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墨書 Inktalez
"Hey! Old Zhou?" I spoke casually to the mysterious old man. It wasn't that I disrespected my elders; it was just that he never acted his age.
"Hehe, kid, you made it on TV?!"
"I made it on TV?" I was momentarily taken aback.
"Yeah, in the news!"
"No way! Where would I be?!" I had just watched the entire segment and knew very well whether I was in it or not.
"What?! How could you not be there?! I saw you standing under the Embankment! I even caught a glimpse of the back of your head in Row A!"
"Old Zhou, are you messing with me? If that's all you've got, I'm hanging up." I felt a surge of irritation.
"Hey, wait! Haha, just kidding! I really do have something important!"
"Oh? What could be so important?!" I replied skeptically.
"Hehe, well, it's nothing much. Just come out to meet me in a couple of weekends if you're free, and bring me a few packs of cigarettes."
"Old Zhou, where am I supposed to get cigarettes for you?!" I was utterly confused.
"You'll have them soon enough! Mountain Man has predicted you'll have plenty! Besides, you don't smoke, right? Just save me a few packs. Let's meet at noon on Saturday, right outside the TV station!" Old Zhou chuckled and hung up.
What a strange conversation. I've seen fortune tellers before, but never someone who predicts the future by watching the back of someone's head on TV. I muttered a few words and ended the call.
Little did I know, Old Zhou was actually right.
Not long after, several trucks with local license plates drove into Camp. One of them pulled up to our area, and out jumped a publicity officer from the headquarters. He sent some curious soldiers to fetch our Company Commander. When they arrived, they discovered that it was a visit from local officials to boost morale.
It turned out to be from the Local Renowned Tobacco Factory. After contacting our unit, they sent a truckload of supplies for the troops, and this truck was filled with mid-range cigarettes specifically for our battalion. A whole truck! When the back panel was opened, I couldn't help but marvel at the sight of so many boxes. If one person were to smoke them all, how long would it take to finish?
The Company Commander was equally astonished, but after the initial surprise wore off, he was quite pleased. Who didn't know that the Company Commander was also an old smoker?
They immediately divided the cigarettes among the various Units, with each Unit receiving over ten boxes. The driver even opened a box of high-end local cigarettes and distributed several packs to the Company Commander and a few Unit Commanders.
I was truly impressed by Old Zhou. How did he know we would receive cigarettes?
Old Zhou was really something!
As for the internal distribution within the Unit, I didn't worry too much. I simply divided the cigarettes among the squads, letting each squad leader decide how to distribute them further. Old Tang didn’t smoke and didn’t take any either. I only kept two packs of high-end cigarettes that I received from the Company Commander—one for Old Bi and one for Old Zhou.
With nothing else to do, I thought I would catch up with Old Zhou over the weekend and also find out how he managed to predict things so accurately.
On Saturday afternoon at a restaurant near the base, Old Zhou exclaimed, "Wow! These cigarettes are really good! This pack—I heard they cost quite a bit!" He opened a pack and examined a cigarette closely. "I've heard about them but never smoked them! It's all thanks to you!" Old Zhou lit up a cigarette, took a deep drag, and then continued.
"Old Zhou, how did you know I would have cigarettes coming in?" My curiosity got the better of me; I never cared whether curiosity would kill the cat.
"Hehe! A secret must not be leaked!" Old Zhou said mysteriously as he looked at me.
"What the hell?!" I was about to explode and reach for that freshly opened pack of cigarettes.
"Wait, wait! Don't!" Old Zhou quickly grabbed my hand. "Hehe, just kidding! I know where you guys are doing flood control work; it's right near that city's Development Zone. That’s where the new tobacco factory is located! Since you’re helping with flood control, it’s only natural for others to show their gratitude by sending some cigarettes as supplies!" Old Zhou leaned back in his chair casually.
"What the hell... So you figured it out just like that?" I couldn't help but laugh in disbelief.
"Haha, it’s been a while since we last met. We must have some kind of fate between us. Let’s have a good chat. Come on, order some dishes and get some drinks!" Old Zhou's last remark was directed at the waiter.
“Old Zhou, are you out of money again and here to mooch off my meal?” I suddenly felt a sense of being taken in.
“Hehe…”
Before long, the dishes were served. Old Zhou and I chatted casually while eating. I learned that he had been traveling out of town recently, but he didn’t share much about what he was up to, and I didn’t want to pry. Perhaps this is how the so-called Night Watchman operates—mysteriously.
The conversation was rather mundane until we reached the point of settling the bill and preparing to part ways. Old Zhou wiped his mouth and looked at me with a puzzled expression for a long moment before saying, “I need to give you a heads-up about something. You should be prepared.”
I laughed, “What is it, Zhou Bansian?”
Old Zhou became serious. “I’m telling you for real; you should be careful. You might soon encounter a Peach Blossom Calamity.”
