Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Wei Chen stood up to take his leave. He knew the meaning behind Jin Aiguo's last words. He was "attached" to the equipment and supplies warehouse under the security department, which seemed like a sinecure on the surface, but was actually a clever arrangement by Jin Aiguo.

Firstly, the warehouse manager's job was relatively free and easy, mainly relying on the senior Li Zhijun to keep an eye on things, which made it convenient for Wei Chen to be transferred by the logistics department at any time to run "procurement" or similar tasks, giving full play to his expertise in "handling supplies." This was agreed upon when the security department needed personnel.

Secondly, the warehouse is convenient for feeding Big Yellow! Wei Chen's pet in the game world is an extremely agile and loyal large wolfhound, a great helper for guarding the house and patrolling at night. It has helped the security department solve several cases and is currently a "police dog" in the security department.

Placing Wei Chen in this position, seemingly marginal, actually balances leisure, convenience, and a certain level of security; it's a "privileged post" tailor-made for him by Jin Aiguo.

After leaving Jin Aiguo's office, Wei Chen didn't go directly to the warehouse. Instead, he went to an inconspicuous corner (actually from his spatial storage) and took out a bag of milk curds and a small bag of beef jerky that he had prepared beforehand. He wrapped them in old newspapers, put them in his satchel, and then headed towards the relatively quiet bungalow area in the northeast corner of the security department.

His "office" was at the end of that row of bungalows, with a sign that read "Equipment and Supplies Warehouse." Although it was called a warehouse, it wasn't very large; it mainly stored equipment and supplies for the security department.

The location is remote, and the work isn't heavy, so it's usually managed by the old man Li Zhijun. Wei Chen is nominally part of the security department, and being sent here satisfies the logistics department's need for "on-call assistance" and also meets Jin Aiguo's wish to "bring Big Yellow for support at any time." For Wei Chen himself, it's a peaceful and convenient place to work.

As soon as I approached the row of low bungalows, a deep and powerful bark came from the dogs. It wasn't frantic, but rather wary and confirming.

Immediately, a large, golden-furred wolfhound with a sturdy frame darted out of its kennel next to the warehouse and rushed towards Wei Chen like an arrow. Instead of attacking, it circled around him excitedly, wagging its tail like a windmill and making affectionate "woof woof" sounds in its throat, while rubbing its head against his legs.

"Big Yellow! Did you miss me?" Wei Chen smiled and squatted down, vigorously rubbing Big Yellow's fluffy head and neck. Big Yellow licked his hand, whimpering louder, clearly extremely happy.

Wei Chen didn't take it with him on this trip. After all, it was already a police dog and received a monthly allowance. It wasn't appropriate for Wei Chen to take it with him on his business trip, so he left it here and asked Li Zhijun to take care of it.

"Alright, alright, I know you're happy." Wei Chen patted Da Huang again before getting up and walking towards the warehouse door. The door was open, and the sounds of the stove being turned on and a few coughs could be heard from inside.

Li Zhijun was hunched over, struggling to poke the grate of the small cast-iron stove in the middle of the room with a long iron hook. The fire was weak, emitting choking blue smoke. The room was filled with various odds and ends, and permeated with the unique smell of machine oil, dust, and coal smoke.

"Uncle Li, good morning. I'm here." Wei Chen greeted him and naturally walked over to take the iron hook from Li Zhijun's hand.

Hearing the voice, Li Zhijun turned around and saw Wei Chen. A smile appeared on his weathered and wrinkled face. He straightened up and patted his back: "Hey! Our 'purchasing general' is back in place? This dilapidated temple of mine is almost your temporary headquarters. You're only working sporadically."

The words were meant as a joke, but they conveyed a sense of familiarity and a playful tone devoid of malice.

Wei Chen didn't mind. He quickly and deftly pried open the stove grate, added a few pieces of coal of suitable size, and the fire soon roared to life, its bright red flames dispelling the chill and darkness in the room. "Uncle Li, please don't flatter me. What general? I'm just a brick, I'll go wherever I'm needed. I just brought it back and came straight to report for duty."

"Bringing back bricks weighing over 20,000 jin (10,000 kg) of meat, those are practically gold bricks!" Li Zhijun walked behind his old desk, picked up the large enamel mug stained with tea, blew away the foam, took a sip, and said slowly, "You're really something, kid! Quietly making such a fuss. Now the whole factory, even the temporary sweepers, know that we have a capable person in our factory."

Wei Chen finished tending the stove, dusted off his hands, and walked to his old three-drawer table by the window. The table was almost as dusty as when he left it. As he wiped it with a rag, he laughed and said, "Uncle Li, if you keep praising me like that, I'll really lose my bearings and end up falling headfirst into a coal pile. I was really lucky to be here."

"Luck is a skill too!" Li Zhijun sat back in his creaking rattan chair, took out his pipe, and slowly stuffed it with tobacco. "Tell me, what's it like in Inner Mongolia? Is it really like the song says, 'The sky is vast, the wilderness boundless'? In this dead of winter, their noses must be freezing off!"

After wiping the table, Wei Chen took out the pack of cigarettes and two oil paper packets from his pocket and placed them on Li Zhijun's table. "Uncle Li, these are for you. The cigarettes are from over there, they're strong, you should try them. This pack is for the kids to chew on. This pack is beef jerky, it's firm and chewy, you have good teeth, you can enjoy it now and then."

