Chapter 16: The Final Preparations Before Nightfall

A low chuckle broke out from someone in the crowd.

Immediately, others showed smiles, some faint, some broad.

Though no one voiced it aloud, everyone tacitly agreed: this kid sure knows how to boast!

Never missing a shot, hitting targets from a hundred paces, accomplishing two feats with one arrow—these are qualities only a sharpshooter possesses!

Him?

Better practice for a few more decades before claiming such skills.

Yet, even if they thought Zhang Yang was exaggerating, it didn’t diminish their regard for these three wolves.

Especially the scar-faced man.

“Though we usually don’t ask about the origins of goods on the black market, your three-headed wolves are rare. One even lost its head—quite strange! To avoid unnecessary trouble, you’d better explain how you killed them.”

After the scar-faced man spoke, those around nodded in agreement.

Zhao Dong, irritated, leaned close to Zhang Yang and whispered, “Yangzi, look how fierce this guy is—definitely no good! He’s here to cause trouble.”

But Zhang Yang thought otherwise.

The negotiator was the buyer.

They had never seen wolves before and didn’t know how one might hunt them. Their suspicion was natural.

The question was how to demonstrate it.

Zhang Yang instantly recalled their past shooting practice at the range.

“Anyone selling guns? Or maybe sticks as long as a hunting rifle?”

“Use this cane in my hand as a gun and show them how it’s done,” the scar-faced man said, raising his wooden cane.

Some onlookers laughed. “Using a cane as a gun? That’s just an act!”

Others noticed the cane. “That’s made of tiger-striped golden nanmu wood. Clearly valuable!”

An old black market vendor whispered, “This guy works for big shots! To him, a golden nanmu cane is probably just a trifle…”

Zhang Yang paid no mind to the murmurs.

He took the cane from the scar-faced man and truly treated it as the hunting rifle Old Uncle De had taught him to use!

He settled his mind, recalling those days at the shooting range.

The air thick with the pungent scent of gunpowder, the thunderous gunfire echoing sharply.

In his hand, the wooden cane seemed to transform into a cold, heavy metal rifle.

Firmly gripping the stock, eyes narrowing through the sight, aiming at the target…

Bang!

Zhang Yang completed the shot in his mind.

No one on site heard an actual gunshot.

Yet Zhang Yang’s subtle recoil from the imagined rifle created an illusion for all—it felt as if the bullet truly fired!

They seemed to have actually heard the bullet fly!

It was uncanny!

Before they could recover from their shock, Zhang Yang had already put away the cane and returned it to the scar-faced man.

“Sorry to embarrass you all.”

The scar-faced man took the cane and said, “Three hundred. I’ll take all three wolves.”

Three hundred!

Everyone present, buyers and sellers alike, showed expressions of surprise.

A few older vendors were the first to recover from their shock.

“Probably only a handful of people in this black market can afford these three wolves… and this gentleman is one of them.”

A few newer stall owners quietly asked, “Who is this gentleman?”

“No idea. We only care about business—once money and goods are exchanged, we don’t ask about backgrounds. I advise you not to pry! Someone who can pull out this much cash at once isn’t to be trifled with.”

Zhang Yang shared the same view as the seasoned vendor beside him.

He thought it unwise to probe a major client’s background, but since he intended to sell mountain delicacies here long-term, he couldn’t treat this as a one-off transaction.

He volunteered, “My brother and I will deliver the wolves to your home.”

“No need,” the scar-faced man coldly declined. “Just load them onto that car.”

He gestured behind him.

Everyone turned to look.

The scar-faced man pointed at a tall man holding a German Shepherd.

When the dog handler looked at the scar-faced man, a hint of respect shone in his eyes.

Not far behind them, a gleaming Shanghai brand car was parked.

Its design looked old-fashioned—boxy and square, like a bookish fellow.

It lacked any of the streamlined aesthetics of future cars.

But this was the 1960s!

There were few paved roads nationwide, and even fewer cars on them.

This car was top-of-the-line luxury for its time!

Zhang Yang thought, had he known this big shot was so generous, he should have been bolder and offered a discount, selling it for 288 instead!

But now that the scar-faced man had set the price, bargaining would only leave a bad impression.

Better to provide good service.

With excellent service and aftercare, Zhang Yang believed there would be future cooperation with the scar-faced man.

He lifted the handcart and, with Zhao Dong, began moving the wolves toward the car.

A few steps away, distancing from the crowd, the scar-faced man suddenly asked, “With this money, what do you plan to do?”

Zhang Yang sensed there was more to the question but pretended not to notice, answering honestly: “Save someone’s life first.”

“Someone seriously ill at home?”

Zhang Yang shook his head. “Not illness, but life-threatening. My sister married a useless man. She endured a hard pregnancy for ten months and gave birth to a daughter, but at her in-laws’ place, she was chased and beaten by her mother-in-law and sister-in-law just for eating an egg!”

Though he had already saved his sister, the anger in Zhang Yang’s heart still blazed fiercely.

The sorrow and regret from losing loved ones in his previous life had left an indelible mark.

Not something that could be soothed overnight.

Moreover, though he had saved his sister Zhang Yan this time, her marriage had not yet ended.

The Wang family was cunning; every extra day meant more risk and trouble.

The longer it dragged, the worse it would get—he had to resolve it quickly.

So Zhang Yang did not hide his desperate need for money.

He said, “I don’t want my sister to suffer at her in-laws anymore! But her husband’s family insists that my sister has consumed their resources during these three years.”

Zhang Yang sneered coldly, “They may be shameless, but my sister still has a life to live. To shut their foul mouths, I agreed to their demand and returned 88 yuan. Once the money is paid, they’ll agree to the divorce.”

He fixed the scar-faced man with a steady gaze. “That’s why I said this money is for saving lives—not just my sister’s but also my niece’s.”

The scar-faced man’s cold eyes softened somewhat. “So this is why you risked everything hunting those wolves… You’re an interesting person.”