Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

Zhou Rui turned around and whispered to the old man who was counting money.

"Old man, since I spent so much money, let me ask you something."

The old man didn't look at Zhou Rui, and continued counting the money; this was the third time he had done it.

"you say."

"I just want to know, why do you dare to sell so many old items in Hongxing Town in broad daylight? Also, my child is almost one year old, and I'd like to get a gold longevity lock made. Do you know how?"

Hearing this, the old man finally looked up and asked seriously, "Young man, you're not from our town, are you?"

Zhou Rui shook his head: "No, it's next door."

"Then let me say a few words. Don't let our town's poverty fool you, and the fact that we don't have any large state-owned factories. However, our town originally had many Manchu bannermen descendants, and many of the meritorious generals during the Qing Dynasty had ancestors from here. So when I say these items came from the palace, I'm not lying to you."

Zhou Rui inwardly scoffed. You can only believe half of what these people say, and even that half has to be selective.

"Our Hongxing Town is poor, with little land and many mountains, and we've always been short of food. The commune secretary is also a local, and he still cares about the villagers, so we've always had a market here. We don't really crack down on speculation and profiteering, so there's no need to set up a black market late at night. If you come after the harvest season, there's a big market where you can get cattle and horses."

Zhou Rui nodded. That was the reason these people set up stalls during the day. The town was remote and impoverished, and the commune leaders were soft-hearted, turning a blind eye to these transactions so that the people could survive.

"As for yellow goods, there aren't any today. An old man didn't come today. If you really want some, come back on the tenth day after the grain harvest. There will be a big market that day, and you're sure to find something. But that old man only wants grain and meat, nothing else. Be prepared."

Zhou Rui pondered for a moment and decided it was a good idea to come; the risk was minimal. "Thanks, old man. I'll definitely patronize your business again next time I come. But I only want the good-looking ones."

The old man was overjoyed. A few messages had brought him a returning big customer, and he was about to make a fortune. He'd better take advantage of the time before the big market to find some good stuff.

Zhou Rui carefully placed the two bottles into his bag. Luckily, he had bought some clothes made of roe deer skin, which would protect them from damage.

Zhou Rui rode his bicycle slowly along the path; he couldn't go fast. Mao Mao probably hadn't eaten enough lately and didn't have much energy. The puppies were also causing trouble, always trying to climb out, which made Zhou Rui constantly tug at the basket hanging on the handlebars.

Zhou Rui was humming a strange song when suddenly several people jumped out of the woods. Zhou Rui slammed on the brakes. With a crash, a tree fell down behind him, and a man carrying an axe walked out.

Zhou Rui looked around; the mountains on both sides were towering, and there was no village or shop in sight. Zhou Rui had come here to take a shortcut, but he hadn't expected to run into this group of people.

Five people in front and one behind, all dressed in tattered clothes and unkempt. "Migrant workers," the words flashed through Zhou Rui's mind.

The five men in front, two with knives and the other three with wooden clubs, were followed by a burly man, about 1.8 meters tall, carrying a large axe specifically for felling trees.

Zhou Rui got out of the car, parked it, and took the dog leash off the handlebars. Mao Mao seemed uneasy, baring its teeth and growling intermittently.

"Hey kid, tie your dog up and kneel down. We only want money, we won't kill you," one of the skinny men holding a wooden stick said with a grin.

Zhou Rui glanced at these people and sneered inwardly. They were trying to fool him. Among them, one of the two men wielding knives and the man behind him with a large axe exuded a menacing aura; they must have killed people before.

Although the other people hadn't killed anyone, since they were robbing with those two, they certainly weren't good people either.

"Are you stupid? Do as I say, or I'll beat you up and you'll know you're wrong," the skinny guy who started it shouted, pointing a wooden stick at Zhou Rui.

Seeing the growing hostility from the person opposite him, Mao Mao couldn't help but slightly arch his body, tense his hind legs, and reveal his fangs, looking ready to attack at any moment.

Seeing the large dog poised to bite at any moment, the men on the other side tensed up. The intimidating presence of the Caucasian Shepherd, weighing nearly 100 pounds and standing 70-80 centimeters tall, made them instinctively raise their wooden sticks and bring their daggers to their chests, assuming a defensive stance.

Zhou Rui narrowed his eyes slightly; this was interesting.

Zhou Rui pulled Mao Mao back a little; it wasn't time for it to make a move yet.

When the people in front saw that Zhou Rui had pulled the big dog back, they assumed that the half-grown child was scared, so they became even more arrogant.

"Hurry up and tie the dog up. Don't keep my brother waiting, or you'll regret it."

Zhou Rui remained calm, ignoring the bicycle, and led Mao Mao by the leash towards the roadside where there was a tree. The big guy with the axe behind them thought Zhou Rui had given in, so he slowly walked forward, preparing to join the other five people.

But when they got together, Zhou Rui, no longer threatened by enemies on all sides, turned around, gave a wicked smile, and pulled out a gun from behind his back.

The six men were all smiles, about to reap the rewards of their victory, when they saw Zhou Rui turn around and a dark gun barrel pointing in their direction. Their smiles froze instantly.

"Hey buddy, stop joking. Do you even know how to use a gun? Put it down, let's talk this over." A man with a knife spoke for the first time, his hoarse voice carrying a sinister edge.

"Sorry, I never joke around." Zhou Rui simply flipped the safety lock with one hand. "Guess whether I actually know how to use it."

Of the six, only the man with the axe remained relatively calm, except for the one called the eldest brother. The others involuntarily swallowed hard, their legs trembling.

"Brother, we were blind this time and picked the wrong person. We admit our mistake. Let us go, and we'll leave each other alone from now on."

"It seems you haven't grasped the situation yet. I'm in charge here. You can only leave if I let you go; otherwise, you'll have to stay," Zhou Rui said coldly.

"So what do you want?" The leader was a little angry. He had never been threatened by a fat sheep before. He should have gotten a gun at all. He wouldn't be in such a passive position now.

Zhou Rui brandished the Browning high-powered pistol in his hand: "Throw what you have on the ground, then take off your clothes and hand over your valuables."

The gang leader's face flushed red with rage; he had never suffered such humiliation before. He immediately brandished his dagger and charged forward, yelling, "Fuck your mother, I'll fuck you to death!"

Bang. The gang leader collapsed to the ground, clutching his knee, blood instantly soaking his trousers. At such close range, Zhou Rui didn't even need to aim carefully; he shattered the gang leader's kneecap with a single blow.

"Ah..." "Clang, ding, dong, slap." With the leader's painful cry, the five men threw all their weapons to the ground as if they were holding branding irons.

Zhou Rui pointed at the group with the gun barrel still smelling of smoke, "Hurry up and pay up."