Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Sitting on the hard bed, Wei Chen didn't rush to make a call. He first calmed himself down and carefully went through the entire "reporting" process in his mind.

The mountain of prey piled up in the space—more than 1,500 plump and strong gazelles, more than 200 large wild donkeys, dozens of red deer and roe deer, as well as wolves, foxes, and other miscellaneous animals—was a real and awe-inspiring "harvest." But it was certainly impossible to report all of it truthfully.

The reason is simple: too much of a good thing is bad, and possessing a treasure is a crime.

A purchasing agent, venturing alone into the grasslands for less than a month, brings back meat equivalent to the reserves of several large meat processing plants? This goes beyond the realm of "strong ability" and "good luck," entering the terrifying realm of "inexplicable" phenomena.

In this era, inexplicable windfall gains often mean unimaginable trouble. Those eyes hidden inside and outside the system will never let such a "fat fish" slip by. At best, one will be endlessly exploited and squeezed dry; at worst, one will be investigated, suspected, or even brought down with them.

Therefore, we must keep a low profile and keep the "results" within a range that is impressive but still "reasonable" and "explainable".

Thirty wild donkeys and two hundred gazelles. This was the "reporting figure" that Wei Chen had carefully considered.

Thirty wild donkeys, each estimated at 450 jin, would weigh 13,500 jin. Two hundred gazelles, each estimated at 60 jin, would weigh 12,000 jin. The total would be approximately 25,500 jin.

This quantity is enough to make any large factory ecstatic during a time of extreme shortage of supplies at the end of the year, enough to make Deputy Factory Director Li Huaide a great contributor, and enough to earn Wei Chen himself immeasurable appreciation and rewards.

More importantly, while the number is enormous, if it is explained as "encountering a large-scale animal migration and cooperating with a local hunting team," with a touch of "luck" and "personal ability," it is still astonishing, but logically plausible and will not cause uncontrollable suspicion.

As for the price... Wei Chen was familiar with the current meat prices in the ghost market. Ordinary pork could sell for more than two or even three yuan per kilogram, and there was often no market for it.

He priced the gazelle at 1.3 yuan and the wild donkey at 1 yuan. This price was far lower than the black market price, but slightly higher than the price that the state purchased and distributed to herders. It seemed "very fair," or even like a "friendly price" due to "private transactions."

This would not only further dispel any doubts, but also highlight his contribution of "saving money for the factory".

Having figured everything out, Wei Chen glanced at his watch; it was 9:10 AM. At this time, Deputy Factory Director Li Huaide should already be in his office.

He got up, picked up the tin thermos on the table with the red five-pointed star and the words "Serve the People" printed on it, poured himself half a teacup of hot water, and slowly sipped it, trying to calm the last trace of his emotions.

Then, he took the certificate to the guesthouse office to borrow a phone. After going through the formalities, Wei Chen picked up the receiver of the old-fashioned black telephone that required dialing, took a deep breath, and dialed the number from memory to be transferred to Li Huaide's office at the steel mill's switchboard.

"Hello, is this the switchboard? Please connect me to the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, to the office of Deputy Director Li Huaide... Yes, this is Wei Chen, the purchasing agent sent to Inner Mongolia by the factory. I have urgent work to report to Director Li... Thank you."

The dial tone, indicating the call was about to be transferred, rang rhythmically in the receiver, each second seeming to stretch out. Wei Chen could clearly hear his own steady, strong heartbeat. The connection on the other end of the phone would be the crucial first step for him to return to Beijing, process what he had gained, and use it to advance to the next level.

Finally, the call was answered, and a slightly hoarse, yet authoritative male voice came through: "Hello, this is Li Huaide."

"Director Li, hello! I'm Wei Chen from the purchasing department." Wei Chen's voice immediately carried a just-right level of respect and a hint of barely perceptible excitement.

"Wei Chen?" Li Huaide's voice paused for a moment, then he said with surprise, "Oh, it's Xiao Wei! We finally have news of you! Where are you now?...In Inner Mongolia? How's the situation? Any progress?"

His voice carried anticipation, but also a hint of barely perceptible fatigue and anxiety. With the Lunar New Year approaching, the factory workers' expectations for "New Year's goods," especially meat, were growing daily. The pressure from above and the eager anticipation from below were causing him, the deputy factory director in charge of logistics, considerable stress. Sending Wei Chen to another province was a bold attempt, not something to be overly optimistic about; it was merely one link in a broader net.

"Director Li, I have something to report!" Wei Chen's voice rose slightly, brimming with barely suppressed excitement. "I might... I might have found an opportunity to get my hands on a batch of meat!"

"Meat?" Li Huaide's voice suddenly rose, the creaking of the chair coming through the microphone. "What meat? How much? Is it reliable?" A barrage of questions followed.

