My Gold Rush Career Begins in 1984

Chapter 212 What I can do is what I am capable of.

The next morning, Zhou Jingming and Wu Yang slept in until they naturally woke up at the hotel, then went out to find a restaurant to eat at, and began to stroll around the county town.

In this county town surrounded by mountains, you can see the morning sun shining on the snow-capped peaks, glittering like a divine manifestation. The highest peak, Amne Machin, is one of the four sacred mountains in the snow region, standing majestically on the horizon.

At the foot of the mountain in July, the ice and snow melted, and the green grass was like a carpet. The mountain's contours were clearly reflected in their eyes, and the graceful arcs stretched into the distance. In the ever-changing light and shadow at the mountaintop, they shone with a light that flickered, appearing sacred and enchanting.

Compared to the beautiful scenery outside the county town, the county town itself appears chaotic and noisy, with most people rushing about.

"Brother Zhou, there are really a lot of gold prospectors around here!"

Wu Yang could naturally tell what those people on the street were doing. He was just a little puzzled: "You said there are so many places with gold around here, why don't the Tibetans go to mine for gold? It's almost all outsiders who come to mine for gold."

Zhou Jingming explained simply: "Tibetans do not have the habit of mining gold. They have always believed that gold is a precious thing in the land and should not be touched casually."

Most of the people panning for gold in the Xihai area are farmers from the eight counties east of Xihai. Because there is little industry or sideline business to be done in the agricultural area, after the land is contracted out, there is almost nothing to do for a long time after the crops are planted once a year. Every year, at least 70,000 to 80,000 surplus laborers from this area go to the west to pan for gold.

As you've seen along the way, those people driving tractors and big-wheeled carts on the highway are almost all gold prospectors. Add to that the gold prospectors from other parts of the country, and the situation becomes even more complicated and chaotic.

Wu Yang then said, "Brother Zhou, actually, there's something I've always wanted to ask you."

"You said."

“When I returned to my hometown before the Lunar New Year last year, I heard from several people who had returned from working outside that doing business nowadays means you can make money as long as you have something to sell, and the profits are even comparable to those from gold mining.”

"I know that."

"What I want to say is that I made a lot of money last year, and you must have made even more. Have you ever thought about switching to business? In any case, it's not that dangerous."

"You might not believe it, but when I first left the geological team, my initial idea was to go into business at sea, but..."

"what happened?"

“Wu Yang, I once heard someone say something like this: If my abilities can only make me poor and destitute, then poverty and destitution are my value. As long as it’s not something I’ve realized or understood, you can’t give it to me, and even if you did, I couldn’t hold onto it. Only what I realize and understand myself can I possibly do, and what I can do is truly mine.”

"What does this mean?"

"What I mean is, although I have thought about going into business, I have never really been involved in the business world. I don't understand it and I'm not good at it. If I go into it, I might run into obstacles everywhere. Even if God gives me a chance, I might not be able to take it."

Gold panning is different; it's what I'm best at, and I know the most about it. I have my own ideas and plans. There are many things I already understand and can foresee, so I'm quite familiar with them. Why would I choose a detour and stumble along a path I don't know well?

"Oh I see."

"Why are you asking this all of a sudden? Are you thinking about starting a business? It's true, starting a business isn't as dangerous as it seems. If you want to go for it, I'd really support you."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yang shook his head repeatedly: "If I wanted to go, I wouldn't come this year. Besides, I don't know anything about doing business. Life in the Gold Rush Valley is more exciting than spending all day haggling with people, buying and selling goods."

"Work hard. If you're really willing to do this, we can expand our business further and further. Maybe one day we can even go overseas."

"You can even go abroad?"

"Why can't you go? You can go if you want to."

"I definitely have to go and see for myself. I have no idea what it's like abroad. When are we going?"

"When it gets tough to make a living in the country, we'll have to see how things go."

When Wu Yang talked about this, he seemed to be on a high.

He was never one to settle for the status quo. He chose to pan for gold not only to make money, but also because he preferred the thrill of fighting and killing, as it allowed him to put his skills to use.

Zhou Jingming could clearly sense the excitement that Wu Yang exuded every time someone came to cause trouble at the mine site; he was exactly the kind of warmonger with a bandit-like nature.

The two spent a considerable amount of time wandering around the county town, getting a feel for its local customs and atmosphere. Finally, Zhou Jingming led Wu Yang to a shop selling various gold panning tools; to be precise, it was a blacksmith shop without a sign.

Inside the shop, a Han Chinese man was leading two apprentices in blacksmithing. The red-hot iron blocks, under the dense rhythm of the small hammers, were struck with a large sledgehammer on the anvil with a series of thuds, sparks flying everywhere, and layers of impurities peeling off from the constantly deforming red-hot iron blocks.

After waiting for about half a minute, the hammering stopped, and the leader, a bare-chested man in black and red, looked up at the two of them and pointed to the items on the shelf next to him: "Buying tools? Take your pick, whichever one you like!"

