"Not coming down? How do you know they won't come down?"
Zhuang Rui laughed upon hearing this, looked around the room, pointed to a corner, and said, "See? They didn't bring any tents or anything. Do you think they're all superheroes who can cultivate immortality on the mountain?"
The snow-capped mountains are covered in snow all year round. Even now, in March or April when spring is in full bloom, the temperature at night here can still drop below zero. Not to mention the snow-capped mountains, where water freezes instantly.
The poachers left in a hurry, leaving behind almost all their supplies in the house except for their guns. Zhuang Rui didn't believe that the group could last long on the snow-covered mountain at minus ten degrees Celsius.
Zhuang Rui wasn't worried about them crossing the snow-capped mountains to find another way, because it was already afternoon, and there was no way those people could cross the snow-capped mountains before the temperature dropped sharply.
Therefore, as long as the entrance to the mountain is guarded, a situation of trapping them like turtles in a jar is created. Unless they are willing to freeze to death on the mountain, they will definitely obediently come down the mountain.
"Hey, that's true. Instead of going through all that trouble to go up there and fight them, why not just sit down at the foot of the mountain, have a drink, and wait for them to come to us? Brother Zhuang, your strategy is brilliant..."
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Peng Fei thought about it carefully and couldn't help but slap his thigh and cheer. It wasn't that he couldn't think of this idea, but it had been a while since he had actually fought someone, and his palms were really itching for a fight. He hadn't thought about it at all.
"It wasn't my strategy; it was Director Basang's idea. I was just copying what he said..."
Zhuang Rui subtly flattered Director Basang, which was indeed the case. Basang had assigned two people to guard the road out of the mountains, taking this factor into consideration. After all, he wasn't the police chief for nothing.
"Brother Zhuang, let's do as you say..."
Peng Fei stood up, laughing, and said, "Hehe, I'm going to buy two sheep, barbecue them, and take them to the mountain pass to eat. Damn, that'll make those bastards drool..."
The mountain pass is narrow in both entry and exit, making it difficult for Peng Fei and his men to attack, and equally difficult for those above to descend. Therefore, as long as they guard the pass well and remain concealed, the poachers on the mountain won't have much of a chance against those below. ...
As the sun slowly sets in the west, the mountains behind the Great Snow Mountain gradually become dark, the mountain wind howls, and the temperature suddenly drops from seven or eight degrees Celsius during the day to below zero.
About a mile from the village at the foot of the mountain, a campfire was lit halfway up the mountain. Four people huddled around the fire, shivering from the cold, while another person, wearing the only military overcoat in the group, stood in an open area observing the situation below.
A short man in his early thirties, standing by the campfire, cautiously asked a burly man with a bandage on his shoulder beside him, "Brother, it's so cold. Do you have any food left?"
"You're a fucking glutton, all you do is eat, eat, eat... You should all go to jail..."
The short man's words enraged the burly man with the gloomy expression. He kicked the short man to the ground, then casually unbuckled his belt and whipped the short man hard.
"Big brother, spare me, spare me! This... this isn't my fault! I saw the police and came back to report. How was I supposed to know there were only four or five of them?"
The little guy was whipped so hard he rolled on the ground, his shrill screams echoing through the mountains and carrying far away. Luckily, this was a place where the snow couldn't cover it, otherwise it might have triggered an avalanche.
"Damn it, you didn't know, you didn't know! It's because you didn't know that our brothers are trapped here! I'll beat you to death..."
The short man's words enraged the big man, who swung his high belt and lashed it down hard. Although the short man was wearing thick clothes, he still rolled on the ground in pain.
"Brother Beard, let's just forget about it. Killing him won't do any good. Let's think about how to get down the mountain..."
One of the men sitting by the campfire couldn't stand it anymore. They thought, "We've already come to this point. What's the point of infighting? We'll just be making a fool of ourselves in front of the police down the mountain."
The bearded man, exhausted from fighting, threw down his belt and said irritably, "Go down the mountain? How are we supposed to go down the mountain? There's only one path here, do you think we can just climb over this cliff?"
The bearded man sat down by the campfire, looking at the short man lying on the ground pretending to be dead. He really wanted to kill him. If it weren't for him, none of them would have ended up in this situation.
