Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 594: Massive Deployment

Chapter 594: Chapter 594: Massive Deployment

Gu Fan and Su Hui had planned to rendezvous at a prearranged spot after they finished their reconnaissance, preparing to devise a plan to rescue their companions. However, on their way back, they encountered a group of primitives blocking their path.

Left with no alternative, Gu Fan and Su Hui had to turn back to their encampment to continue observing the actions of the primitives. The sight of the primitives making fire and roasting meat turned their stomachs.

Suddenly, one of the primitives ran back to the encampment, squawking something incomprehensible. Not long after, a large number of primitives emerged from their housing and caves, seemingly preparing for a big outing.

True enough, as soon as the gates of the encampment opened, a swarm of primitives charged out. Gu Fan, hiding in the shadows, estimated that there were over two hundred of them. The question was, what had triggered such a massive movement among the primitives? Had they discovered something?

"Did they discover our ship?" A worried Gu Fan wondered. It was their only escape route from the island, and if it had been compromised, it would mean an endless battle with the primitives, especially in the dense forests, where they would surely be at a tactical disadvantage.

Unfazed, Su Hui reassured him, "There’s nothing to worry about. With Lin Xi on board, we can trust her to secure the ship. Besides, with so many primitives out and about, it offers us an opportunity to conduct our rescue operations."

There was no other choice for now. Gu Fan estimated that it would take the primitives around fifteen minutes to reach the beach on foot. By that time, they would have to confront Lin Xi.

Fifteen minutes is the time they had to rescue and move out. Should a conflict arise, Su Hui would fire her gun to create a diversion.

If the primary forces of the primitives, who were heading to attack the ship, heard the gunshots, they would undoubtedly realize something was amiss at the encampment and rush back. At this moment, if Lin Xi spotted this she could chase them, preventing them from returning too quickly or easily.

According to Gu Fan’s calculation, the primitives would surely be exhausted after a fifteen-minute sprint, a skirmish with Lin Xi, and a hasty retreat back.

However, Su Hui thought this plan was risky. Even if they managed to successfully rescue their companions and escape, they could potentially encounter the retreating primitives. Although they might be as physically drained as Gu Fan predicted, their numerical advantage was undeniable.

One wrongful calculation could lead to severe consequences. Gu Fan had to reconsider his plan. Going back the same way posed too much risk. An alternate route would have to be found. But time was not on their side, and playing hide and seek with the primitives on unfamiliar terrain didn’t promise much hope of success.

No matter the risk, action had to be taken after fifteen minutes. As Gu Fan and Su Hui watched the clock, preparing to make their move, they were unaware that Lin Xi, Lu Yi, and Jie were also on their way. However, their paths were not aimed directly at the encampment, allowing them to sidestep the rushing primitives.

Fifteen minutes later, Gu Ling sensed an impending danger and urged the captain to set sail immediately. However, the captain was doubtful about the urgency, and disregarded Gu Ling’s pleas.

The rush was a result of Lin Xi’s hasty preparation, neglecting to coordinate efficiently with the rest of the group. Since Gu Ling was just a student and the captain was in his forties, he was unlikely to follow Gu Ling’s orders unquestioningly.

Despite the captain’s resistance, Du Jun supported Gu Ling. Being the heir of the Yongchang Group, he ordered the captain to set sail immediately. However, Du Jun made a mistake in assuming that his social status would hold any sway in such a situation. The captain’s nonchalant response almost drove Du Jun to anger.

Ouyang Jin kept his eyes fixed on the forest, straining his ears to listen; but the sound of the waves was too loud, challenging his attempt to discern any footfalls. A few precious seconds of foresight could mean the difference between life and death.

"They’re coming! Set sail now!" Xiaohu’s yell drew everyone’s attention, startling them with the sight of an increasing number of primitives charging from the forest.

The captain quickly ordered the ship to set sail. Although they were a bit late, they were fortunate that the tide was high which prevented the primitives from getting too close or the situation could have turned disastrous.

The primitives gathered on the beach, chattering incomprehensibly as they watched the ship set sail. In response, they loosed a volley of arrows at the departing ship.

Wave after wave of arrows rained down on the steel hull of the ship, harmless as raindrops. Nonetheless, Gu Ling, Ouyang Jin, and the others swiftly took shelter inside the cabins, not eager to test their luck.

As the ship moved away from the island and the beach, with its swarm of primitives failing to catch up, a collective sigh of relief was heard on board. Yet, Gu Ling remained on guard, aware of the danger still lurking beneath the sea surface.

After the ship sailed away, directing itself to another beach, the passengers emerged from the cabins. They noticed some wreckage floating on the water, which appeared to be the remnants of a ship.

The sight triggered memories of witnessing another ship being swallowed by a massive wave before disappearing. They all assumed the wreckage belonged to the same ship.

The sight of a person’s pale face, eyes wide in terror, floating lifeless before them, left a chilling sense of dread in their hearts.

Gu Ling, being a young girl, could not bear the grim sight and rushed back to her cabin, silently repeating to herself, "There’s no danger, there’s no danger, there’s no danger."

Inside the cabin, Qin Jia was feeling a little unwell. Seeing Gu Ling’s terrified expression, she asked anxiously, "Xiaoling, what happened? Is there something wrong outside?"

"Nothing, I didn’t sense any danger. We should be able to smoothly proceed to the next landing point. Now, we just need to trust that Sister Lin Xi can successfully rendezvous with my brother, rescue our friends and get to the designated location."

"Indeed, the danger they face is much greater than ours since we managed to escape safely." Qin Jia’s face was filled with concern for their companions.

Gu Ling didn’t agree with Qin Jia’s viewpoint. While Gu Fan, Su Hui, and Lin Xi were indeed in danger and facing challenges, it wasn’t necessarily true that they were in a safer situation on the ship. In fact, Gu Ling felt their situation may be even more dangerous.

"Wait a minute!" Gu Ling seemed to sense something and her face grew tense. Leaving the cabin, she ran to the cockpit. "Captain, there seems to be something behind us. Please proceed at full speed."

"At full speed, I’m afraid we might not have enough fuel," the captain raised a valid concern. In addition to food and water, other supplies were critically low, casting a dark shadow over everyone’s hearts.

If the ship ran out of fuel, being stranded in the dangerous Triangle Sea Area would be tantamount to becoming a sitting duck.