Reborn in 78, I made my fortune by working in the mountains, supporting three families on my own.

Seeing that everyone else was on high alert, some were holding their guns and others were holding their breath.

Zhao Lei saw this and thought to himself, "This won't do."

It's only just nightfall, there's still a long time to go.

The mere sound of a wolf howling was enough to put everyone on edge, and by the middle of the night, even the strongest person would succumb to exhaustion.

We need to help everyone relax.

Having made up his mind, he clapped his hands and raised his voice, shouting, "Brothers, everyone look over here!"

Immediately, everyone turned to look at Zhao Lei.

Zhao Lei walked over to Qin Changlin, who was roasting a whole lamb, and waved to the others: "Brothers, don't be so tense. There are eleven of us, eleven guns, and we've lit so many bonfires. The wolves are more afraid of us than we are. You've been busy all day, come and have something to eat."

The campfire licked the sheepskin, sizzling and releasing oil, the aroma so strong it filled the nostrils.

As he spoke, Zhao Lei drew his hunting knife from his waist and cut a large piece of meat from the roasted, golden-brown, and crispy lamb leg.

Steam rises from the hot crust, the outer skin is crispy, the inside is tender and white, and oil seeps down the cut.

Zhao Lei didn't stand on ceremony, grabbing a piece of mutton and taking a big bite, muttering indistinctly, "Mmm, so delicious! This original wild game, just a sprinkle of salt, is an absolute delicacy."

The hunters nearby, whose nerves were already on edge, couldn't help but swallow hard at the aroma.

The tension in everyone's shoulders eased, and they gathered around in twos and threes.

People squatted or sat around the campfire, and soon formed a circle.

Qin Changlin took a hunting knife, cut off one of the front legs, and handed it to Wang Zongbao, who was closest to him: "Here, eat more. You'll have the strength to fight the wolves if you're full."

Wang Zongbao took the meat, scalding it so badly he switched it between his hands: "Alright!"

Huang Hongbo took out two military water bottles from his satchel, and as soon as he unscrewed the caps, a fragrant aroma of liquor wafted out.

He then handed Zhao Lei a jug: "Brother Zhao Lei, have a sip, this is homemade corn liquor."

Zhao Lei took the pot, tilted his head back, and took a swig.

The strong liquor burned down my throat, warming my entire chest.

"Hiss... Ha... Good wine! Eating meat and drinking wine to our hearts' content, it's so refreshing!"

Zhao Lei handed the pot back, and Huang Hongbo passed it on to someone else.

Everyone took a bite, passing it around the campfire in circles.

After nightfall, the temperature difference in the valley is extreme, and since the campsite is set up next to a puddle, it is inevitable that a chill will come over you.

Fortunately, there was wine, meat, and a bonfire. The steaming hot roasted lamb was accompanied by strong liquor, and a dozen people sat together, making the atmosphere much more relaxed than before.

Zhao Lei saw this and was finally relieved.

The panic did not spread, and the entire hunting team managed to maintain their composure.

They were eating.

Huang Hongbo, carrying the wine jug, moved closer to Zhao Lei and whispered, "Brother Zhao Lei, there's something I want to discuss with you..."

"Oh? What's wrong, Brother Huang?"

Deng Shaohua also came over and pointed towards the pile of prey carcasses that formed a makeshift shelter: "Brother Lei, these prey can't be left for too long. We have to find a way to transport and sell them tomorrow, no matter what. Otherwise, they'll go bad in two or three days, and we won't be able to sell them for a good price then."

After finishing the last bite of mutton, Zhao Lei threw the bone into the fire: "That makes sense. What are your plans?"

Huang Hongbo picked up the conversation and said seriously, "Brother Zhao Lei, you don't know this, but we dare to do such a big deal, so you don't need to worry about the sales channels. Shao Hua's second uncle does business on the black market and has some connections in the county town. We've already made an agreement with Shao Hua's second uncle that if we have over a thousand catties of game, we can ask him to take it to the county town to sell."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lei's eyes lit up immediately: "Really? That's great. Actually, I was quite anxious before you brought this up, Brother Huang. We probably have three or four thousand catties of game this time. If we sell all that meat in Qingfeng Town, it might attract the attention of the higher-ups in a short time."

"What you've said solves this huge problem perfectly!"

Huang Hongbo and Deng Shaohua exchanged a glance, clearly not expecting Zhao Lei to agree so easily.

Both of them visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

Next, Zhao Lei called Qin Changlin over, and the four of them sat around the campfire, discussing the details.

How the profits are divided, how the transportation is arranged, and how the payment is settled should all be clearly explained in detail to avoid disputes and hurt feelings later.

The two sides made a simple and detailed distribution of the interests of their respective hunting teams.

But it was agreed that everything would wait until tonight passed peacefully, and then the goods would be moved down the mountain and converted into cash tomorrow before the profits were split.

After finishing their conversation, Zhao Lei took out a Daqianmen cigarette and handed it to Huang Hongbo. He then took one for himself, put it in his mouth, and lit it over the fire.

The men were smoking, the firelight reflecting on their faces, and they all looked much more relaxed than before.

Zhao Lei had just taken a half-take inhale when Qin Dashan, who was next to him, suddenly pulled the bolt of his gun.

"Click!"

A sharp crack rang out, particularly jarring in the night.

Zhao Lei was startled, almost dropping his cigarette from his mouth: "What's wrong, Brother Dashan?"

Qin Dashan crouched down, his eyes fixed on the dark night ahead, the muzzle of his gun slightly raised.

"These wolf cubs seem to be getting closer."

These words, once spoken, immediately alerted the hunters who had been chatting and laughing.

They immediately fell silent and reached for the hunting rifles beside them.

The clicking of gun bolts echoed incessantly as more than a dozen gun muzzles were simultaneously aimed at the darkness ahead.

Zhao Lei, Huang Hongbo, and the others reacted quickly, getting up, taking up their guns, and moving behind cover next to the campfire.

Zhao Lei squinted, staring intently at the darkness fifty or sixty meters away.

They piled up a campfire every twenty or thirty meters, which could barely illuminate a range of fifty or sixty meters.

Beyond that, there was only a dense, impenetrable blackness, so thick that even the outlines of the thatch were indistinguishable.

The valley was eerily quiet, broken only by the occasional crackling sound of firewood popping from the fire...

Zhao Lei frowned and stared for a moment, then his pupils suddenly contracted.

In the depths of the night, faint green lights appeared.

One pair, two pairs, three pairs...

More and more green lights emerged from the darkness, rising and falling in varying heights, floating in mid-air like will-o'-the-wisps.

He stared unblinkingly in the direction of the camp...

"Damn it, they actually dared to come!"

Seeing this, Zhao Lei cursed, "Damn it! These bastards are really troublesome."

Huang Hongbo had never encountered anything like this before, and sweat poured down his forehead: "Brother Zhao Lei, what do we do now?"

Zhao Lei's mind raced for a moment, then he said, "We can't just waste time with them. There's still a long night ahead."

We divided the people into three groups, each on duty in turn.

If any wolves dare to approach the campfire, shoot them. Once they cross the outermost edge of the campfire, immediately wake everyone.