The bearded man's surname is Hu. He is 47 years old this year and is from Sichuan. Since he was 17 or 18, he has been poaching in Tibet, Xinjiang and other places with his elders. He is a well-known figure in the Northwest.
Having been involved in poaching for two or three decades, the bearded man has developed his own smuggling channels, selling rare and precious protected animals from the border region between China and Russia to Europe for huge profits.
From golden monkeys in Sichuan to Tibetan wild asses, Tibetan antelopes, as well as black bears, Tibetan gazelles, goitered gazelles, serows, gazelles, and argali sheep—all national first- and second-class protected animals—the bearded man has personally slaughtered countless of them.
Because of his reputation, the bearded man had dozens of thugs working for him. In fact, five or six years ago, the bearded man had rarely gone out to poach himself. But last year, a wealthy European man saw a beautiful snow leopard while traveling in Tibet. He then indirectly contacted the bearded man and offered three million US dollars for the snow leopard's complete pelt.
This was a big business opportunity. After making thorough preparations, the bearded man brought five people to Zogang County. However, he did not expect that the crackdown on poaching was so intense. As soon as he arrived in Zogang, he was spotted by the police.
For decades, the bearded man had been outwitting and outmaneuvering the police, so he was unlikely to be caught off guard by this little trick. He escaped with a clever scheme and arrived at the foot of the snow-capped mountain where the European tycoon had discovered the snow leopard.
After a short rest in the mountain village, the bearded man and his group climbed the snow-capped mountain. However, their first day of searching yielded nothing, which was expected. Three million dollars is not an easy sum to earn.
But as they were descending the mountain, the bearded group suddenly spotted a golden eagle hunting a argali sheep. The eagle was so large that even the bearded man, who had been poaching for two or three decades, had never seen anything like it.
The appearance of the golden eagle made the bearded man forget about the snow leopard for a moment. He immediately ordered everyone to surround it in an arc, preparing to find a good shooting position to kill it.
It is important to know that hunting is very popular in Europe, and many people would make taxidermy of their prey to show off their achievements. Many wealthy people also enjoy collecting animal taxidermy, which has made the taxidermy market in Europe extremely developed.
Some rare animal specimens can fetch astronomical prices on the market. According to the bearded man's understanding, a golden eagle of this size, if it can be perfectly killed and made into a specimen, will definitely be more expensive than the snow leopard skin.
The so-called perfect kill means that there cannot be any wounds on the surface of the prey. In other words, they can only shoot at the belly of the golden eagle, and cannot shoot it directly in the head. If the eagle's head is gone, what's the point of making a specimen?
However, the hunt did not go as smoothly as the bearded man had imagined. The golden eagle was extremely wary and immediately abandoned the argali sheep after seeing someone approaching, preparing to take off into the sky.
Just as the golden eagle was about to take flight, one of its closest henchmen fired a shot, and with the sound of the gunshot, the golden eagle crashed to the ground.
The subordinate, who thought he had killed the golden eagle, excitedly prepared to go forward to check on his prey. Unexpectedly, the golden eagle suddenly flipped over, flapped its wings, and used its dagger-like claws to tear open the subordinate's skull.
That wasn't the end of it. Before the bearded man could even raise his gun after arriving nearby, the golden eagle grabbed his shoulder. Fortunately, the claw that grabbed his shoulder was the injured one; otherwise, the bearded man's shoulder would have been ruined.
The poachers were momentarily at a loss after their companion was killed and their leader was injured, which gave the golden eagle a chance to escape. By the time the bearded man realized what was happening, the golden eagle had vanished without a trace.
This result left the bearded man speechless with grief. He had spent his entire life hunting eagles, only to have his eyes pecked out by an eagle in his old age, and to lose a brother. It was a complete loss.
However, on this treacherous snow-covered mountain, the bearded man could only swallow his anger and hastily bury the dead man before leading everyone down the mountain to rest.
But they hadn't even had a day to rest when they heard the short man say in a panic that a large group of police had arrived at the village entrance. The bearded man, feeling guilty, didn't even have time to pack his things before he led a few men and fled up the mountain.
Once they reached the top of the mountain, the bearded man realized that the other side consisted of only four or five people, and their firepower was far inferior to theirs. Had they known this, they would have rushed out of the village and run away.
