Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 96: What a Budget Travel Plan

Chapter 96: Chapter 96: What a Budget Travel Plan

Everyone got up early in the morning, packed their belongings, prepared their luggage, and then heard the sound of a car pulling up outside, indicating that Du Jun was on time.

For convenience, Du Jun arranged for a long van, which could hold a lot of luggage and was very practical.

Meanwhile, Leng Le was sitting in her office, watching through surveillance as Gu Fan and the rest busily moved their stuff around, their actions indicating imminent departure. This made Leng Le anxious, as she could only see what was happening inside, so was unsure whether Gu Fan and the others would embark together or split up.

Once everything was loaded onto the van, Gu Fan and Lin Xi took Su Hui’s car as the lead, while Du Jun, Lu Yi, and Jie took the van and followed closely behind.

Du Jun was not pleased with this arrangement. He could not understand why Gu Fan got to ride in the same car as two beauties, while he had to squeeze into a van with two guys.

Lu Yi saw Du Jun’s unhappy expression and understood what was bothering him. He remarked, "Lin Xi is Gu Fan’s girlfriend, so of course she goes wherever he goes. As for Su Hui, she’s Gu Fan’s tenant. If her car is going to carry anyone, of course it would be Gu Fan."

Upon hearing this, Du Jun’s face darkened. He did not respond but closed his eyes, appearing to rest. Truth be told, he had woken up quite early and was now feeling sleepy.

Jie and Lu Yi alternated in driving the van, both having obtained their driver’s licenses together the previous year. Not having many opportunities to drive, they had limited experience, so it made sense for Su Hui to take the lead with her car, followed by their van.

"To be honest, it’s nice to have a vehicle to drive. I’m not fussy— even this van would do for me," Jie rubbed the steering wheel, unable to suppress his excitement. He would love to overtake all the cars in front of him just by stomping on the gas pedal.

Hearing this, Du Jun sneered inwardly. He probably could not comprehend the mentality of people from lower social classes— for whom even simple things could satisfy them and bring great happiness.

Nevertheless, Lu Yi understood. He was aware of Jie’s family situation — the fact that Jie and his brother lived by themselves without much to go on. Jie did not have dreams of driving luxury cars. Any car was good enough for him.

Throughout the journey, Jie drove with absolute focus. It seemed as if he poured all his energy into driving. He even said at one point, "If we could modify this van a bit, put a bed in it, we could travel everywhere in it, don’t you think?"

"Yeah, that’s a great idea! Drive around the world during the day and sleep in the van at night." This idea seemed to pique Lu Yi’s interest. Turning to Du Jun, he suggested, "Brother, you have a lot of luxury cars at home. How about selling this van to Jie and me at a low price?"

"No problem!" Du Jun replied easily. The cost of this van was negligible to him. However, he was intrigued by Jie’s idea as well. Du Jun had dreamt of travelling the world, but all his plans involved traveling by plane and staying at hotels. Jie’s idea of touring the world in a modified van sounded fascinating.

Imagine setting off in the van, stopping wherever you liked, seeing numerous places, experiencing various scenery, reaching one destination after another, witnessing so much along the way that would inevitably enhance the journey. That’s true travel.

Getting excited, Lu Yi exclaimed, "Yeah, I can tell Gu Fan about this. Then we three can go on a graduation trip together."

Upon hearing this, Jie frowned, "The idea is great. But can this van accommodate three beds?"

"We can have a bunk bed setup." Lu Yi and Jie continued brainstorming as they drove, painting a stunning vision of touring the world in a van.

At this point, Du Jun chimed in, "Actually, this current trip is not much different from what you guys plan to do."

"Right, right, right. It will take us about three days to drive to our destination. We will likely pass through many places along the way. Let’s consider it as getting experience for our travel plan," the more Lu Yi spoke about it, the more excited he got. He couldn’t wait to tell Gu Fan about this plan.

About two hours later, Gu Fan and his party pulled into a rest stop on the highway for a break while awaiting the arrival of Professor Luo and his group.

This was the agreed meeting point. Gu Fan had just received a message that Professor Luo and his group would be arriving in about half an hour. Once everyone was assembled, they would resume their journey.

After they got out of the vehicles at the rest stop, Lu Yi quickly approached Gu Fan and shared their travel plan. Lu Yi was so excited, and the more Gu Fan listened to the plan, the more he thought it was a good one. He wished they could implement it immediately.

