In the deep and desolate forest where no human smoke can be seen, the howling wind shakes the snow on the branches, making it swirl and dance around the trees.
The leafless forest appears rather dim. In the silent woods, the sound of the wind is almost inaudible, and even woodpeckers and grey magpies are nowhere to be found.
It has been snowing heavily for several days, and everything is covered in silver. Now, the snow has stopped, but the wind is still blowing, though not extremely cold.
A white figure is swinging among the trees about several dozen meters away, just like an ape, extremely similar to the legendary snowman!
There is a rope tied around their waist, with a spring-loaded metal claw at the end. The claw grabs onto a thick branch, and when the force is exerted, the claw tightens and grips the branch firmly. At the moment when the swinging reaches its limit, the white figure shakes the spring to release the claw from the branch, and with the inertia of the body's movement, they fly towards another branch like a bird.
They are not acrobats, nor are they martial artists. They are poachers!
One of the poachers is Feng Lang, who is only eighteen years old; the other is Dong Tiewu, who is twenty-two years old.
Now, they are close to the border!
They set up hunting traps here in the autumn. They not only dug a hidden stronghold but also set up many automatic traps.
The traps are not easily detectable. They need to come and activate them by themselves; otherwise, the prey would have destroyed the traps long ago, and it would only reduce the hunting success rate for the wild wolves here.
When the cold wind suddenly blew, winter came. They hoped that this time they could have a big harvest... The two of them quickly swung through the forest and approached a large oak forest.
Feng Lang released the claw at the moment of the swing's end. With his thin body, he landed on a horizontal branch as lightly as a feather, hugged the tree trunk, shook off the snow on the top of his head, and stood firmly on his feet.
Dong Tiewu, who was behind him, also landed lightly on the horizontal branch of another tree.
Feng Lang exhaled a thick white breath, took a short break, turned his head and said, "Brother Wu, it should be here. That hanging tree was the one we cut down in the autumn."
Dong Tiewu stood on the horizontal branch, looked around, and said, "Well, it should be about right."
Feng Lang pulled down the snow-white scarf to expose his nose, took off his glasses, looked at the hanging log in the air, and showed a smile on his face: "Brother Wu, we have stepped on it. These stupid guys are quite strong. Let's do a big one. After getting the prey from the stronghold, the food expenses and the money for your wedding will be enough."
Dong Tiewu looked at Feng Lang standing on the tree and also smiled. The two of them risked poaching not because they were greedy for money, but because Dong Tiewu's younger brother, Dong Tieshi, was admitted to a famous university in Yanjing...
The university tuition is expensive, and the living expenses are also saved up. It costs thousands of yuan every year, and they are in the border area. The income of a strong laborer is only a few thousand yuan a year, which is really a heavy burden.
Feng Lang and Dong Tiewu have a deep friendship. Feng Lang regards Dong Tiewu as his own brother. This time, he came to the forest with him to take risks, just to let Dong Tieshi complete his studies and for Brother Wu to marry a wife.
"Brother Wu, let's do it..." Feng Lang looked at the sky and said, "It will be dark soon, and we will have to go back to our lair."
Dong Tiewu took out the shotgun hanging on his back, smiled and said, "Feng Lang, after this job, we will have enough money for a while. You are also at the age to get married. Let's go to the city sometime."
"Brother Wu, don't think about that." Feng Lang swung the claw again and said, "Grandpa said that if you walk by the river, how can you not get your shoes wet? It's okay. When you get married, you will go to a big city and marry a city girl. Let the city girl massage grandpa's legs. That would be great."
"Haha, a city girl." Dong Tiewu laughed and approached the fallen tree to set up the trap: "A city girl may not only be beautiful but also a landlady. You may marry a girl who blows snot bubbles and only has a few floors in the building..."
The two of them chatted a few words casually and then became quiet, busily setting up the trap without leaving any footprints in the snow, just like a group of highly skilled jewelry thieves, hanging in the air, so as not to step on the snow.
Both of them are poor. Feng Lang is only eighteen years old, and the two of them are orphans. Dong Tiewu's uncle, who has not married, also died in the winter and came back in the summer... Uncle Dong lost an arm, and he brought back the ashes and relics of the two of them's fathers!
Uncle Dong was seriously ill and spent all the money they had. After he recovered from the illness, he became a disabled person. Dong Tiewu's mother was also overworked and became a medicine pot; Feng Lang's mother couldn't bear the huge blow, and the two families left Feng Lang and his sixty-year-old grandfather!
Feng Lang's grandfather became visibly old and couldn't even speak clearly. Except for smoking a pipe, he just walked around, picked some wild vegetables and game to sell for money to raise Feng Lang.
Feng Lang really didn't know what happened to their fathers. Their fathers' martial arts were very powerful. In his heart, they were like heroes; Dong Tiewu's father and uncle were also experts, and their shooting skills were excellent. How could they encounter misfortune?
He didn't cry or shed tears. It seemed that he had grown up overnight.
