Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 343: Out of Ammunition and Provisions

Chapter 343: Chapter 343: Out of Ammunition and Provisions

After a head count, over thirty people remained in the old town. This devastation had taken a heavy toll on them, leaving those still alive to wail bitterly in grief.

Du Changhui sighed heavily, swallowed down his distress, and spoke to Lin Xi: "We’ve followed you here, all our hopes rest with you. We cannot be let down, you must lead us to eternal youth."

Lin Xi did not respond, but only nodded. She understood that the people of the old town were not loyal to her, but to the prospect of eternal youth. Should she betray them, they would retaliate violently.

Elsewhere, Du Jun was massaging Qin Jia’s hands and feet and checking for injuries, displaying an air of gentle care. He seemed indifferent to the heavy blows suffered by the people of the old town.

Ouyang Jin looked on at the scene with anxiety, "This is bad, this is bad. All our things are buried under the snow. We’ve lost our tents and supplies. What are we going to do now?"

Upon hearing this, everyone’s hearts sank. Looking at the towering mountain peak, they knew the path ahead was now impassable.

One person grumbled, "It’s all because of those snow monsters. If it hadn’t been for their attack and the huge commotion they caused triggering the avalanche, we wouldn’t have lost so many lives."

However, Gu Fan held a different view, "Considering the frequency of avalanches on Yuxueyun Mountain, we were bound to encounter one sooner or later. If it hadn’t been for the holes dug by the snow monsters, I’m afraid none of us would have survived."

"What do you mean?" The others were taken aback by Gu Fan’s comment, but Old man Tian was the first to understand his logic and couldn’t help but laugh: "It’s rare for a youngster like you to view it that way."

Du Changhui was not amused, "What are you implying, Gu Fan? Should we be thankful to the snow monsters?"

Gu Fan shook his head, "That’s not what I’m saying. In every situation there’s good and bad. If the avalanche was inevitable, how do you plan to survive?"

Hearing this, Du Changhui declined to argue, only snorting in a show of strong discontent.

Du Jun masked his skepticism: "So be it. Now we’ve lost all our provisions and it will be very hard to survive in this ice and snow. How are you seeing a bright side to this, Gu Fan?"

Gu Fan responded with a faint smile, "The bright side is we’ve got no choice but to turn back and head for the cabin at the foot of the mountain as fast as we can, and signal for help. This means we no longer need to take risks moving forward and our chances of survival are great. Plus, I’ve already achieved my goal. There’s no need for me to go further." Having said this, Gu Fan turned to Leng Le, happy about his girlfriend’s safety by his side.

Du Changhui opposed immediately, "You have achieved your goal, but after sacrificing so much, ours is still unfulfilled."

"Life is precious. You’ve already survived an avalanche. You should treasure that and come back with me alive instead of moving forward without supplies." Gu Fan spoke convincingly, but had underestimated Du Changhui’s relentless pursuit of eternal youth.

Du Changhui snorted, "You can go, but you must leave the blueprints behind. Since you have achieved your goal, you won’t have any use for them."

"You want the blueprints? I can give them to you." Gu Fan took two blueprints from his clothing, handed them over generously, and added, "Remember, these blueprints are still mine. I’m just lending them to you out of goodwill."

"Enough with your nonsense." Du Changhui grabbed the blueprints, a look of excitement on his face.

However, Lin Xi added quietly, "The secrets of the blueprints have already been revealed. We no longer need them. The only question left is how far can you people go."

Hearing this, Du Changhui’s heart sank. He, too, understood that they might all be dead before achieving eternal youth.

Rationally, Du Changhui knew he should listen to Gu Fan and make the right choice, but he felt somehow upset looking at Gu Fan’s calm demeanor. Why should he, a man of wealth, listen to a university student who hadn’t yet graduated?

And so, Du Changhui and Lin Xi decided to continue their journey, even if only a few people were left, in pursuit of eternal youth.

Gu Fan, of course, wanted nothing to do with their decision, but was caught off guard when old man Tian, the experienced guide, chose to join Du Changhui. This forced Ouyang Jin to follow along as well.

This left Gu Fan with a tough decision. He advised against their decision repeatedly, but old man Tian wouldn’t listen and insisted on joining them. His reason: at his age, there was nothing more to lose.

As Gu Fan gritted his teeth in frustration, he knew he would now have a harder time reaching the cabin at the base of the mountain in the shortest possible time without old man Tian to guide them. Without enough time to wait for rescue, everyone was now in trouble.

The situation resembled the past in the outer regions, where the group wanted to turn back, but Du Jun pushed forward, and the sole guide, Ouyang Jin, followed Du Jun, forcing everyone else to continue moving ahead.

Knowing the kind of action required now, Gu Fan granted: "Alright, if old man Tian wishes to go, there must be some assurance of safety. We can stick together, but I have a proposition."

"Oh, let’s hear it." Everyone was curious about Gu Fan’s solution.

Pointing downhill, Gu Fan suggested, "Our supplies must have been swept away by the avalanche to lower ground. We should first go downhill, we might find something useful to help us press onward."

Hearing this, the group exchanged glances. The idea seemed viable, but the question remained: if they found nothing, wouldn’t it be a waste to have turned back?"

Old man Tian, however, agreed. They needed to try whatever they could, since they were already at the end of their tether.

Given that the most experienced guide thought this way, Du Changhui also nodded in agreement, hoping Gu Fan’s plan would work and they would find some supplies. Otherwise, food and shelter would be a problem.

"Alright, we’ll follow your direction this time, Gu Fan." Lin Xi also expressed her consent. No further objections arose.

Gu Fan had his own strategy, using the retrieval of supplies as a reason to lead the group back. If they found nothing, the group was bound to be upset and lose hope. As they looked at the long journey ahead and the risks it entailed, they might abandon thoughts of pressing forward.

Just as Gu Fan was quietly enjoying his satisfaction, he noticed Lin Xi giving him a long, profound look, as though she had seen through his plan.

"No way, has she uses mind-reading on me again? That’s crossing the line." Gu Fan was slightly taken aback and dared not meet Lin Xi’s eyes.