"That's right, Director Li." Wei Chen spoke at a moderate pace, beginning his pre-planned narration, "I met a local friend here, who... well, he's connected to the hunting team here. He revealed that they recently stumbled upon a massive migration of Mongolian wild asses and gazelles deep in the grasslands—the kind of herds that only pass through once every few years! Their hunting team managed to hunt quite a few!"

He paused deliberately, giving the other person time to process and imagine, before continuing, "Because I had helped him with a small favor before, he told me privately that they had made a huge profit this time, more than they could handle internally, and they didn't want to go through the formal channels and be subject to layers of deductions, so they wanted to deal with a portion privately. When he heard that I worked for a big factory in Beijing, he asked if our factory was interested and could share some with us."

"How much is 'some'?" Li Huaide's voice was already visibly anxious and trembling.

"He said... he could give us thirty wild donkeys and two hundred gazelles." Wei Chen stated the numbers, his tone as "uncertain" and "needing confirmation" as possible.

Silence fell on the other end of the phone, broken only by heavy breathing. Several seconds later, Li Huaide's voice broke through, hoarse with disbelief: "How...how many? Thirty wild donkeys? Two hundred gazelles? Xiao Wei, are you...are you sure you didn't hear wrong? Or are they not lying to you?" This number far exceeded his wildest imagination! In a time when even planned supplies were difficult to guarantee, this was like a godsend!

"Director Li, I've checked repeatedly!" Wei Chen's tone became "firm." "My friend is very reliable. The wild donkeys are Mongolian wild donkeys, quite large, averaging at least 450 jin each. The gazelles are grassland gazelles, plump and strong, averaging over 60 jin each. He took me to see them from afar. The goods are hidden in a secluded place near the railway line, all processed and frozen solid!"

"Good! Good! Good!" Li Huaide exclaimed three times, his voice trembling with excitement. "Xiao Wei, you've done a tremendous service! A truly great service! Tell me in detail, what are their conditions?"

"The conditions are," Wei Chen lowered his voice, as if discussing a secret, "this is a private transaction, not through official accounts, and we can't make it public. They want cash, and... they require at least half the payment upfront. As for the price, because it's not through official accounts, they're offering a 'friends' price': 1.3 yuan per pound for gazelles and 1 yuan per pound for wild donkeys. This price is much lower than the black market! Also..." Wei Chen subtly feigned a troubled tone, "we also have to handle the transportation ourselves; they're only responsible for delivering the goods to a designated, secluded location. So, this price really isn't high."

"One yuan and thirty cents? One yuan?" Li Huaide quickly did the mental calculations on the other end of the phone, his voice even more excited. "Thirty wild donkeys, 13,500 jin, that's 13,500 yuan; two hundred gazelles, 12,000 jin, that's 15,600 yuan. Add it all up to exactly 29,000, almost 30,000 yuan! Half upfront is 15,000!"

This price, considering that black market meat prices generally exceed three yuan, is practically a steal! Even factoring in transportation costs and potential risks, it's absolutely worth it! More importantly, it's real meat! It's a valuable commodity that can solve the factory's immediate crisis and allow Li Huaide to stand tall in front of factory leaders and even higher-ups!

"Xiao Wei, is the other party reliable? If the money is sent, can the goods be guaranteed? What if…?" After the initial euphoria, Li Huaide, being experienced, immediately considered the risks. Ten thousand yuan was no small sum; if it went down the drain, even he, as the deputy factory manager, couldn't afford the consequences.

Wei Chen had anticipated this question, and he said sincerely, "Director Li, I understand your concerns. My friend and I are practically brothers; he's a man of honor and has a good reputation in the area. He wouldn't ruin his name and connections for ten thousand yuan. Besides..."

He hesitated for a moment, as if he had made up his mind, and said, "I told him that I was sent by you, Director Li, and that I represent the year-end expectations of tens of thousands of employees at our Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill! He was very moved and said that he would never deceive our workers. Of course, Director Li, if you think the risk is too great, then... then I can only apologize to him." He used a strategy of retreat to advance.

"No! We can't give up!" Li Huaide said immediately, his voice resolute. This opportunity was too tempting; the risks were there, but the rewards were enormous! Moreover, he wasn't without means to restrain them. He pondered for a moment, then asked, "Xiao Wei, your mother and sister are still living in Nanluoguxiang, right?"

Wei Chen's heart skipped a beat, knowing this was Li Huaide's way of testing and probing, a common form of "guarantee" in that era. He answered frankly, "Yes, Director Li. My mother is in poor health, and my younger sister is still in school; they're both counting on this job. I, Wei Chen, am not someone who doesn't know what's important; I would never joke about the factory's future or yours." This statement both indicated that he had "attachments" to Beijing and couldn't leave, and also implied how much he valued this job and Li Huaide's appreciation.