Regardless of the murmurs from the crowd, Zhao Jun leaned on a measuring pole with one hand and held a marking hammer in the other, simply waiting there for Du Chunjiang to arrive.

Jiang Jinyou stood behind Zhao Jun, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers. There were log haulers and skidders, and even the old camp cook had heard the commotion and rushed over to see what was happening.

"What’s everyone doing just standing here? Got no work to do?" a voice suddenly boomed from nearby, scolding the crowd.

Du Chunjiang was here!

Despite Du Chunjiang’s reprimand, most of the workers didn’t budge. They could tell his words were directed at Zhao Jun.

Zhao Jun just smiled at the words. He swept a casual glance toward the Log Pile, then lifted his measuring pole off the ground. He pointed it at the pile and shouted, "All you haulers, listen up! Starting tomorrow, stack the logs right up against the base of the Log Pile. What’s the matter? You’re professional haulers and you don’t even know that? Is it your Leader who’s clueless, or is it you?"

The moment Zhao Jun’s words left his mouth, Du Chunjiang, who had just shouldered his way through the crowd to confront him, froze.

Du Chunjiang’s brow furrowed as he met Zhao Jun’s eyes. Zhao Jun’s tirade had started as a reprimand for the haulers, but those last two questions were aimed directly at him, the Logging Camp’s Leader.

In other words, Zhao Jun had just turned Du Chunjiang’s own reprimand right back on him.

It was only then that Du Chunjiang realized this young technician before him was no pushover.

But Du Chunjiang, confident in his position, sneered, "Technician Zhao, my third brother told me what happened. You’re telling me you won’t record the logs he worked his ass off to haul back?"

"Can’t be recorded," Zhao Jun stated bluntly. "Your brother is Du Chunlin, correct? He went to another crew’s designated plot to get those logs. I can’t record that."

"What’s not to record? Just credit them to whoever brought them in," Du Chunjiang retorted, acting completely justified. "You’re sticking your nose in this too? Technician Zhao, aren’t you overreaching a bit?"

Zhao Jun stared at Du Chunjiang for a couple of seconds before speaking, his expression grave. "The Forest Farm assigns each of you to a Forest Class and a designated plot. They do that so you’ll follow the rules. If you could just go anywhere on the mountain to haul logs, why would our Forest Farm go to all this trouble?"

Hearing Zhao Jun invoke the Forest Farm’s authority, Du Chunjiang didn’t dare argue back. Although he suspected Zhao Jun was bluffing, he couldn’t openly challenge the Forest Farm’s regulations in front of so many workers.

But Du Chunjiang’s silence was all the opening Zhao Jun needed. He pressed his advantage, "So you’re saying we don’t need to follow the rules? Fine by me! Tomorrow, I’ll tell the crews from Logging Camps 78 and 79 to come haul logs from your Forest Class. Just like you said, whoever can haul it away gets the credit."

As Zhao Jun said this, the entire Log Pile Yard fell dead silent. Not a single person present dared to make a peep.

As for Du Chunjiang, his face paled.

Then, Zhao Jun pointed a finger at Du Chunlin. "All the logs you brought down today? You hauled them for nothing. Got it?"

Du Chunlin heard him but didn’t answer.

But Du Chunjiang had collected himself by then. He stared at Zhao Jun and said, "Technician Zhao, even if you credit all my brother’s logs to Elder Jiang’s name, he won’t see a single cent from it. Believe me?"

"I believe you," Zhao Jun replied with a nod. His response caught Du Chunjiang off guard.

But Zhao Jun wasn’t finished. "Your brother’s hauling logs this year," he said. "I can’t say for sure about everything, but out of a full year’s work, I can easily dock three months’ worth of his credit."

Seeing the color drain from the Du Brothers’ faces, Zhao Jun added, "Do you believe *that*?"

Du Chunjiang and Du Chunlin stood there, stunned speechless.

"I... I’ll report you!" Du Chunjiang finally sputtered, pointing an accusing finger at Zhao Jun.

Du Chunjiang had played his last card. He had no leverage over Zhao Jun, so his only remaining threat was to report him to Xu Baoshan.

This was the fundamental power imbalance between a Logging Camp and an inspector. Usually, it was the inspector dishing out trouble, and the camp had no choice but to take it.

Du Chunjiang was only banking on reporting to Xu Baoshan because he knew Xu Baoshan didn’t like Zhao Jun. Otherwise, a superior like Xu Baoshan would never risk offending one of his own inspectors just to appease a camp Leader.