Imagine this: you’re driving to your destination, enjoying the beautiful scenery along the way, when you suddenly spot a lovely little village. You can’t resist changing your course and spending a few extra days. You have a great time and discover unexpected surprises. Perhaps, this is the true essence of a journey.

As Gu Fan, Lu Yi and Jie are further discussing the feasibility of their budget travelling plan, a car pulls into the rest area, catching their attention.

"Gu Fan, you guys are here early." Teacher Liu gets out of the car, followed by Professor Luo and two unfamiliar faces: a man and a sophisticated-looking woman with glasses.

Professor Luo introduces them as his students. They are currently studying for their master’s degrees and are about to graduate. The trip to the ancient Qian Ye nation will help them complete their theses.

The man, Xu Haowen, is highly promising in the field of archaeology while the woman, Qin Jia, is widely acknowledged as a beauty with brains. Professor Luo had brought them along to nurture the next generation of talent.

"All of you are young people, the future of our country. This time, you must work together and contribute to our country’s archaeology." With Professor Luo’s strong recommendation, both parties quickly got to know each other and shook hands, promising close cooperation.

Of course, Gu Fan also had to introduce the rest of his group. Du Jun was the generous financier backing this trip and was therefore introduced with emphasis. Lin Xi was Gu Fan’s girlfriend and he definitely wanted to introduce her thoroughly to avoid her feeling neglected. Su Hui was a police officer, responsible for everyone’s safety. This status made Professor Luo trust Gu Fan’s group more.

As for Lu Yi and Jie, Gu Fan glossed over them. The two men didn’t need any special introductions; knowing their names was enough. Plus, Professor Luo had already met Lu Yi before, so there was no need for repetition.

Gu Fan’s prioritization of romantic interests over friends triggered a burst of complaints from Lu Yi and Jie. Dissatisfied with Gu Fan, they reintroduced themselves, revealing their names, skills, hobbies, blood groups, zodiac signs and other insignificant details.

However, Professor Luo patiently listened till the end before smiling and asking, "Lu Yi, you previously mentioned you could find us a suitable guide. How is it going?"

Hearing this, Lu Yi’s heart skipped a beat. That had been merely a bluff to join the expedition team. Now, he found himself in a fix, trying to figure out how to alleviate the situation but he still replied, "Don’t worry, I’ve already got that handled. Our guide is available during this period."

"Good, that’s good. We really need a guide to navigate remote, uninhabited regions. It’s too dangerous otherwise." Professor Luo seemed relieved, even taking the time to appreciate Lu Yi’s supposed efforts.

As soon as Professor Luo turned to converse with the others, Lu Yi’s troubled expression became obvious. Spotting this, Gu Fan hurried to ask, "Tell me the truth now, I might be able to help. Otherwise, it’ll be hard on both of us when you inevitably have to come clean."

"Alright, I’ll come clean." Lu Yi confessed, leaving Gu Fan with a pressing headache. How would they handle the scenario when they reached their destination and Professor Luo inevitably inquired about the guide?

Gu Fan seldom found Lu Yi to be troublesome, but this time, he truly was. However, Gu Fan lightened up when he realized Lu Yi knowingly risked the expedition, even resorting to lying, all to accompany Gu Fan. This was a mark of their friendship.

Having a friend like this was invaluable to Gu Fan. He felt he should be grateful, not annoyed. Criticizing would only be futile now. The priority was finding a solution.

"Once we reach our destination, we’ll find a guide. As long as the guide fulfills Professor Luo’s requirements, everything else should be fine." This was all Gu Fan could think of for now. He placed a hand on Lu Yi’s shoulder, looking grateful. Lu Yi was going to step into the journey alongside him after all.

Currently, Professor Luo was checking the items inside the van to see if everything on the list was bought. He felt satisfied with their meticulousness, particularly with the expensive items. Gu Fan and his squad left him impressed. It was clear that Du Jun, their financier, was resourceful.

Alright, since everyone and everything was now ready and they had enjoyed a good rest, it was time for their journey to officially commence.

As Gu Fan and the others drove out of the rest area, a figure in another car parked nearby watched them closely. The person dialed a number on their phone, "Sister Leng, Gu Fan and his group have left. All six of them are present, but now their team has grown to a total of ten people. I’ve never seen these four before, particularly an older individual."

Leng Le, upon hearing this, felt puzzled, "Four unfamiliar faces. Where did Gu Fan get reinforcements and when?"

"Alright. I got it. Follow them discreetly and try to avoid exposure, especially under Su Hui’s watch." Leng Le finished speaking and hung up. Looking at the red dot on the map displayed on her screen, a smile crept onto her face.