afternoon, we should be able to make quite a bit more."

“That’s for sure,” Zhao Xiaohu replied, then looked expectantly at Li Daguo, “Captain, what are we having for lunch?”

As soon as he asked the question, everyone fell silent, and all eyes turned to Li Daguo.

The hunting team had its own internal rules, which everyone knew. If the catch was small, they could only eat the rations they brought with them, and all the game had to be handed over. Only when the catch was large enough, with the captain's permission, could a small amount of game be taken out for a treat.

In the past, eight out of ten times we went into the mountains, we were destined to eat dry rations. Today, with such a great harvest, everyone is looking forward to a hot meal.

Looking at the expectant eyes of the crowd, and then at the plump pheasants in the basket on his back, Li Daguo's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily. He was craving meat too.

He hesitated, not immediately agreeing. As the team leader, he had to consider everything carefully. Although today's harvest was good, he didn't know what the situation would be like in the afternoon. If they came up empty-handed in the afternoon, the number of game they handed over might not meet expectations, and it would be difficult to explain to the factory.

Yang Guangming clearly saw Li Daguo's concerns. He walked to the basket on his back, picked out three of the largest and fattest pheasants, each weighing about three pounds.

"Captain Li, I think we should stew these three," Yang Guangming said. "These three are the biggest, weighing about eight or nine pounds in total. There are nine of us, so that's less than a pound of meat per person, which, along with our rations, should be enough. We still have plenty of other game left, enough to get by."

He paused, then added, "And with me here, the afternoon's harvest will definitely be good. Let everyone have a good lunch so they'll have the energy to continue working in the afternoon. Our hunting team works hard under the sun and wind, so we need to improve things when necessary."

These words resonated with everyone. Wang Tiezhu, Zhang Jianguo, and the others nodded repeatedly, their eyes showing more affection as they looked at Yang Guangming.

Upon hearing this, Li Daguo's mind completely shifted.

Yang Guangming's words made sense, and he was confident in Yang Guangming's performance that afternoon. Today's harvest, even if they ate three chickens, would far exceed their usual achievements, and the factory would only be happy and wouldn't say anything.

"Alright!" Li Daguo finally nodded, a smile spreading across his face. "Then I'll do as Guangming says and stew three chickens! Let the brothers have a treat!"

"Great!" Zhao Xiaohu was the first to jump up. "I'll go gather firewood!"

"I'll go fetch water!" Wang Tiezhu responded enthusiastically.

"I'll take care of cleaning the chickens!" Zhang Jianguo rolled up his sleeves. The team members, who had been exhausted just moments before, seemed to be injected with new energy and quickly divided the work. Even Zhou Dahe and Zheng Weidong, who were usually quiet, had smiles on their faces and took the initiative to tidy up the pots and pans.

Yang Guangming wasn't idle. He helped Li Daguo choose a spot to start a fire and then went to the nearby area to find some Sichuan peppercorns that could be used as spices. He recognized these things from his previous life when he was surviving in the wild; using them to stew meat could remove the fishy smell and enhance the aroma.

Soon, a campfire was lit. An iron pot brought from the factory was placed on a rock, and stream water was poured in, making a bubbling sound.

Zhang Jianguo deftly plucked, gutted, and cleaned the three pheasants, then chopped them into large pieces. The salt and dried chili peppers he had prepared in advance came in handy, along with the Sichuan peppercorns that Yang Guangming had found, and he put them all into the pot.

As the flames licked at the surface, the water in the pot gradually boiled, and the aroma of the chicken began to waft out, mixed with the unique spiciness of Sichuan peppercorns, making one's mouth water.

"It smells so good!" Liu Zhiqiang squatted by the pot, his eyes fixed on the bubbling chicken pieces inside, and couldn't help but swallow.

"It needs to simmer for a while longer." Li Daguo stirred the chicken in the pot with a long tree branch. "Wild pheasant meat is firm, it needs to be simmered for a long time to become tender."