"Report who?" A resonant voice suddenly called out from behind Du Chunjiang. "What’s this whole crowd doing here? Is your Logging Camp not working today? What is it, Du Chunjiang? Don’t you plan on contracting for logs next year?"

Du Chunjiang turned to look, and when he saw who had arrived, his face changed. Forgetting all about his dispute with Zhao Jun, he hastily fumbled in his pocket for a cigarette and hurried over to greet the newcomer.

It was even a filtered cigarette, the kind with a fragrant aroma that was a bestseller in the Forest Area.

As Du Chunjiang pulled a cigarette from the pack, he beamed and said, "Master Lin, you’re here! Come on, have a smoke."

The man was none other than Lin Xiangshun, and standing beside him was Li Baoyu.

Lin Xiangshun didn’t take the cigarette Du Chunjiang offered, leaving him holding it awkwardly in mid-air.

Lin Xiangshun stared at Du Chunjiang and asked, "Elder Du, I heard you raising a ruckus the second I got here. What’s going on? Who is it you want to report?"

Maybe Lin Xiangshun spoke too fast, because Du Chunjiang completely missed the mocking undertone in his voice. He just smiled and replied, "Oh, it’s the new technician assigned to our camp. Just a young kid, doesn’t know any better..."

Before Du Chunjiang could finish, Lin Xiangshun unceremoniously shoved him aside.

Lin Xiangshun strode over to Zhao Jun and asked with genuine concern, "Xiaojun, what happened?"

"It’s nothing, Second Brother," Zhao Jun answered with a smile.

On the other side, Du Chunjiang, who was still holding out the cigarette, felt his mind go blank with a BUZZ.

That address, "Second Brother," wasn’t something you called just anyone.

It was common for the men in the mountains to call each other "brother" or "Big Brother," but "Second Brother" was a term reserved for actual family members.

If you needed proof, just look at Li Baoyu. As close as he was with Lin Xiangshun, he could only ever call him "Brother Shunzi."

Du Chunjiang was completely dumbfounded.

He simply couldn’t figure it out. If Zhao Jun had a connection like Lin Xiangshun, why would he be getting pushed around by Xu Baoshan?

But that wasn’t the critical issue at the moment. The most important thing was to salvage this disaster. Otherwise, the next time the Logging Camp needed a truck, Lin Xiangshun would be sure to screw them over.

At that thought, Du Chunjiang quickly sidled up to Lin Xiangshun and asked with a fawning smile, "Master Lin, how is Technician Zhao related to you, exactly?"

Lin Xiangshun turned to face Du Chunjiang, slung an arm around Zhao Jun’s shoulders, and announced, "This is my second uncle’s son. He’s my blood brother."

There was a logical flaw in what Lin Xiangshun said, but it was enough to scare Du Chunjiang half to death.

Anyone in the Yong’an Forest Area who knew Lin Xiangshun knew that you never, ever mentioned his father in his presence. He’d fly into a rage every time.

Furthermore, the "second uncle" Lin Xiangshun spoke of wasn’t a member of the Lin Family. He was Zhao Youcai, the head chef at the Forest Farm’s main cafeteria.

’In that case, wouldn’t Zhao Jun be Zhao Youcai’s son?’

’Zhao Jun... Zhao You...’ Du Chunjiang silently chanted the names of the father and son. It was no exaggeration to say that despite the biting winter cold, beads of sweat were forming on his forehead.

How could Du Chunjiang not be terrified? The entire Forest Area knew that Zhao Youcai and Zhou Chunming were in-laws!

And who was Zhou Chunming?

He was the second-in-command of the Yong’an Forest Farm, in charge of all production operations. Inspections, statistics, dispatch—he had the final word on everything.

With that kind of backing, what good would reporting to Xu Baoshan do?

Seeing Du Chunjiang standing there in a daze, Lin Xiangshun said only one thing: "You think long and hard about this." Then he turned and left with Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu.

Jiang Jinyou also trailed after them. But while Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu climbed into Lin Xiangshun’s truck, Jiang Jinyou headed back to his shack to pack his belongings for the sledge ride down the mountain and back home.

As the truck pulled out of the Logging Camp, Lin Xiangshun gave the horn a couple of toots.

The honking horn snapped Du Chunjiang out of his daze. He turned to his brother, Du Chunlin, and asked, "Did I just tell... Zhao Jun... that I was going to report him?"

"Mhm," Du Chunlin confirmed with a heavy nod.

"And I was acting all tough with him, right?" Du Chunjiang asked again.

"You were," Du Chunlin confirmed, his expression turning mournful a second later. "And you didn’t even offer him a meal at noon."

Du Chunjiang: "..."