My Gold Rush Career Begins in 1984

Chapter 12 Luxury
As far as Zhou Jingming knows, the Heilong Eighteen Hands is a set of combat techniques carefully compiled and created by the Heilongjiang Armed Police Corps based on years of practical experience. It is regarded as a powerful weapon for subduing enemies when weapons cannot or are not allowed to be used.

However, this incredibly powerful martial art was later banned from practice—legend has it that it was because of its astonishing destructive power.

Legend has it that every move of the Black Dragon Eighteen Hands precisely targets the body's vital acupoints, such as the temples, throat, groin, and joints. Once hit by these moves, the consequences are unimaginable, ranging from serious injury to death.

Among them, the most talked-about incident is the widely circulated story of a "veteran using the Black Dragon Eighteen Hands technique to cause eleven deaths and three injuries."

One day in 1992, a veteran encountered fourteen thugs committing robbery on the street. Upholding justice, the veteran resolutely intervened to stop them.

In the midst of the fierce conflict, he unleashed the Black Dragon Eighteen Hands, his fists and feet flying with incredible speed and ferocity. Shockingly, after the battle, he had defeated all fourteen thugs.

This incident was like a bombshell, causing a huge uproar in society and spreading by word of mouth.

There are many similar rumors, which continue to reinforce the public's perception of the destructive power of the Black Dragon Eighteen Hands.

Zhou Jingming had also heard a lot about it.

Of course, he used to think they were just rumors, things to talk about over tea, and that they were exaggerated. No matter how powerful someone is, they can't fight against many opponents.

Unexpectedly, I now actually know someone who knows the Black Dragon Eighteen Hands.

Moreover, judging from Wu Yang's handling of the three robbers in the car, the Black Dragon Eighteen Hands technique is indeed extremely powerful.

Each of the three was defeated in a single move.

He began to believe that the story was true.

Wu Yang was surprised that Zhou Jingming actually knew about the Black Dragon Eighteen Hands...

Zhou Jingming thought for a moment and could only come up with an excuse: "I heard it from someone on the train before the New Year. I don't know that person, but their accent sounded like they were from the north."

"No wonder! I was wondering how you knew about this boxing style so quickly. It was created in 1981, but it wasn't promoted as a combat technique for the armed police until 1983. You must have heard about it from someone. That person is probably an armed police officer, or knows someone in the armed police!"

This is the advantage of Zhou Jingming saying he didn't know that person; it made Wu Yang's story plausible and saved him from being questioned further.

Zhou Jingming casually asked, "You're so skilled, how long have you been training?"

"I was among the first to practice, and I've been training for over two years. This thing is incredibly difficult to learn. On the vehicle, the only limitation is the aisle, and I managed to get an early start; otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy!"

Wu Yang spoke modestly, but then scoffed at the five Yuzhou men: "Those guys are no good. There were clearly five of them, but they were bullied like that. They were robbed of their money and didn't dare to say a word. They're too cowardly. I don't even want to talk to them."

"You were the only one in the entire carriage who stood up and showed any intention of helping me."

No wonder he ignored those people from Yuzhou when they spoke to him in the car; it was because he looked down on them.

Zhou Jingming was glad that his small action had at least changed Wu Yang's opinion.

"Not everyone is as skilled as you. You're facing a knife; one wrong move and it could be fatal."

He smiled and said, "I'm the same way. To be honest, if you hadn't stood up for me, I was planning to jump out of the car and run away."

"Even jumping out of the car and running away is better than just waiting to be robbed like that."

As Wu Yang spoke, he had already finished eating the four skewers of roasted mutton in his hand.

Seeing that he glanced at the two skewers of mutton he had left, Zhou Jingming simply gave them to him as well.

Seeing that Wu Yang liked roasted mutton so much, Zhou Jingming led Wu Yang into a barbecue restaurant that was crowded as they walked by.

When choosing a restaurant, you can't go wrong with one that's crowded. After greeting the restaurant owner, the two chose an empty table and sat down to chat.

After waiting for more than ten minutes, the tender grilled lamb skewers were served on the table, and the two of them immediately began to eat heartily.

Besides roasted lamb, there are also lean and fatty meat skewers with some tendons. Each skewer is larger and, after being roasted, they are not greasy, but tender and chewy, making them especially suitable for diners who like to eat meat in big bites.

In addition, Zhou Jingming also ordered the domineering "whip, treasure, and waist" set, a dish that would make people shudder at the mere mention of it and would later be known as a dark cuisine.

Fresh lamb kidneys, simply cut in half, are grilled in the same simple way, sprinkled with cumin, chili, and salt, and ready to serve. The crispy outer shell and the tender inside complement each other in your mouth, and the bursting juices have a slightly gamey taste, which is actually quite invigorating.

Many middle-aged people like to order this, hoping to unleash their full power and prowess in the evening.

Zhou Jingming had also tried it, but he didn't feel anything special, probably because it was mostly a matter of faith.

He also particularly likes the tough lamb tendon, mainly because it gets more fragrant the more you chew it, especially when drinking alcohol.

Zhou Jingming once drank half a jin of baijiu with three skewers of lamb tendons. At that time, he had just started working at the Wucheng Geological Team. At first, he did almost all the physical labor such as trenching. He had no money and the work was tiring.

When I go back to the city to rest, if I want to indulge in some food, I have to be careful with my food intake; that would be a miserable life!

Zhou Jingming couldn't help but sigh as he recalled the hardships he endured as an exploration technician.

Since he was hosting a dinner party this time, and he had the intention of making friends, plus he himself wanted to have a good meal, he naturally ate heartily.

It has to be said that Wu Yang is a big fan of mutton, and Zhou Jingming is also a meat connoisseur. After they had eaten their fill of meat and drunk their fill of wine, they counted the mutton skewers and found that there were as many as 150 skewers. With other miscellaneous items added, the meal cost nearly 40 yuan.

This expense is absolutely extravagant!

When Wu Yang saw Zhou Jingming pay the bill, he was shocked by how much he had spent: "You've gone to so much trouble!"

"No, at least we had a great time and enjoyed the barbecue... As the saying goes, 'Isn't it a pleasure to have friends coming from afar?'"

Zhou Jingming waved his hand dismissively: "In a place like this, what's a little money compared to having a friend like you?"

During the meal, Zhou Jingming talked about the various things he experienced during his two years as an educated youth in the Great Northern Wilderness, and Wu Yang also talked about his time as an armed police officer in Heilongjiang. Since they were both from the Northeast, they naturally had a lot in common.

In addition, Wu Yang came from Longshan in western Hunan, and his lifestyle had many things in common with Zhou Jingming from Sichuan. After a meal and drinks, the two became quite familiar with each other.

Having thoroughly investigated the matter, Zhou Jingming, based on his many years of life experience, judged that Wu Yang was a straightforward person with no problems.

Now that we've arrived in Altan, there's no need to hide our purpose here anymore.

Zhou Jingming asked directly, "Dude, you're looking for an air rifle shooting stall because you're planning to find a gold panning team, right?"

Wu Yang wasn't stupid either, and retorted, "You too?"

Zhou Jingming nodded: "Yes, me too... Many out-of-towners come here to pan for gold. As soon as you mention the air rifle shooting stall, everyone knows what they're planning to do... You probably don't have a team you've already contacted, right?"

"No... It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I was dismissed from my job, and the news was spreading like wildfire back home. I couldn't stay at home anymore, and I couldn't make a living with those three or four acres of land. I was originally thinking of going out to work, but then I heard something in our town, and my heart warmed, so I came here."

"what's up?"

“In our town, there was a family who suddenly disappeared overnight.”

(End of this chapter)