"We're not buying tools, we're just here to ask some questions."

As Zhou Jingming spoke, he casually pulled two ten-yuan bills from his pocket and handed them to the blacksmith. Similar to the balloon shooting stalls in Altan, the blacksmith shop in Maqin County had existed for a longer time. Besides being responsible for information transmission, in addition to manufacturing various gold-mining tools, it had another crucial role: smelting and refining the gold nuggets and bran mined by prospectors, casting them into gold ingots. Naturally, it also handled some gold trading.

Zhou Jingming already knew about this place when he came here in his previous life.

Instead of asking around, he chose to go directly here and pay for the information he needed, also to save himself the trouble.

The blacksmith, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, who looked very honest, took the two ten-yuan bills and asked, "What do you want to ask?"

Zhou Jingming lowered his voice: "I want to know where Mr. Wu Fusheng, who is panning for gold in Maqin Snow Mountain, is located."

"Wu Fusheng?"

The blacksmith thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "At the beginning of the year, it was still in Maqin Snow Mountain, but I don't know where it is now."

Zhou Jingming frowned slightly.

But then the blacksmith continued, "This year he was fighting with a Mr. Jin for a mining site, but Mr. Jin and two other Mr. Jin ganged up on him and caused a huge fight. Many people were killed or injured, and his own mining site was taken away. The Maqin Snow Mountain area can't tolerate him, so I don't know where he went."

Perhaps you could go to Golmud and take a look. I've heard that gold mines have been discovered in the Altun Mountains, and many gold prospectors have gone there. Maybe he went there too.

Zhou Jingming nodded slightly: "Thanks!"

After he finished speaking, he led Wu Yang back to the inn.

Although it was just a few simple sentences, it was still very credible. Last year when I went back to my hometown, I heard some gold prospectors on the bus say that Wu Fusheng was fighting fiercely with two gold bosses in the Maqin Snow Mountain area.

It's normal for it to be eaten.

Moreover, the more someone like him is, the more irreconcilable he is with those wealthy businessmen. If he is defeated, he will naturally have nowhere to go.

"It seems we have no choice but to make a trip to Golmud. If we can't find it in Golmud, we'll go to the Altun Mountains."

Having come this far, Zhou Jingming was not about to give up easily.

Wu Yang asked curiously, "Where is Golmud?"

"It's still about 400 to 500 kilometers to the northwest. That's where the largest black market for gold is located these days. Many gold prospectors or gold bosses sell the gold they find in Golmud through the black market. There are people in many places who are responsible for connecting the black market. The situation is much more complicated than in places like Altan and Temaike."

Zhou Jingming briefly explained the situation.

I had planned to rest here for two days, but since Wu Fusheng wasn't here, there was no need to stay any longer.

That evening, he filled up the motorcycle with gas and took a large can of gasoline with him. The next morning, he rode the motorcycle again, leading Wu Yang along the highway, heading northwest.

They traveled at a lot of intervals, mainly because some of the places they passed through were at very high altitudes. After days of bumpy travel, Zhou Jingming and Wu Yang were both quite tired, probably due to their weakened bodies, and experienced altitude sickness.

In many places, the oxygen content in the air is only half that of ordinary places. Even when riding a motorcycle, you need to adapt after a while before you can continue, otherwise you will have a splitting headache and be out of breath after the slightest movement.

On the road, you can often see cars carrying tools, luggage, and gold prospectors heading towards Golmud.

To save money, the gold prospectors almost always transported themselves and their goods together in the same vehicle, with some vehicles crammed with thirty or forty prospectors in a small compartment.

Gold prospectors ate and slept on their vehicles, enduring scorching sun during the day and sub-zero temperatures at night. The harsh environment made them highly susceptible to illness, and they lacked even basic medicines and medical care. Some prospectors who were physically weak or already ill began to fall ill on the road.

Zhou Jingming and Wu Yang encountered a crowded truck on the road. They stopped halfway to eat some dry rations and let everyone get off to relieve themselves. After everyone got off, they realized that a gold prospector was nowhere to be seen. His companions called him to get up and eat, only to find that he was already stiff as a board.

Mr. Jin, who was also suffering from altitude sickness in the driver's seat, had the body dragged to the side of the road, dug a shallow pit to bury it, and then vomited loudly by the roadside.

When Zhou Jingming and Wu Yang passed by, they were moving a body.

After enduring the scorching sun and spending a considerable amount of time traveling, the two finally arrived in Golmud in the evening.

This is a much busier urban area than Maqin County. It is a transportation hub connecting four regions: Ganzhou, Xinjiang, Xihai, and Xuequ. Historically, it was also an important node on the Silk Road. As early as the 1980s, it was changed from a county town to an urban area.

At this point, Zhou Jingming and Wu Yang had lost their appetite and quickly found a hotel to stay in. They slept soundly until the next morning, when their condition improved slightly.

(End of this chapter)