Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 281: Snowball Fight

Chapter 281: Chapter 281: Snowball Fight

In the early morning, everyone woke up one by one, starting to wash and prepare. Everyone knew in their hearts that the journey was just beginning, and it would surely bring difficulties. No one was optimistic about the journey ahead.

However, the sled dogs were left behind. Old man Tian had said that once they entered the forest, the uneven terrain and rocks covered by snow would pose certain risks to the movement of the sled. The area was rarely visited by humans, so there were no specially developed safe routes for the sleds to use, making it easy for the sleds to flip or crash.

The second reason was that they were not familiar with operating the sleds. They could easily crash into trees due to excessive speed or delayed turns, causing injuries.

The third reason was that if they encountered a wild animal attack, the sled dogs would be frightened, causing the team to easily become chaotic, making the situation more dangerous.

Gu Fan agreed to follow old man Tian’s instructions without question.

However, Lu Yi had a question: "If we leave, will it be okay to leave so many sled dogs here?"

To this, old man Tian explained that there were caretakers who would regularly maintain all the cabins in the forest and look after the sled dogs.

Looking at the distant Yuxueyun Mountain, Su Hui expressed her concern: "I don’t know how long it will take us if we rely on our legs to walk."

"For me, a round trip takes ten days. For you, at least twenty days." Just as old man Tian finished speaking, Gu Fan and Su Hui narrowed their eyes. They felt that the old man had deliberately found so many excuses to leave the sled dogs behind, prolonging the travel time to earn more money.

"Okay, pack up what you need, and let’s set off." With that said, under the leadership of old man Tian, everyone began their trek into the woods.

After bidding farewell to Ning Qi, Gu Fan was surprised to find Ning Qi’s group only half an hour’s trek behind, presumably following the same route. Quite a coincidence.

Ning Qi walked and silently gritted her teeth, surprised that the routes of the two groups on the first day led to the same cabin.

Hu Bo came up and whispered, "There are many cabins in this forest. Everyone is heading for the same cabin today, but tomorrow it may not be the same. We still have a chance."

"I hope so!" After saying this, Ning Qi put on a smile, quickened her pace to catch up with Gu Fan’s group, and said, "It seems we are headed for the same place. Why don’t we team up? There is safety in numbers against the wild animals here."

At this suggestion, old man Tian didn’t say a word but just kept walking. Gu Fan didn’t object either, so the two groups merged into one.

To travel from one cabin to the next often took half a day for those with good physical strength, and at least a day for those who were not as fit. It was most dangerous in the forest at night, so they had to reach the cabin before it got dark.

As Deng Wenming and Deng Wenli, the two brothers, walked, they used binoculars to observe their surroundings. Occasionally spotting small animals darting by, they felt a little disappointed. They were eager to hunt down a few animals.

Gu Fan listened to Ning Qi saying that although hunting seemed cruel, from another perspective, it was maintaining ecological balance. If some animals were too numerous, they would destroy the ecosystem.

"Hunting with a sense of mission and responsibility, huh?" This was the first time Gu Fan had heard this idea, but it seemed to make some sense.

While they were walking, snow suddenly fell from the sky, getting heavier as time passed. Ouyang Jin said that it always snowed here all year round. This was just an ordinary snowfall, but what they really feared was a sudden snowstorm.

Not only Gu Fan but also the other people were a bit nervous. If they encountered a blizzard here, it would be easy to lose their way, and they might not be able to reach the next cabin before dark. If they spent the night roaming in the forest, the chances of encountering wild beasts would be greater.

Ning Qi also shared their previous experiences. Once, their group of more than ten people was hunting when they ran into a snowstorm in the middle of their journey. As a result, they deviated from their planned route and had not yet reached the cabin by nightfall. They then encountered a pack of wolves. If it weren’t for their numbers and their hunting rifles, they might have all been in trouble. Despite these precautions, one of the friends became separated from the group and has not been heard from since.

"This is so dangerous, it sounds like the sandstorms we encountered in the desert." As Lu Yi finished her statement, it gave the others a start. They recalled that experience, with the sandstorms howling in the sky and sand snakes on the ground waiting to strike. The mournful cries echoed in their ears, and thinking about it now, it felt like they had escaped death.

Ning Qi was quite surprised: "I can’t believe you’ve experienced a sandstorm. How did you manage to survive?"

Gu Fan smirked, "Luck, it was all luck. We found an ancient building where we could hide. But the luck of another team was not as good..."

Everyone walked and talked together, with Ning Qi sharing their hunting experiences in this area and Gu Fan talking about their previous adventures, especially the time when a large group of carnivorous ants surrounded them. It was so thrilling that everyone listening could feel the heart-stopping fear of that moment.

Of course, there were some things he could say and some things he had to keep to himself. Gu Fan was very good at striking a balance. Just as he and Ning Qi were engrossed in their conversation, suddenly a snowball came out of nowhere and hit Gu Fan in the head.

"Who was that? What a cheap shot." Gu Fan turned back, only to see Lu Yi and Jie looking innocent. Their eyes flickered towards the side, where Su Hui, pretending to admire the scenery, quipped, "The scenery is so beautiful that I want to write a poem for the world, but alas, I’m not cultured enough. All I can say is that the snowfall is so heavy. So heavy!"

"Heavy, my ass. Take this!" Gu Fan bent down to scoop up some snow and then rushed towards Su Hui, intent on getting even. Naturally, with her agile reflexes, Su Hui quickly fled.

"Come on, boy, catch me, and I’ll give you a candy." Su Hui taunted Gu Fan while running away, and they began to toss snowballs at each other, their laughter echoing throughout the forest.

The atmosphere was immediately enlivened by the snowball fight between Gu Fan and Su Hui. Everyone could feel the cheerful and relaxed mood, and they stopped worrying about potentially getting lost in a snowstorm or encountering wild animals at night.

Watching Su Hui and Gu Fan chase each other and have a snowball fight, running from one place to another, then back to the group, using Zhuo Hang as a human shield, Su Hui gained the upper hand in the snowball fight.