“Bandits ambushing sir?!”
The patrolling veteran soldier was startled by the tall man’s words. “What is the situation now?”
“I… don’t… know!”
The tall man leaned on the tree and said, “I… didn’t see… just came to report!”
“How many bandits?”
The veteran soldier asked anxiously.
“At least… one hundred and fifty…”
“Bad. Sir only took ten people!”
The veteran soldier slapped his thigh and said to his companion, “Old Quan, you quickly go back and notify the village head to go to sir’s house. I’ll take this brother to find Factory Director Tang first.”
Jin Feng was the sky of Xihe Bay. If something happened to him, the whole village would be finished.
The veteran soldier had no authority to verify the hunter’s words. He could only take him to see Tang Dongdong and the village head.
“Alright!”
The other veteran soldier ran off immediately.
“Brother Han, come with me!”
With that, the veteran soldier pulled the hunter and ran.
When they arrived at Jin Feng’s house, Run Niang told the veteran soldier that Tang Dongdong was at the factory. The veteran soldier left the hunter at Jin Feng’s house, gave the female soldier at the door a gesture to watch the hunter closely, then turned and ran to the textile factory.
In the textile workshop, Tang Dongdong was discussing matters with a team leader. Hearing the veteran soldier’s report, her face changed dramatically. She asked anxiously, “Where is the person who reported?”
“In the study where sir usually receives guests…”
Before the veteran soldier finished, Tang Dongdong, who always paid attention to her image at the textile factory, lifted her skirt and ran towards the gate.
Many female workers stopped their work, curiously guessing what had happened to make the usually calm Factory Director Dongdong so panicked.
By the time Tang Dongdong ran back home, the other veteran soldier had arrived with the village head.
Also coming along was Liu Tie, who had just returned from Guangyuan today.
“Dongdong, this brother says bandits are ambushing sir. What exactly is going on?”
The old village head was wearing his clothes, with only one shoe on his foot. He did not know if he had not had time to put it on or if it had fallen off while running.
As soon as he saw Tang Dongdong, he asked anxiously.
Liu Tie behind him was even more dishevelled, with his upper body and both feet bare.
“I just got the news and hurried back.”
Tang Dongdong rushed into the study and saw the somewhat uneasy hunter.
The study was personally arranged by Jin Feng. Though not very luxurious, it had style and was very tidy.
The hunter, accustomed to scrambling in the mountains, did not even dare sit on the chair after entering. He did not dare touch the tea Run Niang brought him.
Seeing Tang Dongdong and the three enter, the hunter quickly cupped his hands in the manner from operas and said, “Greetings to madam, greetings to this elder, greetings to…”
“No need for pleasantries!”
Tang Dongdong was usually very polite in dealing with people, but now she could not afford to. She directly interrupted the hunter and asked anxiously, “You came to report that bandits are ambushing sir?”
“Yes. My companion Old Tang from the neighbouring village and I were returning from checking animal pits in the mountains today. We passed…”
The hunter nodded quickly. Without waiting for Tang Dongdong to ask further, he poured out everything he knew like beans from a bamboo tube.
“You said there are at least one hundred and fifty bandits?”
The village head frowned and asked, “Now the largest bandit groups are all surrounded by us. Could bandits have broken out?”
“No, it’s three small groups of bandits combined.” The hunter said.
“Three groups of bandits combined?”
The old village head’s frown deepened.
Generally, relations between bandit groups were very poor. They often fought fiercely over territory, even to the death. Black-eating-black incidents were common.
It was rare for several bandit groups to cooperate.
Moreover, now all bandits in Jinchuan knew that Xihe Bay could not be provoked.
So the old village head was a bit suspicious of the hunter’s words.
“Elder, sir really encountered bandits. I am not lying to you!”
The hunter also saw that the village head did not fully believe him. He stamped his foot anxiously. “I ran so far, not daring to rest even once on the way, nearly dead from exhaustion to reach Xihe Bay to deceive you. What good would that do me? If I lied, you would not spare me either!”
“Little brother, we do not disbelieve you. You have worked hard on the way. Rest here first. I will gather people immediately.”
The village head gave Tang Dongdong and Liu Tie a wink, then walked out of the study with his hands behind his back.
Tang Dongdong and Liu Tie quickly followed.
The hunter wanted to follow out but was stopped by the female soldier at the door.
“Village head, what do you think of this matter?”
Tang Dongdong followed the village head to the middle of the courtyard and asked anxiously, “Do you think what this hunter says is true?”
“I think it is eighty percent true. After all, Brother Feng should have returned long ago, but he has not come back until now.”
The village head said with a face full of worry, “But this matter is no small thing. Now the bandits hate our Xihe Bay to death. If he is sent by the bandits to trick us, luring away our village guards, and then the bandits come to attack Xihe Bay, we would be finished. Even if we died, we would have no way to face Brother Feng!”
“Dad, aren’t you just saying nothing?” Liu Tie pouted.
“Shut up!” The village head kicked Liu Tie, then turned to Tang Dongdong. “Girl Dongdong, are there people from Tang Family Village and Han Family Village in your factory?”
“I remember there are a few.” Tang Dongdong nodded.
“Didn’t he say he is a hunter from Han Family Village, and his companion from Tang Family Village went to report to Brother Feng?”
The village head said, “Find them and check this person’s and the one called Tang Fei’s background.”
“Alright!” Tang Dongdong quickly sent a female soldier to the textile factory to find people.
Soon, a team leader from the textile factory led four female workers into the courtyard.
“Factory director, these two are from Tang Family Village, these two from Han Family Village.”
The team leader introduced the female workers and asked, “There are actually three more from Tang Family Village, but they are on the day shift and have gone back to rest. Should I call them?”
“No need for now.”
Tang Dongdong shook her head. “You go back first.”
“Alright!”
The team leader nodded and withdrew.
The four female workers looked at Tang Dongdong nervously.
They did not know why this young female factory director had called them.
Had they made a mistake? Or had people from Tang Family Village and Han Family Village offended the factory director?
“I am going to ask you a few questions. You must answer truthfully, understand?”
Tang Dongdong looked at the female workers.
“Factory director, rest assured. Whatever we know, we will definitely tell you. We dare not deceive you!”
The four female workers promised one after another.
The time since coming to Xihe Bay had been the best period of their lives.
Not only did they no longer worry about hunger, but they could earn money every day to subsidise their families.
After tasting such good days, they would rather die than go back to the bitter life before.
“Do you recognise him?”
Tang Dongdong pointed to the hunter pacing in the study.
“I recognise him. He is a hunter from our village, called Han Feng.”
One female worker answered timidly.
Tang Dongdong and the village head exchanged a glance and both nodded slightly.
The identity matched.
“What is his character like?”
Tang Dongdong continued to ask.
