Saturday finally arrived.

  Elena invited Anita, Luis, and a few others to go up the mountain.

  Anita cheered at the news. Lately, she had a strange feeling; while the few people she met when first joining the camp were sincere, the veterans always gave off a faint sense of mutual defensiveness.

  People are hard to read.

  The four of them left the dorm chatting and laughing, passing right by Sienna’s door. Sienna hid behind the door frame to avoid being seen, gritting her teeth. Suddenly, Camila tapped her on the shoulder from behind.

  "What are you doing!"

  Realizing Camila might be trying to embarrass her, Sienna turned and glared fiercely.

  "Oh? Who are you mad at?" Camila pretended not to know and began her duty as a "best friend"—offering comfort. "Sienna, ignore them. Someone is definitely trying to isolate you on purpose."

  Being called out made Sienna’s face turn even redder.

  "Don't worry, you still have me, right?"

  Sienna thought Camila had a point. As a roommate and friend, Camila was quite good at cheering people up. Even if Camila only did it to get snacks, a friend bought with benefits was still a friend.

  As long as Camila stayed on her side, it was enough.

  Elena and her group were just the minority.

  That hateful Elena!

  Sienna felt a fire in her chest, her fists clenching unconsciously.

  ...

  At the same time, Antonio was about to head out from Port Sol. He had already put on his stiff military uniform and cap, but he hesitated as he stepped into his leather shoes.

  He imagined the auction hall would be filled with celebrities and wealthy men in suits, where a single raise of a paddle could add thousands of dollars to the price. Wasn't that equivalent to a year of his salary? And the female relatives of those merchants—would they be fluttering around the hall in white lace dresses?

  Antonio clicked his tongue, suddenly feeling like a country bumpkin.

  He was a soldier, a "mud-leg" farmer who had carried a gun and bled, only to eventually become a general. Wouldn't wearing a rigid military uniform to the auction hall be too conspicuous?

  Being a man of action, Antonio immediately stripped off the uniform and changed into a light blue shirt. Though it was also a military shirt with shoulder tabs—an autumn long-sleeve issued when he was a brigade commander—it was much cooler and less flashy than the stiff tunic.

  The shoulders were slightly deformed from the hanger. Antonio poured a cup of boiling water into a stainless steel mug and used it to carefully press the shirt flat. Only then did he head out, looking sharp.

  He had stayed silent in his room all night. Silence was his fuel station. He felt great now, his smile warm enough to melt anyone.

  Tom, leaning out of the driver's window, hadn't seen his boss this happy in a long time. Resting his chin on his arm, he remarked:

  "You look great without the cap. Your hair is trimmed very neatly."

  Antonio nodded to Tom and climbed into the car. He sat upright as the Jeep sped out of the camp toward a street he had never visited before.

  ...

  Elena hadn't seen her friends in three weeks, and they all complimented her on getting taller.

  She thought to herself that at seventeen, as long as one eats well, the body can still grow. Back at home, she was thin and small because her mother gave all the milk and meat to Leon.

  The back hill was connected to a mountain range. From afar, it looked like a dirt slope leading to a stone cliff, but climbing it revealed the slope was quite steep.

  By this time, local tigers were extinct, and there were no wolves or bears nearby. If there was one beast to worry about, it was an adult wild boar. However, Tomas and the other men vowed that if they met a boar, they would slaughter it for meat and report to the battalion commander that it had attacked them.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  At the mention of meat, everyone found extra strength and began peering into the bushes—looking for that wild boar.

  As they reached the mid-slope where tall chestnut trees should have been, Elena didn't see them.

  Was her memory wrong? Or had the world changed after her rebirth?

  Both were possible!

  There were some red snake-berries by the road. There weren't many—hardly enough to get stuck in their teeth.

  When they reached the base of the cliff, the path vanished into the grass. A large thicket of thorns grew right over the trail, covering it completely.

  "We can't go any further," someone said.

  The group started to turn back, searching for another path. By the time they had walked about ten meters away, Elena was still standing in the same spot, observing carefully.

  "I think these thorns were moved here by someone. Look, if they grew here naturally, there shouldn't be a path underneath..."

  She thought the others were still behind her, or at least Lucy. Receiving no response, Elena turned around only to find those foodies surrounding a sour-leaf tree, eating away.

  The tender leaves were actually quite tasty as a wild vegetable. But now, they were reduced to eating leaves instead of fruit—it was a hilarious sight!

