Chapter 130: The Mysterious Woods

The moment they stepped out of the room, the scene behind them transformed instantly. The once polished and shining furniture crumbled into a pile of ashes, and the walls peeled away rapidly, reverting in the blink of an eye to their scorched, ruined state.

The village head turned back inadvertently and witnessed this; his jaw dropped in shock. It was simply unbelievable. A perfectly fine room had changed completely in a second, subjecting the village head’s already frayed nerves to another severe test, nearly causing him to collapse on the spot.

"Let's go. I suppose we won't be able to collect those activity expenses from anyone now, heh." Song Nianqiang slung his arm around the fatty’s neck and strode forward. The light drizzle had stopped at some point, but the sky remained a heavy gray, feeling as though it might collapse at any moment.

"Wait, could you please hold on for a moment? I’d like to invite you both to a meal. Although our farmer’s food isn't anything fancy, I guarantee it’s absolutely natural. We usually fertilize our crops with manure, and the produce from the fields grows thick and glossy. How about it!?" The village head looked so eager that Song Nianqiang felt a bit embarrassed.

"Um, Village Head, it’s not that we don't want to accept, but we really have some urgent matters to attend to!" Song Nianqiang said with a wry smile. While they hadn't made much extra money in this village, they had managed to secure a small sum from the town’s police chief, so it wasn't a completely wasted trip. More importantly, they had discovered a place—a location that had left both him and the fatty deeply astonished.

That place had likely never been discovered by others in their line of work; otherwise, it would have been occupied long ago. If someone else had already claimed it, it would be a pipe dream for Cui Xiaobo to get in. Therefore, before heading back, they had to stop by Bozi’s house to ask where exactly that place was.

"I see..." The village head considered it, but ultimately gave up. He knew he couldn't keep someone like Song Nianqiang, and he possessed enough self-awareness to understand that. He shook Song Nianqiang’s hand and said with great sincerity, "If you two ever need any help in the future, just let me know. If I can help, I certainly will."

Song Nianqiang agreed with a smile. Because he had told the police chief to send a car to pick them up before he returned, a police vehicle had already arrived in the village. A young, cute girl ran over from ahead and shouted at the village head from a distance, "Uncle, someone from town is here! They say they’re looking for someone named Song Nianqiang!"

She had shouted so loudly that everyone present must have heard. The village head offered an apologetic smile to Song Nianqiang, "My niece doesn't know any better, please don't take offense." Song Nianqiang didn't take it to heart at all; he was still a child at heart himself, so he smiled back. "It’s nothing. I’ll be on my way now, no need to rush."

With that, Song Nianqiang picked up his pace, leading the fatty back along the path they had come. Ten minutes later, they saw a police car slowly approaching. Song Nianqiang had walked slowly on the way there specifically to give the fatty time to set up his formations, but now that they were returning, he had no such concerns and moved quickly. The police car stopped upon seeing them, and Bozi stepped out.

"Huh? Why are you here?" Song Nianqiang asked curiously. Bozi flashed a wide, radiant smile. It was the first time Song Nianqiang had seen him look so happy. He had to admit, Bozi was quite handsome when he smiled, though a scar on his neck marred his image.

"Brother Qiang, you did me such a huge favor, how could I forget? I came here specifically to invite you for a drink." Another invitation to eat. Song Nianqiang really wasn't in the mood, given the pile of things waiting for him—not to mention the incident at the county level, there was another very important matter at hand. However, since Bozi was here, it was on the way.

"No need for a feast, but I do need to ask your son something. Let’s go, we'll stop by your house on the way." Song Nianqiang climbed into the police car. Bozi called his wife, telling her to prepare a few dishes at home to host them; it didn't matter if it wasn't a fancy restaurant.

The journey was bumpy, and the fatty vomited heavily once more. After getting out of the car, he pointed at the sky and swore he would never ride in a car on such roads again; it was more agonizing than being killed.

The police car stopped below Bozi’s building. Song Nianqiang and Bozi had to haul the fatty upstairs, as he was too weak from vomiting to climb the stairs himself, and Bozi’s home wasn't on the ground floor.

They threw the fatty onto the bed, and Bozi’s wife brought him a glass of water before heading to the kitchen. About half an hour later, the fatty felt slightly better, and Bozi’s wife came to call them for dinner. It was past six o'clock in the evening; since the days had begun to shorten after the October holiday, it was already dark outside, with lights flickering in homes everywhere.

Having been busy all day without even a lunch, Song Nianqiang was famished. As for the fatty, he had thrown up everything he’d eaten earlier, ending up retching bile, so they both accepted without hesitation.

The dinner table was bountiful—nine dishes and one soup, completely filling the table. Song Nianqiang didn't care for social graces; he was starving. As for the fatty, seeing the spread was like seeing his own mother; he dove into the food like a hungry wolf.

Bozi’s family watched their table manners in silence, stunned. It was as if these two were starving ghosts reincarnated, but they couldn't say anything and just sat by, watching them devour the food.

The table was soon cleared of most of the dishes, and the best ones were already gone. Only then did Song Nianqiang realize Bozi was holding his chopsticks, unsure of what to pick. He generously said to him, "Eat! Don't stand on ceremony with me, treat it like your own home! Eat whatever you want!"

He then buried his face back into his bowl. Bozi nearly dropped his chopsticks upon hearing this. He had seen shameless people before, but never anyone this shameless—the man didn't even consider himself an outsider. Still, Song Nianqiang was Cui Xiaobo’s savior, so Bozi couldn't voice his thoughts. Besides, even his own boss had to be respectful to these two, let alone him.

Once they were full, Song Nianqiang wiped his mouth, went to the restroom, and upon returning, said to Bozi, "Your wife’s cooking is excellent. Look at my belly! I’m stuffed." The fatty patted his protruding stomach as he spoke. Bozi rolled his eyes; they had eaten nearly the entire table of food, yet they still had the nerve to say they were stuffed.

After dinner, the five of them chatted for a while. Song Nianqiang suddenly asked, "Cui Xiaobo, do you still remember where that place is?" He didn't specify which place, but everyone present understood. Cui Xiaobo’s face turned pale at the mention, and he seemed to gather his courage before saying, "It’s in a large forest behind our school. The teachers strictly forbid us from going there, and we’ve all heard bizarre stories about it."

Cui Xiaobo lowered his head in embarrassment. "The guys in my dorm made a bet to see who dared to enter that forest at midnight. I’ve always been called the coward of the group, and they often mocked me for it, so in a fit of anger, I went into that forest."

"Are you saying that place is in the forest behind your school?" Song Nianqiang had finally pinned down the location and was itching to rush over there immediately. But Cui Xiaobo shook his head. "I’m not sure. I got lost after I went into the forest, and I don't know where that place actually is."

"You got lost after you went in?" For a member of the Young Pioneers to get lost in a simple forest meant it was certainly not ordinary. Perhaps there were unexpected surprises awaiting them. Song Nianqiang chuckled at the thought and immediately changed the subject, "Bozi, where are we sleeping tonight?"