Ch91 Sir, You Must Stand Up for Us
"Sir, you must stand up for us!"
"They killed three of my brothers in one fell swoop. Look, their bodies are still here!"
The moment Brother Huang saw this group of soldiers, he immediately dropped his arrogant demeanor and began playing the victim.
Meng Ci couldn't help but give Brother Huang a second look.
No wonder he became the leader -turns out he's a master of changing faces.
"Lieutenant Lu, long time no see!"
Meng Ci ignored Brother Huang's false accusations and greeted the newcomer instead.
The leader of this military unit was none other than Lu Chen.
Lu Chen didn't give Meng Ci a chance to exchange pleasantries, cutting straight to the point: "Which one of you will explain what happened?"
Meng Ci inwardly rolled his eyes. This Lu Chen was truly an iron-fisted enforcer, not even granting a moment for small talk.
Originally, upon hearing Meng Ci was acquainted with the soldiers, the man in the mink coat had assumed defeat was inevitable.
But when he heard Lu Chen's demand, his spirits instantly lifted. Without hesitation, he spoke up first.
"Sir, it was them!"
"We were clearly here first, cutting down trees. Then they, relying on their superior skills, tried to steal the trees we worked so hard to cut down."
"Sir, you must stand up for us!"
"And we didn't start this fight-they killed one of our men first, forcing us to defend ourselves!"
The remaining five men from the group chimed in in unison.
"That's right, sir! Don't be fooled by their small numbers-they're ruthless!"
"Exactly! They killed three of our brothers!"
Meng Ci and Shen Que offered little defense.
This wasn't about numbers or who was stronger-it was plain that Brother Huang and his crew were simply too weak.
Though he'd only met Lu Chen once, Meng Ci was certain the man wasn't the type to believe one-sided accounts.
Sure enough, Lu Chen fixed his gaze on Meng Ci and Shen Que.
"You two, explain what happened."
Meng Ci retorted, "It's those shameless bastards!"
"Many of us come here to chop wood for warmth. I never heard of this forest having an owner before."
"Now they see just the two of us and want to steal the wood we worked so hard to cut down."
"Lieutenant Lu, you can't just believe their lies because we're only two people with little influence."
The men from Brother Huang's group naturally sided with their own.
With both sides locked in argument, Lu Chen called over two soldiers.
"You two, take their axes and compare them."
"Yes, sir."
With only one felled tree on the ground now, the comparison was straightforward.
Shen Que handed over his axe to the soldier without hesitation, while the men from Brother Huang's group hesitated, reluctant to relinquish theirs.
"The axe he's holding is ours."
"Right, he snatched it from us just now. This comparison is meaningless."
Ignoring the fur-clad man's protest, Lu Chen insisted the soldiers take it for comparison.
Shen Que's axe was noticeably smaller than the others', making the difference immediately apparent.
"Anything else to explain?" Lu Chen asked the leader.
The leader, adopting a "what's the point" attitude, admitted, "It's true we took their trees first."
"But this forest belongs to us.
They tried to cut down trees without permission-of course we stopped them."
"And they injured someone."
Upon hearing this, Lu Chen Interjected, "To my knowledge, this mountain is slated for government development as a tourist attraction. It's not privately owned."
"When did it become privately owned?"
Meng Ci nodded. "Exactly, exactly. Lieutenant Lu is awesome."
"Besides, they started the trouble. We only fought back."
Brother Huang and his crew tried to protest, but Lu Chen cut them off.
"Between the recent torrential rains and the sudden cold snap, half of M City's population has already perished."
"Surviving this far is a miracle. You'd do well to get along peacefully and avoid any more brawls like this."
"Understood?"
Meng Ci nodded quickly, signaling comprehension.
Even though Brother Huang was still seething inside, the guns in Lu Chen's hands forced him to reluctantly agree.
The fallen trees on the ground
were left to Meng Ci and Shen Que. But the two of them now. had an extra task: burying the three bodies under the snow to avoid causing panic.
As for Brother Huang and his crew, they went back to whatever they were doing.
Brother Huang and his crew had lost all interest in cutting trees and dispersed.
Before leaving, however, they silently issued a threat, warning Meng Ci and Shen Que to be prepared.
Meng Ci wasn't the least bit afraid. Instead, he waved at them.
"See you next time, Brother Huang."
Once the group had departed, Meng Ci turned to Lu Chen with a troubled look.
"Lieutenant Lu, about burying the bodies... maybe we should just
"After all, we don't have shovels or tools for that. And who knows, maybe a blizzard will come tonight and bury them anyway."
Lu Chen ignored him. With a wave, two soldiers stepped forward, retrieving two entrenching shovels from their backs and handing them to the pair.
Damn, soldiers really are soldiers -they were fully equipped.
Meng Ci and Shen Que could only accept them, then began digging the grave with all their might.
Never had the two hoped more fervently for a snowstorm to come.
Lu Chen didn't leave. He stood nearby, watching Meng Ci and Shen Que. The soldiers he'd brought began to spread out, also cutting down trees. "You didn't scare anyone with that replica gun, did you?" Lu Chen suddenly asked.
Meng Ci hastily assured him, "Of course not."
"Besides, I have no idea where I tossed that gun."
"Good." Lu Chen studied Meng Ci for several moments, finding no trace of deception in his eyes.
After Lu Chen finished speaking, Meng Ci tried to glean some useful information from him.
"Lieutenant Lu, when I came out today, I saw many residents running back."
"Didn't you set up refugee camps? Why are they coming back?"
Lu Chen replied, "They chose to return on their own."
Last night, the government issued a notice: anyone willing to leave the refugee camps could depart this morning.
All departing residents would receive five packets of cold-resistant vegetable seeds, one box of instant noodles per person, and five cans of fish per person.
Since meals at the settlement required labor to earn, they naturally preferred leaving with provisions in hand.
Meng Ci nodded upon hearing this.
"Aren't you worried they'll take the food, leave, and then return to the settlement once it's gone?"
"Then find another chance to get food and leave?"
Lu Chen replied, "Their departure is registered. The refugee settlement won't accept them again within six months."
Meng Ci couldn't help but give Lu Chen and his team a mental thumbs-up.
Soldiers were soldiers after all-they thought through every detail.
"Dig quickly!" Lu Chen urged.