Chapter 3618 — Sabotage in the Dark
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
Wei Zhao had dug out only seven pieces of good jade yesterday, but strictly speaking, the node he had chosen was actually of decent quality. He had, after all, spent no small effort yesterday scouting the surroundings, and had he truly gone all out for spirit jade, turning up eight or nine pieces of good jade in a day would have been quite likely.
More to the point, this node sat at the center of the mining area, yet unlike other popular nodes it was not constantly swarmed by three or four people fighting over it. And judging from the fact that Li Zhengming was right next to it, it was very likely a fine node that Meng Jueming had specifically ordered reserved for Meng Zhou, which was why no one else dared brazenly seize it. Thus did Wei Zhao, who had come in yesterday as Meng Zhou's substitute, get the better of it.
But that very fact now put Wei Zhao in a bind. Without some special reason, if he abruptly abandoned this well-known fine node to seek out a cold, out-of-the-way node with a poor yield, wouldn't that look highly suspicious?
Yet if he stayed on at this node, there was a pack of guards watching like hawks just a short way behind him, and the slightest furtive move would be noticed at once. There was simply no way for Wei Zhao to carry out his plan the way he had in Mine No. 10. And if he really did nothing but dig jade with his head down like everyone else, earning his day's wage, that would be putting the cart before the horse.
For a moment Wei Zhao found himself caught between two stools. Yet when he passed through the mine tunnel and reached Mine No. 7, the sight before his eyes made him start—his fine node from yesterday had been seized by Li Zhengming, who had arrived a step earlier!
Seeing Wei Zhao appear, Li Zhengming brandished his jade spade in a show of swagger and raised his middle finger. The hostility in the gesture needed no explanation.
Ha, so this fellow who had been hiding his strength had long had his eye on Meng Zhou's node, had he? Only the weight of Meng Jueming's authority had kept him from showing it. And now that Meng Zhou was gone, the serf had turned and sung his own song?
Wei Zhao was instantly delighted. At any other time he would have gone over and given Li Zhengming a good dressing-down, but now—the man's move suited him perfectly! He had been worrying over how to switch nodes with good reason, and before he could even think of dozing off, Li Zhengming had promptly brought him a pillow. A timely rain indeed!
But Wei Zhao had in fact misjudged Li Zhengming. From the way he had hidden his strength, one could tell he was a rather low-key sort; his behavior today was entirely because Meng Jueming had given him instructions last night, ordering him under no circumstances to let Wei Zhao grab a good node today.
Wei Zhao's seven pieces of good jade yesterday had been enough to drive Meng Jueming wild with rage. If he turned up another seven today, wouldn't that be adding to his own misery? So Li Zhengming had no choice but to follow Meng Jueming's orders and provoke Wei Zhao into leaving.
Wei Zhao glanced at Li Zhengming without betraying a thing, said not a word, and turned to walk toward another node off to the side.