Chapter Fifty-Three: An On-Site Investigation

Zhong Di glanced at Shao Hong, who was busy feeding the goats and hadn’t noticed him. Only then did he slowly approach the bougainvillea.

“Do you want a drink?” Zhong Di asked in his mind.

“Nonsense, hurry up and give me some.”

After a moment’s thought, Zhong Di poured a little diluted water into the flowerpot. In a while, once the roots recovered, he could transplant it into soil. Plants can’t be kept in sand for too long; if they are, the root system becomes fragile, and transplanting them into soil would be detrimental to their growth.

“Ah, that’s nice.”

A contented sigh came from the bougainvillea in his mind, though Zhong Di couldn’t tell exactly what kind of comfort the plant meant.

Just as he finished watering, Zhong Di received a call from his father.

“Zhong... Zhong Di, someone will be coming by soon to pick up the chickens,” his father’s voice was slightly breathless.

“All right, understood. Dad, what are you up to?” Hearing his father’s voice, Zhong Di guessed he was still working. Someone must have told his father they were coming for the chickens, so he called Zhong Di.

“Working. I’ll hang up now.”

“Wait, Dad!” Sensing his father was about to hang up, Zhong Di hurriedly stopped him.

“What is it? Make it quick.”

“Dad, it’s not like we’re short of money anymore. I’m already making a profit here. If you really can’t sit idle, why not come help me here? Just think about how much we’re spending on labor these days.”

It took Zhong Di a long time to say these words. When his father first went out to do manual labor, Zhong Di hadn’t wanted him to, but at the time they weren’t making any money, so he didn’t say anything. Now that there was a steady profit, he could finally voice his thoughts.

“I know what I’m doing. I’m hanging up.”

After listening, Zhong Tian ended the call.

Listening to the dial tone, Zhong Di understood his father’s stubbornness—he couldn’t be persuaded. Once his father decides on something, it’s almost impossible to pull him back; he’d have to guide him slowly. In his father’s mind, he never admits defeat easily—or, more precisely, never accepts reality easily. And this reality is that he’s growing old.

After doing some chores for a while, the person coming for the eggs arrived. Zhong Di caught two native chickens and handed them over along with the eggs.

It was peak laying season—about twenty kilos of eggs a day. Fifteen kilos went to Dongyang, five kilos for their own use; that was the usual arrangement. As for the young chickens, he’d try sending two a day for a few days, then gradually increase.

With the current growth rate, and supplemented with the Desert Immortal Bud, half-grown chickens could reach market size in half a month. He planned to cap the scale at five hundred chickens, maintaining this level with a batch rotated out every half month, forming a stable cycle.

In simple terms, he’d always keep five hundred chickens, divided into two enclosures. When the number dropped to two or three hundred, he’d bring in another two or three hundred, raise them for two weeks, and they’d be ready just in time.

This way, even during low supply, he could maintain a daily output of a dozen to twenty chickens.

Just as the delivery man from Dongyang left, a BMW X6 pulled up at the gate. The car looked familiar, but Zhong Di couldn’t recall where he’d seen it before.

“Anyone here? I’m here for the native chickens.”

Hearing this, Zhong Di went to open the gate. This must be the person Uncle Li had mentioned.

But that voice...

“Zhong Di? It really is you. I just heard the name and thought it was a coincidence. No wonder you haven’t been in touch—you’re running your own business now.”

The person getting out of the car was Wu Kai, whom Zhong Di had once bumped into on the street.

Zhong Di frowned as he remembered who this was. No wonder the BMW looked familiar. Apparently Uncle Li knew Wu Kai, or perhaps his father did.

“Oh, I’ve just been busy lately, forgot to get in touch.”

“I see. Selling native chickens at eighty a kilo, you must be making a tidy profit. I take back what I said before—you clearly don’t need my help anymore.”

While they talked, Shao Hong brought the chickens over.

“I’d better make this clear first—these chickens aren’t the same as Uncle Li’s. His were fully grown and worked wonders; these are effective too, but not as much.”

After weighing the chickens, Zhong Di gave a brief explanation. Everything that needed to be clarified was set out openly—best not to wait until after the transaction.

“I’ll pay you two hundred a kilo. Yaxin just gave birth, but she’s not producing enough milk—it’s driving us crazy. Just give me the good ones,” Wu Kai said, dissatisfied. Why should he make do with lesser chickens? Ever since he took over the family factory, he’d always gone for the best. Now he was only offered second-rate chickens.

“We don’t sell our large chickens. The only reason Uncle Li got them was because our families are close.”

“No, I want the big ones. I’ll give you three hundred.”

“Really, I can’t. These small chickens weigh four kilos in total—three hundred and twenty.”

