Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 296: Companions with Different Hearts

Chapter 296: Chapter 296: Companions with Different Hearts

Gu Fan, Lu Yi, Ning Qi, and Hu Bo ran all the way, bumbling and crashing, heading anywhere they could without thinking, not even knowing if they had deviated from their original path, only wanting to get as far away from that place as possible.

As they ran, Gu Fan saw a light up ahead, believing it was Su Hui and the others, so he hurried over.

"Gu Fan, are you all okay?" Indeed, it was Su Hui and the others. Seeing the panic in Lu Yi and the fear draining the color from Ning Qi’s face, they asked hurriedly, "What happened? Did you encounter something?"

"Yes!" Gu Fan nodded, his own face reflecting the shock of recent events. He then relayed what they had experienced, leaving the others in stunned silence.

Jie expressed some disbelief, as the story seemed too fantastical.

Old man Tian, expressionless, suggested, "We should go back and search again tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Gu Fan furrowed his brow, wanting to object, because he knew the chances of finding Deng Wenming would be slim by then.

In agreement with old man Tian was Ning Qi, who had already been scared out of her wits. Given the blizzard, the dark surroundings, and the unknown event, it was indeed no weather to linger outside.

Naturally, Hu Bo, the supervisor, sided with Ning Qi. Not wanting to take risks themselves, they too agreed to head back, so Gu Fan no longer resisted. The team could only return, and wait until the next day to decide further.

It must be said that old man Tian was a competent guide as he was able to find the way back easily. Under his guidance, everyone safely returned to the cabin.

As soon as they entered, Deng Wenli anxiously asked, "Well, did you find my brother?"

No one responded. All wore expressions suggesting they had tried their best, which made Deng Wenli’s heart sink further.

Gu Fan comforted him, saying, "It’s difficult to search at night. Once it’s daylight, we’ll go out again. You can be sure, as long as there’s a glimmer of hope, we won’t give up on any of our fellow companions."

Deng Wenli was very worried and frustrated, but there wasn’t much he could do.

After the night’s upheaval, everyone was exhausted but sleep was hard to come by, the dread of what happened to Deng Wenming happening to them too was too overwhelming.

To be safe, Gu Fan suggested they barricade the door. In case anyone tried to leave like Deng Wenming did, they could be stopped and pulled back in time.

This wasn’t the best solution, but it made everyone feel a bit more secure. Over time, fatigue overpowered them and one after another succumbed to sleep, even though true rest was elusive due to anxiety.

Gu Fan stayed up for the night shift, with Lu Yi accompanying him. Despite their exhaustion, they strove to remain alert for everyone’s safety.

Not wanting others to hear their conversation, Lu Yi quickly typed a message on her phone and showed Gu Fan. The first message read: "Did Deng Wenming really belong to Ning Qi and Hu Bo’s team? They didn’t seem eager to search for him and were the first ones to sleep tonight after everything that happened."

After reading this, Gu Fan sighed deeply, typing a message back in response: "Not every friend and companion is reliable and trustworthy, and not all of them would easily abandon each other."

"That’s true. It’s lucky we don’t have people like Ning Qi and Hu Bo among us." Lu Yi responded with a hint of emotion.

Gu Fan shared the same sentiment. This experience seemed to be telling him to cherish trustworthy friends and partners. They were indeed hard to come by.

After some thought, Gu Fan felt it was not an absolute judgment, so he typed another message: "We can’t entirely blame Ning Qi and Hu Bo. To them, Deng Wenming might just be a casual acquaintance, not someone worthy enough to risk their lives for. If it was someone they truly cared about, they might risk everything."

After reading the message, Lu Yi agreed that it made sense but then gave a wry smile: "Gu Fan, you really like thinking the best of people."

"If you only ever see the bad side, life becomes full of negativity. That’s not what I want." Gu Fan’s words made sense to Lu Yi. A person filled with positivity can draw others closer. To lead and unite a group, one must exude positive energy.

Lu Yi thought for a moment, then typed another message: "If possible, it’s best not to team up with Ning Qi and Hu Bo. If they can easily abandon their partners, they would surely abandon us. If we encounter danger, they’ll probably run away and never look back."

"Okay, I understand. I’ll be careful." Gu Fan nodded, understanding the phrase ’a friend in need is a friend indeed’ all too well.

When Gu Fan originally thought of the idea of forming a team, he hoped they could band together to confront unexpected situations such as joint confrontations with wolf packs. In numbers, they could face the threat that neither Gu Fan’s group nor Ning Qi’s could deal with singularly.

However, an important principle was not to abandon partners easily. Upon encountering danger, those who don’t help don’t count as being united.

Gu Fan considered whether he needed to reconsider teaming up with Ning Qi and Hu Bo, not wanting to place his trust in them only to be abandoned at the first sign of danger.

All the while, another point of consideration was Ning Qi and Hu Bo’s hunting rifles. Weapons provided a great deterrent during dangerous situations.

That is to say, the partners Gu Fan had found so far were unreliable but provided support with their weapons. This called for a difficult weigh-in.

After considering the matter, Gu Fan thought of a solution. He could use the advantage of having more people in his group, redistribute the team, and split up Ning Qi’s team. Gu Fan had a sneaking suspicion that Ning Qi and Hu Bo were always on guard, possibly with a hidden agenda. Therefore, the best option was to split everyone into four groups.

At this moment, Ouyang Jin awoke and ran over with a horrified look, explaining, "I just had a nightmare, a terrifying nightmare. You know what I dreamt? I’m really scared."

Hearing this, Gu Fan and Lu Yi quickly covered their ears, clearly not wanting to listen.

Ouyang Jin was frantic, "You can’t do this to me. I’m not trying to hike up prices. I’m truly terrified. Aren’t you worried about our current situation?"

"Okay, I understand. We will persevere. Don’t forget what we went through in the foreign territories." Even though Gu Fan said this, he was probably more apprehensive. He wasn’t certain he could get the group safely out of this situation.

"I feel this trip is riskier than the last one in the foreign territories..." Ouyang Jin tried to add something to justify increasing prices, but his words were quashed by the forceful gaze of both Gu Fan and Lu Yi.