From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

About five minutes later, the other party replied: "Who are you? Why are you asking this?"

I explained my purpose truthfully: "I'm planning to form a team to trek through the uninhabited area and am looking for a reliable professional guide. Your videos look very professional, so I'd like to ask if you have any suitable recommendations?"

After waiting another two minutes, he replied, "Yes, we do, but are you an individual or a team?"

"It's a small team, with logistics and vehicle support, and it's also led by an individual," I replied truthfully.

This time, the other party's reply was exceptionally straightforward, directly pouring cold water on the situation:

"That's basically impossible. The controls are extremely strict now. Without official permission, no one can get in. Crossing over without authorization is illegal, and no one dares to lead anyone."

I felt relieved: "I can handle the permits. The car companies and clubs we're cooperating with have official channels and will be responsible for the approval and registration. All we need now is an experienced senior guide to lead the team."

"Oh, I can recommend someone to you. But he's eccentric and stubborn, and doesn't like to get involved in industry matters. Whether he's willing to take your job depends on your own abilities."

Immediately afterwards, the other party sent a detailed address.

"This is his shop. If you want to talk to him, you can just go to his shop in person."

I quickly followed up, "Don't you have any contact information? Let me communicate with you in advance."

He doesn't use a cell phone.

I was stunned.

These days, everyone is glued to their phones. There are still modern people who don't use cell phones. They are truly eccentric.

But I became more and more convinced that the more eccentric and unconventional a person is, the more genuine their abilities are, far surpassing those of internet celebrities.

I quickly typed my thanks, then opened the map and entered the address to search.

Since I was looking for someone in the same city, this person's address was naturally in Jiangzhou City, which wasn't far away.

The next morning, I quickly got ready and prepared to go out to meet this mysterious big shot.

The tour guide is the core of the entire trip; without a confirmed tour guide, all subsequent plans are just empty talk.

I had just pushed open the courtyard gate to go out when I heard crisp footsteps behind me.

Su Qing, dressed neatly, quickly followed him out: "What are you rushing off to so early in the morning?"

As I walked, I casually replied, "Last night I contacted someone online who knows about uninhabited areas, and he recommended a senior guide to me. I'll go over and chat with him."

"Just found someone online? Is it reliable? What if it's a scam?" Su Qing was full of doubt.

"I don't know. I haven't met him in person. I'll go and meet him first to see what he's really like. We'll know after we talk," I replied casually.

Su Qing immediately picked up her small bag and quickly followed me, saying, "Wait for me, I'll go with you."

I turned to her, looking at her helplessly: "Why are you going with them?"

"I'm just sitting at home doing nothing anyway, so I might as well go out with you and give you my opinion."

Knowing her temper well, I knew there was no point in arguing, so I had no choice but to compromise and take her out with me.

When I arrived, I discovered it was a store selling outdoor products.

It's not a large shop; it's just a small store that you might not even notice if you're not paying attention.

The overall appearance was simple and dilapidated, a far cry from the equipment I had imagined for a seasoned guide in the no-man's-land.

Su Qing stood beside me, her brows slightly furrowed, and muttered softly:

"Is this the place? This kind of small shop, is it really run by a seasoned guide in remote areas? It looks so unprofessional."

I peered inside through the open door, and the interior was extremely shabby.

The white walls were slightly yellowed, and the shelves were haphazardly filled with scattered outdoor accessories, completely lacking a high-end and professional atmosphere.

How could a top veteran who can venture alone into no-man's land and lead a team through restricted areas end up in such a sorry state?

Why open such an inconspicuous little shabby shop?

Suppressing my doubts, I said softly, "The navigation address is correct, this should be the place. Let's go in and take a look first."

As I spoke, I stepped into the store.

The store was small and empty, with no other customers.

A man was sitting by the counter.

He had messy long hair and was wearing a faded work jacket. He was looking down, intently fiddling with a pair of well-worn outdoor Doc Martens, his movements practiced and skillful.

I quickly scanned the store to make sure there was no one else there.

I felt increasingly uneasy. Could the person who recommended him last night be this man in front of me, who looked so颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it implies a state of listlessness, decadence, or apathy) and lacking any energy?

Just as I was secretly speculating, the man seemed to sense the movement, slowly raised his head, and his gaze fell directly on me.

The moment our eyes met, I clearly saw his appearance.

His facial features were strong and deep, with sharp eyebrows and eyes, and his skin was dark and rough from years of exposure to wind and sun, a typical look of a man from Northwest China.

He wasn't exactly handsome, but he possessed a cold, hard aura that suggested he had weathered many storms and seen life and death.

But those eyes were too indifferent, looking at people as if they were objects, devoid of any warmth.

They made eye contact for less than a second before he looked away, lowered his head again, and started fiddling with the shoes in his hands.

Su Qing immediately frowned, leaned close to my ear, and whispered a complaint:

"What's wrong with this guy? He doesn't even greet the customers when they come in. Is he even the boss? He's so rude."

I also felt the scene was extremely awkward, and the air seemed to be thick with tension.

I coughed lightly, breaking the silence: "Is the boss there? We've come to talk to you about something."

"That's me."

The man didn't even raise his head, his voice was low and hoarse, devoid of any emotion, giving off a completely unapproachable vibe.

His attitude thoroughly displeased Su Qing.

She was straightforward by nature, and immediately stepped forward, frowning as she spoke:

"Since you're the boss, why don't you even greet customers when they come in? What kind of business attitude is that?"

Upon hearing this, the man finally looked up again and gave us a brief, indifferent glance.

He only glanced at us briefly before lowering his head back to focus on his work, completely ignoring our questions.

I wondered to myself, could it be that we arrived at the wrong time, just when he was in a bad mood?

I could only walk around the store, trying to figure out how to communicate with this kind of person.

Actually, I really dislike dealing with people with such eccentric personalities.

Because they are too difficult to get along with, but there is no other choice in this matter.

I took a deep breath, suppressed my discomfort, and walked to the counter, speaking in a humble manner:

"Boss, we're here today because we sincerely want to collaborate with you. We're planning to form a team to traverse the no-man's-land and would like to hire you as our guide."

Upon hearing this, the man who had been indifferent and ignoring everything finally reacted.

He looked up again, his gaze first falling on my face, then casually sweeping over Su Qing beside him.

He glanced around, then spoke without uttering a single unnecessary word: "How much is the reward?"

This decisiveness surprised me slightly.