Chapter 17: The Scarred Man Is No Ordinary Person

Zhang Yang and Zhao Dong worked together to lift the wolves into the car’s trunk. The vehicle looked sturdy, but after loading the three wolves, its body noticeably sagged under the weight.

Meanwhile, the German Shepherd, which had already been restless, suddenly went into a frenzy, barking wildly. The man holding the leash struggled to restrain the dog, which, too excited, lifted its front paws. Standing upright, it was almost as tall as the man himself!

The man was on the verge of being pulled down by the spirited dog.

“Woof! Woof, woof!”

“Victory!” the scar-faced man barked sharply.

His voice was deep, yet carried an unexplainable authority, causing the German Shepherd to shudder at the command.

“Down!” the scar-faced man ordered again.

“Whimper, whimper…”

The fierce dog that had just looked ready to pounce suddenly lowered itself to the ground, wide-eyed and pitiful.

Zhao Dong was so amazed he stammered, “Incredible! If I could learn how to train dogs like that, would I be able to walk tall in the village from now on?”

Zhang Yang chuckled lightly. “Look at your ambitions.”

After calming the dog, the scar-faced man took a black briefcase from the car. Opening it in front of Zhang Yang and Zhao Dong, he pulled out three neat stacks of brand-new ten-yuan bills and handed them to Zhang Yang.

“Take this. Go do whatever you want.”

“Thank you!” Zhang Yang accepted the money gratefully, then added, “How should I address you? If there are any more mountain products, I’ll save them for you first!”

The scar-faced man glanced at him again. “You can do that?”

“Of course!” Zhang Yang sensed the man’s doubt and quickly explained, “You’re straightforward and trustworthy. Besides, you listened when I risked my life to protect my sister and niece without mocking me… That means you’re broad-minded—at least you don’t favor males over females!”

The scar-faced man smiled. “I didn’t expect to receive such praise today. We’re destined to meet again.”

With that, he called the German Shepherd, got into the car, and drove off.

Watching the cloud of dust the car kicked up, Zhao Dong couldn’t close his mouth for a long time.

“That guy must be someone important!”

Zhang Yang turned the cart around and teased him, “Now you’re saying he must be a bad guy?”

Zhao Dong rubbed his nose, red from the cold. “Anyone who can pull out money like that can’t be bad!”

Thinking of the three thick stacks of bills he had just seen, Zhao Dong felt as if the whole day and night had been a dream.

They had gone from fearing for their lives when the wolves appeared, to killing and selling them for three hundred yuan! Three hundred whole yuan!

Suddenly, the future didn’t seem so bleak anymore. It felt as if heaven had chosen him overnight, transforming him from a starving poor man into a pillar of strength.

“Yangzi! From now on, I’ll follow your lead in everything! If you say go east, I won’t go west!” Zhao Dong poured out his excitement.

Zhang Yang patted his shoulder without a word. He knew this was just the beginning.

Better days were surely ahead.

The two dragged the empty cart back toward the black market, lost in their own thoughts as they walked.

Zhao Dong pulled out a flatbread from his pocket, chewing it with a silly grin.

Zhang Yang knew he was dreaming about getting married again.

It was understandable—an orphan living alone, life was dull.

Having a wife, children, and a warm home was Zhao Dong’s greatest hope.

As brothers, Zhang Yang didn’t want to see Zhao Dong remain single forever.

“Dongzi, I just saw someone secretly selling tickets at the black market,” Zhang Yang called him back to attention. “Let’s ask about the price later, break the money into smaller amounts, and I’ll give you some. You can buy whatever you want for yourself.”

Sharing money?!

Zhao Dong immediately felt energized!

But he didn’t dare take it; he felt unworthy.

“You hunted the wolves; I just did the hard work dragging them here to sell. This money should first go to saving my sister. That bastard might come looking for trouble again someday.”

Zhang Yang was touched from the bottom of his heart but was a seasoned businessman who always kept personal and business affairs separate.

The share owed to Zhao Dong would not be withheld.

Zhang Yang wandered through the black market and soon found the same ticket scalper from before.

“What tickets do you have? I want a few industrial tickets.”

The scalper was a scruffy man in his fifties, with a cunning look. “You’re new here, huh? I have a rule—first purchase must be at least ten tickets.”

Zhao Dong wanted to curse, “Ten tickets? We don’t need that many. If you can sell, fine; if not, forget it.”

The old man sneered, “Kid! Don’t be ungrateful. Don’t think the black market has everything or that there are plenty of ticket sellers. Sometimes you have to wait a long time to find industrial tickets.”

“Ten it is,” Zhang Yang said decisively.

Zhao Dong tried to stop him but failed.

After completing the transaction, Zhang Yang privately explained the reasoning to Zhao Dong.

“We’re in the black market here. Don’t expect fairness.”

“He makes us buy so many because he knows we can’t get these tickets anywhere else.”

“All these scalpers are clever. Even if we don’t follow his rules, the next one will have their own.”

“So you just need to think about whether you need these tickets. Nothing else matters.”

Zhao Dong was frustrated. “Yangzi, I understand, but ten industrial tickets are really too many! We can’t use that many!”

Zhang Yang laughed out loud. “Look at your place! You don’t even have enough pots and pans! And you’re already dreaming of getting married?”

Zhao Dong was speechless.

Zhang Yang organized the plan calmly. “Once we have these tickets, we can confidently buy supplies from the cooperative. You can get everything your household needs. Then, everything will be ready; only the east wind is missing!”

Those words brought tears to Zhao Dong’s eyes instantly.

Zhang Yang kicked him playfully. “Old man, why the tears? With that expression, I’m afraid you’ve forgotten the real reason we came!”

Zhao Dong blinked. “There’s more business?”

“We agreed to buy guns for the militia team!” Zhang Yang rubbed his forehead. “Let’s get the gear ready quickly. Not just for places like Jiazigou or Niubizipo, but the entire mountain’s treasures will belong to us!”

Zhao Dong’s mind filled with countless prey—

Wild rabbits, pheasants, ducks, geese, raccoon dogs…

All big, fat game!

Enough to fill their bellies and earn money to support their future families.

Zhang Yang, knowing Zhao Dong’s small ambitions, set a grander goal.

“Once we get the guns and practice shooting, you’ll be a warrior protecting the village! If you earn merit, how could you not marry your sweetheart?”

Zhao Dong jumped high with excitement. “Buy guns! Let’s buy them right now!”