My Gold Rush Career Begins in 1984

Chapter 181 Everyone has his own ambitions
Unlike Zhou Jingming's conservative approach of returning to his hometown, Peng Yuanchao was much more flamboyant, making no attempt to hide his fortune in gold panning.

The three bright and spacious cave dwellings were so beautifully decorated, and even the courtyard was carefully paved with bricks. In his town, only a handful of places could achieve this level of quality, making it the envy of everyone in the village, and many people came to inquire about it.

Making a living in the Loess Plateau is difficult. When he wanted to recruit people to go to Altay, he could almost immediately send people to his door with gifts as soon as he posted the message.

Of course, there have been many rumors about gold panning here, so it doesn't feel unfamiliar; it's just that a leader is missing.

After careful selection, Peng Yuanchao chose only a dozen or so people he considered shrewd and capable, rejecting all the others.

Xu Youliang from Longnan was his most loyal buddy in the Gold Rush Valley. He arrived at his house on time as agreed, bringing thirteen people with him from the village.

The two groups of people joined together, and there were about thirty of them.

While Peng Yuanchao was having the villagers pack their belongings and explain their family matters, the people Xu Youliang brought moved into Peng Yuanchao's house.

The cave dwellings are spacious, but there aren't many beds, though people can sleep on the floor, making it easy to entertain guests.

As the two were drinking that evening, Xu Youliang asked, "Brother Peng, where are you planning to go to make your fortune this year?"

Without a second thought, Peng Yuanchao said, "That goes without saying, they'll definitely go to Haxionggou to find Zhou Jingming."

But since Xu Youliang asked that, he must have other ideas. Peng Yuanchao then asked, "What, you don't want to go?"

Xu Youliang looked hesitant and as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Peng Yuanchao was immediately annoyed: "Damn it, I can't stand you like this. Just tell me, what can't we talk about? What, you don't trust me?"

"Of course I trust Brother Peng..."

Xu Youliang held up his small wine glass and slurped it down in one gulp: "Brother Peng, what do you think of Zhou Jingming?"

"He's capable, ambitious, and decisive. He's a man who can get things done. He'll definitely be a top figure in the Altay gold mining industry in the future."

"You think so highly of him?"

"Isn't it obvious? I don't need to tell you about Jin Miao's abilities; you know them. He's a geological exploration technician. He doesn't even need to look for mineral deposits; his mind is full of them."

Many people envy those who have jobs, but he was willing to give up his job to come and seek his fortune; he's not someone who's content with the status quo.

Look at what he's done. He seems weak and unassuming, but he's ruthless and no less cunning than any seasoned veteran who's been in the Gold Rush Valley. Some of the things he does are quite shocking.

However, he's a man of his word; once things are agreed upon, they go exactly as promised. He's also very good to his subordinates. You could find a few like that in the Gold Rush Valley, and then there are all the things he's planning…”

In Peng Yuanchao's eyes, Zhou Jingming seemed to have nothing but good qualities.

Xu Youliang suddenly spoke up, interrupting him: "Brother Peng, I'm not planning to work with him anymore."

Peng Yuanchao was taken aback: "Why?"

“I think we have no chance of getting ahead if we follow him. Look, when he joined the team last year, he was nobody. He made his fortune entirely by using us. In the end, he earned more than you, the team leader who paid the initial investment.”

Think back to what he said when we came back: he wouldn't divide the gold among himself, but would pay wages. He wanted to keep all the gold he found for himself.

Six hundred yuan a month is an incredible income for most people.

But we've been through the Gold Rush Valley before. Even if we just do guerrilla tactics, getting two grams of gold a day isn't difficult, right? We'd earn more than working for him.

Xu Youliang looked at Peng Yuanchao seriously: "If we continue to follow him, we will only be tools for him to make money. There are so many people and teams in the Gold Rush Valley. It's not like they can't function without him."

Look at us. The people you found and the people I found together make up about thirty people. The team is not small. We also have enough capital to start from. We can totally go it alone. Who wouldn't want to earn more?
If we follow him, he won't take us seriously. Even a hunchback he picks up on the wild road is more valued than us.

