Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 351 Can’t Get Along

Chapter 351: Chapter 351 Can’t Get Along

"Alright, let’s get going. Remember, we only have one way to go—forward, understood?" After saying this, Gu Fan took the lead and boldly chose a direction. Leng Le and Lu Yi quickly followed him.

Du Jun was a bit disapproving, "Who does this guy think he is, always rushing to the front like he’s invincible?"

Seeing that Du Jun clearly hadn’t taken this well, Qin Jia comforted him, "Everyone has their strengths. If you keep comparing yourself to others, aren’t you setting yourself up for disappointment? Let’s go."

Upon hearing this, Du Jun seemed pleased and then held Qin Jia’s hand as they followed the others.

Seeing that Gu Fan and Du Jun had already taken initiative, everyone else hurriedly packed their things and set off, silently praying that they would be safe and find food and water.

The floating island was large, completely shrouded in clouds and fog. As Gu Fan walked through it, he saw nothing but white around him. He thought that even if there was any food or drink hidden here, it would be incredibly difficult to find. Visibility was only about ten steps ahead. If there was a piece of bread twenty steps away, Gu Fan wouldn’t see it, and hence, would miss it.

After a bit of walking, Gu Fan began to regret their venture. The possibility of finding food or drink in these conditions was dismally low. They could possibly starve to death here.

"What should we do, what should we do?" Gu Fan anxiously mulled over, running his hand through his hair. Looking back, his heart sank. Even retracing their steps seemed impossible in these cloud and fog-laden surroundings.

He hadn’t originally planned to return the same way they had come, so naturally, Gu Fan hadn’t thought of making markers along the way or preparing any sort of means to navigate back.

Lu Yi shone a flashlight in an attempt to see farther, but all that surrounded them were more clouds and fog which made Lu Yi complain, "What on earth is this? The Eternal Life Clan sure likes to mess with us."

"Buddy, can you not be such a doomsayer?" Gu Fan pleaded. Recognizing his distress, Lu Yi zipped his lips.

Du Jun and Qin Jia stuck together, scared of being separated. For a young girl like Qin Jia, this kind of place was incredibly frightening.

Seeing Du Jun and Qin Jia’s anxiety, Gu Fan couldn’t help but chide, "Du Jun, you knew this was going to be risky. Why bring Qin Jia along?"

Du Jun’s face darkened as he retorted, "Gu Fan, you knew what you were doing was dangerous, but you couldn’t protect Leng Le and let her become a hostage."

"Wow, you really know how to play the blame game, huh?" Gu Fan was unaffected by this, and continued, "Some things are out of my control, but other things can be managed."

Du Jun naturally understood Gu Fan’s point. Not being able to prevent Leng Le from being captured was out of Gu Fan’s control, but bringing Qin Jia here was within Du Jun’s control.

Seeing the two of them again at loggerheads, Qin Jia quickly intervened, "Alright, both of you need to cool it. We are in a situation where we need to be working together, otherwise, we might starve here."

This time, neither Gu Fan nor Du Jun said anything. The two of them continued walking ahead, but at a considerable distance from each other.

Qin Jia and Lu Yi found it odd. Under normal circumstances, Gu Fan would never intentionally provoke Du Jun. It was usually Du Jun who targeted Gu Fan. But this time, Gu Fan deliberately stirred the pot, which was very uncharacteristic.

Du Jun also noted the hostility from Gu Fan, wondering where he had crossed him.

After a while of walking, everyone was exhausted. It felt like they were walking on an infinitely vast plain with no end in sight.

"If there were no clouds or fog, we would be able to see farther, and our chances of survival would be greater, but..." Gu Fan frowned deeply. This time, even he felt at a loss. Looking at everyone’s dispirited faces, he thought about how little time had passed since their outlooks had changed so drastically.

Gu Fan began to calculate - all three groups had about the same amount of food and water. If his group had very little left, then it could only mean the other groups were in the same situation. When the time comes, everyone would certainly feel hopeless. Even the villagers, who were so obsessed with eternal life, would likely retreat in the face of such a dire strait. Gu Fan thought about setting off a flare to assemble everyone and then discuss the possibility of returning together. There’s a good chance they would agree.

This was Gu Fan’s plan. He knew it would be difficult to persuade Du Changhui and the others to give up, so he let them experience what desperation really was, hoping this would make them abandon their path.

Leng Le walked up to Gu Fan, expressing her concern, "Gu Fan, do you think we might not be able to go back?"

"Don’t worry, as long as I’m here, I won’t let that happen." Gu Fan assured her, but even he felt his assurance lacked conviction. Walking down this path all the way to the foot of the mountain would take up too much time. Their supplies might not last until help arrives.

Gu Fan had initially planned on saving Leng Le. Now that he had saved her, he realized they might not be able to return, and that he had also put all their friends in danger. He felt a strong sense of guilt.

However, Leng Le seemed less frightened than Qin Jia, probably due to the differences between a mature woman and a young girl.

Gu Fan asked someone to check their food supplies, which were only enough for about three days. He thought if they hadn’t found any food in three days, they would have to resort to extreme measures.

Lu Yi suddenly remarked, "Isn’t it strange? When we were climbing up, we felt strong winds. But once we got to the floating island, the winds stopped. What is up with that?"

Gu Fan agreed, "Yes, that’s odd. And the winds didn’t seem to disperse the clouds or fog either. What’s going on?"

Everyone thought for a bit, then Qin Jia proposed a theory, "What if the winds and the clouds and fog are all controlled by the island itself? The island could be holding onto the clouds and fog so tightly that no matter how strong the winds, they can’t be dispersed, and perhaps the scope of the wind’s effect is limited by the island."

"That’s an interesting hypothesis. You’re implying that this floating island has the power to manipulate nature." Gu Fan stroked his chin, finding the idea rather fantastic.

At this point, Du Jun disregarded any potential disagreements and openly agreed with Qin Jia, "I think this possibility can’t be ruled out. After all, if eternal life can exist, what else is impossible?"

"A valid point indeed." Gu Fan knew there was no room to contradict Du Jun, especially when he was siding with Qin Jia. Otherwise, there was a risk of an immediate fallout.

"If controlling the clouds and fog is meant to hide the island, then controlling the winds must be aimed at eliminating everyone who attempts to approach the island." Gu Fan thought for a bit and continued, "If these hypotheses turn out to be true, it suggests that this floating island has self-defense mechanisms, and there might be more than one kind too."