Chapter 128: Encirclement

Splash, splash—the sound of paddles cutting through water accompanied the scene as Hua Fo, clutching a submachine gun, held the rear guard, vigilantly surveying their surroundings. Chen Cao crouched in the center of the inflatable raft, methodically sweeping the area through the sniper scope. Yet, the more he observed, the more the initial surge of joy within him faded; the dense jungle around them was eerily silent. Reflecting on the word "silent," Chen Cao suddenly understood the persistent unease he had felt all along—this place was unnervingly quiet.

Amidst the thick overlapping trees, only the whisper of the river breeze rustled through the leaves. Viewed through the scope, the scenery revealed a tropical jungle bathed in bright sunlight with ample visibility. Large leaves cast shadows on the river's surface, occasionally stirred by a gentle breeze, creating faint, swirling eddies. Yet the riverbank was devoid of life.

"Devoid of life," Chen Cao thought with a jolt. Since detonating the toxic gas grenade against the ghoul, they had seen no creatures—not even a single bird. Why? Because the path they traveled had been meticulously cleared, scrubbed clean by unseen hands.

If that was so, did it mean they risked walking into an ambush by other natives?

Chen Cao held his breath. The rubber raft moved steadily forward. He steadied his rifle and focused, continuing to scan both banks carefully. If an ambush lay ahead, it would surely be commanded by a highly skilled leader directing the natives. Even so, there would be flaws, and for now, he intended to exploit his advantage—the precision of his scope.

While sweeping the surroundings, Chen Cao softly asked Hua Fo, who stood at the raft's stern, "Hua Fo, don't you think it's too quiet?"

Hua Fo shared Chen Cao’s concern and immediately grasped his meaning. Clutching his submachine gun tighter, he shifted from standing to a half-crouch. "This passivity isn't good. But this raft is our only way out; I’m not about to abandon the water route. What do you suggest we do now?"

At last, at the 11 o'clock direction, Chen Cao noticed a faint glimmer—a small flash caused by the sunlight striking an object. Through the scope, he saw clearly: about 200 meters away, the sun reflected off the wristwatch of a figure. He aligned his crosshairs on the watch, then subtly adjusted his aim. A slow smile crept to his lips as he told Hua Fo, "This guy clearly isn’t very professional."

Pressing his finger to the trigger, Chen Cao held his breath.

With a sharp crack, he felt a slight recoil in his shoulder. Through the scope, he saw the bullet’s arc, the muzzle flash, and the swift penetration of the target. The jungle rustled once—a mere tremor—and then silence. Chen Cao was certain: the sniper was down.

Immediately after neutralizing the threat, Chen Cao scanned the area with his rifle. The gunshot had stirred the others aboard the raft—Stanley, Uki, and the rest—who had been rowing with focused intensity. They now stared blankly at Chen Cao and Hua Fo, pausing their paddling.

Hua Fo lowered his body, shifting from half-crouching to a semi-prone position, and shouted at the stunned Uki and others, "Keep low and keep paddling! You fools, what are you dawdling for? Do you want us to become living targets?"

Understanding the urgency, Uki dropped flat on the raft and paddled vigorously. Stanley changed his stance as well, paddling with all his might. Meanwhile, Lu Tianming pressed his wife’s head down, stroking her back with his withered hand and praying silently.

After scanning again, Chen Cao spoke to Hua Fo, "Looks like only one sniper came after us?"

Hua Fo remained alert, whispering, "Seems our movement has drawn the attention of other mercenaries. We’ve become live targets. Damn it—we have to move fast!"

Chen Cao kept his scope trained on the banks without relaxation. "It’s not hopeless. Once we pass this tributary and enter the main river, we’ll be safe. Hua Fo, have you seen the map?"

Hua Fo regained his composure. "That’s true, but we still have 500 meters before reaching the main river. If the enemy has set an ambush, we risk being shredded by bullets before we get there."

Chen Cao pondered. "I don’t think we’re a high-value target. Otherwise, after I took out that sniper, why didn’t the others return fire? Perhaps he was just monitoring us, and maybe these mercenaries don’t want a fight."

Hua Fo fell silent, and the two shared a moment of quiet. Thanks to Uki and Stanley’s vigorous paddling, the rafts picked up speed.

As they pushed forward, dusk gathered and mist thickened, blurring distant shapes and deepening the eerie quiet. Apart from the lingering tension from the earlier gunshot, all seemed calm—until a sudden *bang* startled the focused pair.

“What’s going on?” Chen Cao and Hua Fo’s hearts leapt.

“Something’s snagged the bottom of the raft!” Stanley’s trembling voice broke the fog.

“Damn it!” Hua Fo snapped, springing up. "What are we waiting for? Lift it off!"

“But... under the water... there’s...” Lu Tianming stammered, voice shaking.

“You fools!” Hua Fo growled. “What else could it be? Piranhas?”

Before he finished, a small creature burst from the water, lunging toward him. Hua Fo’s reflexes saved him as he grabbed the creature—a fish narrow and sharp, its jaws lined with teeth. It was indeed a piranha. He cursed, frustrated. This meant they could not enter the water to free the raft.

Chen Cao’s heart tightened. The mist obscured vision, and his sniper rifle was of limited use now. He cautiously stood and asked Stanley ahead, “Stanley, what’s caught the raft?”

Stanley looked back, his voice trembling, "A net—a vine-woven net."

Uki’s fear was clear. “I know this. It’s a common fishing net used by the tribe. They bait it with fish food and stretch it between two points, then pull it in to catch fish. But this is the boundary of the ** tribe’s territory. Our tribe shouldn’t be fishing here.”

Hua Fo drew a dagger from his boot. "It’s a vine net. What are we waiting for? Tear this damn thing apart!" He motioned Uki to bring the two rafts closer, preparing to board the raft ahead where Stanley and the others were paddling.

Just as Hua Fo began to step over, a spear whistled through the air toward him. He recoiled in alarm, narrowly dodging the missile. But with one foot still off the raft, he lost balance, about to fall into the water. Chen Cao reacted swiftly, grabbing Hua Fo and pulling him back aboard. The piranhas sensed potential prey and erupted into furious splashes.

“Look!” Uki pointed towards the barely visible riverbank through the fog. Tall native spear-throwers emerged from the jungle, lining up and gesturing, calculating their aim as if intent on shredding them with their weapons. Behind them came small groups of archers mixed with diminutive knife-wielding warriors, all stepping out from the dense forest.

Finally, the enemy appeared in force. Chen Cao exhaled slightly. The unknown was always the most terrifying; now that the targets were visible, he gripped his weapon tighter, aiming at the natives, his life secondary to the fierce determination to fight.

Facing the forming phalanx, Hua Fo drew a dagger from his waist and tossed it to Uki. “Move fast! Cut the vines with everything you’ve got, or we’re done for!”

Uki understood immediately, catching two daggers and carefully jumping onto Stanley’s raft. He passed one dagger to Stanley, and without words, both knew their grim task: to hack at the vine net surfacing above the water, all while dodging piranhas. Thankfully, the fish were few, so the work was difficult but not impossible.

The river was narrow. Now, Chen Cao and his companions were less than thirty meters from the native warriors on the bank. This meant the enemy’s spears and arrows could easily strike them. The only way to prevent being hit was to attack faster—to buy Stanley and Uki time.

Their battle for survival had truly begun.