"You were clearly the leader, but in the end, Zhou Jingming became the one calling the shots in the entire gold mining team. I just can't understand how you could tolerate that."

Xu Youliang felt that he was probably the most frustrated one in the gold rush team last year, even though he was one of the first to start the team with Peng Yuanchao.

Zhou Jingming knew perfectly well that he was a regular customer. At first, when they were short-handed, he would ask him to discuss things together. But later, he treated him like any other gold prospector and stopped using him much, let alone asking him to share more gold.

But he took extra care of a hunchback.

Xu Youliang felt resentful, feeling that he had received too little, and he began to dislike Zhou Jingming.

Seeing Peng Yuanchao with his head down, thinking about his words, gave him some hope: "Brother Peng, this is what I'm thinking. Now that we know there's gold in Haxionggou, let's go there as soon as possible before many people know about it and find a mining site."

We can buy things like water pumps and guns.

When the time comes, we'll pool our resources, you'll be the big boss, and I'll be the second-in-command.

With just over twenty of us, mostly from the same area, we're sure to be able to establish ourselves in the Gold Rush Valley.

Peng Yuanchao slowly drank two cups of wine: "Youliang, I didn't realize you had such a big heart."

"Brother Peng, shouldn't people strive for better opportunities?"

"But have you ever thought that how high a person can go has a lot to do with their abilities? You're oversimplifying things."

I have to admit that at the beginning, I felt a little uncomfortable watching Zhou Jingming become more and more assertive in his words and actions within the team. Gradually, many people stopped coming to me for help and went to him instead. I even thought about finding a way to control him.

But later, I had to admit that he was far more capable than me. Without him, I wouldn't have been able to find a mining site like the small peninsula, let alone hold onto it. I probably would have had to move on if someone else wanted to take it over. Life went on like this for the past two years, with little to no profit.

What was the point of going gold panning? Money. Just because I made money following him, I'm satisfied. He took the lead in many things, so what more can I say?

Don't think we got less gold. Actually, we've already gotten a lot. The amount of gold that comes out of the mine is so small that each person won't get much. Most of it was earned by Zhou Jingming and Wu Yang through hard work. We should be content.

Actually, he could have easily kept all that gold from us, but he did, and he gave us quite a lot... I think following someone like him is a good choice, and I believe that if I go back to him, he won't treat me badly.

He did mention paying a salary, but also that I'd have one day off per week, plus food and drink. The expenses aren't small, but it's much better than other wealthy bosses. Sometimes, you have to be content.

Peng Yuanchao took a deep breath: "I know my own capabilities, and I believe that following him will be very safe. Youliang, don't be too ambitious. You can find all the gold in the world, but you only have one life. I think you should come with me and follow Zhou Jingming."

I know you think that with some men and guns at your disposal, no one will dare to mess with you. But have you ever considered that if you were given a gun, could you shoot accurately? Would you dare to shoot? You're not the only one with a gun.

There are plenty of shrewd and ruthless people in the Gold Rush Valley. You can't fool people with just bluffing. In the end, it all comes down to who you are.

Think about it carefully, isn't what I said reasonable?

The more Xu Youliang listened, the more his brows furrowed: "Brother Peng, can you stop always boosting others' morale and belittling our own? Zhou Jingming has two shoulders and a head, and we're no different."

"Yes, everyone has two shoulders and a head, but people's heads are different. What they contain is one thing, but whether they know how to use them is another."

"Anyway, I'm not working for him this year."

"It seems you've already made up your mind. Since you won't listen to anything I've said, I won't try to persuade you anymore. Everyone has their own ambitions, I understand."

We've known each other for a while, and I hope you succeed, but let me make this clear: we're on different teams, so we can't look after each other. Also, whatever you're thinking, don't even think about messing with Zhou Jingming. It's not that I look down on you, it's just that you really can't outmaneuver him. Don't make things difficult for me later.

Since they are both ambitious and looking for gold, they might bump into each other sometime due to some event.

Peng Yuanchao essentially gave Xu Youliang a heads-up.

The two didn't quite see eye to eye during their conversation.

If you can't get along, you naturally won't have much to say to each other.

The two drank a few more cups of wine, and seeing that it was already late, they quickly tidied up and went to sleep in the cave.

