Chapter 3: This Luck

The two of them started chatting casually by the side of the road. Wu Mengting took the initiative to reveal quite a bit about herself: she had just finished her master’s degree last year and was now working as an editor at a magazine.

Her hometown was Lu City, which meant she and Chen Feng were actually from the same place, though she was from the city proper while Chen Feng was from a county under its jurisdiction.

They spoke in their local dialect; there were slight differences in their accents, but they could basically understand each other.

This immediately bridged the distance between them. It was clear that Wu Mengting’s demeanor had become much more relaxed.

Chen Feng was also quite happy. He hadn’t been back to his hometown in over a year, and living in the provincial capital of Xiuzhou, he rarely ever ran into anyone from back home.

To think that he would run into a fellow townsman while aimlessly driving around. Meeting someone from home in a foreign place—and a pretty girl at that—always put one in a good mood.

Chen Feng didn’t keep her at arm’s length this time. He volunteered his name and shared a few things about himself. Of course, he didn’t mention the divorce.

He only said that he had won this new car from a scratch-off lottery ticket. Wu Mengting didn’t believe him at first, and it wasn’t until Chen Feng somewhat seriously took the prize redemption certificate out of the car to show her that she finally believed it.

"Your luck is just too good!" Wu Mengting said with an envious look.

Chen Feng smiled and said, "Maybe I was just too unlucky before. Even the heavens couldn't bear it anymore."

"How were you unlucky before?" Wu Mengting asked curiously.

Chen Feng thought for a moment. Since they would likely never see each other again after today, he said, "I just got divorced yesterday, and I was also diagnosed with a terminal illness."

Wu Mengting’s mouth fell open. After a long while, she shook her head and said, "That’s impossible. You look perfectly fine to me; how could you be someone with a terminal illness?"

Chen Feng smiled. He didn't bother pulling out any medical reports this time, simply saying, "Believe what you want."

He had only said it on a whim. After all, keeping this secret bottled up inside was quite stifling.

Saying it out loud, whether she believed him or not, was a form of release. They were just two strangers passing by who would never cross paths again, so there was no need to make her believe him or pity him.

"It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just that this is too... too unbelievable. Besides, if you really had a terminal illness, your attitude is way too good, big brother. And if you were really that sick, shouldn't you be in the hospital?"

"It's a terminal illness, there's no cure. Why stay in the hospital?"

Seeing that Chen Feng’s tone was relaxed and he didn't seem to be joking at all, Wu Mengting started to believe him. She didn't know what to say for a moment and fell silent.

Chen Feng didn't try to start another conversation either. Instead, he took out his phone to take pictures; the nearby scenery was truly quite nice.

Not long after, a Polo drove up. Wu Mengting’s best friend had arrived. She was also a great beauty, quite tall—at least 1.7 meters—and a bit older, around twenty-five or twenty-six, dressed in a fashionable urban style.

They exchanged polite introductions; her name was Lin Wan. After some pleasantries, the tow truck arrived. The Mini was towed away, and Wu Mengting left in Lin Wan’s car.

Chen Feng, however, was in no rush to leave. He wanted to wait for the owner of the flock of white goats nearby so he could buy one to eat.

The doctor had told him to eat, drink, and be merry, so since he wanted mutton, he might as well get one.

After waiting for just a few minutes, he saw an old farmer emerge from the woods in the distance with a herding whip, driving the goats.

Chen Feng quickly walked down from the road and shouted at the old farmer, "Boss, are you selling any goats?"

Of course, the goats were for sale, and the old farmer was very honest and didn't overcharge him. Chen Feng bought one for 1,500, and the farmer even recommended a slaughterhouse to him.

He tied the goat's four legs, stuffed it into the trunk, and drove to the slaughterhouse the farmer had mentioned, which was in a village just a few kilometers away.

The village roads were paved and flat, and with house numbers clearly marked, it was easy to find.

He paid a hundred yuan for the slaughtering and watched from the side. Having often watched pigs being slaughtered during the holidays when he was a child, he didn't feel much.

Then, as the butcher was cleaning the internal organs, a lump-like object fell out and rolled toward Chen Feng.

Curious, Chen Feng bent down and picked it up. After a quick look, it was a yellowish object.

"Is this a goat bezoar?!" the butcher shouted in surprise.

Chen Feng hadn't realized it at first, but as soon as the butcher shouted, he understood. It was a goat gallstone.

Cows have cow bezoars, and of course, goats have goat bezoars, though they are much rarer than cow bezoars.