“Haha!” I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “I’ve heard of good fortune in love, but I’ve never heard of a Peach Blossom Calamity. Are you trying to scare me again, Old Zhou?”
“No!” Old Zhou said with unusual seriousness. “A Peach Blossom Calamity refers to bad situations arising from romantic entanglements. When someone experiences complicated love affairs or improved luck with the opposite sex, it’s called encountering peach blossoms. But there are good and bad peach blossoms: good ones represent positive interactions with potential partners; bad ones are referred to as Peach Blossom Calamity, indicating troubles or disasters arising from romantic issues.”
“Wow, impressive, Old Zhou! You sound quite knowledgeable. By the way, did you ever work as a fortune teller or something in your younger days?”
“However, your Peach Blossom Calamity is a deadly one; you need to be cautious.”
“Oh, haha.” I still thought Old Zhou was exaggerating. “So what should I do to avoid it?” I asked jokingly.
“To counter the Peach Blossom Calamity, which is a life-threatening situation, you must be more vigilant.”
“Haha, alright, I got it! Take care of yourself too, Master! The August 1st holiday is coming up; after I get through this calamity, I'll treat you to a meal! Hahaha!” I waved my hand and turned to leave.
“Hey! Stop! Come back! Don’t just laugh it off!” Old Zhou called out from behind.
I thought he was going to explain something again, and I turned away impatiently.
"Give me ten dollars for a ride!"
...
Hmph, as I walked back to the base, I couldn't help but think that this old man was really ridiculous. I didn't even have a girlfriend right now; what kind of romantic luck was he talking about? And robbery? Isn't it usually when someone is having relationship troubles that they talk about such things? A single man should be the one with good fortune in love, haha.
The old guy must be getting a bit senile with age, I chuckled to myself. There were still plenty of things to deal with in the army, and here I was, playing along with him.
Shaking my head, I hurried back to Camp, not giving it much thought.
Who would have known that something would actually happen in the afternoon?
I was still taking a nap when Sheng Xiong suddenly pushed me, waking me from my deep slumber. My door was always unlocked for convenience and emergency communication.
"What time is it?! Didn't I set an alarm?" I mumbled, still a bit dazed.
"One fifty. Company Commander, the gatekeeper from Special Operations Unit called. A woman is insisting on coming in. After being stopped, she said she was looking for you and asked you to meet her at the gate."
"Impossible! Who would come looking for me here?" I paused for a moment; it really didn't make sense. The few girls I knew were all girlfriends of my Brothers. Xi? That couldn't be possible; she didn't even know where my unit was! Besides, with her personality, if she wanted to find me, she would have done so much earlier. There was no way she would come looking for me now, I thought sarcastically.
"I'll go take a look." After some consideration and feeling puzzled, I decided to check it out.
Putting on my training gear and camo shoes, I walked straight out of the Unit towards the main gate. It wasn't far; within a few minutes, as I got closer—about twenty meters away—I indeed saw a woman in a short skirt standing at the entrance talking to the guard. Nearby, there was a red car parked.
"Impossible! Who would come looking for me? Please don't tell me there's been a mistake!" I muttered to myself.
As I walked closer, nearing about ten meters from the entrance, I finally saw her face clearly.
"What the hell!" My heart sank.
"It's him!" The girl also recognized me.
I had no choice but to steel myself and approach. "Uh, did you need something?" I stepped out of the doorway and asked.
"Hmph." She sneered. "What, did you think I wouldn't find you?"
"Well, there's really no need to press the issue. It's all in the past now, right?" I felt a bit awkward.
"What? My dad helped smooth things over! But that doesn't mean it's forgotten!" She was quite aggressive.
"Then what do you want?" I sensed the guard behind me was watching, so I took a few steps to the side, signaling for her to come closer.
"What else would I want!? You need to write me a statement and sign it!" Her expression was dark.
"A statement about what?" I was taken aback.
"I need to file a claim for my car; the insurance company requires a report on the situation. You're one of the witnesses! Write it! And once you're done, stamp it with your company's seal!"
"But wasn't that your dad's fault?" I was confused.
"Of course it was! But it happened with your assistance! We need a third-party statement for the claim!"
"That doesn't mean I caused it!"
"I know those soldiers?! I'm just going to grab you; you're their leader!"
"......"
I thought for a moment, well, I owe them one, so writing a certificate would be a way to settle it.
"Then come in, let's go to my office. You tell me what to write, and I'll write it for you."
"Who wants to go in with you?! I'm not stepping into your place!"
Great! This is typical Eldest Sister behavior! "Then let's go to the Registration Room. There are no desks or pens here, and also, once it's written, it needs a stamp. If you don't come in with me, you'll just have to wait here. It's a hassle finding someone on the weekend." I was starting to get a bit impatient; why does asking someone for help have to be so difficult?
"Hurry up! I have no time to waste! Remember, if you don't come out, I'm calling your leader!"
I couldn't be bothered with her anymore and turned to enter the Registration Room.
(To be continued, more exciting content tomorrow!)
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