Seeing Wu Kai’s stance, Zhong Di immediately made his own clear.

Wu Kai glanced at Zhong Di, took the chickens, counted out five red bills, and stuffed them into Zhong Di’s hand.

“Keep the change—call it a meal on me. It’s not easy farming out here; you won’t make much in a year. I’ll tell Yaxin about what you’re doing—she’ll be surprised.”

Wu Kai’s repeated mention of Yaxin made it clear how deeply the past incident had affected him. His constant references were a sign of insecurity.

Zhong Di took eighty from his pocket, added a red bill to make one hundred eighty, and handed it to Wu Kai.

“Take it—it’s your change.”

“What’s with you? You’re charging eighty a kilo for native chickens—such a rip-off. I didn’t complain because we’re old classmates, and now you’re playing hard to get?”

Wu Kai felt insulted by the money pressed into his hand. Since when could he not even give someone extra cash? These chickens were so expensive, yet Zhong Di insisted on returning the change.

“Are you... rich?” Shao Hong, who had long wanted to put Wu Kai in his place, finally couldn’t resist the urge. Wu Kai’s air of superiority was too much.

Wu Kai glanced at Shao Hong, then smirked, “Compared to the truly wealthy, I’m nothing. But compared to ordinary people, I do all right. Why?”

As he spoke, he glanced at Zhong Di, making it clear: whatever you think, I’m richer than you.

“Oh, I thought you were some big shot. With the chickens you’re getting at this price, you’re actually getting a bargain. Three hundred a kilo—yet you’re only paying eighty.”

“Besides, the prices are clearly listed. How am I ripping you off? You’re buying of your own free will—if you don’t want them, you’re free to leave.”

Shao Hong spoke rapidly, pressing Wu Kai all the way to the gate and closing it behind him.

“You...” Wu Kai was so angry he almost coughed up blood. Looking at the chickens in his hand, he wanted to throw them back, but after a moment’s thought, decided against it.

He’d heard that breast milk was better for babies, so he’d better keep them.

Just as Zhong Di was about to continue spraying foliar fertilizer, two cars pulled up by the road. Wu Kai, who was about to leave, paused when he saw people getting out.

The two cars were ordinary—about a hundred thousand each, a Volkswagen and a Buick. Eight people got out, seemingly a group, all dressed in official uniforms.

Zhong Di wondered if they were there for the hedgehogs, but that didn’t make sense; hedgehog enthusiasts were usually young people, while most of these newcomers were middle-aged. They didn’t look like tourists.

“Hello, young man. I’ve heard your name is Zhong Di. I’m Xing Aiguo, Deputy Director of the Forestry Bureau,” the leader, a middle-aged man, said, shaking Zhong Di’s hand. He had already reviewed Zhong Di’s information the night before.

Wu Kai watched with a sneer, got in his car, and drove off. So what if you know a deputy director? That’s nothing special.

“Hello,” Zhong Di replied.

And so the conversation began. Zhong Di briefly summarized the situation—there were no major issues. As for why they had come to his farm, that was a question for the Pallas’s cat.

“Would you be interested in joining the Forestry Bureau?” Throughout the conversation, Xing Aiguo observed Zhong Di’s words and actions. He found the young man not only highly professional but also logical and capable.

Having just taken up his post as deputy director, Xing Aiguo was eager for a capable assistant. Zhong Di, from an ordinary family with no affiliations, was an excellent candidate.

“No, thank you. I’m quite happy with my current work—it’s... it’s my own business, you could say.”

After some thought, Zhong Di realized this was indeed his own venture.

“All right, I won’t force you. If you change your mind, you’re welcome to contact me anytime.”

Such things could only be handled this way—if the other party wasn’t willing, there was nothing to be done.

Xing Aiguo looked around Zhong Di’s farm, deep in thought. For young people without connections or resources, starting a business was hard. But this young man might bring some surprises, and help promote forestry. The main obstacle to forestry development was a lack of profit—without incentives, no one wanted to get involved. Relying on state subsidies or big corporations was just a drop in the bucket; the real way forward was to cultivate a mature industry.

Ultimately, whether Zhong Di joined the Forestry Bureau or pursued his own business, someone with his talent would surely shine.

Thinking this, Xing Aiguo said, “By the way, if you run into any problems, you can contact him—Wu Qi, the officer in charge of this area.”

With that, Xing Aiguo patted Zhong Di on the shoulder and got into his car.

They had already inspected the site where the Pallas’s cat was spotted. The rest would be up to the forest police, who would now step in to investigate and track it.

“You added me on messaging before—I only noticed this morning. Hello, I’m Wu Qi. If you need anything, just ask.”

Wu Qi was a young man, probably only three or four years older than Zhong Di.

“Hello, thank you. In fact, I do have something to ask...”