Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 622 A Lucky Break

The two cars started and drove towards Damin. There weren't many main roads around here, just rural dirt roads. Xiaowei's car was alright, but Lu Suo and the others' jeeps were practically dancing disco.

Qin Aihua's hometown is Zhangtai Village, located below Damin, which is more than 30 kilometers away from Futaizi. Fortunately, there are no mountains in the area, so the journey was relatively smooth.

At 11:30 p.m., the group arrived at Zhangtaizi. The two cars were parked by the river more than a kilometer away from the village. The surrounding area was pitch black, with occasional barks from dogs. The temperature difference in Northeast China is large, and this was the coldest time of day. At noon, people would wear short sleeves, but now even wearing a long-sleeved shirt might not feel warm. The six people squeezed into Xiaowei's car and turned on the air conditioning to talk.

That's why Xiaowei's car is good and quiet. If it were a Jeep, the engine would be so loud that it could disturb the whole village with the air conditioning on.

Lu lowered his voice and said, "It still has to be a good car, so you won't suffer when you go out."

Xiao Wei also lowered his voice and said, "We're just about to change cars, and Xiao Hui's car is idle. Why don't you take it?"

Lu shook his head and said, "Alright, don't try to win me over or corrupt me. I still want to climb the ranks." Everyone laughed.

Looking out the window towards the village, Huang said, "How many families are there in this village? Are we just going to wait here until dawn? If he's really here, waiting until dawn isn't a good thing. If he's slept well and rested, all of us won't be enough for him to mow down with a single burst of bullets."

Xiao Wei said, "I grew up in the countryside. We can't go in now. Going in would be like stepping on a landmine. Even the deepest sleeper would be woken up. In this pitch black, we wouldn't even see him if he ran away. Let's wait until it's light. People in the countryside get up early. We'll see if we can find someone from our village to chat with then."

Hao Dawei didn't understand why he was speaking so cautiously and quietly, but he also lowered his voice and asked, "Why?"

Xiao Wei said, "Do you think the chickens, ducks, geese, and dogs in the village are just for show? We're just keeping our distance now. If we go any further, the dogs will start barking in a flock, and once they start barking, the geese will start fussing too, understand? There are basically no thieves in the countryside. If there are, they'll just steal something during the day when people are out in the fields, because they can't hide at night. At night, the dogs in the countryside are all free to run around, roaming all over the yard. The noise carries too far at night."

Huang said, "Look, aren't the lights on in the village?"

The car windows were covered in condensation, and the group wiped them with their sleeves, peering into the village. It was still over a kilometer away, quite far, but they could vaguely make out a light shining in one spot. In the pitch-black surroundings, that single light stood out remarkably.

Lu asked, "Should we go over and take a look?"

Xiao Wei hesitated and said, "Even if there are any activities in the village right now, they're all locals, so the dogs aren't barking much. But if a few of us go, the dogs will react differently. Don't underestimate dogs; they can distinguish between locals and outsiders, and they can even tell the difference between geese. Their reactions will be different. I'm worried about free-roaming dogs or geese on the street; that would be a complete disaster."

Hao Dawei asked, "Is it really that strange?"

Xiao Wei sighed and said, "It's even more bizarre than you think. Believe it or not, the five of us can't even beat a flock of geese. Right now, you can't even outrun it."

Huang said, "I believe it. I've been to the countryside. Xiaowei wasn't exaggerating; it's really true."

Hao Dawei suddenly patted Xiaowei and said, "Look behind you, look behind you, aren't those car headlights?"

Xiao Wei turned his head to look behind him, but the rear window was covered in condensation and he couldn't see anything. So he simply opened the car door quietly and went outside to look into the distance.

The pitch-black night seemed to absorb light; even car headlights couldn't illuminate very far. However, it was still possible to make out several cars approaching, though it was impossible to discern their types. Although the headlights were visible, the actual distance between them was considerable.

Xiao Wei looked down at Lu in the car and said, "Cars, at least three cars, also from Fengtian, but I can't tell what kind of cars they are."

Lu licked his lips and said, "I have a feeling we might have hit the jackpot."

Huang nodded and said, "It might have been a lucky accident. I can't think of any other reason why they came here so late."

Xiao Wei said, "What do you mean? Who?" Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Wei suddenly took a step back and looked in front of the car. A figure, moving in the dark, was already less than three meters away from the car. The person was also startled and whispered, "Is it a police officer?"

Xiao Wei also said in a low voice, "Walk over here slowly, don't run, there are guns aimed at you over here, come over slowly."

Huang drew his pistol and quietly got out of the car through the right rear door, crouching on the roof and aiming at the approaching person.

The man walked over slowly with his hands raised and said, "I'm the one who made the call, Old Zhang from the militia. When did you arrive? You're here so fast."

Lu Suo also got out of the car, gently nudged Xiao Wei, and said, "Come over here and let's talk."

Old Zhang walked to the back of the car and squatted down with Chief Lu. Chief Lu asked, "Who did you call?"

Old Zhang said, "I only called your county bureau. I don't know the numbers for other places."

Lu asked, "What's the situation now?"

Old Zhang said, "Little Liu just took some beer back and is trying to coax you. I'll come out to meet you in the west room of Little Liu's house."

Lu asked, "Can you figure out the positions of the people and the guns?"

Old Zhang said, "The woman is asleep at the end of the kang (a heated brick bed), and the man is holding a gun at the head of the kang. Xiao Liu went in twice and brought this out, saying that the man gave it to him." He handed the object over upside down, and when Lu took it, he saw that it was the bayonet on a submachine gun.

Lu asked Huang, who was standing at the corner of the car, "What should we do?"

Huang glanced at the faint headlights of a car in the distance and said, "Go in. Xiaowei, you and Dawei guard the front window. You take this bayonet, and as soon as someone appears, don't worry about anything else, just stab them to death. Dawei, you're big, so put in some effort. Xiaoliu, you and Lu guard the back window, load your guns, and don't worry about life or death. We can't think about anything else at this point. Lao Zhang, let's charge in together, are you brave enough?"

Lu said, "No, it's too dangerous."

Huang said, "I've fought in wars and been on the battlefield. Don't argue with me now, just follow orders. It's unlikely he'll come out through the front window; the back window is crucial. So you and Xiao Liu must keep an eye on the back window, one on each side against the wall, understand? If he comes out, his back will be to you. But Xiao Wei, you can't be careless either, just in case. It's actually safest for me to rush in, understand?"

Old Zhang said, "That makes sense. I've been in the army too. Don't worry, I'll go in with you."

Xiao Wei asked Lao Zhang, "Can dogs and geese bark?"

Old Zhang said, "Follow me, the snacks are fine. I'll lead you around from the west end."

Huang said, "Okay, it's settled then, let's go."

Lu said, "Wait, let's bring the jeep over."

Several people lifted the jeep and placed it in the middle of the road, locked both vehicles, and closed the windows before following Old Zhang along the edge of the fields towards the village. They encountered a flock of geese on the way, but Old Zhang shooed them away with a few kicks—they were family, no trouble.

(End of this chapter)