Li Zhijun stared at the things on the table, paused for a moment, then looked up at Wei Chen, his smile deepening. Without refusing, he picked up the pack of cigarettes and examined it: "Oh, with Mongolian writing on it, a rare find!" He then squeezed the oil paper package, "Milk curds? Beef jerky? These are all good stuff! My rascal's got a sweet tooth." He nodded, "You came all this way, and you still remembered."

"It's my pleasure, Uncle Li. I've troubled you a lot with your help." Wei Chen sat back in his chair. He wasn't lying. Li Zhijun was a kind and honest man. Wei Chen would occasionally "slip away" to help out in the logistics department or do other things, and the old man would always turn a blind eye.

"What's there to watch over? With you gone, I'm in a lot of peace and quiet." Li Zhijun lit his pipe with a match, took a deep drag, and squinted to savor the rough aroma that was different from cigarette tobacco. "But then again, Deputy Factory Director Li and Section Chief Jin put you in the right place. It's peaceful, comfortable, and no one's watching you all the time. If anything happens, just give a shout and you're out. It's better than keeping you tied up in the workshop or office."

Wei Chen nodded, understanding the meaning behind Li Zhijun's words. This position did indeed provide him with many advantages.

"Tell me, is it really that mysterious over there? Wolves running rampant everywhere?" Li Zhijun brought the topic back, purely out of curiosity and casual conversation.

Wei Chen relaxed and began to vividly recount the events he could. He omitted the life-or-death battles and the secrets of the location, focusing only on local customs and interesting anecdotes about the shopping trip.

"There are wolves, and their howling at night is terrifying. But we're with our guide, staying with local families, so we're not alone, and it's alright."

"The grassland is truly vast, stretching as far as the eye can see, all covered in snow, dazzlingly white. Horseback riding? I tried, and the jolting was so bad it felt like my internal organs were about to shift. The herdsmen, on the other hand, have real riding skills; they seem to be born on horseback."

"Staying in a yurt? Yes, I did! Inside, there was a cow dung fire burning, which was warm, but that smell... a mixture of muttony smell, milky smell, and leather smell. I couldn't sleep at all for the first two days."

"How do we get the meat? Mainly through local herders. They have connections and can organize people for large-scale hunting. The purchase funds from our factory and national grain coupons are hard currency, so they're happy to exchange them. It's just that the roads are too difficult to travel; the trucks can be shaken to pieces..."

Wei Chen's story was a mix of truth and fiction, combining genuine accounts with some embellishments. Li Zhijun listened with great interest, occasionally interjecting with questions, marveling at the dangerous parts, and laughing heartily at the amusing ones.

An old man and a young man sat around the roaring furnace, puffing out cigarettes (Wei Chen lit one to keep them company), chatting animatedly. The crackling fire reflected their lively faces. Outside the warehouse, the steel rolling mill was bustling with activity, but inside, it seemed like a world unto itself, filled with the simple, genuine warmth of human life and the camaraderie of fellow workers.

Wei Chen enjoyed this feeling. Here, it was more like a pure, unadulterated bond of seniority and camaraderie among colleagues. Li Zhijun didn't calculate what benefits he could bring; he was simply happy for him and enjoyed the stories he brought back from afar and the small things he shared.

"Oh, by the way," Li Zhijun tapped his pipe after they'd finished chatting, as if suddenly remembering something, and lowered his voice, "A couple of days ago, that Wang clerk from the administration department, the one with glasses and a slightly pigeon-toed walk, came to the warehouse for a stroll. I saw him... stand in front of your table for quite a while, and even casually pulled open a drawer—of course, there was nothing in it. Keep an eye on him, that kid, seems to have some kind of indirect family relationship with Director Yang, he's not exactly a reliable guy. I got rid of him with 'Restricted Equipment Area, No Trespassers Allowed'!"

Wei Chen's eyes narrowed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and nodded, "Thank you, Uncle Li. I understand."

It seems that behind the glamour, there have never been few prying eyes. However, his desk drawer contained nothing but some old newspapers and leftover manuscript paper. The real secret lies in a dimension no one can reach.

"And another thing," Li Zhijun sipped his now-weak tea, "the factory is probably going to hold a big meeting soon to give awards. You're definitely going to be on stage this time. Get ready, don't stutter."

Wei Chen gave a wry smile: "Uncle Li, please spare me. I'm fine with doing the work, but giving a speech on stage? That would be a real problem for me!"

"So what? Just tell the truth! What you've done is a real, tangible good thing! Much better than those who just shout slogans!" Li Zhijun said dismissively.

After chatting for a while, Wei Chen glanced at the old-fashioned clock on the wall and stood up: "Uncle Li, I'm going out for a walk."

"Go on, go on, I'll take care of things here. Big Yellow, follow along!" Li Zhijun waved his hand and called out to the door again.

The big yellow dog, which was lying in the doorway sunbathing, immediately perked up its ears, jumped up, and wagged its tail as it looked at Wei Chen.

Wei Chen smiled and took Da Huang for a walk around the factory area, letting him familiarize himself with the changes that had taken place in the month or so since he left.

He stepped out of the warehouse, the crisp winter air invigorating him. The factory grounds were bustling with activity, machines humming, people moving about—everything seemed unchanged.

But he knew things were different. From the moment he brought back those 20,000 jin of meat, his position in this massive factory and his importance in the eyes of others had quietly changed.

He strolled slowly, with Da Huang quietly following beside him. His gaze swept over the familiar workshop, pipes, and blast furnace, as he pondered the "secret base" appointment for the evening, Li Zhijun's reminder, and the upcoming commendation.

The road ahead is long, so proceed cautiously and observe as you go.