Just as Zhuang Rui had expected, as the temperature continued to drop, the injured bearded man became increasingly listless, drowsy, and unable to even hold his gun steady.
At that moment, the four men, who had been working together in unison, pounced on him and subdued the bearded man on the spot. As the saying goes, "better to die than to die," the bearded man was the ringleader, and by catching him, everyone else's punishment would be lighter.
The short guy who had been slapped several times also kicked the bearded man a few times. Anyway, they would all be eating in jail in the future, and the other guy might get shot, so he wasn't afraid of the bearded man's revenge.
"Mr. Zhuang, I didn't see them. Did they really come down the mountain?"
Luo Zhu kept his eyes fixed on the mountain, but apart from the nearly extinguished campfire, he couldn't see what was happening up there.
Zhuang Rui nodded and said, "I have good eyesight, I estimate they'll be down in about an hour and a half. Let's get ready..."
“Okay, I’ll go and inform Director Basang right away…”
Seeing Zhuang Rui's serious expression, which didn't seem like he was joking with her, Luo Zhu also became serious and ran to the barbecue area a few dozen meters away.
Upon hearing Luo Zhu's report, the group of people who had been gathered around the campfire rushed over, loaded their bullets, and focused intently on the mountain path above.
About twenty minutes later, the flashlights could be seen more than a hundred meters up the mountain, along with shouts: "We're surrendering! Don't shoot! We came down to surrender..."
The hoarse shouts echoed through the mountains. Zhuang Rui and the others exchanged smiles. This was naturally the best outcome. Otherwise, if the other side had resisted with guns and weapons or charged the mountain pass, it might have caused damage to their side.
The first to appear under the bright spotlight was the short man, with a flashlight clipped to his collar and a submachine gun held above his head, walking unsteadily down the mountain.
Following closely behind him were three people walking upright and one person being dragged on the ground. Erlong and the others were too exhausted to carry the bearded man anymore. Half of the way down the mountain they had to drag him down was by dragging him. The bearded man, who was already injured, was now barely alive.
"Government, we're turning ourselves in! We're turning ourselves in!"
Several men approached the light and threw their guns on the ground. At Chief Basang's command, several officers rushed forward and handcuffed the men's hands behind their backs.
"Government, could you give us some water or food? We haven't eaten anything for over ten hours..."
Upon seeing the police, Erlong and the others seemed relieved, completely ignoring the pain in their arms and only begging for food.
Chief Basang waved his hand and said, "Take them to the campfire, don't let them freeze to death. Hmm, and what's the deal with this guy? Conduct a surprise interrogation immediately..."
“Government, we confess, we confess! His surname is Hu, and people in the underworld call him Brother Hu. He's the one who organized us to come here…”
Because of the bearded man's lack of cooperation, the group knew they couldn't escape their previous crimes. Since they figured the bearded man would implicate them anyway, they decided to spill the beans and confess everything before any interrogation.
"Brother Beard?"
Upon hearing Erlong's words, Director Basang's expression suddenly changed. He roughly pulled the bearded man on the ground to the campfire and looked at his face by the firelight.
"Hu Rongfa, it really is you!" Director Basang's voice, though filled with joy, seemed to carry a hint of sadness. Upon hearing Basang's words, the officers around him all showed expressions of surprise and delight.
Zhuang Rui, somewhat bewildered by Basang's actions, pulled Luo Zhu aside and whispered, "Officer Luo Zhu, what... is going on?"
Lozhu looked excited and pointed to the bearded man on the ground, saying, "Mr. Zhuang, we... have done a great job! This Hu Rongfa is one of the main culprits who killed Comrade Sonam Dargye in Hoh Xil. We've been chasing him for 17 years, and we never expected to catch him here." "The Hoh Xil in the movie?"
Zhuang Rui asked.
"Yes, the story depicts the real-life inspiration for Sonam Dargye..."
Luo Zhu nodded heavily and told Zhuang Rui a moving and inspiring story.
One day in 1994, 40-year-old Sonam Dargye and four team members captured 20 poachers in Hoh Xil and seized seven cars and more than 1,800 Tibetan antelope hides.
While escorting the criminals near Sun Lake, they were attacked. Sonam Dargye confronted 18 armed poachers in the uninhabited area to protect the Tibetan antelopes, shedding his last drop of blood.
Under the lamplight, Sonam Dargye lay prostrate on the ground, right hand holding a gun, left hand cocking it, eyes wide open in fury, motionless like an ice sculpture; no one dared approach. Even in death, he inspired terror.
Sonam Dargye's death shocked the world and the media. In 1995, the Chinese government approved the establishment of the "Kekexili Provincial Nature Reserve" and upgraded it to the "Kekexili National Nature Reserve" in 1997. Although 17 years have passed, the story of Sonam Dargye's gunfight with poachers and his heroic sacrifice is still being told. The public security organs have never stopped pursuing the fugitive suspect who shot him.
To this day, of the original 18 perpetrators, 15 have been brought to justice, while three remain at large. Hu Rongfa is one of these three and was the main culprit in the shooting of Sonam Dargye.