The next day, Xu Youliang left just as dawn was breaking, before Peng Yuanchao could even invite him to stay for noodles.

Watching the group walk away, he shook his head slightly.

That evening, he gathered his men, and the next morning, after eating noodles together, they headed to the county town to catch the train.

On the way, he saw the woman who had called him a bastard, looking at him from across the ravine on a barren slope.

He thought for a moment, then told the others to wait. He kicked up the yellow soil on the hillside, kicking up clouds of dust, and went down to the ravine. He then climbed back up the hillside along the dirt road. After a lot of effort, he finally arrived at the destination, but the woman was nowhere to be seen.

He called out a few times, but there was no response, so he had to give up, turn around and go back. There wasn't much to say anyway; he just wanted to give her some money so she could live a good life.

When he returned to the village and saw this woman, the reason he had the idea of ​​finding her was simply because his possessiveness was not satisfied and he felt regretful.

They were childhood sweethearts, but in the end they didn't end up together and she became someone else's woman. He felt uncomfortable about this and had the idea of ​​finding her.

In the period following his success, Peng Yuanchao spent most of his time venting his frustrations and developed a desire for thrills. After all, she was someone else's wife, and sneaking around was a kind of excitement.

But as the number of times increased, he felt increasingly empty and bored, even feeling a sense of weariness. Especially when he heard that a woman was coming to see him, and he was still thinking about the man who had injured his leg, he truly understood that this woman was no longer the childhood sweetheart he once knew. His mind finally calmed down completely.

At this point, the only reason for showing some consideration is out of consideration for past relationships.

Since they're avoiding me, then I won't see them.

He wasn't worried about the people who went with him seeing him. They were all from the same village and knew about Peng Yuanchao and that woman's past. So when they saw Peng Yuanchao going to see that woman, they weren't surprised. It's only human nature.

When Peng Yuanchao returned, someone jokingly asked, "Yuanchao, are you planning to rekindle your old flame?"

Someone chimed in, "You know what, there might actually be a chance. I heard that when this woman got married, they treated her terribly. She was often beaten, and they always said she was bought off."

"No, what are you thinking? Brother Peng is a big money-maker. He has plenty of money and can easily find a virgin. Why would he be interested in that other woman? Isn't that ridiculous? Would you be willing to do that in his shoes?"

"That's true. It's just that Brother Peng is sentimental; after all, they dated for a while and even talked about marriage!"

Peng Yuanchao ignored their arguing, simply shouldered his bag again, and continued on his way. Turning his head, he saw the woman standing on the barren slope again.

He frowned slightly, unable to understand what this woman was thinking. As for being sentimental, she might have been before, but not anymore.

He just started singing at the top of his lungs: "You follow that pair of braided pigtails, I can't guess what you're thinking, the wind blows open the door with the hemp stick, you're thinking of bringing me your shoes..."

A group of grown men also got into the mood, echoing the music in their unique voices as they walked away into the distance.

Unbeknownst to them, the woman did not return, but followed at a distance, traversing the earthen hills and gullies.

Peng Yuanchao and his group traveled a long way before finally arriving in Jincheng. Unexpectedly, they ran into Wang Dong on the platform. Wang Dong was also leading a group of people, two of whom had worked with him in the Gold Rush Valley last year, and a few newcomers, all of whom were unfamiliar faces.

People who knew each other greeted each other, and Peng Yuanchao immediately asked, "Wang Dong, are you planning to go it alone or stay with Brother Zhou?"

"I don't have the ability to work alone, I'll definitely go to Haxionggou to find Brother Zhou."

"What about Li Guozhu?"

"Uncle Li has also decided to go find Brother Zhou."

"It seems that everyone has similar ideas."

"Of those who went gold panning together last year, some are not planning to go anymore, and two are still looking for people to go solo."

"who cares!"

Peng Yuanchao shook his head indifferently: "I thought you were going to open a restaurant this year. Do you have enough money on hand?"

"It's enough... but I don't seem to be very confident about opening the museum anymore. I'll go panning for gold and save up some more money."

"That's right, having money on hand is the greatest source of confidence."

The two chatted casually until the train arrived at the station, then each led their respective companions onto the train.

(End of this chapter)