From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

I immediately nodded in agreement, then took out my phone and dialed Anran's number first.

The phone rang several times, but no one answered.

Wang Ge doesn't have a cell phone, so I'll have to go to his shop to find him later.

While I was thinking, I dialed Luo Peng's number.

The call connected almost instantly, and Luo Peng's energetic voice came through the other end: "Hey, Brother Lin, what's up?"

"Are you not busy right now?" I asked.

"No rush, no rush, I'm lifting weights at the gym."

I was slightly taken aback, a little surprised: "When did you start working out? I've never seen you this diligent before."

"What am I supposed to do? We're going to some no-man's-land, so I have to work out my physical fitness beforehand, so I don't slow everyone down on the way!"

"That's good, it's commendable that you have this awareness."

I smiled and complimented her, then got to the point.

"My project contract has been officially signed. Tonight I'll organize a get-together and invite all my teammates to get together, get to know each other, and prepare for our departure."

"No problem, Brother Lin! What time and where tonight?" Luo Peng readily agreed.

"I'll confirm the time and place later and send them to you then."

"Okay, I'll keep practicing and wait for your reply!"

I responded and hung up the phone.

Immediately afterwards, he sent Anran a WeChat message: "Are you busy? If you're free tonight, let's go out for dinner together. I've invited all my teammates who are traveling in the no-man's-land, so we can all get to know each other and get to know each other beforehand."

The message was sent successfully. I didn't wait long and immediately dialed the number of Chen Yunqing, whom I had just added as a friend today.

Chen Yunqing was a man of few words and straightforwardness, and I was too lazy to be polite, so I got straight to the point:

"If you don't have any other plans tonight, let's go out for dinner together. It'll be a chance for our teammates who went on this trip to the no-man's-land to get together and get to know each other better."

On the other end of the phone, she remained concise and to the point, her tone calm and crisp: "Okay, send me the address."

"I'll send it to you once I've confirmed the location."

"Um."

Without any further pleasantries, the call ended with just two sentences.

Communicating with a pragmatist like Chen Yunqing is effortless and requires no effort.

Anran still hasn't replied, and I haven't sent any more messages to urge her. She's probably busy with work, and she'll reply when she's done and sees the message.

I put away my phone and turned to Su Qing beside me, saying, "Brother Wang doesn't have a phone, so I can't contact him. I have to go to his shop in person."

Upon hearing this, Su Qing immediately waved her hand, her face full of disdain:

"Then you go ahead, I won't go. I feel awkward looking at his sullen and indifferent demeanor, I don't like it at all."

I sighed helplessly and advised, "Don't be so prejudiced against him. Brother Wang is the core guide for this trip and will be traveling with us the whole time. If you really don't want to deal with him, you might as well not go to the no-man's-land."

"I can't stand his cold attitude, as if everyone owes him money."

Su Qing pouted and said angrily, "I'm telling you now, when we get on the road, I absolutely will not ride in the same car as him!"

I couldn't help but casually retort, "Don't worry, they might not want to ride in the same car as you."

Su Qing instantly raised her small, pink fist, as if to punch me, glaring at me fiercely:

"Lin Ye! You want a beating, don't you?!"

I immediately raised my hands in surrender, and as I turned to leave, I instructed, "Alright, stop joking around. Make a reservation at the restaurant at home first, and send me the address as soon as you have it."

"understood."

After leaving the riverside courtyard, I went straight to the bus stop, boarded the bus, and headed to Brother Wang's outdoor equipment store.

Upon entering the store, it was found that only Brother Wang was there.

Unlike his busy appearance last time, he was now sitting quietly on a camping chair, staring blankly out the window, exuding an aura of loneliness and desolation.

I thought to myself, in this era where everyone is inseparable from their mobile phones, everyone can watch videos to pass the time when they have free time.

Wang Ge was the only one without a cell phone, and could only stare blankly in his spare time. I don't know how he got through it.

I walked into the store, and the sound of my footsteps finally pulled him back to reality.

He slowly raised his head, glanced at me indifferently, and remained calm.

I sat down in front of him and, without wasting any words, said directly, "Brother Wang, I've already signed the project contract. The client said that the approval process should be completed within five working days."

Upon hearing this, Brother Wang nodded slightly, raised his hand and pointed to the empty seat next to him, indicating that I should sit down.

He then picked up a white cigarette from the small table beside him, took one out, and handed it over.

I took the light, lit it, took a deep drag, and continued:

"The 300,000 yuan start-up capital will arrive tomorrow. You're an expert in equipment, so I'll leave the procurement and preparation to you. I'll handle the supplies along the way. Is the division of labor alright?"

Wang Ge remained remarkably taciturn, nodding slightly before asking in a low voice, "Where's the vehicle?"

"I'll bring the car over tomorrow, and you can check its condition yourself. If there are no problems, we can finalize the deal."

He nodded again, then fell silent and stopped speaking.

I consider myself a quiet person, but in front of Brother Wang, I suddenly became incredibly talkative.

This person is truly sparing with words; he will never open his mouth if he can avoid speaking.

I broke the silence: "By the way, I'm organizing a get-together tonight. All my teammates from our no-man's-land trip are coming over so we can get to know each other and practice our teamwork beforehand. You should come too."

To be honest, I had absolutely no hope that he would agree.

Wang Ge is a loner who doesn't like socializing, so he would most likely refuse such gatherings and social events.

To my surprise, he readily agreed after hearing the answer.

I was immediately overjoyed and quickly added, "That's great! If it's convenient for you, you can bring your teammates along too."

He remained calm, nodded slightly, and then got up and walked to the counter.

He picked up the equipment list on the table and carefully looked through it to check it.

After reading it, I immediately started organizing it without saying a word.

His shop may look small and simply furnished, but all the outdoor gear inside is practical.

There are no fancy, off-brand, or useless products; they're all high-quality, essential items for outdoor use.

Watching his busy figure, I advised, "Brother Wang, there's no need to rush. The paperwork will take a few more days to be completed; there's plenty of time."

He continued working, saying calmly, "It's safest to prepare in advance. Don't let your guard down these next few days; work on your physical fitness. The roads in the no-man's-land are treacherous, and it'll be dangerous if you can't keep up."

"Don't worry, I've got it."

As soon as I finished speaking, my phone in my pocket suddenly vibrated slightly.

I instinctively reached for my phone and opened the WeChat message Anran had sent me.

After just one glance, my heart sank instantly.

A tremendous sense of powerlessness instantly enveloped his entire body, and he was stunned as if struck by lightning.

At that moment, I truly felt like the sky was falling.