No one expected that a wanted criminal from seventeen years ago would be captured in this small mountain village. This made Director Basang and his team shake off their fatigue and extremely excited.
"Director Basang, let's take them back first and let Dean Laba Ciren take a look. If they die, wouldn't that be letting him off easy?"
As Zhuang Rui spoke, he secretly infused a wisp of spiritual energy into the bearded man's body. He wanted this man to be judged alive, because for this heinous criminal, living might be more painful than dying in the days to come.
"Yes, yes, we can't let him die..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Director Basang finally realized what was happening and personally carried the bearded man, who had collapsed into a limp mess, back to the village.
The next morning, the criminal police officers who had rushed from the county town overnight to provide support escorted Hu Rongfa and his group back. Due to the seriousness of the case, Basang also went back with them. Without these poachers, the small mountain village returned to its former tranquility.
"Respected village chief, Brother Dunzhu Ciren, what's the situation with the snow leopard? Has it come to this mountain village in the past few years?"
After seeing Basang and the others off, Zhuang Rui immediately went to find the old village chief. He was eager to know the news about the snow leopard. If he wasn't worried about Qin Xuanbing and the others, Zhuang Rui would have taken the white lion to climb the snow mountain long ago.
“Mr. Zhuang, the snow leopard came to the village last year, and we prepared 10 cattle and sheep for it, which should have been enough for it to get through the winter. It just didn’t come this year, probably because there are too many outsiders here…”
Dondrup Tsering spoke somewhat embarrassedly, explaining that Zhuang Rui had left them over 100,000 RMB, while their only compensation was 10 cattle and sheep.
After the news of the reincarnation of the Living Buddha spread, more and more people came to Gama Village for tourism and pilgrimage. Even some mountaineering teams listed the snow mountain as their target to conquer. The reason why the snow leopard did not come this year may also be due to this.
"As long as the snow leopard is still on the mountain, I will find it, and I will also go and see the golden eagle's parents..."
Zhuang Rui found that after the poacher incident delayed him, his desire to enter the Great Snow Mountain had become even more urgent.
Chapter 1312 Tomorrow Will Be Better (Part 1)
The changes in Gama Village were somewhat unexpected for Zhuang Rui. After the news of the reincarnated child spread, this remote and quiet little mountain village became lively.
Initially, it was a group of followers of Tibetan Living Buddhas who came to worship at the place where the Living Buddha was born. After they returned, they spread the word about this beautiful mountain village, attracting many tourists.
Although tourism has boosted the economy of the mountain village and made life much better for the villagers, it has also damaged the village's isolated environment.
On the short stretch of road from the village entrance to the foot of the snow-capped mountain, Zhuang Rui saw no fewer than 10 food packaging bags, which... must have been discarded by the tourists.
Snow leopards prefer to live in pristine natural environments and are naturally cautious. Moreover, Zhuang Rui had used his spiritual energy to groom them, so it was clearly the increased number of tourists in these places that made them hesitant to venture in.
Thinking of this, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but worry. During those days when the mountains were blocked by heavy snow, without food, could the snow leopard survive?
Seeing that Zhuang Rui's expression was not good, Dunzhu Ciren spoke up, "Brother Zhuang Rui, it's our fault. We didn't prepare enough food and an undisturbed environment for the snow leopard..."
It can be said that Zhuang Rui's arrival changed the impoverished face of Gama Village. Whether it was searching for the reincarnation of the Living Buddha or providing financial assistance for children's schooling, Zhuang Rui was indispensable to it.
However, they hadn't done a good job of the things Zhuang Rui had entrusted to the village, and they couldn't help but feel guilty.
Some people might think, "It's just an animal, not a person, why make such a fuss?"
However, in Tibet, Tibetan mastiffs are considered partners of humans, and snow leopards are seen as guardians of the snow-capped mountains. In their hearts, these are even more important than Zhuang Rui entrusting them with the care of one person.
"This is none of your business. Animals must live in nature. Survival of the fittest is the rule of nature, and snow leopards are no exception..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head. Dunzhu Ciren's apologetic words eased his mind. Before he met the snow leopard, he had never seen it go hungry. As the king of the snow mountains, it would be a joke if it were to starve to death.
Looking at the pristine, snow-capped mountains outside the window, Zhuang Rui continued, "However, Elder Village Chief, Brother Dunzhu Ciren, I have a suggestion, I wonder if you would be willing to listen..."
"Brother Zhuang Rui, you said that as long as it's within our power, we'll definitely do it; and for things we can't do, we'll find a way..."
Dondrup Tsering nodded heavily; he wasn't so clear about the difference between advice and requests.
“Brother Tsering Dondrup, I’m not asking you to do anything, and I don’t have that right…”
Zhuang Rui laughed upon hearing this, pointing to the snow-capped mountains outside the window, and said, "Brother Dunzhu Ciren, you can all see that the snow on the mountains is so white and flawless, so sacred. But do you know that the constant influx of tourists will ruin all of this? One day, the pristine snow-capped mountains will become as dirty as a rag..."
