Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 689: Three Special Hostages

Chapter 689: Chapter 689: Three Special Hostages

Just as Dong Ni was venting all his frustrations on the wall, he heard a whining sound coming from the cabin, which only fueled his anger. He stormed into the cabin, grabbed a hostage by the collar, and snarled, "What’s all this noise? Believe it or not, I’m starting to lose my temper. I’ll toss you all into the sea to feed the sharks."

Qiao Ya came over, clapped Dong Ni on the shoulder, signaling him to calm down. Then, Qiao Ya warned sternly, "I hope we can leave without a hitch, but don’t count on anyone coming to rescue you. I’m telling you in advance—if we can’t manage to take you with us, we’ll drop you into the sea before anyone discovers us, not leaving a trace behind, got it?"

The three hostages quickly nodded, indicating they understood and gestured for the removal of the cloth from their mouths.

With no other choice, Qiao Ya, Dong Ni, and Su Lei put on masks before removing the blindfolds and gags from the hostages, finally allowing them to get some fresh air.

The hostages stepped outside the cabin and stared at the island appearing and disappearing amongst the fog. Their eyes first reflected astonishment, then a glimmer of hope.

One of the captives asked Qiao Ya, "Is there something special about this island? Has it been your focus all this while?"

Qiao Ya nodded, "Correct, this island is indeed unusual. It sinks into the sea, changes location underwater, and resurfaces intermittently, always amidst a fog."

Upon hearing this, the hostages exchanged dubious looks, a hint of excitement barely concealed.

Confused about their reaction, Qiao Ya warned, "Let me caution you—don’t be foolish. After getting some fresh air, retreat to the cabin immediately."

A hostage immediately probed, "Tell me, what did you find on this island?"

Qiao Ya frowned, initially reluctant to answer. But seeing their anxious expression, he felt there might be critical information at stake and finally relented, "So far we’ve discovered nothing. Rumor has it the island is hazardous—we don’t know how many pirates have been lost or injured there. If things don’t change, we might all be ordered there ourselves." After saying this, Qiao Ya silently gritted his teeth; he had no desire to set foot on that island.

The hostages looked at each other, then nodded in unison.

Su Lei was curious, "Why are you so interested in the island? Do you know something?"

One of the hostages replied, "We’ve been secretly studying a new technology in the Triangle Sea Area. This technology might derive from something called the Super Civilization. However, many crucial elements have still not been found, and I suspect the key is on that island."

"Oh, so you suspect the island is another remnant from the Super Civilization that could aid your research?" Qiao Ya was intrigued and could not help but think it fortuitous.

A hostage asked, "How did you locate it?"

"We can’t take credit for that—we simply followed them," Qiao Ya confessed, grudgingly admiring Gu Fan for his ability to discover such an island.

Originally, Qiao Ya believed he was the mystery man sent to the Triangle Sea Area on a secret mission. He didn’t realize that Gu Fan was even more adept at concealing his identity. No wonder Gu Fan and his companions had managed to elude the pirates—they were not ordinary folk.

A hostage interrupted Qiao Ya’s thoughts, "Your bosses captured us to acquire our technology. If we’re able to land on the island, we can perfect the technology, which is what your superiors want, right?"

"What do you mean?" Unhappy, Dong Ni pointed his gun at them threateningly, "You want us to risk our lives on the island, unable to return, while you escape, isn’t that it?"

The threats frightened the hostages. They quickly clarified, "No, no! You’ve got it wrong; we’re just curious about what’s on the island."

At their explanation, Dong Ni finally let his anger subside, though Qiao Ya’s face shifted a bit, revealing a glint of exploratory desire in his eyes. "You mentioned Gu Fan, Qian Feng, and the others aren’t ordinary. Why are they looking for this island? Is there something on it?"

Both Dong Ni and Su Lei became excited, "Exactly, there must be something extraordinary! I thought it might be a treasure at first, which didn’t interest me. Once we get paid for this mission, we’ll be flush with cash. Why risk our lives landing on that island? But hearing these scientists talk, perhaps the value is more than mere treasure. Maybe it’s worth sticking around to see."

This piqued Qiao Ya’s interest too. Maybe there would be an unexpected gain from their stay?

It seemed Su Lei had an inkling of Qiao Ya’s thoughts. He moved over and gave Qiao Ya a pat on the shoulder, then said thoughtfully, "Curiosity killed the cat. Look around—how many ships are left? Our most important objective should be to survive and escape, then live a life of wealth and ease. Why take any more risks? Many people have met with untoward ends due to insatiable greed."

"Thanks for reminding me. I know what to do." Qiao Ya had made up his mind, but the three hostages stared longingly at the island, appearing eager to explore what was on it.

Dong Ni cursed, "Alright, the three of you have had enough time outside. Time to return to the cabin."

But the hostages lingered, seemingly reluctant. They were all researchers, and this important clue seemed worth pursuing. But they were helpless. Under Dong Ni’s threat, they were again blindfolded and returned to the cabin.

Su Lei, trying to be helpful, warned, "Our slight movements have been discovered more than once. If we’re found out again, it will definitely raise suspicions. We must be cautious in our next steps."

"Yes, that’s what I’m thinking too. Also, I have an escape plan." As he said this, a confident smile crept onto Qiao Ya’s face.

Unable to bear his curiosity, Dong Ni asked, "You must have some cunning plan. Share, share."

"No can do—I’m afraid if I say it out loud, it might fail. Just wait, I will ensure our escape from the Triangle Sea Area, and we’ll never set foot here again." Having said where, Qiao Ya looked around and noticed the fog dispersing and the island sinking.

For some reason, whenever Qiao Ya looked at the island, his mind would go to Gu Fan. And whenever Gu Fan crossed his mind, he had a bad feeling.