Half an hour later, Yan Hao slammed the water box onto the ground, wiped his sweat, and said, “Two hundred and sixteen.”
“Five hundred kilograms,” Zhou Rong swayed as he squatted and recorded the total weight of rice bags.
Feng Wentai’s relief was short-lived as he realized the implications of Zhou Rong’s words. The supplies were now part of state property, and retrieving them would be a complicated process.
Zhou Rong hopped back into the armored vehicle, and the rest followed suit, the vehicle starting its engine. As they left the fertilizer factory, the night sky twinkled with stars while the atmosphere remained tense among the group.
With the horror of the day behind them, Si Nan returned to his canned food, while Chun Cao nibbled on some remnants scattered around. The journey back to camp was filled with silence, each person lost in their thoughts.
Once they reached the camp, the team began to sort through their supplies, preparing for the next mission. Zhou Rong led the way, organizing the resources with a keen eye, ensuring nothing would go to waste.
As they settled into their usual routine, each member of the team understood the gravity of their situation, they had to be strategic and thoughtful in their preparations moving forward.
Feng Wentai immediately responded, “No need to be so troublesome. Captain Zhou can submit it on my behalf.”
Zhou Rong objected, insisting on discipline and that they couldn’t privately handle disaster victims’ personal property. After a back-and-forth negotiation, Feng Wentai won, and Zhou Rong accepted the supplies on behalf of the thirty-odd refugees at the fertilizer factory.
Rubbing his hands, Feng Wentai laughed, “There’s one more thing. To be honest, I’m a military enthusiast. There were some items in the container, my personal collection, actually not very lethal…”
Zhou Rong looked confused, “What?”
“Well,” Feng Wentai seemed embarrassed, “Some Uzi submachine guns and such, given by my military enthusiast friends during my overseas studies…”
“Oh, those weren’t found!” Zhou Rong slapped his thigh. “Are you sure they were in the car?”
Feng Wentai nodded.
Zhou Rong looked regretful, “Those were good stuff, definitely taken by someone. Why didn’t you tell me last night? If I’d known, I would have retrieved them for you. How could they still be there now?”