Feng Lang just graduated from junior high school. His grandfather sprained his ankle and couldn't move. At the age of fifteen, he took up the burden of the family, left school, and went across the river with Dong Tiewu. Time has passed quickly for several years...
In the howling wind, the two of them skillfully and quickly busied themselves. Before long, the two of them, like two big birds, floated down from the air and landed on both sides of a deer path. The ropes of the large-caliber automatic traps were taken out from under the snow, and the snow-white cloaks on their bodies were spread out. One by one, they pressed the snow on the edge of the trap, and their figures disappeared.
In the silent forest, the wind remained the same. When the northwest wind blew, it would cause a snowstorm. They must return before that time; otherwise, they would be in great danger and might be frozen to death!
After their figures disappeared, the forest became silent again.
About half an hour later, a line of dark shadows slowly approached. This is a group of sika deer. They are called stupid big guys because they are very big.
The male deer on the far left is as strong as a horse. The eight-fork antlers on its head are black and thick. It is a very strong male deer and also the leader of the deer herd.
When the heavy snow closes the mountains, they must find a place with some food to survive the long winter...
Sika deer do not have the ability to attack. Even if the tips of their antlers shine with a luster, they cannot scare away hungry wolves; although they are very vigilant, they only have the ability to run.
Sika deer have a problem. Once they have walked a certain path, they will repeat it. Even if they step on something slippery on the ground, they will not change their route.
They leisurely approached the trap. Their keen intuition did not make them aware that there was a murderous trap ahead. The deer herd lined up in a long line, led by the male deer in the front, and slowly entered the trap area!
Suddenly, the male deer in the front lifted its front hoof, and its body tilted. At the moment when it was about to lose balance, it jumped up vigorously, pulling up a pile of shattered snow. The male deer let out a painful cry, staggered on its feet, and stood up with its left front leg lifted.
The front hoof of the male deer stepped on a hole in a wooden board about half a meter long. The steel nail, which was obliquely nailed and several inches long, pierced into the flesh and was stuck in the hoof shell.
This kind of trap is called "catching the foot". It is cheap and very effective!
Experienced hunters will set traps according to the traces left by the deer, so that the deer's hoof steps on the hole and is caught by the steel nail.
There is a steel wire rope tied to the wooden board, which is connected to a piece of wood that can be dragged. This will exhaust the prey's strength. By that time, even a strong man in his forties or fifties can easily cut the deer's throat!
The deer herd panicked. There was no difference in the cries of the deer in pain. Several male deer slowly approached, crying to comfort the injured deer, but there was nothing they could do to free it.
"Catching the foot" is just to stop the deer herd. The real killing move is yet to come.
A very strong male deer approached. The female deer with a young deer beside her stopped moving anxiously and observed the surroundings. Suddenly, a fallen log that was obliquely suspended above the deer path fell abruptly!
The fallen log was not far away, only a few dozen meters. The deer did not have time to react. With a bang, it pressed on the waist of the male deer. With a weight calculated in tons, it instantly crushed the male deer and smashed it to the ground.
The sudden accident made the deer herd explode with a miserable howl. They kicked up a thick snow fog and scattered in all directions!
Dong Tiewu set the trap under the snow, and Feng Lang did not set it up. The fallen log he set only hit a small male deer with a young deer beside it. It was not valuable, and it would not cause great losses to the deer herd.
Killing the hen to get the eggs is not advisable!
There may be about a dozen deer that escaped. The strong male deer in the front ran wildly. Just like a sika deer, with the habit of running, its four legs plowed through the snow fog and rushed forward.
Puff! Thump! Thump!
The deer made a beautiful somersault, and its feet hit the snow on the ground. It struggled, kicking up a thick snow fog, but could not stand up. It let out a weak cry, just like a duck being pinched by the neck, struggling, and quickly left from the trap...
It got caught in the noose and couldn't break free.
The habit of sika deer makes them fall into the same trap again and again. Unless they encounter danger, when they sprint downhill, they can quickly increase their speed and escape. Otherwise, they will not change their route and will not avoid the traps set by humans.
In a panic, the deer in pain ignored the pain in its feet. Amid the desperate wailing of the crushed deer, it struggled, took a few steps with its four legs, and dragged the log away from the deer path.
It must escape from the danger as soon as possible!
Feng Lang and Dong Tiewu lay on the snow, motionless, looking at the deer struggling to leave through a small gap.
They couldn't show up at this time, otherwise the deer would fight back and break free from the trap. Even if its hoof shell fell off, it would eventually freeze to death, and they couldn't let that happen.
Good hunters need to be patient. Even if the prey is seriously injured and on the verge of death, as long as they don't see the enemy, they will slowly die. But once there is an enemy, they may fight back!
So, they had to wait.
The two of them didn't know that when the deer herd let out a howl, about a hundred meters away, five white figures stopped and quickly rushed towards this place.
They were all holding automatic rifles and a sniper rifle.