Everyone sat down around the campfire, took out the dry rations they had brought, and waited for the stewed chicken to be ready so they could eat. Some had cornbread, some had steamed buns made from a mixture of wheat and water, and some had cornbread or white flour buns.

"Vice Captain, those Sichuan peppercorns you found earlier really work," Wang Tiezhu said. "We've stewed pheasants before, but none of them smelled as good as this."

“Some things in the mountains, if used in just a little bit, can make the flavor much better,” Yang Guangming said. “Pay more attention when you go into the mountains in the future; you can actually find a lot of seasonings there.”

“You have more experience,” Zhang Jianguo remarked. “Unlike us, we just blindly chase and fight.”

“Let’s learn from each other.” Yang Guangming said with a smile, “My marksmanship may be better, but I have a lot of experience in the mountains, so I still need to learn more from Captain Li and the other veteran team members.”

His words were humble, making people feel comfortable. Li Daguo laughed and said, "Guangming, you're too kind. With your skills, we're more like asking you for advice. In the future, this hunting team will probably have to rely on you to take the lead."

"Captain Li, don't say that. Hunting is a team effort; no one can do it without someone," Yang Guangming said earnestly. "We need to cooperate with each other to achieve a better harvest."

These words struck a chord with Li Daguo. He increasingly felt that Director Yu had truly brought a treasure to the team. Not only was he capable, but he also knew how to conduct himself; he welcomed such a deputy captain wholeheartedly.

The chicken in the pot had been simmering for almost an hour, and the broth had turned an enticing milky white. The chicken was so tender that it could be easily pierced with a twig and fall off the bone.

"That's about enough, let's eat!" Li Daguo gave the order.

The team members, who had been waiting impatiently, immediately took out their lunch boxes or enamel mugs, eagerly anticipating the distribution of meat.

Li Daguo personally ladled a generous spoonful of chicken, soup and all, for everyone. Yang Guangming, as the vice-captain and the biggest contributor today, received the most meat, which almost filled his lunchbox.

No one objected. Everyone knew that without sunshine, it was uncertain whether we would even have such a good harvest today, let alone eat meat.

"Come on, let's toast our Deputy Captain Guangming with this soup instead of wine!" Li Daguo raised a jar full of chicken soup. "Thank you for the good luck and great harvest he brought to our hunting team!"

"Respect to the Vice Captain!" everyone shouted, their faces beaming with genuine smiles.

Yang Guangming also said, "A toast to everyone, a toast to our hunting team! Let's work together to achieve a bountiful harvest every time!"

"A bountiful harvest every time!" everyone echoed, and then they couldn't wait to enjoy this rare picnic in the mountains.

The pheasant meat was indeed firm, but stewed to perfection, it was chewy and became more fragrant with each bite. The broth was rich and flavorful, with a subtle numbing sensation from Sichuan peppercorns. Eaten with dry rations, it was simply divine.

Nine young men devoured the three large pheasants and a big pot of soup in no time. They even sucked the bones clean before reluctantly putting down their bowls and chopsticks.

"That was satisfying! So satisfying!" Zhao Xiaohu patted his bulging belly, looking completely content. "It's been so long since I've had such a good meat meal."

"Yes, eating three chickens at once was so satisfying! I really hope we can eat like this again next time we go into the mountains," Liu Zhiqiang remarked.

Seeing everyone's satisfied expressions, Li Daguo felt happy too. It wasn't that he didn't want everyone to eat better before, but the harvest was limited, and he didn't dare to indulge. Today, with Yang Guangming present, he finally had the confidence to treat everyone to a better meal.

“Let’s eat and rest for a quarter of an hour, then we’ll continue,” Li Daguo said. “This afternoon we’ll head back, take another route, and see what else we can find. Guangming, we’ll need you this afternoon.”

Yang Guangming nodded: "No problem. I had meat for lunch, and I feel full of energy now. I'm sure I'll have even more to gain this afternoon!"

The meal was so enjoyable that everyone's enthusiasm was completely ignited.

