Chapter 63 Joining Forces to Forage

"Yes! Exactly! Jianguo and I almost died out there!" The fat man was clearly still shaken, yet at this moment, he failed to grasp the underlying meaning of Peng Qian's words.

I felt a strong impulse to give him a couple of kicks, this incorrigible fellow.

However, I held back, because he had yet to truly experience the ruthless agony of this place. Naturally, I could not expect him to; after the unexpected perils of the past two days, I had come to understand one simple truth: I had barely managed to sort out my own affairs, so how could I possibly spare the time to worry about others?

"A-Jing, you might as well hear us out. As for how you choose to judge it, we won't comment!" At that moment, it was Jia Lue who surprisingly spoke up for the first time, his tone carrying a rather gentle calmness.

This man, who had always kept a certain emotional distance, made a rare and unexpected intervention. Especially as if to ensure his words carried weight, he turned deadpan and serious: "Surely you understand that whether we are here or out there in the civilized world, we cannot deny one absolute fact—human nature is inherently selfish!"

Watching him and Peng Qian wear such righteous expressions, I did not immediately respond.

I naturally had a rough idea of what these people were thinking, and I had no desire to bicker over it, nor did I wish to pass any further judgment on them. Yet deep down, I knew very well that what I wanted was entirely different from their philosophy. After all, even a fool would snap into sharp clarity when plunged into such a dangerous environment.

Because this was pure instinct!

"As for what kind of danger actually lurks here, Zhimeng and Liu Huan certainly have the most say!" Jia Lue did not pause, mentioning for the first time the two attractive women who had accompanied him.

Indeed, such girls inevitably drew people's gazes from the very beginning. At least before the threat of life and death became apparent, any normal person would naturally want to draw close to them. But now, it seemed many had finally grasped a hard truth: getting close to them was nothing short of courting death.

Jia Lue seemed unwilling to tolerate any dissent, looking at me with a confident air as he said, "One day, in order to survive—even if we are currently in the same boat—should a conflict arise, I will not hesitate to turn against you!"

Although this man meant nothing to me personally, observing his demeanor and listening to his words, I actually found them refreshingly devoid of hypocrisy. Of course, Jia Lue's words were simultaneously shocking enough to send a chill down my spine.

Indeed, there were times when I was still far too driven by sentimentality.

These people—or rather, the vast majority of people in this world—probably shared the exact same mindset as Peng Qian and Jia Lue!

This was the mindset of the top of the food chain; this was human nature at its core. While I couldn't guarantee how others might think, I at least knew I would not be like them. Because everyone's upbringing, life experiences, and the values instilled in them were entirely different.

While I had no wish to paint myself as a saint, I felt certain that Qu Xiang, who followed me, was certainly not that kind of person.

As for whether these individuals had harbored hidden motives when they eventually gathered together, I had no interest in finding out. That was something I had already decided the moment I chose to part ways with them.

Qu Xiang and I had united for the sake of our own inner convictions. This was the cruelty of this world, this grand jungle, yet we had no choice but to face it! Everyone understood that gathering once again and even cooperating meant that in such an environment, standing alone was utterly impossible.

Perhaps a clash between us was ultimately inevitable!

"What you say makes sense, but I am human, a person with normal moral reasoning!" I spoke very calmly, figuring any normal person would understand. I had no intention of belittling them, nor was I angry; I merely voiced my thoughts in a flat tone.

"According to the education I received, I simply cannot stand by and watch someone die right before my eyes—I cannot do it!" Having no interest in continuing the conversation with them, I stood straight up. "Perhaps we are simply not cut out of the same cloth! However, for the sake of survival, I do not rule out the possibility that we might temporarily join forces."

As I walked back, Jia Lue's expression darkened slightly.

Peng Qian glanced over, and when Jia Lue noticed, a mutual look of disdain for my retreating figure flashed in both of their eyes. Although they said nothing more, it was clear that each of them had formed their own private calculations.

Seeing me return, Qu Xiang, who was standing on a tree branch holding a wooden bow, nervously edged closer to me as I climbed back up: "A-Jing, what did they mean?"

Lan Fang, sitting nearby, also watched me anxiously, showing no signs of sleepiness whatsoever. Perhaps due to having eaten something, she looked to be in fairly high spirits. On the other hand, Huang Jianfen remained half-asleep, as if she had not yet fully regained consciousness.

Perched on the branch, I let out a soft sigh inwardly. Yet my face remained impassive! After all, saying too much about all this was useless, and I was no good at emotional appeals. Still, given our current predicament, I needed to let both of them know the reality of the situation.

"What could they possibly mean? To them, these injured folks are nothing more than dead weight!" To my surprise, Lan Fang had seen right through it. Seeing that I had not spoken immediately and didn't seem to care, she actually wore a hint of disdain herself.

Lying back against the trunk, she seemed lost in thought, her eyes glittering in the dark. Yet when she looked at me, she offered a faint smile: "A-Jing, I've made things difficult for you this time."

"Don't overthink it. But looking at things now, we really do need to keep our guards up!" I glanced toward the direction where the others were seated, suddenly realizing that no amount of talk could change the status quo.

Seeing them both gazing at me, I finally turned to address them: "Sister Lan, you'll have to bear with this. Although we've reached an agreement with them, given Peng Qian's character and Jia Lue's scheming nature, the three of us should take turns keeping watch just in case."

Qu Xiang and Lan Fang naturally had no objections. Qu Xiang initially hadn't wanted Lan Fang to take a watch due to her condition, but Lan Fang was adamant, insisting that her hands and eyes were still functional and that she had to pull her weight. Naturally, we had no way to refuse her.

In truth, this arrangement would indeed relieve some of the pressure on Qu Xiang and me! According to the agreement with Peng Qian's group, I was responsible for keeping watch over our side's safety. Therefore, I would take the first shift, followed by Lan Fang, and finally Qu Xiang.

I could stay on watch until a little past midnight, since someone in Peng Qian's group had a wristwatch. Then Lan Fang and Qu Xiang would each take shifts of over two hours. Since Peng Qian's side would wake up the next person during their shift changes, I would easily be able to see and manage our handover.

The turbulence of the previous night had left everyone shaken to the core, rendering everyone apprehensive and jittery this night. Even with the alliance formed, we all knew such an alliance was practically useless! It amounted to little more than having a few extra people around—or rather, a few extra cannon fodder.

Aside from the two bonfires burning by the river, the rainforest was swallowed by absolute darkness, as if countless demons and monsters were lurking in the shadows, ready to spring out at any moment.