Chapter 897: Leaving the Rain Forest
The weather in the rain forest was unpredictable. The smell of damp earth filled their entire surroundings.
Yun Xi and Yan Shuo had been in the forest for several days. When they had first arrived, they had been drenched by the rain every few hours. Now they had gradually grown accustomed to it.
According to the direction of their compa.s.s, they had traveled from north to south, following the direction of the water flowing in the forest river.
If their directions were right and they continued walking from north to south, after pa.s.sing through an area with a small tribe, and crossing the river, they would eventually be leaving the rain forest. Then they would arrive at City N of Country S.
This was their original plan. They had antic.i.p.ated every possibility when they arrived, and the long hours in the forest had tested their patience and survival skills.
This was the first time Yun Xi had ever stepped into a rain forest. The rain forest was more humid and less rugged than the forests in her country. The whole rain forest was humid and filled with miasma and mosquitoes. She had to be constantly on the alert for the snakes hidden in the leaves around her. There was not a single moment when she could relax.
Her shoes had long been soaked, but now she wore rainboots, which were more suited to this climate than army boots.
Yan Shuo looked at the stream in front of him. He nodded at Yun Xi and took out his water bottle. “When you fill your water bottle at the stream, do not let down your guard. You should turn and look behind you in case any wild animal takes the opportunity to pounce at you.”
Yan Shuo demonstrated what he was talking about for her. Yun Xi very quickly understood. She squatted down, turned her head to look behind her, and put the water bottle in her hand into the water to fill it.
“Instructor, we have been walking for several days. Do you think we are still far from that tribe?”
They had finished the rations that they had brought. If they could not find that tribe and try to bargain for refreshments, it would not be easy for them to last until they had gotten out of the rain forest.
Yan Shuo capped his water bottle, looked at her, and chuckled. “Well, well, are you afraid of eating rats and snakes?”
Yun Xi smiled and shook her head, bitterly teasing him. “I’m not afraid. I’ve never tasted that before. Indeed, I really want to try it. It is said that the protein content of snake is pretty high.”
“Don’t worry about not having the opportunity.” Yan Shuo stopped worrying for her when he saw that she could still maintain such a state of mind.
After half an hour of rest, they continued their journey. There was no proper path in the rain forest. They had to walk through tall, dense bushes, one step at a time. Neither of them could afford to be careless.
After walking for a short while, Yan Shuo heard some noises nearby and stopped suddenly.
The next moment, Yun Xi also reacted. She squatted down next to him among the bushes. They looked at the group of people slowly walking toward them from the low-lying land.
Although the distance between them was still very large, from the place where they squatted, they could clearly see the terrain below.
Yun Xi turned her head, lowered her voice, and spoke, “Instructor, look, they are all armed!”
At the front of the line were six men in camouflage uniforms, each with a rifle in his hand. In the middle were three men bound with ropes and pulled forward by those in front. Finally, there were five soldiers who followed behind.
This group of 14 men walked through the forest, battered and exhausted.
As they drew nearer, Yan Shuo pressed Yun Xi down behind the bushes. The dense foliage and dim light hid both of them. The conversation of the men in clear and audible English could be heard as they approached.
“Boss, what’s the purpose of capturing these three weaklings and transporting them all the way? It has been really troublesome for us to cross the mountains just to get them.”
If it had not been for the three prisoners, they could have taken the car and dashed over the border. It would have been easy.
“Big Boss naturally has his own reasons to have us bring them back. Stop all your nonsense.”
“I heard they are some kind of chemistry experts. Is Big Boss thinking of asking them to produce drugs?”
“Could be. Big Boss did get someone to develop a new type of drug recently. But that expert seduced the Big Boss’s woman and he shot him dead. The experiment was not completed yet, thus we have to kidnap more people…”
When they had walked a long way, they straightened and looked in the direction they were going.