When the break time was over, without Li Daguo urging them, everyone got up on their own, cleaned up the stoves, smothered the fire, and picked up their luggage.

The group set off again, this time heading out of the mountains, taking a relatively gentler path.

Perhaps it was because they were full and had energy, or perhaps it was because they were more relaxed, but the afternoon hunt went even more smoothly than the morning hunt.

Yang Guangming maintained his high accuracy rate. His keen observation skills allowed him to spot the prey's tracks from a great distance, and his precise marksmanship quickly translated these discoveries into tangible gains.

Pheasants, rock partridges, doves, and hares. His gunshots almost guaranteed a good harvest.

Later, the team members even developed a tacit understanding: whenever Yang Ming stopped and aimed his gun, everyone would automatically remain silent, waiting for the gunshot and the subsequent cheers.

Li Daguo, Wang Tiezhu, and others also saw an increase in their catch. Perhaps inspired by Yang Guangming, their shooting seemed more steady than usual.

By 5 p.m., the group had emerged from the deep mountains and returned to the relatively flat outer forests. Yang Guangming's afternoon catch increased by more than a dozen, bringing his total prey for the day to an astonishing twenty-six.

The other team members also caught eleven pheasants in total. The team's total kill count reached thirty-seven. Even after deducting the three largest pheasants eaten at noon, there were still thirty-four left.

Although these prey were all small birds and small mammals, their total weight was estimated to be around 70 or 80 pounds. For a hunting team that usually only managed to catch ten or so prey, this was an unprecedentedly large harvest.

Looking at the sky, Li Daguo decided to head back. Although everyone was still somewhat reluctant to leave, it was time to go home.

"Go back!" Li Daguo waved his hand, his face beaming with barely suppressed joy.

The journey back was much lighter. Although we carried heavy loads of our harvest, everyone felt a warm, bright fire burning in their hearts.

As the sun set, the group emerged from the mountains and began their journey back to the town on the dirt road. In the distance, they could already see the low-lying houses and a few towering chimneys of Pingyang County.

"When we get back today, Director Yu and Section Chief Tian will be overjoyed," Zhao Xiaohu said excitedly.

“Of course,” Zhang Jianguo interjected. “With so much game, the canteen can really improve its meals.”

"The deputy captain deserves the most credit," Wang Tiezhu said with a simple smile. "He took down twenty-six of them all by himself, which is equivalent to the total harvest of our entire team twice before."

Yang Guangming walked in the group, listening to everyone's discussions with a calm smile on his face. He knew that today's trip was not only a successful hunt, but also a crucial step for him to gain a foothold in the hunting team and the security department.

Marksmanship earned respect, conduct won hearts, and achievements earned recognition.

This start went even more smoothly than he had anticipated.

Around 6 p.m., the team returned to Dongfang Pharmaceutical Factory.

The factory area was quiet. Most of the workers had already gone home after get off work, and only a few workshops still had lights on, with faint machine noises coming from them.

The office of the Public Security Section was brightly lit. Section Chief Tian and Director Yu Dehai had deliberately stayed late to leave work. As they were talking, they saw Li Daguo enter with his men and both stood up.

"You're back?" Yu Dehai's voice boomed, his gaze first falling on the heavy-looking baskets on his back. "Wow! Looks like you've had quite a haul!"

Li Daguo stepped forward and saluted: "Reporting to Director Yu and Section Chief Tian! The hunting team went into the mountains today and has returned safely! They had a very fruitful day!"

As he spoke, he gestured for his team members to put down their baskets and take out the prey one by one, placing them on the open ground of the office.

Pheasants, rock partridges, doves, and hares—although all are small prey, their numbers were astonishing, and they quickly piled up into a small mountain on the ground.

Section Chief Tian and Yu Dehai's eyes lit up as they looked at the pile of prey.

"So many?" Section Chief Tian asked incredulously. "There must be thirty or forty of them, right?"

"Reporting to the section chief, there are thirty-four in total." Li Daguo's voice was loud and clear. "Based on my experience, I estimate the total weight to be between seventy and eighty jin."