Chen Feng didn't know the exact price of a goat bezoar, but he knew that natural cow bezoars were worth a fortune—tens of thousands per gram.

Chen Feng opened his phone and did a quick search. It was indeed a sky-high price. There was a news story from a few years ago about an old farmer who sold 62 grams of natural cow bezoar for 3.12 million.

That was years ago, so the price now would certainly be even higher.

And the goat bezoar in Chen Feng’s hand weighed at least two or three hundred grams. His luck was truly unparalleled.

By now, several people in the slaughterhouse had gathered around, looking at Chen Feng with envy, shock, and greed.

The butcher in charge of the slaughter was especially envious, his eyes turning red.

If not for the several people watching, Chen Feng suspected he might have had thoughts of killing him for the money—after all, he was still holding a slaughtering knife.

"Master, I'll give you a red envelope in a moment," Chen Feng said with a calm nod, then coolly stuffed the bezoar into his pants pocket.

"This bezoar has to be worth at least a million. Your red envelope can't be small," the butcher said, his tone full of jealousy and resentment.

He had been slaughtering livestock for years, having killed at least several hundred cows and goats, and this was the first time he had ever seen a goat bezoar.

And Chen Feng, damn it, had just happened to buy a goat to eat, and he’d ended up finding a bezoar.

Especially since the bezoar had fallen from his side and rolled to Chen Feng’s feet.

If it hadn't fallen out, or if he hadn't shouted, he could very well have pocketed it himself.

Thinking of this, the butcher wanted to stab himself.

Chen Feng just smiled and said nothing. In such matters, giving a red envelope was the right thing to do, but how much to give wasn't up to the butcher.

The onlookers wanted Chen Feng to take out the bezoar for them to see, but Chen Feng just smiled and shook his head.

Although the onlookers were dissatisfied, they couldn't say anything. After all, they were strangers, and since the bezoar belonged to Chen Feng, he had no obligation to show it to them.

The butcher, still feeling resentful, quickly finished processing the goat, stuffed it into a woven bag, and tossed it at Chen Feng’s feet. Then he demanded the red envelope: "Boss, I don't want much, just 88,000. Just give me 88,000."

Chen Feng chuckled twice, picked up his phone, and dialed a number.

"Is this 110? I’d like to report a crime. Someone here is forcibly demanding a red envelope while holding a knife. The address is No. 134, XX Road, XX Village, Lihong Slaughterhouse. Okay, I’ll wait for you."

The butcher was stunned for a long while—he couldn't believe this guy actually did that. It wasn't until Chen Feng finished the call that he reacted, his face turning green as he shouted in defense, "When did I forcibly demand a red envelope? Don't you go slandering people!"

The others nearby quickly stepped in to mediate.

"Boss, he helped you find a bezoar worth at least a million; asking for an 88,000 red envelope isn't excessive."

"Old Cui, I think you should just ask for 58,000."

"Boss, this is such a happy occasion, calling the police is no fun."

...

Chen Feng was now in a "life and death are fated, I'll fight if you push me" state of mind. He kept a straight face and said coldly, "This goat is mine. I paid him to slaughter it. The bezoar that came out of it is also mine. What does it have to do with him? Giving him a red envelope is a gesture of goodwill; not giving it doesn't mean he can force me. I don't owe him anything. Why should I give him 88,000? How about I just give the bezoar to him instead? Let's wait for the police to arrive. I’ll report you all for gang extortion and robbery."

The people "mediating" all took a step back upon hearing this. They were just ordinary folks, and no one wanted to get involved in a lawsuit.

Someone waved their hand and defended themselves, "This has nothing to do with me. Don't go slandering people. I'm leaving; solve your own problems."

With that, the person walked away quickly. Seeing this, the others scattered like birds and beasts.

Only the butcher who had demanded the red envelope and Chen Feng were left staring at each other.

In the end, the butcher lost his nerve and sighed, "You're too stingy. It's worth over a million; is it really too much to ask for a few tens of thousands?"

"Let's wait for the police. I hate being threatened more than anything."

"I didn't threaten you."

"You did."

"I didn't."

"Fine. I'll go wait in my car; I'm done wasting my breath on you."

As Chen Feng spoke, he picked up the woven bag containing the slaughtered goat, turned around, and walked toward the door.

The butcher subconsciously followed him to the door, watching as Chen Feng put the bag into the trunk, closed it, walked to the driver's side, opened the door, got in, started the car, and drove away... The car just drove away!!

The butcher stood at the entrance of the slaughterhouse, stunned for a long time, before letting out an incredibly angry shout: "What the hell, that's heartless!"