Chapter 24: Staying Clear-Headed

Based on the gossip among my colleagues since I joined the company, this woman is not a "rich second generation." Yet, in that coastal city where we worked, how could someone who manages several gold and jewelry stores be an ordinary person? It seems that my conventional way of thinking has hindered my analytical abilities.

As the surroundings grew dim, hearing her words and seeing her somewhat dazed expression, I suddenly felt that I needed to be more clear-headed. At the very least, looking at Lan Fang provided me with a hint.

"A-Jing, are we... are we going to end up dying here?" Qu Xiang’s voice trembled slightly. I didn't know what she was thinking, but there was a sudden note of despair in her tone. Considering the events of these past few days, although she hadn't suffered any major hardships, her inner torment in the face of impending life-or-death situations was understandable.

Initially, knowing that I had found a bag was something to be happy about. I hadn't expected the appearance of Peng Qian and his group to completely extinguish our hopes. Seeing those people later vanish entirely only made the weight in Qu Xiang’s heart grow heavier.

"Don't worry, we won't! Xiang, we won't reach that day!" Looking at her terror and faint sorrow in the darkness, I suddenly understood. She is, after all, a young woman—at an age in the outside world where she should be cherished and protected.

As for the people gathered by Brother Wen, while I don't know if they were a group from the beginning, they clearly possessed more survival experience. Yet, in my eyes, even people like them had ended up having to cannibalize their own companions; it seems finding food here is truly difficult. Or perhaps, there is simply no abundance of edible food provided in this place.

If that is truly the case, then the chances of our small group surviving in this vicinity are very slim indeed. It is no wonder Brother Wen didn't think highly of us and didn't even show the slightest intention of inviting us to join them. Added to this, seeing how people like Peng Qian and Jia Lue acted makes our situation clear. In their eyes, we are nothing more than a burden. In all my years, I have never been so rejected upon arriving somewhere, and it left me somewhat speechless.

However, I would naturally never say that, as it would only incite panic. I don't know about Lan Fang's resilience, but Qu Xiang’s current reaction is what one would expect from a normal person. Looking at her, I could only force myself to stay calm. Moreover, from the attitudes and reactions of Brother Wen’s group and Peng Qian’s group, I realized that I am not a good leader, nor am I a flexible survival expert. My understanding of the law of the jungle was clearly far from sufficient.

Upon calm reflection, the experience I’ve been relying on consists only of common sense gathered from outdoor trips with fellow hikers, and some life lessons taught by elders back in my rural hometown. In a tropical rainforest, transitioning an ordinary person to adapt to the survival rules of the jungle requires a process for someone like me, who prides myself on having received a civilized education. Yet, Brother Wen’s group, and even Peng Qian and Jia Lue, seemed to integrate into this reality very quickly.

Did I really do something wrong? Should I not have chosen to stay with Lan Fang when facing life and death? These people have been reduced to eating their own companions—how is that any different from animals? But are they wrong to consume meat to ensure their own survival?

Questions swirled in my mind. However, it also brought up another point: if things have reached this stage where everyone cannot think of other ways to survive and must resort to cannibalism, I don't believe that is something anyone would willingly do. Is it really impossible to find other food in this rainforest? Are there really no small wild animals to be caught? Or have the small animals here already been hunted to extinction by the people trapped here? I think that possibility is slim in a rainforest of this size.

I tried to keep myself calm, speaking to Qu Xiang and Lan Fang with as much confidence and composure as I could muster. "Temporary difficulties do not mean we are inferior to them. Even if they use force to seize our supplies, I feel that we might actually have a chance."

"Really? A chance? What kind of chance?" Even though she was nervous, Qu Xiang clearly retained some composure.

"Then what should we do?" Qu Xiang supported Lan Fang as she leaned against the roots of a tree. Although there was no obvious change after Lan Fang took the medicine, her rapid breathing seemed to have eased slightly. "It won't be very cold at night, but there are mosquitoes everywhere, and even spiders! And what if there are wild beasts?"

"That is exactly what I wanted to say. We must first find a place that is relatively safe to take shelter! Do you remember the place we passed earlier? The hollow banyan tree I told you about!"

"I know, I know. It is enclosed on three sides; as long as someone keeps watch outside, it should be relatively safe!" Qu Xiang remembered immediately, as we had passed it during our brief rest while hurrying toward the waterfall.

The sun had set, and night had descended upon the jungle. I took a deep breath as I looked at our surroundings. "We can't wait any longer; it's two or three hundred meters away! We can't afford to delay."

Qu Xiang was decisive, helping Lan Fang up. "Those people are bastards. I saw that there were a few pieces of clothing in the bag earlier!"

"Yes, there were a few clothes and a down quilt in the bag! But let it go; those things might not be a good omen for them." I tactfully reached into my pocket and fished out the small high-intensity flashlight for Qu Xiang.

"Where did this come from?" Qu Xiang looked at me in surprise.

"We found it earlier. Since it was small, I tucked it into my pocket. I also have two lighters; they got soaked in the water, but I’ll try to dry them out and see if they work later!" I felt a sense of relief for my quick thinking at the time. Of course, I suddenly felt that those people weren't entirely evil. At the very least, they didn't frisk me, nor did they take the rattan rope I was carrying. Peng Qian and Jia Lue never realized that my pockets were filled with quite a few useful things.

"You have lighters?" Qu Xiang seemed to finally breathe a sigh of relief. "Does that mean we won't have to eat raw food or freeze?"

I picked up Lan Fang again and began to walk in the dim light. "Yes, we won't have to freeze in the second half of the night. We can even find some dry branches and firewood to start a fire, which will also ward off some wild beasts! Don't worry, I think they may have stolen our belongings, but they won't last long."