Zhuang Rui wasn't exaggerating to scare them; it was indeed the case. Since Mount Everest became famous, the number of tourists has increased dramatically, and cigarette butts, cans, scraps of paper, and plastic bags are everywhere, causing the local environment to become increasingly polluted.
Some experts have pointed out that if this phenomenon is not stopped, what people will see on Mount Everest in the future will no longer be white snow, but gray snow.
"Is it that serious?"
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Dunzhu Ciren and the old village chief looked at each other in bewilderment. They had rarely left the mountains in their lives and had no concept of environmental protection whatsoever.
Zhuang Rui nodded and said, "It might be even more serious than that..."
"Then...what can we do? The villagers have more income and their lives are better now. We can't let them go back to the way they used to be, can we?"
The old village chief looked worried; his face, already etched with the marks of time, now bore even more wrinkles.
As the saying goes, it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. Even if the old village chief is highly respected in the village, he may not be able to persuade the villagers to give up the benefits they can see.
"Hehe, old village chief, it's not that we're not allowed to do tourism, but the standards must be raised, and we shouldn't let any travel agencies in. Just let word of mouth do the trick. As long as we protect the environment, I believe your future will be even better." Zhuang Rui laughed when he heard this. It would be a pity if this beautiful, picturesque mountain village were not known to the world. Everything has two sides. As long as it can be controlled properly, bad things can turn into good things.
"Brother Zhuang Rui, you're a capable man, so why don't you give us some advice..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, the old village chief and Dunzhu Ciren's eyes lit up. Although they were not very educated, they knew the principle of draining the pond to catch all the fish. The deterioration of the surrounding environment would ultimately cause them the greatest losses.
Zhuang Rui scratched his head and said, "Hey, I really can't say for sure about this. It's just a matter of raising the prices of food and lodging. You can charge the price of a five-star hotel per day for the wooden cabin, and charge the price of abalone for the live fish in the lake..."
"Brother Zhuang Rui, I know about five-star hotels, but what's this double-headed abalone?"
Zhuang Rui's words were interrupted by Dunzhu Ciren.
"Hey, don't worry about what that is. Just charge him three to five thousand for a meal, that's fine. This isn't a designated tourist area, no one will complain about you ripping off tourists. Take it or leave it..."
Good wine needs no bush. Zhuang Rui knew that those high-level managers in big cities needed a quiet and beautiful place like this. Spending ten or twenty thousand yuan a week there was really not a big problem for them.
Moreover, these people have a strong sense of environmental protection; at the very least, they won't litter cigarette butts or let their children urinate or defecate indiscriminately, so they won't have a significant impact on the environment.
"Will this... will this work?"
Dondrup Tsering's mouth dropped open as he listened. "They're all wild fish from the lake. We cook them for our guests without charging them. It's only 20 yuan a night to stay. This...this..."
“We’re going to be doing high-end tourism routes, Brother Tenzin. You have to remember, we’re not aiming for the best, but for the most expensive. Some people just have a peculiar habit of only buying the most expensive things… Hmm, I’ll find you an expert to help you develop all the rules and regulations. You just need to follow them when the time comes…”
Seeing that Dondrup Tsering still looked puzzled, Zhuang Rui had no patience to waste any more time arguing with him. He was still thinking about going up the mountain to find the snow leopard. Besides, when it came to market operations, Zhuang Rui didn't really have much to say.
Zhuang Rui immediately took out his phone and called Lei Lei and the others. This was exactly what Liu Chuan and his team did. As long as the Tibetan mastiffs came from their kennel, they all adhered to the principle Zhuang Rui had just mentioned: "not seeking the best, but seeking the most expensive." They were ruthless in taking advantage of the wealthy. It seemed that applying this to tourism development wouldn't be a big problem, right?
"This is the most beautiful place we've ever seen, so of course the price is higher..."
"Yes, but the corresponding facilities also need to be improved. Don't change the wooden cabin or anything like that; leave it as it is. But the items inside must be kept clean and hygienic..."
After hearing Zhuang Rui's explanation, the people who arrived all nodded in agreement. Staying here for a day seemed to purify one's soul, something that money couldn't buy.
Seeing everyone offering suggestions, Zhuang Rui said, "Alright, you guys can work hard and help Gama Village come up with a system..."
"Zhuang Rui, we're here to come up with ideas, what are you going to do?"
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Liu Chuan asked curiously.
Zhuang Rui looked at the towering snow-capped mountains in the distance and said, "I'll take the white lion to the other side of the mountains to see the golden eagle's parents and the snow leopard..."
Yesterday, because the poachers had guns, Zhuang Rui sent the golden eagle back to its parents' nest. But the stubborn eagle just wouldn't show itself, making it impossible for Zhuang Rui to find the snow leopard through it.
Liu Chuan was displeased and shouted, "Stop being so serious! If you want to go, we'll all go together..."
Upon hearing Liu Chuan's words, Timur, who had always been a taciturn person in the group, also awkwardly chimed in, "Yes, yes, Zhuang Rui'an, are you going to find the baby eagle?"
"You guys want to go too?"