Chapter 266: Encountering a Formidable Opponent, The Game Begins!

“Boss!” Brother Hu’s terrified voice burst out from deep within his gut. 

As he shouted, his legs instinctively moved. But no matter how fast he was, he couldn’t stop Wang Yun.

Xiao Gang and Wang Zi were completely stunned.

That snake flower, the flower capable of attracting an entire snake swarm, was now firmly grasped in Wang Yun’s hand.

“You know, this flower really is quite beautiful,” Wang Yun said

He casually toyed with the flower while wearing an amused expression. He glanced up at the three, who stood frozen in place and gave a nonchalant smile.

“Relax. It’s broad daylight. The snakes are shy during the day,” Wang Yun added, using his godlike hearing to scan the bushes. 

There was no movement at all.

It seemed the snakes didn’t dare to come out during the day.

“By the way,” he continued, “didn’t you say the snakes take a while to reproduce? It’s not over in just one night, right? That would be way too quick.”

Wang Yun turned to Xiao Gang.

Xiao Gang’s face twitched slightly, his fear still palpable. 

“It usually takes about a month, Boss… What exactly are you planning?” he asked, unable to hold back his concern.

“A month? Perfect. That’s plenty of time. I’m not planning much. Just thought it might be fun to let the people chasing us experience the fear we felt last night. Give them a nice little welcome gift.”

As Wang Yun said this, a chill went down Brother Hu’s spine, and his feet started sweating from the tension.

A surprise gift…

***

Meanwhile, the inspectors had split into ten teams, each led by a captain. Every captain led a group of eighty regular inspectors, entering the forest from different points. They formed a circular formation, conducting a grid search, heading toward the center of the forest.

The plan was for all teams to meet in the middle, ensuring they didn’t miss any areas. Even the riverbed was being searched, with cameras and robotic fish sent in to investigate.

Their preparations were incredibly thorough.

On Wang Yun’s side, however, they didn’t climb the steep hill leading up to the Enclosed Mountain. Instead, they waited by the riverbank. Although being in this area gave them an eerie feeling, they couldn’t just leave.

They had to deliver that “surprise” to the inspectors.

Perhaps because they were in such a remote location, by the time the afternoon rolled around, the inspectors still hadn’t shown up.

Wang Yun and his group were hiding in one of the most secretive corners of the entire jungle—a blind spot that no one could easily discover.

Up ahead, there was a small hill. To get to this spot, you’d have to climb over it. Normally, when people see a hill blocking their path, they wouldn’t bother going further.

First, it blocked their line of sight, so they wouldn’t even know there was more jungle on the other side. Second, this area was deserted. Overgrown with weeds and wild branches tangled together, creating a sense of dread at the mere thought of entering. Especially in a forest where you couldn’t see the ground, no one would recklessly step into waist-high weeds.

“Boss, you think they’re not coming? Should I leave a mark or something?” 

Brother Hu squatted in a thick patch of weeds that completely hid him. He’d created a makeshift barricade around himself using his clothes and backpack. 

No choice. He was genuinely scared, especially since the boss was still holding that snake flower. In his other hand, he was fiddling with the powder that freaked him out.

The powder was something Wang Yun had bought from the locals. Some people used poisonous creatures to make alcohol, and this powder was designed to attract those same creatures. With the snake flower and this toxin-attracting powder combined, even if you didn’t want to see any dangerous creatures, they’d come running right up to you.

Wang Yun sat on the ground, leaning back on the soft grass beneath him. If it weren’t for the towering weeds around them, it could’ve been a pretty nice camping spot.

“They’ll come,” Wang Yun said calmly, “They’re heavily armed and figured out I’m on this mountain. Whoever is leading them is good.”

“But this doesn’t seem like the work of the old team of captains. Looks like they brought in a new one,” he added with a relaxed tone.

Brother Hu grumbled from his hiding spot, still uneasy, “A new captain? Damn, they just keep bringing in experts!”

He wasn’t thrilled about it. New people kept joining, and now a top-tier expert had shown up. This island was huge, but somehow, they managed to pinpoint their exact location!

“That kind of deduction skill isn’t something just anyone can pull off,” Brother Hu muttered.

Wang Yun nodded. “Yeah, this one’s a worthy opponent. Don’t worry, we’ll be expanding our team soon enough.”

“I was planning on moving to another city, so I hadn’t bothered recruiting more people. Too many can be a hassle. But now… I think it’s time to have some real fun with them here.”

As he spoke, a dark glint appeared in Wang Yun’s eyes.

Before, when he faced those other captains, Wang Yun felt like he was barely breaking a sweat. It wasn’t even a challenge. But this time, something stirred within him, igniting his competitive spirit. He hadn’t felt this pumped up in over a week.

Survival meant taking risks.

With that thought, Wang Yun stood up abruptly. 

“You guys stay here,” he said, striding toward the small hill in front of them.

These guys had to find him, and since they were in the jungle, there was no need to shy away from a direct confrontation. Even if they were well-prepared, Wang Yun didn’t believe they had anything like his poison-attracting powder or the snake flower.

Five minutes later, Wang Yun climbed over the hill. It was almost like a massive burial mound, wide enough to block anyone’s line of sight. He carefully placed the snake flower in a very obvious spot, then crumpled up some tissues and tossed them next to it.

He was doing this to grab their attention.

Wang Yun sprinkled the special powder all around, steadily backing away as he did. Then, he pulled a ready-to-eat meal wrapper from his pocket and casually dropped it on the ground.

Brother Hu wasn’t wrong. They needed to leave a trail. If those people didn’t pick up on it, all their waiting would be in vain.

Besides, Wang Yun really didn’t want to venture into Enclosed Mountain unless he had no choice. Just dealing with this jungle was already enough of a headache, especially after last night’s snake swarm. Who knew what other creepy creatures might lurk inside that mountain? Even he couldn’t guarantee he’d stay calm if something else like that happened.

If they were going to play, they might as well play for real.

Wang Yun followed the path, sprinkling the powder all the way up the slope. Once he reached the riverbank, he tossed another half-used packet of tissues into the water, letting it float on the surface. To keep it from drifting too far, he hooked it with some weeds and wedged it under a nearby rock, making it look like the tissues had been snagged.

After finishing everything, Wang Yun made his way back to where Brother Hu and the others were waiting. He glanced to his left. There were a few big trees over there, and they still had time. Now, it was just a waiting game.

“You guys aren’t afraid of heights, right? You know how to climb trees, don’t you?” Wang Yun asked, his eyes gleaming as he looked at them.