"Thirty-four? More than seventy pounds?" Yu Dehai gasped, strode to the pile of prey, squatted down to examine it carefully, and then looked up at Li Daguo. "Daguo, you didn't exaggerate, did you? Usually when you go into the mountains, you're lucky if you bring back ten or eight. How come there are so many today?"

Li Daguo smiled and stepped aside to let Yang Guangming pass: "Reporting to the director, today's harvest is mainly thanks to Comrade Yang Guangming. His marksmanship is superb, almost never missing a shot, and he killed twenty-six prey all by himself."

"Twenty-six?" Yu Dehai and Section Chief Tian looked at Yang Guangming at the same time, their eyes filled with shock.

They knew Yang Guangming was capable; otherwise, they wouldn't have made an exception and appointed him as deputy captain. But for one person to hunt twenty-six small game in a day was terrifyingly efficient. For armed hunters, small game was much harder to hunt than large game.

Yang Guangming stood at attention and calmly said, "Boss, it's mainly because I was lucky today and encountered a lot of prey. Also, it might be because I have good eyesight and can see clearly, so my hit rate is higher."

"This can't be explained by luck alone." Section Chief Tian walked over and patted Yang Guangming on the shoulder. "Good lad! You really made me proud! And you made Director Yu proud too! As expected, Director Yu has a good eye; he recognized your talent at a glance!"

Yu Dehai was overjoyed, patting Yang Guangming's back vigorously: "Good! Good! Xiao Yang, you really didn't disappoint me! Now our hunting team is truly living up to its name! I think we can look forward to the meat supply in the canteen from now on!"

Yu Dehai looked at Yang Guangming and said, "Xiao Yang, your marksmanship is terrifying. Twenty-six shots, almost a perfect 100% hit! How did you train like that?"

So many people have asked this question today.

Yang Guangming gave the same old explanation: "Maybe I really do have some talent, plus I have good eyesight. Actually, there are only a few key points to shooting, I'm just probably faster at mastering them."

Yu Dehai, a former soldier, knew that some people were born to be sharpshooters; it was talent that couldn't be forced. He didn't press further, but simply nodded repeatedly: "Good! Talent is good! Our hunting team needs talent like yours!"

Section Chief Tian also said, "Comrade Yang Guangming performed outstandingly today and made a significant contribution to the factory. I will report this to the factory leadership. Your hunting team worked hard today and had a great harvest; you deserve praise."

He glanced at his watch: "It's getting late, and you haven't eaten yet. Here's what we'll do: the cafeteria is always serving food. I've already told them in advance, so go and eat quickly."

Although the small canteen wasn't much better than the large canteen, it was, after all, a place for entertaining leaders and guests, and ordinary team members like them weren't usually allowed to go there.

This can be considered a small special privilege.

"Thank you, Section Chief Tian! Thank you, Director Yu!" Li Daguo and his team members said in unison.

"Don't thank me, go eat quickly." Yu Dehai waved his hand. "Take the game to the canteen kitchen and let them process it. Tomorrow I'll have the canteen prepare a good meal and give all the factory workers an extra meal!"

"Yes!" the crowd responded loudly.

Emerging from the office, everyone's smiles were impossible to hide. Today's experience was truly fulfilling. The gains were immense, and the leaders praised us—things we never dared to dream of before.

After delivering their prey to the kitchen of the canteen, the group went to the small canteen.

The small canteen was much quieter than the large canteen, and the tables and chairs were much tidier. At this time of day, there were hardly any people left in the small canteen, except for two experienced cooks cleaning up the stoves.

Upon seeing Li Daguo and his group enter, an experienced worker greeted them: "Are you from the hunting team? Section Chief Tian has already arranged for you to have some food."

Everyone took their lunchboxes to the window to get their food. There were three dishes: stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, stir-fried shredded potatoes, and braised tofu. The staple food was steamed buns and cornbread.