But it was too late now. The pass was blocked, and going down would only mean certain death. The bearded man was incredibly frustrated. If he weren't afraid of infighting, he would have shot the short guy long ago.
As time went by, night fell, and the temperature on the mountain suddenly dropped to around minus ten degrees Celsius. The dry firewood around the poachers had been completely plundered, and the flames were getting smaller and smaller.
Besides the cold, the group hadn't eaten for seven or eight hours. Smelling the aroma of roasted meat wafting from the foot of the mountain, their eyes glazed over, and they kept swallowing their saliva.
Finally, one of the poachers couldn't resist the biting wind and the temptation of the food down the mountain, and tentatively said, "Brother Beard, if this continues, we...we'll freeze to death. Why don't we turn ourselves in?"
Chapter 1311 Internal Strife
The poacher who was speaking was about thirty-five or thirty-six years old. Because he had a dragon tattooed on each of his arms when he was young, he was nicknamed "Two Dragons." He was an extremely accurate shot. When he fired at a running Tibetan antelope, he could even hit the antelope's eye accurately without damaging its fur.
When the golden eagle was spotted on the mountain the day before yesterday, if it weren't for the fact that the bearded man's shoulder was scratched by Little Golden, causing a commotion, and his bullet jamming, the golden eagle would probably have been shot down by him long ago.
Erlong has been following the bearded man for almost 10 years. He said this not because he couldn't endure hardship. He once chased a herd of Tibetan antelopes for three days and three nights without closing his eyes, but he really couldn't hold on any longer.
The hunger in their stomachs was bearable, but the biting cold wind felt like a knife, scraping and cutting their flesh. Their cotton-padded clothes couldn't keep out the excruciating pain.
These people have extensive experience in wilderness survival. They know that being able to feel pain means there is still hope for survival. If they can't even feel pain, they might become an ice sculpture on this iceberg.
That's why the poacher suggested turning himself in. Although they had committed many crimes, as long as they kept their mouths shut and refused to confess, this would only be an attempted poaching, at most with a charge of illegal possession of firearms. They would probably only be in jail for three to five years, which is better than freezing to death in the mountains, right?
Seeing the bearded man sitting silently by the campfire, Erlong spoke up again, saying, "Brother Beard, if this continues, we're all really going to die here. There's always a way to survive if we go out, right?"
The so-called desperate criminals only risk their lives when they have no other way to survive, which does not apply here. Although the poachers present may have committed many evils, they have not killed anyone. This attempted poaching alone is hardly a capital offense.
The silent bearded man suddenly raised his head, looked at Erlong, and asked, "Erlong, how many years have you... been following me?"
After hearing what the bearded man said, Erlong did some mental calculations and said, "Brother Beard, I've been following you since '98, so it's been about thirteen or fourteen years now..."
"Yes, it's been thirteen or fourteen years. You must have killed at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, Tibetan antelopes, right?"
The bearded man laughed, but his smile appeared unusually sinister in the campfire. "Let's not talk about anything else. Just these Tibetan antelopes alone are enough to get you shot ten times over. Surrender? That's courting death." Erlong was somewhat unconvinced and shouted, "Brother Beard, if we don't talk about those things, who will know? Besides, there's no such thing as the death penalty for hunting wild animals, is there?"
Erlong isn't stupid. There are plenty of people in China who have been arrested for hunting protected wild animals, but I've never heard of anyone being sentenced to death. Even Li Chuancai, who skinned a giant panda, only received a suspended death sentence, so he basically won't lose his life.
On another note, when it comes to hunting nationally protected animals, everyone present has blood on their hands, and no one would be foolish enough to bring up past incidents. The bearded man's words puzzled Erlong, and he became less respectful in his speech.
This is the ugly side of human nature. Normally, Erlong would be more respectful to the bearded man than he would to his own father, but now that his life is at stake, Erlong can't care about anything else.
Not only him, but the others gathered around the campfire also looked at the bearded man with hopeful expressions. If they could live, no one wanted to die.
The bearded man suddenly became agitated. His uninjured right hand pressed against the submachine gun in front of him. After sweeping his cold gaze over the group, he said, "Alright, enough nonsense. If you still consider me your big brother, we'll get through today. Tomorrow, once we cross this snow mountain, we can find a detour to get out..."
