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Chapter 97 of 100

Chapter 97

13 min read3,361 words

It is said that Houzi and Daxiong, holding the pass issued by the division, were on their way to report to the armory. Accompanying them was a staff member who happened to be on an errand. By the time they reached the forest, it was already noon.

"Brother Houzi, what do you think they want us to do at the armory? We don't know anything about that stuff!" Daxiong said.

"How would I know!" Houzi replied, then turned to the accompanying soldier and asked, "Hey, brother, no, comrade, do you know why they're transferring us to the armory? We don't know how to make guns or bullets or anything!"

"How would I know! You'll find out when you get there. The higher-ups must have a use for you! Or maybe you did something wrong!" the soldier said.

"We two brothers are doing just fine in the army. How could we make mistakes? They even planned to promote me to squad leader and Daxiong to team leader! We are both progressive soldiers, how could we make mistakes!" Houzi quickly said.

"Then I don't know why. Maybe they see some special skills in you!" the soldier said.

"Special skills!" Houzi scratched his head and said.

"Brother, we don't have any special skills. We only know how to pick locks and rob places, nothing else!" Daxiong said from the side.

"Rubbish, is that a skill? They want us at the armory just to pick locks and rob places!" Houzi scolded, but he also muttered to himself.

"Only Erleizi knows about our skills, but we don't know where he is now. He can't be at the armory, can he? He couldn't stay there anyway!"

"Erleizi, isn't that Hu Gong!" the soldier said from the side.

"Ah! Hu Gong, no, he's called Hu Hao!" Houzi said, a bit surprised, feeling it might be Hu Hao.

"Yes, he's called Hu Hao, also known as Erleizi. He's an engineer in our place, very capable!" the soldier said.

"Brother, let's go back, we can't go to the armory!" Daxiong quickly stopped and said. Houzi also swallowed a few times and asked the soldier, "Are you sure there's an Erleizi at the armory? His name is Hu Hao, does he have a brother surnamed Zhang?"

"Yes, his older brother is our Factory Director Zhang!" the soldier, seeing Houzi's nervousness, was puzzled but still confirmed it.

"Damn it, I knew why they sent us to the armory! It's because of him. I finally got away from him, and now I have to see him again. Isn't that asking for my life?" Houzi cursed after hearing the soldier's confirmation!

"Brother, let's go back, or you'll get beaten up again!" Daxiong said.

"Go back? We barely escaped from the Nationalist Army, and we almost got caught when we went solo. Now that we've become Eighth Route Army soldiers, where can we go if we leave again?" Houzi said with a pained expression.

"Hey, what's wrong with you two! Is going to the armory that scary? Hu Gong is usually very nice, just don't bother him!" the soldier said.

"Does he hit people?" Houzi asked.

"Not much, but he did hit the commander of the guard battalion, Li, who was in bed for four days before he could get up! Now Li is Factory Director Zhang's guard. He also hit someone from the political department, who is still in the hospital! Other than that, I haven't seen him hit anyone. But his brother almost beats him every other day!" the soldier said.

"Ah! Really? Oh no!" Houzi shouted.

"Brother, what do we do if we don't go back?" Daxiong said.

"Let's go, we just need to avoid him. Remember, Daxiong, we must stick close to Factory Director Zhang, or we're dead!" Houzi said.

"Right, Erleizi is afraid of his brother. We'll just follow his brother and be his guards!" Daxiong said.

Hu Hao, finding the office too hot, found a fishing net and tied it between some trees at the entrance of the armory to make a hammock. He lay there comfortably when Factory Director Zhang came out to smoke and saw him.

"Get up! Let me try it!" Factory Director Zhang, seeing Hu Hao lying there with his eyes closed, knew he wasn't really sleeping, and said to him.

Hu Hao, hearing the voice, quickly stopped his practice, opened his eyes, and saw it was his brother. "Brother, you're slacking off too!" Hu Hao sat up and let Factory Director Zhang take the hammock.

Factory Director Zhang lay down and said, "You're right, it's really comfortable! You really know how to enjoy yourself." He took out a cigarette from his pocket and said, "I came out to smoke, thinking I'd be as lazy as you!"

"Ha ha, Brother, how about I make one for you too, so you can lie down when you come out!" Hu Hao asked.

"No need, I don't need this. If I want to lie down, I can just make you get up. You lie down every day, and when I come, you can stand for a while!" Factory Director Zhang said.

"Oh! Brother, when can we go out?" Hu Hao asked.

"Soon. Last time, Commander Chen said that once the machine is made, we can go out!" Factory Director Zhang, lying in the hammock, looked up at the branches and said. He also wanted to go out soon, but the machine was designed by Erleizi, and he had to help him get credit for it. If it were someone else, he would have asked Commander Chen to transfer him out as soon as the wind changed. But now, he had to wait a bit longer.

After finishing his cigarette, Factory Director Zhang got up from the hammock and said, "Don't lie around all the time. If someone needs you, do it quickly! The sooner we get the machine done, the sooner we can go out. Got it?"

"Sure, Brother, I also want to go out. Staying here is boring!" Hu Hao said.

"Good, if you find it boring, that's good! I won't talk to you more. Now, Factory Director Wang is watching the machine, I have to patrol the factory!" Factory Director Zhang said and was about to leave.

Then he saw three people pass through the guard post outside the armory. He looked closely and said to Hu Hao, "Erleizi, are those two Daxiong and Houzi?"

Hu Hao, hearing this, quickly turned his head and laughed. "Ha ha, they're finally here. Brother, you go on, I'll play with them!"

"Brat, don't just beat people up for no reason!" he said and walked away. Hu Hao spat on his palm, wiped it, and walked over to Houzi and Daxiong.

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