Chapter 305: Crafting a Raft and Escaping Downstream

Wang Yun didn’t have high hopes for Brother Hu and Xiao Gang’s contributions. Instead, he focused on the task at hand, working tirelessly.

Time was too tight, and they needed a raft that could carry three people. It had to be sturdy. If it wasn’t, it wouldn’t stand a chance against the turbulent waters ahead. On top of that, Brother Hu was on the bulkier side, meaning the raft needed to be large enough to accommodate his size.

This left Wang Yun with no time to even sigh.

Three and a half hours later, Wang Yun finally looked up.

By then, his neck had gone stiff, and his ten fingers were in terrible shape. All but his pinkies were swollen and covered in blood from splinters and cuts left by the wooden strips.

Brother Hu and Xiao Gang weren’t doing much better. Every one of their fingers was raw and bloodied, a sight that would make anyone wince.

“Let’s go. Grab your things. We’re leaving now,” Wang Yun said, giving them no chance to rest.

With one hand, he hefted one end of the raft onto his shoulder.

“I’ll carry the other end with you, Boss. Xiao Gang, you take the luggage,” Brother Hu said, stepping forward and lifting the opposite end onto his shoulder.

The raft weighed over 300 pounds, as Wang Yun had used water-soaked wooden strips to make it more flexible and durable.

The raft itself was about the size of a twin bed—roughly 1.5 meters wide—and even with two people carrying it, it was a grueling task.

“Brother Hu, hang in there. They’ve probably already entered the mountain, and the riverbank is likely their main focus for surveillance. The helicopters will probably start their operation soon. We have to move fast and make it to the riverbank within the hour.”

If they didn’t, the helicopters would begin dropping acid rain, and no one would be able to escape.

Of course, Wang Yun didn’t say this last part out loud, not wanting to panic the others.

“I can run ahead and scout the area,” Xiao Gang suggested immediately. “If something happens, I can warn you both.”

Wang Yun glanced at the three large bags Xiao Gang was carrying, his entire back bent under the weight.

“And what happens when you spot them? Think you’ll be able to run away like this? I went through all that trouble to rescue you, don’t tell me you’re planning on getting caught again?”

Wang Yun’s words were sharp, and he gave Xiao Gang a deliberately stern glare.

Xiao Gang pressed his lips together, realizing Wang Yun was right. If the investigators had already reached the river, their numbers alone would make things impossible. The few accessible spots along the river were sure to be heavily monitored. Forget warning the others—just moving around could get him caught.

Xiao Gang silently vowed to think before speaking in the future.

The three of them moved quickly as if they weren’t carrying a heavy raft at all.

Their pace looked almost casual, but the bulging veins on their arms and necks told a different story—they were pushing themselves to their limits.

Brother Hu, in particular, was struggling the most. His physical condition wasn’t anywhere near Wang Yun’s level, but he gritted his teeth and powered through. He refused to slow them down.

This display of determination deeply moved the livestream viewers, especially Brother Hu’s fans, who flooded the chat with comments.

“Look at what our dear Pepper has been put through! Can’t the boss slow down just a bit?”

“Well, I mean, wouldn’t you rather see Brother Hu a little tired than caught and eliminated? Wang Yun’s doing this for their sake!”

“Waaah, Brother Hu’s gotten so thin since entering the mountain. He looks so worn out!”

“Thin?”

“???”

Some of the more straightforward viewers, especially the male ones, couldn’t resist spamming question marks in the chat.

“Are we even looking at the same guy? Brother Hu’s face is clearly rounder than before! Sure, he’s a little scruffy, but at least he’s managing to eat in the jungle.”

“Back in Xiyun City, he was running for his life, dodging program investigators and snitches in the crowd. That was way worse than this!”

“You fans are just blinded by your love. Brother Hu hasn’t gotten thinner at all. If anything, he’s been sleeping better here.”

Wang Yun’s fans, however, weren’t having it.

“How is this fair? Can’t you see how much harder Wang Yun is working?”

“Saving people? Him. Facing danger? Him. Doing all the work? Also him.”

“No matter the situation, Wang Yun’s always the first one to step up. On top of that, he still worries about his teammates!”

“Where are you going to find a leader like this? Nowhere!”

“You’re absolutely right. Back when I was running my own crew, the boss always treated his underlings like tools. But Wang Yun? He treats his guys like family!”

“I, Old Wang, swear right here, if I ever meet Wang Yun, I’ll gladly call him Big Brother!”

The comment came from a viewer with a scenic landscape as their profile picture. His words carried a tone of old-school loyalty, earning him waves of 23333 from the audience.

The distance from Wang Yun’s campsite to the riverbank should have taken them about two hours to cover. They made it in just an hour and a half. Including the three and a half hours spent crafting the raft, the entire process took four hours in total.

When they finally arrived at the riverbank, the water seemed even more turbulent than before.

But something else was off. The water level had noticeably dropped.

“Huh? The water level’s gone down?”

Wang Yun stared at the flowing river, an uneasy feeling creeping over him.

If the water level was dropping, it could only mean something was happening underground.

And it wasn’t anything small.

“Boss, I noticed something too. The water level has definitely dropped,” Xiao Gang said, frowning as he walked up to the edge of the river. “Before, we could reach the water plants just by raising our hands. But now? Those plants are at least twenty centimeters higher than the bank!”

He pointed to the riverbank, his expression filled with concern.