Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 275: I’ve Met You Again

Chapter 275: Chapter 275: I’ve Met You Again

After suffering two losses in a row, being tricked again would have been embarrassingly naive. So, Gu Fan and his group decided to give up the game, acknowledging they were no match for the other side.

Finally, professionals like Su Hui and Zhuo Hang demonstrated their expertise by quickly noticing they were being followed. Their strategy was to abandon their vehicle and all their supplies, carry only the essential items with them, travel light, and shake off Lin Xi’s group using the bustle of the crowds on the streets.

They then rented a minivan, everyone squeezed in, and they set off again.

Su Hui knew that their vehicle was already known to their adversaries, and they would encounter hindrances wherever they went—even if they stayed still, they could still be attacked. Therefore, they had to switch to a vehicle that the enemies didn’t recognize.

This strategy worked effectively. Gu Fan and his crew encountered no obstacles during their journey. At the same time, they tried their best to make up for the two days they’d wasted, even though it was quite challenging.

Three days later, they finally arrived at the town nearest to the Yuxueyun Mountain and began to stock up on supplies to prepare for their expedition.

Gu Fan was worried that if Lin Xi had been relentlessly hindering them because they were on the right track, then Lin Xi could well be heading towards Yuxueyun Mountain too. As this was the town closest to the mountain, it was highly probable that Lin Xi may have been passing through and left someone to keep watch.

On Gu Fan’s suggestion, everyone put on hats and masks. Given the colder climate near Yuxueyun Mountain, wearing these items was common practice, and an excellent way to disguise their identities so that they wouldn’t be recognized by Lin Xi’s group.

With time ticking away, the group selected and bought vital items before quickly setting off on the road again to avoid any further delay.

The next issue was finding a guide. Everyone thought it was unlikely to get as lucky as they had been the last time when they found an excellent guide like Ouyang Jin, but they definitely needed a competent one nonetheless.

Gu Fan had done his research online and found that once they left the town, they could seek local villagers at the foot of Yuxueyun Mountain to guide them, as locals were most familiar with the area around the mountain.

As Su Hui scanned the map, she exclaimed, "Goodness me, there are over a dozen villages of all sizes at the foot of the Yuxueyun Mountain, and they are all quite far apart. If we choose the wrong one, we won’t be able to keep track of Lin Xi’s movements."

Gu Fan agreed: "Lin Xi’s group has many people, and their arrival at a village is bound to attract attention. If we go to the same village as Lin Xi, then simply inquiring around would tell us if Lin Xi has been there or not. However, there is a significant chance that we might head to a different village from Lin Xi’s group."

Lu Yi quickly chimed in: "That’s easy to handle. We should go to the village nearest to this town. I suspect that Lin Xi might have gone there too."

Gu Fan shook his head at this, "I don’t recall there being a route map to the mountain on the sheet of paper. But, if such a map does exist and if Lin Xi has seen it, he would definitely choose the village closest to the route."

"So, it seems like the chances of us and Lin Xi’s group taking the same route are slim." Zhuo Hang pondered, then pointed to a village on the map and suggested: "Let’s make a bet and head for the village closest to us."

"Sounds good!" Everyone agreed, and they immediately set off. The closer they got to the Yuxueyun Mountain, the colder it felt—quite unlike the usual weather in July.

After another day of travel, they reached the village at dusk and found accommodation there, inquiring the innkeeper about potential local guides.

The innkeeper was extremely helpful and suggested a person who could serve as their guide, although he warned them that the guide wouldn’t be cheap.

At the mention of the price, Gu Fan’s brow furrowed. The previous expedition had been financially supported by the heir Du Jun, but this trip to Yuxueyun Mountain had already cost the team a significant portion of their funds. As most of the group were students with limited savings, it was mainly Su Hui and Zhuo Hang providing financial support.

Gu Fan felt guilty. Everyone had joined this journey to help him, and he couldn’t let them all go bankrupt.

After some thought, Gu Fan came up with an idea. He called the boss at the company and cheerfully said, "Hello, boss, this is Gu Fan. I’m here to report that we have arrived at a village at the foot of Yuxueyun Mountain. Everything is going smoothly, we are diligently fulfilling the task you entrusted to us. However, as you know, everything costs money on the road, and we are a group of poor students. Could you possibly provide us with some financial support?"

"Sure, as long as you complete the task I assigned to you, any amount will do. Just wait, I’ll transfer the money to you right away." With these words, the boss promptly hung up. His quick and easy agreement made Gu Fan optimistic about receiving a significant amount of money.

But when the money arrived, Gu Fan was taken aback by the amount. He then texted back to the boss with just the words, "Stingy miser!"

Regardless, the availability of funds had improved. Even after buying some more tents and other items and hiring a guide, they would still have enough. However, Gu Fan was still upset. If it weren’t for the fact that Leng Le was in the hands of the boss, Gu Fan would have cursed out loud.

"What else should we buy? What if we can’t agree on the guide’s price tomorrow and have to look for another one? That would cause a delay. If we lose track of Lin Xi, it would be my fault again." The more Gu Fan thought about it, the angrier he became. He decided to wait and see how things would turn out the next day.

Afterward, Gu Fan gave the money he had received from the boss to Su Hui for her to manage the funds, which somewhat eased their tight financial situation.

"I can’t believe we’ve spent so much money in just a few days." Zhuo Hang was somewhat shocked. Initially, they had prepared ample resources, but unexpected expenses such as repair bills, rental deposits, replacing abandoned supplies, and buying new ones had depleted their funds.

"Hyakki Yakou is indeed smart. Not only did she delay our journey, but she also drained away a lot of our money." Not only did Lu Yi express this sentiment, but the others also agreed. As most of them were impoverished students, their savings had been almost entirely depleted by Hyakki Yakou’s hindrances."

Gu Fan comforted them saying, "Once we find Lin Xi, we’ll settle all old and new scores together." After saying this, Gu Fan volunteered to buy some drinks for everyone from the hotel’s front desk. As he stepped outside, he overheard a conversation.

"Boss, please help me out. I can cut you in, how about that?"

"It’s not that I don’t want to help you. I must prioritize my regular business. Besides, you’re not a local. If something goes wrong while you’re guiding others, I may get implicated too."

"How could that be possible? I’ve been here for several months and am very familiar with the area around here. I’m as good as any local."

The voice sounded familiar to Gu Fan’s ears, and when he went over to take a look, he couldn’t believe his eyes—it was Ouyang Jin.