To be honest, even the bearded man himself didn't believe he could make it through the day. It was below minus ten degrees Celsius. Once the campfire burned out, with their down jackets on, they'd probably all be turned into ice sculptures by dawn.
Seeing the bearded man's actions, Erlong's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said, "Okay, Brother Beard, whatever you say goes, the brothers will listen to you..."
He had followed the bearded man the longest and knew that this boss was ruthless and would really kill him if he disagreed with him. Moreover, Erlong also vaguely guessed that the reason why the bearded man was unwilling to surrender was probably because he had a murder case on his hands.
After saying this, Erlong lowered his head, but a strange expression flashed in his eyes.
Similarly, under the intimidation of the bearded man's submachine gun, the others also expressed their obedience to their leader's orders. However, what they were really thinking was something only heaven, earth, and themselves knew.
As the temperature continued to drop, the flames from the campfire grew smaller and smaller. All the dry firewood around them had been gathered up, and they dared not venture further afield. In this kind of weather, if they could not maintain sufficient strength, it would only hasten their death.
At first, the group walked around the campfire, but as time went on, their movements slowed down and their expressions became somewhat blank.
Scientists have conducted research showing that when temperatures drop to a certain level, people's thinking becomes sluggish. This is precisely the case now; the sluggish thinking of these poachers is already reflected in their actions. ...
"It smells so good, really good. I'll add more fuel to the fire. Brother Zhou, keep watch over the exit..."
At the foot of the snow-capped mountain, another bonfire was burning. However, unlike the one on the mountain, two whole roasted lambs were placed on the blazing fire, their enticing aroma wafting far and wide.
Peng Fei was not afraid of the enemy attacking down the mountain, because there was an open area of forty or fifty meters in front of the exit at the foot of the mountain, where there was no cover at all. If the enemy came down, they would only be used as targets to shoot.
Besides Zhuang Rui, Peng Fei, Zhou Rui, and others, Director Basang was also stationed here, and two police officers were hiding behind a rock, observing the movements on the mountain.
Even though he was wearing a sheepskin coat over his down jacket, Zhuang Rui was still shivering from the cold. Looking at the campfire that was almost extinguished halfway up the mountain, he couldn't help but curse, "Damn it, it's almost midnight. Are these bastards penguins? Aren't they cold at all?"
You know, although the mountain and the foot of the mountain are only five or six hundred meters apart, the temperature difference is at least 10 degrees. Zhuang Rui couldn't understand how those guys who lacked clothes and food had survived until now.
After searching the rooms where the poachers had stayed, Zhuang Rui was relieved. The timing of the poachers' arrival and the signs in the rooms indicated that they had not encountered a snow leopard, which finally put Zhuang Rui's mind at ease.
"Haha, Brother Zhuang, we're drinking and eating meat while they're up there starving. This business is booming! Let's see who can outlast whom..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Peng Fei burst into loud laughter, the sound carrying far and wide.
"Alright, kid, drink less and follow Director Basang's instructions..."
Zhuang Rui scolded Peng Fei, stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth, and stood up. He was going to replace the policeman behind the rock; in this freezing weather, if you didn't move around, you'd freeze.
"Officer Luozhu, go have a drink to warm up..."
Zhuang Rui walked behind the rock, patted the police officer on the shoulder, habitually released his spiritual energy, glanced up at the mountain, and suddenly froze.
"What the hell are they doing? Do these guys all have that kind of hobby, and they're fighting over a beard?"
Zhuang Rui discovered that the scene appearing in the spiritual energy was actually four old men pinning down the bearded man with an injured shoulder to the ground in an extremely ambiguous posture.
"No, this is infighting..."
After seeing a man put away his gun and then tie it up with a belt, Zhuang Rui finally understood that there was infighting among them.
Although Zhuang Rui could see the scene, he couldn't hear their voices and had no idea what these guys who were fighting amongst themselves were up to.
After tying up the bearded man, the four men stood by the campfire and discussed something. Then, three of them dragged the bearded man up, while the other, a thin, short man, walked ahead with a flashlight, heading... straight down the mountain.
"Officer Luozhu, call Peng Fei and the others over. I saw the people on the mountain move..."
Seeing this, how could Zhuang Rui not understand? The people on the mountain couldn't hold on any longer and wanted to come down and surrender. Perhaps the bearded man disagreed, which led to the infighting.