My Gold Rush Career Begins in 1984

Chapter 33 Morale Fluctuations
The only word that can sum up what happened tonight is probably "weird".

Because the matter itself is so "strange" that it cannot be explained.

Wu Yang couldn't help but turn his head and whisper in Zhou Jingming's ear, "Brother Zhou, this is too ridiculous!"

Zhou Jingming lowered his voice: "I also think it's bullshit. I've been here for several years and have never encountered anything like this before. I never expected to run into this one."

I'd only ever heard people say that the northern Xinjiang region was haunted, and that many drivers who traveled there would keep incense, candles, and paper money in their vehicles..."

Seeing that the tractor was running, Wang Youping felt much more relaxed. Ignoring the corpses soaking in the shallow water below, he grabbed a bucket, ran to the river outside the road, fetched some water, and filled the engine's water tank.

Peng Yuanchao urged the group to get on the bus quickly.

After everyone was settled in the vehicle, Wang Youping drove the tractor on his way.

After driving the tractor for more than ten minutes, he said, "Don't be fooled by this desolate mountain wilderness. It's full of grassy slopes and small groves. It may look like there's nothing there, but there's actually a lot of stuff. We just can't see it."

Sometimes a car would inexplicably break down in a certain place, and no matter how you checked it, you couldn't find the problem, and you couldn't start it. But as soon as you burned some paper money, the car would start moving again.

I've encountered something similar before.

"Look, that dog hasn't barked anymore. It used to bark nonstop. I heard dogs can see things that many people can't."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jingming realized that Jin Wang, whom he was holding in his arms for warmth, had indeed stopped barking after they left that place.

He also felt something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

Thinking about how he himself could be reborn into this era, he began to believe that there are indeed many incomprehensible things in this world.

He even began to doubt whether this world was the same one he had lived in in his previous life.

But no matter what, we are given a second chance at life, so we must look forward, move forward, and live a different kind of wonderful life so as not to waste God's arrangements.

But then Wang Youping continued, "And the stone figure we just saw, if you see a place like that again, don't be too curious, and it's best not to go near it."

Peng Yuanchao's expression was somewhat grave: "Why?"

“That kind of place is not good,” Ali said. “Approaching such a place always gives people a very uncomfortable feeling. Many herders are quite wary of it, and it seems that livestock also don’t like to go near it. So, in places with stone figures, the grass around them always grows more vigorously than in other places, so how can the livestock eat it!”

Wang Youping was afraid that the car would not start again if it stopped, so he asked Peng Yuanchao to light a cigarette to keep him awake.

Peng Yuanchao took out cigarettes, ignoring the other newbies, and gave one to each of Zhou Jingming, Wu Yang, and Xu Youliang. Then he lit one and leaned over to hand it to Wang Youping.

He took the Red Lotus cigarette handed to him by Peng Yuanchao and took two puffs: "I heard from a car driver that he was driving a survey team into the mountains. In the evening, they stayed overnight at the foot of the mountain where there was a stone figure. One of the people was curious and went to see the stone figure. He went and never came back. Everyone searched all night and searched all day the next day. They couldn't find a body or even a trace. It was as if he had disappeared into thin air."

Everyone fell silent upon hearing this.

Zhou Jingming had heard similar rumors as well.

This is also why he chose to hide his little notebook under the stone statue, because very few people are willing to approach such a place.

"That's why I told you not to wander off. Once you're in the mountains, you'd better listen to instructions, especially at night!"

Taking the opportunity, Peng Yuanchao emphasized to the new recruits, "If you don't listen and something goes wrong, you can't blame anyone else."

"I don't want to go gold panning anymore, I want to go home..."

A Luo Yue man named Cao Qidong muttered something under his breath, his trembling voice revealing only panic. He started it, and another Luo Yue man and two Yuzhou men followed suit, saying they dared not go.

They say this mountain is eerie, with stone figures and dead bodies. It's so strange in this mountain that you might not even know how you died there.

Don't lose your life before you even find gold. It's better to find another way, even if you earn less money, at least you'll stay alive.

Hearing the commotion inside the truck bed, even the young man driving the tractor put it in neutral and stopped it with his foot on the brakes: "Are you going to move or not?"

A commotion broke out inside the truck bed, but Zhou Jingming acted as if it were none of his business, simply smoking slowly.

He believed that if Peng Yuanchao couldn't even handle this small matter, his trip to the Gold Rush Valley would be a waste.

Seeing the scene getting increasingly chaotic and morale wavering, Peng Yuanchao immediately roared: "Get out, get out, all of you get out of here! Get off the bus now! It's not like I can't get anything done without you guys!"

Cowards like that, you deserve to be poor. You're so effeminate, it's annoying to even look at you.

Damn it, you're wasting my time. You all talked about how capable you were at the hostel, but you're all a bunch of cowards. Get out of my way and stop delaying my trip!
"What, you still expect me to take you back? I paid for the car... Get lost!"

As he spoke, he stood up, picked up the luggage of the newbies, and prepared to throw it off the bus.

At this moment, Xu Youliang stood up, acting as a peacemaker, and pulled Peng Yuanchao: "Brother Peng, Brother Peng... calm down, don't get so angry, let's talk it out..."

Then, he turned to look at the newcomers: "You've all come all the way to Altay to make money. As the old saying goes, fortune favors the bold. That's it. The greater the risk you take, the greater the wealth you can make. If you want a peaceful life, don't come here to pan for gold. You'd be better off staying home and lying in bed."

You guys have spent a lot of money and wasted a lot of time along the way. Like you said, I want to go back, but I don't even have the fare to go back. I can only keep going. Besides, what can I do if I go back? I'll just be laughed at.
Some of you probably scraped together your travel expenses, how are you going to explain this when you get back?

We all come from humble backgrounds, and our families depend on us. We're all terrified of poverty, aren't we?
What could be more frightening than poverty?

If you insist on going back now, in this desolate wilderness with no village or shop in sight, we don't even know if you can walk back, or if you dare to go back. What if something goes wrong on the way and you die in the mountains?

Brother Peng has provided so much stuff and led everyone to get rich, yet he doesn't appreciate the food and lodging we've provided these past few days at all.
We're almost at Gold Rush Valley and you're only doing this now? That's not very kind of you, is it?
Besides, no matter how weird it is, we're all fine now, aren't we? With Brother Peng around, and look at Brother Zhou and Wu Yang, they're so steady. What's there to worry about? Don't scare yourself."

Zhou Jingming glanced at Xu Youliang with some surprise. He had to admit that Xu Youliang was quite eloquent and knew how to hit the nail on the head. He spoke smoothly, combining reassurance and intimidation, and even gained some goodwill towards Peng Yuanchao.

He could also see that Xu Youliang and Peng Yuanchao were actually playing good cop and bad cop roles.

These words worked quite well; the newbies gradually calmed down and stopped making a fuss.

Seeing this, Peng Yuanchao asked in a cold voice, "Who else wants to leave?"

No one made a sound.

Peng Yuanchao snorted again, sat down in the back of the truck, and said to Wang Youping, "Brother, let's keep going!"

The tractor started up again and continued its journey deeper into the mountains.

The further in you go, the higher the terrain becomes.

Finally, the east gradually turned red and bright, and following Peng Yuanchao's instructions, the tractor stopped.

We've arrived at the Gold Rush Valley.

(End of this chapter)