Chapter 157 Then Let's Do It

Hearing this, Chen Cao wore a blank expression and said with certainty, "Not interested!" With that, he had everyone sniff the small bottle and waited for them to regain consciousness.

Though rejected, Flower Buddha showed no anger and simply maintained his smile. If Chen Cao had agreed instantly, that would have been abnormal.

Everyone quickly woke up. Following Chen Cao's instructions, they tossed the corpses into the river, believing they would soon become food for the fish. The boat was brought back toward the bank. The motor of the speedboat had indeed been tampered with, but fortunately, with an expert like Lu Tianming on board and readily available tools, it wasn't long before the speedboat roared to life. Hearing the rapid whir of the motor, Stanny and Wuji couldn't help cheering, but Chen Cao's mood remained heavy. The fuel gauge indicated that the speedboat had less than five kilometers of fuel remaining. How far is five kilometers? That was a figure that needed no calculation; navigating five kilometers deep within the jungle river meant practically nothing. If they ran out of fuel deep within the river, death would be the only outcome.

However, they could not stay here any longer. Their location had been exposed, and soon it would attract a large force of mercenaries to pursue and intercept them. Both he and Flower Buddha knew very well that compared to native soldiers, the methods of those mercenaries made the tactics of the locals look like absolute gentlemen.

Chen Cao looked at the dazed Flower Buddha beside him and said, "We must leave this place, no matter what it takes!"

Flower Buddha spread his hands and shrugged. "Do as you see fit, but let me remind you, Chen, we don't seem to have much fuel left!"

Chen Cao said resolutely, "Then we switch to traditional power. We can fashion a few oars!"

Flower Buddha twirled the lighter in his hand and said, "Chen Cao, don't forget, if we run into the mercenaries' speedboats, we are all doomed. What just happened was pure luck; I wouldn't bet on having that kind of luck a second time!"

Chen Cao fell silent for a moment, casting his gaze back toward the jungle behind them. "You mean we have to traverse the jungle once more? The risk factor is even higher that way."

"Chen, doing that won't do much good. We only have one path left, and that is the waterway. Because the jungle not only harbors natives and mercenaries, but also numerous lethal creatures. For this rookie team, their mortality rate would be even higher out there than staying in the speedboat," Flower Buddha said, lighting a cigarette.

Chen Cao was silent for a moment, reaching a tacit understanding with Flower Buddha through their exchange.

Just as the two men finalized their plan, the heavens seemed to act in defiance once again, beginning to drizzle. The moon had long since vanished to parts unknown, defying everyone's expectations. People retreated back inside the speedboat and began to feel drowsy. After the fierce battle just moments ago, confusion weighed heavily on everyone's hearts. They had no idea how much longer they would have to navigate through the boundless jungle before returning to the civilized world.

Chen Cao and Flower Buddha gazed in silence at the river, which had returned to stillness save for the sound of the rain. Dawn was not far off, and cold winds continuously poured into the cabin. Seeing Carissa curled up in the corner of the cabin shivering from the cold, Chen Cao took off his own jacket and draped it over her. When faced with Carissa's tender gaze, Chen Cao immediately turned away and walked over to Flower Buddha in the helm.

"Heh, you rascal, you certainly seem to appeal to women!" Flower Buddha remarked, observing the flash of disappointment that followed the tenderness in Carissa's eyes.

"Is there any point in talking about this now... We had better..." Chen Cao's voice cut off abruptly mid-sentence. He turned to Flower Buddha and said, "Did you hear that? That sounds like the hum of a motor!"

Flower Buddha's previously teasing expression gradually darkened. "It seems there isn't just one speedboat. To think they found us here so quickly—truly incredible. They really are well-trained mercenaries!"

"Quick, grab your gear and let's hide!" Chen Cao said to the drowsy, completely unvigilant group. "Hurry, pick up your weapons, we're going ashore, now!"

The speedboat, which had been prepared for departure, was quickly moved into the shadows. Chen Cao and Flower Buddha directed everyone to take cover among the thickets. The nighttime raindrops were ice-cold, piercingly chilling their already exhausted bodies and minds.

Although nothing could yet be seen on the river surface, the steady patter of rain masked the distant hum of the motor, sending a tremor through everyone's hearts with every beat.

Could it be the main force of mercenaries from the recent firefight returning? A heavy sense of dread gripped everyone's hearts. If so, a fierce battle would be unavoidable. Perhaps the only one at ease here was Lucia; deeply traumatized, she still maintained a quiet, eerie, vacant smile. Lu Tianming tightly embraced his wife, only to find that it was he himself who was trembling.

The glare of lights grew increasingly intense, reaching a blinding degree. The pitch-black river surface was now brilliantly illuminated; it appeared there were quite a few incoming speedboats.

Because his arm was injured and he could not handle heavy weapons, Flower Buddha carried only a pistol. The only fresh combat-ready forces left were Stanny and Chen Cao. At that moment, Stanny cocked his bolt, and Chen Cao gently patted his shoulder, saying, "Pal, it's all up to you now."

Flower Buddha let out a cold snort from the side and said, "Making it sound like I'm completely useless!"

Chen Cao steadied his sniper rifle and teased, "Hey, Flower Buddha, you're a gentleman; you shouldn't use foul language. Didn't you say it's survival of the fittest? You're the wounded one here, you need to rest, understand?"

Flower Buddha wiped the raindrops from his face and said resentfully, "Don't try to goad me. Spill it, what's your plan?"

The distant hum of the motor gradually subsided, though the glare remained blinding. Through the hazy shadows, Chen Cao could dimly make out that three speedboats had arrived. He quickly raised his sniper rifle to scan the area and told Flower Buddha, "Three people per speedboat: a driver, a rifleman, and a light machine gunner."

Flower Buddha sneered, "Nine people. Not hard to deal with!"

Chen Cao kept his sniper rifle raised. "Even so, while we have the dense forest for cover, what if these are just reconnaissance boats and there's a mother ship behind them? Even if we grew wings, we wouldn't be able to fly away!"

Flower Buddha watched as the speedboats ahead all pulled ashore without any intention of disembarking. He turned to Chen Cao and said, "Doesn't your Great Chen have a proverb: the bold are stuffed to death, while the timid starve to death? Now that three ready-made tools for survival are right in front of us, we have no reason not to take them!"

Lu Tianming timidly chimed in from the side, "It's the bold are stuffed to death, and the timid starve to death."

Hearing this, Flower Buddha glared fiercely at him, and Lu Tianming instantly pulled his head back.

Chen Cao stated, "If that's the case, since our weapons and ammunition are well-stocked anyway, rather than sitting here waiting to die, we might as well take the initiative. We can't afford to lose the upper hand again!"

Flower Buddha pulled out a dagger, slashed away the fabric tied around his wounded arm with a sharp rip, and flexed his arm. "Then let's do it!"