076 Could My Dismissal Be Part of a Conspiracy?

Chen Anquan nodded; this was not an issue he hadn’t considered before.

Ever since his old colleague, Dr. Yin Miao-miao, mentioned she wanted to visit Ao Bei Mountain, he had sensed something was off. Only now did he realize that, in addition to Yin Miao-miao and Uncle Lu, there were other staff members who had gone to investigate Ao Bei Mountain as well.

For now, Chen Anquan had no intention of telling Chen Juan-juan that Yin Miao-miao and Uncle Lu had been to Ao Bei Mountain. He couldn’t be sure if they were actually working for the relevant authorities—what if they really were spies?

He couldn’t bring himself to drag Chen Juan-juan, an ordinary woman, into this crisis.

Besides, Yin Miao-miao was an obstetrician at the county hospital, already at the top of her field within the province—why would she willingly settle in a small county town?

Not being close with Yin Miao-miao, Chen Anquan had no plans to ask.

And then there was Uncle Lu, always wearing sunglasses, his intentions unclear.

Uncle Lu was the first person Chen Anquan had encountered since beginning his cultivation who made him feel genuinely threatened. If it came to a confrontation, Chen Anquan wasn’t confident he could defeat him.

Chen Juan-juan continued her analysis: “Then there’s the security guard who shot his wife and her lover. Do you really think it’s just a coincidence he happened to escape here?”

“Well…” Chen Anquan thought it was a coincidence, but the neighboring province was hundreds of kilometers away. Of all directions to flee, why head straight for Ao Bei Mountain? It was a bit too much of a coincidence.

Chen Juan-juan stroked her chin. “And finally, Ao Bei Mountain itself has changed. A mutated wild boar, two boar henchmen, a summit even the beasts fear to tread, and flowers that heal wounds when eaten.”

“Hearing your analysis, I’m starting to think Ao Bei Mountain really is different now!” Chen Anquan lacked Juan-juan’s meticulous analytical mind; much of his focus was on how to improve himself. As for strange happenings, he didn’t dwell on them.

“And lastly.” At this, Chen Juan-juan’s tone turned serious, her gaze fixed intently on Chen Anquan, making him feel a chill run down his spine. “Anquan, you’ve changed too.”

“Me?” Chen Anquan was taken aback. He knew he was well-trained, that his strength had surpassed the ordinary, but he still considered himself normal.

“Hmph! You almost killed a martial arts expert with one kick, slapped a mutated wild boar nearly to death, sent another flying with a single kick, and you’re the one who punched a hole in the village basketball court. Are you even human?”

Chen Anquan’s face darkened. “Why wouldn’t I be? Mike Tyson’s right hook could deliver a punch force of over 1,600 pounds—twice the bite force of a tiger! He could knock out a tiger with a single punch. Does that make him less human?”

Chen Juan-juan was momentarily silenced; what he said made sense, but also didn’t.

After a brief pause, she sighed. “Anquan, you must protect yourself. Don’t let others know how strong you are. I don’t know how you became so powerful, but you might not realize—you’re not the only one who’s changed.”

“There are others?” This was the most shocking news Chen Anquan had heard recently.

“Yes. At my workplace, there’s a list of outstanding young employees—they say they’ll be getting special training. I don’t know the details.”

“There’s actually such a thing?” Chen Anquan hadn’t seen this coming.

He looked at Chen Juan-juan, eager to know if she was on the list. “Were you selected for the training?”

“Of course! I’m excellent, after all,” she replied smugly. “I heard you almost became a regular employee at your hospital. Why did you break that patient’s neck just before you could make the transition? By the way, I heard your hospital is also selecting young employees for training.”

“Damn!” For once, Chen Anquan, usually mild-mannered, swore aloud. “Could it be that Wang Hao got into the training program?”

“Who’s Wang Hao?”

“He’s a doctor in my department, rumored to be the mayor’s son. He assigned me that patient for manipulation therapy. Our department only had one opening for a full-time spot; I ranked first in both the practical and interview, he was second.”

Could it be?

A bold thought flashed through Chen Anquan’s mind—did Wang Hao use inside information from his dad, the mayor, to sabotage him after learning about the training program in advance?

The more he thought about it, the more unsettling it seemed.

“Anquan, what’s with your expression?” Chen Juan-juan didn’t understand what was running through his mind. “Are you listening or not? If not, I’ll just go home.”

If Wang Hao was behind this, Chen Anquan resolved to deal with him personally. “I’m listening!”

“I heard only those who’ve officially joined the workforce and entered the system are eligible for the training. You’re not a formal employee, nor in the system, so you must keep a low profile.”

“Alright. Thanks for the warning.”

“Hehe.” Chen Juan-juan quickly reverted to her usual self, hoisting a bamboo basket as tall as her hips and swaggering back toward the village.

As they passed the field ridge, some villagers were watering their vegetables. Seeing the two returning together, everyone greeted them warmly.

Chen Anquan had saved Chen Juan-juan’s life; it made perfect sense for them to walk together now.

Back home, Chen Anquan stood in the main hall, gazing out at the basketball court beyond the door.

The snowy white lampposts glowed, dappled moonlight flickered, and a chilly night wind crossed the threshold, brushing his cheeks with a refreshing coolness.

“Anquan, Anquan!” At that moment, his second uncle appeared on the basketball court.

His uncle had been busy helping build houses in Wangjia Village for days, often leaving early and returning late; it had been a while since Anquan last saw him.

Now that his uncle had come over, Chen Anquan naturally went out to greet him. “Second Uncle, what brings you here?”

“It’s payday,” his uncle said cheerfully, pulling a wad of bills from his worn, red cloth pouch. “Here’s 2,100 yuan, exactly your wages for seven days. Count it yourself.”

Chen Anquan took the bills and began counting.

Sure enough, it was 2,100 yuan—his pay.

“Uncle, how did you manage to get the wages so smoothly?” Chen Anquan often watched short videos online about construction bosses withholding pay from migrant workers and the many ways workers had to fight for their wages.

His uncle sighed. “You don’t know—you did the work of two people by yourself, so you got 300 yuan a day. Old Wang was happy to pay. But we only get 250 a day.”

“What?” Chen Anquan was angry. “Old Wang said that?”

“That’s what he said. And the worst is Old Lü, the old man who helped you lay bricks—he’s dependent on government assistance, and Old Wang only gave him 30 yuan for a whole day’s work!”

“Bastard! Old Wang’s ruthless!” Chen Anquan clenched his fists. “Uncle, I’ll help you get your wages tomorrow!”

His uncle hesitated. “Anquan, you have to understand, I’m not young anymore. It’s hard to go work outside at my age. Since I work locally, I often need favors from Old Wang. If you help me get my pay back, will he still hire me in the future?”

Chen Anquan saw the logic, but it wasn’t a reason for Old Wang to dock their pay.

“Uncle, take me to Old Wang tomorrow!”

“I think it’s better not to—after all, we still need his help.”

“That won’t do. Maybe you don’t know, but refusing to pay workers’ wages is a criminal offense. Old Wang could be breaking the law!”

“Old Wang’s breaking the law?” His uncle was startled; he hadn’t realized there was a legal way to get his money back.

Chen Anquan stroked his chin. The thought of helping his uncle tomorrow made him realize it would take up quite a bit of time.

If only he knew someone who could help, it would be easier.

Perhaps…

Chen Anquan thought of his old classmate, Bai Wen.