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

"Ma Laosan has been in Hongyan Town for more than ten or twenty years. His fighting skills are among the best in that gang of thugs. Many people are afraid of him."

Who would have thought that Brother Lei, who usually seems so mild-mannered, would be so ruthless when he gets into a fight?

Zhao Lei smiled faintly: "I haven't had any special training, so I wouldn't say that."

Qin Dajun shook his head repeatedly: "Brother-in-law, don't be modest! With your skills, you'd be one of the best in the entire Qingfeng Town."

"I'm just an ordinary hunter."

Zhao Lei continued walking slowly, "When hunting in the mountains, a wild boar weighing two or three hundred pounds can charge at you and even break small trees. If you're unlucky enough to run into a bear, it's even more dangerous. One swipe of its paw will tear your skin open. If an ordinary person gets a real swipe of a bear's paw on their head, their skull will be smashed."

After he finished speaking, the eyes of the people around him lit up, and they looked at Zhao Lei with even greater respect, feeling that his figure seemed to grow even taller amidst the light and shadow of the mountain forest.

Everyone immediately understood.

Everyone had heard the rumors that Zhao Lei had indeed hunted bears with his own hands.

Fighting for your life against reckless wild beasts like bears and wild boars is a hundred times more dangerous than fighting with a human.

When dealing with wild beasts, one must always give it one's all and act swiftly, accurately, and ruthlessly. Having gotten used to struggling against ferocious beasts, dealing with local thugs like Ma Laosan is naturally a piece of cake.

"No wonder! No wonder Ma Laosan was so good at fighting, he couldn't last long against you!" Liu Erwa suddenly realized.

"Compared to the wild beasts in the mountains, what is a little bit of ruthlessness in humans?" The roughneck smacked his lips.

"Brother Lei is truly capable, not just a show-off who acts tough on the street," Xiaopingtou sincerely remarked.

After a few words of conversation, Qin Dajun and his group gained even more respect for Zhao Lei.

It's not just admiration for his ability to make money and his willingness to help his brothers make a living, but also a deep respect for the toughness he has forged through life and death in the mountains.

The group chatted and laughed, and soon reached the grass at the foot of the mountain, where they found the old-fashioned bicycle.

Zhao Lei carefully gathered the money and wild game he had collected and turned to look at the crowd.

"Thanks to all the brothers for their help today. When you get back, keep your mouths shut. Don't make a big deal out of the fight on the mountain."

Qin Dajun immediately replied seriously, "Don't worry, Brother Lei, we understand these rules. I definitely won't say a word that I shouldn't say."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

The atmosphere was relaxed on the way down the mountain. Zhao Lei looked at the group of people walking side by side with him. They were all young, daring and adventurous. He asked them a question.

"Today we've worked side by side, so we've had some interaction and worked together, and that's how we've formed a friendship."

Let me ask you, what kind of work do you usually do to make a living?

Upon hearing this, the crew-cut guy and the roughneck immediately looked embarrassed, scratching their heads awkwardly and lowering their heads, not daring to utter a sound.

Seeing this, Qin Dajun quickly stepped forward to smooth things over: "Brother-in-law, those are all idle young men in the village; their families can't control them."

With nothing to do on weekdays, he just wanders around town, wasting his time.

Zhao Lei nodded slightly, then casually asked, "Judging from your appearance, you're all around twenty-four or twenty-five years old. Are you all married?"

The rough-around-the-edges guy chuckled awkwardly, looking embarrassed. "Brother Lei, our family is poor, we don't have any proper work, and our reputation isn't great either."

The matchmaker never comes, and he's still single.

Zhao Lei chuckled upon hearing this, saying it was the truth.

In ordinary families, who would be willing to marry their fine daughter to a group of idle hooligans who spend their days loitering on the streets?

But he could see clearly in his heart that these people were not evil-hearted; they were just born into the wrong family and lived the wrong life.

The monotonous work of earning work points in the fields and the rigid factory work simply couldn't tame their spirits.

The older generation couldn't control them, and without guidance, they grew up wild and became what others saw as idle hooligans.

Seeing the expectant yet apprehensive looks on their faces, Zhao Lei said, "In that case, I'll find some serious work for you guys to do later."

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the others lit up instantly.

Qin Dajun was immediately overjoyed: "Brother-in-law! What kind of job is it?"

They couldn't do the hard work in the fields to earn work points, and they didn't like being confined in the factory!

Zhao Lei patted his shoulder and said confidently, "Don't worry, it's not tedious manual labor."

"You should lead your brothers well, keep them united, and there will be plenty of work for you to do in the future."

He looked at the group of people before him and said slowly, "Everyone has their own unique talents, and you are not useless."

"It's just that all my strength and passion were never used for good."

Qin Dajun and his men were not well-educated and could not understand the literary language, so they only had a vague understanding.

But they precisely grasped the two most crucial words: useful.

Lei said that they, who were considered good-for-nothings by others, finally had a real purpose.

In an instant, the awkwardness in their hearts vanished, and they were filled with energy. Their eyes looked at Zhao Lei with even more respect and admiration.

Zhao Lei casually pulled out a hundred yuan from his pocket and handed it directly to Qin Dajun.

"Dajun, take this money. Tonight, take the brothers out for a nice meal and some drinks."

Upon seeing this, Qin Dajun immediately waved his hand in refusal, his face full of sincerity: "Brother-in-law, this won't do!"

Everyone here volunteered to help today. It's our honor to be able to assist you; offering money would be too much of a formality!

The crew-cut guy and the roughneck quickly echoed his sentiments, each one speaking with earnestness.

"Yeah, Brother Lei! The fact that you're willing to ask us to do things shows you think highly of us!"

"From now on, if Brother Lei ever needs our help, we'll go through fire and water without hesitation. How could we possibly take your money again!"

Everyone spoke up, their hearts full of sincerity.

Without saying a word, Zhao Lei shoved a wad of cash into Qin Dajun's palm and said in a deep voice, "One thing at a time."

Today, my brothers have worked hard and sweated, so I can't let you all work for nothing. From now on, you'll all be paid for everything you do for me. Work hard, and let's all make money next year, get married, and start a family.

Upon hearing this, the young men's faces lit up instantly, their embarrassment vanished, and they immediately surrounded Zhao Lei, showering him with compliments and thanks, their words simple yet heartfelt.

"Brother Lei is so generous! Following Brother Lei will definitely give us a bright future!"

"It's our blessing to be able to follow Brother Lei in this life!"

Zhao Lei chuckled inwardly as he listened to the somewhat forced flattery.

This group of people hadn't read many books to begin with, and they were very bad at speaking. Their flattery was stumbling, forced, and extremely awkward.

He silently compared them in his mind. Whether it was Deng Canghai in the black market, Deputy Director Li in the factory, or Wang Jianguo in the village, they were all shrewd and knew how to get along with people and speak smoothly and comfortably.

Looking at these people in front of me, they are straightforward and honest, without any guile or cunning; they are truly simple and honest.

He waved his hand, smiling as he interrupted everyone: "Alright, enough with the pretty words."

You guys aren't very cultured, and your flattery is really clumsy. You guys should drink and relax with the army tonight. I'm busy with work lately, so I won't be able to join you. We'll get together again when I'm done."