Chapter Twenty-One: Unreconciled

Seeing that Peng Qian remained silent and glancing at the machete held before him, Zhou Jianguo’s face flushed a deep red. However, because the light was quite dim at this moment, it was not particularly noticeable. He seemed to speak with a hint of trepidation: "Well, that, that’s fine..."

Yet, he appeared unwilling to let go, his throat seeming to catch the faint scent of the beef jerky. Perhaps driven by extreme hunger, his eyes remained fixed on the open package of jerky in Liu Huan’s hand, as if he were trying to count every single piece. But noticing Peng Qian’s expressionless face, he finally retreated a step.

"Leave that half-bottle of water and the small bag of fish-flavored peanuts for them. We’ll take the rest. Let’s go!"

"You—you people are going too far!" Hearing Jia Lue’s words, I wondered if he and Peng Qian had some sort of pact. But Peng Qian didn't utter a word, clearly tacitly agreeing with Jia Lue’s assessment, which filled me with fury.

Moreover, now that the sharp spike was no longer pressed against me, I gripped my trekking pole tightly and glared at Peng Qian. He didn't even look my way—whether out of deliberate avoidance or sheer disdain, I couldn't tell, and this only added fuel to my internal fire.

"You are robbing us! Peng Qian, you—you are nothing but scum!" Qu Xiang was clever; even though she couldn't see the specific items clearly from a distance, hearing Jia Lue’s words made the situation immediately obvious to her.

She still had a sharp spike held to her neck, but she didn't care in the slightest. Ignoring the danger, she began to curse at Peng Qian. It was clear she wasn't intimidated by Jia Lue; rather, it was because she knew Peng Qian.

"You’ll be struck by lightning for doing this!" Qu Xiang’s words were the raw, instinctive lashing out of a woman pushed to her limit. She sounded like an acquaintance who had been wronged, venting her intense grievances to someone she knew, yet no one seemed to pay her any mind.

Although the spike was no longer pressed against me, seeing Peng Qian’s cold indifference made me realize a brutal truth: in this environment, no one is truly reliable, and these people were driving us toward a dead end.

I clenched my fists tightly, gritting my teeth as I watched Peng Qian. If looks could kill, I would have killed him countless times over by now.

"Don’t look at me like that. We’ve been wandering here for days. We know that waiting for rescue is hopeless. To survive, some people have to make sacrifices!" Peng Qian spoke with cold detachment, his voice remaining flat.

He clearly acted as if we had no connection to him whatsoever.

His subsequent words were even more hurtful, laced with malice: "Everyone knows why you’re dragging this burden along! Back at the office, everyone drooled over her, but no one dared to touch her. You think she’s so simple?"

"So, I’m not that stupid!" Before I could even grasp the meaning of his words, he added, "A burden is always a burden. Aside from getting a bit of pleasure, what else is she good for in a place like this? A fool like you is destined not to live long, so I’d naturally rather stay as far away from you as possible!"

"You—you are a complete bastard!" Qu Xiang clearly understood the implication of Peng Qian’s words in an instant.

Recalling the last two or three days she had spent with me, the sight of Peng Qian caused her emotions to spiral out of control. Because everyone else was focused on the items in the backpacks, she glared at the person holding the spike and shifted her feet, ready to charge forward, as if she were about to explode.

"Don't, Xiangxiang!" I shouted in time to stop her.

Not to mention that her hands were still tied; the sharp spike was pressed so close that I could instantly see blood beginning to trickle out, which terrified me. I was petrified she would do something reckless. Even if she weren't bound, it wouldn't have made a difference.

Qu Xiang was barely 1.6 meters tall, while Peng Qian was nearly 1.8 meters and sturdy. Furthermore, Peng Qian held a metal spike, which looked similar to the ones Wen Ge and his group had. I had no idea where they were getting these weapons.

If Qu Xiang really tried to fight back, she would suffer immediately. These people were clearly not to be trifled with, and they certainly wouldn't show mercy. I didn't want that to happen. The way Peng Qian and Jia Lue acted with such brazen disregard made it clear they had gone through their own trials over the past few days.

Added to the sight of the machete in Jia Lue’s hand, a dark premonition washed over me.

I thought back to the tragic state of Luo Wei, whom we had encountered in the river earlier. I didn't know if his fate was tied to Jia Lue. If Jia Lue really was the one who did that to him, then this man was truly terrifying. I wondered if Wen Ge would wipe them all out if he knew what Jia Lue had done.

Although Peng Qian was a colleague from back home, I remembered what Wen Ge had told me earlier. In this environment, when people become extremely selfish, it is not surprising that they turn ruthless or even cruel.

Watching Qu Xiang’s grief and indignation, I shook my head to signal that she shouldn't act impulsively. I was truly afraid that she or Lan Fang might fall victim to their malice. Seeing Luo Wei had already shattered some of my perceptions of the world, and I felt compelled to stop Qu Xiang’s reckless behavior.

"Ah..." Qu Xiang looked at me with deep frustration. Seeing me shake my head, she slumped back, leaning against Lan Fang.

"Let them go! We didn't starve to death these past few days even without them!" Looking at them, how could I be willing to let this go? If they really pushed me to the edge, I was confident I could take down two of them!

But facing this group, I knew my own state over the last two days. Even though I had managed to supplement my food intake when we found the backpack, I hadn't regained much strength. After starving for so long, I dared not overeat.

I felt a small sense of regret, but I knew there was no use in dwelling on it. Especially with Jia Lue and Peng Qian holding lethal weapons—if they were truly pushed to the brink, the three of us would surely suffer.

Going head-to-head with them was clearly not an option. Despite my lingering resentment, I understood the necessity of knowing when to retreat. Moreover, from observing them, I realized their makeshift alliance would likely not last long.

I wasn't afraid, but I had to consider the well-being of Lan Fang and Qu Xiang.

If they really attacked and ended up throwing us into the river just like Luo Wei, what would happen to the women?

I wasn't afraid of death, but I didn't want to die in vain, without anyone knowing why. Besides, I didn't have the skills of a hero; I only had my own thoughts. I might be able to handle one or two people, but I had no confidence against a group.

My gaze swept over Huang Jianfen, who stood nearby, and I felt a pang of pity. She might have sided with Peng Qian’s group, but she used to have a good relationship with Qu Xiang and, by all accounts, was close to Lan Fang as well. Seeing her gripping a sharp spike now sent a chill down my spine.