  "Are you guys monkeys?"

  Elena laughed and shouted. Then, she noticed a "big monkey" standing up from a large grey rock, looking sleepy—it was Roan.

  He was actually sleeping on the mountain.

  "Looking for wild fruit? Hey, follow me!" Roan jumped down, pushed aside some bushes, and found a small path no one had noticed.

  Elena realized the mountain path had been hidden by Roan. She decided it was better not to expose him.

  After pushing through bushes taller than a person and rounding the slope, a large grove of wild chestnut trees appeared. There were at least a dozen trees, and the ground was covered in fallen, ripe chestnuts. However, many had already been gnawed open by squirrels and other small animals.

  "Wow!"

  The group wasn't amazed by the chestnuts, but by the sea of red raspberries covering the ground beneath the trees.

  "You're lucky. They just ripened, but they'll be gone in ten days..." Before Roan could finish, everyone was already stuffing the red berries into their mouths. He shook his head with a smile and lay down in the soft grass.

  ...

  Antonio’s mood was somewhat heavy. The Old Church district was supposed to be the wealthy area of Port Sol, but the buildings were now dilapidated, covered in ruins and bullet holes.

  Protesters marched through the streets in wave after wave. Fortunately, no one targeted the brand-new Jeep with yellow military plates.

  The auction was to be held inside the church.

  When he arrived, Antonio saw no gathering of wealthy merchants or luxury cars. He only saw a middle-aged man in a T-shirt standing in front of a Santana, waving at his car.

  It’s Sebastian!

  The thought popped into Antonio’s head. A mining merchant in casual clothes with an average car seemed reasonable. He didn't need to show his status with a Jeep like a military officer. Thinking about how he viewed himself, Antonio smiled.

  His smile was relaxed and infectious.

  "You must be Officer Antonio!" Sebastian approached. Being about ten centimeters shorter than Antonio, he had to look up as he extended his right hand.

  "Hello, Sebastian."

  Antonio followed him into the church. Several police officers stood guard at the entrance, under high alert.

  Inside, there was no auctioneer’s hammer or audience waiting in chairs. There was only an auction poster on the wall showing a map of the mining area.

  "General Antonio, please look..."

  Sebastian introduced the San Pedro mine. It primarily produced coal and covered 78 square kilometers. Currently, only a small 4.6 square kilometer piece near the Rio Sangreza River was up for auction.

  Antonio listened half-heartedly. As long as he could get it for $60,000, he didn't care about the details.

  But Sebastian shifted the topic from coal to national affairs: "General Antonio, this coal district is vital for our country. If the state auctions all 78 square kilometers, we will start development immediately and build a thermal power plant nearby..."

  At some point, several reporters appeared in the church, lining up to take photos of the two. Antonio cooperated, pretending to listen intently.

  But in his heart, he was thinking: You're talking about the national economy with a soldier born a farmer?

  "With stable power, we can build industrial zones... export goods... gain foreign currency to stabilize the currency... then buy grain and control inflation..."

  "Mhm!"

  After the reporters left, Antonio checked his watch to avoid looking disinterested. He had once thought the state sold mines just to get cash to buy food from abroad; he didn't realize there were so many layers to it.

  Finally, Sebastian realized Antonio wasn't interested in his grand theories and fell silent, looking a bit embarrassed.

  "What’s going on? Where is everyone? Isn't the auction starting..." Antonio broke the silence.

  "The auction is over. The closing price was exactly $60,000. San Pedro mine will begin development next month, and you will own a 10% equity stake," Sebastian said calmly.

  Antonio froze for a moment; he wasn't a man who made a habit of being late. "You mean me?"

  "That’s right. You own 10% of the San Pedro mine," Sebastian repeated slowly, as if afraid Antonio hadn't heard.

  Antonio quickly waved his hands in refusal. "You've got it wrong, Sebastian. I'm just working for Commander Bernardo. I have no right to any shares."

  "No!" Sebastian said firmly. "When the auction ended, under the witness of the notary office, the contract was signed stating you own 10% of the shares. That is why I had to invite you here."

  "..."

  Antonio suddenly understood. There was no auction.

  They were colluding to embezzle state-owned minerals, and he—Antonio, this ignorant fool—was just being used as a shield.

  With a Deputy Division Commander as a shareholder, the mine effectively had military protection. But if the state ever investigated, he would be the one thrown out to take the blame.

  It was a trap! Dammit!