Chapter 272: A Plan! This Was No Accident—It Was All Man-made!

“Ahh~”  

The wild monkeys weren’t giving up. They swung through the trees and chased relentlessly. 

But these monkeys were smart. The moment they saw a group of tall, burly guys holding curved machetes, they didn’t hesitate. They swiftly turned around and retreated without a second thought. 

Quick, precise, and ruthless. Their retreat was as swift as their chase.

With the monkeys finally backing off, Hardy’s team’s already tense members let out a sigh of relief. 

At the same time, a few stray snakes that followed were scared off by the knives or were left dazed by the repellent powder.

“Let’s get out of here now,” Hardy shouted, waving for everyone to move. 

The entire group wasted no time and bolted out of the forest.

Outside the jungle, the ground was littered with exhausted program inspectors, collapsed on the dirt, gasping for air. They were drenched in sweat, covered in dirt, and some even had traces of blood.

Some inspectors had run so fast they’d been scratched by branches, leaving cuts on their arms and legs. Others had been bitten by snakes. A few had even rolled awkwardly while running, breaking their arms in the process.

In total, a rough count showed over a hundred injured inspectors.

Out of the 200 people Wu Yaoming had led in, nearly half were wounded. The other Captains hadn’t faced the same level of danger, so their groups were still in relatively good shape.

Now, Wu Yaoming, Wu Mingyu, and Ying Yuezi were slumped down on some rocks. Ying Yuezi was cradling her wrist. She’d hit it hard against a tree while running. She hadn’t felt the pain in the heat of the moment, but now it was burning.

Wu Yaoming wasn’t in great shape either. He had fallen while protecting a teammate and had been stepped on by two others. His back was now decorated with three or four shoe prints.

Wu Mingyu, who had carried Ying Yuezi on his back, had twisted his waist. 

The atmosphere was painfully awkward. No one spoke. Occasionally, the silence was broken by the groans of teammates applying medicine to their injuries.

This fight had been a disaster. They hadn’t even caught a glimpse of their enemy, and yet they had fallen apart. 

After what felt like forever, a long sigh finally broke the uncomfortable silence.

“Don’t lose heart, everyone. It’s normal to run into unexpected situations in the jungle,” Wu Mingyu said, standing up and clutching his back. “But we did make some progress. We found traces of Wang Yun. In a bit, all Captains must report how many are still fit for action. We’ll head back out in three hours.”

Wu Mingyu’s words made the terrified inspectors sitting on the ground shiver. Their faces were full of resistance. 

Who would want to go back in there? 

What if they ran into more swarms of snakes, bugs, and those vengeful monkeys? 

Next time, they might not be so lucky.

Meanwhile, Zhao Youcheng was monitoring everything through the surveillance feed. He picked up his radio. His voice cut through the wind that could be heard on the channel.

“Comrades, don’t be afraid. We can’t let nature defeat us. I’m on my way to your location right now, and fresh protective suits are coming too. Those injured can head back with the vehicles to rest and recover. This time, I’ll personally lead you all in. We’re going to capture Wang Yun by sunrise. And when we do, there’ll be a big reward for everyone.”

Zhao Youcheng’s bold and encouraging voice echoed across the open channel, making sure every single person heard it loud and clear.

“What? Old Zhao is coming to lead us personally?”

“Old Zhao is on his way! If he’s leading us, what do we have to fear?”

“Exactly! C’mon, guys, keep your spirits up. We already cleared out most of the snakes and bugs. And those monkeys? No big deal!”

“There were only six of them. We just need to stay alert!”

“Man, too bad my leg’s hurt. Otherwise, I’d still be in the fight!”

Zhao Youcheng’s words worked like a shot of adrenaline, bringing the previously discouraged team members back to life. To them, Old Zhao was like the pillar holding everything together.

And it was thanks to his earlier analysis that they had found Wang Yun on the island so quickly. With Old Zhao leading them, the end was in sight!

“How long until you arrive, Old Zhao?” Wu Mingyu asked over the radio, frowning slightly in surprise.

“I’ll be there in about half an hour. I saw what you all went through earlier. I don’t think that was just an accident.”

Zhao Youcheng’s serious voice came through clearly, and he kept the channel open so everyone could hear him.

“Hmm? Old Zhao, are you saying this was deliberate?” Wu Yaoming asked, shocked. 

His question left everyone at the scene equally stunned and confused.

“What do you mean by deliberate? How could all those snakes and bugs be set up by someone? Are you saying someone set a trap on purpose?”

“Oh, I remember now! Do you guys recall when we first spotted signs of Wang Yun? We heard several sharp sounds from the distance, kind of like some sort of instrument.”

“Yeah, now that you mention it, I heard it too. At first, I thought it was just the wind rustling through the trees, but now it seems like it came out of nowhere!”

“Right! After those sounds, we saw flashes of light and then heard the splashes in the water!”

“Wait, could it be that Wang Yun spotted us and intentionally lured us over there?”

The program’s inspectors began discussing amongst themselves. Alfa, Hardy, and Werner also walked over, their expressions serious as they looked at Wu Yaoming and the others.

“What exactly happened back there?” Werner asked.

Ying Yuezi frowned, recalling the events carefully.

“It’s just like everyone said. After we heard those sounds, we went in deeper and then got surrounded by snakes,” Ying Yuezi explained, before grabbing her radio.

“Old Zhao, about those instrument-like sounds we heard before getting surrounded—have you had anyone analyze them?”

“I have,” Zhao Youcheng replied, “I reached out to a naturalist, and just as you suspected, it was a mimicry sound designed to attract animals. This type of sound, once triggered, can make large mammals agitated and provoke an instinctive response of irritation.”

Zhao Youcheng had already been on alert when he heard the strange sound while monitoring the situation. He immediately recorded the footage and sent it to a friend who analyzed it on a computer, confirming that it was indeed an imitation sound meant to stir animal behavior.

When the others heard this, everything suddenly clicked. Ying Yuezi, especially, became so worked up that she shot up from her seat, but the sudden movement hurt her wrist, making her wince in pain.

“It was Wang Yun! He saw us coming long ago and led us right into his trap, step by step! The half-eaten mushrooms, the food wrappers, and the crumpled paper. All of it was meant to guide us along the way!”

Ying Yuezi was shouting now, something she rarely ever did. She was clearly furious with Wang Yun, so angry she could hardly contain herself.

“And remember that purple flower you picked up, Captain Ying? That was a snake flower, a lure that attracts swarms of snakes.”

Zhao Youcheng’s deep voice echoed from the radio.