Chapter 64: Captain Zhou of the Forestry Team

Lin Yang's face was instantly covered in a layer of grief and indignation, his expression resembling a long-suppressed volcano about to erupt.

His voice trembled slightly with emotion, carrying a hint of a sob that lingered for a long time in the silent mountain forest, every single word seemingly laden with boundless bitterness and helplessness.

"I only wanted to save my family from the agony of starvation, so I risked my life, hanging my head by my belt, and resolutely ventured into this perilous, deep mountain forest!"

"After finally encountering this black bear and surviving through nine deaths, how could I have ever expected to face your robbery on top of that!"

"Since I was a child, my father often told me how he resolutely threw himself into the battle against the foreign devils, leaving one of his legs forever in a foreign land far across the seas."

"Yet even so, he never showed the slightest fear and always earnestly taught me that I must be a towering man who never bows to tyranny!"

"Therefore, even in the face of death, I will never bow my head to evil forces like you; I will fight to the very end!"

In fact, ever since the moment he encountered Sun Daqiang, Lin Yang had already rapidly devised a plan in his heart.

He knew very well that his father's glorious combat experience was undoubtedly a heavy trump card in his hands.

After all, most members of the forestry team were demobilized soldiers.

As far as he knew, the team leader who was acquainted with Sun Daqiang had previously been deceived by Sun Daqiang's glib tongue and thus implicated, only for there to be no further news of that team leader later on.

Upon hearing this outpouring from Lin Yang, Team Leader Zhou's expression instantly turned as stern as iron.

He immediately raised his volume and shouted loudly, "Little comrade, stay calm! Don't be impulsive! We haven't figured out the ins and outs of the matter yet. Seeing you pointing a gun at someone just now, it was only natural for us to be on guard out of our occupational instincts!"

As he spoke, he waved his hands vigorously, motioning for his team members to maintain restraint and refrain from acting rashly.

Immediately afterward, Team Leader Zhou continued with a sincere expression and heartfelt words, "I solemnly give you my word with the supreme honor of a soldier that we will never take even a single needle or thread from the common people."

"If you have truly suffered a grievance, we will definitely uphold justice for you! Put down your gun first and do nothing you will regret!"

Lin Yang felt a surge of secret joy in his heart, yet he still put on a vigilant appearance, asking cautiously, "How can you expect me to believe what you say? Just now, he spoke with absolute certainty, claiming you were all in cahoots!"

"He even blustered that as soon as you arrived, you would throw me behind bars, force my father and mother to their deaths, and give my entire family no peace!"

"If you truly don't intend to side with him, give me a reasonable explanation!"

Team Leader Zhou clenched his teeth and stopped at a distance of five or six meters from Lin Yang, the anger in his heart toward Sun Daqiang already blazing fiercely.

By this time, he completely believed that Lin Yang's words were true, secretly reproaching himself for having been blinded by Sun Daqiang's hypocritical facade earlier.

"This is my identification. Like your father, I was once a glorious soldier who defended our home and country."

As Team Leader Zhou spoke, he gently tossed the identification toward Lin Yang.

"Little comrade, please trust me. I swear to you that I will handle this matter impartially and fairly, without favoring either side!"

Quick-eyed and nimble-handed, Lin Yang reached out with a single hand and steadily caught the tossed identification.

Looking closely, the characters "Zhou Haiming" were clearly written upon it.

Meanwhile, the Mosin-Nagant rifle in his hand was still pressed tightly against Sun Daqiang's throat.

Sun Daqiang was pinned firmly by Lin Yang's foot right on his broken arm; any slight movement brought a piercing, bone-chilling agony that made cold sweat pour from him.

He desperately wanted to retort and cry out in grievance, claiming that Lin Yang was reversing black and white and talking utter nonsense, but his throat felt as though it were tightly gripped by an invisible pair of giant hands, unable to produce any complete sound at all—only a few painful and muffled whimpers.

Feigning hesitation and looking utterly desolate and pitiful, Lin Yang said, "I'll give you the black bear, just as long as you don't hurt me! I truly cannot die! I am the only hope left for my family."

"Back then, my uncle responded to the state's call and went to the battlefield together with my father. As a result, my uncle died a heroic death and could never return, leaving only my father to limp his way back home with a disabled leg."

"If anything happened to me, there would be no one left to prop up the household, and my family would undoubtedly be bullied at will!"

Hearing this, a wave of deep respect welled up in Zhou Haiming's heart.

With a solemn expression, he first gave a standard military salute to Lin Yang, then said in a sincere tone, "Little comrade, don't worry. I promise you that I will never let you suffer any harm! I swear on the honor of a soldier!"

Seeing this, Lin Yang casually tossed the captured Type 56 semi-automatic rifle and the Mosin-Nagant in front of Zhou Haiming.

Then, as if all his strength had been drained away, he slumped directly onto the ground, adopting an attitude of resignation and surrender as he said, "I've injured someone, and I know you certainly won't let me off easily. But I am willing to trust you, simply because of that uniform you wear which carries honor—seeing it reminds me of my father!"

Zhou Haiming hurriedly bent down to pick up the weapons from the ground and handed them to his approaching subordinates, breathing a silent sigh of relief in his heart.

If any accident had befallen Lin Yang right before his eyes, he truly would not have known how to report to his superiors.

Over the past couple of days, all kinds of troublesome matters had come one after another.

The county had strictly ordered that the issue of that black bear be resolved as soon as possible, and now this trouble had suddenly popped up; if it weren't handled properly, he would definitely have to bear the responsibility.

Zhou Haiming walked quickly to Lin Yang's side, extended his strong hands to gently help Lin Yang up, and said genially, "Little comrade, I am also willing to believe every single word you've said! However, handling any matter requires following principles and relying on evidence."

"Put your mind completely at ease. As long as what you've said is true, I will definitely uphold justice for you and never let the common people feel disillusioned!"

Having said that, he cast a meaningful glance at his subordinates.

Understanding implicitly, the team members immediately dispersed like well-trained hounds, carefully searching and inspecting the surrounding area.

Having finally broken free from Lin Yang's suppression, Sun Daqiang managed to regain a bit of mobility.

He struggled to climb up from the ground, his face flushed as red as a pig's liver with rage. Pointing a finger at Lin Yang, he cursed viciously, "You little bastard, how dare you spit venom and frame people! Do you believe I'll finish you off today?!"

Accustomed as he was to shouting arrogant threats on ordinary days, having just escaped the jaws of death only to be driven out of his mind by Lin Yang's series of maneuvers, he was now completely cornered and desperate.

Hearing this, Zhou Haiming's gaze instantly turned as cold as frost, shooting toward Sun Daqiang like two sharp blades, while he inwardly rejoiced that he hadn't been hoodwinked by this fellow's glib tongue earlier.

With a cold snort, Zhou Haiming said in a stern and severe voice, "Sun Daqiang, you can't go three sentences without threatening to finish someone off. It seems you rarely miss a chance to pull such intimidating stunts on ordinary days!"