Back to 1984: I built a chicken farm on a barren mountain.

"Devotion can discern illusion from reality, long accustomed to the mortal world, yet its spirit remains untamed. Each thought of the common people brings forth tears, for a worthy successor dwells by the Huanhua Stream."

Wu Jiajun silently recited the poem the three of them had written together, his heart brimming with barely suppressed excitement.

Tears welled up in Feng Jianguo's eyes, but he turned his head away to hide them.

The two remained silent for a long time.

Perhaps they were not only praising Chen Wenfeng's talent, but also resonating with his ideal of "always thinking of the common people".

Chen Wenfeng was quite satisfied after reciting the poem. This satisfaction wasn't about whether the poem was good or bad, but rather a sense of strength and perseverance.

After Wu Jiajun recovered, he called over Manager Li, changed the dishes to another table, opened a jar of fine wine, and the three of them drank until they were drunk.

This time, Chen Wenfeng got drunk again, and he ended up staying overnight at the Kyushu Hotel.

He slept soundly that night, and when he woke up, it was already broad daylight.

Wu Jiajun arranged breakfast, and the two chatted for a while longer.

"Brother Wu, what time did Brother Feng leave yesterday?"

"After you got drunk, Lao Feng left. I wanted to let him stay overnight, but he said he had to go back to prepare for a business trip today."

"Is Brother Feng drunk?"

"Old Feng has a good alcohol tolerance, and yesterday he seemed to have something on his mind. He was acting strangely and drank less than usual."

Chen Wenfeng also sensed that Feng Jianguo was different from usual. Although he was still humorous and funny, he was obviously preoccupied.

After finishing breakfast, Chen Wenfeng discussed the egg supply with Manager Li. Once everything was settled, Chen Wenfeng said goodbye to Wu Jiajun.

The two talked for a while in front of the Kyushu Hotel, when someone walked past them.

The man was dressed in tattered clothes, smelled bad, walked with a limp, and wore a tattered hat with the brim pulled low.

Chen Wenfeng pointed to the man's back and said to Wu Jiajun:

"Angkor, look at that person, he seems kind of familiar."

Wu Jiajun looked in the direction Chen Wenfeng pointed and saw a person dressed in tattered clothes, thin and limping, walking into the distance. He said:

"I don't recognize him, but now that you mention it, that figure does seem strangely familiar. It's just that I don't have any friends with mobility issues with me..."

......

The man turned at a street corner, glanced back at Wu Jiajun and Chen Wenfeng, gently raised the brim of his hat, and watched Chen Wenfeng ride away on his bicycle.

This person was none other than Feng Jianguo.

Feng Jianguo was preparing to conduct a secret interview, or rather, an undercover operation—to go to an illegal coal mine.

It turns out that Feng Jianguo recently received some information during an interview that some homeless people had gone missing near the county's bus station.

These homeless people are usually mentally challenged and beg for food near the station. Some residents in the area will give them food, and some homeless people are taken back by their families.

But recently, these homeless people have all disappeared. It's not so bad that the homeless people have disappeared, but some people from the villages under the county seat have also gone missing.

Based on Feng Jianguo's investigation and analysis, it was highly likely that these people had been abducted by illegal coal mines. Although the investigators had also searched nearby coal mines, they found nothing.

Feng Jianguo eventually identified a coal mine not far from the station, although this coal mine had been investigated many times and had been largely ruled out as a suspect.

But with his journalistic instincts, Feng Jianguo was prepared to get involved and investigate personally. He was well aware of the risks involved, but his conscience and sense of responsibility compelled him to do so.

He prepared for this operation for several days, including wearing tattered clothes, walking with a limp, speaking in a hoarse voice, and pretending to be mentally challenged.

To convince others, he carried no water or food, only a hidden camera concealed in the button of his shirt, which was his only tool for preserving evidence.

Feng Jianguo would wander around the station for a week at a time. When he was hungry, he would look for food in the trash cans. When he was thirsty, he would ask passersby for water. He would sleep under the bridge at night. In order to prevent others from noticing anything, he required himself to be in a real homeless state 24 hours a day.

The weather was already very hot at the end of June. Feng Jianguo not only had to endure being covered in sweat, but also had to deal with the unpleasant smell of the garbage cans.

Even when he was sleeping under the bridge, he was bullied by other homeless people. Normally, with Feng Jianguo's physical strength, it wouldn't have been a problem for him to deal with one or two homeless people, but he endured it and took the beating before hiding in a distance.

In fact, on the second day after he arrived at the station, someone struck up a conversation with him, and based on his intuition, he was certain that it was the person in front of him.

This person was also very cunning. He didn't appear on the third day, nor on the fourth day, and on the fifth day, he just missed Feng Jianguo.

On the sixth day, Feng Jianguo was given a steamed bun. He took the bun without even looking at it and wolfed it down.

After Feng Jianguo finished eating, the man asked him a series of questions:

"What's your name? How old are you? Where are you from? Who else is in your family?"

Feng Jianguo squinted, pretending not to hear, and stammered his reply, his words mumbled indistinctly.

The man seemed pleased to see Feng Jianguo's foolish appearance, but he did nothing and eventually walked away.

On the seventh day, the weather suddenly turned gloomy, and a thunderstorm brought coolness. There were not many people near the station, but Feng Jianguo still stood foolishly in the rain. His intuition told him that today was the day.

Around noon, the rain stopped for a while, and the man finally appeared. This time, he was not as composed as before, but rather furtive, looking around suspiciously as he walked.

He noticed there were few people at the station, but he remained very vigilant. After circling around several times, he finally approached Feng Jianguo and said:

"Hey bro, have you eaten yet?"

"Waaaaah, Wu Xifan..."

Feng Jianguo used gestures and words to express that he had not eaten.

The man then took out a steamed bun from his bag and handed it to Feng Jianguo. Feng Jianguo grabbed the bun and ate it in a few bites, as if he were a starving ghost reincarnated.

The man lowered his head and whispered to Feng Jianguo:

"Is it tasty?"

"Haohao hope..."

Feng Jianguo replied.

The man then pulled out another steamed bun, waved it in front of Feng Jianguo, and said:

"If you want to eat steamed buns, you have to work; then you can eat them every day."

So the man led Feng Jianguo away from the station. Fearing that he would give himself away, Feng Jianguo walked slowly, resting occasionally and observing his surroundings.

Seeing that Feng Jianguo was walking slowly, the man became even more convinced that Feng Jianguo had mental problems, and gave Feng Jianguo two more steamed buns along the way.

We walked and stopped, and because of the rain and the lack of pedestrians, we finally wandered into a village, and then eventually arrived at a coal mine.

Feng Jianguo knew this coal mine, and it was indeed as he had expected. He suppressed his excitement and followed them inside.

As soon as they entered, two burly men suddenly came out and shouted at Feng Jianguo:

"Stop pretending, it's you! We know you!"