Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 1239 Difficult to Cooperate

Chapter 1239: Chapter 1239 Difficult to Cooperate

After that battle, the wounded were sent to the rear for medical treatment, which meant that the United Army was left with fewer than three hundred men, a far cry from the three thousand it once boasted. Many had lost the courage to advance.

Gu Fan, unable to sleep, was up early to take a walk and think about what to do next. The Flame and Lightning Mercenary Corps had hardly any men left, and it seemed unlikely to continue with the original plan given their current strength.

The Flame Mercenary Corps had already informed Gu Fan that they lacked the capability to advance and were discussing new ways to collaborate with the General, which included having the General lead the remaining mercenaries in joining the plan.

It was a solution borne of no choice; under the circumstances, it seemed the only option. As Gu Fan brooded, he suddenly heard unfamiliar footsteps and turned to see General Horton approaching, with Irina accompanying him.

With a frown, Gu Fan gauged the pair’s intentions. "You two coming to me together can’t mean anything good," he remarked.

In response, Irina offered a faint smile, "Gu Fan, by the look of your worries, you must be trying to figure out what to do next."

"Indeed, but it seems like you’ve thought of a solution for me," Gu Fan said with some interest, eager to hear their proposal.

Irina began to explain, "This is General Horton. It was he who persuaded the nations surrounding the Dark Primitive Mountain to unite and invite various mercenary groups to join the battle, bringing us this far."

"Pleased to meet you, General Horton," Gu Fan said as he extended his hand for a handshake before smiling and continuing, "You managed to negotiate cooperation among all parties and lead them here; you’re truly impressive."

General Horton nodded, "I wouldn’t say that. I was just lucky to have everyone’s support, but tonight’s carnage exceeded my expectations. Now we’re down to fewer than three hundred men; any further advance seems difficult."

Gu Fan put on a wry smile, "Indeed, who knows what awaits us ahead. With the men we have now, it’s really not feasible."

General Horton added, "Now, the Flame and Lightning Mercenary Corps have discussed some matters with me. I think their plan is quite good. Starting from the River of Survival, it’s very feasible."

"Oh, so you’re in cahoots with them too?" Gu Fan marveled inwardly, but on the surface, he showed no reaction, sensing that things were not as simple as Horton made them out to be. Then Gu Fan turned to Irina, his gaze filled with suspicion.

Irina knew what Gu Fan was pondering, so she began to clarify, "Initially, the Hunter’s Guild was unaware of General Horton’s true intentions. The Hunter’s Guild operated independently, only to unexpectedly encounter the Flame and Lightning Mercenary Corps and then General Horton."

General Horton also interjected, "I just shared the plan to attack Dark Primitive Mountain with the Hunter’s Guild. I asked the Hunter’s Guild to provide weapons against the vampire creatures, specifically, wooden bullets."

Gu Fan continued, "But what you didn’t expect was that your operation would run into the Hunter’s Guild, so you simply decided to join forces with them."

General Horton nodded, "Yes, initially, my plan was only to have the Hunter’s Guild supply weapons and bullets. I hadn’t intended to involve them in the operation, but since we encountered each other, we might as well act together."

Hearing this, Gu Fan was still doubtful, "For this operation, you must have planned for a long time to persuade so many mercenary groups to join, to get so many nations to unanimously confront Dark Primitive Mountain. Without three to five years, I fear it couldn’t be done."

"That’s true. Persuading those mercenary groups was easy; sufficient benefits were enough. However, convincing the nations around Dark Primitive Mountain was a bit more challenging. But after the vampire creatures attacked the towns, and with Dark City always being a thorn in everyone’s side, I saw an opportunity." At this point, General Horton smiled proudly, as if forming this alliance had been a great accomplishment.

Gu Fan added, "But it’s really difficult to mobilize troops from the several nations around Dark Primitive Mountain. No one knows exactly how many vampire creatures there are, and nobody wants to be accountable for casualties. So when you suggested spending some money to let the mercenary groups scout the enemy situation, those nations agreed."

Upon hearing this, General Horton was initially startled, then he quickly realized something and thought that Gu Fan was not so simple after all.

Gu Fan seemed to have understood, "Since both the Flame and Lightning Mercenary Corps have come to you for cooperation, I believe they’ve also told you a few things, including why they want to start from the River of Survival."

"That’s correct," General Horton had just finished speaking when he saw the mocking look on Gu Fan’s face, "Alright, I’ve got it, you may leave now."

Irina and General Horton were taken aback, never expecting Gu Fan to turn hostile so abruptly. So Irina asked, "What do you mean, Gu Fan?"

"What do I mean, you should ask General Horton yourself," Gu Fan said, appearing unwilling to entertain further, with a look of disdain in his eyes.

Seeing Gu Fan’s expression, even Horton was puzzled, "I don’t know what I did to offend you, but since you’re taking this attitude, then there’s nothing more I have to say."

"Indeed, no point in talking if we’re not getting along. Goodbye." Having said that, Gu Fan left, evidently not interested in holding talks any longer.

Although Horton said this, he was anxious inside and looked at Irina with pleading eyes.

Irina then asked him, "General Horton, have you offended Gu Fan before?"

After thinking it over carefully, General Horton shook his head, "This is my first formal meeting with Gu Fan today. I’ve had no opportunity to offend him before this."

"This is quite strange!" Irina was certain Gu Fan wouldn’t reject General Horton without reason; he must have spotted something amiss.

Irina told General Horton to wait, and she took on the responsibility of persuading Gu Fan to join the operation.

The situation left no other choice, as General Horton was aware of the importance of Gu Fan and his people. Without them, the latter part of the operation wouldn’t be viable, which was why he had sought out Gu Fan.

General Horton racked his brains, wondering if Gu Fan had spotted some kind of problem. Could it be that Gu Fan knew about his cooperation with the man in the mysterious mask? But that seemed improbable.

For some reason, Horton grew increasingly uneasy, prompting him to immediately call the man in the mysterious mask, "Hello, there’s something I want to discuss with you. I met Gu Fan, but he seems rather unwilling to cooperate with me. I’m not sure what to do."

From the other end of the phone came the indifferent voice of the man in the mysterious mask, "Don’t worry, if he wants to advance, he can only rely on the force at your command, and if you want to move forward, you must also rely on Gu Fan. You are now indispensable to each other. Gu Fan knows this, he’s just trying to raise his price. There’s no need for concern."

"Is that so?" General Horton felt there was reason in this, but how could it be that Gu Fan, despite his young age, was so shrewd? Could he really not worry about the possibility of a real fallout, causing the cooperation to fall apart?