You still need to use your own meal tickets and food tickets to eat at the small canteen, but the food tastes better.

Although they were all vegetarian dishes, the stir-fried dishes in the small canteen definitely tasted much better than those in the large canteen, and seemed to be a bit more oily. Everyone filled their plates with vegetables and staple foods, and found seats to sit down.

"It would be great if there was a meat dish." Zhao Xiaohu muttered to himself as he looked at the braised potatoes in his lunchbox.

Wang Tiezhu nudged him with his elbow: "Be grateful. It's good enough that you can eat in the small canteen. Besides, didn't we just have meat for lunch?"

"That's true." Zhao Xiaohu chuckled and started shoveling food into his mouth.

Yang Guangming ate his meal quietly. He could understand Zhao Xiaohu's thoughts. After all, they had just experienced a hunting trip in the mountains and a sumptuous picnic. Eating these bland canteen dishes was indeed a bit of a letdown.

But he knew all too well that this was the norm. The hunting team's catch had to be handed over to the factory for unified distribution. Even if they had a big catch that day, it wouldn't immediately be reflected in their meals. Rules were rules.

"Actually, when I think about it, the pheasants and rabbits we hunted can give all the factory workers a taste of meat tomorrow," Zhang Jianguo said. "I feel quite accomplished about that."

"Yes," Liu Zhiqiang nodded. "Now that the vice captain has joined us, we'll definitely reap even greater rewards in the future, and everyone's lives will get better and better."

Li Daguo felt gratified as he listened to his teammates' discussions.

He knew that after today's trip, the team's morale was different. Before, they went into the mountains full of confidence and returned dejected. Now, they set off with high expectations and returned with great joy.

All these changes stemmed from the young man eating quietly beside me.

“Guangming,” Li Daguo said, “We really owe you a lot today. Not only did you catch a lot of prey, but more importantly, you gave the brothers hope. In the past, when we went into the mountains, we usually didn’t have much of a catch, and everyone was pretty demoralized. Now it’s different. With you, our sharpshooter, here, everyone feels more confident.”

Yang Guangming swallowed the steamed bun in his mouth and said, "Captain Li, hunting is a team effort. No matter how good I am at hunting, without everyone's cooperation and without your leadership, we wouldn't have succeeded. Today's success is thanks to the entire team."

If I went into the mountains alone, without everyone's cooperation, not to mention anything else, just carrying all this stuff out would be a struggle.

His words were sincere, which warmed the hearts of all the team members present.

“The vice-captain is right,” Wang Tiezhu said. “We’re on the same team, and if we cooperate with each other, we’ll definitely get better and better.”

"Yes! It's getting better and better!" everyone agreed.

After finishing our meal, we came out of the small canteen, and it was already completely dark.

"Today feels like a dream," Zhao Xiaohu said, rubbing his belly.

"Yes, before, going up the mountain was exhausting, and we were lucky to get a decent meal when we got back. Today we're eating meat and being praised," Liu Zhiqiang echoed.

Zhang Jianguo looked at Yang Guangming and said sincerely, "Vice Captain, we owe you a lot today. It's not just because you fought the most, but also because you thought of the brothers."

“Yes, Vice Captain, we’ll work for you from now on!” Wang Tiezhu said in a deep voice.

Others echoed.

Yang Guangming could feel the sincerity in these words.

He knew that what he had done today was not only a demonstration of his abilities, but more importantly, a way to win people's hearts. A leader who can both lead everyone to achieve results and fight for their interests will naturally be supported.

"Don't say that, everyone. We're all brothers, we should look out for each other," Yang Guangming said. "From now on, we're on the same team, we'll share the good times and the bad. As long as we're united and work hard, we'll have a long road ahead of us."

Li Daguo patted Yang Guangming's shoulder forcefully, "Guangming, with you here, I think our hunting team is going to become the most sought-after team in the factory!"

Everyone chatted and laughed as they dispersed. Yang Guangming and Zhao Xiaohu returned to their dormitory in Building 4 together. (End of Chapter)